School Uniform Debate Should They Be Allowed Essay Example

School Uniform Debate: Should They Be Allowed Essay The debate over the compulsory use of school uniform is not a new issue. This debate is taking place since years and parents and administrators of schools provide arguments for or against the compulsory use of school uniform. A large number of parents and administrators consider the use of school uniform something forcibly imposed as a mandatory rule. Where as, other parents and administrators consider that the mandatory rule to wear school uniform will result in broad spectrum benefits (Veigle, p. 3). This issue remains still unresolved. The present essay provides the arguments in support of school uniform as well as arguments against the mandatory wearing of school uniforms. The paper ends with the concluding remarks of the author in which the author presents his voice on the mandatory wearing of school uniform.School Uniforms Should Be AllowedThis section of the essay provides arguments that strongly support the mandatory use of school uniform.School Uniforms Improve Academic Perf ormance: It is widely accepted among a large number of educators and parents that academic performance is enhanced when students wear uniform. They justify their statements by saying that if the students are allowed to come in dresses of their choices then their concentration is diverted from their academics to their wardrobes. So it is widely approved by several sociology experts that students will be able to concentrate more towards their academics when they will be wearing school uniforms as they would not have to pay attention towards the selection of a dress daily to wear in the school. Experts also insist that school attendance is increased when students wear uniforms (Sher, p.21).School Uniforms Improve Behavior: It is widely believed by experts and educators that the behavior of students wearing school uniform improves. A firm environment is dictated when students wear school uniforms. Students seem inclined more towards the school discipline and thus a reduction in the viol ent behavior occur (Holloman, p. 33-38).School Uniforms Improve Social Outcomes: It is believed that social outcomes of students wearing school uniforms improve a lot. This is because most of the time, conflicts among students arise due to the standard of the dress selection. Some students feel proud due to their clothing and thus they make fun of other students wearing less expensive clothes. School uniforms improve the social environment (Holloman, p. 33-38).School Uniforms Are Less Expensive: School uniforms reduce the cost of buying expensive clothes and thus become more economical for parents. School uniforms are far less expensive than trendy dresses (DeMitchell et al. p. 31-49).School Uniforms Should Not Be AllowedSchool Uniforms Inhibit Self-Expression: The self-expression of students is badly affected by the mandatory use of school uniforms. Developmental stages of a child are highly influenced by the self-expressive power of a child and when a child is not allowed to wear clothes of his/her choice, its development is affected as they do not find any way to express them (Hethorn, p. 44-48).School Uniforms Strip Individuality: When students are forced to wear school uniforms, they lose their individuality. Thus, it can be said that the school uniforms do not promote cultural diversity. Human nature requires socialization that is tried to be controlled by imposing the mandatory use of school uniforms (Gilbert, p. 3-18).School Uniforms Are Not Comfortable For All: It is argued that school uniforms do not make all the students feel comfortable in the texture and style of the uniforms. Different people prefer to wear different types of textures and styles of clothes. Students become limited to wear according to their comfort due to the mandatory wearing of school uniforms. If students would not feel comfortable in their school uniforms then they would not be able to concentrate on their academics and thus their learning abilities will be reduced (Essex, p. 38).School Uniforms Aggravate Violent Behaviors: Some students possess rebellion nature by birth. They simply cannot obey rules. When they are forced to wear school uniforms their behavior become more violent. They find out ways to show their opposition to the mandatory wearing of school uniforms such as they alter the uniforms in a way that is totally different from the standardized style of the school uniform (Joanne, p. 1).ConclusionIt can be concluded after viewing arguments both favoring and against the mandatory wearing of school uniform that school administrators should not mandate the wearing of school uniform. Though arguments in favor of mandatory wearing of school uniform apparently seem very convincing but in practice, these arguments can not be applied. Though theory can provide strength to the arguments that wearing school uniform makes improvement in the behavior and academic performance of students but in real life these supporting arguments do not provide any help. And, if mandatory wearing of school uniform does not do anything good to students then its use should be avoided. Students should be given full freedom to wear what they want to wear. By wearing dresses of their choice, they will be able to express themselves as well as their individuality would not be affected. They will be able to wear dresses in which they feel more comfortable and thus they would be able to concentrate more towards learning.

Facts and Figures on Christians of the Middle East

Facts and Figures on Christians of the Middle East The Christian presence in the Middle East dates back, of course, to Jesus Christ during the Roman Empire. That 2,000-year presence has gone uninterrupted since, especially in the countries of the Levant: Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, Syria- and Egypt. But its been far from a unified presence. The Eastern and Western Church dont quite see eye to eyehavent for about 1,500 years. Lebanons Maronites split off from the Vatican centuries ago, then agreed to return to the fold, preserving to themselves rites, ​dogmas, and customs of their choice (dont tell a Maronite priest he cant marry!) Much of the region either forcibly or voluntarily converted to Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the Middle Ages, the European Crusades attempted, brutally, repeatedly but ultimately unsuccessfully, to restore Christian hegemony over the region. Since then, only Lebanon has maintained a Christian population approaching anything like a plurality, although Egypt maintains the single-largest Christian population in the Middle East. Here’s a country-by-country breakdown of Christian denominations and populations in the Middle East: Lebanon Lebanon last conducted an official census in 1932, during the French Mandate. So all figures, including total population, are estimates based on various media, government and non-government organizations’ numbers. Total population, including non-Christians: 4 millionPercent Christian: 34-41%Maronite: 700,000Greek-Orthodox: 200,000Melkite: 150,000 Syria Like Lebanon, Syria has not conducted a reliable census since French Mandate times. Its Christian traditions date back to the time when Antioch, in present-day Turkey, was early Christianity’s center. Total population, including non-Christians: 18.1 millionPercent Christian: 5-9%Greek-Orthodox: 400,000Melkite: 120,000Armenian-Orthodox: 100,000Small numbers of Maronites and Protestants. Occupied Palestine/Gaza the West Bank According to the Catholic News Agency, â€Å"In the last 40 years, the Christian population in the West Bank has slumped from about 20 percent of the total to less than two percent today.† Most Christians then and now are Palestinians. The drop is a result of the combined effect of Israeli occupation and repression and a rise in Islamic militancy among Palestinians. Total population, including non-Christians: 4 millionGreek Orthodox: 35,000Melkite: 30,000Latin (Catholic): 25,000Some Copts and a small number of Protestants. Israel Israel’s Christians are a mixture of native-born Arabs and immigrants, including some Christian Zionists. The Israeli government claims 144,000 Israelis are Christians, including 117,000 Palestinian Arabs and several thousand Ethiopian and Russian Christians who migrated to Israel, with Ethiopian and Russian Jews, during the 1990s. The World Christian Database puts the figure at 194,000. Total population, including non-Christians: 6.8 millionGreek Orthodox: 115,000Latin (Catholic): 20,000Armenian Orthodox: 4,000Anglicans: 3,000Syrian Orthodox: 2,000 Egypt About 9% of Egypt’s population of 83 million are Christians, and most of them are Copts- descendants of Ancient Egyptians, adherents to the early Christian Church, and, since the 6th century, dissidents from Rome. For more details about Egypt’s Copts, read â€Å"Who Are Egypts Copts and Coptic Christians?† Total population, including non-Christians: 83 millionCopts: 7.5 millionGreek Orthodox: 350,000Coptic Catholic: 200,000Protestant: 200,000Small numbers of Armenian Orthodox, Melkites, Maronites and Syrian Catholics. Iraq Christians have been in Iraq since the 2nd century- mostly Chaldeans, whose Catholicism remains deeply influenced by ancient, eastern rites, and Assyrians, who are not Catholic. The war in Iraq since 2003 has ravaged all communities, Christians included. A rise in Islamism diminished Christians’ security, but attacks on Christians appear to be receding. Nevertheless, the irony, for Iraqs Christians, is that on balance they were far better off under Saddam Hussein than since his downfall. As Andrew Lee Butters writes in Time, About 5 or 6 percent of Iraqs population in the 1970s were Christian, and some of Saddam Husseins most prominent officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz were Christians. But since the American invasion of Iraq, Christians have fled in droves, and constitute less than one percent of the population. Total population, including non-Christians: 27 millionChaldean: 350,000 – 500,000Armenian Orthodox: 32,000 – 50,000Assyrian: 30,000Several thousand Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and Protestant. Jordan As elsewhere in the Middle East, the number of Jordan’s Christians has been declining. Jordan’s attitude toward Christians had been relatively tolerant. That changed in 2008 with the expulsion of 30 Christian religious workers and an increase in religious persecutions overall. Total population, including non-Christians: 5.5 millionGreek Orthodox: 100,000Latin: 30,000Melkite: 10,000Protestant Evangelical: 12,000

Population growth and natural resource availability Research Paper

Population growth and natural resource availability - Research Paper Example The awareness regarding the need of the production system is increasing day by day in order to incorporate the goals of sustainable development. For managing this it is important that the natural resources are renewable, as they are considered to be the indicators for sustainability of the economic dynamics. This approach indicates that the natural resources are considered to be a link between environment and societies. The more recent subject in discussion related to resources and population growth is considered to be the significance of the quality of environment which is measured by the absence of water and air pollution and the stock of forest in a particular region. According to this view, environment may not be considered as a factor which limits the productivity with the expansion of population but it would rather be defined as factor whose quality is degraded with the increase in population. The expanding population increases the need for an arable land; it is a main cause behind deforestation and also encourages the conversion of forests into land for using it for different purposes. It is also considered to be the major cause of air, water and land pollution. On the other side environmental degradation may impose an effect on the natural resources reducing the marginal product of the labor through promoting lower incomes (Hinrichsen and Robey). In the past, the alarming situation was considered to be the diminution of natural resources. There are many scientists who have been calculating that duration till which the reserves of oil and coal will last. Therefore at present the interaction between man and natural environment is considered to be a source of alarm. In every natural ecosystem, the increase in population imposes a great pressure on it. This pressure becomes more immense in case of the human population, as this increase is not just numerical but also brings along the diversification and creation of new needs. This qualitative

Strengthening Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strengthening Africa - Essay Example Professor Frank Flatters from the Department of Economics of Queen's University, Canada, argues in favor of national policymaking as follows: "There are many tracks for pursuing trade policies aimed at effective global participation, the most important of which are the multilateral WTO processes, regional arrangements, and special bilateral or plurilateral preferential agreements. For each of these avenues, however, the key to success is domestic policies." (Flatters, 2003). In this context, the Ministry of Trade and Development of Ethiopia has to face the fact of taking drastic measures at a national level in order to be more competitive both locally and globally. ILMI aims at a widespread use of Information and Communications Technologies as well as assuming a new kind of leadership and management all across the nation taking as examples new paradigms for change. Globalization is a very challenging endeavor, especially for a very poor country. It seems paradoxical to recommend the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies to one of the least developed countries in the world, but ICT are unavoidable in order to achieve a successful integration. With the creation of ILMI there will be real benefits in relation to international trade and national companies will be much more competitive. E-Commerce and Outsourcing will be available to a wider range of individuals. A telecommuting work force will be created through the use of ICT enhanced with new ways of leadership and management. Ethiopia's Ministry of Trade and Development has to take advantage of the globalization efforts of many international organizations and developed countries in favor of the least developed countries. 3.- Globalization and Development in Africa. The United Nations have taken the initiative of helping the least developed countries through the Millennium Development Goals. These goals are the following: Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Goal 5: Improve maternal health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development (United Nations, 2000). The UN Millennium Project is clear about the issue of underdevelopment: "Whatever one's motivation for attacking the crisis of extreme poverty -human rights, religious values, security, fiscal prudence, ideology- the solutions are the same. All that is needed is action." (UN Millennium Project, 2005). In this context, the UN Millennium Project has suggested ten key recommendations: "1.- Developing country governments should

Beers Law Lab Essay Example for Free

Beers Law Lab Essay Objective: The purpose of this lab is to demonstrate that there is a linear relationship between the number of molecules that can absorb light present in a solution and the amount of light absorbed by a solution. This lab should prove that Beer’s law and the equation A=a x b x c, is a linear relationship. Procedure: The only deviations in the lab procedure was that the stock solution was made before arrival to the lab with 0.570 g of KMnO4 in 0. 500 L. The diluted solutions and the Spec 20 were used as directed in the lab manual. The same cuvette was used each time to eliminate error. Cuvettes are all made differently and have a difference in how they measure. If a new cuvette was used each time, the data would be slightly off due to the possibility of each cuvette having different characteristics which affect the measurements in the Spec 20. Data Calculations: To find the molarity of the stock solution: *Note: Molarity is moles/ Liters so in the equation below the first half is finding the number of moles of KMnO4 and the second half is dividing the moles by the liters of the solution. Grams of KMnO4 x (1 mole / molar mass (158.04g)) / Liters of stock solution = molarity of Stock Solution 0.570g KMnO4 x (1 mole / 158.04g) / 0.500 Liters = 0.00721 M To find the molarity of solution #1: *Note: To find the molarity of the first solution, use the molarity found for the stock solution. Since 5.00 mL of the stock solution was used to make solution 1, multiply the molarity of the stock solution by 5.00 mL to get the moles of solution 1. Once the moles of solution 1 have been found, divide that by the liters of water that were added to solution 1. The 0.10000 L comes from the 100 mL volumetric flask the solution was made in. mL of stock solution x (moles of stock solution / liter) / total liters of solution 1 (volumetric flask) = M of solution 1 5.00 mL stock solution x (0.00721 moles / 1000mL ) / 0.10000 L = 0.000361 M To find the molarity of solution 2: *Note: To find the molarity of solution 2, follow the same steps for solution 1 except use 2.00 mL instead of 5.00 mL. The same steps are used due to solution 2 being diluted from the stock solution. mL of stock solution x (moles of stock solution / liter) / total Liters in solution 2(Volumetric flask) = M of solution 2 2.00 mL stock solution x (0.00721 moles / 1000 mL) / 0.10000L = 0.000144 M To find the molarity of solution 3: *Note: To find the molarity of the third solution the same procedure is followed as finding the molarity of the first solution, except you will be using the molarity of the first solution since solution three was made using the first solution. mL of solution 1 x ( moles of solution 1 / 1 L) /total liters in solution 3( volumetric flask) =M of solution 3 50.00mL solution 1 x (0.00721 moles / 1000 mL) / 0.10000 = 0.000181 M To find the molarity of solution 4: *Note: to find the molarity of the fourth solution follow the steps for finding the molarity of the third solution except use the molarity of solution 2 since solution 4 was made with 50.00 ml of solution 2. mL of solution 2 x ( moles of solution 2 / 1 L) /total liters in solution 4 (volumetric flask) = M of solution 4 50.00 mL solution 2 x (0.000144 moles / 1000 mL ) / 0.10000 L = 0.000072 M Table 1. The molar concentration, absorbance values, percent transmittance, average absorbance and transmittance values are shown in the table below. Solution # Molar Concentration Trial Absorbance % T Average Absorbance Average % T 1 0.00003605 M 1 0.821 15.1 0.814 15.3 2 0.811 15.4 3 0.811 15.5 2 0.0001442 M 1 0.324 47.4 0.325 47.3 2 0.326 47.2 3 0.324 47.4 3 0.0001805 M 1 0.388 40.9 0.402 39.6 2 0.406 39.2 3 0.413 38.7 4 0.000072 M 1 0.208 62 0.209 61.8 2 0.208 61.9 3 0.211 61.5 Figure 1. The figure below shows the absorbance vs. the molar concentration of KMnO4. To find the extinction coefficient: The extinction coefficient is found by A/bc = a. A/c is the slope of the line from figure 1. 3139.9/(mol/L) x 1.00 cm =a a= 3139.9 L * mol-1 * cm-1 Discussion and Conclusion: In this lab the equation of Beer’s law was proven to have a linear  relationship. The purpose was to show that molar concentration and absorbance are proportional to each other. This was proved through diluting solutions and using a spec 20 to determine the absorbance values. The solutions were diluted to give different molar concentrations and each concentration was placed in the spec 20. After creating a scatter plot it was obvious to see as the molar concentration increases the absorbance increases. This is because there are more particles present at higher molar concentrations and therefore more light will be absorbed by the particles present. There were many possible sources of error in this experiment. First, if one solution was diluted incorrectly all of the following solutions were diluted incorrectly since they came from the first incorrectly diluted solution. One of the solutions in the experiment could have been diluted wrong, causing all of the solutions to have incorrect dilutions and the calculated values, especially the extinction coefficient, to have incorrect values. Another source of error is that when diluting the solutions not all of the solution transfers were done exactly due to some of the solution being transferred was often left in the pipet. The drops left in the pipet after the transfer could make a difference in the actual molar concentration of each solution. The last source of error occurs from not placing the cuvette in the spec 20 at the same orientation. Although the same cuvette was used each trial, some carelessness may have resulted in the cuvette not being placed in the same orientation each time. Because the sides of the cuvette may be different the readings from the spec 20 may be off. The conclusion of the lab is that Beer’s Law equation is indeed linear, and the absorbance is proportional to the molar concentration. If this lab were preformed again the stock solution should be placed in the spec 20 machine and the absorbance should also be found. The measurements from the stock solution could have provided even more evidence to the conclusion. Overall though the lab was very successful in determining the relationship of the equation in Beer’s Law. Questions: 2. A larger cuvette diameter will produce a higher absorbance value. The diameter of the cuvette is the path length, or b, in the equation A = a x b x c. The larger the path length, the higher the absorbance will be because  you are multiplying a and c by a higher value. Also there is more particles present in a larger path length to absorb light. 3. To find the extinction coefficient the equation A/cb= a is used. A larger cuvette diameter, or path length, would result in a smaller extinction coefficient. The larger the number is on the bottom the smaller the value of the extinction coefficient. 4. Solution 4 probably has the greatest error because it was the last solution to be diluted. Any errors made in diluting a solution will carry through to the last solution diluted because the first solutions are used to dilute the latter solutions. For example if solution 1 is incorrectly diluted then solution 3 will be incorrectly diluted and then solution 4 will be incorrectly diluted.

Ignorance Concerning Child Abuse Essay -- Violence Against Children

It is said that our children are our most precious resource. They should be protected and allowed to grow up with out being mistreated. Child abuse is a disturbing problem in our country. Most people don't think about child abuse. They just go about their everyday lives doing nothing to combat this issue. They choose to ignore that the problem exists because it is too ugly to look at. It is easier to not do anything if you don't see it in your own life. Therefore, it appears that those people who try to make a positive impact have in someway come in contact with abuse themselves. For this reason child abuse still exists and will probably always exist. The way to stop the abuse is to educate our society about this issue. In recent years we have progressed a great deal in the awareness of this problem. A few decades ago it was not mentioned at all in the media and rarely at home. The subject was taboo and only brought to light in the most extreme cases. Parents using corporal punishment was more common in those days and therefore true abuse was harder to detect. Now many instances are reported on the news and in other media. We are saturated with the reality of violence by TV shows, movies, ads, books, and other art forms. Children's faces are on milk cartons and billboards designed to raise the public's awareness. Most people, such as teachers and parents, know the basic signs to look for in an abused child. It seems that we have come a long way in the battle against child about. However, there are still many problems we must still overcome. Most people don't know that even when a case is reported there is still a high chance that nothing will be done to protect the child. The psychological abuse which chi... ...use, we can help stop what is happening to children everyday. With hope, we will be able to use this new information to prevent the dilemma from getting worse. Our country vitality relies on youth. To ensure this vitality and movement forward, and our society must be educated and simply take a stand to protect children from abuse. Bibliography: 1. www.infoseek.com a. Searched for child abuse, child abuse articles, and child abuse prevention A. www.yesican.org/articles 1. Invisible Scars by Dr. Stacy Becker 2. When Children Tell and No One Listens by Sherry A. Quirk 3. The Link between Child Abuse and Domestic Violence written for Child Protection Leader B. www.naplesnew.com 1. Child abuse Deaths Go Unpunished, by Associated Press C. www.prevent-abuse-now.com 1. Adult-Child Sex: Is It Abuse or Misuse? by Nancy Faulkner, Ph.D.

Yahoo Strategic Management Report

Yahoo! : Business on Internet Time Group 2: Aaron Duke Alejandro Reynoso Erin Moon Sophia Benevento February 21, 2012 Dr. Jay Lee GM 105 California State University, Sacramento Executive Summary Yahoo started out as a hobby between two Stanford students, Jerry Yang and David Filo, and turned from a simple website with categorized information to a powerful navigational tool for millions of users. It generated millions in revenue and helped shape the way the modern-day internet is used, both in terms of streaming information and streaming revenue.The U. S. military first used the internet in the 1960s as a way of safeguarding against centralized information. Decades later, it was used as a tool to help researchers share informaiton. In the 1990s, HTML language was created to help read documents easier. Within a few years, browsers, portals, and internet service providers (ISPs), along with the low price and easy access to computers had connected the world and the internet was born.As Y ang and Filo created a way to monetize the traffic created by the popular Yahoo portal, the attractiveness of the Yahoo model helped propel the global reach of the internet, and brought about intense competition, new tools, new models of monetization, and the need for new strategy. When using Porters five forces model to analyze the portal industry’s attractiveness, it is clear that attractiveness is low. The bargaining power of suppliers is high, bargaining power of the buyers is low, threat of new entrants is high, start-up costs cause high barriers to entry, alternative edia allow the threat of substitutes to be high, and the potential for revenue has saturated the industry with competitors. This competitive environment rapidly changed since Yahoo was first created. There was virtually no competition and it was able to quickly secure large market segments. Using a strategy of simplicity, independence and strategic partnerships, Yahoo created a user-friendly point-of-entry for consumers to find information on the internet while making millions of dollars. Yahoo led the portal industry from 1994 to 1998, during which its market capitalization grew to $30 billion.In 1999, the industry began to change further as mergers and acquisitions consolidated power. Media companies, ISPs, browser companies and content providers were merging and acquiring each other in a flurry of moves in order to retain competitive advantage. The strategy of independence that brought Yahoo success needed to be reevaluated. In an environment with such volatile and intense competition, what strategy should Yahoo implement? As leader of the internet portal industry, Yahoo’s position, both in terms of its external environment and internal resources and capabilities, should be exploited in order to bring about above-average returns.Both the Industrial Organization (I/O) and Resource-Based models of above-average returns can be utilized. It shows Yahoo to be in a favorable posit ion and the tools needed to effectively create new partnerships that will secure market share and long term profitability. Further, A SWOT analysis shows that Yahoo has strong brand image and opportunities for strategic partnerships, even though as first-mover in the industry, it lacked a long-term strategy and is threatened by intense competition.The story of Yahoo shows that a company’s strategy must always be evaluated for effectiveness in terms of its current external environment and its internal resources and capabilities. While effective strategy early on may bring about a favorable position in the industry, competitive forces will cause a company to seek out new strategies, new partnerships and new models in order to remain competitive and profitable. Background Jerry Yang and David Filo created the portal Yahoo in April of 1994. It was originally used as a hobby to track web addresses sent to them by friends.They were students at Stanford, but they gave up their educa tion to focus on running Yahoo. Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web was created by Yang and Filo as a guide to navigate though the web. These web sites were sorted into a database and thousands of users began to use their service. Yahoo officially became a business on March 5, 1995. They hired Tim Koogle as CEO, as well as a staff of six people which eventually grew. Yahoo’s operations had three separate departments: property development, marketing and sales, and international.Property development focused on production and engineering. Marketing and sales handled corporate marketing, business development, and sales. They also had customized Yahoo pages in 18 countries, which was run by their International departments. Yahoo was located in Silicon Valley, and they offered five main services (properties) to consumers such as navigation, community, personalization, e-commerce, and international. Navigation allowed consumers to find information. Community offered an addres s book, email, chat, and message boards for consumers.Personalization allowed users to personalize their web pages and e-commerce offered shopping and other online sales. International properties were designed for those in different countries and had each country’s language and local content. By 1998, Yahoo had an estimated 100 million connected consumers, 167 million page views per day, and a market value of $30 billion. By 1998, they had an increased revenue for 1. 5 years. Industry Evolution The Internet was first used in the U. S. Military for defense in 1960.In 1986, the National Science Foundation used it for transferring research files and exchanging electronic mail. In 1991, Hyper text markup language (HTML) was created by Tim Berners Lee. This language allowed documents to link to one another through a host computer, and people could view graphics, audio and text. In 1994, the first internet browser was created. This allowed people to view web documents easily. Navig ation sites, called â€Å"portals,† soon followed. Portals had two types of consumers: non-paying users and paying companies that wanted to advertise.Portal companies typically made revenue through advertising, and they often paid for information that would be exclusive to their site, such as news and sports. Click-thrus and referral fees made up a majority of their revenues from consumers, as well as targeted placements. During the 1990s, personal computers began to sell quickly for home use. Computers were sold with modems, software, a browser, and a way to access the internet. The two browsers that were commonly used were Netscape and MSN. Portals could be chosen by the consumer, but they often came included on the computers.Consumers also chose portals based on habit, quality of information, and brand. Access to the internet was usually done through the phone company, and later high-speed broadband was offered through cable providers. Internet usage began to increase at a fast pace and soon there were millions of people using the internet daily in many countries around the world. Industry Attractiveness Using Porter’s five forces model, we conclude that the bargaining power of the content providers varied depending on the relevance of the information.The bargaining power of suppliers of unique information, such as popular real-time news or sports, was high. Some of the portals paid companies a monthly rate up to $50,000 for information. However, that bargaining power of other suppliers of information such as specialized content, which was less crucial to the portal, is moderately high. This could range between $2,500 to $20,000 per month. Nevertheless, some of the smaller content providers would receive free placement in exchange for their information. Overall, the bargaining suppliers of the most important information is very high.Technology and labor were also suppliers. The threat of new entrants to the industry is high. However, the capit al requirements in order for a new entrant to compete is also very high. During the first few years after Yahoo was launched, many other entrants decided to enter the market. There would be even more entrants in the next few years. Yet, most of the companies that compete against Yahoo are not making money, they are actually losing money. There are many substitutes in the industry that users may prefer to use instead of a portal.Portals considered themselves to be media companies and not just a search engine. Some of the substitutes of portals are television, newspapers, movies, magazines, and even other non-portal websites. In addition, the bargaining power of major paying customers, those who want to advertise on the portals, is very high. In spite of this, the bargaining power of small paying customers is moderate. The smallest orders of advertisement were $1000. But all of the deals where typically negotiated. Moreover, the competitive rivalry is very intense. The only two portal s who were making money in 1998 are Yahoo and AOL.However, AOL was not only a portal, it also provided internet access, which provided the majority of their income. Yahoo was the only portal that was not also an ISP and was still profitable. In summary, the overall attractiveness to enter the industry is very low. The industry is saturated with many different types of competitors, and the start up cost for a new entrant is extremely high. Performance and Strategy When Yahoo invented the first internet â€Å"portal,† it also created the internet portal industry There was virtually no competition and it was able to quickly secure large market segments.It had the â€Å"blue ocean† at its feet as it created new demand in an uncontested market. Yahoo saw the value of creating a user-friendly Internet portal before anyone else. By moving quickly and efficiently, Yahoo was able to negotiate, and frequently dictate, pricing with partners which led to large amounts of revenue. Yahoo’s performance has been very effective, resulting in positive revenue gains leading to profitability in 1998. Yahoo chose a strategy based on forming strategic partnerships that simply added value to the company.They decidedly chose not to merge with other companies in order to retain full control of operations. This way, Yahoo executives were able to take full advantage of both its position and revenue streams and reinvest into the company. This would create value-adding â€Å"properties† and services and thus stay ahead of the competition. The strategy that Yahoo implemented proved very successful. This strategy was one of simplicity and independence compared with their other competitors. They had a maintained a business plan that was developed in 1995 and a one-year operating plan that showed their financial goals and top priorities.They did not have a detailed marketing plan. The employees worked in close quarters, although the structure of the firm was hierar chal. Employees worked in cubicles to save costs. Yahoo was the only portal, aside from AOL, to post profits in 1998. AOL’s profits were significantly larger than Yahoo’s due to the fact that they generated large amounts of revenue as an Internet service provider (ISP). By selling access to the internet, AOL gained revenue from both Internet use and access, while Yahoo generated revenue only from internet advertising.In 1998, it seemed that Yahoo was trending toward losing market share to AOL because would have been wise to invest money into becoming an ISP, however as we have seen, the dominant ISPs have become companies like AT&T and MCI, companies that control the means of communication, namely the phone lines and satellites. Yahoo has kept their basic strategy. Yahoo possesses in-house expertise in engineering. All in all, their strategy has been very successful until 1999. Mergers & Acquisitions of Competitors There were many mergers and acquisitions in the portal industry during 1998 and January 1999.Media sites such as Disney and NBC were partnering with portals such as Infoseek and Snap to gain a competitive advantage and market share. Internet service providers were also acquiring portals with the hopes of gaining more consumers and increasing their profits. For example, the service provider @Home acquired Yahoo’s main competitor Excite, while AOL acquired the very popular Netscape. The internet and portal industry was new for the public in the 1990s. Although there were billions of dollars being spent in e-commerce and by advertisers, the portal industry had only a few years of data to compare when creating a new strategy.Many companies relied on analysts’ predictions for revenue, which may not have been accurate. The strategies ranged from ISP’s hosting portals, media company mergers with portals, and portals acquiring numerous smaller businesses. While some of the strategies seemed to make logical sense, the only two portals that created a profit in 1998 were Yahoo and AOL. The problem with many of these acquisitions and mergers was the amount of money that was being spent at the risk of their stakeholders, particularly their capital market stakeholders. For example, @Home paid $6. billion for Excite, but only a few years later, @Home filed for bankruptcy (Source). These internet service providers and portals had a first-mover advantage so they were able to gain a large market share. Increased competition brought about mergers and acquisitions which consolidated power within fewer companies, in hopes of gaining more of a competitive advantage and greater market share. A Strategy Change? Koogle and his team were aware of the intense competition in the external environment and considered it’s options. Though they were successful and profitable, they were unsure of the future.Their strategy was basic and they had used one business plan, which never changed. They were an independent compa ny, unlike some of their competitors. The management at Yahoo should continue observing the market and begin to create a new business and marketing plan. The portal industry is growing and becoming fiercely competitive, and with Yahoo’s main competitor Excite flaunting their slogan, â€Å"Still with the same old Yahoo? † they should consider changing their strategy. Their high stock price has allowed them to hire some of the most skilled engineers. This, along with capital has allowed them the option to either â€Å"make† or â€Å"buy† companies.Partnering with other businesses that have interest in their company such as AT&T, MCI, Time Warner, and News Corporation may be good options. They also have the capital to acquire Geocities, which is another internet portal. They can also negotiate exclusive distribution deals with personal computer makers such as Compaq, Gateway, HP, and IBM in order to secure market share and increase its customer base. Yahoo s hould adjust their strategy because as their competitors continue to partner with other firms, their customers will likely choose to advertise with these larger companies and they risks losing millions in profits.The best option for Yahoo would be to approach News Corporation and negotiate a possible media partnership in the future. This will allow Yahoo to gain more consumers while leaving them with control of the company. It is not wise to sell because Yahoo has an estimated worth of $30 billion, and their rival Excite had just sold for less than $7 billion. (I/O) Model of Above-Average Returns Yahoo invented the internet portal industry. In 1994, the external environment of the industry was void of economies of scale and barriers to market entry.There was no need for diversification or product differentiation, and there were no other firms to compete with. Yahoo had a simple strategy that capitalized on its first-mover advantage, its access to top engineering talent in Silicon Va lley, and its vision that focused on creating a user-friendly entry point for the internet. This simple strategy was sufficient for above-average returns in the early days of the industry, but as the internet evolved and industry competition increased, Yahoo realized it needed to reevaluate their position in the industry in order to continue enjoying the same above-average returns. External Environment: Several mergers and acquisitions had consolidated ISPs, portals, media companies, and content providers. Yahoo had was the only portal not in talks with a major partner. †¢ Attractive Industry: Yahoo is still the largest portal in the industry. This position makes the industry attractive, however the growing competition makes the position unsecure. †¢ Strategy Formulation: Yahoo can no longer survive on its own. Its partnership with telecommunication giant AT&T is losing strength as AT&T looks to provide customers with web content, no longer needing the content provided by Yahoo.Yahoo needs to partner with traditional media companies, secure more distribution deals with computer companies, improve technologies that would enhance the speed and usability of their search engine. †¢ Assets and Skills: Yahoo has a reputation for independence and tough negotiations. Moving forward, executives will need to be able to build and maintain relationships with potential partners. Yahoo currently has access to the top engineering and management talent in Silicon Valley. Strategy Implementation: Meet with executives from telecommunication, traditional media, and personal computer companies with the goal of creating exclusive partnerships. This will boost brand recognition, increase customer base, increase market share and profitability. Building and maintaining these relationships will lead to future growth. Resource-Based Model of Above-Average Returns It was necessary for Yahoo to also evaluate their internal environment. Resources and capabilities were essen tial for the success of the company, as well as a competitive advantage, strategy formulation and implementation, and an attractive industry. Resources: Yahoo has the top engineering and management talent in Silicon Valley. It has a popular product with a loyal customer base. It has financial resources, a market capitalization valued at $30 billion. †¢ Capabilities: Yahoo was able to secure the position of industry leader, secure distribution deals and valuable partnerships, and create an internet portal that customers widely valued over the competition. †¢ Competitive Advantage: Internally, Yahoo’s resources and capabilities exceeds that of its competitors.Superior talent, better vision of what a portal should offer, and effective execution all contributed to Yahoo’s early success. However it needs to combine its resources and capabilities through strategic partnerships in order to maintain its competitive advantage. †¢ Attractive Industry: As the leade r in the internet portal industry, Yahoo executives can exploit opportunities to merge or form partnerships with any number of major industry companies. †¢ Strategy Formulation and Implementation: Yahoo’s early success is attributed to its executives utilizing its talent, industry position, partnerships and financial resources.Management needs to direct these resources and capabilities toward strategic partnerships with traditional media and personal computer companies in order to create value-adding partnerships, boost brand recognition, increase customer base, and increase market share and profitability. Building and maintaining these relationships will lead to future growth. The use of both the I/O model and the Resource Based Model are crucial for Yahoo to analyze and use as they formulate their strategy for earning high profits. SWOT Analysis When analyzing Yahoo, it is clear that they have many strengths.One of their main strengths is their strong brand image compa red to their competition. Yahoo is currently the second biggest business in the industry both in the United States and globally after Google. Also, Yahoo was the first business to enter into this new industry, with it’s portals, commonly known as search engines now. In addition, Yahoo built many strategic partnerships. These strategic partnerships were negotiated by the business development staff at Yahoo. One example of a strong strategic partnership was teaming up wit AT&T in order to combine Yahoo! s services with access to the Internet. Yahoo also had a few weaknesses. Yahoo was lacking a long-term strategy, and their unwillingness to embrace the changes in the industry. They also did not offer Internet access like other portals such as AOL and MSN. The company had many opportunities. For instance, they had the opportunity to do strategic acquisitions or partnerships with other companies in order to ensure that their leadership will not be taken away by other companies th at were involved in mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, Yahoo had the opportunity of the growing online advertising market.Expenditures for online advertising grew from $0 in 1994 to $2 billion in 1998, and they were expected to keep growing exponentially. A third opportunity that Yahoo had is to keep expanding to more countries. Yahoo had international properties in 18 countries, but there are many other countries where Yahoo can keep expanding. The threats that Yahoo was facing were the very intense competition and government regulations. As the Internet industry evolved, regulations became more strict and the government becomes more involved. References Cnet. Feb-21-2011. http://news. cnet. com/2100-1033-273689. html