Architectural Treasures of the Middle East

Why are some companies successful while so many other businesses fail - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2616 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? INTRODUCTION Why are some companies successful, while so many other businesses fail? Some organizations may just be lucky. They may have the right mix of products and/or services at the right time. But even if luck leads to success, it probably will not last. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why are some companies successful while so many other businesses fail" essay for you Create order Most companies that are highly successful over the long term effectively acquire, develop, and manage resources and capabilities that provide competitive advantages. For example, McDonalds enjoys outstanding brand recognition and a world class operating system. Marriott enjoys these same benefits in the lodging industry. Successful companies have also learned how to develop and manage relationships with a wide range of organizations, groups, and people that have a stake in their firms. The emergence of a fiercely competitive global economy means that firms have to expand their networks of relationships and cooperate with each other to remain competitive. McDonalds investment in Chipotle was a cooperative venture. As Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Chipotle noted, Weve enjoyed our relationship with McDonalds since the beginning and appreciate the support theyve shown in funding Chipotles growth over the last seven years. Still, weve always operated independently, and tha t wont change as McDonalds Continues to reduce its investment in Chipotle and focuses on its core business. Strategic management is a process through which organizations analyze and learn from their internal and external environments, establish strategic direction, create strategies that are intended to move the organization in that direction, and implement those strategies, all in an effort to satisfy key stakeholders. Stakeholders are groups or individuals who can significantly affect or are significantly affected by an organizations activities. An organization defines who its key stakeholders are, but they typically include customers, employees, and shareholders or owners, among others. Although larger companies tend to use the strategic management process, this process is also a vital part of decision making in smaller companies. Firms practicing strategic planning processes tend to outperform their counterparts that do not. In fact, executives have reported higher levels of satisfaction with strategic management tools and ideas than with most other management tools. Furthermore, 81 percent of companies worldwide reported doing strategic planning. In North America, the figure was even higher (89 percent). Hospitality firms also benefit from strategic planning, as suggested by a recent study of hotels in the United Kingdom, which found that business performance was positively associated with the thoroughness, sophistication, participation, and formality of strategic planning processes. An example of how strategic analysis can help guide business strategy is shown in Starwood Hotels Resorts efforts to launch a new product. This book also recognizes that there is a difference between the strategic planning process and strategic thinking, and that both are a part of effective strategic management. The strategic planning process tends to be a rather rigid and unimaginative process in many organizations. Strategic thinking, however, leads to creative solutions and new ideas like Starwood Hotels launch of the Heavenly Bed. As illustrated in the Heavenly Bed example, a firm that injects strategic thinking into the strategic planning process has the best of both worlds. THE ORIGIN OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT 5 THE ORIGIN OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT The increasing importance of strategic management may be a result of several trends. Increasing competition in most industries has made it difficult for some companies to compete. Modern and cheaper transportation and communication have led to increasing global trade and awareness. Technological development has led to accelerated changes in the global economy. Regardless of the reasons, the past two decades have seen a surge in interest in strategic management. STRATEGIC THINKING AT STARWOOD The Heavenly Bed, first launched by the Westin brand of Starwood Hotels Resorts, has transformed the bed, a basic feature of any hotel room, into a luxurious object of desire, enhancing the revenues of the chain and leaving many hotel operators to follow suit with copycat linens and custom bedding of their own. The strategic process at Starwood began with consumer analysis and product testing. First, Westin commissioned a study involving 600 business executives who travel frequently. The results showed that 84 percent said a luxurious bed would make a hotel room more attractive to them. What is more, 63 percent said a good night s sleep is the most important service a hotel can provide. Half of those surveyed said they sleep worse in hotels than at home. After testing 50 beds from 35 lodging chains, Westin developed its prototype all white Heavenly Bed with a custom designed pillow top mattress, goose down comforters, five pillows, and three crisp sheets ranging in thread count from 180 to 250. Once the product was designed and tested, the fi rm introduced the bed with a carefully planned marketing strategy. USA Today ran a story on the front page of its business section. The same day, 20 pristine white Heavenly Beds lined Wall Street up to the New York Stock Exchange in New York City. Inside the Stock Exchange, Barry Sternlicht, the then Chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels Resorts rang the opening bell and threw out hats proclaiming, Work like the devil. Sleep like an angel. Meanwhile, at New York s Grand Central Station, 20 more beds graced one of the rotundas there, and commuters disembarking the trains were invited to try them out. Similar events were staged the same day at 38 locations across the United States, tailored to each city. Savannahs event featured a bed floating on a barge down the river with a landing skydiver. Seattles event took place atop the Space Needle. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Traditional Perspective As the field of strategic management began to emerge in the latter part of the 20th century, scholars borrowed heavily from the field of economics. For some time, economists had been actively studying topics associated with the competitiveness of industries. THE ORIGIN OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT 7 Industry concentration, diversification, product differentiation, and market power. However, much of the economics research at that time focused on industries as a whole, and some of it even assumed that individual firm differences did not matter. Other fields also influenced early strategic management thought, including marketing, finance, psychology, and management. Academic progress was slow in the beginning, and the large consulting firms began to develop their own models and theories to meet their clients needs. Scholars readily adopted many of these models into their own articles and books. Eventually, a consensus began to build regarding what is included in the strategic management process. The traditional process for developing strategy consists of analyzing the internal and external environments of the company to arrive at organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The results from this situation analysis, as this process is sometimes call ed, are the basis for developing missions, goals, and strategies. In general, a company should select strategies that (1) take advantage of organizational strengths and environmental opportunities or (2) neutralize or overcome organizational weaknesses and environmental threats. 10 After strategies are formulated, plans for implementing them are established and carried out. Figure 1.1 presents the natural flow of these activities. The first of these ideas was that the environment is the primary determinant of the best strategy. This is called environmental determinism. According to the deterministic view, good management is associated with determining which strategy will best fit environmental, technical, and human forces at a particular point in time, and then working to carry it out. The most successful organization best adapts to existing forces. Some evidence suggests that the ability to align the skills and other resources of the organization with the needs and demands of the environment can be a source of competitive advantage. 12 However, after a critical review of environmental determinism, a well known researcher once argued: There is a more fundamental conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing analysis: the strategy of a firm cannot be predicted, nor is it predestined; the strategic decisions made by managers cannot be assumed to be the product of deterministic forces in their environments. On the contrary, the very nature of the concept of strategy assumes a human agent who is able to take actions that attempt to distinguish one firm from the competitors. Basically, a large firm may decide not to compete in a given environment. Or, as an alternative, the firm may attempt to influence the environment to make it less hostile and more conducive to organizational success. This process is called enactment, which means that a firm can influence its environment. THE PRINCIPLE OF ENACTMENT The principle of enactment assumes that organizations do not have to submit to existing forces in the environment; they can, in part, create their environments through strategic alliances with stakeholders, investments in leading technologies, advertising, political lobbying, and a variety of other activities. 14 Of course, smaller organizations are somewhat limited in their ability to influence some components of their environments on their own. For example, a small restaurant firm may have a difficult time influencing national government agencies and administrators. However, smaller organizations often band together into trade groups, such as the National Restaurant Association, to influence government policy on pressing issues like minimum wage, immigration policy, and health care costs. Also, they may form alliances with other entities. The Global Hotel Alliance is one example, in which Omni Hotels, Kempinski Hotels Resorts, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Rydges Hotels R esorts, Marco Polo Group, Dusit Hotels Resorts and Landis Hotels Resorts have joined forces to compete against the mega chains. In addition, even a small firm may be able to exert a powerful influence on its local operating environment. The key to enactment is understanding that a firm does not necessarily have to adapt completely to the forces that exist in its operating environment. It can at least partly influence certain aspects of the environment in which it competes. DELIBERATE STRATEGY VERSUS EMERGENT STRATEGY The traditional school of thought concerning strategy formulation also supported the view that managers respond to the forces discussed thus far by making decisions that are consistent with a preconceived strategy. In other words, strategy is deliberate. Deliberate strategy implies that managers plan to pursue an intended strategic course. In some cases, however, strategy simply emerges from a stream of decisions. Managers learn as they go. An emergent strategy is one that was not planned or intended. According to this perspective, managers learn what will work through a process of trial and error. 16 Supporters of this view argue that organizations that limit themselves to acting on the basis of what is already known or understood will not be sufficiently innovative to create a sustainable competitive advantage. In the first week of launching the Westin Heavenly Bed, 32 guests called to ask where they could buy the bed. A light bulb went on. Westin executives put order cards wi th a toll free number in every room. Then they started placing catalogs by bedsides and desks and set up a web site. By June of 2004, Westin had sold 20,000 pillows $ 75 for the king sized version and 3,500 bed/bedding combos, at $ 2,965 each, enough to spread the idea throughout Starwood, with the Sheraton, St. Regis, and W lines all turning into retailers. The unanticipated success of the Heavenly Bed has spawned a new business companies that help hotels run their retail arms. Boxport, a spin off of San Francisco based hotel procurer Higgins Purchasing Group, operates web sites and catalogs for several chains that now sell Bedding of this example of emergent strategy, it is not a good idea to reject deliberate strategy either. One of the strongest advocates of learning and emergent strategy recently confessed, We shall get nowhere without emergent learning alongside deliberate planning.Both processes are necessary if an organization is to succeed. When Starwood first lau nched the concept of the Heavenly Bed in 1999, the strategy was a deliberate effort, but the opportunity to provide retail sales was an unintended outcome, and this unforeseen opportunity led to an emergent and highly successful retail strategy, as the above example shows. EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING In summary, scholars have determined that both adaptation and enactment are important to organizations. They should adapt to environmental forces when the costs of enacting (influencing) the environment exceed the benefits. However, they should be proactive in creating their own opportunities. In addition, organizations should engage in deliberate strategic planning processes, but they should also be willing to make mistakes and learn from them as they chart a strategic course. In other words, strategy should be both deliberate and emergent, and firms should both adapt to and enact their environments, with the situation determining which option to choose. Westin learned these lessons by paying attention to their customers. The Organization as a Bundle of Resources: The Resource Based View In recent years, another perspective on strategy development has gained wide acceptance. The resource based view of the firm has its roots in the work of the earliest strategic manageme nt theorists. 20 It grew out of the question, Why do some firms persistently outperform other firms? One of the first competencies identified was general management capability. This led to the proposition that firms with high quality general managers will outperform their rivals. Much research has examined this issue. Clearly, effective leadership is important to organizational performance, but it is diffi cult to specify what makes an effective leader. Also, although leaders are an important source of competence for an organization, they are not the only important resource that makes a difference. Economic thought also influenced development of the resource based view. Nearly two centuries ago, an economist named David Ricardo investigated the advantages of possessing superior resources, especially land. 22 One of Ricardos central propositions was that the farmer with the most fertile land had a sustained performance advantage over other farmers. More recently, another eco nomist, Edith Penrose, expanded on Ricardo s view by noting that various skills and abilities possessed by firms could lead to superior performance. She viewed firms as an administrative framework that coordinated the activities of numerous groups and individuals, and also as a bundle of productive resources. 23 She studied the effects of various skills and abilities possessed by organizations, concluding that a wide range of skills and resources could influence competitive performance. A common thread of reasoning in the distinctive competency literature and the arguments of Ricardo and Penrose is that organizational success can be explained in terms of the resources and capabilities possessed by an organization. Many modern scholars have contributed to this perspective of the firm. According to this view, an organization is a bundle of resources, which fall into the general categories of: 1. Financial resources, including all of the monetary resources from which a firm can draw. 2. Physical resources, such as land, buildings, equipment, locations, and access to raw materials. 3. Human resources, which pertains to the skills, background, and training of managers and employees, as well as the way they are organized. 4. Organizational knowledge and learning 5. General organizational resources, including the firm s reputation, brand names, Patents, contracts, and relationships with external stakeholders. Envisioning the firm as a bundle of resources has broad implications. For example, the most important role of a manager becomes that of acquiring, developing, managing, and discarding resources. Also, much of the research on the resource based perspective has demonstrated that firms can gain competitive advantage through possessing superior resources. Superior resources are those that have value in the market, are possessed by only a small number of firms, and are not easy to substitute. If a particular resource is also costly or imp ossible to imitate, then the competitive advantage may be sustainable. A sustainable competitive advantage may lead to higher than average organizational performance over a long period.

Symbolism In Kate Chopins The Story Of An Hour - 1013 Words

While most of Kate Chopin’s short stories were well received, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† was originally rejected by publishers until 1894 when Vogue decided to publish the short story. However after her death most of Chopin’s work was forgotten, that was until the 1950s when her work again was recognized as insightful and moving, setting into motion a Kate Chopin revival which was both successful and remarkable (Biography). â€Å"The Story of an Hour† focuses on the liberation and new found freedom of a newly widowed woman. The short story, told from Louise Mallard’s point of view, follows Louise’s emotions, thoughts, and eventual death in the hour she is told her husband has died. Through â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, Kate Chopin uses symbolism,†¦show more content†¦The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached he r faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves. There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled above the other in the west facing window. (39) This description of Mrs. Mallard’s window view mirrors her current situation (Deneau 210). Her husbands death marks the end of winter and the view represents spring and the birth of her new found freedom. The sky is also a representation of Mrs. Mallard’s situation. While the clouds represent the shadow of her marriage, the patches of blue sky represent her bright, new life (Rosenblum 2). Furthermore, the trees aquiver with life represent Mrs. Mallard herself, who is overtaken by the thoughts of her new found freedom. Mrs. Mallard goes on to think about spring days and summer days that are ahead, but never winter or autumn (Rosenblum 2). This is because spring and summer again represent new life, while winter and autumn both represent death. Not only is â€Å"The Story of an Hour† filled with symbolism, but it also contains a great deal of irony. In the beginning of the short story Richard, a friend of Brently Mallard, waits for a second telegram to confirm the death of his friend, but despite his best efforts, Richard still provides theShow MoreRelatedSymbolism In Kate Chopins The Story Of An Hour1263 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism The saying, â€Å"Do the little things great† applies well to this short story. I have found that by actually, â€Å"doing the little things great† it brings out the best in everything that I do. This can be through any means of life. Whether that is school, work, sports, or even relationships. In the uplifting, but dark story of, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† Kate Chopin does the little things great. This short story is uplifting because the symbol of hope expressed in the main character. The dark isRead MoreSymbolism as Found in Kate Chopins Story of an Hour Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism as found in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Story of an Hour† In Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Story of an Hour† the protagonist, Louise Mallard, is going through a life-changing event that is brought on by the news of the death of her husband, Brently Mallard. During this hour, she is told of her husband’s death, grieves for a short time, discovers that she will now be able to â€Å"live for herself† (16) and is finally able to free herself of the restrictive marriage she has been living in. The end of her last hour comesRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism to Foreshadow the Future in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Toni Cade Bambaras The Lesson1673 Words   |  7 PagesThe Use of Symbolism to Foreshadow the Future in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Toni Cade Bambaras The Lesson Often authors use signs to foreshadow events that will happen in the future in their stories. For example an author might write As he was walking down the dark eerie path dark skies began to form . Here the writer uses a usually negative sign to foreshadow a negative future. This is the most common way for authors to foreshadow in a story, but it isnt the only way. In someRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin862 Words   |  4 PagesFiction Analysis: The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, is about one married woman’s true hidden feelings of being married in the 19th century. The story was published in 1894, a time where it was unacceptable for women to express their wants and needs as a woman. Women were not seen equal to men and did not have the same privileges as men such as voting. Therefore, some of her literary works were considered controversial. It wasn’t soon until the late 20 centuryRead More Womens Repression in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay711 Words   |  3 PagesKate Chopins The Story of an Hour is a great story that conveys an important message about life and how difficult it can be for women, particularly in previous centuries. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when this story was written, women were quite often mistreated and had to live restricted lives that lacked opportunity. Generally, women weren?t liberated during the 19th century. Traditionally , women did all the hard work in the house and had no opportunities to make their own living orRead MoreThe Story of an Hour Essay examples1963 Words   |  8 PagesLiterary Elements in The Story of an Hour In Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† she uses different kinds of literary elements to clearly define her story and to show all of the meanings behind what happens in the story. There are many different kinds of literary elements used in this short story but I believe the most important one is irony. Irony is what she used the most throughout the story all the way into the conclusion which was by the far what gave the story a tragic and ironicRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin855 Words   |  4 PagesThe Story of an Hour In the â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, is about pleasure of freedom and the oppression of marriage. Just like in Kate Chopin’s story, inside most marriages, even the ones that seem to be the happiest, one can be oppressed. Even though, one might seem to be happy deep inside they miss the pleasure of freedom and living life to the fullest. Just like, in this story Mrs. Mallard feels trapped and when she hears about her husband’s death she first feels distraught, but ultimatelyRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin1649 Words   |  7 Pageswriters in present day, Kate Chopin was a writer who wrote to reflect obstacles and instances occurring within her time period. Writing about personal obstacles, as well as issues occurring in the time period she lived, Chopin proved to be distinctive upon using her virtue. Kate Chopin was a determined individual, with true ambition and ability to produce writings that reflected women on a higher pedestal than they were valu ed in her time. â€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin is a short story written to provideRead MoreKate Chopin The Story Of An Hour Analysis1137 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is a wonderful short story bursting with many peculiar twists and turns. Written in 1894, the author tells a tale of a woman who learns of her husband’s death but comes to find pleasure in it. The elements Kate Chopin uses in this story symbolize something more than just the surface meaning. In less than one thousand one hundred words, Kate Chopin illustrates a deeper meaning of Mrs. Mallard’s marriage through many different forms of symbolism such as the openRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1241 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is a wonderful short story bursting with many peculiar twists and turns. Written in 1894, the author tells a tale of a woman who learns of her husband’s death, but comes to find pleasure in i t. Many of the elements Kate Chopin writes about in this story symbolize something more than just the surface meaning. Through this short story, told in less than one thousand one hundred words, Kate Chopin illustrates a deeper meaning of Mrs. Mallard’s marriage with her

Repressed Personality and Sexual Subtleties in Robert...

Repressed Personality and Sexual Subtleties in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The Tragedies of repression In the reference book Victorian Britain: An Encyclopedia Stevenson is noted for saying that fiction should render the truths that make life significant (760). We see this most closely in his Jekyll/Hyde experiment when Jekyll explains why he invented his infamous potion. Jekyll says: I concealed my pleasures; and when I reached years of reflection...I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life (Stevenson, 42). Because of this feeling of being one thing in the publics eye, well respected and controlled, and another on his own, Hyde invents an outlet. This outlet becomes, at least symbolically, a representation of†¦show more content†¦If we stopped here we might think that Stevenson was making a comment about our baser selves being devolved. However, Jekyll goes on to explain that Jekyll himself must be constructed physically the way he is because most of his life had gone toward constructing a social facade, while Hyde was more childlike and thus smaller in sta ture--freer. The Sexual Subtleties Not one female character has a name within Stevensons story. Because of this we are able to see Jekylls lack of relationship with women, but also his abounding friendships with men. Through 20th Century eyes, which have seen the introduction of sexuality more clearly expressed as an identity thanks to Freud, one can begin to glimpse the homosexual undertones throughout the story. These undertones would not have been noticed right after its publication because homosexuality was not something openly discussed (though often blackmailed which I explore later). Because of his repressive personality, which also has no sexual response to women. Dr. Jekyll creates a drug-induced other half. In effect, he separates mind from body. Hyde, the physical personification of everything sensual, is often described encircled in darkness. This leaves his actions open to be imagined by the reader. This second personality, Mr. Hyde, is the immoral son (Stevenson,115) of Jekyll, the amalgamation of every fantasy that society is afraid to own up to. In exploring this physical possibility of a

Analysis Of Octavia Butler s Kindred - 912 Words

Often when critics read Octavia Butler’s Kindred, the focus of the novel is often on the bodies of the black people who lived during this era. However, the narrative itself is fascinating in the way it confronts history in order to deconstruct it and rebuild it. Dana’s journey to antebellum Maryland enables the reader to take a new look at characters they though they knew, like Sarah’s role as the â€Å"mammy.† Butler’s blending of the Neo-slave narrative genre and Fantasy allows her protagonist to get up close and person with these figures to see how well her â€Å"knowledge† of them in 1976 hold up—when she has to live as a slave herself. By closing the time gap and breaking down the disconnect between the generations, the parallels between Sarah and Dana become stark and direct. Butler shows the reader that time is not a unidirectional concept, but cyclical. Much like style is recycles through the years, so is history. Dana and Sar ah’s roles are remarkably similar as each woman is barely living in their respective time periods. The survival theme that permeates the novel resonates through the various time periods and closes the temporal distances. By bring the time periods so close to together, Butler is able to analyze the attitudes that modern blacks have towards their enslaved kin. The metaphorical mirror that Butler holds up to Dana’s face forces her to confront the similarities between her and Sarah, and as the reader follows the narrative, they are also looking into a

Behavioral ad Targeting

Question: Discuss about the Behavioral ad Targeting. Answer: Behavioral ad targeting for online marketing This process defines a range of techniques and technologies for online marketing. It is mainly used by the online advertiser or publishers where their exact aim is to increase the effectiveness of advertising. Moreover behavioral targeting mainly uses the information which is collected from different websites (Weller Calcott, 2012). This process can be used to develop the online marketing of any organization by using proper behavioral and targeting strategies. Customer acquisition In the field of marketing and advertising, customer acquisition is the term which is used to describe the policy of introducing new customers to a particular product or brand. This process is related to the investment which is made and also on the return of the investment. Behavioral ad targeting considers customer acquisition in the field of online marketing as every strategy is taken depending on the demand of the customers only. Brand awareness Brand awareness can be concluded as the recognition of the consumers, such as the availability and the existence of a product or service of a particular company. Moreover, it is an important way of emphasizing the specification of any particular product which differentiates the product from the others (Rossiter, 2014). Practical example Levi Strauss Co. is one of the leading companies in the world. The main success in this endeavor is based on their strategies which taken in the field of online marketing and offline is well. They have reached to the particular demand of every customer which has helped them to increase their customer acquisition as well as their brand awareness. References Rossiter, J. (2014). Branding explained: Defining and measuring brand awareness and brand attitude.J Brand Manag,21(7-8), 533-540. https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/bm.2014.33 Weller, B. Calcott, L. (2012).The Definitive Guide to Google AdWords. Dordrecht: Springer.

Representation of Aboriginality in Modern †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Representation of Aboriginality in Modern. Answer: Introduction: The two articles All the facts must be taught about Australias history by Nyunggai Warren Mundine and Get over it, its 200 years ago': Anger over uni's guidelines for teaching Australian history by Nicholas McCallum. Present different perspectives on how the Australian history should be taught and passed to the current and the future generation management. Mr. Nyunggai Warren Mundine in his article argues that Australian history should be taught in schools without the use of politically correct language (Nyunggai, 2016). A term such as "invasion" should be not be substituted for a word such as to settle. The conviction illumines such argument that Australia was invaded by the British colonizers, who assumed that native people did not have private ownership of land and were deprived of structured society or any recognizable legal or civic system. In addition, Warren view history as incontrovertible and as such it should not be edited to fit any agenda. Consequently, it should be inclu sive of both European and Indigenous perspectives assessing the contribution of each in the building of the modern Australia (Nyunggai, 2016). Conversely, Mr. Nicholas McCallum in his article approaches the concept of Australian history from the point of indifference. In the article, he does more of reporting others viewpoints about how the history should be viewed than giving his thought on how history should be taught. He quotes a radio personality who thinks that explaining the historical facts as they were would divide the society. He further includes the view of Alan Jones who believes that the use of politically incorrect language would result in conflict (McCallum, 2016). The two articles thus differ significantly in that, Mr. Nyunggais article presents a well-articulated position on how history should be taught while Mr. McCallum offers scanty quotes of others view regarding Australian history. In addition, Nyunggais article advocates scrutiny of both Indigenous and European historical perspectives while McCallum article lacks any significant contribution regarding how Australian history should be approached. Media as a powerful instrument through which information is disseminated effects how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders families and communities perceive their experience (Bullimore, 1999). Stereotypical portrayal and representation of the indigenous people by the media inculcate the sense of low self-esteem in the children of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities. Similarly, such a portrayal make the community feel guilty of its experience thus evoking ravage sentiments. Furthermore, media affects how the families pass values to the next generations and the self-perception they form of themselves (Stoneham, Goodman, Daube, 2014). In conclusion, Mr. Warren Mundine approach in teaching Australian history should be adopted in the education system management. Adoption of such a system would allow the Australian natives develop an appreciation of their cultural identity as well as acknowledge the contributions of the European culture in the formation of the modern Australia. It will further lead to the creation of a cohesive society which is founded on mutual understanding and respect. Cultural identity is one of the ideal values any cultural tradition can pass to its generation. As a consequence, preservation of culture has been a critical part of humanity ever since the commencement of time. The passing of traditional and cultural ideas keeps the current generations connected to the spirits of their ancestors. Although different cultures utilize various customs to construct their identity, some believe that mother tongue is the most crucial in the formation of the cultural identity (Bodkin-Andrews, Carlson, 2016). In Australia cultural identity of the indigenous people has been interfered with since 1788 when the colonizers invaded Australia. As a result, of the invaders, the identities and cultures of the indigenous population have been eroded. Similarly, the attempt to construct the indigenous and non-indigenous cultural identities has faced numerous obstacles. The objective of the essay, therefore, is to analyze the elements which hinder the construction of t he indigenous and non-indigenous cultural identities in Australia. Media is a powerful tool for disseminating information to the society as well as forming a picture of the society in question. As such, media has the power to create a harmonious relationship between communities with varied cultural identities or antagonism. The core determinant is how it portrays the one society to the other. In Australia media has portrayed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as submissive, passive, primitive, devious, and violent people who have no culture; thus, inferior to the white invaders or non-indigenous people. Therefore, media forms the core element that hinders the reconstruction of the indigenous and non-indigenous cultural identities in Australia (Gray Beresford, 2008). It is indisputable that, dense history of offensive, racist, and distorted representation has marked the lives of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Australia. However, the prevalent stereotypical portrayal and representation have minimized. It is thus prudent to argu e that media is responsible for promoting and perpetuation of harmful stereotypes which lead to conflicts, ignorance, and insensitivity between the indigenous and the non-indigenous people. In Australia media has adopted the use of politically correct language such as referring to the European invaders as settlers (Koerner, 2015). This is a clear indication that Australian media is dependent on the contributions of the white elite actors and organizations who wish to evaluate and interpret historical events within their ideologies. As a consequence, the voice of the indigenous people is portrayed as less credible. Media fails to describe the white invasion and forceful removal of the indigenous people from their native land as a gross violation of human rights. Such attack was intended to merge, absorb or assimilate the indigenous cultural identity of the natives, hence, make them cease as a distinct group of people. The white elites appear ethically neutral when giving their interpretation and evaluation of the historical events while the aim is to guard their interests. Furthermore, their voices are often defended by some politicians, academics, and lawyers who are sh areholders in their interests (Norquay Drozdzewski, 2017). The impact of the media representation and portrayal of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the media has a very grave impact on children, teachers, and the teaching profession. Psychology demonstrates that self-esteem, values, and attitudes are well assimilated during the teen years and at times earlier. Hence, what children pick from the media is integrated and aids them to form values, opinions, and attitudes toward others and of themselves within a society (Meadows, 2004). The portrayal and the representation of the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islanders as submissive, passive, primitive, devious, and violent people who have no culture and thus inferior to the white invaders or non-indigenous people make the non-indigenous children to form a negative picture of the indigenous people. Similarly, when young indigenous people see themselves portrayed and represented as submissive, passive, primitive, devious, and violent people who have no culture and thus inferior to the white invaders or to non-indigenous people they develop low self-esteem. Media thus must learn to affirm the value of the indigenous people management, because contrary affirms that the natives are unimportant. Such portrayal makes the children to be alienated and develop a sense of helplessness and lack of control (Holmes Julian, 2014). A teachers attitude towards a subject determines how he/she delivers the content of the subject to the student. Hence, a biased teacher is likely to deliver distorted and half-truths to his/her students. In Australia, a teacher is allowed to decide what teach him /her judge to be of interest and choose to what depth to teach (Sarra, 2011). Therefore, a teacher who is non-native or who has been influenced by the media lacks the authentic understanding of the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islanders. Similarly, the stereotypical media influences have penetrated into how teachers are trained. Few teachers are adequately trained on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders culture. Consequently, only a handful portion of teachers who have the skills to challenge the colonial and the media stereotypes which have become engraved in Australians attitudes and values. Teachers who are competent in the indigenous cultures are thus a necessity in challenging student who has inculcated coloni al values to enable them to achieve a cultural identity of their own. In conclusion, it is unfortunate that many stereotypes about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders had their origin in 1788 when Australia was invaded by the Europeans, who perceived the indigenous people as inferior. More disturbing is the fact that, 200 years after the invasion these stereotypical ideas exist and propagated by both Australian and foreign media. It is sad to note that, though schools are the best avenues to challenge these stereotypes they lack the necessary resources. Especially the human resource with required quality skills to inculcate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders history, content, and culture to learners using the contemporary issues. Adequate preparation of teachers will see education become a crucial player in enhancing the balanced view of both indigenous and non-indigenous values thus promoting reconciliation. Creation of a civil society demands mutual respect from people of different cultural backgrounds. Such a mutual respect is thus vital in a multicultural country like Australia. Therefore, media and school system must be at the forefront in recognizing the importance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cultures. References Bodkin-Andrews, G., Carlson, B. (2016). The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian Identity within education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 19(4), 784-807. Bullimore, K. (1999). Media dreaming: Representation of aboriginality in modern Australian media. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 1(6), 7. Gray, J., Beresford, Q. (2008). A formidable challenge: Australia's quest for equity in Indigenous education. Australian Journal of Education, 52(2), 197-223. Holmes, D., Hughes, K., Julian, R. (2014). Australian sociology. Pearson Australia. Jang, H. S. (2015). Social identities of young indigenous people in contemporary Australia: Neo-colonial north, Yarrabah. Springer. Koerner, C. (2015). White Australian identities and Indigenous land rights. Social Identities, 21(2), 87-101. McCallum N. (2016). Get over it; it's 200 years ago': Anger over uni's guidelines for teaching Australian history. The Yahoo Mail. Meadows, M. (2004). Media images of Indigenous affairs in Australia. Outer limits: A reader in communication across cultures, 273-289. Norquay, M., Drozdzewski, D. (2017). Stereotyping the Shire: Assigning White Privilege to Place and Identity. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 38(1), 88-107. Nyunggai, W. (2016). All the facts must be taught about Australias history. The Koor Mail. Sarra, G. (2011). Indigenous studies in all schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(6), 611-625. Stoneham, M., Goodman, J., Daube, M. (2014). The portrayal of Indigenous health in selected Australian media. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 5(1), 1-13.