American/Mexican Culture Essay

Part A) The American and Mexican cultures both celebrate Holidays. Some are similar such as our Independence Day/ the Mexican Independence Day, and Valentine’s Day, and some are different. Americans celebrate New Year Day which is celebrating the first day of a new year, Memorial Day honors the American soldiers who have died in the military, Labor Day which was once a pure labor union celebration is now a festival marking the end of summer, Columbus Day is the day Christopher Columbus arrived in America, Veterans Day honors our military Veterans, Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival that expresses thankfulness and gratitude, and Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus. Mexicans celebrate, Dia de los Reyes Magos which is a gift giving ceremony, Benito Juarez Birthday celebrates the first indigenous president of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo celebrates when the Mexicans won the Battle of Puebla against the French, Dia de los Muertos honors Mexican dead souls, and Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe which is when the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego. American and Mexican cultures have different foods. American food consist of Hamburgers, Chicken, Steak, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, corn, green beans, chili, spaghetti, salad, bread, cupcakes, and chocolate. There are many more American foods this is a small example. Mexican food consist of, Tamales-which has dough that is made out of corn which is called masa. The masa is wrapped in corn husk. Enchiladas-which is a tortilla that is covered with red chili, in the inside you could put pork, or chicken. Mole- It is a chili chocolate sauce. Posole- is soup with hominy and pork in it, and Tortillas- which is thin and made of corn dough or flour. The American and Mexican Cultures have different languages. Americans speak English and Mexicans Speak Spanish. Both American and Mexican Cultures practice the same sports, such as: football, boxing, baseball, basketball, golf, and wrestling. Part B) I have been affected by a culture barrier many of times. On Time in particular was not too long ago. I work at Subway and we had some Mexicans come in. They didn’t speak a bit of English and neither my coworker nor I spoke any Spanish. There were about 10 Mexicans wanting food and there were only two of us trying to figure out what they were telling us they wanted. It was funny, they were pointing at the signs trying to tell us what they wanted, but as you probably know there are a lot of different sandwiches on each sign. So, we were not getting nowhere that  way. I just started making them random sandwiches, they didn’t seem to care. This situation could have been prevented if my coworker and I knew some Spanish, or if the Mexicans would have known some English.

An Omnipotent Government: Utopia or Dystopia Essay

â€Å"Utopia: an idealized place of perfection or a visionary scheme for a perfect society† (Agnes). However, what if the ideals of utopia result in the seeds of dystopia? What if a government that is able to rule a perfect society, oversteps its bounds and causes destruction of freedom? In the dystopian novels 1984, A Brave New World, and The Giver, the government controls every thought, every fear, every story, and every emotion. These novels warn of the threat of a government that becomes too involved in its citizens’ lives. When citizens allow themselves to be uncaring and uninformed about their government, the ultimate price is freedom and liberty. These novels show that freedom is much to high a cost; momentary contentment should never come at the expense of liberty. Adolf Hitler once said, â€Å"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed† (Huxley). Propaganda is a very powerful tool that can be used for good or evil. In 1984 the Party’s slogan, â€Å"WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH,† convinces its citizens that they want what the government has given them: war, slavery, and ignorance (Orwell). They do not want freedom because it is slavery. They are made to believe that peace and serenity come only during war. They are uninformed about their world, and this gives them strength. This type of government propaganda controls what citizens think by controlling what is heard on the radio, the television, the newspaper, and all other forms of media. In A Brave New World, propaganda is not only forced on citizens through media, but also during sleep. At the time Huxley wrote his novel, a new technique of â€Å"sleep learning† had become popular. The technique hypnopaedia was an interesting concept but actually caused negative behavior. Huxley used this in his novel as a form of government brainwashing. In A Brave New World, those in power used â€Å"sleep lea rning† to instill their beliefs in the citizenry of London (Clareson). This â€Å"sleep learning† is a type of non-rational propaganda. Huxley compares the two kinds of propaganda, rational and non-rational. Rational propaganda appeals to a person’s own best interest. Rational propaganda can only be used in a society where people have reason and morals. They could use the propaganda to rationalize what is in their best interest. Nevertheless in a society without reason or morals, what kind of propaganda is effective? Non-rational propaganda appeals not to any person’s best interest, but to their emotions. â€Å"The power to respond to reason and truth exist in all of us. On the other hand, unfortunately, does the tendency to respond to unreason and falsehood—particularly in cases where the falsehood evokes some enjoyable emotion† (Huxley 265). Huxley applies Hitler’s rule that the behavior of the masses is not determined by knowledge, but by feelings and innate drives. The propaganda in A Brave New World appeals to passion instead of reason (Clareson). Punishment is a powerful method of controlling any person. The fear of something that causes pain or unhappiness is usually an effective way to keep a person from rebelling. In The Giver, the fear of â€Å"release† or death kept all the citizens from breaking any rules. Even a simple mistake could cost a life. When a pilot in training accidentally flew over the city, the elders comforted the citizens, â€Å"Needless to say, he will be released† (Lowery 21). The citizens in The Giver did not understand that â€Å"release† meant death, but they could comprehend that it was not a desirous thing. In Lowery’s novel, no one broke rules. When Jonas’ father looked at the name of a baby before the naming ceremony, Jonas was shocked. He could not believe his father had broken a rule. In 1984, many people were hanged for a crime. â€Å"Thought Crime† was punishable by death. The Thought Police could not watch everyone’s thoughts simultaneously, but if they came across a belief that did not align with the party, death was the result. However public execution is not the only form of death in 1984. â€Å"Disappearances† were a common occurrence throughout the novel. Often those guilty of â€Å"thought crimes† just disappeared. All records of their existence were erased, and the Party attempted to remove all memories of them through â€Å"double think† (Orwell). Huxley takes a completely different approach in his novel. Pleasure is the key to controlling the citizenry in A Brave New World. A review of the book states, â€Å"Pleasure is the most powerful motivator of man† (Clareson). Research has proven that rewarding good behavior is more effective than punishing wrong behavior. Where the citizens in 1984 are controlled by fear of punishment, the citizens in A Brave New World are controlled by reinforcing desirous behavior. The main tools used by the government to regulate society are sex and Soma, a drug used by all citizens in the novel. The people’s awareness is suppressed to th e point that the World Controller refers to them as â€Å"nice tame animals.† They sacrificed their entire future for the pleasure of the moment. If a citizen disagreed with the government in A Brave New World, they would be given soma and through â€Å"sleep learning† be retaught the importance of government and their place in society (Huxley). The government fundamentally brainwashes its citizens to keep them ignorant of anything other than what they need know. Knowledge is a valuable thing. â€Å" If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and will never be†¦the people cannot be safe without information. Where the press is free, and everyone is able to read; all is safe† (Huxley). One important factor in controlling a large group of people is limiting his or her knowledge and resources. In 1984, the government uses a new form of speaking called â€Å"news speak.† Newspeak is a simplified version of the truth. The problem with this is when things are simplified we do not get the full version of the truth; instead we get a biased form of it. In 1984, the government controls information allowing only what reflects well on them to be released. â€Å"Don’t you see the whole aim of newspeak is to narrow the range of thought† (Orwell). Lowery also shows a limitation of knowledge in her novel. In The Giver, the elders censor their peoples’ language, emotions, and behaviors. Only the Giver and Receiver are allowed access to books and memories. The citizens in this novel are childlike in their understanding of things (Hanson). They literally have a limited vision and no way to think for themselves, or to make decisions without the Giver’s help. Taking away knowledge is a powerful thing and dangerous thing. â€Å"Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past† (Orwell 32). History and memories are essential to a society. When citizens forget the past; it numbs the entire citizenry. In 1984, the government constantly changes the past so it portrays them in a better light. â€Å"The party is at war with Eurasia therefore it always has been at war with Euras ia† (â€Å"Eternal Vigilance†). â€Å"Double think† is a form of thinking created by the government in Orwell’s novel. To â€Å"double think† is to have two contrary beliefs and believe both of them, while only expressing one. Orwell’s main character Winston knows when something is a lie, but has no evidence to controvert it. He says, â€Å" The past†¦had not merely been altered, it had been destroyed† (Orwell 33). In The Giver, only the Giver himself and Jonas the Receiver are allowed access to the history of their city. Upon discovering the outside world and time Jonas says, â€Å"I’m sorry sir. I don’t know what you mean when you say ‘the whole world’ or ‘generations before him.’ I thought there was only us. I thought there was only now.† Before becoming the Receiver, Jonas like all the others in his community only understood the here and now. To them everything outside of their own city simply was â€Å"elsewhere† (Low ery 56). When Jonas does discover his people’s past, he longs for a different future; knowing that there was more to life then what was offered by his elders. Emotion is an essential part of a human being. In these dystopian novels, emotion is either used as a tool for the government or completely eliminated from society. In 1984, negative emotions are used to create a common enemy among the people. Every day, all citizens were required to participate in the â€Å"two minutes hate.† During this time, they focused on an enemy of â€Å"The Party† and exhibited very animalistic behavior (Orwell 5). They also trained children from a very young age making Party minions. Winston describes his neighbor Parsons, â€Å"a man of paralyzing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasm- one of those completely unquestioning devoted drudges on whom†¦the stability of ‘The Party’ depended† (Orwell 22). Lowery instead of using emotions, tried to completely suppress them. In The Giver, there is no such thing as color, love, or joy. Jonas’ world is dependent of content people who ask few questions and see no need fo r change. Their lives are planned for them; spouses are picked out and children are applied for. All these monumental decisions are made by the council of elders. Jonas is accustomed to a life of â€Å"sameness.† Upon turning twelve and becoming the Receiver, Jonas’ lackluster world transforms into a vibrant new place. The memories given to him allow Jonas to experience love and warmth. â€Å"I like the feeling of love†¦but I can see that it was a dangerous way to live† (Lowery 126). In The Giver, â€Å"stirrings† are treated with a subduing drug. This represses any curiosity and imagination the young people have. Adults are also required to take medicine that eliminates their sexual desires (Henson). There is nothing beyond what is required and no desire for something more. In each of these cautionary novels, there are uneducated people who have no desire to become informed. Government has become so controlling that even history has been changed. Propaganda and emotions are only means to advance the government. Liberty is the price paid for stability, safety, and community. Their world did not become the desired utopia instead it became a dystopia. Webster’s dictionary defines dystopia as â€Å"a place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives† (Agnes). Liberty and freedom must be earned and guarded. Enlightened and empowered citizens must keep them alive. The dystopian life shown in these novels is only a threat if citizens allow their freedoms to be taken away. When citizens allow themselves to be uncaring and uninformed about their government, the ultimate price is freedom and liberty. These novels show that freedom is much to high a cost; momentary contentment should never come at the expense of liberty. Works Cited Agnes, Michael, ed. â€Å"Utopia.† Webster’s New Dictionary and Thesaurus. Cleveland, Ohio: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2002. Print. Clareson, Thomas P. â€Å"The Classic: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.† Extrapolation 3.1(Dec. 1961): 34-40. Rpt in Contemporary Literature Critisism. Ed. Carolyn Riley. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale Research, 1973. Literature Resource Center. Web. 23 January 2013. â€Å"Eternal Vigilance.† New Statesman [1996] 1 June 2009: 41+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. Hanson, Carter F. â€Å"The Utopian function of memory in Lois Lowry’s The Giver.† Extrapolation 50.1 (2009): 45+ Literature Resource Center. Web. 23 January 2013. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2004. Print. Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel –Leaf, 2002. Print. Orwell, George. 1984. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1991. Print.

Learn About Education and Schools in Virginia

When it comes to education and schools, all states are not created equal. States and local governments possess almost all of the power when it comes to governing education and schools.   Because of this, you will find key differences in education-related policy across all fifty states and the District of Columbia. You will continue to find distinct differences even between neighboring districts thanks to local control. Highly debated educational topics such as the Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluations, school choice, charter schools, and teacher tenure are handled differently by almost every state.   These and other key educational issues typically fall along controlling political party lines. This ensures that a student in one state will likely be receiving a different variation of education than their peers in neighboring states. These differences make it virtually impossible to accurately compare the quality of education   one state is providing compared to another. You must utilize several common data points to make connections and draw conclusions about the quality of education any particular state is providing. This profile focuses on education and schools in Virginia.   Virginia Education and Schools Virginia Department of Education Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction: Dr. Steven R. Staples District/School Information Length of School Year: A minimum of 180 school days or 540 (K) and 990 (1-12) school hours are required by Virginia state law. Number of Public School Districts: There are 130 public school districts in Virginia. Number of Public Schools: There are 2192 public schools in Virginia. **** Number of Students Served in Public Schools: There are 1,257,883 public school students in Virginia. **** Number of Teachers in Public Schools: There are 90,832 public school teachers in Virginia.**** Number of Charter Schools: There are 4 charter schools in Virginia. Per Pupil Spending: Virginia spends $10,413 per pupil in public education. **** Average Class Size: The average class size In Virginia is 13.8 students per 1 teacher. **** % of Title I Schools: 26.8% of schools in Virginia are Title I Schools.**** % With Individualized Education Programs (IEP): 12.8% of students in Virginia are on IEPs. **** % in Limited-English Proficiency Programs: 7.2% of students in Virginia are in limited-English Proficient Programs.**** % of Student Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunches: 38.3% of students in Virginia schools are eligible for free/reduced lunches.**** Ethnic/Racial Student Breakdown**** White: 53.5% Black: 23.7% Hispanic: 11.8% Asian: 6.0% Pacific Islander: 0.1% American Indian/Alaskan Native: 0.3% School Assessment Data Graduation Rate: 81.2% of all students entering high school in Virginia graduate. ** Average ACT/SAT score: Average ACT Composite Score: 23.1*** Average Combined SAT Score: 1533***** 8th grade NAEP assessment scores:**** Math: 288 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Virginia. The U.S. average was 281. Reading: 267 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Virginia. The U.S. average was 264. % of Students Who Attend College after High School: 63.8% of students in Virginia go on to attend some level of college. *** Private Schools Number of Private Schools: There are 638 private schools in Virginia.* Number of Students Served in Private Schools: There are 113,620 private school students in Virginia.* Homeschooling Number of Students Served Through Homeschooling: There were an estimated 34,212 students that were homeschooled in Virginia in 2015.# Teacher Pay The average teacher pay for the state of Virginia was $49,869 in 2013.## Each individual district in the state of Virginia negotiates teacher salaries and establishes their own teacher salary schedule. The following is an example of a teacher salary schedule in Virginia provided by the Richmond Public School *Data courtesy of Education Bug . **Data courtesy of ED.gov ***Data courtesy of PrepScholar. ****Data courtesy of the National Center for Education Statistics ******Data courtesy of The Commonwealth Foundation #Data courtesy of A2ZHomeschooling.com ##Average salary courtesy of National Center of Education Statistics ###Disclaimer:   The information provided on this page changes frequently.   It will be updated regularly as new information and data becomes available.

Memorial Day Quotes by Ronald Reagan

Fortieth president of the United States, Ronald Reagan was a man of many vocations. Starting his career as a radio broadcaster and then as an actor, Reagan moved on to serve the nation as a soldier. He finally jumped into the political arena to become one of the stalwarts of American politics. Although he started his political career quite late in life, it took him no time to reach the Holy Grail of U.S. politics. In 1980 Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the president of the United States of America. Reagan Was a Good Communicator It is a well-accepted fact that Ronald Reagan was considered to be a good communicator. His speeches inspired millions all over the world. He had the knack of reaching most Americans with his stirring words. His critics dismissed his achievements, claiming that he smooth-talked his way into the White House. But he surprised his critics by serving two full terms as president. Soviet Unions Love-Hate Relationship With Reagan Ronald Reagan spoke regularly about the American values of freedom, liberty, and unity. He espoused these principles in his speeches. Reagan described his vision of a vibrant America, calling it a shining city on a hill. He later clarified his metaphor by saying, In my mind, it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace. Though Reagan was widely criticized for building up the arms race with the Soviet Union, many saw this as a necessary evil to mitigate the Cold War. Reagans gamble paid off when the Soviet Union, encouraged by Americas flexed muscles, chose to pull the nuclear arms race into reverse gear. Reagan expressed his revulsion for war by saying, It is not bombs and rockets but belief and resolve—it is humility before God that is ultimately the source of Americas strength as a nation. Military Climate During Reagans Tenure When Reagan became ​president, he had inherited a disheartened military, which had gone through the ravages of the Vietnam War. Many credit Reagan with bringing the Cold War to an end with his diplomacy and calculated military strategies. He oversaw the dawn of a new era in American politics. Reagan, along with his Russian compatriot, Mikhail Gorbachev, accelerated the peace movement by ending the Cold War. Reagans Famous Words on Memorial Day On many a Memorial Day, Ronald Reagan addressed America (or smaller audiences) with passionate words. Reagan spoke of patriotism, heroism, and freedom in moving words. His impassioned speeches spoke of Americans winning their freedom with the sacrifices and the blood of the martyrs who died defending the nation. Reagan heaped praise on the families of martyrs and veterans. Read some Memorial Day quotes by Ronald Reagan below. If you share his spirit, spread the message of peace on Memorial Day.   May 26, 1983:  I dont have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world. Arlington National Cemetery, May 31, 1982:  The United States and the freedom for which it stands, the freedom for which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost; it imposes a burden. And just as they whom we commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must we—in a less final, less heroic way—be willing to give of ourselves. May 25, 1981:  Today, the United States stands as a beacon of liberty and democratic strength before the community of nations. We are resolved to stand firm against those who would destroy the freedoms we cherish. We are determined to achieve an enduring peace—a peace with liberty and with honor. This determination, this resolve, is the highest tribute we can pay to the many who have fallen in the service of our Nation. Arlington National Cemetery, May 31, 1982: Our goal is peace. We can gain that peace by strengthening our alliances, by speaking candidly about the dangers before us, by assuring potential adversaries of our seriousness, by actively pursuing every chance of honest and fruitful negotiation. May 26, 1983:  We owe this freedom of choice and action to those men and women in uniform who have served this nation and its interests in time of need. In particular, we are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free. Arlington National Cemetery, May 31, 1982:  I cant claim to know the words of all the national anthems in the world, but I dont know of any other that ends with a question and a challenge as ours does: Does that flag still wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave? That is what we must all ask. October 27, 1964:  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our childrens children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done. Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, March 30, 1961:  Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our childrens children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

Why The Gang Will Never Die Out - 1914 Words

MS-13: Why the Gang Will Never Die Out Kathryn E. Psenda University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Abstract Mara Salvatrucha, often called the most dangerous gang in America, was bred from the violence and war that plagued El Salvador for over 12 years. As Salvadoran civilians, as well as ex-guerillas, sought asylum in the United States, they brought with them an ember of this violence that was stoked in the dangerous streets of Pico-Union, L.A. To defend themselves, the refugees formed MS-13, which quickly became violent as it clashed with its rival, Barrio 18. Over the last three decades, MS-13’s leaders have organized the gang in response to Anti-Gang Laws, and despite leaks of its secrets over the years, the gang only continues to become more secretive, larger, and more deadly as it expands into the world of organized crime. Due to its expansiveness and degree of organization, Mara Salvatrucha will never die out unless the conditions that created the gang are eradicated: poverty, the lack of quality education opportunities, and poor community infrastructure. Poverty, th e lack of quality educational opportunities, and poor community infrastructure—as history tells, such conditions may serve as the basis for disaster. In 1979, the small Central American country of El Salvador, suffering from over-population and a large wealth gap, saw its government overthrown in a military coup (Kane, 2002). By 1980, a civil war had fully erupted between the SalvadoranShow MoreRelatedArticles about Involvement in Gang Violence and Methods of Prevention for Students1387 Words   |  6 PagesIn low income areas and large cities, gang violence is a major problem many parents hope their children will avoid. Unaffordability makes the option of relocating out of the question for the majority of families. 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Organisation Management for Stakeholder Concerns- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theOrganisation Management for Stakeholder Concerns. Answer: Identifying change requirements As per the case study, it is seen that Australian manufacturing companies have the highest production costs in the world, while the Australian factories have the lowest cost. This needs to change as the reason behind the high rate of absenteeism is due to lack of motivation of the workers. The employees remain de-motivated due to lack of production costs. Hence, the changes that are required in APM are to cut down the high rate of production costs and expand its territories. According to Hayes (2014), the changes in an organisation are usually met with resistance from the employees. Hence, it is needed that the managers manage to provide proper motivation before implementing the changes. Developing strategic objectives The organisation needs to recruit and select talented people that can help in ensuring that the organisation gain success in the business. The people recruited need to meet the job requirements that are presented to them. The recruitment needs to be based keeping in mind the future prospects of the organisation (Hill, Jones and Schilling 2014). In order to enhance the skills of the existing employees, it is needed to develop learning and development sessions. This session needs to consist of the use of technology, understanding the policies of the organisation and identifying benchmarks that can help in enhancing the opportunities of the organisation. Identifying stakeholder concerns The potential problems that the organisation faces are the fact that due to cut losses, the company may have to expand its entire operations in an overseas location. The prices of the commodities will drop by 20%. Hence, the concern for the stakeholders is the loss in the investment made in the company. This may affect the internal as well as external stakeholders. Andriof et al. (2017) stated that such condition may be avoided by improving the position of the factories. Developing change management project plan Plan Budget required Resources required Methodology Objective Timeline Increase the production costs and labour costs of factories by motivating the employees The budget required for carrying out the training, development and recruitment of employees will amount to $2 million Skilled employees are required in order to achieve the objective. Talented employees need to be recruited and hired to maintain the high rate of production in the factories Employees need to understand the potential benefit of the changes and motivate one another to accept the change To develop the required skill of the employees 9 months Table: Change management project plan (Source: Created by author) Developing communication plan The managers of APM need to communicate the changes with the employees by organising a meeting in which the benefits of the changes need to be focused. The presentation of the changes needs to be such that employees understand the need for change. The managers need to use motivating words so that the employees do not feel discouraged while implementing the changes. The desired results from the implementation of the changes need to be brought forward. Employees can be encouraged to solve queries regarding the changes that are taking place in the organisation. Reference Andriof, J., Waddock, S., Husted, B., Rahman, S. S. (2017).Unfolding stakeholder thinking: theory, responsibility and engagement. Routledge. Hayes, J., 2014.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014.Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning.

Strategic Case Analysis of Dominos Pizza Essay Example

Strategic Case Analysis of Dominos Pizza Paper Last, the assignment provides the effectiveness of these measurement guidelines. This paper contains the environmental practices of Domino Pizza, Inc. Versus Pizza Hut, Inc. Stakeholders, customers, and members Of an organizations board Of directors expect executive leaders to balance the strategic fit of a company to what the environment wants and what the corporation has to offer. The expectation necessitates executives to strike a balance between what the corporation needs to what the environment can provide. The organizational lance involves both the internal and the external stakeholder. Environmental scanning allows an organization to identify possible external opportunities and threats, and look within the organizations internal environment for strengths and weaknesses (Whelan Hunger, 2010). The fast food culture in the united States has grown from a $6 billion-a-year industry in 1 970 to a massive corporate franchising empire earning more than $170 billion in annual revenue (Food Empowerment Project, 2010). Leading the way in the fast food culture is the pizzeria industry. The pizza industry is a highly competitive market. Although there are many pizza makers ranging from local pizzerias to international franchises, Dominos Pizza, Inc. , and Pizza Hut, Inc. Are two major restaurants within the industry. In 2009 Pizza Hut, lead the industry with 529 billion and 18% of pizza sales, whereas Dominos Pizza took 10% of this market with approximately $290 million in sales revenue (Young, 2009). The two competitors battle for consumer appetites, consumer dollars, and consumer attention. 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The company understands the importance of brand image and further understands a strong brand image creates customer loyalty and helps the company when introducing new products into the market. Dominos enjoys a strong business network with franchise owners ND boasts a diversified franchise market. Because of the diversification and strong network capabilities with franchisees, Dominos can increase domestic and global market share, and increase sales opportunities. In contrast, Dominos weakness relates to a decline in domestic store sales affecting brand image and companys profits (Henry, 2010). Consequently, Dominos opportunity over competitors is their focus on pizza delivery services. Pizza delivery for Domino has improved operating effectiveness with minimized spending. Another opportunity for Dominos is the mobile device industry. Threats to Dominos include competition in the pizza delivery industry, consumer health awareness, and an increase of labor and food prices (Henry, 2010). On the other hand, Pizza Hut, Inc. Is the number one pizza manufacturer in the pizza industry enjoying strong brand image and recognition, and their organizational analysis revealed some of the same strengths as with Dominos. In addition to a strong brand name, their organizational strengths include a competitive advantage in developing a large network of full service pizza restaurants with delivery service, targeting efferent segments with a broad range of products, and a strong franchisee network. The organizational analysis shows Pizza Hut maintains high overhead costs with their full service restaurants, high cost of pizza products leading, and an internal conflict among franchisee owners. In contrast, the external environmental analysis reveals Pizza Huts opportunities remain in pricing by creating and offering innovative pizza selections, increased brand loyalty through good customer service, updating customer online ordering system, expanding home delivery services, and entering new markets. Threats, facing Pizza Hut come from Dominos Pizza as the number one competitor in delivery service. Because Pizza Hut boasts claims as the number one pizza manufacturer, the organization faces threats of competitors matching their products and imitating their strategy methods to gain market share (Scribed. Mom, 2012). The competitive advantage used by Dominos Pizza is in their delivery service market and the fact Dominos does not incur the overhead costs associated with sit-in dining restaurants. The competitive advantage Pizza Hut has over Dominos is in name recognition, rand- in-store dining, and a variety of menu selections. The external environmental factors used by each organization to determine environmental scanning and strategic planning are societal, task, and natural environment reports. Societal environment scanning influences long-term strategic planning and takes into consideration economic forces, technological forces, political-legal forces, and coloratura forces. Task environmental scanning involves remaining aware of the trends and changes within the respective industry, and natural environmental scanning involves those factors affecting he ecological system and how the organizations carbon footprint affects the ecological system (Whelan Hunger, 2010). Both Dominos and Pizza Hut value and understand the power Of the consumer and are attentive to trends affecting consumers. The business strategy applied by each organization focuses on the customer and making each operation more efficient. For instance, Dominos focus is on the fast-food side of the pizza industry and places emphasis on take-out and delivery services. Pizza Hut on the other hand, prefers to offer consumers the option of take-out, delivery, or dining-in. Each has created value with advantages of the Internet. With online ordering and delivery services offered by both, placing value on consumer personal time is a value added. However, Pizza Hut sustains a competitive advantage over Dominos with customer service, upgrading customer online ordering systems, expanding home delivery services (Whelan Hunger, 2010). Both restaurants use various advertising strategies as a measurement guideline to verify how their strategic effectiveness brings a return on investment. Both restaurants rely heavily on television advertising campaigns, which account or 92% of Pizza Huts paid media advertising, and 94% of Dominos paid media advertising (Young, 2009). In using social-media as a strategy, Pizza Hut implemented a broad-range of programs across social media outlets. According to reports, nearly 400,000 people view Pizza Hut advertising through social media. Dominos social media efforts, reaches 370,610 potential customers with both Dominos and Pizza Hut tripling their investment in online advertising. Dominos primarily promoted delivery service across a broad range of sites, including Amazon, Ask, Yahoo! , Namespace, Backbone, College Humor, Yellow Pages, and local newspaper sites. Pizza Hut used their key product calendar to push online sales, sending users to the companys website to place delivery orders targeting a younger and more female-skewed audience to sites, including Timeline, Cosmos Girl, Ell, Fandango, and Fox News. Each restaurant uses mobile device APS to reach consumers. Pizza Huts app allows customers to order menu items directly from their mobile devices by using an intuitive touch-screen interface. The Dominos mobile-ordering application is an phone optimized web app. By visiting Domino-corn, customers use an ordering system designed specifically for phones or an pod Touch. Dominos Pizza used an outdoor campaign, whereas Pizza Hut did not (Young, 2009). The effectiveness of the guidelines used by each company to measure their ability to grab the attention of consumers is in the tale of sales receipts. According to Young, Dominos use of TV ads directed toward recession-related advertising, and value-based offers showed good focus and resulted in a positive impact on traffic and sales. Their online and search activity supporting those promotions De to increased uptake with online delivery. A recent market share report ranked Dominos Pizza number one in online sales with an increase of 28% in market share, up from 1 1%. On the other hand, Pizza Huts use of smart media programs, particularly in social media did not increase sales. In fact, Pizza Hues receipts were down by 8% (Young, 2009). In conclusion, environmental scanning allows companies to dissect the competition to determine opportunities and threats allowing management to create a strategic plan to propel their organization in front of respective competitors.