Elio Engineering. Inc Essay

Question 1: Describe Elio Engineering? How would you characterize its position in the Industry? Elio Engineering is a private company, founded by Paul Elio and Hari Sankara, categorized under engineering services and manufactured automotive vehicle bodies car seats. It designs the new technology of the seats for the automobile industries called No Compromise seats. Question 2: What is Elio Engineering Vision? Elio Engineering’s vision per the case study is to design and manufacture new advanced, low-cost, high-tech and safe ABTS called No Compromise seats for the entire automotive industry and potentially saving millions of lives around the world. Question 3: Describe the strategic options as of February 1999? What issues should the company consider in evaluating its strategic options? Elio Engineering had achieved a great distinction by February 1999 because their prototype test had been proven very promising and OEM customer’s response had also been favorable. Based on the prototype performance, Bostrom made a licensing deal with Elio Engineering in mid-February. At this point, Elio Engineering had to consider if Bostrom was the right partner for their vision. Also how much royalty fees should they charge for their services? Question 4: What is the structure of the automotive seat industry in 1998? How attractive was the industry? The Structure of the automotive seat industry in 1998 looked like the following: Two Tier-one companies – JCI and Lear Corp with almost equally split about 60% of the market and dominant share worldwide. The number-three player, Magna, has about a 10% share in the U.S. Many of the competitors already had an ABTS seat in their product portfolio or were currently working on the technology. So it was already a  mature industry with stagnant technology. The industry was not attractive because competition would be fierce with the 70% of the market controlled by three companies. Only way Company could stand a chance is if new company had new technology and cost reducing product. Question 5: What are the potential sources of competitive advantage that Elio Engineering has? How Sustainable ae they? Why/ Why not? Elio Engineering has many competitive advantages. First of all, Elio Engineering has their ideas well patented. Along with it, they have insider knowledge of the seating industry. Secondly, they have the product that can penetrate whole automotive market and not just one supplier tied to the one automotive company. Finally, Elio Engineering is highly motivated and has ability to find to find new resources to expand. As far as sustainability goes, Elio Engineering will certainly fail if they enter the market alone because they don’t have enough resources to compete with other competitors own their own at the moment. As they lack the capital requirement, lack of competence in manufacturing, distribution, lack of access to OEMs and able to implement of JIT delivery. They can be at risk of takeover by the bigger company or the competitor. Question 6: What are Elio Engineering’s strategic options in entering the automotive market? Please evaluate these options and reach a conclusion on the most attractive one. The Challenge for the Elio Engineering is to enter all segments of the automotive seat market within next 12 months, protecting its intellectual property which is implemented in the special class of ABTS technology seat design achieving at least 5% of the U.S automotive market within next 5 years. But it is very hard for Elio Engineering to achieve by its own due to lack of resources. They can also consider the following alternatives Alternative 1: Elio Engineering could collaborate with tier-one seat supplier Company. This will provide the following advantages: Founder members have previous experience dealing with tier-one seat Company. The tier-one suppliers have High volume manufacturing and distribution Experience in product design & development and manufacturing power, Easier to get us federal safety standards Strong relationship with OEMs Disadvantages are: Have less control over the core ABTS technology with lower profit margin. Alternative 2: Elio Engineering could collaborate with multiple OEMs. Advantages for doing it will be: High market share Sufficient resources, matured strategies Secured market, less financial stress. Disadvantages: Less control over ABTS technology and limited market exposure and lower margins. Alternative 3: Elio Engineering can establish as a tier-two supplier. Advantages: Supply product to all tier supplier and more control over ABTS technology. Disadvantages: Product delay due to large capital requirement, lack of competence in manufacturing, distribution, lack of access to OEMs and able to implement of JIT delivery. Low product value added. After considering all the above presented alternatives, I think Alternative 1 would the best suit for Elio Engineering. Also Elio Engineering started up by partnering up with Bostrom Seating, which supplied seats for heavy trucks and bus industry in 1999. Question 7: How well is Elio Engineering’s Tech strategy aligned with the requirements for a successful entry into the automotive seat market? What if anything, should they change? According to the article, Elio Engineering has taken all the right steps to ensure they are aligned with the requirements for the successful entry into the automotive seat market so far. They have obtained and registered a strong patent which would prevent other companies from copying their designs. They have the product that meets all the safety standards, low-cost and is durable. In order to successfully enter the automotive seat market, they need to have a system integration approach to ensure automotive market for their designs. Moreover, they need to partner up with the company with strong market influence otherwise they would most likely fail on their own.

A Woman’s Beauty Essay

In reading Susan Sontag’s â€Å"A Woman’s Beauty†, she explains that women think they have an obligation to be beautiful and that they consider how they look more important than who they are. Sontag also adds that women are sometimes obsessed with their outer beauty that they lose sight of their inner beauty. Fashion and the Media both have taken outer beauty way too far for women. In this society today, women are more pressured by other women on how they look. Women judge other women about their looks but men don’t do the same, because it is considered† unmanly† as Sontag states. Women naturally try to be appropriate and beautiful to attract men. Unfortunately, they have gone to very high levels of obsession with themselves that they lost track of their purpose of being beautiful and their position in this society. Sontag also argues that women at the same time have the idea in their minds that being beautiful will earn them a certain reputati on and place in society, and that beauty brings power and success. Even young women grow up have these same ideas in their minds and according to Sontag, â€Å"they are taught to see their bodies in parts and to evaluate each part separately†. In modern days beauty is administered as a form of self-oppression. In the process of growing up, young women may forget how intelligent they are and their goals in life. According to some people who have been surveyed about women’s success in the society, good looks are a great advantage in many areas of life. Let’s go back to the point that women try to make themselves beautiful to attract the best men possible. Women forget that beauty is also the power to attract. In women’s view, men come in whole packages together with being handsome and successful. On the other hand, men just want just want healthy and decent women with good personality. Susag Sontag’s essay is indeed very accurate in revealing some important facts about women’s beauty and the way the society looks at women. The world is not a beauty pageant where every woman has to look perfect. There are many people that think that beauty is more important, but there are also people that feel that a woman with a good head and personality will get than based on just looks alone. It is a fact that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone has their own view on what’s beautiful to them.

Women driving in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women driving in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example There was also no freedom of religion to believe in whatever they wanted. Even Christians killed other Christians and prosecuted them for believing in a different church than the government. That is the reason why a lot of Christians found it better to live under Islamic rule in Andalusia, Turkey, or Egypt rather than live in their own medieval European country. The founding fathers recognized the problem early on and wanted to create a country where people can state their opinion peacefully, worship their God freely, and have many other privileges and freedoms. And they have succeeded. Benjamin Franklin, for example, wanted the House of Speakers to be a place for anyone, including Jews, Buddhist, Hindus, â€Å"Mohammadans† or Muslims, etc. to come and speak knowing that their freedom of speech and other rights are protected. The U.S. Constitution was very well drafted to ensure the rights of everyone in the community. However, as I have now learned in my studies, it seems that people have been trying to manipulate the constitution in various ways. When the debate about whether or not to allow for a mosque to be built on Ground Zero New York New York came about I was shocked to see what this country has come to. Separation of church and state is supposed to be one of the strengths of the government, but recently it seems that is not the case. Even more so, it seems as if the problem is even worse. There seems to be a full blown religious war going on. Even though there are many churches all around the area, the proposition of building a much needed mosque by the private sector has sparked a heated debate on a whole other level. This is something that makes no sense. Believers would attend the mosque about five times a day, in comparison, believers would report to a church once or a twice week! I have learned that the American constitution is valuable and appropriate for a country of many cultures like the United States, but

Strategic Plan for Digital Music Organization EMI Essay

Strategic Plan for Digital Music Organization EMI - Essay Example According to a report by Cimilluca and Colchester (2011), in November 2011, the Citigroup announced a deal to sell EMI’s recorded music business to Universal Music Group for $1.9 billion and music publishing business to Sony/ATV consortium for 2.2 billion. This paper will suggest a strategic plan for this digital music organisation by referring to a number of strategic management theories including PESTLE analysis, Porter’s five forces model, SWOT analysis, and BCG matrix. PESTLE analysis Political factors The EMI maintains good relationship with overseas counties with intent to expand its business operations globally. Since the company offers extensive employee benefits including flexible work schedule, family friendly policies, and other flexible benefits; it gets full support from political environment. Economic factors The recent global economic recession has dreadfully affected economies worldwide and many of those economies are still under the process of recovery. Hence, the current economic environment is not favourable for the company. Socio-cultural factors Historically, music is present everywhere regardless of cultural variables such as customs, lifestyle, language, values, and beliefs. Hence, socio cultural factors provide the company with potential business environment. Technological factors The technology sector has been dramatically improving for the last two decades. The emergence of internet was a milestone in the history of music entertainment industry (BBC News, 2000). Therefore, current technological landscape is better for EMI’s business growth. Legal factors Governments worldwide have developed strict intellectual property laws and many of them specifically deal with music piracy issues. Thus, music entertainment industry is encouraged globally. Environmental factors People today are highly concerned about environmental sustainability. Therefore, increasing environmental concerns raise some sorts of challenges to every sector, and music entertainment industry is not an exception. Hence, EMI has to invest more on environmental sustainability so as to enhance its business growth. Porter’s five forces Degree of rivalry While analyzing the music entertainment industry, it seems that degree of competitive rivalry is very high. Since EMI is a multinational company, it struggles to confront with regionally focused rivals that are more knowledgeable about people’s music tastes. Hence, the company is forced to depend upon price cutting and M&A strategies to survive market competition. Buyer power In music entertainment industry, buyer power is relatively high since there are numerous potential sellers. In addition, market giants like Sony offers quality products to customers at cheaper rates; this situation compels EMI to cut its prices in order retain its customers. Supplier power EMI has high bargaining power over its suppliers as the organisation is well reputed for its quality music prod ucts and services. Since there are large number of potential suppliers in the industry, supplier price changes would not affect EMI’s business activities. Moreover, supplier switching cost is very low in the music entertainment industry. Threat of new entrants Threat of new entrants is very high in the industry, particularly because of the

Strategic Management - Strategic Audit Format Essay

Strategic Management - Strategic Audit Format - Essay Example In other words, the computing sector is infinitely dependent on industrial growth. However, a contradiction arises as resources are not infinite in nature. There are also several sustainability issues which have always been a challenge for this industry. 3. Scarcity of fossil fuel: The computer industry relies on low-priced energy. Cheap energy sources generally come from fossil fuel. The scarcity of fossil fuel has always been a concern for the industry as availability of energy sources to power devices at reasonable price is vital. 4. Environmental Issues: The computer industry is one of the main reasons for the growing pollution in the developing nations. A huge amount of waste is generated and there have been challenges associated with the recycling and reduction of waste. Manufacturing of computers also involve the use of hazardous chemicals like lead and mercury which pollutes the environment. 1. Maintenance of confidentiality – Protection of privacy of the users has to be ensured by the computer industry. This is a major challenge for this industry as, with the increased linkages between network connections, it is important that computers are supported with tools that help to maintain privacy of the users. There are threats that arise from virus and malevolent software. Increased use of the internet has aggravated such threats. The industry needs to give protection against malwares which pose a threat during the use of confidential information over the net. 2. Technically support the customers – The computer industry not only needs to concentrate on manufacturing of computer hardware but also needs to ensure that all further technical difficulties faced by the customers are looked into and proper solutions are provided. There has to be a continuous link with the customers so that support and assistance can be provided at odd hours. This is a major challenge for the computer industry. 3.

Argumentative research paper Mandatory Military Service for all Males Essay

Argumentative research paper Mandatory Military Service for all Males 18+ in the US - Essay Example Nick Tallant, a Second Lieutenant who is currently the Battalion Operations Officer of the 2nd Infantry Division of the US Army strongly believes that mandatory military service be carried out by eighteen year old males (18) and above. In an interview with Officer Tallant said that he joined the military for its intensive training leadership aspect and his desire to serve the country. He further said that he believed in the conflict and that he could do a good job. He also expounded on the importance of the fact that the choice to serve is "free" and this brings out the best men in those who want to serve the country. He explained that military service shows the beauty of democracy. The Military also provides the opportunity to make people feel free and secure; hence, they do not have to worry about people hurting them. Officer Tallant wants to serve in an elite unit. For instance, the Infantry Division to which he is currently assigned has many elite forces in it. He also likes to b e deployed in the near future. Officer Tallant identified the positive influences of military service to his professional and personal life as follows: a.) it creates in him a dedication to discipline; b.) it gives him an attitude of service; and c.) it helps him assume a great responsibility. Finally, he points out that his military service shapes his future leadership role in American society by making him to always known for serving. As an officer, the people will have different expectations of him and that his ability to serve will never be questioned. He is also confident that his military experience will ultimately provide him with many opportunities down the road to have a leadership role in the near future. James Burk (2001) tackled the military obligation of citizens since Vietnam. He stated that there were changes in political culture regarding the obligation to perform military service. First, widespread doubt about the legitimacy of

Organizational behavior Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Organizational behavior - Term Paper Example There are many factors that negatively affect the solidarity of the organizational behavior and most important of those factors are discussed in this paper while taking into consideration a Wal-Mart supercentre located in Ontario, Canada. The reasons of the success of the worldwide conglomerate like Wal-Mart are also illuminated. The factors that contribute to pandemonium in an organizational setup and that tarnish the organizational behavior and culture are identified and discussed in the paper. High absenteeism and poor motivation are distinguished as the most lethal factors that weaken the strength of organizational behavior. Various strategies are also presented that can play a major role in culmination of the poisonous factors like discrimination and reduced teamwork in an organization. This is the general consensus among employing organizations that motivating racial and gender diversity in workplaces has always been the ultimate need of the time. The more chances of diversity of cultures, races and religions in a workplace, the higher would be the rate of healthy competition among the employees. Promoting diversity is the key to improve the overall productivity owing to the positive aura built through zero discrimination. 2. Introduction: Organizational behavior involves the study of all the people working together at different levels in an organization for achieving common goals. It focuses on the individual behaviors of the members of an organization and analyzes how each of them perceives the concept of organizational culture and whether they share a common thinking approach for achieving any important target. It is an unambiguous fact that even healthy conflicts in an organizational context, which are not fraught with any ill intentions, can swiftly take a negative turn if those working in an organization start taking any critical comment as personal offence. Rotten biases and ill prejudices that are among the basic factors for polluting an organizat ion’s environment, originate from negative organizational behavior and for this purpose, deep analysis of the organizational behavior by some reputable organizational consultant from time to time is highly important. Economic crisis can result if the behaviors and creativities of the members working in an organization are channeled into individual modes rather than being channeled into a mode of common welfare for that organization. This paper lays stress on the deep understanding of organizational behavior and supports this fact by taking example of Wal-Mart discount superstores in Canada. Different aspects of Wal-Mart supercentres are discussed in this paper including their structure, culture, mission, and objectives. Conflicts in any organization can create immediate chaos if mixed with discrimination and bias, and such negative emotions demand the attention of organizational consultant, who assess the reasons of conflicts and negative organizational behavior. 3. Why Wal-M art is so successful all over the globe? Wal-Mart is basically an American multinational corporation that successfully runs hains of large departmental stores all over the globe. Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart and it was under his remarkable ruling that this small corporation changed into a worldwide conglomerate in the span of a few years. The unparallel success of Wal-Mart can be judged from the fact that it was considered to be the world’

Chair Furniture Definition and Classification Essay

Chair Furniture Definition and Classification - Essay Example The fact that there are different types of chairs, however, does not mean that there are different primary uses to this particular object. With very few exceptions, the primary purpose of all types of chairs is for a human to sit in, as in the case of armchairs, or sit on, as with table chairs and stools. As regards exceptions, it need be noted that a few chairs have a primarily decorative purpose, as a direct consequence of their being classified as art objects or valuable antique purposes. Having clarified the stated, however, it is important to note that the aforementioned are not generally classified as chairs but are often, more precisely and accurately, referred to as antiques or at objects. Accordingly, it is important to emphasize that chairs are not, primarily, either antiques or pieces of art but objects which primarily serve a human-sitting purpose. Added to that, even though some types of chairs are referred to as table chairs, this does not mean that chairs are tables. I n other words, in defining the said objective from the negative perspective, one may affirm that chairs are not tables but can be placed around and under kitchen and dining tables.

Personal Dilemma Paper Essay Example for Free

Personal Dilemma Paper Essay In February 2014, Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice and his fiancà ©e Janay Palmer (now wife) were arrested, charged and later released in Atlantic City on what was called simple assault charges. The details were not clear at the time. However, what was known was that Rice and Palmer got into a some form of an altercation inside the Revel Casino. Rices lawyer stated in was just a minor physical altercation. Not long afterward video footage surfaced showing Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of an elevator. The Ravens organization as a whole defended Rice after he was arrested and reiterated he would continue to be the teams running back. Steve Bisciotti, the team owner, praised Rice and his good character and noted that Rice had no prior off-field trouble. The charges against Rice were elevated to aggravated assault after prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury. At that point, the charges were dropped against Palmer for simple assault (AP, 2014). Palmer stated she did not wish to proceed with prosecuting Rice. However, that did not keep the state of New Jersey from moving forward with prosecuting the case. Rice did not accept a plea deal that would keep him out of jail in exchange for going through anger management and the successful completion of probation. Instead, he decided to plead not guilty and apply for a first-time offender program that might remove any charges in as little as six-months. Under this program, Rice would need to keep out of any trouble and partake in counseling on a regular basis. Prosecutors did allow Rice into this program instead of going to trial. If he stays out of trouble and completes the 12-month program, his record will not reflect the case. Interestingly, this program is normally only used for non-violent and victimless crimes. Also, entry into the program has been granted in less than 1% of all domestic violence cases in the state of New Jersey (AP, 2014). The National Football League (NFL) claimed it had not seen any video of an altercation within the casino elevator. A law enforcement official stated the elevator video was sent to the NFL in April and he had proof in the form of a 12-second voicemail with a number within the NFL offices that confirmed the videos arrival. The league office denied ever receiving it. The league claims it requested the tape, but was denied. The Ravens also claimed not to have seen the video until it was released by TMZ (AP, 2014). Rice is basically assured of not going to jail, but was not able to keep the NFL commissioner from laying down a little justice of his own. He originally suspended Rice for a mere two games. This decision was met with considerable public outrage. Goodell had to admit that his initial punishment was wrong and beefed up the NFLs policy on domestic violence in reaction to the public outrage. The new policy would suspend a player six-games with no pay for a first offense, and lifetime banishment for a second offense. After seeing Rice knocking his wife unconscious, the Ravens terminated his contract. Allegedly, the team made this decision because Rice was not honest with them. Shortly after his release from the team, the league suspended him indefinitely. Since the league had previously suspended Rice (the initial two-games), the commissioner needed justification to indefinitely suspend him. The commissioner notified the Players Association that an indefinite suspension resulted from Rice telling them something different than what appeared on the video of him hitting Palmer. Contrary to the commissioners statements, there were several sources (including Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome) who stated that Rice was being truthful (McManus, 2014). By all accounts, Rice was known as a good guy. The commissioner said seeing the video changed everything. But, why? Everyone knew what happened before the video was released. Rice knocked out his then fiancà ©e in an elevator. Nothing changed before or after the video was released. Goodell stated they should have seen it earlier and should have pursued their own investigation more vigorously. That is true. So, why didnt they? The question still remains. Why would seeing the video change their minds about his punishment? Initially, it was only worth a two game suspension. Remember,  nothing changed. After the video was released, he is suspended indefinitely. Since this is his first offence, shouldnt he be suspended for only six games? Why should he lose his job and income. Wouldnt it be better of the NFL and the Ravens organization to help this man and his family instead of just tossing him away like trash? Rice was clearly tried and found guilty by the court of public opinion. It is amazing how fast we are as a society to be publicly correct, jump to conclusions, and show our willingness to take away a persons livelihood. References AP, (2014). Timeline of Key Events in the Ray Rice Case. Retrieved on 13 Sep 14 from http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/timeline-key-events-ray-rice-case-25441413 McManus, J. (2014). How the NFLs new domestic violence stance came to be. Retrieved on 13 Sep 14 from http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/11464303/how-nfl-new-domestic-violence-stance-came-be

Woman in Mind by Alan Ayckbourn Essay Example for Free

Woman in Mind by Alan Ayckbourn Essay How does Ayckbourn present the contrast between Susans fantasy family and her real family in Woman in Mind. Explore the importance of this contrast to the plays central theme. In Woman in Mind Ayckbourn uses Susans creation of an idealistic fantasy family and more importantly the contrast of this perfection with her reality to help portray Susans emotional breakdown to the audience. The role of the fantasy family in this play is to emphasise the unhappiness and emotional turmoil in Susan real world as they generally appear at a point where Susan is in a particularly distressing situation with her real family. One of the ways in which Ayckbourn presents the contrast between the two families is with the use of the differing appearances. For example when the audience meets the fantasy family for the first time they are presented as (tall, good looking, athletic), and Lucys clothing is (fresh, summery, rather timeless). This is a complete contrast to the way in which the real family is presented (an unattractive picture, entirely lacking the lightness and ease of her earlier family). Immediately Ayckbourn has shown the fantasy family to be more ideal and suitable for Susan which hints that Susan is not at ease in reality , even though there has not yet been much insight into the causes of Susans breakdown. The setting of Woman in Mind is also essential in the presentation of the contrasting families although it is important for the audience to remember that the play is seen from an entirely subjective viewpoint and that although two settings are implied only one is actually the reality. Ayckbourn uses the lighting and sound effects to accenuate the contrast between the two worlds. For example the stage direction at the beginning of the play suggests the setting to be a (small, tidy, surburban garden) but when members of her fantasy family appear the use of lighting ( The garden grows inperceptibly bigger and lighter) accompanies the changes which Susan herself suggests herb garden, lake and tennis courts. The setting is vital as it shows the fantasy family to be more upper class and perhaps this helps Susan to feel more worthy in her life. The use of simpler contrasts such as food and drink also helps Ayckbourn to display the contrast between the two families and he achieves this with the use of props. For example, Susan is offered champagne and gourmet meals by her fantasy family whereas, in reality she is given the less sophisticated sherry and must put up with Muriels dreadful Earl grey omelette. The actions of Susan show how much more she prefers her fantasy family, which is shown by the stage directions, for example (leaving her sherry glass on the card tableshe comes across her glass of champagne and drinks it). The contrast between the two families is also presented through the use of language. An example of this is the way in which the fantasy family use nicknames for each other, for example Big Sis, Susie which helps to show the happy, friendly relationship they have. The tone of voice is completely different however in her reality situations. For example when Gerald defends Muriel in saying that Susan should be more sympathetic towards her because of her present and past sufferings Susan is extremely sarcastic Sorry, sorry, sorry. The fantasy family is also presented as having completely different attitudes towards Susan and Ayckbourn has used this along with the other techniques to emphasise her emotional turmoil. For example her fantasy family are extremely grateful for her and appreciate her Were all going to have to take extra special care of you Were just all so proud of you. The contrast between the two families is important in showing the insecurities Susan has in her life and her fantasy family is a representation of her dreams which for Susan become confused with reality. One of the main reasons for Susans emotional breakdown is her feeling of not being loved which is mainly a result of her distant unloving relationship with Gerald. Gerald and Susan have conflicting opinions even about small unimportant things for example, they have different opinions over the bush in their garden. Gerald calls it a dead bush whereas Susan claims : Its not dead I planted it yesterday. Gerald is also very unsympathetic towards Susans turmoil, for example when Susan says she is not very happy, Geralds unhelpful viewpoint is well who is? These days. Very few. Gerald seems too interested in the book he is writing which is an important factor in Susans breakdown. The lack of a physical side in their relationship leads Susan into the arms of her imaginary lover Andy, whilst in reality she has burnt Geralds history of the parish All sixty pages blazing away. More importantly Gerald seems very unaware of the change in his relationship with Susan. For example when Susan tells Gerald she does not love him anymore, Geralds response is Im not aware my feelings towards you have altered that much which gives a clear insight into the lack of closeness in their relationship to the audience. Susans emotional breakdown is also caused by her relationship with Rick which Ayckbourn presents as one without the usual mother-son communication. Although Susan seems to be quite light-hearted and sarcastic over the fact that their son does not talk to them All of us miming to each other over the table she is however, very aware and upset at the lack of closeness between them. For example, when Gerald explains to her that Rick wants all of his furniture to be sold Susan replies Well have nothing left of him at all. This display of sudden distress to the audience emphasises strongly the emotional stress Susan is experiencing. A different side to Susan is seen when Rick tells her of his marriage to Tess and explains that he does not want the family to meet her, and Susan believes it is because of Gerald Why? Because of your father?. This shows the distance in her relationship with Rick and Susan becomes distraught when she discovers that Rick has always considered her to be an unfit mother I dont want to hurt you anymore, Mum, but God help any daughter who had you as a mother. This is a complete contrast in Susans fantasy life however, because she does infact have a very close relationship with her fantasy daughter Lucy. An example of the difference between her two children is that whereas Rick was very reluctant to tell Susan about his marriage, Lucy is very eager theres something I desperately want to tell you. Ayckbourn has also used the role of an interfering sister-in-law to enhance the worthlessness Susan is feeling. Muriel constantly insists on providing meals and drinks and criticises Susan always where Gerald can hear. An example of this is when Muriel puts Earl Grey tea in an omelette and says to Susan I do wish youd label things, Susan. Its a very inconvenient kitchen to work in , it really is. All of these aspects in Susans reality lead her to having low self-esteem and the questioning of her role. An example of this is when Susan claims that the thrill of being a housewife has gone I used to be a wife. I used to be a mother. And I loved itThe thrill has gone which is a complete contrast to her fantasy world which shows that she clearly wants to be able to employ staff (Murieldressed in very formal maids black bombazine) . The fantasy family are summoned to help her cope and their words are Susans real thoughts which become forced into reality and help Susan to say what she is really feeling. For example, when Bill comes outside to persuade Susan to eat lunch with them Tony and Lucy tell him to drop dead, these are Susans thoughts articulated by the characters and lead Susan herself to say the same Oh, Bill, do drop dead. Susan does have , at that stage still have some control over her life as she is able to banish her fantasy family whenever she wants. The complete contrast in families is extremely important in showing Susans emotional breakdown because the fantasy family has been perfected down to every last detail in Susans mind and shows the ideal life Susan would love to lead. However because of the idealism the fantasy family provides Susan becomes less and less able to control her own creation. This is shown in act two where her fantasy life and reality become mixed and she has entered a world of madness created by herself (What we see are images remembered by her from films she has seen, books she has read, TV she has watched). By this stage in her breakdown Gerald seems to know the fantasy family and talks to them in the light-hearted language that they used with Susan earlier Tony, you old rascal. Whereas it was only in reality that Susan felt ignored which forced her into an imaginary world where she was loved and treasured, now it seems that neither of her families are taking notice of her: LOOK AT ME AT ONCE, DO YOU HEAR? ALL OF YOU!!!. This is the final point in Susans breakdown.