Global Competitive Advantage - Apple Case Study - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2042 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Level High school Did you like this example? International Business Global competitive advantage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" creating and sustaining: the case of Apple Inc. The purpose of this essay is to discuss theoretical ideas behind creating and sustaining global competitive advantage; then applying these in an analysis of Apple Inc. Using the star analysis, I will examine how the company achieves global competitive advantage by means of efficiency, flexibility and learning. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation, founded in April 1976, headquartered in Cupertino, California, US (Apple.com, 2014). The company designs, manufactures and retails consumer electronics, online services, personal computers and software. Apple is also thelargest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization, second-largest information technology companyby revenue and theworlds third-largest mobile phone maker (Forbes.com, 2013). Globalisation plays a major role in achieving global competitive advantage. The merge of distinct and historically separate national markets into one global market place poses many advantages as well as disadvantages for companies operating world-wide (Hill, 2005). Home country Apple states that it differs from other companies within the same sector as it was set up to create value by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“seeking innovations and creating an organization that can implement themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Steve Jobs, 2000). The company is thought to have a very powerful management and corporate culture, which promotes innovation in everything they do, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“from their products to marketing and deliveryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ; which is key in differentiating their brand from the competition (The Harvard Review, 2011). Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s (1980) value chain helps businesses examine additional competitive capabilities hidden in primary and support activities. For the purpose of this assignment, I will concentrate on exploring primary activities that predominately apply to how Apple creates value and thus gains competitive advantage. Research and development is one of the primary activities, where Apple creates value. The company designs and develops products which are rich in design and user experience. Throughout the years, Apple has created a brand culture, attracting customers who identify with the brands values: innovativeness, simplicity, and coolness (Forbes, 2012).This core competence alone gives the company a distinguished brand image in the market, and a competitive advantage, which succeeds even in the face of multiple competitors (Apple.com, 2014). Marketing and sales is a very important sector for a company competing within the fast-developing technology sector. Perceived scarcity of Appleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s products makes them seen as luxury goods therefore more desirable and in demand (Forbes, 2011). Apple is also seen as the master of preserving confidentiality during the product development phase. On the other hand, the company is also named the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“master of the teaser marketing campaignà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Telegraph, 2013). Each time a new product is due to be launched, leakages feed the media and internet creating speculations months prior to the actual launch. This creates a free marketing momentum prior to paid marketing campaign. The Apple store is a place where customers are able to sense the Apple experience delivered by the products, but also by the well-trained staff. Employees are trained not to focus on sales but on building relationships and creating loyal customers. This approach makes customers feel like Apple enriches their lives, thus improves brand image and creates value (The Business Review, 2011). Partner country Businesses are often unable to sustain continuous high levels of productivity over long periods of time without accessing knowledge from beyond their boundaries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" they require external knowledge to develop new inno vations (Haeussler et al. 2014). According to Bing-Sheng et al. (1998), increasing formation of strategic alliances can be seen as a response toglobalisationand increasing uncertainty and complexity in the business environment. A strategic alliance is an agreement between two or more organisations to collaborate on a specific business activity or an on-going project, whilst maintaining their own identity. The main aim of an alliance is for both firms to benefit from achieving economies of scale and greater access to target markets, sharing of knowledge and expertise as well as the reduction of risk and costs thus gaining competitive advantage (Bing-Sheng et al. 1998). Apple Inc. has recently announced a new partnership with IBM. The main aim of the alliance is to team up à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“market-leading strengthsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  of both companies to renovate enterprise mobility with the use of IMBà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s data and analytical capabilities and Appleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ha rdware and software as well as unique customer experience (Apple, 2014). According to Forbes (2014), IBM will also sell iPhones and iPads to business clients worldwide. This demonstrates that Apple will benefit from greater access to new target markets whilst IBM will advantage from selling Appleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s products to their customers. Furthermore, a strategic alliance with IBM poses a great potential advantage for Apple as IBM holds extensive understanding of enterprise business conditions and demands. Consequently, Apple could act opportunistically and learn from their competitor. Partner selection is vital to forming a successful strategic alliance (Hill, 2014). IBM will help Apple achieve its strategic goals through greater enterprise market access, gaining access to critical core competencies of IBM and sharing the costs and risks of new product development. On the other hand, according to Hill (2014), the failure rate for strategic alliances seems to be high; this i s why an alliance should be structured so that threat of opportunism is minimised. Contractual safeguards have to be written into the alliance agreement to protect core competencies of the company (Hill, 2014). Apple and IBM both agreed to bring together complementary skills and assets that neither company could develop on its own (Forbes, 2014) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this reduces the threat of opportunism from both sides as both companies will benefit from the alliance. An additional way of successfully managing a strategic alliance is to recognise opportunities ahead of the competition (Haeussler et al. 2014). Critics outline that Apple didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t realise the importance of a strategic alliance with Microsoft early enough. Consequently, if Apple would have licensed their Mac OS operating system, when it first came out, perhaps Windows would not be as successful (Forbes, 2014). This demonstrates that strategic alliances can pose a great competitive advantage when recogni sed at the right time and managed correctly. Supplier country International businesses often face make-or-buy decisions about whether they should perform a certain activity in-house or outsource elsewhere. Companies usually internalise core competence activities in order to protect proprietary product technology, accumulate dynamic capabilities and improve scheduling. On the other hand, activities seen as peripheral to core competence are usually externalised with the aim of lowering cost and achieving strategic flexibility (Parmigiani, 2007). As outlined earlier in this essay, Apple Inc. perceives designing and developing its products as the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s core competence, hence these activities are internalised to avoid opportunism from competing companies. Acquisition of businesses can also help protecting and expanding core competencies of the company. Apple acquires smaller businesses in order to gain skills and intellectual property to work on new projects (Tim Cook, 2013), for instance: in recent years, the company acquired Siri (a voice-recognition system) as well as a series of mapping start-ups that shaped the basis of Apple Maps (Apple.com, 2014). In contrast, critics debate if Apple should become more acquisitive as they are moving from traditional personal computers to smart phones and mobile computing, where competition is much tougher (Forbes, 2014). When balancing between internalisation and externalisation, companies have to consider transaction cost analysis of boundary decisions, including the most efficient way of governing it. Internalised design and development of Apple products demonstrates the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hierarchical approach to transaction cost analysis of boundary decisions, where costs are high as activities are performed in-house, however: threat of opportunism is kept at its minimum (Hill, 2014). On the other side of the spectrum, activities such as manufacturing are externalised and perfo rmed by other companies such as Foxconn Technology Group, located in China (Apple, 2014). This is also an example of intermediate governance as both firms benefit from the manufacturing contract. Offering a relatively high-skilled, low-priced labour force as well as a good business infrastructure and a stable economy, China is an ideal location for manufacturing Appleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s products (The Economist, 2014). Furthermore most of the products needed for manufacturing are made in China thus lowering the cost of production (Forbes, 2014). As outlined above, the more complex the governance mechanism, the more effective it will be in reducing the threat of opportunism. On the other hand, market governance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" although relatively cheap, will allow competing companies to act opportunistically (Barney, 1999). Bearing in mind the transaction cost economies; Apple balances between internalisation and externalisation efficiently, thus creating a competitive advantage. Customer country: Integrationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Responsiveness (IR) is vital to achieve global competitive advantage. This framework outlines that companies should balance between pressures for cost reduction and local responsiveness (Hill, 2014). As demonstrated below, the integration-responsiveness framework presents four distinct approaches to IR. Apple Inc. operates under international strategy: products are designed focusing on domestic customers, whilst international business is sought as a way of replicating its home-market success (Kendall et al. 1990). This means that Appleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s products are standardised: engineering, design and manufacturing is all controlled by one source à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this gives the company greater control as well as a competitive advantage as it differentiates from competing businesses (Forbes, 2013). Consequently, differentiation becomes the main competitive strategy as international strategy is not the m ost cost-efficient. Furthermore, international strategy is well suited for high-end products also allowing greater control over the company (Rothaermel, 2013). Apple has a strong brand image, with products seen as up-market and luxury (Forbes, 2014). This demonstrates that the company does not have to alter its IR as pressure for local responsiveness and cost reduction is relatively low. On balance, based on application of academic frameworks in research I conducted, I believe that Apple generates and maintains substantial global competitive advantage over its rivals. Activities such as: building efficient global supply chains, flexibility when managing risks and opportunities and learning from international exposure as well as partnership with other companies all help Apple become an innovative company with a strong brand reputation and a sustained global competitive advantage. References: Apple (2014) Apple/About. Available from: https://www.apple.com/uk [Accessed: 1 Dece mber 2014]. Apple Press Info (2014) Apple and IBM Forge Global Partnership to Transform Enterprise Mobility. Available from: https://www.apple.com/uk/pr/library/2014/07/15Apple-and-IBM-Forge-Global-Partnership-to-Transform-Enterprise-Mobility.html. [Accessed 30 November 2014]. Barney, J.B. (1999) How a Firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Capabilities Affect Boundary Decisions. MIT Sloan Management Review, 40 (3) 137-145. Bing-Sheng, T; Das, T. K (1998) Resource and Risk Management in the Strategic Alliance Making Process. Journal of Management. 24 (1) 21-42 Forbes (2013) Apple Dominates List Of The Worlds Most Valuable Brands. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2013/11/06/apple-dominates-list-of-the-worlds-most-valuable-brands . [Accessed 28 November 2014]. Forbes (2014) Apple IBM Partnership: Enough To Solve Enterprise iOS Fears?. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/leoking/2014/07/16/apple-ibm-partnership-enough-to-solve-enterprise-ios-fears/ . [Accessed 30 November 2014]. Forbes (2014). This Is Why China Is So Important For Apple. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2014/09/22/this-is-why-china-is-so-important-for-apple/. [Accessed 25 November 2014]. Forbes (2012) Why Apple Is a Great Marketer. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2012/07/10/why-apple-is-a-great-marketer/. [Accessed 26 November 2014]. Forbes (2014) Why Can Apple Make Things But IBM Cant? Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathansalembaskin/2014/10/21/why-can-apple-make-things-but-ibm-cant/. [Accessed 30 November 2014]. Haeussler, C; Higgins, M. (2014) Strategic Alliances: Trading Ownership for Capabilities. Journal of Economic and Management Strategy. 23 (1) 178-203. Harvard Business Review (2011) Retail Isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Broken. Stores Are. Available from: https://hbr.org/2011/12/retail-isnt-broken-stores-are/ .[Accessed 1 December 2014]. Harvard Business Review (2011) What I Learned Building the Apple Store. Available from: https://hbr.org/2011/11/what-i-learned-building-the-ap. [Accessed 30 November 2014]. Hendrix, J. (2014) Appleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Organizational Structure. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/7937905/Apples_Organizational_Structure. [Accessed 26 November 2014]. Hill, C. (2005) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace (5thedn), McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Hill, C. (2014) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. New York: McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Hofstede, G. (1983) The Cultural Relativity of Organisational Practices and Theories, Journal of International Business Studies 14 (2) 75-89. Kendall, R. Allen J. M. (1990). An Empirical Analysis of the Integration-Responsiveness Framework in Global Industries. International Journal of Business Studies. 21,(4) 541-564. Moore, A. T; Segal G. F. (2002) Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Outsourcing Correctional Services. Available from : https://reason.org/files/4ca7ce58f2a7b7a1529a21927459880a.pdf . [Accessed 28 November 2014]. Ohmae, K. (1989) The global logic of strategic alliances. Harvard Business Review. Pp. 143-154. Parmigiani, P. (2007) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Why do Firms Both Make and Buy?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Strategic management journal. 29 (3) 295-303. Porter, M (1980). Competitive strategy. The ultimate business library, Wiley. Available from: https://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy.uwe.ac.uk/content/entry/wileyultbuslib/michael_porter_competitive_strategy_1980/0 [Accessed: 26 November 2014]. Rothaermel, F.T. (2013) Strategic Management. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The Economist (2014) Chinese Economy. Available from: https://www.economist.com/topics/chinese-economy. [Accessed 1 December 2014]. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Global Competitive Advantage Apple Case Study" essay for you Create order

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The Genocide Convention of 1948, outlined the responsibilities of the participatingRead MoreThe Rwandan Genocide Essay1747 Words   |  7 PagesThe Rwandan Genocide History has a funny way of repeating itself. After World War II, the United States and the rest of the international community promised to do all they could to prevent future genocides. However this was a promise they were unable to keep. In 1994 when Rwanda went through genocide the United States and U.N were absent, leaving the Tutsis to be brutally murdered by the Hutus. As a consequence 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed and dumped into mass graves. Once againRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Maria Kizito And Hotel Rwanda Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesMaria Kizito and Hotel Rwanda are true accounts of two isolated events that took place in Rwanda during a genocide in 1994 where nearly one million innocent people lost their lives. Maria Kizito is a play that focuses mainly on the trial of a catholic nun, Maria Kizito, who was charged and found guilty of promoting and facilitating the murder of seven thousand refugees who sought shelter from Hutu extremist at a local c onvent (Kizito 178). Whereas Hotel Rwanda focuses on the life of Paul RusesabaginaRead MoreGhosts of Rwanda Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesGhosts of Rwanda Reflection Does the Genocide in Rwanda have a singular cause? I do not believe so; the cause of genocide in Rwanda in 1994 was due to years of built up hatred between the Tutsis and the Hutus along with many other occurrences. The Rwandan Genocide is no exception with many variables contributing to the horrific events that took place. According to the documentary Ghosts of Rwanda, in 1994, Rwanda experienced a premeditated, systematic and state sponsored genocide with the aim

Christianity And Politics Essay Example For Students

Christianity And Politics Essay Christianity as a Way of LifeThe descriptions of the Roman Empire and state authority offered in Christian texts seems to be one that is oppressive. Since the state often punished Christians for disturbing the peace, the Empire is often shown as merciless and callous. However, texts seem to suggest that the Empire did not treat Christians any differently from the other citizens of the state. Christianity in itself was not illegal under Roman law, so Christians were not targeted specifically as a group. Then, the popular portrayal of early Christianity as a mass political movement that the Romans dedicated much resources to thwart seems implausible. Although popular knowledge of early Christians emphasize their persecution and severe ostracism within the Roman Empire, a closer study of Roman law reveals that Christianity and being Christian were not crimes in and of themselves. As a matter of fact, citizens of the Roman Empire were free to worship any god. Even their proclamations about Jesus were not considered heretical. On the contrary, it was not out of the ordinary to declare a human to be divine. After all, the emperor himself was thought by many to have been divine. In addition, the â€Å"secret meetings† of Christians to celebrate the Lord’s Supper often portrayed, as highly covert and something the Christians attended in fear of being found out, also were not illegal. As a matter of fact, most of the rituals and beliefs associated with being a Christian in ancient times were not deemed criminal. In actuality, the Roman Empire punished Christians for breaking laws that were applicable to every Roman citizen . While Christians were not sought out as a group in particular, it is true that individual Christians did suffer punishment in the hands of Roman authorities. Much of the punishments imposed on them were for criminal activities. As Bart Ehrman points out, while civil law was very developed, criminal legislation was rarely created. For the most part, governors were responsible for exacting punishment as they deemed necessary. For instance, Christians were not reprimanded for worshiping God but for violating laws on worshiping the emperor and the state gods. Most often, Christians were persecuted for â€Å"disturbing the peace.† Christians in the ancient world seem to project an image of exclusivity and isolation. Their communities were tight-knit and exacted extreme demands on their members. Early Christians were called to abandon their families to join the â€Å"family of Christ.† People left their families to join other â€Å"brothers and sisters† in their fai th. Thecla is an example of this phenomenon as she is seen abandoning everything to be a disciple of Paul. As Ehrman points out, while this alternative way of life showed Christians new possibilities, the citizenry saw this as disturbing. While, it is documented that Christians suffered directly or indirectly for their beliefs as time passed, in its beginnings, Christianity was not considered a movement of mass proportions and influence that merited much attention from the state. On the contrary, Christianity was seen as just another cult that may cause some disruptions but would ultimately fade away. It can be argued that it was Nero who made it legitimate to criminalize being Christian even though he himself persecuted Christians for criminal acts only, as he was the one who punished Christians widely. He simply took advantage of the growing distrust and disdain for Christians. Historical data seems to show that, at least in its inception and very early years, Christianity was not considered a politically motivated movement. First, they lacked the influence to command such attention. And secondly, they lacked the sheer number of people necessary to create a political movement at the time. For the most part, Christians were persecuted for breaking the law and not for their heretical ideas. Perhaps this can be further illuminated by a study of early Christian texts which laid out rules of conduct for early Christians. .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec , .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .postImageUrl , .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec , .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec:hover , .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec:visited , .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec:active { border:0!important; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec:active , .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1f427b680ff21ce0283c65b6ff2447ec:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Religi0on EssayAccording to Christian texts, God instructed his followers to obey the law. Romans 13 proclaims â€Å"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities†¦for those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists was God has appointed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This passage shows that Paul, a leader of the ancient Church did not advocate uprisings and unlawful conduct. Rather, he teaches his followers to obey the law and be good citizens. He even equates good citizenry with being a good Christian. Paul stresses that it is God’s will that his followers pay their taxes, honor those who are worthy of honor an d to follow the ten commandments. There seems to be no political perspective to these codes of conduct that Paul has outlines for his Churches. As ambassadors for Christ, Christians were to respect and subject themselves to civil government and according to 1 Timothy 2:1-2 pray for such rulers and authorities so that they might live a tranquil life. Of course there are contradictions within the New Testament as well. For example, in Acts 5:29, the apostles proclaim, â€Å"We must obey God rather than any human authority.† It is easy to see why a lot of confusion on what was right and wrong and what God wanted and did not may have presenting many Christian communities. 1 Peter 2:13-17 is yet another example of confusing instructions that were taught by leaders. Here the author instructs believers in Christ to â€Å"accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or governors†¦Fear God. Honor the emperor.† This passage can be very confusing. While followers of God are supposed to honor the emperor they are still supposed to worship God alone. Following state regulations meant worshiping the emperor and state gods. This would mean having to ignore the teaching of worshiping God alone and no others. Texts of the New Testament seem to support historical data that show that early Christianity was by no means a political movement. Christian texts show that believers in Christ were urged to be good citizens and to follow civil law and authorities. While they may have beliefs different from the general public, they were to live as normal citizens and not think themselves above the law. If they were a political movement or if Christian leaders sought to make a movement out of Christianity, then their teachings would have more of a rebellious tone and would call for change in the Roman system. If Christianity was meant to be in any way political, there would have been a call to challenge authority in some way. After all, political movements are most often characterized by their eagerness to change something that they feel authorities are doing wrongly. Also, for Christianity to be a united political movement all its different churches and leaders would have had to be in communication with each other. This would have been very difficult in ancient times because of the lack of expedient communication devices. It seems that Christianity was more a way of life than a movement seeking to exact change. Religion Essays

Childs Story free essay sample

Analysis of Fictional Techniques Paper Team C’s Paper is an Analysis of Fictional Techniques on The Child’s Story by Charles Dickens, The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry, and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. The team focused the following three techniques: 1) Nature of Narration; 2) Nature and level of description included in the story; and 3) Use of Setting. Several questions have been answered concerning the different effects produced by each of the authors’ use of these techniques. Content of the Story and How it is Written and Told The Gift of the MagiThe Gift of the Magi is an unselfish love story that is shared between a husband and a wife and the true love they felt for each other. This story has a surprise effect with several unanticipated circumstances taking place in this story. The Gift of the Magi is about a married couple who live in a large city and only have an income of a mere a week. The ending of this short story comes as a bit of a surprise and focuses on what is true and real with love. There is a lesson learned at the end and drives the reader to focus on his or her inner being.The reader is told that those who give, get and those that give of themselves are the wisest. The Tell-Tale Heart While reading The Tell Tale Heart it is very hard to decipher between how the story was written and the contents of the story. The main character of the story does not change. In the beginning of the story the narrator experiences conflict between not having a life with passion and being a madman. Throughout the entire story the narrator focuses on murder and the evil that he sees. The insane person who is revealed in the beginning of the story is proven to be the insane person at the end of the story.The Child’s Story The nature and the content of The Child’s Story and how it is written are through the grandfather telling a story to his grandson and referring to himself as the traveler. The contents of the story are told in such a way that the reader can visualize what it occurring and what the writer feels. The form in which the story is told is through memories of the past, present and future time spent with the family who the writer loved so dearly. The content of the story starts when the child is very young. Then the child becomes a young boy and then a young man.The writer describes all the occurrences that the grandson and grandfather encounter together. The story goes on to read that the grandson becomes a young man and falls in love, gets married and becomes too busy to spend time with his grandfather. The grandchild sits beside his grandfather in the end of the story and the grandfather is having flashbacks about his life with his family. Do Form and Content Work Against One Another? The Gift of the Magi In the story The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry, the form and content seem to work against one another. This is due to both characters selling items that meant so much to them. In the end, the reader sees that their love is what caused the purchase of the gift in the first place. The setting, being in the home and the store, was perfect for the story. The narrator could have been anyone, because it was spoken in third person. The Tell-Tale Heart In Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator is the character who killed the old man. There was no surprise that the narrator was the character in the story because he spoke of himself throughout the story. The setting was in a simple room; the nature and level of description was rather bleak.In the end; however, the story came together. The Child’s Story The Child’s Story, by Charles Dickens, begins with a child narrator who speaks of a journey of someone who meets people of different ages, doing different life activities. He first meets up with a child, then a boy, then a young man, a middle aged man, and an older man. Each person is doing something different, but soon disappears. In the end the child tells the grandfather, â€Å"I think the traveler must be yourself, dear Grandfather, because this is what you do to us, and what we do to you† (Mills, pg 98).The nature of narration technique is that the reader is unable to tell that the narrator is a child, or the grandchild of the traveler. The story is written with a surprise ending that brings warmth to the reader. The use of setting technique is used with the setting in the woods; which makes it easy for the reader to believe the characters disappear once they have shown the traveler what they want him to see. The nature and level of description technique is clearly shown when the narrator describes each character that is introduced to the traveler. Why Did the Authors Select these Techniques?The Gift of the Magi O. Henry wrote his story, The Gift of the Magi, in third person point of view and mostly from Della’s perspective. Henry did not need to write the story from Jim’s perspective because both characters were going through the same emotions. Another reason Henry chose the third person point of view was because he wanted the reader to understand the significance of what each character was giving up. The Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe chose the first person point of view for The Tell-Tale Heart because he wanted the reader to feel exactly what the character was feeling.The story would not have been the same if it was spoken in another point of view. The reader was able to feel like they were in the mind of a madman and this could only be done through first person. Poe had very little dialog in The Tell-Tale Heart. Therefore, being very descriptive and bringing the reader into the mind of the character could only be done through first person point of view. The Child’s Story Charles Dickens’ story, The Child’s Story, was written in third person point of view. However, in the very last sentence of the story the point of view is changed to first person.The reason Dickens chose these points of view was so the reader felt like a story was being told to them. In the end, the reader is able to see who the story is written about and why it is written about that person. Dickens deliberately waited until the end of the story to reveal who the story was about. This gave the reader the opportunity to read the story with an open mind and the opportunity to experience the characters without any biases. Relationship between Techniques The Gift of the Magi O Henry’s Gift of the Magi, seems to combine elements from each of the other two stories.The story is constructed to tell a tale that allows the reader to relate and empathize with characters as well as watch them from a distance. Gift of the Magi is written in third person omniscient format. Although the narrator does not take place in the story but rather has the ability to read and relate the emotions and drives of the characters. The setting in this story is transcendent. This version of the story takes place in a small apartment; however, and it is easy to imagine that this particular story be told from any setting.In Gift of the Magi, the story itself is what is most important, but relies heavily on description to draw the reader in. The narrator’s ability to describe the emotions and motives behind the characters action is what draws readers in and allows them to relate to the story. The Tell-Tale Heart The techniques in Edgar Allan Poes story work together to strengthen the whole piece. This is the only story, out of the three, told in first-person and written so that it is best read aloud. Both of these factors ensure that the reader takes the narrator in and that the reader shares his ideas and emotions.Poe also limits the setting so that the only two people who exist throughout most of the story are the narrator and the old man; further allowing readers to identify with the narrator. Each of these factors was equally important to the success of the story. If any one of these factors were changed, the story would have suffered and would have been altered into something unrecognizable. For example, if Poe had chosen to tell his story from a different perspective, he would not have been able to infuse the story with the sense of mad urgency that currently drives it. The Child’s StoryIn contrast, Dickens’ The Child’s Story moves more slowly and uses third person narration to separate the reader from the piece. As a result, the whole story is watched from a distance as opposed to participated in. The story also differs from Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart because the setting described is expansive and seems to stretch throughout time and space. In the story, the setting appears to be the most important factor. The descriptions not only provide backdrops for the individuals in the story, but also give insight into the feelings and emotions of the characters.For example, in paragraph three Dickens describes the weather in its various forms and the character’s acceptance of each change. This hints towards the carefree joy of childhood which the narrator shares with the small boy in this portion of the story. What if One Specific Technique Changed The Gift of the Magi Gift of the Magi paints a clear description of Mr. Dillingham’s poverty without saying he was poor. Henry uses repetitive description to portray the mood of Della; which explains why everything was gray. The author’s choice and order of words reveals the time frame and general location of the story. There is a moderate amount of dialogue between Della and Sofronie and between Della and Jim. If the narrator told the story strictly from Della’s perspective then it would not have the feel that they both loved each other unconditionally. The story would probably slant more towards Della’s love and generosity. Instead the story shows equal love for each other. The Tell-Tale Heart Poe’s description of the story teller, in The Tell-Tale Heart, standing in the doorway with his head poked half-way through the window was extremely vivid.The descriptors he uses to describe the fear and the beating heart are extremely powerful. The reader may find it hard to determine whose heart is actually beating loudly and rapidly; the story teller, the man with the strange eye or the reader. The ticking of the watch and the pounding of the heart create powerful imagery. This story is told in first person from the murderer’s point of view. The story has very little dialogue, but is told with such passion that it was not obvious until searching for quotation marks.If this story was told in a different person it would not have had the psychological impact it had. First person allowed the reader to experience the author’s disgust over the eye, the excitement in planning the murder, the suspense of committing the act, and the fear of getting caught. The Child’s Story The Child’s Story vividly describes the various times, seasons, and events that occur through the many phases of life. Each chapter of life is clearly represented from childhood through old age. Dickens’ paints each season with brilliant colors and detail as an artist sketches upon a canvas.The events through life are described in a manner that takes the reader down a memory lane of their own childhood through the joys and heartbreaks of life and death. The nature of the narration is a story that is basically told with very little dialogue. The story is beautifully told through each phase until the next character is introduced. At that point a few sentences of very short dialogue occur and the then the narrator returns to story telling. Since the narrator is telling the story it appears unbiased and makes the reader feel as though it is his or her life slipping by.