LensCrafters Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LensCrafters Case Study - Essay Example These factors, together with the chain’s value chain and potential challenges are the principal focus of this paper. LensCrafters’ operations strategy and sustainability based competitive advantage LensCrafters was the first optical vendor to promise its customers quality eyeglasses within a short duration of one hour. The chain is able to attain this challenging feat by introducing autonomous onsite optometrists, fully equipped optical laboratories, as well as, a broad range of glasses’ frames at every outlet. LensCrafters’ operations strategy is guided by its mission, which explicitly states that the chain focuses on being the world’s best optical outlet. This happens through creating a loyal customer base, by promoting formation of a dynamic team of leaders and associates, who craft high quality eyewear in just one hour, and deliver superior services that meet customer’s personal needs and preferences (Collier & Vans, 2011). It is clear th at LensCrafters is a distinctive optical chain in marketplace, since it offers full laboratory analysis onsite and is also able to provide the customers with quality eyeglasses or contacts within one hour or even less. This service is coupled with a ninety day guarantee, which allows customers to return their spectacles unconditionally or exchange them, if they do not meet specifications. Additionally, the optical retailer offers an extended protection scheme and optometrists to give customers’ a comprehensive eyes’ examination, while offering them the chance to pay later. This allows them to broaden the customer base, since everyone can afford services provided (Collier & Vans, 2011). In terms of sustainability, the company has a broad range of strategies that give it competitive advantage over rivals in the optometric industry. For instance, LensCrafters has focused extensively on its philanthropic efforts in the diverse societies in which its service outlets are loc ated. An excellent example is the optical retailer’s partnership with Lions Club’s branches to facilitate recycling of used spectacles, in order to help those individuals that do not have enough money to purchase new eyeglasses. This distinctive service is provided not only in the chain’s American domicile, but also in developing countries like South America’s Puerto Rico. This philanthropic act enables the optical dealer to provide its immense expertise to needy individuals. The strategy has brought the company a lot of goodwill among customers, since they know that associating with LensCrafters allows them to reach out to the underprivileged in society. Humanitarian efforts, therefore, gives LensCrafters competitive advantage over other global optical companies. For specificity, the company has programs like â€Å"Give the sight gift†, in which the company offers vouchers to needy customers, for them to acquire free eyeglasses. There is also the â€Å"See more† program, whereby official company vans travel to public schools locally and internationally giving free eye care to kids (Collier & Vans, 2011). Another important aspect is that, LensCrafters’ staff work for longer office hours. This allows them to cater for many customers, in an economic environment characterized by extremely busy work schedules and little free time. The firm also upholds environment protection efforts, an action evident from its eyewear recycling program. All these efforts clearly depict LensCrafters’

A Personal Assessment Using Self-Assessment Inventories Essay

A Personal Assessment Using Self-Assessment Inventories - Essay Example It is better to accept those differences and use them towards my advantage (i.e. in coming up with better solution to problems) instead of imposing a rigid code of conduct. People with low tolerance to ambiguity also tend to make use of stereotypy, which I think is a negative way of analyzing people, ideas, or actions. My scores in the subscales reveal that the major source of intolerance for me is complexity, which is by far greater than my scores for novelty and insolubility. I do not fully agree with this result because I feel that I am comfortable with complexity. I feel the results for this subscale cannot be applied to all situations in my life as a formula, but I am not discounting the possibility that this may only mean that I am just less tolerant to ambiguity when the situation seems to be composed of elaborate and intricately interconnected parts. The Locus of Control test shows whether I believe the outcomes of my actions depend on what I do or on factors beyond my control. Since I got a low score (and indeed, it is even lower than the comparison data), this indicates that I have an internal rather than external control. I agree with this explanation and the test has been instrumental in making me realize that my attitude towards the forces responsible for the outcomes of my actions has been responsible for many of successes (as well as failures) in my life. I believe that blaming people other than yourself for your miseries is not only self-defeating, it hinders you to succeed and take control of your life. While I think luck does play some part on some people's success, I am not the type to sit around and wait for Lady Luck to call. I believe that the best way to succeed is to work for it-that way too, I can have control over the direction of my life. I believe that this attitude will lead me to become happier and more ful filled. Cognitive Styles The Cognitive Styles test has affirmed that I am an intuitive rather than a sensing person. My Intuition scores far outweigh that of my Sensation's, 7 to 1. This explains why I seem to prefer subjects that require complex and comprehensive understanding rather than those that appeal to the senses. I prefer to take in information through imagination rather than by details and facts. When perceiving my environment and gathering information, I prefer to explore different possibilities, rather than settle on a concrete set of rules. I now realize that this is the reason why I tend to do better in essay-type examinations rather than multiple choice/fill-in-the-blank type ones. I am also adept in finding symbolic representations in my surroundings-sometimes when I am walking my dog in the park, I will suddenly be struck with a sense of nostalgia-a single falling leaf can conjure poetic imagery in my mind. As to whether I am a thinking or feeling person, my test scores tied in both areas. Since I am male (and am therefore traditionally predisposed to being a thinker rather than a feeler), results suggest that I am more of a "feeler". I concur with this conclusion mainly because I feel that I am more in touch with my emotions than the average man. While it can

Green Mile Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Green Mile - Movie Review Example My mom also watched it with me because she heard it got good reviews, but she’d never seen it before. The majority of Green Mile is set in a Death Row prison ward in 1930’s America. It stars Tom Hanks as guard supervisor Paul Edgecombe, who meets new inmate John Coffey, played by Michael Clarke Duncan. Coffey is portrayed as a ‘slow-witted gentle giant’, whose even afraid of the dark, convicted of raping and brutally killing two young girls. He also appears to have miraculous healing powers, which ultimately heal Warden Moore’s terminally ill wife. The film ends with John Coffey’s execution in the electric chair, but not before he realizes the true killer of the two young girls, a new inmate called William ‘Wild Bill’ Wharton. Coffey offers to share this information with Edgecombe through his visionary powers. Edgecombe is then torn between letting John ‘walk out’, or be executed. However, John tells him that he is re ady to die as there is too much pain in the world. I thought The Green Mile was a very powerful film and piece of acting from start to finish. Almost every scene had me gripped and fixated. I especially liked Tom Hanks’s character, and I viewed him as a fair and moral prison guard. For example, he made it clear to Percy (an irritating prison guard) that the prisoners on death row had enough torment to deal with without the guards exacerbating the situation.

Unemployment UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Unemployment UK - Essay Example The main swings in joblessness over the past years are due principally to progresses in the fundamental experiential natural rate of unemployment. We may also discuss European Central Bank’s liability for evaluating any appliance and its need for a precise and autonomous evaluation of the labor market in the UK. Unemployment and price increases are each at their lowest stages for more than a few years. Even in a well-built labor market, many individuals become jobless for short phases as they go into the labor force or alter jobs. However, some individuals take several months to find work. Over the past more than a few decades, the percentage of joblessness lasting has augmented. Such long-standing unemployment may bring about severe problems for the jobless individuals themselves along with the overall nation. The frequent incidence of short spells of joblessness by people entering the labor force or altering jobs is the trait of a self-motivated economy: As new chances for personnel and firms occur, provisional periods of job loss may occur. Even in a well-built labor market, some individuals will be jobless. Individuals are classified as jobless if they are not functioning, are obtainable to work, and have lately made specific endeavors to find a work or are anticipated to be remembered from a impermanent lay-off (Long-Term Unemployment, 2007, p. 1). Unemployment will floor out at some phase, almost certainly close to its present stage and inflation is under the Bank of Englands aim. One of the confrontations for macroeconomic policy will be to protect as far as probable the enhancements that have been attained. This is anticipated to get firmer in the subsequent few years. The steady development in economic circumstances since the commencement of the 1990s can be viewed as the natural reaction to an unfavorable shock

A Personal Assessment Using Self-Assessment Inventories Essay

A Personal Assessment Using Self-Assessment Inventories - Essay Example It is better to accept those differences and use them towards my advantage (i.e. in coming up with better solution to problems) instead of imposing a rigid code of conduct. People with low tolerance to ambiguity also tend to make use of stereotypy, which I think is a negative way of analyzing people, ideas, or actions. My scores in the subscales reveal that the major source of intolerance for me is complexity, which is by far greater than my scores for novelty and insolubility. I do not fully agree with this result because I feel that I am comfortable with complexity. I feel the results for this subscale cannot be applied to all situations in my life as a formula, but I am not discounting the possibility that this may only mean that I am just less tolerant to ambiguity when the situation seems to be composed of elaborate and intricately interconnected parts. The Locus of Control test shows whether I believe the outcomes of my actions depend on what I do or on factors beyond my control. Since I got a low score (and indeed, it is even lower than the comparison data), this indicates that I have an internal rather than external control. I agree with this explanation and the test has been instrumental in making me realize that my attitude towards the forces responsible for the outcomes of my actions has been responsible for many of successes (as well as failures) in my life. I believe that blaming people other than yourself for your miseries is not only self-defeating, it hinders you to succeed and take control of your life. While I think luck does play some part on some people's success, I am not the type to sit around and wait for Lady Luck to call. I believe that the best way to succeed is to work for it-that way too, I can have control over the direction of my life. I believe that this attitude will lead me to become happier and more ful filled. Cognitive Styles The Cognitive Styles test has affirmed that I am an intuitive rather than a sensing person. My Intuition scores far outweigh that of my Sensation's, 7 to 1. This explains why I seem to prefer subjects that require complex and comprehensive understanding rather than those that appeal to the senses. I prefer to take in information through imagination rather than by details and facts. When perceiving my environment and gathering information, I prefer to explore different possibilities, rather than settle on a concrete set of rules. I now realize that this is the reason why I tend to do better in essay-type examinations rather than multiple choice/fill-in-the-blank type ones. I am also adept in finding symbolic representations in my surroundings-sometimes when I am walking my dog in the park, I will suddenly be struck with a sense of nostalgia-a single falling leaf can conjure poetic imagery in my mind. As to whether I am a thinking or feeling person, my test scores tied in both areas. Since I am male (and am therefore traditionally predisposed to being a thinker rather than a feeler), results suggest that I am more of a "feeler". I concur with this conclusion mainly because I feel that I am more in touch with my emotions than the average man. While it can

Unemployment UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Unemployment UK - Essay Example The main swings in joblessness over the past years are due principally to progresses in the fundamental experiential natural rate of unemployment. We may also discuss European Central Bank’s liability for evaluating any appliance and its need for a precise and autonomous evaluation of the labor market in the UK. Unemployment and price increases are each at their lowest stages for more than a few years. Even in a well-built labor market, many individuals become jobless for short phases as they go into the labor force or alter jobs. However, some individuals take several months to find work. Over the past more than a few decades, the percentage of joblessness lasting has augmented. Such long-standing unemployment may bring about severe problems for the jobless individuals themselves along with the overall nation. The frequent incidence of short spells of joblessness by people entering the labor force or altering jobs is the trait of a self-motivated economy: As new chances for personnel and firms occur, provisional periods of job loss may occur. Even in a well-built labor market, some individuals will be jobless. Individuals are classified as jobless if they are not functioning, are obtainable to work, and have lately made specific endeavors to find a work or are anticipated to be remembered from a impermanent lay-off (Long-Term Unemployment, 2007, p. 1). Unemployment will floor out at some phase, almost certainly close to its present stage and inflation is under the Bank of Englands aim. One of the confrontations for macroeconomic policy will be to protect as far as probable the enhancements that have been attained. This is anticipated to get firmer in the subsequent few years. The steady development in economic circumstances since the commencement of the 1990s can be viewed as the natural reaction to an unfavorable shock

Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Essay 1. How do philosophical questions differ from scientific or factual questions? Philosophy specializes in questions that cannot be answered scientifically, mainly because there are not elements of the question that can be measured or tested empirically. Philosophy questions things and the answers are sought to be more opinionated and based on certain points of view. Philosophy focuses on questions similar to â€Å"how does this work. † A philosophical question that is beneficial is anything that has to do with life, death, or the universe. Philosophical questions do not possess definite answers, and they do not require measurements. For instance, a question could read, â€Å"What makes a great dad? † One person may answer the question saying, qualities that make a great dad would include spending one on one time with the child, always attending school functions and events, and always making time for the children. While this answer could be true for that individual another individual could answer the question saying, a great dad is one who provides all necessities for the family through financial stability, and actions that prove he cares. Both of these answers can possess the capability of being correct because the question is based on personal opinions and there is no definite way to define this. The science approach attempts to answer all the questions that it can empirically, but this is sometimes not possible. The reason some of the times it is not possible is because the questions increase over time and with the advances in technology. As technology expands the more questions that it rises to science and the more questions that are left without a scientific answer. The specific feature of science is to measure and weigh everything. Factual is evidence in themselves and are therefore established. Philosophy and science have much in common. Many of the greatest philosophers were also scientists, or possessed the quality to be categorized as one in his or her time period. Philosophers approach questions similarly to the way scientists do with his or her critical thinking. Scientists formulate theories and then test them against what they can observe or reason. Scientific questions implies that an individual is inquiring about the world around him or her and expecting precise answers. A scientific question possesses an independent variable and a dependent variable in it. A factual question is a question about a fact, â€Å"where did this event happen? † is factual because it is asking for facts. But a scientific or factual question are ones that possess the ability to be answered through verification which will produce some types of definite answers that are measurable and concrete proof. An example of this type of question would include, â€Å"how tall is sally? † The answer that an individual comes up with will be accurate because he or she takes the scientific measurements to answer the question to eliminate speculations. However, speculations could occur while answering how tall Sally is because one could say well is that Sally’s accurate height, because when an individual first awakens they are taller than they are in the evening. When an individual first awaken his or her body has had time to relax and stretch out for the evening sleep, and if measurements were taken during the day or at night the body has not maintained the ability to stretch out causing the individual to be shorter. Personally the way around this would be to measure Sally three times once in the morning, the middle of the afternoon, and finally in the evening. 2. How did the approaches to philosophical inquiry progress from the Pre-Socratics to Socrates, Plato, and finally to Aristotle? How do these changing approaches reflect cultural influences that affected the philosophers of ancient Greece? The philosophical inquiry process during the pre-Socrates era was based mainly on metaphysics which asks what the nature of being is. The Socrates era began to question viewpoints that began asking and answering questions to stimulate an individuals’ critical thinking and in turn illuminating ideas, this began to form a debate and inquiry between individuals’ opposing this view. The dialectical method is a process that the Socrates began and involves oppositional discussions. This method involves oppositional discussions that defend one point of view against another point of view. One individual may lead others to contract his or her point of view in turn strengthening the inquirer’s view point. Plato began to challenge the paradox dialectical method of education upon examining it, â€Å"if one knows nothing, then how will one come to recognize knowledge when he or she encounters it? † The Socrates of Plato came to a different conclusion. The Socrates began to use a slave boy and demonstrate through geometry lessons that every individual acquires even the smallest amount of knowledge, and the knowledge serves as a window into the individual’s eternal and omniscient soul. By communicating with the slave the teacher could contest the student’s false opinions until he came to a true opinion that withstood severities of critical examination. Although the individual’s soul is the warehouse of the knowledge each individual must learn how to access the knowledge and recall it. Plato began to dwindle from the Sophists by Plato distanced himself further from Sophists by separating knowledge from opinions. The scientific method came around after the introduction from Aristotle. The scientific method is the development and explanation of rules for scientific investigation and reasoning that is not clear-cut. The scientific method is a hot topic for many severe and frequent debates throughout the science’s history. Many of the natural philosophers and scientists argue for the primary of a single approach that will establish scientific knowledge. Many debates that surround the scientific method is centered on rationalism. Empiricism is the main component of scientific tradition according to Aristotle. Aristotle felt that individual can gain the knowledge of universal truth through particular things such as induction. In some measures Aristotle brings together abstract thought with observations. Aristotelian science is not empirical in form, and many individuals commonly mistake this implication. Aristotle denies that individuals develop knowledge through induction and possesses the ability to be considered scientific knowledge. The main preliminary to scientific business enquiry is induction, this provides the preliminary grounds for scientific demonstrations. The main job of philosophers was to examine and discover the truths causes and to demonstrate universal truths. Even though induction was satisfactory for discovering universals by simplification, it lacked the ability to successfully identify the causes. Aristotle sought after identifying the causes and began using deductive reasoning in the form of syllogisms. Using the syllogisms, scientists possessed the capability of inferring new universal truths from ones that have previously been established by other philosophers. Personally upon learning about these different philosophers. I think the different inquiry processes empowered each philosopher to think out of the realm of normality and not except the norm which enabled Greece and even other cultures to answer questions and in turn gain more knowledge. 3. How are philosophical opinions justified? Epistemology contains the theory of justification and struggles to nderstand justifications of proposals and beliefs. Philosophical opinions are justified because of epistemology, which is associated to philosophies including justification, beliefs, and truths. Epistemology deals with the means of the production of knowledge. According to Plato, justification is the final component of knowledge and without it individuals only have a true opinion. Belief is a state of mind on which an individual can often fickle and liable to change. Justification is the factual rationalization of true opinions, reality is the thing that grounds it (Baker, 2013). Justification based theories of knowledge are categorized into two subsections, irrationalism and panrationalism. Irrationalism is something that draws to irrational principles and authorities, including an individual’s feelings. Panrationalism is rational criteria and principles including reasoning and observation. I believe that philosophical opinions are justified in various ways. Philosophical opinions not necessarily justified but are guided by personal experiences and religious beliefs. When beliefs are justified there is always a justifier or something that justifies the belief. Different things can be justifiers for example the following three items are suggested, the first is solely beliefs, beliefs that are together with other cognizant mental states, and finally beliefs, cognizant mental states, and other realities about individuals and his or her surrounding and the environment, which individuals may or may not possess the access to. As with every philosophical ideas there is criticism following the theory of justification. Held by critical rationalists W. W.  Bartley, David Miller, and Karl Popper, non-justificational criticism is the major opposition that is against this theory. Criticism to the justificationism is trying to prove that the claims lack the ability to be reduced to the influence or criteria that it influences appeals to, it states that justification is a primary claim and the claim itself is secondary. Nonjustificational criticism strives to attack the claims themselves. The first being guided by personal experience is because individuals tend to associate his or her philosophy on the basis of experiences they have encountered. An example that one can contribute to this is old policies that an individual has seen work effectively and as a result an opinion or philosophy is developed believing that it is the only way or best way because it worked for the individual. Another way philosophical opinions are justified is through religious orientation and is believed to be the most significant majority of the time. From birth individuals are drilled about right and wrong according to his or her religious views. Religious orientation affects an individual in all philosophical areas. Some include what to eat, creation and what is acceptable or not and because it is based on faith instead of facts, religion really shapes and individuals life because it effects ones choices in life. I think that justifying an individual’s ethical and moral beliefs is unnecessary, I think that individuals are entitled to believe and have certain opinions on what they choose. If these individuals try to justify his or her moral beliefs then they are clarifying an issue and answering a question.