rhetorical devices Essay Example

rhetorical devices Essay Student 2: Rhetorical Analysis-I , Annotated Bibliography-6, Commentary-16, Memoir-23 Student 2: Past experience Rhetorical Analysis: Walden, Where I Lived, and What I Lived For Where I Lived, and What I Lived For Is the second chapter from Henry D. Thoreaus book Walden, found on pages 81-98 originally published by Princeton University Press, 1854. This edition is the 2004 reprint of the 1971 copyright with an introduction by John Updike. The critical memoir was penned in 1845 by Henry David Thoreau as an account of a two year and two month period spent in the woods living at Walden Pond near the village f Concord, Mass. Written in observation of the times in which Thoreau lived, he masterfully describes aspects of the lives of the local villagers and the thoughts he himself has in respect to what he sees life as, and how he believes life should be. Thoreaus stylistic use of language gives the reader a vivid account of how he sees the world progressing in the village of Concord. His observation of life and what he found to be the only necessary things which a person truly needs comes to life in his account. Thoreau makes a detailed, vivid account giving voice to a simpler life. We will write a custom essay sample on rhetorical devices specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on rhetorical devices specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on rhetorical devices specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He ocks his contemporarys belief in the need to possess material goods, land and wealth as a form of being. Thoreau writings in this section come to life because of his observations of the average man, or maybe more like the ideal model of a man, and what the society of his time believes should be priorities. Land ownership, if one had the resources to own land, is a point that Thoreau makes references. Ownership of material wealth is brought to light as well. His overall thinking on these issues is deliberated over throughout the text. He goes into great detail about the things he as observed in his nearly thirty years of life. He has a very distinct opinion of the culture in which he lives and writes with a very strong opinion to the silliness in which his peers live their lives by what he would consider not really living free. He is of the mind that people are enslaved by the very things which they strive to obtain. He states in this section, for a man is rich in proportion to the number of things in which he can afford to leave alone (82). This is a comment that makes reference to this mind set Thoreau has taken with him on his experiment into the woods. Thoreaus experiment is one of living only with what he needs, and taking with him as little as possible and to acquiring the rest from nature when possible. Thoreaus choice of a living environment and the use of his own hands to build his living quarters add to assessment of the necessaries of life and add value to his statements of what really should matter to men, which in this case would be true freedom to live. Thoreau states, l went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life. And to see if I could not learn hat it had to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived (92). Thoreaus ability to survive by his own means is a common ability for his time. Farming as he accounts is the primary means of income for people in and around his village. He speaks of farms in which he had looked at owning and speaking with people who owned the farms at the time. He has a moment that he briefly owned one farm even though he had never actually taken possession of it. He never had the possession of the farm as the farmers wife had changed her mind on leaving the property. He thought of the farm as a place in nature and not as a means to an end, this being an income in which to obtain material goods. When he speaks of his thought of obtaining a farm of his own, he states, l knew all the while that it would yield the most abundant crop of the kind I wanted if only I could afford to leave it alone (83). This is testament to his thoughts on this topic, that a farm was more valuable if Just left to nature freeing the farmer at the same time. All of this points directly to Thoreaus attitude and reason for the witting of Walden and the experiment in which he invested himself wholly. Thoreaus relationship to the reader is one of knowing disagreement. He has been part of the world he disagrees with, being the son of a pencil maker. He attended Harvard, which was something that only people with money would have done in his time. He has even worked several occupations over the course of his life in what appears to be an internal search for what he believes and who he is as a person. He seems to be attempting to persuade his peers that their life of possession is a waste of time. That expressing oneself to nature is a much more noble pursuit than being attached to ones belongings could ver be. He expresses this with the phrase to affect the quality of the day is the highest of art (90). His attempt to show his readers that life does not need to be a hurry, but should be examined at a slower pace so it can be much more appreciated is a main theme he is proposing to his readers. Thoreaus brings a sense of emotional relaxation to his writing as the ability to shed the unnecessary baggage in ones life can be realized by all who read the text to some level. He allow the readers to find something in life, which they can do without in the attempt to find an inner appiness that does not require the newest goods that mankind has to offer. The peers and other member of this village are not the only ones who can benefit from Thoreaus observations. His writing reaches farther than his local affiliates. His words reach out to the entire nation of the time and future generations as well, whether intended or not. His orientation is one of local roaming and doesnt express his thoughts farther than what he sees in his area; however, the text can be enveloped by people anywhere who can most definitely relate to the feeling of suffocation from he weight of possession and responsibility to a way of life that supports an unnecessary life style. He does however; take the stance that news is only minimally important in the aspect that once you hear something it really doesnt matter how many times that same situation occurs. In a sense, once a person knows something is possible, the frequency in which it occurs is unimportant. His words reach farther than maybe even Thoreau had intended them. Whether or not they could be treated as gospel is up to the reader and what he or she is willing to give up in order to live ree. Not many readers of his day would attempt such a life on purpose, and even Thoreau himself stayed near enough the village that his experiment could be aborted in the case of an extreme emergency even though he has yet to mention this outright in the text. Thoreau states: l was seated by the shore of a small pond, about a mile and a half from the village of Concord and somewhat higher than it. Thoreaus language is poetic at times; although, because of the era it was written in can be hard to interpret on the first read through. A thorough reading is necessary for the his would be the passage that concludes the chapter. He observes, My head is hands and feet. I feel all my best faculties concentrated in it. My instinct tells me that my head is an organ for burrowing, as some creatures use their snout and fore-paws, and with it I would mine and burrow my way through these hills. I think that the richest vein is somewhere hereabouts; so by the divining rod and thin rising vapors I judge; and here I will begin to mine (98). The passage can be confusing reading it only once; however, if the reader examines it more closely, he or she might find that it s referring to the ability of the hands and feet to do work of value, in Thoreaus opinion, as they have done for him in his life up to this point. However, Thoreau thinks that his head is the more valuable to him in his now settled surroundings, and is ready to start mining the thoughts that will come along with his forth coming experiences in the remote location that is now his home. The poetry that he writes the final paragraph with sets the tone for his thoughts of the moment. He appears to have an eagerness to experience all that nature has in store for him, and to not live a ruitless life. The question now is whether or not Thoreau is effectively getting his message across to the reader. His wording very effectively sets an image of his situation in the readers mind, and his environment is painted wonderfully by the phrases and analogies that he uses to express himself. Environment is the key word as he is not Just trying to explain his surroundings, but moreover explains why he believes as he does, what is going on in his thoughts along with where he is and what is happening down to the smallest detail such as the sound of the mosquito in the orning, to the mist on the early morning pond as the sun rises. His point of how things are and how they could or maybe even should be is put into perspective in this section of the text. Thoreau gets his point across with excellent imagery and poetry that allows the reader to be drawn into his world and live what Thoreau is living at that time. Those who read the text can start to believe the way that Thoreau is living his experiment is an acceptable reality and can easily get on board with the possibility of a simpler life. One may even enw his ability to attempt this life, as he llows the reader to imagine a life less complicated by the things that they value in their own life. To be free to move without being tied to the comforts of life and to feel that maybe life could be comfortable in a different sense without being suffocated by material belongings. To come and go as one pleases without constraint to property in the form of land or all the other things that can fill ones home. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Yepsen, Rhodes. Encouraging Sustainable Recycling Behavior Through Financial Incentives. Biocycle 1 Dec. 2007: 34-7. ProQuest. 29 sep. 2008 . The above entioned article states the progress that was made in Wilmington, Delaware toward implementing a recycling program that would increase community participation by using of a reward system along with ease of use for the citizens participating in the program. It describes the steps taken in running two separate pilot programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania neighborhoods to research the level citizens would take part in the program. Research was conducted in two separate income neighborhoods work to increase reusable materials along with reducing material deposited in the landfill. The points out the thought that recycling failures are due to the investment in time needed for households to successfully increase recycling and reduce waste in landfills. The pilot programs that were implemented to test the theory that one bin used to recycle any material appropriate to be recycled would increase the participation in those communities. Along with the ease of the one bin method was the implementation of a financial incentive given by recycling firm (Blue Mountain materials recycling facility), paid as credits to local business for the amount in weight of the bi-weekly recycling bin picked up curbside. The rate in which households increased their recycling efforts Jumped from 30 to 90 percent in one neighborhood and quadrupled to 90 percent as well in the second pilot neighborhood. This laid the ground work to implement the program on a city sized scale. Wilmington, DE was the city to be used to implement the large scale recycling program which would grow to 65 percent of the 73,000 population participating in the program along with over 300 retail partners and growing. This amount of recycled materials has reduced the deposits in the landfill by 35 percent (6,700 tons) every other week. The source is a rade publication in the green movement and reliable to a degree, however may be slightly tainted due to putting a positive spin on any recycling effort that appears to work toward the end goal of changing recycling policy. This article is extremely useful in that it exemplifies how recycling could increase if the time needed and the financial incentive were implemented in other cities. Fargo has roughly the same population as Wilmington and the fact that the program is successful there makes it feasible to implement the same or similar program in other cities of at least the same general population. The extreme increase in recycling due to the program leads one to believe that recycling as it is in its current state will not provide improved results toward reusing limited resources anytime soon if ever. Gamerman, Ellen. Weekend Journal; An Inconvenient Bag. Wall Street Journal. 26 Sept. 2008. ProQuest. 29 Sep. 2008 . This article from The Wall Street Journal is an informational piece on the new trend in green grocery shopping with popularity of the reusable shopping bag. The article goes on to explain the difficulty in making products environmentally safe because of the materials being used. It also states the extent to which some retailers are planning to cut purchases of single use plastic bags and market reusable shopping bags for customers which will lower operating costs in the effort to transform the retail experience into a more green experience. The reputation of The Wall Street Journal and the expert reporting that has been a trusted source for national news for many years establishes this as a credible source. The reporting and facts of this article will be most useful when discussing some of the problems with the green movement and how good intensions can backfire if not thought through ompletely. An example of the unintended problems with this particular effort lies in the bag which is the focus of this article. The article points to the use of the reusable grocery store to the megastore. The main statement of this article is the use of the reusable bag and that if a person doesnt intend to use the bag, then it is better not taking the bag because it will most likely still end up in the landfill like its thinner disposable cousins, however because it uses a larger quantity of plastic, it will take much longer to biodegrade. Other secondary points made in the article pertain to ity ordinances in places such as San Francisco, that is making an attempt to ban plastic bags altogether. This comes on the news that an estimated 100 billion plastic bags are thrown out every year in the U. S. alone. It is interesting to learn that the reusable bag is made from plastic even though the feel and look may lead a person to think otherwise. This point is important when considering grabbing several of the bags to transport purchases to and from the store and whether or not they will actually get used. A suggestion the author submits to the reader is to return the bags o the vehicle after unloading so they will always be available and not forgotten at home. This source will be very useful in showing the extent in which certain entities, whether it be a corporation such as Wal-Mart, or a even a government such as the City of San Francisco, and how it is trying to eliminate the plastic bag issue that is becoming a much more popular issue in the quest to become more environmentally responsible. Silva, Cristina. Recycling Has a New Supporter: The Mayor: The Countys Offer of Free Recycling Proves Too Tempting For Mayor Rick Baker to Ignore. St. Petersburg Times. 25 sept. 2008. ProQuest. 29 sept. 2008 . This article is strictly on the point of why the Mayor of St. Petersburg, FL has changed his mind on curbside recycling in the city and what the issues were that had held him back from implementing a city wide recycling program in St. Petersburg, FL. The St. Petersburg Times article seem s to be a relevant and unbiased source for the article that has credible legs to it. The article is short and to the point, but offers insight into the problems of instituting curbside recycling that many U. S. cities are currently dealing with. This articles main point is that the mayor has changes his ind toward implementing a recycling program, due to the involvement of the county and their willingness to pay for the implementation of the program that is currently on the table. The mayor had two concerns that had limited his willingness to get behind a city recycling program with the biggest issue being the cost involved with such a program. This issue is the main point and biggest hurdle the city was dealing with to start curbside recycling for the residents. The second issue the mayor had concerns with was greenhouse emissions from collections vehicles that would be used for this service. The second point leads one to believe that the recycling service would be of great interest to the city since it appears to want to be more environmentally responsible. This article will back up the point that will be the main focus of the paper which appears to be the cost involved in starting recycling programs in cities nationwide. This article will be useful to discuss how economic issues play the largest role in household recycling even in cities such as St. Petersburg, that are interested in McKay, Dan. City Sees Recycling Increase: Curbside Service, Awareness Cited as Reasons. Albuquerque Journal. 23 Sept. 2008,C. . ProQuest. 29 Sept. 2008 . The main point of this article is on recycling efforts in Albuquerque, NM that take the approach that keeping the community informed and aware of the importance of recycling at the household level. This approach differs from other resources being used, because the approach is not one of financial incentive to motivate communities to recycle. Credibility is sound on the basis of the source being a locate newspaper. The article is not detailed in the information about how the city informs the citizens in order to get them to participate in the recycling program in certain parts of the city, owever does state that the effort is making a difference with the community. The article goes on to mention the fact that 10,000 tons of waste are recycled annually with the program that provides recycling bins to residents to recycle materials to be picked up curbside for convenience. It is unclear if there is a current fee being charged by the city to recycle at the current rate, however, the article goes on to say that the success of the program has maxed out the current recycling facility, and increased amounts of recycling would require a garbage collection rate increase to fund a new facility. This source is beneficial in its statements of the amount of recycling being done by a community for benefit of the environment as the only motivating factor. The Albuquerque community, if memory serves, is a very affluent, artistic and would seem to be motivated by good deed alone in my opinion. The informing and making the community aware of the benefits of recycling could take much more effort in different communities in the U. S. along with a greater financial propaganda program to make this approach successful. Bell, Tom. Westbrook to Get Free Recycling: The Deal With Casella Waste Systems Includes Extending a Sewer Line on County Road. Portland Press Herald. 23 Sept. 2008. ProQuest. 29 Sept. 2008 . This article is focuses on how the city of Portland , ME has overcome charging recycling fees by making a deal to supply a sewer system free of charge to the Casella Waste System in exchange for free curbside recycling to the city residents for the next 20 years. The source of the a rticle is the Portland Press Herald which has local credibility and doesnt show any signs of bias either for or against the deal. The estimated cost of the sewer system is $250,000 and will also be used by other landowners along the ounty road which will bring additional income to the city from this use. The waste facility is also prohibited from building an incinerator to dispose of unrecyclable materials in order to avoid greenhouse gas emissions. The city will also pay 68. 50 per ton of garbage to the facility down from 98. 50 as part of the deal. The facility will then process the recycled material and sell it to companies that make secondary recycled products for resale on a national basis. This article is not original except in how it shows one possibility for a community to fund recycling to the citizens while keeping the process simple to participate in to ould definitely work in many communities that would like to find alternative ways to green up their communities, when simply taxing residents or charging fees to gain participation in recycling programs is desired. How We Can Avoid Future Landfill Expansions. Bucks County Courier Times. 22 Sept. 2008. ProQuest. 29 Sept. 2008 . This article shows the ways that average households can save money by reducing waste by purchasing reusable item as opposed to single use items. The article goes on to specify other ways to reduce waste in households such as composting food waste, to finding other uses around he house for items that cant currently be recycled. The article comes from the Buck County Courier Times located in Levittown, PA and has a focus on ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle better k now as the three Rs. The first point of the article focus on being aware of what you buy to ensure that it is something that can be recycled and choose only those items that can be recycled; if it cant be recycled you should ask yourself it can have another long term use. The example question the article asks is: Can this be used for my childrens art supplies? The second point stated in the article is that food waste takes up large mounts of the waste disposed by households and makes note that this type of material can be easily composted instead. The article is a bit vague but takes a different angle to recycling and gives would be or current recycler ideas and awareness to the issues of landfill reduction. The articles makes note that Wheelabrator, which is a local recycling processor, reuses 200 tons of recyclables on any given day to make clean, marketable secondary materials. Abramovitz, Janet N. and Ashley T. Mattoon. Paper Cuts: Recovering the Paper Landscape. Worldwatch Paper 149. (Dec. 1999): 31-36. Worldwatch Paper is a espected Journal that focuses on environmental issues in many different areas. This issue is on the paper waste issue that grows exponentially annually, the resources origin, the need for sustainability, and the need to recycle or eliminate the use of paper products. The portion of this particular Journal that is the focus is on the issue of trimming consumption. The section of the Journal on trimming paper consumption is geared toward how businesses currently use paper, and how they could drastically reduce current usage. The largest use of paper as would be expected would be the office. The areas of interest are things such as the availability of duplex printers, or printers with the ability to print on both sides of the paper. This is currently the most commonly used printer in the business setting today, however they are not being put to this use as many businesses dont print on both sides of paper. Another way to effectively cut paper usage is to print two pages per side, which is estimated to reduce paper usage by 75% in some cases. Paperless billing is now becoming more accepted nationally by the average consumer which is responsible for reduced paper consumption in the odern office. Yet another suggestion to reduce paper consumption in the modern business was to reduce the weight of the paper, in other words to use a lower grade in the same amount of space. This is a very informative and insightful topic within a Journal that can be extremely useful in other areas of paper waste and recyclability of the limited paper resource. There are many ideas on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle paper that is backed up with solid research to solidify the facts and ideas put forth. Porter, Richard C. The Economics of Waste. Resources for the Future, 2002. This book as written with the purpose of examining the economics behind recycling everything that can be recycled along with scientific data focused on why recycling works when it does, and why recycling doesnt work when issues such a government regulations, lack of public interest, or financial lose due to inefficient recycling processes take place for example. This very in depth book is a systematic examination of different aspects of the recycling industry. It puts many areas of the industry under the microscope and examines the instability of recycling and why it is hard to get a large scale recycling peration going, due to financial losses experienced in many cases. The issues that are prevalent are the disposable nature of most things consumed in the modern era. Nothing seems to be made to last or made to be reused. Economics success of the modern corporations is based on consumption and economic growth cannot happen without continued consumption, which translates into the need for disposable materials to be used to make our products. This is contributing to large quantities of waste going into landfills, and the inability of recycling facilities to make an economic rofit means that they are of no need in our society. The reason that these facilities cant succeed stems from a number of reasons, with the most obvious being that people Just dont seem to care about recycling. It may not be that people dont care as much as they dont feel it is convenient to recycle and requires either too much effort, time, or cost to the consumer, all of which gives zero incentive to recycle and care for the environment that still hasnt been embraced by a significant enough of the population to have much of an effect. This book has a very logical and mathematical approach to the issues with ffective recycling, and financial gains that will make recycling an industry that will become common place in modern society. The author has stated clearly that financial incentive will be need on the part of the consumer to recycle, along with financial incentive for companies to make long lasting products, and finally financial incentive to build recycling facilities that can turn a profit. The entire book will be extremely useful in backing up many ideas and concepts that are the norm in todays recycling efforts with detailed mathematical formulas for proof. This book will be used in its ntirety to back up recycling facts used in writing the recycling commentary. Lave, Lester B. et al. Municipal Solid Waste Recycling Issues. Journal of Environmental Engineering (Oct 1999): 944-48. EBSCO: Academic Search Elite. 14 Oct. The Journal entry is a valid study of economics and recycling policy in the U. S. and the ability of recycling to be a self sustained industry and why it currently is not so. a mathematical approach to its successes and failures. The Journal of Environmental Engineering is a credible resource available to researchers of with a need for information on engineering responsibly for the future. This particular Journal entry covers several angles of recycling and the reasons why it is not a profitable or highly sought after industry, and why the recycling industry is a long way from being one that will be heavily invested in anytime in the foreseeable future, however two stand out as being the biggest hurdles in the capitalistic environment of profit and loses. The first of these two is the fact that the disposal of waste into a landfill is still the most affordable way to rid ourselves of the things we no longer find useful. The second main point is that it is still cheaper to obtain the esources from the original source than it is to get them from recycling in almost every case with the exception of aluminum and steel. Keeping this in mind it is understandable the aluminum can recycling is one of the most common forms of fore putting waste in the landfill recycling and has been in practice for the longest period of time. Automobile recycling has also been around for some time and accounts for a large portion of the resources needed to provide new steel products to consumers, even though less and less steel is being used to manufacture goods of any kind today. Eighty percent of the products made from steel in the U. S. today come from recycled steel. The statement made in this Journal do not leave the reader feeling encouraged about recycling efforts increasing to a larger degree in the near future because it Just cant make money until natural resources dwindle to the point that they become more expensive to get them from their natural source than from recycling. The recycling effort in a state like North Dakota is not going to increase because population is so minimal compared to other regions that it will be far in the future due to the inexpensive use of land for landfills that this state has plenty of. Isely, Paul and Aaron Lowen. Price and Substitution in Residential Solid Waste. contemporary Economic policy 25. 3 (2007): 433-43. EBSCO: Academic search Elite. 14 oct. 2008 . The Journal entry is based in the economics of a variety of waste disposal and is a reliable source for the costs involved in waste disposal and the costs involved by making mathematical calculations to disposal of different types without stating which combination is the best. Simply stated the money involved in waste disposal of various types is the only focus of this article. The information in this resource is directed at landfill costs and how much money er ton the case study landfill charges per ton of waste, how much additional tonnage can be disposed of and the increased amount of waste an increase in fees can accommodate for future needs. The costs for landfill disposal are broken down into the smallest conceivable variable from fuel charges for pickup vehicles to labor involved in employing workers at every stage of disposal. The breakdown and formulas used to fgure the cost of disposal are explained so that any future changes in costs such as increased expense of things such as fuel for example can be fgured The information is useful in breaking down the costs involved with waste disposal and the degree of exactness the study was conducted is amazing. Waste disposal was researched for several years and measure the weight of disposal in tons and even took into account seasonal changes in temperature and moister from precipitation that could be absorbed into waste before the weight was taken before disposal. It appears that no detail was overlooked in this particular study and should come in handy when straight forward hard facts are need to backup points on amounts of actual waste being disposed of compared to amounts recycled. COMMENTARY Household Recycling: Examples of How to Successfully Reduce Landfill Disposal By now most people are aware that paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass are everyday materials that play a part in almost everything Americans consume. Whether it is as common as the aluminum can that contains a popular soda, to the plastic water bottles that line the coolers of every convenience store; and these items are piling up in our landfills, all the while more, unsustainable, raw materials are being depleted to make their replacements. If asked, most people would say that they would like to be more eco-friendly; have a smaller environmental footprint; or in ther words, be kind to the earth we all share. What better way to do your part than recycling? You may not save the world from environmental disaster, but it is a start. Most people are familiar with the three arrows that form a flowing, and never ending triangle; this is the symbol for recycling, or a product that is recyclable, will have the symbol located on it. Unfortunately, most products that have this symbol stamped on the bottom, or printed on its side, still end up as waste in the landfill, or city dump. Most people, for certain reasons and sometimes for no reason at all, dont give recycling much thought. These reasons take a variety of forms; some people feel they dont have the time recycle, others extra space for recyclables, and even more dont want to foot the extra cost of recycling. However, some cities are addressing these issues; and in doing so, are finding success in recycling programs that take many different forms, and have been developed through innovative thinking, and accomplishing the ultimate goal of reducing garbage in the landfill. The first topic of that arises when discussing recycling, is that of the time and inconvenience people often associate with the whole process. Imagine that the local

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essayEssay Writing Service

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essayEssay Writing Service EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essay EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essayThe development of business strategy requires making a thorough analysis of internal and external environments. In this context, it is important to consider the segments of the general environment, the forces of competition and the companys position in relation to these competitive forces, to assess external opportunities and threats, to weigh internal strengths and weaknesses of the company and to develop a strategy basing on the results of the analysis. Furthermore, it is important to identify the capabilities and resources of the company, to determine its core competencies and to analyze the companys value chain as well as its alignment with the above mentioned resources and capabilities.The industry chosen for this analysis is information technology, and the company chosen for analysis is Apple, Inc. It is a multinational corporation which is the leader in manufacturing and selling consumer electronics, computers, software and online servic es. Apple is the second largest company in the IT industry by revenue (Yahoo Finance, 2014). In 2013, Apples brand was recognized as the most valuable brand in the world (Yahoo Finance, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to analyze external and internal environment of Apple, Inc. and to generate recommendations pertaining to the companys future strategy.Segments of the general environmentThe general environment in which the company is operating is shaped by different dimensions of the society. There are seven key segments of the general environment: demographic, economic, political/legal, socio-cultural, technological, global and physical (Parth, 2003). The general environment can hardly be influenced by businesses, but it does have a powerful impact on industries and companies operating in them.For Apple, two segments of the general environment that have the largest impact on the companys strategy and operations are technological and socio-cultural segments. The socio-cultural seg ment encompasses values and attitudes common in a society (Parth, 2003). The whole process of IT industry development is largely influenced by social values and interests such as the interest to entertainment and the interest to communications.Apples market leadership is based on the interest of the general public to technology and to telecommunications, to the growing popularity of smartphones, tablets and other portable devices and on the growing dominance of Internet as the means of communication. Apple manages to drive and shape customer interest to their products; the companys market success depends on the ability to track customer values and needs and to offer the products that fulfill these needs. Furthermore, Apples brand management is based on esthetic values (Apples products are positioned as exceptionally designed) and on the willingness to stand out of the crowd (Apples products are largely positioned as elite products).Naturally, technological segment of the general env ironment has the largest impact on IT sphere and on Apples business. This segment pertains to the institutions and activities associated with technology, new discoveries, innovations and technological change in general (Parth, 2003). IT industry actually emerged due to the advancement of technological segment, and continues to expand rapidly due to the creation of new technologies. Currently rapid technological development and replacement of technologies are both driving Apples growth and intensifying competition in the industry. Advanced technologies of creating software and hardware, the growth of cloud services, emergence of new wireless technologies all these changes are used by Apple to develop and market new products.Forces of competitionThe second component of external environment that should be analyzed is industry environment and competition in the industry. This environment can be assessed using the model of five forces of competition. These forces include: threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and rivalry among competing firms. With regard to information technology industry and Apple Inc., the most important forces are bargaining power of suppliers and rivalry among competing firms.Apple successfully managed to overcome other competitors using innovations and effective brand management. The company chose to position its brands as exceptional products and outperformed competition in terms of product design and performance, and introduced novel features which were missing in competing products. In fact, the ability of Apple to distinguish itself among competitors is one of its key competencies.As for the power of suppliers, Apples successes were ambiguous. On one hand, Apple is a valuable partner and the suppliers are likely to compete for being Apples vendors. On the other hand, the key supplier of Apple is Samsung which is also Apples key competitor. Samsung is the key suppl ier of high-quality screens and other novel components. While Apple is developing the relationships with other suppliers and looking for replacements of Samsungs products, the dependency on these supplies was not efficiently managed by Apple in the past.Ways of improving forces of competitionTwo key forces of competition important for Apple, Inc. are bargaining power of suppliers and competitive rivalry. In the future, Apple should first of all address the bargaining power of suppliers in general and the dependence on Samsungs supplies in particular. Apple is already negotiating with LG to supply screens. The company also stopped purchasing iPhone screens from Samsung and reduced purchases of iPad screens (Yahoo Finance, 2014). The number of flash memory chips purchased from Samsung also reduced. However, Apple still depends on Samsung to supply microprocessors and memory components, as well as other supplies (Yahoo Finance, 2014).The choice of high-quality components for Apple is l imited, and it should be noted that LG is also Apples competitor in terms of smartphones and tablets. Therefore, Apple should develop additional ways of solving the problem other than simply switching between suppliers. It might be recommended for Apple to organize own production centers in Asia to produce critically important components. Such step would allow Apple to reduce the power of suppliers and would help to maintain rigorous quality standards for hardware components.Competitive rivalry in IT sphere is intensifying as more hardware leaders start manufacturing their smartphones, laptops, players, tablets, etc. Apple can address this force of competition by further driving innovation and differentiating their products. Apple is perceived as high-quality brand offering cutting-edge technology at premium price (Yahoo Finance, 2014). Therefore, it would be beneficial for Apple to add new features into their products, introduce new versions of their products and foster innovation in order to retain industry leadership.External threats and opportunitiesThere exist various external threats influencing Apple, Inc. The major threats are:rapid technological development and change (the company might be set aside by a competitor who invents a novel technology)tax increases (Apples profits were driven down due to tax increase which took place in the United States in 2013)patent breaches (competitors might imitate Apples patents or apply reverse engineering to Apples novel features and make profit on these features)appreciation of the dollar (Apples profits in foreign countries are reduced due to strengthening dollar)growing popularity of Android (widespread use of this operating system make Apple infrastructure less attractive for customers)increasing labor costs in Asia (the protests of workers in Asia, especially Foxconn workers, lead to the increase of Apples costs and drive profits down)price pressure performed by Samsung (Samsung is gradually increasing the pri ces of key components).There also exist various opportunities available for Apple. The list of key opportunities includes:growth of demand for tablets and smartphones, along with market expansion (worldwide demand for smartphones, tablets and other portable devices is increasing, and Apples revenues are likely to grow)internal innovation (Apple can develop new hardware technologies and advanced software, using its RD capability)innovation through acquisitions (Apple can acquire promising technologies, patents or startups and integrate them into Apples ecosystem)patent protection of new technologies (the company can protect its novel features by patents and secure itself against potential cloning of new devices performed by competitors)launch of iTV (iTV is expected to enrich Apples ecosystem and to provide advanced experience for TV watchers; this product is already long-awaited)mobile advertising (the market of mobile advertising is growing, and Apple can drive revenues by populari zing its iAd platform for advertising)increasing demand for cloud services (the popularity of cloud services makes it possible for Apple to popularize its iCloud system).The most serious threat for Apple is rapid technological development and change. If strong competitors like Samsung invent new technologies and market them, Apples market position might be significantly affected. In order to keep market leadership, Apple should introduce new products and develop or acquire new technologies. Therefore, Apple should pursue own innovations; the company should also keep track of recent advancements and acquire promising technologies.The most attractive opportunity for Apple is currently the launch of iTV. Although Apple offers TV services, the overall TV infrastructure lacks sophistication and alignment with overall Apple ecosystem. The audience of TV is huge and the launch of new interactive TV device compatible with other Apple devices will increase the companys profits and popularity .Internal strengths and weaknessesIn order to identify Apples perspectives and strategies, it is necessary to consider internal factors (strengths and weaknesses). Apple has lots of strengths, the major of them being:impressive brand reputation (Apple managed to position the brand as premium products for elite people)high customer loyalty and appreciation (the customers are loyal and tend to stay in Apples ecosystem)self-reinforcing ecosystem (Apple has a diverse ecosystem which integrates various hardware and software products into one large interactive space)status of top innovator (Apple is perceived as the leading innovator and its products are highly anticipated)very strong financial performance (high profit margins and very high liquidity)network of retail stores (high-quality customer service helps to create advanced user experience; new products are distributed through the network)powerful marketing strategy (Apples team masterly uses various marketing techniques to create a hype for their products and to strengthen the brand)At the same time, Apple also has a number of weaknesses:high prices (Apples products are sold at premium prices which are significantly higher compared to competitors prices)closure of Apple ecosystem (Apple software and hardware are not compatible with other platforms, so users might refuse from using Apple products in order to be able to work with their favorite software)decreasing market share (although Apple is the market leader, its market share is slightly declining, primarily due to competition)changes in senior management (Apple now has to operate without the guidance of Steve Jobs; in addition, two senior managers responsible for retail left the company)new product defects (some new products of Apple might have flaws or faults; these issues damage brand reputation and sales)dependence of Apple supply chain on the key competitor (as it was mentioned above, Samsung is the key competitor of Apple, and it is also its major su pplier)decline of gross margin (Apples gross margin demonstrates a decline over time).Available strategiesFor strategic purposes, it is important to consider how Apple can take advantage of its key strengths and how it can address its most significant weaknesses. First of all, Apple can combine such strengths as the status of top innovator and its self-reinforcing ecosystem to attract more customers and keep them attached to the ecosystem: the expansion of Apple into other niches, such as television (iTV) and smart gadgets (iWatch) allows to gain the attention of new customers, and once they purchase Apple products, they will be able to feel the value of Apples ecosystem. Using such strategy, Apple can also address such weaknesses as declining market share and declining gross margin.Furthermore, Apple can develop new software products and online services to enhance customer loyalty and appreciation and to integrate current customers further into the ecosystem. In addition, Apple sho uld consider addressing such weakness as high prices. On one hand, premium prices are part of Apples brand image and lowering these prices might affect both profits and brand value. On the other hand, high prices might prevent customers from purchasing Apple products. It is recommended for Apple to adjust its marketing strategy and to offer two ways of receiving products at discounted price: loyalty programs for existing clients and various contests and drawings for new clients. In this way, Apple will further fuel the interest to its products and reward existing customers for their loyalty. Using this strategy, Apple would be able to address such weaknesses as high prices and declining market share.Resources, capabilities and core competenciesStrategic analysis should take into account the companys competitive advantage. In order to assess competitive advantages, it is necessary to explore organizational resources, capabilities and core competencies. Resources can be classified int o tangible (quantifiable and observable assets) and intangible (assets that cannot be observed physically, are rooted in the companys history, are difficult for competitors to imitate and accumulate in the course of time) (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2014). Capabilities are defined as special methods of organizing resources in order to create customer value, and core competencies are determined as capabilities which are the source of competitive advantage (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2014).Apples key resources are:financial resources (high profit margin, large deposits of cash, large market share)technological resources (manufacturing centers, outsourcing agreements)RD resources (research laboratories, ownership of advanced technologies)human resources (highly skilled employees)marketing resources (network of retail stores, partnerships with other companies, marketing power of Apple ecosystem)goodwill (impressive brand reputation, many loyal customers)Distinct capabilities of Apple are shaped by successful combinations of Apples key resources and include:RD capability (achieved due to effective use of RD resources, technological resources and human resources)marketing capability (formed as a combination of goodwill, marketing resources, financial and human resources)customer service capability (developed as a combination of human resources and financial resources)All of these capabilities are Apples core competencies: RD potential, superior customer service and impressive marketing. Indeed, these capabilities are rare, create value for Apples customers, cannot be substituted as Apples development actually relies on these core competencies and are both difficult and costly to imitate (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2014).Apples value chainValue chain activities are the activities aimed at creating customer value. Key activities involved in the value chain include inbound and outbound logistics, operations, marketing and service (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010).At the f irst level of general administration, Apple creates value through effective strategic management and uses its strong financial performance to enhance further growth and development. At the level of HRM, Apple selects the most talented employees and rewards them for their achievements to form a superior workforce. At level 3 which is associated with technological development, Apple creates innovations in its research labs, acquires external innovations, protects its technologies using patents and licenses and extends its manufacturing capabilities. At the procurement level, Apple establishes relationships with suppliers and optimizes its supply chain (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010).The level of inbound logistics encompasses internal supply systems, receiving systems, methods of acquisition (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010). The level of operations pertains to developing and manufacturing new devices, performing consumer research, etc (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010). Outbound logi stics includes the network of retail stores, relationships with other distributors, retailers, transportation companies, etc (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010). At the level of marketing and sales, Apple uses the power of its skilled workforce to impress the customers with new advertising campaigns and positions its devices in a proper way. Finally, at the service level Apple provides high-quality customer service which adds even more value to Apples products.