Themes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay Example For Students

Themes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay There are many major Themes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay, some more present than others, for instance, honor and pride which lead to manipulation (domination) and finally, the game itself. These are three themes that get the audience interested in the story and give them an appetite for more of the story. Honor and pride play a big part in the game the Green Knight is playing because it is what he trusts will cause one of the knights to accept his challenge. The knight insults King Arthur and his court deliberately to trigger a response, which he gets. King Arthur is a proud king but this moment in the story is an example of foolish pride on his part. We will write a custom essay on Themes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Before he even knew the clauses of the contract with the green knight, who stayed vague enough to let him believe that he was seeking a challenge, Arthur says: Sir courteous knight, if contest you crave, You shall not fail to fight. At this point, the audience wonders why he uses the word courteous as an adjective for this insolent knight who burst into the dining room armed, on his horse and asked for the captain of this crowd. This is the first example of Arthurs foolish pride. He answered this way to save the face of his knights and his court and it will lead him to trouble. The knight exposes the rules of the game and the audience wonders who will take on the challenge, why isnt any of the knight of the round table getting up and accepting the challenge? He goes even further by insulting the king and his court directly, calling them cowards, laughing loud to their face until Arthur blushes, The blood for sheer fame shot to his face and pride gets up and takes the challenge on himself. Now the crowd is inquisitive. They wonder what will happen to Arthur because surely there is a catch in the knight game and Arthur in foolishly falling into his trap. Now Sir Gawain stands and takes Arthurs place and is asked, by the Green Knight, to swear to seek him out a year from then to complete the second part of the deal . By making this oath right away without hesitation, he shows a great proof of honor and pride. He answers right away: What is the way there? Where do you dwell?. Of course, now the audience is sitting at the edge of their chair waiting to see if Sir Gawains attack will be effective at all against the Green Knight. Manipulation and domination and also a major theme in this story because it is what the Green Knight is counting on when convincing King Arthur and his court to accept the challenge. He plays on their pride and honor and knows that they will make their decision based on those two factors, rather that think everything over and make a decision based on logic. The audience likes this because the Green Knight is an appealing villain. He is huge and proud and not afraid of any of the Knight of the Round Table, and he insults King Arthur to his face, repeatedly from the moment he entered the room. The first manipulative aspect of this knight is the way he presents himself: fearless, proud, arrogant, without armor. A green horse great and thick; A headstrong steed of might, In broidered bridle quick, Mount matched man aright. This is a form of intimidation and this is the first step in getting Arthur to accept the challenge. .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 , .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .postImageUrl , .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 , .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64:hover , .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64:visited , .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64:active { border:0!important; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64:active , .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64 .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0476a14c51fc5e3bc992a8a2ec79ab64:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sixties Counterculture: 10 Pg Proposal EssayBibliography: No bibliography .

CENSORSHIP ON THE INTERNET Essays - Content-control Software

CENSORSHIP ON THE INTERNET Essays - Content-control Software CENSORSHIP ON THE INTERNET A 43-year-old man from Boston was having a steamy cyber affair with who he thought to be a 23-year-old woman. He later found out the "she," to his dismay, was an 80-year-old man living in a Miami nursing home. Things like this happen everyday, people mask their sex and age to avoid or attract attention on the Internet. This is only one of the reasons why the government wants to censor the Internet. They claim they want to ?protect? the children by limiting the amount of ?reality? they are allowed to view. But in order to do this they would need to censor the entire Internet, from everyone. This is why censorship on the Internet would be a violation of the first amendment. Censorship itself is not what most people are concerned about. Instead, how far will it go? How far is too far? When will it stop? Can the Internet ever be censored? These questions need to be answered before we can even think about censoring. In order to fully understand censorship you have to know what the Internet is. The Internet is an open interconnection of networks that enables computers to connect directly through phone lines. It allows people from around the world to communicate with the touch of a button. Its size is unimaginable, its content is uncountable. "In early 1995 more than 50,000 networks and 5 million computers were connected via the Internet, with a computer growth rate of about 9 percent per month" (Rutkowski, Encarta). Is the Internet to large to be censored? Remember in the 1940s people said radio was uncensorable. What is censorship anyway? Censorship is the official restriction of expression thought to be harmful. "Censorship restricts the flow of ideas, depriving people of information they need to maintain an open society" (Steffens, 11). Censorship itself is by no means a new idea. It has existed since the beginning of mankind, Playboy magazine in the 1950?s, radio in the 1930?s, book burning in the 1940?s, steamy celluloid reels in the 1920?s, and erotic pages coming off the Gutenberg press in the 1350?s. People fear new technology, I believe this is the reason that people want to censor the Internet. Change is a frightening thing, but without it the human race would cease to exist. Taking over our world, computers can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. At this time there is more information on the Internet than there is in any library and it is only a matter of years before books themselves will become obsolete. By censoring the Internet the government will only be holding us back. Germany, China, Singapore, and several other countries have taken action and began to censor the Internet. The United States is not far behind. On February 8th, 1996, President Clinton signed the Communications Decency Act, which limits freedom of expression on the Internet. With this act, the very same materials which are legally available today in book stores and libraries could be illegal if posted on World Wide Web sites or Usenet newsgroups. Not only would it have made it a crime to write provocative e-mail to your lover, it would also be a crime for your Internet provider. "Censorship is never for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever" (Nadine Gordimer, Microsoft Office). What business does the government have telling people what they can and can?t see anyway? If the child?s parents are so concerned about what they are going to see on the Internet, there is software available that screens the Internet for just that computer. It isn?t very expensive, in fact, you can even download some software from the Internet. Yet, this software is no substitute for good judgment. "If you have time on your hands, if your comfortable with computing, and you have an unflagging curiosity about sex - in other words, if you?re a teenager - you may think you?ve suddenly landed in pornography heaven" (Gleick, 26). Pornography is the only thing that you ever seem to hear about the Internet, but there is so much more out there. Information on anything and everything you could possibly ever imagine. Most of the material that I gathered for this project was done by hours of Internet ?surfing?. Another large misconception about the Internet is that while surfing you can just stumble on to pornography. Though it

Budgettting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Budgettting - Assignment Example That is; the key members involved in the project did estimate the costs related to materials, equipments, utilities, and resources needed to perform the required to complete the Germantown tree planting activity. The cost estimates of this project was done basing on a vendor bid analysis, where the receptive bids from skilled and qualified vendors provided the baseline cost estimate for every particular component integrated with the budget. Nevertheless, these costs estimate will be refined during the course of the project to include any additional details as it becomes available. The direct costs include the costs that are related to the project. These costs include cost incurred while buying tree seedling, supplies such as fertilizers and planting shovels. These costs account to more than a half of the budget spending. Indirect costs include costs that enable successful completion of the project. For instance, the personnel will require utilities such as water during the event. The tree planting exercise will call upon the outsiders and they will be given refreshments hence adding to the cost of the project. The cost associated with the promotion and advertising will be indirect costs to the project. In the variable costs changes with the level of activity being undertaken, one of the variable costs is the cost of the personnel. The more personnel turn for the activity, the higher the costs that will be incurred during the event. Similarly, the more the costs of food will tend to be higher hence making the cost of the budget to be higher. In such a program, the theme touches on a global phenomenal: Climate change. If the organization applied for grants, the application has a higher chance of being successful. Some of the organization that provides likelihood for sponsoring the project includes, United Nations Environmental Program, World Forest Service, Food and Agriculture

Class Sizes in Highschool Should Be Smaller Essay

Class Sizes in Highschool Should Be Smaller - Essay Example In a smaller classroom, students are less anxious because the environment allows for ample time for them to understand the lesson, ask some questions, and get a complete explanation of the required work. Furthermore, if there were fewer students in a class, tasks such as presentations would become easier for students, who would likely feel more comfortable presenting to a smaller peer group. For these reasons, it is important that class sizes are kept to a maximum of twenty. Smaller classrooms are a must because an effective learning environment must have adequate resources available. In an average classroom there are less than 30 textbooks available. When the number of students in a class exceeds the number of available books, then not everyone has access to an important tool for learning. When a lesson is taught, having a book to follow from keeps the student engaged in the material. Without this item, it is easier for students to get distracted and lose interest in the subject. As well as this fact, students learn at different speeds. If two or three students are sharing a book, it will be difficult for all the students to progress at the same rate. Some students will be left behind, while others will not be able to read the entire page. Of course, there is also the problem of completing homework assignments without a text book. Students are given assignments, class projects, and homework regularly. If a student does not have a textbook, then it makes it so much harder to get any work done. With a larger number of students and limited books on the library shelves, an environment not conducive to learning is created. Another reason why smaller classrooms should be encouraged is that students are less likely to become... This report approves that some students may click their pens, listen to music loud enough for others to hear, or perform a repetitive movement such as tapping their feet against the ground. Additionally, some students may get out of their seats to receive help from their peers or teacher, or they may leave the room for various reasons. These little noises, in conjunction with visual interruptions, can draw a student’s attention away from their work and reduce their concentration. Many students may become frustrated with the noise and feel overwhelmed because they cannot concentrate and complete their assignments. This is very detrimental and unfair to the majority of students. With fewer people in the classroom, the distractions would be reduced. This allows an individual to remain focused and calm, which would result in a more productive education. This essay makes a conclusion that classroom sizes needs to be reduced because of different learning styles, a lack of sufficient resources, and the possibility of distractions. A student’s one-on-one time with their teacher is essential, and the loss of this is detrimental to that student’s learning capabilities. Not every student learns at the same pace, so it is essential that all students are given a fair opportunity to learn. Because of a lack of resources available to students, it is easy to understand why students and teachers are stressed. Furthermore, with the constant distractions of noise and movements, the ideal learning environment suffers greatly. With the general population in Ontario growing and thus classroom sizes on the rise, our education system becomes condensed and the students suffer as a result. It is time to prioritize students’ education by reducing the number of students in each class.

Unfair democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unfair democracy - Essay Example The US stands out, as one of the most democratic nations in the universe, which encompasses human rights, diversity, equality, and good governance. The world commonly refers to the United States as the land of the free. This is subject to its democratic practices, respect for human rights, and equality. However, there have been many recorded and unrecorded controversies relating to US racial inequality and unfairness in many aspects. Disappointedly, stereotypes, religious restrictions or teachings and other things, men and women, no matter if they are the same race, will always find problems when it comes to equality.Actually, there has been trusted statistics that detail aspects of discrimination, unfairness, and inequality on basis of race, ethnic group, and gender. The term race or racial group refers to the categorization of humans into populations, perhaps, ancestral groups because of various sets of heritable characteristics. Racial and ethnic identities are socially controvers ial and manifest in very conscious ways. Two conflicting social and cultural influences link this manifestation. On the other hand, an ethnic identification is a group whose members identify with each other, through a common cultural characteristic involving religion and language. This shared heritage base on ancestry, history, nationality, physical appearance, and even shared territory. The discrimination mostly happens on the less privilege and minorities. Minority often means less than half of the population though it does not necessary associate to numerical strength. Indeed, some minority groups in the US have a large population than the dominant group. For example, the black Americans refer to the majority in America, though they are economically, and politically inferior to the whites. Some of the minority groups in the US include the Hispanic Americans and Latinos. Against the common, believe that there is absolute fairness in America, there is unfairness including in the ed ucation system and in the run for political leadership. In addition, despite the common knowledge that discrimination manifests in many organizations in the US nobody qualifies its existence in the US education system. Indeed, it is arguably true that there is rampant discrimination in the education sector based on race and ethnicity and more specifically to the Hispanic community. In fact, in many cases Hispanic American citizens receive fewer privileges compared to their White counterparts. It is common knowledge that this is the first term in American history that a black president rules America. This is despite the fact that other black presidential aspirants vied and did not succeed in becoming the US president. On the other hand, this does not qualify as discrimination since the Hispanic is fewer in number to gain the majority vote leading to political leadership. Had it been a case of lacking a female president in US, then the argument would do because there are enough women in US to vote in a female despite the common notion that US embraces democracy and equality. On the same breath, with the high esteem that US hold in the word domain, one would always assume that US always conducts the fairest presidential elections in the world. Actually, the US is always an observer in other countries elections. However, this fairness is not present in US elections. Take for example the recent presidential elections where unfairness and cases of fraud dominated the aftermath of the elections. For example, in the case of Al Gore and George W Bush questions of fairness manifest. In the popularity vote, Gore got 50,996,064 votes on November 7 while George W got 50,456,167. Nevertheless, despite Gore having a majority of 539,897 votes Bush won the elections. How fair was it to win the popular vote with a margin exactly the size of Austin, Texas (Kettle Web) and fail to win the presidential elections? Additionally, in 2004, the private companies counting more than 80% of the votes refused to

The benefits and risks of Outsourcing

The benefits and risks of Outsourcing In this chapter, an introduction of research background is given and the objectives and scope of the research are described. In addition, a general overview of research methodology will be introduced. Finally, a brief overview of the dissertation structure is given in order to present an overall picture of the research undertaken. Background of research: Outsourcing is one of the fast growing aspects with a spending of US$ 3.7 trillion worldwide in 2001 (Clott, 2004). The latest survey conducted by Cap Gemini, Georgia institute of technology, SAP and DHL, it is clear that the usage of third party logistics (3pl) services continues to grow in Latin America, North America, Western Europe and Asia-pacific (Cap Gemini, 2006). Due to globalisation and rapid growth in information technology organisations are eager to develop competitiveness and responsiveness to customers (Matteo, 2003). Lieb and Randall (1996) defined 3pl to a more detailed extent; in particular, the term third-party has been explained more clearly. The third party logistics is defined here as: A company which supplies/coordinates logistics functions across multiple links in the logistics supply chain. The company thus acts as a third-party facilitator between the seller/manufacturer (the first-party) and the buyer/user (the second-party)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The functions the functions performed by the third-party can encompass the entire logistics process or selected activities with in that process. (p.51). Today many international logistics providers, including freight forwarders, customhouse brokers, ocean and air carriers, promoting themselves as third party logistics providers as they can provide more services for the movement of international freight. Liebs survey clearly tells that one third of large manufacturing companies in us use third party logistics services and over 60 percent of these firms used these services for above five years (Lieb, 2007). The close relationship between shippers and carriers could be a benefit for third party providers. One thing is confirmed that, nearly all large multinational companies make use of third party logistics providers (Maltz, 2004). Research problem: From many researchers point of view (Lee, 2004), Indian 3pl providers are still in an undeveloped state. So it might be difficult for them to survive in the Indian market competing with the foreign players. This research will review the traditional Indian distribution system and analyze the contemporary situations of both Indian and foreign companies like Pantaloons, Reliance, Subhiksha and Wal-Mart. In 2005, India was forecasted as the greatest consumer market opportunity, receiving highest foreign direct investment (FDI) (Mitra, 2005). The third party logistics in India accounts nearly a quarter of its transportation industry and expected to grow over $ 125 billion by 2015 (Srinath, 2006). Currently India sits atop the global retail opportunity. Indias retail industry, the 9th largest globally and valued at $ 330 billion (Kilgore et al. 2007). Reliance, a $ 12 billion giant enterprise run by Mukesh Ambani, plans to open an additional 4000 stores and hypermarkets with a target of $ 22.3 billion in sales by 2012. Wal-mart currently sources goods of worth over $ 1.5billion from India, yet to gain access to sell those products in India. So Wal-Marts joint ventures with Bharti will open doors for multi brand hypermarkets and shopping villages. One of the best approaches to gain competitiveness and improve customer service levels is the firms logistical capability. To be competitive, the companies have to deliver the products quickly and for lower cost. Logistics service providers gain momentum after the successful and efficient distribution network of Wal-Mart (Maltz, 2004). On the other hand, pantaloon is currently Indias largest retailer with more than 140 stores. Its also planning to spend $ 1 billion to open 100 big bazaar stores country wide. The Tata group, which runs lifestyle stores and star India bazaar, also opened an electronic goods shop in Mumbai last year. Tata group is planning to open 30 stores by the next year (Sahey and Mohan, 2006). Behind this growth, logistics infrastructure is the main backdrop of the countrys growth. Logistics costs in India are 13 percent of GDP compared with 8 percent in the U.S. Indian logistics is combination of road transport companies, railways, air freight companies, ports and shipping companies, as well as 3pl companies. 3pl market in India is least developed and its growth is about 20% per annum. If the logistics costs can be reduced from 13% of GDP to 8% of GDP, then the savings would be approximately $ 20 billion. This change will reduces the prices of Indian goods by 4.3% making them more competitive globally. The 3pl revenue and cargo handling volume registered growth rates of 18.25% and 20.33% respectively in 2003-2004 (Mitra, 2005). Retail opportunity opens the doors to reach Indian customers more effectively. Hindustan lever, a subsidiary of Unilever and the coca cola company are extremely successful penetrating in India. The rural population in India is almost 60%. Deliverin g products to those rural people is most difficult task due to the poor transportation and infrastructure facilities. In this situation both the companies above mentioned are successful with their distribution system through logistics service providers to reach each and every part of the country. So all the issues related to transportation infrastructure have badly affected the logistics network in India specifically in terms of lead time and costs. Anyway, a host of policy changes underway is expected to bring some positive revolution in the Indian transportation environment. In the past few years Indian government focussed on the infrastructure development. The main initiative under this project is the national high way development programme. It will connect all the metros and act as east-west and north-south corridor. So this will boost road transportation in India and good news for the logistics services providers in the country and also for the organisations to reduce costs by using 3pl providers (Mitra, 2005). Aim and objectives: The purpose of the research is to understand how third party logistics service providers can develop competitive advantage and improves the service levels of supply chains in Indian retail industry. The objectives of the study can be summarized as: To understand the current situations of Indian domestic 3pl providers To develop the competitive strategies pursued by the Indian 3pl providers To find out the impact of the use of the 3pl services on costs, customer satisfaction. On the other hand, the following research questions are designed for the achievement of the above research objectives. What kind of distribution systems do the Indian 3pl providers have? What kinds of logistics services are Indian 3pl providers providing? What competitive situation are the Indian 3pl providers facing? What kinds of competitive strategies are the Indian 3pl providers pursuing to achieve competitive advantages? Literature review: The supply chain: The process which integrates coordinates and controls the movement of goods, materials and information from a supplier to the end customer through a series of intermediate customers is called the supply chain. It bridges the gap between core business aspects of supply and demand. So the supply chain management is the management of buying/sourcing, making, moving and selling activities in a timely manner. Supply chains today are very slow, costly and do not deliver particularly good value to the end customer. Todays markets are much more demanding and information driven with small product cycles, more choice for customers and consumers and increased competition. Costs need to be cut down out of the supply chain and efficiencies increased, as business relationships within the chain shift and competitive advantage becomes harder to come by. The process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information flow from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements. Third party logistics (TPL): The growth of high competition and complex business conditions force organizations to pursue competitive advantages and re-engine their business constantly. Outsourcing logistics to a 3pl provider has been considered as an effective strategy for companies to high service performance and lower operating cost. Lieb and Randall (1996) defined 3pl to a more detailed extent; in particular, the term third-party has been explained more clearly. The third party logistics is defined here as: A company which supplies/coordinates logistics functions across multiple links in the logistics supply chain. The company thus acts as a third-party facilitator between the seller/manufacturer (the first-party) and the buyer/user (the second-party)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The functions the functions performed by the third-party can encompass the entire logistics process or selected activities with in that process. (p.51). The basic characteristics of 3pls are to provide customised services and to handle multiple activities, which involve warehousing, distribution, transportation, inventory control, material handling, packaging and inspection (Bolumole, 2001). Here are some of the services offered by 3pls in the present market, according to Sowinski (2005): Dedicated contract transportation and transportation procurement. Inventory management Logistics management and consulting Freight audit and consulting Shipment tracking and tracing Reverse logistics and value added services TPL providers are nothing but supportive supply chain members. Lambert (1998) defined these supportive members as companies that simply provide resources, knowledge, utilities or assets for the primary members of the supply chain. The new level of usage of 3pl has been defined as logistics alliances. Bagchi and Virum (1998) define logistics alliances as: A long-term formal or informal relationship between shippers and logistics providers to render all or a considerable number of logistics activities for the shipper. (p.193). Under this alliance, 3pl users and providers treat each other as long-term partners. By identifying the characteristics of 3pl providers in various stages, Berglund et al. (1999) suggest that there have been three phases of development of the 3pl participants. The first phase started from 1980s, with the presence of traditional logistics providers, with the activities involved only transportation or warehousing. The second phase started from 1990s, when a number of network players such as DHL, TNT and FedEx started their logistics services. The third phase started from late 1990s, when a number of players from other areas like information technology, started working with the original logistics providers. In recent years with the dynamic changing and development of supply chain management 3pl providers have moved their focus to strategy development (Hertz Alfredson, 2003). 3pl providers have started to support logistics operations through value-added services and supply chain solution service, which creates abundant opportunities for companies to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction (Knemeyer et al., 2003; Lieb, 2005). In addition to the services mentioned above, other services offered by 3pl providers, are known as value-added services. These are the services that add a lot of additional value to the products being distributed (Rushton et al. 2000). The major value added services has been summarized by the authors as follows. Specialist or niche service, where the operation is specifically designed for a particular products. Time reliable services, which are setup to support the just-in-time (JIT) operations of major manufacturers. Assembly, which is fulfilled by third-party distributor. Repacking, this is another area of value-added development, like a torch together with battery. Refurbishment: in the light if current environmental legislation many manufacturers have endeavoured to re-engineer their products so that parts from some used products can be reused in new products. Packaging return: collect packaging for reuses or disposal. (p.62). A research conducted recently by Hertz and Alfredson presented the strategic development of 3pl providers (Hertz Alfredson, 2003). According to Lai (2004): There are four types of 3pl providers from the resource based view of the firm. Each type of provider exhibiting different service capabilities and service performance. Also different types of logistics service providers adopt different service strategies to respond to different market segments Logistics outsourcing is simply a make-or-buy decision based on cost efficiency by increasing competitiveness and complexity (Christopher, 2005). A company may pursue logistics outsourcing for the following reasons, Own lack of logistics experience Desire to focus on core competency Difficulty in maintaining communication and information technology up to date Sahay and Mohan (2006). Outsourcing can give a company proper access to resources, equipment and management expertise which may count a worth of billion dollars (Clott, 2004). Outsourcing not only allows an organisation to achieve goals like cutting delivery times and ensuring accurate shipments, but also promotes competition among service providers and motivating them to continue renewing their services. Currently a growing interest on outsourcing has been mentioned by massive writings in scholarly journals and popular magazines. The terms outsourcing, third party logistics and contract logistics sounds the same. Traditional logistics activities such as transportation, distribution, warehousing, inventory management, order processing and material handling have been given less importance (Mitra, 2005). There is a need to develop competitive advantage and providing better customer service effectively and efficiently. This can be possible only through contract logistics (Razzaque and Sheng, 1998, updated reference). Third party logistics and customer service: Sadler (2007) defined logistics customer service as: the process of providing goods, information and services to customers in a way that both creates customer satisfaction and is cost-effective to the shipper (p.71). Customer service has been treated as essential factor in marketing strategy and it creates added value for both their companies and customers (Christopher, 2005). Customer service is a key way to gain competitive advantage. To compete in this corporate world, companies must provide high levels of logistics services to their customers. Based on a survey conducted by Bolumole (2001) identifies the nine most important aspects of customer service as follows. On-time delivery Order accuracy Price No product damage Ease of order placement Customer enquiry handling Quality Availability Order status information Regarding the high levels of customer service, Sadler (2007) suggest that: the economic aim point of customer service level is a little below 100%, beyond this level, the extra benefit to customers is vastly outweighed by the huge extra cost of inventory, hours of opening, staff training and salary, etc (p.72). Gaining competitive advantage through 3pl: Third party logistics (3pl) can be an effective way helping companies to achieve competitive advantages. The main objective of logistics management is to drive the companies in achieving sustainable competitive advantages through improved customer service and lower costs. Overall 3pl providers can provide a major source of competitive advantages. In other words, a position of gaining superiority over competitors (Christopher, 2005, p.6). Rushton et al. (2000) proposed that companies can achieve competitive advantages through 3pl providers. First, companies may compete as a service leader, which means to gain an advantage over their competitors by providing a number of key logistics service elements to differentiate itself. Meanwhile, the companies may compete as a cost leader where it is trying to utilize its logistics resources to offer the service or product at lowest possible price. Some logistics leverages for pursuing the two competitive advantages have been summarized as follows. To achieve value/differential advantage To achieve cost/productivity advantage The logistics leverage Tailored service Distribution channel strategy Reliability Responsiveness Information Flexibility The logistics leverage Capacity utilization Asset turn Co-makership/schedule integration Low inventory Low waste Table: The two different approaches to gain competitive advantages. Source: Rushton et al. (2000, p.33). Christopher (2005) summarizes that: The source of competitive advantages is found firstly in the ability of the organization to differentiate itself, in the eye of the customer, from its competition and secondly by operating at lowest cost (p.6). Competition is always at the core of the success and failure of the firm. A companys competitiveness can be derived from achieving either a cost advantage or a value advantage, or both of them. The relationship of cost and value between a company, its competitor and its customers, named the Three Cs relationship is illustrated below. Customers Assets and utilization Cost differentials Assets and utilization Value Needs seeking benefits at acceptable prices Value Company Competitor Figure: competitive advantage and the Three Cs Source: Christopher (2005, p.6). However, a most successful company would seek a competitive position depending on attaining both costs and differentiation advantages. Christopher emphasizes the last step that how to take the company to the top right of the matrix can be the biggest challenge to logistics providers. The occupation of the position of cost and service leader means the company has achieved both service and cost advantages. Service leader Cost and service leader High Commodity market Cost leader Value advantage Low Low High Cost advantage Figure: logistics and competitive advantage Source: Christopher (2005, p.10). The three possible ways for companies to accomplish their competitive strategies are internal activities, acquisitions and strategic alliances. On the other hand through mergers and acquisitions of other possible business may meet their competitive strategy requirements. The major participants in the logistics alliances are manufacturers, retailers and logistics service providers or third party logistics providers. A strategic alliance allows a company to take advantage of what it does well and enables it to seek partners who have strengths in other areas (Bagchi Virum, 1998). Supply chain integration with third party logistics providers: The present trend of most of the modern companies is to outsource their logistics activities to third party providers. This is a type of alliance, many of the firms implementing to achieve competitive advantage in the market place (Ratten, 2004). In the recent years just-in-time (JIT) process has gained momentum, which promoted outsourcing. The term integration refers to the degree to which individual parties work together in a cooperative manner to achieve acceptable outcomes (Ratten, 2004). Approaching the third party logistics providers comes under the wider arc integration. 3pl providers encompass a wide range of supply chain services including firms outsourcing, material management and distribution responsibilities (Frohlich and Westbrook, 2001). Nowadays 3pl companies are playing more number of roles in extended supply chains such as after-sales support, customer service and reverse logistics (Srinath, 2006). 3pl providers have transformed the roles of distribution centres from storage facilities to channel assemblies by taking care of some repair jobs that do not have sent back to manufacturers (Maltz, 2004). Relationships among TPL providers and members of supply chains: Nowadays the relationship between supply chain management and third party logistics service providers has gained some momentum. Here its necessary to discuss how to fill the gaps in understanding of how third party logistics providers should offer their services more effectively to their assigned supply chains. The supply chain is, The network of organisations that are involved, through upstream and downstream linkages, in the different processes and activities that produce value in the form of products and services in the hands of the ultimate customers. -Christopher (2005). The supply chain is a chain consists of networked companies from raw material producers for the consumption of end users. According to Jarzemskis (2006), a TPL provider is An agent middleman in the logistics channel who enters into a temporary or longer term relationship with some other entity in the logistics channel Most of the logistics services are purchased on a contract basis (Maltz, 2004). Based on the research by Bhatnagar and Viswanathan (2000), successful partnerships in logistics can be achieved by triadic relationships. Order lead time of grocery retailers in the Indian markets: in a survey of Indian retail industries, Chandra and Sastry (2004) found that 98% of the firms dispatch their goods through a contract with trucking companies, while 11% of them only have their own fleet of trucks and 36% of these firms use third party logistics(3pl) service providers for transportation. The economy is expected to grow at 10% over the next 10 years in the sectors like chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textile, retail and fast moving consumer goods. The Indian retail giants Reliance and Bharti announced large retail projects in collaboration with Wal-Mart. Also Reliance considering establishing large warehouses in Thailand to take advantage of low cost sourcing from Southeast Asia. On the other hand food and grocery retail players like Subhiksha established more than 600 new retail stores in India (Chandra Jain, 2009) Logistics is an important process that minimises costs and improves customer satisfaction (Christopher, 2005). The Indian retail industry is worlds fifth largest one. All retail sectors in India are not purely organised. Especially the retail sector is growing very fastly at a pace of 25-30% annually. This sector is projected to grow from Rs. 35,000 crore in 2004-05 to Rs. 109,000 crore by the end of 2010 (Mitra,2005). Here the author is going to examine the retail operational efficiency at the secondary distribution level by measuring the performance of Indian food retailers logistics operations in terms of order lead time. Order lead time is the time between the customers placing an order and receiving the goods (Srinath, 2006). Here both the suppliers and logistics service providers need to understand two certain types of lead times. The first one, inbound lead time is the time between the orders placed by the depot and the delivery of goods by the suppliers. On the other hand out bound lead time refers to the time depot and the company stores (Maltz, 2004). According to smith and sparks (2004), logistics has been facing many major changes in the Indian food retail sector including increase in the average size of stores, introduction of new retail store formats (petrol station shops) and the increase in the range of own brand food products 3pl operations in India: The greater utilization of third party logistics (3pl) in Indian companies is expected to rule the retail markets in the future years. Its predicted to rise from US $ 1.5 billion in 2008 to US $ 4 billion in 2012. Strategic analysis of 3pl markets in Indian retail sector shows that the market earned US $ 28.1 million in 2005 and predicted to be US 89.8 in 2012 (Kaur, 2009). The Indian economic growth has recorded significant development during the past several years. According to the survey conducted by Lieb in 2007, six of the CEOs were asked to identify the best suitable industries which will offer good results for the future of 3pl services usage in India. Four of them suggested automotive industry and three of them rated high technology. On the other hand retailing and pharmaceutical industry were preferred by two of them. According to Lieb: Long trip times for relatively short transportation distances make a turnaround of vehicles impossible and increases the cost of domestic transportation. Congestion, toll road blocks and local tax make proper planning and timing, and central distribution structures impossible. Inwarding process: This process is to ensure smooth movement of stock and merchandise from warehouse, vendors and any other location to shop floor, updating the inventory and subsequently be available for sale. Goods are received according to the Stock Transfer Note (STN) issued by the warehouse. Every morning the Warehouse Incharge prints the mail from SCM support, which gives the details of the merchandise which is scheduled to reach the store (e.g. Goods in transit report). Based on the information the Warehouse incharge to allocate space for the in transit merchandise do all follow ups for goods in transit. Inform the respective Department Managers about the merchandise scheduled, so that floor space for the same can be created, if required. Delivery vehicle arrives at the store warehouse. Security personnel to receive the supporting documents and handover the same to the warehouse personnel undertaking the Inwarding. Document set is checked by warehouse personnel to ensure it contains a Stock Tra nsfer Note (STN) in duplicate and an outward gate pass issued by the dispatching warehouse. An authorised LR copy incase the goods delivery vehicle is a private transporter. Security at stores will sign the gate pass and write manual IRN (Inward Register Number) on gate pass. Security personnel to check the vehicle to ensure the seal on the cargo area are intact and secure. If any of the above documents are missing the staff should inform the Warehouse Manager, and the same should be entered in the discrepancy register. Warehouse Manager to inform the dispatching warehouse in charge and try to resolve the issue, and receive the missing documents by the next day. Under NO circumstances, the merchandise should be inwarded, in variance to the above. Outwarding: This process is to ensure smooth movement of stock and merchandise stores to warehouse, vendors and any other location and updating the inventory. This process starts when Front End Category / Category / store logistics creates a STO for the transfer of merchandise. This process ends when the Store receives goods receipts details from the receiving site. This process is triggered when the Front end Category/Store Logistic Person/Retail Category identifies products to be sent back to CDC or Vendor. Any returns from the Store should be process oriented. There may be various reasons for returns like Defects sent back to the warehouse, due to excess inventory, non- moving stocks, Interstore transfer, back to vendor, Products replaced completely for the customers having same defects or products partly replaced for the Customers, excess material in the Store received as Backup Stocks in Original Packing Condition and Materials might be received directly by the Warehouse from the Customers as replacement where the Warehouse should ensure that it is duly packed and bar coded in proper conditions. Returns to Vendors to be made as per the terms and conditions agreed with the Vendor. If delivery is going from the Store, the product needs to be properly packed in corrugated cartons, after doing a Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI) at Store level one day in advance and be certified by the DM/Warehouse Incharge. Any outwarding to be done only after the permission is given from the FEC and store manager and the supply chain team to be kept in the loop. (Vaidyanathan, 2005). Drivers for 3pl usage in India: Even though the reasons for outsourcing and the activities involved may vary from one company to another, the basic driving factors are the same. In India, Sahay and Mohan (2006) classify the reasons that drive Indian organizations to outsource logistics into three categories. The primary factor is the concern regarding cost that focuses on logistics cost reduction. The second one is focus on core competencies, access to unfamiliar markets and corporate restructuring. The third issue is associated with improving supply chain efficiency, which will cover improving customer services, increasing inventory, driving productivity improvements, achieving flexibility in operations and improving return on assets. The primary drivers in the beginning were to reduce costs and release capital. But nowadays its to increase market coverage, improve the customer service level or increase the flexibility towards the changing customer expectations (Skjoett-Larsen, 2000). Facilitate Re-engineering Strategic flexibility Outsourcing Concentrate on core business Reduce cost Figure: driving factors of outsourcing. Source: Taglisapietra et al (1999) p.4 It is one of the top reasons for outsourcing researched by the outsourcing institute (2000). According to Lankford Parsa (1999): Reengineering is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed. (p.23). Outsourcing not only allows enterprises to grab the benefits of structural changes, but also allows them to take advantage of reengineered world-class providers. Elements for successful 3pl relationships: A successful partnership is like a successful marriage, which requires hard work from both the parties involved. Both the parties must understand each others needs and should be compatible with the values. Bagchi Virum (1998) identifies that information sharing is crucial for successful relationship between providers and users. The main elements of long-term successful relationships are compatibility, understanding of partners business needs, open communications, commitment, fairness, flexibility and trust. Based on case studies, Bagchi Virum (1998), identify six factors to the successful third-party relationships. Customer satisfaction is the key point of the relationship in all efforts. Customers need to clearly point out their needs and wants. Then its the turn for providers to understand these needs and acquire the capabilities. People are the important assets in an alliance. Also they should be well trained and motivated individuals

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To most people ethnicity is shown by values, lifestyles, customs, and rituals that are personal to an individual ethnic group or religion. The feeling of belonging to a certain group is a basic need for mankind. In a sense, ethnicity can be separated into two particular categories, a unique social structure and culture heritage passed down from one generation to the next. I come from a Mexican family. This has shown me the many similarities, as well as differences in a Mexican family compared to an American family. From a young age we are taught that the value of family is the most important thing in the world. Most Americans encourage their children to move out after graduation from either high school or college, Mexicans believe that their children should live with them until they are married or around the ages of 25-30 years old. The most important family member in the Mexican family are the elderly. They are given special treatment and attention. For example our beliefs is that the elders shouldn't go to retirement homes. They are welcome in the family and are cared for until there last days. Grandchildren are taught to be respectful and to aways Listen to the elders, especially if they're your grandparents. Most Mexican families are extremely traditional, with the man as the head of the house hold, and the authority figure. Machismo (masculinity) in all latino countries is a huge problem, not only because women are being deprived of their freedom, but because men abuse their power. I asked five Mexican women how they felt about Machismo in Mexico. Two of the five women told me kind of the same thing; They believe that it is not a bad thing, but it depends on the man. The other three were very against it, and they ... ...ing aspect for Americans, because most Americans have their life planed out on a cellphone or on a planner and too often it doesn't include their family. Mexican food is influenced by the ancient civilization. For examples the Mayans ate corn tortilla with a bean paste that covered the tortilla. The Aztec found out that mixing and squishing different types of vegetables makes a savory appetizer they call salsa. They also learned how to make what are now called tamales. When the Spaniards came they brought over milk, rice and other products that were new to Mexico. But have now remained in the cuisine. Mexico has an amazing culture. It is full of wonders and mystery that are yet to be discuss. Mexico just like any other country has its fall backs, but one day Just like the United States it will rise up and be one of the most powerful countries in the world.