It means to be unlike any other company. To be in a "class" of companies that contains only one.
What does "class of our own" in the following mean in the context?
Corporate goals for sustainability and the strategies to accomplish them.
Goal: Social license to operate.
Strategy: Pollution control and compliance.
Goal: Best in class
Strategies: External stakeholder participation...
Goal: Class of our own
Strategies: Sustainability a key factor in future strategic planning,.....
Thank you.
It means to be unlike any other company. To be in a "class" of companies that contains only one.
For example, let's say you divide film actors into groups (or classes) based on their talent.
Group 1 - Exceptionally talented. Perfect.
Group 2 - Extremely good but not perfect
Group 3 - Very good.
Group 4 - Quite good
Group 5 - Rubbish.
There are a lot of actors who would fit into groups 2 to 5 as there are many actors whose talent goes up to "extremely good but not perfect". Each of those groups (or classes) would contain more than one name.
However, (and this is not my personal opinion but just an example), let's say that only Tom Cruise fits the criteria for Group 1. He is the only actor in the world who is "exceptionally talented. Perfect". His would be the only name in that group. Therefore, he could be said to be "in a class of his own". It is his alone. He does not share it with anyone.
Fords, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos, Porsches are all great cars but Lamborghinis are in a class of their own = Lamborghinis are so much better than all the others, that they can be considered to have a group/class based on quality, to which only they belong.
Last edited by emsr2d2; 18-Jun-2011 at 08:52.
I have to say that the strategy doesn't do much to me to suggest that it's a way to put a company into a class of its own.
It's a very informative explanation.
Thank you so much.
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
Hello, Unpakwon:
(1) Soothing Dave and Emsr have already given you excellent explanations.
(2) May I add a few words?
(3) I think that "to be in a class of its own" is an elegant way to
say that you cannot compare it to anything else. It is
so special and unusual.
(4) When I saw your thread's title, I immediately thought of an excellent
example:
Today in London there are about 12 daily newspapers. Many years ago,
however, there were even more newspapers in London. But there was a
newspaper that was in a class of its own. It was super special and super
unusual. It could not be compared to (to liken) any other newspaper.
It was so famous that even our President Lincoln said that only the
Mississippi River was greater than this newspaper. The important people in
England would read every word. Its reporters were treated with respect
that other reporters did not receive. The government would often give it
information before giving it to other newspapers. It was so powerful even
as recently as the 1930's that sometimes the other newspapers would not
say anything about controversial matters until that newspaper in its own
class said something first. Sometimes the government itself had to read
that newspaper to get information that it needed. And it was so special
that leaders in other countries would carefully read that newspaper's
opinions because those leaders thought that the newspaper's opinions
were the opinions of the British leaders. Well, you get the point, don't
you. Yes, it was a "newspaper" -- but a newspaper that was totally
unlike any other newspaper. You probably know its name: The Times.
James
P.S. Sadly, today The Times is just another newspaper. No longer in a
class of its own.Today it is just in the class of so-called "quality
newspapers." That is, those newspapers that are more or less serious.
I think The Times was in a class of its own, because it gave to its readers scoop news, the latest informations and it treated serious issues."I do not know If I have clearly expressed the idea."
All the best........... It was so powerful even as recently as the 1930's that sometimes the other newspapers would not say anything about controversial matters until that newspaper in its own class said something first. .........And it was so special that leaders in other countries would carefully read that newspaper's opinions because those leaders thought that the newspaper's opinions were the opinions of the British leaders.
Last edited by symaa; 19-Jun-2011 at 12:57.