Friday, September 6, 2019

Education - high school Essay Example for Free

Education high school Essay High school, as well as college, is just another part in everyone’s lives. Almost everyone goes through such a transition between two very diverse and different worlds. These diverse worlds can be compared and contrasted; however, not all are aware of the possible similarities and differences between them. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the students in high school and students college in terms of the level of the academics, time schedule, as well as the culture practiced by each student. First of all, high school is the first step to a higher level of learning. High school equips us with the proper knowledge needed in order to survive college and other higher levels of learning. Also, there are many subjects in high school such as: math, science, English, art, piano classes and many other subjects. The students are more relaxed and they will learn more carefully. Compared to the time schedule of college students, high school students’ schedules are much more fixed because the standard call time is at 7:30 a. m. and end at 3:00p. m. Students are much more immature and they need guidance in order to lead themselves to better lives. They study inside a single classroom all day, thus having little freedom; on the other hand, the students in the college have different single rooms for each subject. College, on the other hand, is a different story. The subjects a student will learn and discuss are much more specific since students finally chose the best major and a career path students will take in the future. College students are more experience and their workload is much more complex and heavy. They have more responsibilities to carry out in college. The curriculum is much more specific and complicated because detailed topics are being discussed regarding your chosen career path. College student’s time schedules are very flexible because the students can choose their own desired time schedule. These students are much more outgoing and independent compared to high school students. The culture of college students is much more diverse because there is a huge number of students inside a college; many student come from all over the world. College introduce students to each others culture and nationality. People can really see the distinctive difference between these two phases in life; however, there are also some similarities students will experience during their transition into college live. Friends from your high school will usually be there for you especially when you keep a constant connection between them. Studying habits such as cramming for a test or homework, breaking the rules and disciplinary sanctions are still evident in both high school and college to help each other’s. To sum up, we all know that almost all students goes through high school and college. We can compare that college is much more challenging and complex than high school. This is a higher level of learning, thus, requiring more time, effort as well as devotion to studies. Even though college is very tiring at time, I still believe that college is a much more enjoyable and exciting. To have that kind of freedom in your schedule is very rewarding; however, proper judgment is a must since we are all mature students now.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Music in Marjane Satrapis Persepolis

Music in Marjane Satrapis Persepolis How music as a motif illustrates the developments of the central character in the graphic novel Persepolis 1 and 2. Persepolis a well acknowledged work by Marjane Satrapi represents the protagonist’s life.Persepolis represents music as a way to show one’s feeling and character. It depictsthe alteration of taste of music of the central character throughout Persepolis. It shows how music helps in blending the personality of the writer. This essay will discover how music as a motif developed the central character throughout the work. To begin with, music is much more than a source of entertainment for Marji. In the oppressing atmosphere of with all the restrictions in place it was a source of relief. It helped the writer to connect with the western world and express herself. It helped the writer in expressing her thoughts in every situation which came up to her. The author’s joy, sorrow, enjoyment were all expressed through music. The journey of music began right from her childhood. The first exposure to music was in the form of Pink Floyd. This is proven by the writer when she quotes ‘‘I knew Pink Floyd my parents listened to them whenever we went on a trip’’ (186 Satrapi). Pink Floyd has an American origin and they sing rock music. Rock music a symbol of aggression and Pink Floyd connotes that. The impact of Rock music on the writer was seen as the level of aggression in her started to rise. It made her react to situations aggressively. It also shows her penchant for the music a nd the impact of the music on her life and behaviour. This also leads to the development of the writer’s character over time. The music in her life kept on budding. Musicians like BEE GEES did not had a great impact in her life as she was more influenced by other musicians which were present during that time. The presence of BEE GEES is proved through instance where her maid’s boyfriend is seen to be wearing BEE GEES shirt (37 Satrapi). BEE GEES were an American pop music group. It symbolized the pop culture. Pop culture stands for all the unconventional practises and it motive is to go against the rules. This shows that at that time other teens were attracted to pop music whereas the writer had a liking for rock music. This makes us realize the state of mind of the writer at a young age. The musicians in writer’s life kept on approaching writer’s life as she grew up. KIM WILDE and MICHAEL JACKSON (131 Satrapi) were the ones who next came into the author’s music life. Kim Wilde was a pop singer. She gave the world a series of pop music. Marji considered her as an inspiring figure . It is shown through when the writer looks at KIM WILDE’S poster and trying to replicate her (131 Satrapi). The writer wanted to sing like her, dance like her, look like her in short she was an idol to her. Kim Wilde influenced the writer to the most extent more than any other singers. Michael Jackson also known as the king of pop also has given a great number of pop hits. Michael Jackson himself promotes the idea of breaking the rules which the writer followed to a great extent. Writer’s liking towards Michael Jackson is shown through the instance where she wears the Michael Jackson badge (131 Satrapi).Life with restrictions was not writer’s cup of tea and she always wanted to live her life to the fullest. There was one more musician who influenced Marjane was IRON MAIDEN. Iron Maiden the group has an American origin too. It brought heavy metal songs to the people which were well recognized throughout the world. Heavy metal songs were a symbol of high level of aggression. It led to an increase of aggression in her. The one and only thing which is similar in all the singers that they all belonged to the western world. There is no mention of Iranian music throughout the book which signifies the attraction of the writer towards the western world. The writer always dreamt of living in a western country and through the western music she tried to gain a temporary sense of satisfaction. It made her express her emotions. These instances led to a change in the character of the writer. The singers and the musician’s nature influence the writer in each and every decision of her life. In order to begin with, each singer’s style of singing and there personality had a different impact on writer. Iron Maiden’s heavy metal songs increased the level of aggression in the writer. It made Marjane deal with situations more aggressively. Whereas Michael Jackson’s motive of breaking the rules and achieving freedom is seen through her behaviour and the actions which writer takes. This is proved through the instance where writer wears a denim jacket and a Michael Jackson badge in spite of it being prohibited (131 Satrapi).Kim Wilde influenced Marji the most as compared to other singers. In the difficult atmosphere of Iran the music of Kim Wilde was a source of relief, through which Marjane could express her sentiments and her emotions which were subdued by the Islamic rule. The liking for Kim Wilde is proved when she sings â€Å"we’re the kids in America† (132 Satrapi) when she is walking on the streets. This shows her fondness towards the Kim Wilde. The character of these singers evinces the inner personality of the writer and shows the complete development of the writer, as she moves from heavy metal to pop music which implies a change from violence to unconventional practices. The writer’s choice of music has always changed as she moved from her adolescence to adulthood. In her young age she likes to listen to Iron Maiden, Kim Wilde and Michael Jackson. These various artists bring a separate set of emotions to author’s life. On one hand where Iron Maiden brings aggression, on the other hand Michael Jackson and Kim Wilde motivate her to live life without restrictions. They are a source of expressing her emotions for the writer. Kim Wilde especially inspire her and becomes an idol to the author. But these emotions were limited to her young age. When writer returns from Austria she has liking only for pop music left in her. This is proved through the instance when the author desires to hear the songs of Kim Wilde (250 Satrapi).Her stay in abroad had made her forget all the rock and heavy metal songs. This shows that the tough moments which came up to her in Austria made her realize what music really meant to her. The writer tends to forget the s ingers which influenced the writer most in her adolescence. This is proved through the instance where she states that ‘‘ In any case I no longer liked the idols of my adolescence†(251 Satrapi).The author wishes to listen pop music which clearly states that she still wants the freedom but the aggression in her has disappeared over time. The change in her taste of music also has led to her growth. The young age aggression had been downcast and there was a development of maturity in her. This shows how music led to the development of the writer. It stimulated the change from adolescence to adulthood which signifies the importance of music in her life. Author-Marjane Satrapi Title-Persepolis Translated by- Published by- Vintage Published year-2008

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Properties of Heat and Temperature

Properties of Heat and Temperature Heat is the transfer of energy from one body to another due to the difference in temperature between the two. A hotter object placed next to a cooler object will always transfer heat from itself into the cooler object, until both objects are of equal temperature. For example, when we place ice cubes in hot water, the heat from the hot water transfers to the ice cubes. This transfer of heat energy will continue until equilibrium is reached between the hot water and the ice. Heat is a measure of the internal energy that has been absorbed or transferred from one body to another. It is not conserved; it can be either created or destroyed. There are two general ways that heating can occur: from a temperature difference, with energy moving from the region of higher temperature, and from an object gaining energy by way of an energy-form conversion. The SI unit of heat is the  joule. The metric unit of heat is called the calorie (cal), which is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water from 14.5oC to 15.5oC. The English systems measure of heating is called the British thermal unit (Btu), which is the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. Some examples of heat energy are: chemical energy from the foods is converted into heating our bodies; light from the sun is converted to heat as the suns rays warm the earths surface; energy from friction creates heat, like when we rub our hands; in light bulbs, electrical energy is converted into heat energy, etc. What is temperature? Temperature is a degree of hotness or coldness of a body. For example, a hot oven is said to have a high temperature, and the ice is said to have low temperature. Temperature is the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles, atoms or molecules, making up a substance. Temperature can be measured using a thermometer. It is measured in degrees on the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales. What is the relationship between heat and temperature? Heat and temperature is not the same thing, but there is a relationship between them. When heat is introduced to a certain substance, its molecules start moving faster and collide with one another, which produce more heat and the temperature of the substance goes up. This implies that heat introduced to a substance, changes the temperature of the body. This relationship between heat and temperature can be explained by a property called specific heat,  c, which is defined as the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of a substance 1 degree Celsius. Where  Q  is the amount of heat needed,  m  is the mass of the material,  c  is the specific heat of the material, and ΔT  is the change in temperature. From the above equation, the amount of heat needed is proportional to the temperature change, which means more heat will be needed to raise the temperature of the cool water and less heat will be needed to raise the temperature of the warm tea. How are they different? Heat and temperature are most definitely linked one another, but they are not same. Heat is the measure based on total internal energy, internal kinetic energy and internal potential energy, of the molecules of an object, whereas temperature is a measure of the degree of hotness and coldness of an object, a measure that is based on the average molecular kinetic energy. Heat is measured in joules (J) or calories (cal.) and temperature is measured in degrees on the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales. Heat is an extensive property, while temperature is an intensive property. Heat depends on mass or quantity of the substance, whereas temperature does not depend on the quantity of matter. For example, if the boiling temperature of water is 100 °C, it will remain the same whether we boil one liter or 50 liters of water. But the amount of heat generated when we boil 1 liter of water is less as compared to heat generated when 50 liters of water is boiled to 100 °C. What are the various properties of a substance that determine its heat capacity? The heat capacity is the quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius. It is a measure of how much heat the object must gain or lose to change its temperature by a given amount. The SI unit for heat capacity is J/K (joule per Kelvin). In the English system, its units are British thermal units per pound per degree Fahrenheit (Btu/oF). The heat capacity differs from substance to substance. The amount of substance is directly proportional to the heat capacity. This means the amount of a substance (mass) determines its heat capacity; the more quantity of a substance or the greater the mass, more heat it would gain or lose to change its temperature by 1C. For example, it would take more heat to warm the pitcher of water by 1C than to warm a cup of water by 1C. The heat capacity also depends on the nature or type of material of which the object is composed; different materials require different amounts of heat gain or heat loss to change their temperature by 1 °C, even if they have the same masses. For example, it takes 1 calorie of sunlight to warm 1g of water 1 °C, whereas, it only takes 0.2 calories to change the temperature of 1g of soil by 1C Heat capacity might depend on the temperature of the object or the atmospheric pressure. For a gas, heat capacity would depend on whether pressure was being held constant during the heat gain or loss, or whether the volume was held constant, or neither.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Free College Essays - Symbolism in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter Symbolism The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism.   One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne.   Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol -   one that is always changing.   In the following essay, I will explore some of the symbolism which Pearl came to represent throughout the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Scarlet Letter, Hester, for her sins, received a scarlet letter, "A" which she had to wear upon her chest.   This was the Puritan way of treating her as a criminal, for the crime of adultery.   The Puritan treatment continued, because as Hester would walk through the streets, she would be looked down upon as if she were some sort of demon from Hell, that committed a terrible crime.   This would give her much mental anguish and grief.   On the other hand, God's treatment of Hester for her sin was quite different than just a physical token: he gave Hester the punishment of a very unique child which she named Pearl.   This punishment handed down from God was a constant mental and physical reminder to Hester of what she had done wrong, and she could not escape it.   In this aspect, Pearl symbolized God's way of punishing Hester for adultery.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The way Hester's life was ruined for so long was the ultimate price that Hester paid for Pearl.   With Pearl, Hester's life was one almost never filled with joy, but instead a constant nagging.   Pearl would harass her mother over the scarlet "A" which she wore.   Pearl would also make her own "A" to wear, and sometimes she played games with her mother's, trying to hit it with rocks.   When Hester would go into the town with Pearl, the other children would make fun of her, and Pearl would yell and throw dirt at them.   So, in this case, Pearl symbolized the decimation of Hester's life and mental state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although Hester had so much trouble with Pearl, she still felt that Pearl was her treasure.   Pearl was really the only thing that Hester had in life, and if Pearl wasn't in Hester's life, Hester would almost surely have committed suicide.   Once and a while, Pearl would bring joy to Hester's life, and that helped her to keep on living.   Pearl really symbolized a rose to her mother, at some times she could be bright and vibrant, and really love her mother, but at other times, she could be wilting.

History of Perfume and Fragrances Essay examples -- Hygiene Smell Essa

History of Perfume and Fragrances The history of perfume is a reflection of humanity: a means of exchange, a protection against disease, a potion with divine virtues, a gallant message, which reflects society, perceptibly communicating its sense of commerce and medicine, of the sacred and the sensual. The word "perfume" comes from the Latin per fume "through smoke". This refers to the original use of fragrances - the burning of incense and herbs as a religious offering. Perfume is made up of denatured ethyl alcohol and essential oils. The different names refer to the percentage of essential oils, and thus the strength of the scent. Perfume: 22% of essential oils. Eau de Parfum: 15 - 22% Eau de Toilette: 8 - 15% Eau de Cologne: 4% Ancient Time During the civilizations of antiquity, perfume was presented as an offering to the gods. It was believed to sublimate the body and make it more god-like. 10th Century BC: The Medes, ancestors of today’s Kurds are generally given credit for the invention and widespread use of perfumes, presumably to hide certain smells originating from overeating and failure to observe what are now common hygienic practices. 1580-1085 BC: The Egyptians create perfumes for daily consumer use and ultimately, use in religious ceremonies. Egyptian women used perfumed creams and oils as toiletries, cosmetics and aids to lovemaking. Queen Cleopatra was reported to use opiates and perfumes to seduce her many lovers and she may be the first to invent pomades from bear grease. Perfumes, especially those developed from resins, were originally used to appease the gods but in time they became more important in the embalming process for chemical reasons. Materials with drying agents like asphal... ...n Klein's, Yves St Laurent’s, and Nina Ricci's. Conclusion In the end, history of perfume shows how great human in developing what we call fashion. From all those history we know that there are a lot of perfume usages, like medicine, surgeon, etc. People developed not only the fragrances, but also the bottles. They also invented a lot of way to obtain the fragrances, like distilling oil from the petals of roses. After all, perfume is part of human history, without it our live is not complete. References: Maginnis, Tara. Perfumes For The Period Scent. The Costumer’s Manifesto.2 July 2003. <http://www.costumes.org/pages/perfume.htm>. Karppinen, Shannon. A View of the World of Perfume.2 July 2003. <http://zebra.sc.edu/smell/shannon/shannon.html>. Ackerman, Diane. A Natural History of the Senses. Vintage Books, New York. ISBN #0-679-73566-6.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Human Resource Definition Essay

1. Contingent workers- Someone who is not an employee, but a temporary or part-time worker for a specific period of time and type of work. Employee engagement- The extent to which individuals feel linked to organizational success and how the organization performs positively. Human capital- The collective value of the capabilities, knowledge, skills, life experiences, and motivation of an organizational workforce. Human resource management- Designing management systems to ensure that human talent is used effectively and efficiently to accomplish organizational goals Organizational culture- The shared values and beliefs in an organization. Productivity- Measure of the quantity and quality of work done, considering the cost of the resources used Sustainability-Being able to continue to operate, survive, and adjust to significant changes. ————————————————- ————————————————- Essay Questions: Answer the following essay questions based on the book and class discussions. 2. Ethical behavior in an organization is likely to occur when an ethics program includes these four elements: The four elements necessary to quantify an organization’s ethics are 1) written code of ethics and standards 2) ethics training to executives, managers, and employees 3) availability for advice on ethical situations (i.e. advice lines or offices) and 4) systems for confidential reporting 3. What challenges face HR managers with regard to workforce availability and quality? What are potential solutions? Future supply of and demand for employees and the nature of workforce issues, including the retention of employees. These factors are used when recruiting applicants for job openings. The selection process is concerned with choosing qualified individuals to fill those jobs. 4. What are the three major roles of HR management? Which is/are the most affected by technology and outsourcing? Which roles are growing in importance? 1) administrative, 2) operational and employee advocate, and 3) strategic. 5. Identify the key competencies needed by all HR professionals, and the additional competencies needed by senior HR leaders. HR professionals need competencies in strategic knowledge and impacts; capabilities in legal, administrative, and operational areas; and technology knowledge abilities. Senior HR leaders need these areas plus others to be effective. ————————————————- HR Headline: Read the following and then in teams, answer the following questions: HR Headline: The Challenges and Crises Facing HR Management Recent economic downturns, industry crises, bank failures, closing of plants and stores, changes in global operations, and other factors have significantly affected organizations, managers, and Human Resource (HR) management professionals. Some jobs are in high demand while others are being eliminated. According to surveys, some of the biggest problems include the following: 1) Adjusting benefits programs due to increasing costs; 2) Attracting and retaining key employees; 3) Planning for replacement of â€Å"baby boomers† when they retire; 4) Using talent management to train and develop capabilities of employees for future job needs; 5) Dealing with the expanded personal and organizational use of HR technology through blogs, wikis, twitters, text messaging, and other aspects; and 6) Complying with revised and changing federal, state, and local legal requirements affecting discrimination, treatment errors, unionization, and others. Questions for Discussion: 1. What do you think will be the most important change in the economy that will influence HR management operations? Explain. Their media tend to be a big part of it since that how things are function more. There are so many way to communicate and get things done faster and is more time saving. Also attracts different type of people with different types of skills. 2. How do you think technology changes will change the way HR professionals do recruiting and selection of employees? What are the pros and cons of any changes? It helps people have easier way to apply for jobs or to show their talents. Help HR find people with the skills that they are looking for. But it also disqualifies many people for the reason they are in the internet/ profiles. 3. The number of jobs in HR is predicted to increase between now and 2018. Explain why you think that is? They are going to need more people to be able to hire other that are right for the jobs rather than outsourcing. Since many people are baby boomer, there are going retired soon so that means many companies are going to need new heiress there need HR to be able to cover all the new people that are coming. HR Headline: The Challenges and Crises Facing HR Management Recent economic downturns, industry crises, bank failures, closing of plants and stores, changes in global operations, and other factors have significantly affected organizations, managers, and Human Resource (HR) management professionals. Some jobs are in high demand while others are being eliminated. According to surveys, some of the biggest problems include the following: 1) Adjusting benefits programs due to increasing costs; 2) Attracting and retaining key employees; 3) Planning for replacement of â€Å"baby boomers† when they retire; 4) Using talent management to train and develop capabilities of employees for future job needs; 5) Dealing with the expanded personal and organizational use of HR technology through blogs, wikis, twitters, text messaging, and other aspects; and 6) Complying with revised and changing federal, state, and local legal requirements affecting discrimination, treatment errors, unionization, and others. Questions for Discussion: 4. What do you think will be the most important change in the economy that will influence HR management operations? Explain. Their media tend to be a big part of it since that how things are function more. There are so many way to communicate and get things done faster and is more time saving. Also attracts different type of people with different types of skills. 5. How do you think technology changes will change the way HR professionals do recruiting and selection of employees? What are the pros and cons of any changes? It helps people have easier way to apply for jobs or to show their talents. Help HR find people with the skills that they are looking for. But it also disqualifies many people for the reason they are in the internet/ profiles. 6. The number of jobs in HR is predicted to increase between now and 2018. Explain why you think that is? They are going to need more people to be able to hire other that are right for the jobs rather than outsourcing. Since many people are baby boomer, there are going retired soon so that means many companies are going to need new heiress there need HR to be able to cover all the new people that are coming. ————————————————- ————————————————- Chapter Video—Fruit Guys: After the video, answer the following questions. 6. What do you think will be the most important challenges for HR at Fruit Guys in the next five years? SUMMARYIZED THE VIDEO: It was showing how people in business think in the way of rewarding people in different positions. People that are in a higher position that are being rewarded for their performance in money show there performance actually got worse compare to the people in lower positions that are getting paid less. The study show that the people that have cram time to do a project are more productive and they show more passion on their job. Also people tend to do thing for free in there space time and are more productive since they are not pressured or force to do something they tend to be more productive. 7. Based on the CEO and other manager in the video, it appears that HR at Fruit Guys is expected to be involved in all three roles of HR. Describe an example of HR activities at Fruit Guys required for each of these roles shown in Figure 1-9 in the text.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Porter Five Forces Analysis

Porter five forces analysis  is a framework for industry analysis and business strategy development formed by  Michael E. Porter  of  Harvard Business School  in 1979. It draws uponindustrial organizationeconomics  to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a  market. Attractiveness in this context refers to the overall industry profitability. An â€Å"unattractive† industry is one in which the combination of these five forces acts to drive down overall profitability.A very unattractive industry would be one approaching â€Å"pure competition†, in which available profits for all firms are driven to  normal profit. Five forces Threat of new competition Profitable markets that yield high returns will attract new firms. This results in many new entrants, which eventually will decrease profitability for all firms in the industry. Unless the entry of new firms can be blocked by  incumbents, the abnormal pr ofit rate will tend towards zero (perfect competition). * The existence of  barriers to entry  (patents,  rights, etc. The most attractive segment is one in which entry barriers are high and exit barriers are low. Few new firms can enter and non-performing firms can exit easily. * Economies of product differences * Brand equity * Switching costs or  sunk costs * Capital requirements * Access to distribution * Customer loyalty  to established brands * Absolute cost * Industry profitability; the more profitable the industry the more attractive it will be to new competitors. Threat of substitute products or services The existence of products outside of the realm of the common product boundaries increases the  propensity  of customers to switch to alternatives.Note that this should not be confused with competitors' similar products but entirely different ones instead. For example, tap water might be considered a substitute for Coke, whereas Pepsi is a competitor's similar product. Increased marketing for drinking tap water might â€Å"shrink the pie† for both Coke and Pepsi, whereas increased Pepsi advertising would likely â€Å"grow the pie† (increase consumption of all soft drinks), albeit while giving Pepsi a larger slice at Coke's expense. * Buyer propensity to substitute * Relative price performance of substitute Buyer  switching costs * Perceived level of  product differentiation * Number of substitute products available in the market * Ease of substitution. Information-based products are more prone to substitution, as online product can easily replace material product. * Substandard product * Quality depreciation Bargaining power of customers (buyers) The bargaining power of customers is also described as the market of outputs: the ability of customers to put the  firm  under pressure, which also affects the customer's sensitivity to price changes. Buyer concentration to  firm  concentration ratio * Degree of dependen cy upon existing channels of distribution * Bargaining leverage, particularly in industries with high  fixed cost * Buyer switching costs relative to  firm  switching costs * Buyer information availability * Availability of existing substitute products * Buyer  price sensitivity * Differential advantage (uniqueness) of industry products * RFM  Analysis Bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is also described as the market of inputs.Suppliers of raw materials, components, labor, and services (such as expertise) to the  firm  can be a source of power over the firm, when there are few substitutes. Suppliers may refuse to work with the firm, or, e. g. , charge excessively high prices for unique resources. * Supplier switching costs relative to  firm  switching costs * Degree of differentiation of inputs * Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation * Presence of substitute inputs * Strength of distribution channel * Supplier concentration to  firm  concentration ratio * Employee solidarity (e. g. labor unions) Supplier competition – ability to forward vertically integrate and cut out the BUYER Ex. : If you are making biscuits and there is only one person who sells flour, you have no alternative but to buy it from him. Intensity of competitive rivalry For most industries, the intensity of competitive rivalry is the major determinant of the competitiveness of the industry. * Sustainable  competitive advantage  through  innovation * Competition between online and offline companies * Level of  advertising  expense * Powerful  competitive strategy * Flexibility through customization, volume and variety