Saturday, August 31, 2019

Organizational structure paper

Tyson Foods, Inc. Organizational Structure Paper Gloria Sample MGT 230 1 1/07/2013 Dr. William Manduca This organizational structure paper for Tyson Foods, Inc. will show how Tyson Foods Company Is structures and organized. It will also show the comparison and contrast within its work place and company as a whole. It will focus somewhat on how marketing, finance, human resources, and operation department influence and determine the organizational structure for the company.Lastly, it will talk about how the organization design; such as products and customer base and services help etermine the company's needs across the globe and in other countries that are located In the world. Tyson Food Company challenges Its business, allowing It to have the advantage of becoming a multi business like none other. Tyson Food Company controls the market price for chicken and the overall integrated production. The production of chicken for Tyson Food accounts for 35% of all their production segments. Tyson Foods accounts for 20 % of all chicken production in the United States.Because chicken is the most efficient feed animal in conversion to meat protein, It Is dominating as the primary meat protein source. Tyson Food utilizes full, vertical integration through an entire seven stage of production, from inception to slaughter, and operates feed mills to produce the chicken ration. Tyson Food has an advantage of operating in vertically Integrated business, dominating the regional area of the united States. Having the opportunity of working with Tyson Foods for eighteen years, gave me the opportunity to see firsthand how the company operated on a daily bases from the corporate offce down.Tyson Foods had a way of doing thing by the book and at the same time showing love and respect in every aspect of he company whether it is management or floor employees. Tyson Foods had rules and regulation that everyone had to follow and abide by. The organizational structure there was followed th rough on a daily basis. If you had a problem with something, you did not go over someone's head and get the problem fixed, you followed chain of command. If you could not get the problem solved through chain of command, then you take the next step. I liked working at Tyson Foods because they were all about the business and getting the Job done.At the same time they cared about the employees as a whole. Everyone there worked with a spirit of excellent and enthusiasm. It was so well organized. People did not have a problem getting off work or taking leave if they had accumulated it. Going to the doctor was never a problem for the employees If It was legit. Vacation was never a problem either If you had the leave. We Just had to make sure that someone was covering our position facility. This was a plus for the many employees that the employed. Tyson Food is on the Fortune 500 as the second largest food manufacturing corporation.Tyson Foods Company produces and packages a large selectio n of beef, poultry, and pork roducts that provide convenience to their customers. These products are then sold to food retailers throughout the Unites States and 90 countries around the world. While Tyson Foods produce and package food that ties into making a profit, they also take large strides to insure nit customers of its quality of the products the sale. Tyson Foods has a program called the Food Wise Program that educates its customers on how to prepare their food properly, and establishes labeling and tracking systems.Tyson Foods extends itself through humanitarian efforts to help with hunger and disaster relief. I can remember when Hurricane Katrina came through; everyone was in a panic and uproar. The management teams of Tyson Foods quickly put their heads together and began to execute the disaster program design to help people in need. There was no electricity and no-one knew when the power was going to be restored. Tyson management team called different departments in to h elp with the disaster relief, whether it was giving out bags of ice or fixing plates for the hungry. Everyone worked together as a whole and the Job was a success.Tyson Foods wants to develop a more strategic overall approach to hunger relief that would engage takeholders and people that have stocks on a more meaningful level including the team members, community leaders and elected officials, retail and food service customers, and a large number of organizations and individuals involved in hunger reliefs nationwide. Together they created three primary goals focusing on approach, communication, and involvement towards hunger relief. Tyson Foods did a survey tracking and analyzing media coverage and exposure, assessing team member involvement, and by comparing actual results with initial goals.Tyson Foods has onated over 50 million pounds of products to help those in need around the world. Tyson promotes environmental stewardship by implementing an environmental system to all of its domestic processing plants, encouraging natural farming techniques. Tyson's customers are the lifeblood of their organization and their success. Customer satisfaction is its primary goal and profits are the secondary goal. Tyson Foods aim to deliver great value in their products and services to maintain a competitive position. Tyson Foods found this to be the most important factor contributing to their customers' overall satisfaction.Tyson Foods implementation of structure and organization is very important to the company's development and success. It takes a company that operates responsibly and operates according to core values and cultures to take the company to the next level. Tyson Foods dwells daily on their core values and morals. Tyson has a lot of resources to broaden a production footprint and continues to be on top at all times. One of the quickest ways Tyson was transformed into the mega company that it is that the managers simplified the strategy kept a simple organized structure. Tyson sticks by the old saying, â€Å"communication is the key.

Characteristics of Modern English Drama Essay

Godot’s 60th: The University of Reading archive shows the first night Pic: Roger Pic So why are we still waiting for Godot? How has Samuel Beckett’s play grown from a tiny avant garde performance in Paris to become part of the West End theatre coach party circuit? It’s 60 years since Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot received its premiere in the Theatre de Babylone in Paris. The first public performance, in its original French form of En attendant Godot, drew an audience of high-brow Parisians, taking in the latest experimental theatre. â€Å"All the thousands who claimed they were there could never have been at the premiere. There weren’t enough seats,† says James Knowlson, Beckett’s friend and official biographer. They also couldn’t have realised that this play, beginning its shoestring-budget run on 5 January 1953, was going to be seen as one of the pivotal moments in modern drama. International appeal So why has Waiting for Godot proved so durable? How has Beckett’s work outlasted the other iconoclasts and angry young writers of the 1950s and 1960s? â€Å"I would suggest the answer lies in its ambiguities. So much is suggested rather than explicitly stated,† says Prof Knowlson. A programme from Godot’s first setting at the Theatre de Babylone in Montparnasse, Paris â€Å"People can read into it what they want to read into it.† This openness to interpretation has helped the play to avoid becoming dated, he says. For a play that’s about the passing of time, it’s curiously timeless. It asks all the big philosophical questions – about life and death and the uncertain purpose of what goes on in between – but in a way that isn’t limited to a particular place or era. And the play has acquired a remarkable record for being performed in very different international settings. No disaster or civil strife is complete without its own Godot. It was performed in Sarajevo under siege in the 1990s, in South Africa it was seen as a critique of apartheid and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina a performance in New Orleans was seen as an emblem of the city’s wait for recovery. Inmates in San Quentin prison in California saw it as their own story in a famous production in the late 1950s. Prof Knowlson’s friendship with Beckett has also created a rich and unexpected legacy for his university, the University of Reading, which now holds the biggest archive of Beckett-related material in the world. From the early 1970s, the playwright began giving manuscripts and notes to Prof Knowlson, stuffed into bags, boxes and suitcases. And this Beckett International Foundation has grown to become the definitive European collection for researchers. â€Å"He adopted us,† says Prof Knowlson – although the attention-shunning writer was never persuaded to visit the archive in person. As Waiting for Godot reaches its 60th anniversary, the university has artefacts and pictures from the original performances. ‘Something extraordinary’ It’s also a reminder of how easily the play might not have happened at all. Samuel Beckett at the BBC recording a series of his plays in 1977There were no famous faces or big funders to back the play. Instead it depended on the actor and director Roger Blin to hustle for cash and a venue – and once it had begun it relied on word of mouth for survival. None of the original cast are still alive – and the theatre itself shut down a few years after staging Beckett’s play. In an interview with French television in the 1960s, Roger Blin suggested the initial power of the play. When Beckett showed him the script: â€Å"I said to myself: This is something extraordinary and it must be put on.† Another playwright who was enlisted in the search for funding fervently promised Blin: â€Å"I will defend this play to the death.† It was still proving controversial when the first English version of the play was performed two years later in London, directed by a 24-year-old Peter Hall. Harold Pinter, also then in his twenties, saw Beckett as the the â€Å"most courageous, remorseless writer going†, while reviewer Bernard Levin described Waiting for Godot as â€Å"a remarkable piece of twaddle†. Not a ‘miserabilist’ Prof Knowlson is himself now one of the most important living links with Beckett. Continue reading the main story â€Å" Start Quote He could be very convivial, very witty, very good company, with a great sense of humour† Professor James Knowlson Beckett’s friend and biographer. And he recognises that the continuing interest in Beckett’s writing is wrapped up in the fascination with the enigmatic character of the author. His photogenic alienation has become a kind of literary brand. But Prof Knowlson argues against the view of Beckett as a â€Å"miserabilist†. â€Å"He could be very convivial, very witty, very good company, with a great sense of humour. â€Å"But there was an element of depression and despair that was part of his life, particularly after the war when he was deeply involved in writing the novels.† He says that Beckett’s idea of a happy Christmas would have been a solitary occasion. â€Å"He would have been preferably on his own and writing. He hated that kind of thing.† The underlying humour is also part of the continuing appeal of Waiting for Godot, he argues. It’s often a peculiarly bleak comedy of resistance, but the thread of humour is always there to leaven the gloom. It’s now a commonplace to see Waiting for Godot described as one of the most important plays of the 20th Century – with its reputation gathering momentum rather than fading away. The kind of movie actors who would have reached the career point of wanting to be in King Lear now want to shuffle across the stage in Godot. Design conscious A key reason for this growing resonance with audiences, Prof Knowlson says, is the visual appeal. Beckett’s strong images appeal to a design-conscious, visually-literate culture. â€Å"They have this strong visual element. I’ve become much more conscious of the filmic quality.† A handbill advertising the first run of Waiting for Godot Prof Knowlson says that he increasingly believes there is a direct link between the plays and Beckett’s interest in painting. â€Å"He was passionately involved in painting, not just that he loved to be with painters, but he was a real expert on 17th Century Dutch painting.† â€Å"He knew these pictures so well, he was so engrossed in these scenes. It seems to me that these pictures are really echoed in Waiting for Godot.† Beckett’s life was changed by the success of Godot – the international impact of the play helped him to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. His publisher John Calder also recalled how the enigmatic Godot could haunt his creator. He recounted how he had once met an anxious Beckett getting off a flight at Heathrow airport. When the plane doors had closed on the runway in Paris, Beckett had heard the loudspeaker announcing: â€Å"Captain Godot welcomes you on board.† â€Å"I wondered if my destiny had caught up with me at last,† Beckett had told his publisher. The Beckett International Foundation at the University of Reading will hold a series of seminars on Samuel Beckett and Waiting for Godot in April 2013.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Marketing Strategy Panadol

Did you know? ? Some people feel more pain than others. The reason is probably perception. The brain works by association. ? Ibuprofen is analgesic and anti-inflammatory but Paracetamol is just analgesic. ? The ‘dol’ in Panadol is derived from the Latin word ‘dolor’, meaning pain 3 Content ? Objectives ? Panadol Background ? Target Market ? Current Marketing Strategies ? 4 P’s ? Analysis ? Options ? Conclusions ? Next Step 4 Objectives ? Analyse the current marketing strategies of Panadol ? Recommend new strategies for Panadol 5 6 Panadol’s History 1956 Launched Australian market as a prescription edicine 1970 1980 Panadol is marketed for Panadol is first time in the introduced to consumers just Supermarkets. in Pharmacies 1998 2007 New packaging Panadol rapid was introduced was launched 7 Panadol ? It is the most widely available pain reliever in the world, and leader in many. ? It competes in the analgesic market, with generics products and r egistered brands. ? All Australian Panadol products are manufactured in Sydney. 8 9 Target Market ? Panadol has segmented the market into adults and children? s presentations. ? Panadol Children’s: Parents ? Panadol Tab/ Caps : Australians 18+. Panadol Rapid : Younger female. 10 11 Panadol ? It is the most trusted brand of pain reliever in Australia. ? Panadol is a paracetamol, analgesic , effective temporary relief of any kind of pain. = ? It has led the innovation in pain relief, introducing different forms and presentations: tablets, caplets, capsules, suppositories, among others. ? Also Panadol has included line extensions in different markets: Cold & Flu, Osteo and Children’s market. 12 Packaging ? 2 blister package ? Safety seal system ? Friendly design and homogeneous. ? Relevant information for the patient. Introduced the last market leading innovation in design. Panadol Rapid 13 Price Product Price in Price per Price in Pharmacies tablet S/markets Price per ta blet Panadol Tablets 24 2,99 0,12 2,99 0,12 Herron Capsules 24 2,99 0,12 2,56 0,11 Herron Bottle Tab 60 4,69 0,08 Panadol Tablets 50 5,69 0,11 Panadol Tablets 100 8,99 0,09 ? Psychological Pricing tactic. ? Cheaper prices per larger quantities. 14 Distribution 2007 69% 22% 7% 1% 2006 69% 22% 7% 1% 0% 20% 40% Pharmacies / drugstores Convenience Stores 60% 80% 100% Supermarkets / hypermarkets Independent Retailers ? Intensive Distribution Pharmacies are the main distribution channel 15 Position on shelf P. Rapid Panadol Children Panadol Line 1 Panadol Panadol Back & Pain Line 2 Panadol Line 3 Nurofen Line 4 Nurofen Line 5 Paracetamol Coles Ibuprofen Coles Herron other products Advil Line 6 Line 7 Line 8 Line 9 ? Panadol has 43% of the Analgesic shelf. It is located in lines 1,2 and 3. 16 Advertising ? Glaxo is No. 1 in the top 10 of advertiser’s pharmaceuticals companies in Australia ? Glaxo invested $25. 8 million during 2008, with 15 million supporting Panadol, across all me dia. ? Glaxo uses all means of communication to marketPanadol, emphasising the key factors of speed and effectiveness, including its suitability for all ages 17 TV ? Panadol’s target market covers a big portion of the Population, with TV being ideal to reach a wide geographic coverage. ? Panadol has been on TV all year, it is the biggest portion in its budget. ? Panadol commercials try to make an emotional link with the consumer and uses positives reinforcement. 18 Magazines ? This year Panadol has advertised in publications such as Cosmopolitan and NW, the 2 lifestyle magazines most read in Australia. ? Magazines are good strategy for targets that share the ame interest. ? They are also a good alternative for reaching specialized targets such as physicians and pediatricians. 19 Outdoor ? Panadol is using effectively this media, reaching a large percentage of the population with a low cost per exposure ratio. ? Panadol is using this media in different forms such as Buses, Met rolites and Buses stops. 20 Internet ? The Panadol brand does not have a website on the Internet. ? In these sites there isn’t any information related to the other ranges of Panadol, or links to other Panadol sites. 21 22 Analysis †¢Panadol is in the top 10 of the Australian most trusted brands in 2009 It has a long-standing reputation of quality and realibity. †¢Panadol was ranked N. 1 in analgesic market during 2007, but was ranked N. 2 in 2008, proceeded by Neurofen, which is growing faster Analgesic Market Sales Var 0% Var 5% Sales +(000. 000) 60 40 20 Glaxo S. Reckitt B. 2006 2007 Which are the others 23 Analysis ? Panadol has implemented good marketing strategies, achievieng good Top of Mind and maintining sales level. ? It should implement Alternatives and original strategies, in order to recover its leadership. 24 25 First Aid Kit †¢It is indispensable at home †¢Increase brand presence Strategic Alliance with other products or companies †¢Any kind of promotional material. E. g. Frigde frames 26 Internet †¢It is the media, which is going to experience the most growth (10,4%) in coming years †¢It is the second most important media in Australian population. Time spent with media Average Hours per week 60 50 3 2 3 11 12 14 17 13 12 18 20 21 18-24 25-34 35-49 40 30 20 10 0 TV Internet Radio Newspapers Magazines 27 It is my choice! †¢Implement a friendly and effective website †¢Most important to interact with the customers. †¢Special contest â€Å"What have been the best choice in their lives? †. 28Environmentally friendly †¢People more concerned about the enviroment and problems in the future †¢Panadol can contribute with 2 main things: †¢Including a recycable logo in the package †¢Eliminating the plastic protection cover 29 Two more options ? Multi-branding strategy Take advantage of the high brand investment Create an identity for Panadol Brand such as: â€Å" Trusfully P anadol or Gentle with your stomach† ? Raising consumer awarness throughout pharmacies Main distribution channel (69% of sales) Implement a strong promotional campaign Train pharmacists 30 Conclusions ? Panadol is an excellent brand, that still maintain a ood top of mind in the Australian consumers. ? The implemented strategies are being effective, however is losing market share ? It is recommendable to implement alternatives strategies, as the ones suggested in this presentation. 31 Next Step.. ? Check which of the 5 strategies are chosen to be implemented. (Next meeting, 30/09/09) ? Check with financial department the cost of this strategies. ? Check the promotional budget for 2010, and include this value. 32 â€Å"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. † Steve Jobs quotes (American Entrepreneur Apple co-Founder, b. 1955) 33

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 87

Journal - Essay Example I, for instance, can now choose fast and better clothes. This makes her like it very much and her face lights up with excitement. She is genuinely happy from her emotions and tells me that I have helped her a lot since she has an interview, the following day. I finish attending to her after one hour, to my big surprise. On looking at the clothes hanger, I notice so many clothes there. They all need to be returned, follow the correct order and I have to make sure that all their tags are checked. We already have 6 clients; so many to have at the same time. Another intern is still busy and that means I have to step in and assist in cleaning up. After finishing, I go to the donation center, where I find too many clothes heaped together like a mountain. I feel dizzy and notice too many stars swirling around my eyes. One intern works from 1pm to 5 pm. We are a total of 6 interns but after 3 pm we only have 2 interns. This is really too much work and my mind is running wild with several questions like how can I tag all of them? How can I organize them? How can I measure clothes? Etc. I take a deep breath and just relax. I feel that I hate clothes right now and I am having nightmares from clothes. My intern colleague told me once that I look like a tailor when I measure pants, men suits and thus soon I will be looking like a real professional. As I ponder where to begin, I get thinking that right now I am ok with just being a personal shopper working at a donation

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

How Has the Proliferation of Privately Funded Prisons Changed the Research Paper

How Has the Proliferation of Privately Funded Prisons Changed the Criminal Justice System in America - Research Paper Example The proliferation of privately funded prisons in America began in the 1980s when privately owned companies such as the CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) and Wackenhut Corrections were listed as legitimate companies and went public in the stock market (Shichor, 1995). The privatization of prisons, which began nearly three decades ago, due to the burgeoning population of inmates in the publicly funded prisons, and its direct impact on the budget and rising costs, is a phenomenon which can be best described as the takeover of the publicly funded prisons by a group of private operators and signifies the emergence of a whole new era, that has significantly impacted the criminal justice system in the country. The contemporary private prisons business which took off after a privately funded for-profit company, the Corrections Corporation of America, offered to lease a government facility, leading to a historical contract, that any government had ever entered into with a private opera tor. The aggressive policies towards curbing drug abuse, and the resultant strengthening of the laws, further gave an impetus to the private correctional facilities as more and more inmates were seen being transferred by the federal government to such private prisons. According to Cheung (2002) the federal involvement in privatization of prisons, due to the major overcrowding of the federal prisons is one of the fundamental reasons for the proliferation of private prisons in the country. Figure: Rise in number of inmates between the period 1980-2007 Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Proponents of the privatization of prisons have argued that increased in privatization of prisons, help in cost savings thus garnering continued public as well as political support. Such a claim is backed by research conducted over the years to substantiate the hypothesis. It was observed that the private companies have significantly contributed in cost-savings by reducing cost-per-inmate and offering affordable services as compared to the public prisons (Steiner & Wooldredge 2009). However, this claim was further rejected by another study, which stated that there is hardly any difference with regard to cost-savings, since privatization has only contributed to approximately 1% savings (James & Garry, 2001). The underlying purpose of privatization of any government undertaking is to ensure better quality and effective service provision in the sector and afford cost-savings without compromising on the quality of the service delivered. Privately funded prisons have claimed that they offer better quality services as compared to public prisons, a claim which was substantiated with empirical evidence by researchers. In order to receive accreditation, prisons are required to fulfill various criteria, such as providing improved quality of services such as food, education, health etc., to the inmates; effective implementation of rehabilitative programs; and re ducing the aggressive episodes between the staff and inmates, along with various other factors such as providing a safe and healthy living environment for both the staff as well as inmates (Logan, 1991; Lanza-Kaduce & Parker, 1998; Thomas, 1997; Archambeault, 1996). In recent study conducted by Segal (2005) it was observed that merely ten percent of the public prisons were able to fulfill the criteria to receive accred

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

B plan - additional payment Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

B plan - additional payment - Outline Example Expenses incurred on Petrol have been reduced to â‚ ¬40 per week based on a revised plan to focus on basic services. i.e. design and management building services engineering projects. Smaller projects will be sub-contracted to fellow engineers that cover Leninster, Connaught and North Munster. This will reduce travel time in conducting surveys on properties beyond a distance of 30 miles from the home office. The car is also being reconfigured to run on diesel, which is a cheaper alternative. There will be no expenses on advertising during year 1. The firm will continue to use word of mouth and tap into the existing customer base. Further, expenses on training and development are expected to reduce to â‚ ¬10 per week after the completion of the Masters degree in May 2011 by availing skills net funding wherever possible. Based on these revised estimates, expenses are expected to reduce by up to â‚ ¬77 per week. I request you to examine the enclosed spreadsheet for further information on specific revisions in all key areas. I would also like to emphasize that these estimates were solely revised to reflect more realistic projections and have not been made to reflect better profits on

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Values in the Pharmaceutical Line of Business Case Study

The Values in the Pharmaceutical Line of Business - Case Study Example The key opportunities and challenges that AstraZeneca faces in this day and age include the fact that it has to have a globally competitive strategy which can counter the pressures that it receives at the hands of the players which are already thriving big time within the related market domains. This would mean that the competition is cut throat and there is absolutely no room for leniency at any cost. It faces immense competition from Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Merck and Co., and Sanofi-Aventis – all of which are globally accepted players. However, it also faces rivalry as far as its pertinent business undertakings are concerned from the local players that are thriving on the word of mouth realms and hence are penetrating strongly within the related markets (Kassirer 2005). The key challenges would be to make its basis strong so that AstraZeneca does not fall back at its infancy stage in the future. Also there must be proper e mphasis on the factor that is related with its business strategy, which relies heavily on growing the business through strengthening of the already developed products and the ones that are in the pipeline, the delivery of what has been promised, the re-shaping of the business from time to time, and lastly the promotion of a culture that is socially responsible and accountable at the same time (Hosking 2002). AstraZeneca has to prepare a business strategy that is coherent, encompasses quite a few significant areas of business and undertakes measures to resolve disputes that have a long-lasting effect and consequence for the sake of the organization. AstraZeneca must know how to take care of its customers because this is an important yardstick when it wants to establish areas where it could build upon its basis in the long run. More than anything else, there is a need to discern the exact methodology behind AstraZeneca’s policy towards attracting new customers and thus retainin g them for longer periods of time. All these points are very essential as AstraZeneca tries its best to uphold its strengths and cash in upon the opportunities that come its way.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Please analyze the following quotations the larger context of the Essay

Please analyze the following quotations the larger context of the novel Bless me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. Your answer should b - Essay Example He concluded that the mind should not be dominated by beliefs of a single religion and should not remain blind to the realities of the world. Instead he was inspired by Ultima to integrate the forces of nature with the faith of Catholicism to formulate his own opinions of the world around him. â€Å"The tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart.† This actually symbolizes Antonio’s spiritual development that he should not only rely on an external omnipotent being but also look for happiness and inspiration inside his heart. And this is what Ultima guided him about. â€Å"Always have the strength to live. Love life, and if despair enters your heart, look for me in the evenings when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills. I shall be with you† (Anaya) Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. Grand Central Publishing, 1994. Print.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Classical and Operant Conditioning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Classical and Operant Conditioning - Assignment Example For instance, wearing a pullover or a jacket for me would be a cultural response in a place that would be colder than the place I belong to. My religious beliefs too would be influenced by the place that I belong to and thus, plays a large part in determining my identity as a human being. The eating habits of a culture would refer to the manner of eating food and what it consist of. 2. Define, compare, and contrast race and ethnicity. Discuss the origin and history of each term, and discuss its social implications today. Where the word race originated from is unclear; however, there are speculations that it may have its roots in the term ‘razza’, an old Italian word that refers to the lineage of a person (American Heritage Dictionary). It is used today to distinguish between people who have similar gene pools and have certain physical features in common. Ethnicity, on the other hand, refers to the place of a person’s origin and is derived from the Greek word †˜ethnikos’, a word that means ‘people’ or ‘nation’ (The Free Dictionary). It therefore refers to a collective that is created as a result of political motives. Even today, the word is used to refer to the origins of a person. People belonging to the same ethnicity may thus, differ racially. Race is however, a biological grouping and may constitute a single ethnicity. 3. - Compare and contrast the three modes of food production strategies. Discuss the relationship between the natural environment and food production strategies. The agricultural mode of food production is the most common mode of producing food in the world. Hunting is another form, while gathering food can be another. While the agricultural mode of food production is reliable and ensures a constant supply of food, the same cannot be said about other forms of food production strategies. Hunting and gathering are modes of producing food that are largely dependent upon chance. Agricultura l forms of the production of food enable women to take a part in work outside the homes while the others, in most cultures, do not. All these strategies have the common factor of the natural environment from which food id procured. The amount of game that is present and the fertility of the soil of a particular place decide the strategy employed there. 4. Compare arranged marriages to love marriages. What purpose does each serve in a culture? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Illustrate your discussions with specific examples. Arranged marriages refer to marriages that are conducted according to the will of the parents of the couple, while love marriages are conducted according to the will of the persons who get married. Arranged marriages are a means of procreation for a line without the person involved having to make any effort on his or her own. Love marriages, on the other hand, require effort on the part of both members of a couple. Love marriages are often use d as a means of joining two large fortunes to create an even larger fortune. Love marriages often defy the conventional arrangement of the society and the divisions of class and ethnicity. While arranged marriages ensure the survival of the line, love marriages ensure that the two people involved are comfortable with each other. 5. Define the concept of sustainability and discuss its importance in today's global economy. Use specific examples to illustrate your dis

Friday, August 23, 2019

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S Essay

Interdiction and Eradication of Drugs in the U.S - Essay Example The irony is that consumption of drugs has been on the increase, criminals are making more money from their annual turnover ranging from $ 400 to 500 billion. According to a confidential report from U.K. Government, only 20 percent out of 700 tons of Cocaine and 500 tons of Heroin illegally produced is being seized by enforcement forces. Supply being plentiful, prices are reported to be ruling low at $ 70 per gram today as against $ 184 in 1990. (Glenny 2007) This report is not alone. Similar observations. abound in the other Governmental reports and NGO studies Therefore the study gains significance in the wake of such reports to examine strengths and weaknesses of the Governments' policy initiatives towards interdiction and eradication of drugs. More so, because of opinions advocating legalizing the drugs besides the fact that policy initiatives focus on eradication of poppy cultivation without offering viable alternatives to the farmers concerned. The President rolls out National Drug Control Strategy for each year incorporating three key strategies namely (1) Stopping the Use before it Starts; (2) Intervening and Healing America's Drug Users; and, (3) Disrupting the Market. The Drug Budget for FY 2008 is $12.961 billion short of $0.167 billion from last year though it is compensated by additional request for $ 266 .1 million for emergency spending in Afghanistan.(National Drug Control Strategy). The Rand Report 2005 says that every year 16 million Americans forming 7 percent of the country’s population above the age of 12 consume about $60 billion worth of illegal drugs. And invariably the surveys on Americans have reveled that â€Å"drugs’† is one of the major ten problems of the country. ... (Caulkins P et al 2005 p 13) About 3 million drug consumers are affected by serious drug related problems and about 17,000 people have died due to problems illicit drug use in the year 2000 as against 20,000 in the year 1990. In 2003, 28,723 people have died for the same reason. (McVay) President's Drug Policy of Feb 2007 says that contrary to the reports in many quarters that drugs abuse has not been checked, performance records show a positive trend towards drugs control for the past six years ever since the present incumbent took office. As against the targeted reduction of drug abuse by 10 percent within 2 years and 25 percent within 5 years, administration claims to have achieved 11 percent and 23.2 percent respectively. And this was achieved by strategic benchmarking of each month's consumption. Figures beyond five years are even higher and in terms of number of youth who gave up drug use, it is 840,000. The lessons learnt during the last six years of the President's first of its kind National Drugs Control Strategy evidence that a sound policy can bring out results. Demotivating young users, identifying chronic consumers, maintaining vigil against steroid use for performance enhancement, and monitoring the use of other drugs such as Marijuana, Methamphetamin e, Amphetamine, pain relievers like OxyContin have been the features of the broad spectrum strategy of drugs control. Basically these will fall under the key elements of the above said prevention of drug use before its commencement by the potential users, intervention and healing of the people already on drugs, and disruption of the market for illegal drugs with the sole aim of reducing drugs consumption in the

Rolls Royce business 's generic and distinctive marketing strategies Case Study

Rolls Royce business 's generic and distinctive marketing strategies - Case Study Example Economic scale comes into play as large companies like Rolls Royce can decrease of units as volumes rise. This is especially true for a large department store such like Rolls Royce, which needs to have a number of different business sectors, such as: administration, marketing, finance etc. Therefore, entry barriers are considered to be high. Large aerospace or department stores could choose where to get products from many suppliers; therefore, suppliers have less power. Aero engine industries are gaining more power in the industry, described by Craven et al. Aero engine industries are increasingly gaining more bargaining power; therefore this trend indicates that suppliers are becoming less powerful than they used to be. The influential part is that the price of products can be different mainly, even for the similar group of product, in large aero engine companies of those in a further discount type of aero engine company. Due to the dissimilarity, buyers have additional products to select from, when trying to locate and purchase an exacting product; thus switching costs of buyers are low. For Rolls Royce, which has large-scale department stores selling a wide range of aerospace industry products could be substitutes for consumers. The new trend of online shopping is another possible substitute for certain consumer groups. Industry Rivalry There are many competitors existing in the large aero space industry, the biggest of which is Aircraft; even though they direct their promotions at different target markets. In addition, dissimilar types of aero space industry, which include reduction aero aerospace industry like Target, aircraft are competing inside the similar industry of air engine. Activities 2 b Summary of industry changes since 2000 The main objective of this activity is to describe changes the UK grocery supply chain or strategic management and the relations with its suppliers to reduce costs so that company will support its cost-saving competitive advantage. (Amit, R. & Schoemaker, 2003, 33-46). This research argues that the growth in UK supermarket performance in new-fangled years has resulted in a characteristic system of retailing in the UK, and that this has a number of significant consequences for how one charge the nature of competition in this market. In exacting it means that standard approaches to review customer benefits and the attendance or nonattendance of anti-competitive behaviour may not be suitable. It is argued that UK supermarkets are bring a quite dissimilar offering to the marketplace from an easy basket of goods'' by means of a exact price and excellence. (Bashein, B. J. & Markus, M. L. 2004, 7-13). Investment in Logistics And Distribution The concluding major piece of reform of the UK food industry can be seen in the broader-scale asset in the sharing infrastructure. Logistics have turn out to be unsafe in ensuring the growth of fresh and chilled product ranges, but additional usually the centralisation of distribution in regional logistical amenities by

Thursday, August 22, 2019

A Person You Admire the Most Essay Example for Free

A Person You Admire the Most Essay â€Å"In recent decades some extreme forms of violence against children, including sexual exploitation and trafficking, female genital mutilation (FGM), the worst forms of child labour and the impact of armed conflict, have provoked international outcry and achieved a consensus of condemnation, although no rapid remedy. But in addition to these extreme forms of violence, many children are routinely exposed to physical, sexual and psychological violence in their homes and schools, in care and justice systems, in places of work and in their communities. All of this has devastating consequences for their health and well-being now and in the future.† Read more: Essay people I admire (1) Child Abuse â€Å"Child abuse is not simply any harm that befalls children. Children throughout the world suffer from a multitude of harms- malnutrition, starvation, infectious disease, congenital defects, abandonment, economic exploitation, the violence of warfare, to name a few. Not all harm that befalls children is child abuse.† (2) Child abuse is harm resulting from intentional human action. The most fundamental attribute of child abuse is that it is harmful to the child and detrimental to his/her well-being. There is also an important difference between unintentional and intentional harm. â€Å"It has been observed that what is so destructive about child abuse and neglect (as opposed to other forms of injury) is that the betrayal of the child’s trust leads to defective socialization.†(3) Child abuse is correlated with unemployment and poverty. â€Å"Rates of abuse and neglect can be thought of as indicators of the quality of life for families, and maltreatment can be viewed as a symptom, rather than a cause, of difficulties in family and individual functioning.†(4) Thus, overall rates of child abuse are higher in regions characterized by a higher proportion of low-income families and in regions with unusually high rates of unemployment. There are four main categories of child abuse: physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.(5) Physical Abuse Studies from countries around the world suggest that up to 80 to 98 % of children suffer physical punishment in their homes,(6) and it is estimated that 57,000 children under the age of 15 die as a result of physical abuse per year.(7) Physical abuse can range from minor bruises to severe  fractures or death as a result of punching, beating, hitting, shaking, or otherwise harming a child. One of the most common types of physical abuse in infants includes Shaken Baby Syndrome. (8)Emotional Abuse and Neglect Emotional abuse is behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-esteem. It may include threats, constant criticism, as well as withholding love, support, or guidance. Neglect is a pattern of failing to provide for a child’s basic physical and emotional needs. Neglect is a very common type of child abuse, and according to Child Welfare Information Gateway, more children suffer from neglect than from physical and sexual abuse combined. (9) Sexual Abuse and Child Prostitution Sexual abuse of a child is any sexual act between an adult and a child which may include sexual intercourse, incest, rape, oral sex, sodomy, inappropriate touching, or kissing. â€Å"An overview of studies in 21 countries (mostly developed) found that 7-36% of women and 3-29% of men reported sexual victimization during childhood, and the majority of studies found girls to be abused at 1.5-3 times the rate for males. Most of the abuse occurred within the family circle.† (10) Child prostitution â€Å"involves offering the sexual services of a child or inducing a child to perform sexual acts for a form of compensation, financial or otherwise.† (11) Worldwide, approximately 1 million children are forced into prostitution every year, and it is estimated that the total number of child prostitutes is as high as 10 million. â€Å"Generally children do not commit child prostitution but the adults who engage in prostitution or offer a child’s sexual services to others for ce them. It is estimated that at least 1 million girls worldwide are lured or forced into this scandalous form of child exploitation. Child prostitution is more frequent in developing countries such as Brazil and Thailand where more than 200,000 children are exploited.† (12) Child prostitution is not only a cause of death and high morbidity for millions of children, but also a gross violation of their rights. Prostitution negatively affects children’s sexual health, causes psychological harm, and puts them at risk for enduring increased violence. Sexual Health: Child prostitutes are at a high risk of contracting HIV. HIV infection rates in prostituted children range from 5% in Vietnam to 17% in  Thailand. One study reports that 50-90% of children rescued from brothels in Southeast Asia are infected with HIV. Prostituted children are also at a high risk of acquiring other STDs. For example, one study found that child prostitutes have STD rates in Cambodia of 36% and in China of 78%, compared to the 5% yearly incidence of STDs in adolescents worldwide. (13) Psychological Harm: Child prostitution also causes serious long-term psychological harm, including anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders. Prostituted children are at a high risk of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder. A study conducted in the U.S. found that 41% of pregnant prostituted adolescents reported having seriously considered or attempted suicide within the past year.(14) Violence: Prostituted children are at a high risk of enduring injuries and violence. The children may be physically and emotionally abused into submission, while girls may be beaten to induce miscarriages. A study of 475 child prostitutes in five countries found that 73% of participants had been physically assaulted while working as a sex worker, and 62% reported having been raped. (15) Child Labor Child labor is a problem worldwide, but it particularly affects children in developing countries. Child labor is characterized by full-time work at too early of an age, and too many hours spent working. The work often exerts undue physical, social, or psychological stress, hampers access to education, and may be detrimental to social and psychological development. The ILO’s Statistical Information and Monitoring Program on Child Labor recently estimated that 211 million children, or 18 % of children aged 5-14, are economically active worldwide. 60% of these working children live in Asia, and 23% live in sub-Saharan Africa. Most economically active children are employed in agriculture. For example, in Nepal, 85% of economically active children are in agriculture. In Cambodia, the rate is 73% while in Morocco it is 84%.(16) The type of child labor is the most important determinant of the incidence of work-related injuries. An estimated 6 million work-related injuries occur among children annually, which results in 2.5 million disabilities and 32,000 fatalities every year. In developing countries, children often work under hazardous conditions in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. For these children, crushing accidents, amputations, and fractures account for 10% of all work-related  injuries. Working children are not only at risk of physical injury, but are vulnerable to workplace toxins and chemical hazards as well.(17) Specific hazards vary according to the industry type. Child workers may be exposed to high temperatures, and a high risk of accidents caused by cuts and burns if they work in the brassware and glass-bangle industry. Children who work in matches and firebox shops may be exposed to chemical hazards and a risk of fire and explosion. Children who work in the carpet industry are exposed to repetitive movements, chemical hazards, inhalation of wool dust contaminated with biological agents, and inadequate working postures. Lastly, children who work in the shoe industry are often exposed to glue. (18) â€Å"Using data derived from the Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBDS), estimates of child occupational mortality rates by region were found to be comparable with adult mortality rates, indicating that the conditions in which children work are as dangerous as, or more dangerous then, those in which adults work.†(19) Child labor not only negatively affects a child’s health, but it also negatively impacts his/her ability to receive schooling and perform academically. When children are forced by their families to work, they no longer have the time to attend school. Though there are a significant number of children who go to school and work, the work may negatively impact their studies. Data from 12 Latin American countries find that third and fourth graders who attend school and never conduct market or domestic work perform 28% better on mathematics tests and 19% better on language tests than children who both attend school and work. (20) Child labor is also problematic because it creates a vicious cycle. A study conducted in Egypt found that many fathers couldn’t find work or were unemployed for health reasons that were a result of them having worked too long hours, in conditions that negatively impacted their health as children. For example, one man had worked in pottery factories since childhood and was blinded as a result. Thus, one of his sons was then forced at the age of 8 to provide for the family and engage in full-time work. (21) Low income, poverty, and poor educational institutions are the driving forces behind the prevalence of child labor worldwide. (22) â€Å"Child labor exists because education systems and labor markets do not function properly, because poor households cannot insure themselves against income fluctuations, and because perverse incentives exist that create a demand for child labor.†(23) Thus, many  families, especially those in developing countries, need extra income or can’t afford to send their children to school, so they send them to work. â€Å"Historical growth rates suggest that reducing child labor through improvements in living standards alone will take time. If a more rapid reduction in the general incidence of child labor is a policy goal, improving educational systems and providing financial incentives to poor families to send children to school may be more useful solutions to the child labor problem than punitive measures designed to prevent children from earning income.† (24)

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Supply Chain Of Motorola Smartphones Commerce Essay

Supply Chain Of Motorola Smartphones Commerce Essay In the dynamic market of smart phone competition, companies need to establish a responsive supply chain to adapt with the changing environment and Motorola is not an exception. As they introduce their innovative Droid 2 to Vietnamese market, Motorola looks for suitable solutions to strengthen their competitive supply chain, especially in this country. Through the overview of Motorolas internal and external aspects in dynamic Vietnam logistics environment, this paper exams the difficulties the enterprises supply chain is facing and proposed three possible solutions in logistics and supply chain perspectives. The strength of Motorola lies in their experience, technology, and competency in managing electronics supply chain in different countries. Although outsourcing non-core business such as transportation may cause the enterprise to lose control on the activity, yet it also enables them to focus more in their core operations. Thus, the supply chain is more adaptive to the dynamic Vietnamese logistics environment, where the transportation and information infrastructures are under-developed. They lead to five major issues for Motorola supply chain mentioned in this paper: holding high level of inventory, low lead time, inaccurate demand forecast, timeliness, and inventory condition. To solve the suggested issues, the paper proposes three logistics strategy for Motorola: transportation-based third party logistics (3PL), collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR), and using radio frequency identification (RFID). Transportation-based 3PL is expected to solve the transportation difficulties for Motorola, as well as ensuring in-transit stock quality and timeliness. CPFR enhances the collaboration between trading partners to improve forecasting, reducing lead time and decreasing the risks of overstock and stock-out. Lastly, RFID supports inventory visibility, leading to accurate inventory management and replenishment. Among the three strategies, CPFR is the most suitable for Motorola to adapt due to the advantages of collaborating, planning, and forecasting. Thus, lead time will be reduced and inventory is better managed, the burden will be shared by many firms in the supply chain, and customers will be served better. Adapting CPFR, in the first quarter of 2010, Motorola is expected to reduce forecast error to 2%, lead time to 5 days and stock-out rate to 2.5%. Although CPFR is expensive and raises risks of sharing information, the benefits of accurate forecast, shorter lead time, better managing inventory, and above all better customer services will be critical for the successful launch of Droid 2 into Vietnam. CHANNEL OF DISTRIBUTION FOR THE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR MOTOROLA Inbound logistics Outbound logistics Apparition Game Tech (software and USB pads) Indonesia supplier (components) China supplier (components) Vinaphone Mobile phone stores Department stores Electronics stores Mobile phone single stores Mobile phone store chain warehouses Camera shops Mobile phone stores Department stores Electronics stores Mobile phone single stores Mobile phone store chain warehouses Camera shops Customers Motorola Malaysia (manufacturing and assembling) Motorola Hanoi distribution centers Motorola HCMC distribution center Packaging, labeling, and manual printing provider Research and Analysis: 1.1 Description: From China and Indonesia suppliers, 60% of components will be shipped to Motorola factory in Malaysia by air. Apparition Game Tech (AGT) will ship the USB game pads to the Malaysia plant to install with the phones. AGT will also supply the software to Motorola Malaysia plant to install into the phones. In Motorola Malaysia factory, they will produce 40% of critical components of Droid 2. The mobile phones will be assembled in this factory with software installed. Then the phones will be temporarily packed. Droid 2 will be shipped to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City distribution centers. The packaging, labelling, and printing provider will deliver the packages and Vietnamese language user manuals to the distribution centres, where the final packaging will be processed. From the distribution centers, Droid 2 will be delivered to retailers, including mobile phone store chains warehouses, single mobile stores, electronics stores, department stores, and camera stores carrying cell phone. The mobile phone store chains then will deliver Droid 2 to their shops. From retailers, Droid 2 is sold to end users. Vinaphone provides SIM card for customers in the retail shops so they can use the phones. For users already having a Vinaphone account, Vinaphone will guide them to activate their 3G functions. All the transportation in the supply chain will be outsourced to third party logistics. 1.2 SWOT analysis Strength: Motorola has the technology, experience and skill in managing electronics supply chain internationally. Outsourcing the transportation for third party providers, they can focus on its core competency. With their specialization, the third parties can reduce transporting time and contribute to the responsive supply chain Motorola aims to build. The two distribution centers located in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, which have the most cohesive transportation systems in Vietnam and concentrate complex retail systems, will enable the product flow from manufacturing to distribution and retailing move smoothly. Weakness: Transportation of the supply chain will be outsourced to transportation based third party logistic service providers. Thus, Motorola may loss some control over its transportation activities and in-transit inventory. Moreover, as two partners in the supply chain, such as Motorola and its retailers, will not deal directly with each other when inventory delivered, it can weaken the collaboration and communications between them, and challenges the demand forecast ability in the supply chain. Motorola does not deal directly with Vietnamese end-users but through retailers. This creates difficulties for Motorola to adapt to the trend in smart phone market, reducing the responsiveness of the supply chain. Opportunities: Improving telecommunication infrastructure a priority of Vietnamese government, so improving the flow of information in supply chain. After WTO accession, Vietnamese logistics is more welcome to foreign investors. Third party logistics providers in Vietnam is also improving their services to more sophisticated level (Nguyen 2009), so Motorola can access to more competent third party services to fasten and improve the supply chain performance. Threat: The lack of mix transport agency (Venard 1996) forces Motorola to use more than one third party in transportation activities. The wide information sharing between the firms can raise the information security risk There is no advanced technology and information system such as EDI (Nguyen 2009.p15) to support logistics, affecting the ability for Motorola to communicate with their partners. Vietnam transportation systems is under developed with intensive roads, the lack of cargo planes and facilities (Goh Ang 2000,p.897); congested ports even in Ho Chi Minh city, only handling ships up to 25,000 DWT, causing dramatic bottleneck in supply system (Goh Ang 2000,p.901). The problems result in longer lead time and adding up logistics costs and risks, so the timeliness in Motorola distribution will also be affected. The rise in air cargo fee regarding higher demand near New Year may increase the cost of delivering USB pads to Malaysia and shipping Droid 2 in 2010. The shortage of automatic warehouse results in most material handlings are done manually (Goh Ang 2000,p.905), possibly damaging SKUs as well as lengthen lead time. Vietnamese companies are reluctant to share information (Tuang Stringer 2008.p398). This creates barriers to improve relationship and information sharing within Motorola channel partnership, decreasing demand forecasting. SWOT matrix: Strength Weakness Opportunities -Focus on improving demand management by investing in information sharing technology and improve coordination between firms in the supply chain -Continue outsource non-core activities such as transportation -Need a detailed benchmark to controlling the outsourcing activities to identify problems in those activities on time. -Maintaining and improving the relationship with third party service providers to plan the transportation as well as other activities better, which can reduce transit cost and time. Threat Choosing a local third party transportation provider since they have more understanding the roads system and transportation process. Construct an automatic distribution centers to reduce manual work in material handlings. Improve the visibility over the product flow to control the condition and timeliness of inventory and delivering. Improving partnership with firms in supply chain, especially with retailers to catch up with the trends and improve the demand forecasting. Need a strict evaluation process to choose a highly competent and responsive third party service providers 1.3 Issues: 1/ Holding high level of inventory: mostly in-transit stock due to the poor transportation infrastructure and the complicated customs procedures; safety stock due to the uncertainty in demand forecasting and transportation problems affecting supply. 2/ Long lead time: possibly regarding to the low transportation structure and vehicles, the shortage of automatic warehouse and technology facilitating ordering. 3/ Imprecise demand forecast: due to the weak relationship and communication between channel partners. 4/ Timeliness: possibly due to the unforeseen factors in transportation and material handling. Moreover, Vietnamese companies still do not pay adequate attention on on-time delivery (Nguyen 2009,p.17), which reducing the customer service quality. 5/ Inventory condition and real time information: mostly the lack of information technology to control the product flow causes this issue. Strategy Proposal: 2.1 Strategies: Considering the issues of Motorola supply chain in Vietnam, three logistics strategies are proposed to help solving the problems: transportation based third party logistics, collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment, and RFID technology. 2.1.1 Transportation based third party logistics (3PL): A company can decide to outsource its non-core business. It is the process of shifting a part of business functions within an organization to outside providers (Fawcet, Ellram Ogden 2007,p.282). Third-party logistics means using an outside provider for some logistics activities such as transportation or warehousing (Fawcet, Ellram Ogden 2007,p.283). Transportation based third-party logistics is recommended for the case of Motorola supply chain in Vietnam, which will outsource transportation activities to a third-party logistics service provider. Advantages: Cost saving and improved services, as well as better transportation solution (Bhatnagar, Sohal Millen 1999,p.573). The specialization of the provider reduces lead time and guarantees good condition for in-transit stocks. By outsourcing non-core business, the company can focus on its core business (Bhatnagar, Sohal Millen 1999, p.573). Disadvantages: The loss of control over transportation activities. Disagreement or confusion about work priorities (Harrington 1999,p.60). Since the goal of manufacturers, using transportation-based 3PL is cost saving while the service provider aims to increase revenue, horizontal conflicts may occur between them. Although transportation-base 3PL results in several disadvantages, the strategy is still a suitable solution for transportation for Motorola supply chain. Due to the poor infrastructure of Vietnamese transportation system, there is high transporting risks. The transportation-base 3PL provider, with their specialized understanding of the system and customs procedures, has the ability to foresee and prevent risks in transporting. Thus, the stocks can be delivered on time. Moreover, lead time can be reduced due to providers specialization and highly invested facilities. Using their well-equipped vehicles, 3PL provider can also ensure the condition of in-transit stock, which is very important for electronics products such as Droid 2. Overall, customer service will be improved 2.1.2 Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR): CPFR is an approach to coordinate activities such as production and purchasing planning, forecasting demand and stock replenishment between trading partners in supply chain base on Web technology (Fliedner 2003). It improves forecasting and increase product availability using synchronized replenishment, so customers will be served better at lower cost (Fawcet, Ellram Ogden 2007,p.482). The strategy required an intense collaboration between trading partners and technology system such as EDI to facilitate the information exchange. The strategy includes nine main activities. Activities in CPFR process (Danese 2007,p182) After agreeing on working methods, how to solve problems and location of meeting, collaborative partners join business plan together. Each company will do their own sales forecast and share them on an CPFR system. If there is too many differences in the two forecasts, the system will alert them and both partners will get together to solve and produce an accurate forecast. After that, manufacturer will forecast the way they produce and supply for retailer, as retailer will also forecast how to receive the order, and CPFR system will ensure the two order forecasts are matched, otherwise two parties will sit together again to work out the difference. Then, the CPFR forecast will be translated into production and replenishment plan, and order delivery (Coyel et al 2009,p.252). CPFR business model (Coyel et al 2009.p153). Advantages: Increase accurate forecasting, leading to better match between supply and demand (Murphy Wood 2008). Reduce inventory holding due to accurate forecasting and replenishment. Disadvantages: The risk of sharing sensitive information to other companies (Fliedner 2003). The high cost of implementing technology (Fliedner 2003), especially EDI system for information exchange. Although the system is complex and costly, a technological enterprise such as Motorola is able to adapt and utilize CPFR. CPFR reduces order response times for retailers and cycle times for manufacturers, so the strategy will contributes to shorter lead time of Motorola supply chain overall. Moreover, the accurate CPFR forecast will enhance on-time delivery the products to customer, especially in cases of introducing upgrading AGT software or a new Droid version. Furthermore, accurate forecasting increases the certainty in demand, so preventing overstock and stock-out as well as reducing safety stock holding cost, for both manufacturer and retailers. Thus, obsolescence and deterioration inventories will also be lower (Flidner 2003), which improve the stock condition, which is very important for phones batteries. Overall, applying CPFR will contribute to the performance and customer service of responsive Motorola supply chain. 2.1.3 Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology: Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a high level of using barcode, reading the information through radio frequency. RFID tag and reader are two main components of RFID system. A microchip is sticked to RFID tag and data will be written on it. The tag is placed on objects or smart cards, and the data can be read by RFID reader through radio signals (Hansen et al 2008,p.1). Unlike barcode, RFID reader does not need to reach the surface of the tag to read information. The data is transferred to the main server and shared to other information systems. RFID system (Reproduced from The Major Learn) Advantages: RFID improves inventory visibility and real time information. It enhances the control over inventory. RFID shortens lead time by reducing manual works in logistics processes. Disadvantages: Security: using RFID readers, competitors, or criminal can track the sensitive data from the tag to use against the company. Moreover, consumers privacy can be violated by too much information about them are shared through RFID. The cost of RFID implementation is expensive as a tag may cost between $0.15 to $0.75 (Michael McCathie 2005,p.6). RFID is highly recommended to be used from the manufacturing plant in Malaysia, not only Motorola Vietnam. RFID gives real time information, which assists other methods of cooperation such as CPFR (Hansen et al 2008,p.13). The inventory and product flow will become visible for the supply chain. Therefore, the manufacturer and distributors will produce and replenish for their retailers the right quantity, on time, minimizing inventory holding. Furthermore, smart phone and its accessories are highly vulnerable, and RFID will help ensure the condition of Droid 2 storage and movement as well as minimize human errors in handling the stocks. Moreover, with automatic tracking on the inventory, RFID reduces picking time, resulting in shorter lead time. And the same as CPFR, Motorola has the technological experience and budget to adapt RFID. Explanation of the Multi-criteria Decision Matrix (Appendix 1) Among the three proposed strategies, CPFR is the most suitable strategy applying for Motorola supply chain. The responsive supply chain system concerns on time, so the short lead time and accurate forecast are critical. By strengthening the connection and collaboration between manufacturer and retailer in the supply chain, CPFR significantly improves the forecast to match real demand, ensuring product availability, which strengthens Motorolas competitiveness better than the others. With the planned operation and transportation, risks and lead time will be reduced. It maintains on-time delivery. Moreover, accurate production and replenishment also prevent stock out and overstock, so the cost of holding inventory is lower and the obsolete inventory can be minimized. Overall, CPFR help the Motorolas supply chain solve the broad set of issues over the two other strategies. It helps the supply chain to be more adaptive and responsive to the changing environment of smart phone market as we ll as overcome Vietnamese logistics issues. An illustration of this is JK Computers Ltd, a 3C products retailer, collaborates with its supplier, Synnex Logistics using CPFR (Chang et al 2007). After together formulating the working mechanism, JP transmits sales and inventory data to supplier in regular basic to confirm on replenishment. If there is a difference, supplier will respond to JP, so JP then identifies another supplier using its database. However, the replenishment will be approved, and supplier will inform JP about the replenishing amounts to each store on agreed time, then processing the order. After delivery, the stores put the date to information system and transmit to the head office. The replenishment is done and payment is collected monthly. Adapting CPFR with Synnex Logistics, JPs stockout rate decreased 4.95% to 2.49%, ROI increased from 1 to 1.5, capital turnover raised from 1.33 to 1.75 and service level improved from 95.05% to 97.51% (Chang et al 2007). 2.3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): For Motorola manufacturer and retailers in the first quarter of 2010: Reducing forecast error from 5% to 2% from January 2010. Shortening lead time from 7 days to 5 days in three months. Reducing stock-out rate from 5% to 2.5% in three months. A benchmark to control the above KPIs will be formed. A weekly report will be sent to manufacturer, distributors, and retailers about the overall performance to take appropriate correction together if goals are not achieved, ensuring final KPIs reached. 2.4 Costs and Benefits of CPFR implementation: Benefits Costs Significantly improving demand forecast and planning. Better planning and simpler procedures passed between manufacturer and retailers. Thus, lead time will be reduced Stock-out, overstock can be minimized Holding less inventory so reducing cost Ensuring items will be delivered on time and in good conditions High risks: Sensitive information shared maybe caught by competitors. High cost of implementation CPFR system and facilities, and training staff Time consumed in meeting to overcome the lack of trust and set up front-end agreement. Aggregate concerns with number of forecasting and generation (Fliedner 2003). References: Bhatnagar, R Sohal, A Millen, R 1999, Third party logistics services: a Singapore perspective, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, vol. 29, no. 9, pp. 569-587, viewed 7 December 2009, Emerald Management Xtra database. Chang, T Fu, H Lee, W Lin, Y Hsueh, H 2007, A study of an augmented CPFR model for the 3C retail industry, Supply chain management: An international journal, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 200-209, viewed 8 December 2009, Emerald Management Xtra database. Coyle, J Langley, C Gibson, B Novack, R Bardi, E 2008, Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective, 8th edn, Cengage Learning, USA. Danese, P 2007, Designing CPFR collaborations: insights from seven case studies, International Journal of Operation Production Management, vol.27, no. 2, pp.182, viewed 7 December 2009, Emerald Management Xtra database. Fawcett, S Ellram, L Ogden, J 2007, Supply chain management from vision to implementation, Pearson Education, USA, pp.282-283. Fliedner, G 2003, CPFR: an emerging supply chain tool, Industrial Management Data System, vol 103, no. 1, pp. 14-21, viewed 7 December 2009, Emerald Management Xtra database. Goh, M Ang, A 2000, Some logistics realities in Indochina, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, vol.30, no. 10, viewed 6 December 2009, Emerald Management Xtra database. Hansen, W, Gillert, F, Cox, K Schmid, V 2008, RFID for the optimization of business process, John Wiley Sons, Great Britain. Harrington, L 1999, 3PL subcontracting: whos handling your business? Transportation distribution, vol. 40, issue 6, pp.60, viewed 7 December 2009, Business Source Premier database. Michael,K McCathie,L 2005, The pros and cons of RFID in supply chain management, University of Wollongong, viewed on 2 November, 2009, Nguyen, H 2009, Logistics system Vietnam versus Singapore, Vietnam logistics review, vol. 22, no.1, pp. 15-18. Nguyen, PT 2009, Expectations for Vietnamese 3PL service businesses, Vietnam logistics review, viewed 6 December 2009, . TheMajorLearn 2008, Overview RFID Guardian software, viewed on 10 November 2009, . Tuang, A Stringer, C 2008, Trust and commitment in Vietnam: the industrial distributors perspective, International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 905, viewed 7 December 2009, Emerald Management Xtra database. Venard, B 1996, Vietnamese distribution channels, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 32, viewed 6 December 2009, Business Source Premier database.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Ethical Dilemmas In The Movie Wall Street Philosophy Essay

Ethical Dilemmas In The Movie Wall Street Philosophy Essay WALL STREET is an American movie directed by Oliver Stone. It Street takes us to the front lines of an industry that has recently undergone a decline in values and ethics that once were the cornerstone of American business. The movie deals with many ethical issues. The movie portrays two characters in particular; one is Gordon Gekko, a wealthy unscrupulous corporate player, played by Michael Douglas and Bud Fox, a young and dynamic stock broker, played by Charlie Sheen. The main focus of the economic aspects of the movie is how greed contributes to our society. The movie begins with Bud Fox, who spends his work time calling people to sell them shares and to provide them investment plans. He is quite desperate to get to top. He aims to sell shares to Gekko, make him his client. Bud is a young stockbroker who comes from a working-class family and Gekko is a millionaire who Bud admires and wants to be associated with. Buds father is a blue-collared airline maintenance foreman. He works for Blue-star Airline, which has a prominent role in the movie. Bud is so desperate to make Gekko his client and so reaches his office one early morning to wish him on his Birthday and pitches him some stocks which he had been analyzing over some time. However Gekko seems unimpressed. Realizing that Gekko might not do business with him, he passes on insider information regarding the Blue-star Airlines where his father works. The information is that the Airline was involved in some crash case and that the airline will be exonerated in that crash case and thus wil l come over the suspension and will look at expanding services. Thus, after this information revelation Gekko becomes Buds client. One of the issues covered in this movie is of Insider Information. This will be discussed in detail later in the text. An appreciative Gekko takes Bud under his wing, but compels him to unearth new information by any means necessary, including becoming a partner in a cleaning company to gain access to confidential files in the offices of the clients of the cleaning company. Thus in an effort to become wealthy Bud resorts to wrong means. Bud becomes wealthy, enjoying Gekkos promised perks, including a corner office with a view, a penthouse on  Manhattans Upper East Side. Gekko asks Bud to buy large quantities of stock in a paper company, Teldar, a failing company which Gekko wants to takeover and turn around. Bud does this by enlisting his friends as  straw buyers  of the stock and giving them a cut of the proceeds (Here as well he uses his friends as a means to support his wrong doings by offering them a share of his salary. In a way it accounts for bribery, another ethical issue). It is at the Teldar annual stockholders meeting where Gekko gives his infamous Greed is good speech. There is a fa mous quote which Douglas says as follows: Greed for lack of a better word is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed you mark my words will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. In the road to perdition, Bud does several acts which are against his principles but still to achieve confidence of his boss, he does them. These tasks include following Lawrence Wildman, business rival of Gekko to trace his movement and analyze his possible actions. In this way again Gekko ends up making millions of Dollars. Bud in the mean time gains complete confidence of his boss. He suggest and idea to Gekko. The plan was to buy Blue-star airlines and expand it using the savings achieved by union concession. Bud approaches his father to get union support for this turnaround of the company. The situation takes a dramatic turn when Bud learns that Gekko plans to sell off Bluestars assets and in the process, thus leave Carl and the entire Bluestar staff unemployed, however making Bud extremely rich as the president of Bluestar. Angered by Gekkos decision, and burdened with the guilt of being a scapegoat to Bluestars destruction, Bud chooses his father as his mentor and resolves to foil Gekkos plans. He creates a plan to keep Bluestar airlines out of the reach of Gekko. He decides to keep the stock prices move down so that Gekko decide to sell of his stock, and at that lower price he convinces Gekkos rival Mr. Wilderman to buyback the stocks, who then becomes the airlines majority stock owner. Gekko, whe n realizes that his stock has plummeted, finally decides to dump his continued interest in the company. Thus, Bud again used wrong means of manipulating stock prices, but this time for the good of his people.   Gekko, eventually comes to know that Bud had engineered the entire scheme. So, the following day, when Bud jubilantly goes back to work, everyone was curiously in a grave mood. He is confronted by the police and the  Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), who had became doubtful of Bud when they detected that he placed an unusually large buy order of Teldar stock, which was monitored and thus picked up by StockWatch. Bud is placed under arrest, handcuffed, and taken out of the office in tears. In the end Bud meets Gekko in central park where Bud is viciously attacked by Gekko. Gekko in innocence while assaulting him mentions of his involvement in the illegal business transactions. Bud actually records all his acceptances in a recorder, which he later hands over to the police. CHARACTERS CENTRAL TO THE MOVIE: Bud Fox: Bud Fox as a person is very ambitious stock broker who makes $50,000 a year in salary. His father is Carl, who is a worker at BlueStar Airlines. Bud was offered a job at Bluestar Airlines, however he declined the offer because he wanted to pursue his dream. He believes he must make himself a major player in the market at any cost and later in the film he proves this to us. His goal is to bag the elephant which means doing business with one of the bigger investors in the financial markets of Wall Street. He is an ambitious person and the way he purchased expensive gifts like cigars in order to get opportunities shows his go-getter attitude in life. Gordon Gekko: Gecko is an arbitrager in the business world. An arbitrager is one who searches for information about firms that are wreck able. Once a potential firm is found and taken over the arbitrager can then make lucrative profits through liquidation of the taken over companies assets. One might say that Gecko is driven by greed because he doesnt care about those people in the company or their future only his bank account. He has all the wealth in the world, but still he lusts for more and more of it. He value information the most, information obtained by any means. In the pursuit of his goals he looks for poor but smart people who could go that extra mile to get him information. He understood that his greed cannot stand all by itself, thus he strategized to spread his greed over to his workers. By making Bud greedy for more money, a better life-style, status etc. he made Bud do all the tasks which he otherwise would not be ready to do. He convinced the young stock broker that GREED IS GOOD. The eastern philosophy that greed is the starting point of self-destruction becomes true in Gordons case. Carl (Buds Father): The character is played by Martin Sheen. He plays an important character in the movie. He is the person who changes Bud at the right moment. He makes him realise that the best thing in the world is to create value, not to buy and sell dreams for others. It is because of Carl that Bud undergoes a change of mind and decides to act in a way that is for the larger good of the society rather than his personal good. Also Carl has very high moral values as was justified by his actions of not letting himself be involved in selling off the company to Gekko and his support or the unions. Effect of movies on Society: Movies in particular and Mass media in general has a strong impact on the society. The roles that are portrayed in movies leave a long term mark on its audience. Movies form an ideal mode of communicating ones ideas to a large group of people. Thus, one should be very sensible while trying to address an issue to the audience. The way the hero portrays himself in the film will be emulated by the fans and this might end up having serious consequences. In the  attitude  of the hero throughout the film,  he will not show any respect to any individual. As these film stars have got a huge number of fan followers,  the attitude portrayed by the hero in the film will be seriously followed by the fan followers also in their real-life situations. It is not only the uneducated youth who follow stars blind folded but also the educated people who know in the mind that all this does not make any sense, but accept it by heart. Ethics in movies: Thus, as we have seen that movies have a major impact on the society, this source should be used to spread ethical behavior, virtues in the society. There have been many tries in this direction, which include movies like No Country for Old men, Blood Diamond, Wall Street. These kinds of movies move the audience and make them think as what is right and what is wrong. Thus, we should try preaching these concepts of ethics through motion pictures. ISSUES: The issues that we thought could be discussed with ethical angle were Insider information Bribery Manipulation of stocks Each of the above issues will be discussed in detail. These issues are so relevant in the current market conditions. But still in order to tackle these issues, stringent laws have been made by the government. But still such cases do happen, examples could be taken of Billionaire galleon group founder Raj Rajarathnam, Anil Kumar, Board member on ISB. INSIDER INFORMATION: Insider trading  is the trading of a  corporations  stock  or other  securities  (e.g.  bonds  or  stock options) by individuals with potential access to non-public information about the company. In some of the countries the law says that members inside the organization can trade, if this trading is done in a way that does not take into account the non-public information. n the United States and several other jurisdictions, trading conducted by corporate officers, key employees, directors, or significant shareholders (in the U.S., defined as beneficial owners of ten percent or more of the firms equity securities) must be reported to the regulator or publicly disclosed, usually within a few business days of the trade. But still insider trading is supposed to be increasing the cost of capital for issuers, thus hampering the economic growth. There are two types of insider trading based on the laws in the country, Legal insider trading and illegal insider trading. Legal Insider trading: Legal trades by insiders are common, as employees of publicly-traded  corporations  often have stock or stock options. These trades are made public in the US through  SEC filings, mainly  Form 4. Prior to 2001, US law restricted trading such that insiders mainly traded during windows when their inside information was public, such as soon after earnings releases. Section in law clarified that the U.S. prohibition against insider trading does not require proof that an insider actually used  material nonpublic information  when conducting a trade; possession of such information alone is sufficient to violate the provision.   For example, if a corporate insider plans on retiring after a period of time and, as part of his or her retirement planning, adopts a written, binding plan to sell a specific amount of the companys stock every month for the next two years, and during this period the insider comes into possession of material nonpublic information about the company, any subsequent trades based on the original plan might not constitute prohibited insider trading. Illegal insider trading: Rules against insider trading on  material non-public information  exist in most jurisdictions around the world, though the details and the efforts to enforce them vary considerably. The United States is generally viewed as having the strictest laws against illegal insider trading, and makes the most serious efforts to enforce them. A trading done by a 3rd party on the information given by the person related to the company would account for Insider trading. A new implication for the Insider trading law has been formed, it is misappropriation theory. It says that  anyone who misappropriates (steals) information from their employer and trades on that information in  any  stock (not just the employers stock) is guilty of insider trading. AMERICAN INSIDER TRADING LAW: United States has compiled many laws to curb insider trading. US has been on the fore-front to make laws directed at curbing insider trading. These are:- Common law SEC regulations Although there have been many counter arguments for legalizing Insider trading in US. There are many Economists and legal scholars who argue that laws making insider trading illegal should be revoked. They say that by having non-public insider information the investors are benefitted, by more quickly introducing information in the market. Others argue that Insider trading is a legal pact between the seller and buyer, wherein seller owns the property (legally). BRIBE: It is an act wherein an individual in order to be benefitted by any other individual or to get any favor done gifts something to that individual. Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption, is an act implying money or gift given that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery accounts for crime, no matter in what circumstance it is given. Corruption and bribery goes hand in hand, corruption has social and economic consequences on people and business around the globe. Corruption has been considered evil by people everywhere in the world. Most are given to public officials to make them change the rules or break the laws that were made for the common good. We can take examples from our daily lives, when we are caught without license, the first thing we do is pay bribe to the police officer so that he may let us go. Bribe may be given in two cases, one is given when we want the authority to change the rules all together and the other is when we want to expedite the process. In the movie as well we see the Bud Fox in order to park money of Gekko into the accounts of his friends offers them incentives. In the book, the economist a mention of a very important point is made, that people act as per incentives. Thus, in order to meet his ends Fox induces his friends to be accomplice in the process. MANIPULATION OF STOCKS: Market manipulation  describes a deliberate attempt to interfere with the free and fair operation of the market and create artificial, false or misleading appearances with respect to the price of, or market for, a  security. Market manipulation is prohibited in the United States  and other countries by acts in the respective companies.  The Act defines market manipulation as transactions which create an artificial price or maintain an artificial price for a tradable security. This manipulation can occur in several ways:- Pools: This includes an agreement wherein a group of traders delegate authority to a single manager to trade for a specific period of time and then share the profits or loss. Churning: When a trader places both buy and sell orders at about the same price. The increase in activity is intended to attract additional investors, and increase the price. Runs: When a group of traders create activity or rumors in order to drive the price of a security up. An example is the  Guinness share-trading fraud  of the 1980s. In the US, this activity is usually referred to as  painting the tape. Ramping: Actions designed to artificially raise the market price of listed securities and to give the impression of voluminous trading, in order to make a quick profit. Bear Raid: Attempting to push the price of a stock down by heavy selling or short selling. In the movie we see that, Fox in order to take revenge on Gekko, asks his fellow traders to start selling the stock so that the stock prices plummets the stocks of Blue star Airlines, so that Gekko gets rid of the stock without getting much hurt. In the same way we have seen that in order to increase the stock price earlier in the movie, he asks his friends to advise their respective clients to purchase stock of interest. Ethical Theories: In the movie the ethical dilemmas that we see primarily is the difference in the ethical valuation that Bud, Gekko and Carl do. Some of the theories highlighted are: Gekko is a person having psychological egoism. He believes that all actions are prompted by selfish desires. It maintains that self-oriented interests ultimately motivate all human actions. Another theory that comes across is the deontological theory, which states that we all have certain clear obligations we have as human beings such as to care for our children, and to not commit murder. In the movie Carl shows moral values where he chooses his union and co-workers at Bluestar airlines over sharing profit made by his son. Consequentialist theory is also one of the principles that we see in the movie being highlighted. This theory states that An action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable. When Gordon Gekko thinks his thinking can be termed as unethical based on this theory. This is because the bad consequences of his action like the Bluestar employees losing their jobs and the Shareholders losing their money far outweighs the good consequences of Gekko getting huge returns on his investment. Social Contract Theory In the movie Wall Street, Gekko can justify his actions according to the above theory. This theory propounds the view that persons moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement between them to form society. In the place Wall Street, there exists a dog-eat-dog world. Therefore in order to survive one has to adhere to Wall Street norms. Bud as a newcomer has to adjust in order to stay and flourish there and not try to change it. CONCLUSION: The movie Wall Street portrays a very strong social context emerging on the Wall Street, where competition and the urge to make more money have left no room for ethical decision making. This movie sensitizes us with a dilemma which a young dreamer faces when he faces the practicality of the real world. In order to make big bucks he has to make a decision against his moral principles. He does take it, however sooner realizes that this chase for money is a never ending chase and will make a monster out of him. He therefore retraces his steps back. Although it came at a cost of him getting arrested, he had no qualms regarding his decision. Concluding about the actions taken by the characters in the movie can be controversial, as suggested because both sides can give their points based on different theories and explanation; however as a group we strongly feel that Bud did make a very ethical decision. Everyone does mistakes. As a newcomer, it was natural of him to get impressed by the bigwigs of the industry. However what distinguished him was the force and strength of his character, by which he listened to his own true inner voice. In the last scene when Bud fox encounters Gekko he very truly and aptly says to Gekko that I guess I realized, Im just Bud Fox. As much I wanted to be Gordon Gekko, Ill always be Bud Fox.

Monday, August 19, 2019

What Does The Author Of Sir Ga :: essays research papers

The author of the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight teaches the reader many different things about facing challenges such as how they come unexpecteantly and how they must be faced. Throughout the ballad there are numerous refernces to the challenges that Sir Gawain and the different ways that he must deal with them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author shows that people have to face a challenge straight on. You cannot run away and hope that the problem will go away. One reason for this is that challenges, unless dealt with, will follow you forever. An expample of this is the challenge that the Green Knight bestows upon Sir Gawain. He must find the Green Knight in a year and a day to have the Green Knight hit him with a weapon of his choosing. The author shows through the description of chivarly that if Sir Gawain were not hold up his end of the deal, the knights and the people of Camalot would be forever shamed by his presence. The author shows that challenges cannot be lefy alone, they must be faced straight on and dealt with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Ballad the author also shows that challenges can come from unexpected sources and that these also cannot be ignored. That is shown in the ballad through the example of the challenge that arose from the Green Knight. The challenge is aimed at King Authorm but is spontaneously taken on by Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain has no time to prepare for the challenge and only took it to protect his king. With a little forethought and knowledge, he might have concluded that the challenge was not woth the risks. There are other examples of unexpected challenges, such as the problems he had during his travel for the court of King Arthur to the Green Chapel. These challenges came up as he was traveling and he had no choice about taking them on, it was that or for him to die. The other main challenge was from the lady of the house. This challenge was totally unexpected; Sir Gawain did not even know that it was a challenge until his talk with the Green Knight right at the end. Sir Gawain did not know that the Green Knight was testing the young knight to see how strong his sense of chivalry really is.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

motivation Essay example -- essays research papers

One’s personality can be understood from the people they mingle with.† With this said, I find myself most influenced and inspired by personalities similar to mine. Whether it is an innate biological factor or a result of my upbringing, I find myself to be an anthology of all the personalities within my immediate family. My family’s personalities and leadership qualities are all similar and have been highly instrumental in my own personality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One would ask, â€Å"what type of personalities do your family possess?† My mother, the most influential personality and leader in my life is a complete replica of what I want to be, and with time, what I will be. According to the â€Å"Big Five Personality Dimensions,† my mother is extremely outgoing, â€Å"very goal oriented† and â€Å"responsible,† exceptionally â€Å"confident† and â€Å"stable,† and very open to new ideas. However, when analyzing my mother under the â€Å"agreeableness† dimension, my mother is by no means â€Å"aloof,† she is indeed good-natured, but not to the point where I would deem her an exceedingly â€Å"warm† and â€Å"considerate.† In my eyes, these qualities are key to becoming a successful leader both in the corporate world and in life in general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the x and y theory, my mother is a strong believer in the x-theory. The x-theory states, â€Å" the average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if possible.† It short, it goes on to explain that people must be â€Å"directed...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Cultural Changes: the Effect on Art

Cultural Changes: The Effect on Art You’re an artist during WWI, bombs exploding everywhere, innocent people even children losing their lives, how will you express your intense anger and sadness towards the events that are taking place? The frustration towards war and other social, political or cultural changes can bring about different responses from different people. When it comes to art, art movements are created out of the need for people to communicate their reactions to these changes. Whether they admire them or despise them, their central goal is to show how they feel about them. I’m going to start out with the art movement Dadaism. This movement was roughly between the years of 1916-1924. Some of the major artists were Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, George Grosz, Francis Picabia and Man Ray. The Dadaism movement was a protest against the brutality of the War and the strictness in both art and everyday society (Dadaism, n. d. ). Artists were so fed up with everyday life that they did everything they could to go against the norm when it came to art. Whatever art stood for at the time, Dada represented the complete opposite. If art was intended to have a message, Dada went all out to have no meaning. With the order of the world destroyed by World War I, Dada was a way to express the confusion that was felt by many people as their world was turned upside down† (Dadaism, n. d. ). These artists used any public medium they could find to figuratively spit on nationalism, rationalism, materialism and any other -ism that they felt contributed to a senseless wa r (Esaak, n. d. ). They used this as a way to protest the war and other social injustices. They felt if society was going to handle problems by going to war, they didn’t want anything to do with society or its customs especially when it came to art. Using an early form of Shock Art, the Dadaists thrust mild obscenities, scatological humor, visual puns and everyday objects (renamed as â€Å"art†) into the public eye† (Esaak, n. d. ). One of the artists even painted a mustache on the Mona Lisa and made obscene notes underneath. The community was completely disgusted, which the artists found very encouraging because that was the reaction they were aiming for. Dada was planned to instigate an emotional reaction of shock or anger and once it no longer did, it became useless. My second movement is Futurism. This movement was roughly between the years of 1907-1944. Some of the major artists were Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni, Kasimir Malevich, and Liubov Popova. â€Å"Futurism was presented as a modernist movement celebrating the technological, future era† (Futurism, n. d. ). These artists wanted to represent art in terms of the technological age. They hated middle class virtues and the ideas of the past. They also wanted to represent art completely different from the sappiness of Romanticism. Futurism glorified war and supported the development of Fascism. It criticized traditional conventionalism, demanded social changes, and pointed out all of the faults of a corrupt government (McLaughlin, n. . ). The Futurist painters used repetition of lines, wide range of angles, brilliant colors, and flowing brush strokes to create a dimension of time and the illusion of movement. (Futurism, n. d. ). Futurists thrived on the imitation of speed, noise, and machines (McLaughlin, n. d. ). It embraced everything that the new world was creating and used new techniques and technology to produce the work. The nature of futurism was intended to instigate public anger and amazement, to stimulate controversy, and to attract widespread attention (Pioch, 2002). My third movement is Fascism and Socialist Realism. This movement was roughly between the years of 1920-1940. The fascist building style conveyed power and control (Order from Stone, n. d. ). This is something that is completely characteristic of Nazi principles. It was also another way for Hitler to show his power to the world. The buildings needed to be impressive and intimidating to express Nazi ideals of order and strength (Order from Stone, n. d. ). Architects used stark facades with columns, pilasters, and clean lines on a massive scale to create a new aesthetic (Order from Stone, n. . ). â€Å"They cultivated an aesthetic of order, using minimal decoration and emphasizing straight lines† (Order from Stone, n. d. ). Symmetry was important to Hitler because this was believed to create the image of order. Hitler wanted the buildings to be resilient and noticeable representations of Nazi ideals. Hitler also worked with architects to create massive assembly halls and grounds where the German people could gather and show their patriotism during speeches and rallies. â€Å"Like all other forms of art during the Nazi regime, architecture was a tool of the state† (Order from Stone, n. . ). This architecture was just another way for the Nazis to control the lives of the German people. Fascism also showed itself in Socialist Realism. Some of the major artists were Semyon Chuikov, Sergei Gerasimov, Arkady Plastov, Sergei Merkurov, and Vera Mukhina. Socialist Realism was a type of art in Soviet Russia and other Communist countries that involved an objective reflection of real life to educate and inspire the masses, and an uncritical glorification of the State (Chilvers, 1999). This art movement portrays the working class as being heroic. Socialist Realism paintings were mostly of domestic scenes, portraits, landscapes, farms, and patriotic scenes. As for sculptures, the usual creation was of heroic statues. This art was severely restricted in form and content. It was also seen as a powerful propaganda tool and as long as it followed the guidelines set by the communist party, it was accepted. Finally during the Post War Era we have the Abstract Expressionism movement. This movement was roughly between the years of 1945-1965. Some of the major artists were Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston and Robert Motherwell. Abstract expressionism was specifically an American post-World War II art movement† (Abstract Expressionism, n. d. ). â€Å"After WWII, with images of the Holocaust everywhere, it seemed redundant for socially-aware artists to paint these same images when a photograph was much more powerful† (Abstract Expressionism, n. d. ). With so much death and d estruction after the war, artists wanted to focus on producing paintings that were more lively, fun, and colorful. Artists began to look at color and shape and were painting whole canvases orange or blue. These works were formed in a particular geographical setting and showed a specific attitude. Artists also paid close attention to the surface quality as well as texture and used large canvases. Abstract Expressionism emphasized the portrayal of emotions rather than objects and most painters favored large canvasses, dramatic colors, and loose brushwork (Art History: Abstract Expressionism, 2009). Artists of this movement wanted to give emphasis to the accident or chance in their paintings, but they mostly planned how they were going to carry it out. Therefore, artists took advantage of any mistakes that occurred during the painting process. Abstract Expressionist paintings consisted of shapes, lines, and forms meant to create a separate reality from the visual world† (Art History: Abstract Expressionism, 2009). Artists saw painting as an expression of emotion and as a way to visually communicate to the public. There are two types of Abstract Expressionism, Action Painting and Color Field Painting. Action painters wanted to show paint texture and the movement of the arti st’s hand. Color Field painters were concerned with color and shape in order to construct peaceful and spiritual paintings without the representation of a theme. The philosophy of Abstract Expressionism searches for answers to the questions of human existence and addresses personal psychological battles, the external struggle between man and nature, and the hunt for spiritual comfort† (Art History: Abstract Expressionism, 2009) In conclusion, we can see that these art movements were created out of the need for people to communicate their reactions to social changes. Whether they admired them or despised them, artists expressed their feelings about them in some way. Dadaism was a protest against the brutality of the War and other social injustices. Their paintings expressed an anti-war and anti-norm attitude. Futurism celebrated technology and thrived on speed, noise, and machines. It despised middle class virtues, ideas of the past, and Romanticism. The fascist building style needed to be impressive and intimidating to express order and strength. It was also a way to have complete control over the German people. Socialist Realism was meant to inspire the masses and glorify the state. During the post war era, abstract expressionism searched for answers to human existence and used a style meant to create a separate reality from the visual world. It wanted to get away from painting the harshness of the war and focused on expressing a more colorful, lively, and fun feeling. All of these movements are similar in that they were a response to the social, political, and cultural changes of the time. In addition, the artists intended to send a message to its viewers. These messages were meant to control the actions of or get a specific reaction from its audience. In some way or another, they all managed to accomplish this. ? Bibliography Abstract expressionism (Late 1940’s – early 1960’s). (n. d. ) Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www. untfor. com/arthistory/C20th/absexpress. htm Art history: Abstract expressionism: (1940-1955). (2009, September). Retrieved January 20, 2010 from http://wwar. com/masters/movements/abstract_expressionism. html Chilvers, I. (1999). Socialist realism: A dictionary of twentieth-century art. Retrieved February 14, 2010, from http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1O5-SocialistReali sm. html Dadaism(1916-1924). (n. d. ). Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www. huntfor. com/arthistory/C20th/dadaism. htm Esaak, S. (n. d. ). Dada – Art history 101 basics: The non-art movement (1916-23). Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://arthistory. about. com/cs/arthistory10one/a/dada. htm Futurism (1909-1914). (n. d. ) Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www. huntfor. com/arthistory/C20th/futurism. htm McLaughlin, N. (n. d. ). Futurism art. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://virtualology. com/hallofartmovements/futurismart. com/ Order from stone: Nazi architecture. (n. d. ) Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://sitemaker. umich. edu/artunderfascism/architecture Pioch, N. (2002, October). Futurism. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www. ibiblio. org/wm/paint/glo/futurism/