Burger King SWOT Analysis

Strength: Burger King serves a lot of burgers that is typically not available in other fast foodrestaurant. Some of the examples are, BK Mushroom Swiss which serves beef patty and topped withmushroom sautà ©ed sauce, Grilled Chicken burger which is prepared by grilling the chicken patty andothers. Most of the burgers prepared in Burger King are cooked by properly grilling them over fire. Burger King also serve varieties of side dishes in their restaurants such as mozzarella sticks, apple pie,Hershey's pie and others.Weakness: Burger King does not advertise their products like their competitors do. Muslims who arenot familiar with Burger King would hesitate to try out their burgers as they are not sure whether it ishalal or not. Burger King also could not produce more sales than McDonald's because of lackmarketing strategy which would place them in a disadvantage spot in areas dominated byMcDonald's. Opportunity: Burger King could improve their sales by producing more advertisements on theirproducts. They could also open new branches in major city all around the worlds and some ruralareas.Some of the state in Malaysia doesn't have Burger King in their city so, Burger King could tryand open new outlet which will greatly improved their sales. Threat: Burger King faces threat from other major burger fast food restaurant such as McDonald's andWendy's. McDonald's produced the highest percentage sales among the three which is a threat forBurger King. The cost to produce the burger during inflation and lack of sales puts Burger King in atough spot and other burger fast food restaurant could take advantage to advertise new product andhence raising their sales.Burger King Introduction Burger King is the world’s largest flame broiled fast food restaurant chain. As of 2011, Burger King operates restaurants in 12,300 locations serving over 11 million guests daily in 76 countries and territories worldwide (Burger King , 2011). Burger King’s core competency is its unique flame-broiled burgers. This process is difficult to imitate and helps differentiates Burger King from other fast food chains that fry their burgers instead.So much so in fact, no other fast food provider flame broils their burgers. In addition, Burger King allows and encourages consumers to customize the unique flame-broiled burgers with options to their liking. This creates a win-win situation for both Burger King and the consumer. Burger King has the benefit of offering a different product and the consumer benefits by having numerous burger options. Although Burger King has expanded its menu selections, they have remained true to their original flame-broiled burgers.This product gives them an advantage over other fast food chains. Facing intense competition and limited growth opportunities domestically, Burger King hopes strengthen their competitive stance through international expansion. By mid 2009, Burger King was not in any of the following countries: France, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa. Compare these countries as possible future locations for Burger King. In looking for new countries to enter, Burger King needs to identify countries that fit its ideal demographic profile.Ideally Burger King would expand in areas that fit its ideal demographic profile. They need to find countries with higher populations (preferably youth) and concentrations of urban activity. Local diets consisting of high consumption of beef would be encouraging as their signature products are made of beef. Additionally, areas which are safe, maintain politically stable pro-business environments and have available capital are ideal. Burger King employees a franchising model as a method of growth and expansion.Burger King has strengthened its franchise agreement to ensure standards of product quality control and brand image are adhered and maintained. While all of the aforementioned locations hold promise in most areas of the ideal demographic, subtle nuances pre sent unique challenges. Competitive research would need to be done to explore the feasibility of each location. Or at least provide a complete picture for expansion into the respective countries. Burger King could learn from their own past errors in the countries they had retreated from as well as the mistakes of competitors.Due to a long standing agreement with the United States military, Burger King has been able to enter into numerous international locations relatively risk free by their placement of restaurants on military installations. This enables Burger King to get an inside look at foreign locations and test products with locals. It can also help create demand and recognition. Variations in Burger King’s practices and strategies result from differences in markets, institutions and culture. Successful globalization is often synonymous with successful localization.France: Burger King previously had locations in France but withdrew from the market in 1998. One of the un ique challenges of France is the apparent disdain for Americans and American products. Sensitivity to local sentiments and possibly embracing local alternatives might be necessary. Given the high degree of tourism in France and their relative success in the rest of Europe, Burger King would benefit from international recognition making reentry easier. India: Beef consumption in India is very low and almost nonexistent. Burger King’s signature burgers may not be very successful in India.Burger King would probably have to alter their menu to more familiar vegetarian dishes. Nigeria: Burger King opened a restaurant in Nigeria in 2011. Pakistan: Political stability and safety in this region of the world is always a consideration. Adaptation to local culture would require modification of food offerings, in particular in regards to pork based offerings. South Africa: Burger King entered South Africa in 2010. (Burger King , 2011) When entering another country, discuss the advantages and disadvantages that an international restaurant company, specifically Burger King, would have in comparison with a local company in that market.Burger King is a large company with vast resources. In comparison to a local company, Burger King could have inherent advantages when entering a new market. While people are familiar with fast food chains, Burger King differentiates itself not only in the products they offer but in the way they market their products. As an international company, Burger King could benefit from this brand recognition. This recognition helps ease the transition into new markets and could help stimulate sales. They can bring the benefits of economies to scale to bear in dealing with local suppliers.Burger King is able to adapt and experiment in the local environment given their expansive resources. Burger King can enhance their product mix to cater to local culture as well as demographics. The reception and ease of operation in foreign countries is generally favorable as they are investing in the local economy and providing jobs and services. Conversely, they may be unfamiliar with or understand the customs and culture of the indigenous people. Burger King may not be truly aware of what it is required to be successful in a particular country. Local competition can be contentious.Local companies learn from foreign fast food companies. Burger King will have to compete against local enterprises that are being developed both locally and globally. Local companies are able to rapidly alter their menus and flavorings to appeal to local tastes. Local companies tend to be more sensitive to local customs and exhibit genuine passion for local interests. Additionally, there may not be enough suppliers to support both Burger King and local restaurants. About two thirds of Burger King’s restaurants are in its Americas region (United States, and Canada) and one third elsewhere.Should this relationship change? If so, why and how? The burger mar ket in North America is considered mature. Given the heavy competition and saturation of similar products, the opportunities in North America may be significantly less than in other parts of the world. Similar competitors, notably McDonalds, have experienced success in markets outside of the United States and Canada. Likewise, Burger King has experienced success in certain international markets as well. Outside of Burger King’s America’s group (United States and Canada), the majority of Burger King restaurants are in Latin American and the Caribbean.Despite the heavy concentration of restaurants in these areas, these countries accounted for only 13. 5 percent of the non-Americas group revenue in fiscal year 2009. This is attributable primarily to the relatively small populations of these countries. In order for Burger King to remain competitive and strengthen their market share, taking advantage of opportunities in other markets may make sense. Expansion in other count ries could increase revenue and improve visibility in the international market place.Expanded market share could help strengthen strategic alliances with suppliers and stimulate competition. Expansion could also help diversify Burger Kings holdings. Diversification would help Burger King become less susceptible to local economic conditions. Burger King also needs to learn from past mistakes as they evolve their franchise system. Past failures have identified circumstances when Burger King has been forced to leave a market. Inadequate franchisee investment and performance as well as ill suited market demographics have led to the exit from certain markets.The case mentions that Burger King prefers to enter countries with large number of youth and shopping centers. Why do you think these conditions would be advantageous? Burger King prefers to enter markets in foreign countries with large populations of youths and shopping centers. This demographic profile represents the ideal target m arket for Burger King restaurants, both domestically and internationally. Fast food and shopping centers tend to be marketed more directly to the youth population. Youth are accustomed to and show a preference for fast food and constitute the largest consumer group of fast foods.Older consumers tend to shy away from fast food restaurants and prefer more traditional foods and eating at home. Youth are less likely to go home and cook and are more likely to pick up food on the go. Shopping centers are an ideal setting for a fast food restaurant as they attract younger people. Offering fast food makes it convenient for consumers to obtain food while shopping or to take on the go. How has Burger King’s headquarters location influenced its international expansion? Has this location strengthened or weakened its global position? The Burger King chain has always had roots in the Miami, Florida area.The original Burger King restaurant first opened in the Miami area and the company head quarters has always been located there. The global headquarters helps Burger King manage and control all its international locations from a central location. Miami is a large metropolitan area and frequent tourist destination for travelers from all over the world in particular from Latin America. Due to a heavy concentration of Latinos, Miami has been labeled the â€Å"Capital of Latin America†. Additionally, Miami is a frequent destination for snow bird travelers thus gaining additional exposure for the Burger King brand.Burger King has benefited from this exposure and gained recognition in international communities. Familiarity with the Burger King brand helps ease the expansion in certain international markets and has strengthened its global competitive position. The close proximity to Latin America demonstrates their global commitment and helps ensure their continued presence in the Latin American community. It has facilitated the ease of oversight and allows Burger King' s management to easily â€Å"visit these countries and for franchisees to visit Burger King headquarters†.Additionally, Burger King is able to locally test products on the indigenous Latin community. The location in Miami has simplified their entry into the Latin countries. Burger King can use the experiences in South American countries as a basis for consideration for expansion in other countries. Evaluate Burger King’s strategy of using the Brazilian experience to guide its entries into Russia. Burger King’s basic strategy is to offer the lowest prices possible for its products and to continuously improve its menu to fit the needs of the customer.This can be seen in through its experiences in Brazil which serve as a model for entry into Russia (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan, 2011). Burger King observed the mistakes that have been made by other companies and used their mistakes as a learning experience and as a growth mechanism. The failure of many prior fast f ood entrants in the Brazil market made potential suppliers apprehensive. By observing the mistakes of other fast food chains, Burger King forged a strategy that has proved successful. Brazil has been one of Burger King’s fastest growing markets.This strategy can be summarized in five parts: ( 1) develop an infrastructure before putting in restaurants, ( 2) develop a local management team, ( 3) focus development on major cities and adjacent geographies with established shopping mall location, prevalent in Brazil’s largest cities, instead of the whole country, ( 4) establish a local office, and ( 5) support continuous development and the use of local suppliers that meet Burger King’s global specifications(Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan, 2011).Typically Burger King does not set regional restaurant support center for smaller markets or those where all the restaurants are franchised. Management deemed a Brazilian office necessary because of Brazil’s size (in bo th area and population), its language barrier (Portuguese), and the magnitude of investment that suppliers and franchisees would eventually need to make. From the beginning the office served to demonstrate the company’s market commitment and to handle early supply- chain procurement and management (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan, 2011).Burger King’s success in Brazil based on this model has encouraged management to use the same strategy for expansion into Russia. It has offices in Moscow, where initial penetration is planned. In fact, duplication of the successful Brazilian strategy may be even more important for Russia because Burger King lacks the same pre- entry brand recognition that it had in Brazil (Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan, 2011). Conclusion Burger King has many opportunities for expansion, in particular opportunities in foreign countries.Despite its more recent international growth, Burger King still operates in less than 40 percent of the world’s co untries. Burger King faces the challenge of indentifying and deciding which locations are best suited for expansion. However, growth for growth’s sake is the mentality of a cancer cell. Burger King needs to engage in strategic expansion and only expand when the circumstances are favorable and demographical requirements have been met. Sources Burger King . (2011, November 10).Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Burger King: http://www. bk. com/en/us/international/index. html Daniels, J. , Radebaugh, L. , & Sullivan, D. (2011). International Business. In J. Daniels, L. Radebaugh, & D. Sullivan, International Business. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Our Commitment to Corporate Governance Our codes and company policies encompass not only our core ethical principles, but specific issues that our employees and business partners face on a day-to-day basis.Our goal is to continuously reinforce our policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the law as well as openness and accountab ility. 1. The core ethical and governance principles of BKC begin at the top. The board sets the â€Å"tone at the top† by promoting an ethical culture that respects and values all employees and stakeholders and encourages compliance with all laws and company policies. 2. As a condition of doing business within the BURGER KING ® system, every approved vendor must comply with the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct for Vendors. 3.We’ve partnered with, and received recognition from, a variety of organizations that share our dedication to being a good corporate citizen and improving our communities around the world. Download this Section of the Corporate Responsibility Report * Did you know? BKC's code of business ethics and conduct guides our commitment to good corporate citizenship everywhere we operate – 74 countries and U. S. territories around the world. * Did you know? Our A+ rating by The Better Business Bureau is Based on our performance related to ethica l business practices.

Ho Ching Leadership Essay

Mr. GPower, in the reading, described as the capacity to cause change and influence. Ho Ching’s has been recognized and ranked at 18 in Asia’s most powerful people. According to the reading and further research, Ching is an influential leader because she brought a company from failing. In this basis, the company is successful not only with the CEO but the workers he or she employ. In receiving awards, she must have influenced someone to receive recognition. When Temasek Holdings was losing revenue Ching step up to the challenge to bring the company back on their feet. She did not focus on the company but also expanding the company’s potential. She has the power to influence because she started from the bottom and rose to become the CEO. In her influential speech, she has disclosed the company’s annual report proving the employees and to the public that the company’s performance is changing for the better and the results from the worker’s achi evements. According to a previous class in Phoenix, Accounting, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) provides company annual reports to the public, but in some part of Asia these information are not public. Ching’s bold decision to make this public gave her employee a reason to trust her decision even more. When Ching took in the position as CEO she wants to make the company more diversified, with third invested in Singapore, third in Asia and some of the developed eastern countries. According to Thomas White International, when Ching was reconfiguring the company, majority of the staff comprised of Singaporeans. In 2007, staff diversify from people in 22 different countries and 40% of the senior management are not home grown (2010). The referred power Ho Ching uses are referent power and legitimate power. According to Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, referent power has strong interpersonal ties with subordinates. Ching strengthens the relationship with senior management to the workers (2009). Her legitimate power come from experience from rising up the ranks. Her decision to make changes and vision for the future of the company gives her followers to become motivated to work for the better of the company’s success.

Sigmund Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development.

| | Sigmund Freud by Max Halberstadt, 1921| | | Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget Assignment An assignment on Sigmund Freud’s ‘Theory of Psychosexual Development'. | Class 2013, Term 1 20 February, 2013| Table of Contents Sigmund Freud1 Life history: Sigmund Freud. 1 Career and Marriage †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Introduction to psychoanalysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Stages of development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Definition of id, ego and superego†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget AssignmentAn assignment on Sigmund Freud’s ‘Theory of psychosexual development and Jean Piaget’s ‘Cognitive theory of development. Life history: Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud was a renowned Austrian neurologies, known for founding psychoanalysis. He was born Sigismund Schlomo Freud on the 6th of May 1856. Sigmund is the first of eight children and highly favoured by his Jewish Galician parents in Moravian town of Pribor (German: Freiberg in Mahren), Austrian Empire, part of the Freud, and other psychoanalysts (1922) Czeck Republic. His father, Jacob Freud (1815-1896, was a wool merchant who had fathered two children from previous marriages.Although Jacob’s family was Hassidic Jews, he did not follow this tradition. Sigmund’s mother, Amalia (nee Nathansohn), was 20 years her husband’s junior. The young couple were financial ly unwell at the time their son Sigmund was born but Amalia took solace in the fact that her son was born with a caul because she saw it as a positive omen for the boy’s future. They were living in a rented room in a blacksmith’s house at Schlossergasse 117 As a result of the Panic of 1857, Jacob lost his business and the Freud family had to move to Leipzig before settling in Vienna in 1865.Despite their financial situation, Sigmund’s education was priority to his parents resulting in him entering the Leopoldstadter Kommunal-Realgymnasium, a prominent high school when he was only nine years, where he proved to be an outstanding pupil and graduated from the Matura in 1873 with honors. He loved literature and was proficient in German, French, Italian, Spanish, English, Hebrew, Latin and Greek. It has been suggested that due to the fact that he read William Shakespeare in English throughout his life, his understanding of human psychology was derived from Shakespear e’s plays.Sigmund Freud entered the University of Vienna at age 17, intended to study law but joined the medical faculty instead, where he studied zoology under Darwinist Professor Karl Claus. He spent four weeks at Claus’s zoological research station in Trieste, dissecting hundreds of eels in an inconclusive search for their male reproductive organs. He graduated with an MD in 1881 Career and marriage Freud started his medical career in a psychiatric clinic in Vienna General Hospital, a practice owned by Theodor Meynert.He got married to Martha Bernays, the granddaughter of Isaac Bernays, a chief Rabbi in Hamburg, in 1886. The couple had six children. In 1886 Sigmund Freud resigned his hospital post and entered a private practice specializing in nervous disorders. Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychotherapist and psychiatrist who founded analytical psychology Started the rumour that a romantic relationship may have developed between Freud and his sister-in-law, Minna Bern ays, who had moved in to the Freud family household at Berggasse 19 in 1896 after the death of her fiance.Some Freud scholars reckoned that there was factual basis to these rumours after a publication of a Swiss hotel log, dated 13 August 1898, showed Freud had stayed there with a woman not his wife Although this does not prove that Freud stayed at the hotel with Minna Bernays, it does confirm the part about Freud stepping out of his marital vows. Peter Gay, a Sterling professor of History Emeritus at Yale University and former director of the New York Public Library’s Center for Scholars andWriters (1997-2003), who was previously skeptical of this rumour, revised his view of the matter and concluded that an affair between Freud and Minna was possible. Based on historical investigations and contextual analysis of Freud’s writings, Peter J. Swales, a Welsh â€Å"guerilla historian of psychoanalysis†, who had written essays and letters about Sigmund Freud suggeste d that Minna became pregnant and had an abortion during their affair. Freud who initially smoked cigarette began smoking tobacco at age 24. He believed that smoking enhanced his capacity to work and that he could exercise self-control by smoking in moderation.He neglected to consider the fact that self-control cannot prevent buccal cancer, a disease he eventually suffered from. Wilhelm Fliess, a German Jewish otolaryngologist who practiced in Berlin, became concerned about the effect of smoking on his health and warned him of the same as a friend and colleague, but he remained a smoker. Freud suggested to Fliess in 1897 that addictions, including that to tobacco, were substitutes for masturbation, stating that it was â€Å"the one great habit†. Introduction to Psychoanalysis Freud became greatly influenced by the work of his friends who later became his colleagues.In October 1885, Sigmund Freud went to Paris on a fellowship to study with Jean-Martin Charcot, a renowned neurol ogist who was conducting scientific research into hypnosis. Charcot specialized in the study of hysteria and susceptibility to hypnosis, which he frequently demonstrated with patients on stage in front of an audience. Freud began using hypnosis in his clinical work at his established private practice in 1886 Freud was greatly influenced by Josef Breuer, an Austrian physician whose work laid the foundation of psychoanalysis, mentor and collaborator with Freud.Breuer used a different method of hypnosis from the French method to help his patient, a method that does not use suggestion. Freud postulated that psychoneuroses had their origins in deeply traumatic experiences that had occurred in patient’s past such as sexual molestation in early childhood (hysteria and obsessional neurosis), a formulation now known as Freud’s seduction theory. Freud and Breuer published their theories and findings in Studies in Hysteria (1895). The treatment of Anna O, a patient of Breuer, pro ved to be transformative.When interviewed Anna mentioned that talking uninhibitedly while under hypnosis caused a reduction in the severity of her symptoms as she retrieved her memories of early traumatic incidents in her life. A treatment she referred to as â€Å"talking cure†. This led Freud to eventually conclude in the course of his clinical practice that a more consistent and effective pattern of symptom relief could be achieved, without recourse to hypnosis, by encouraging patients to talk freely about their experiences. This procedure he called â€Å"free association†.Further more, he found that patients’ dreams could be fruitfully analyzed to reveal the complex structuring of unconscious material and to demonstrate the psychic action of repression, which underlay symptom formation. By 1896 Freud had done away with hypnosis all together and was using the term â€Å"psychoanalysis† to refer to his new clinical method and the theories on which it was based. In 1897, Freud argued that the repressed sexual thoughts and fantasies of early childhood were the key cause factors in neuroses, whether derived from real events in the child’s history or not.This led to the emergence of Freud’s new theory of infantile sexuality and eventually to the Oedipus complex. After much work together, Breuer ended the relationship because he felt Freud placed too much emphasis on the sexual origins of a patient’s neuroses and completely refused to consider other viewpoints. Freud continued to refine his argument and in 1900, after a serious period of self-analysis, he published The Interpretation of dreams, and then in 1901 he published another book titled The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. In 1905, he published Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality.The great reverence given to Freud’s theories was not in evidence for some years as most of his contemporaries felt like Breuer, that his emphasis on sexuality was either scandalous or over played. Oedipus complex in psychoanalytic theory term denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind stores in the unconscious through dynamic repression, these concentrate upon a child’s desire to sexually possess his/her mother and kill his/her father. It was derived from the 5th-century BC Greek mythologic character Oedipus, who unwittingly kills his father, Laius, and marries his mother, Jocasta.Freud believed that the Oedipus complex is a desire for the mother in both sexes (he felt girls have a homosexual attraction towards their mother); a complex he believed is a universal, psychological phenomenon innate (phylogenetic) to human beings and the cause of most unconscious guilt. In the classical Freudian psychoanalytic theory, child’s identification with the same-sex parents is the successful resolution of the Oedipus complex and of the Electra complex key psychological experiences that are necessary for the development of a mature sex role and i dentity.Sigmund Freud further proposed that boys and girls experience the complexes differently: boys in a form of castration anxiety, girls in a form of penis envy; and unsuccessful resolution of the complexes might lead to neurosis, paedophilia and homosexuality. Men and women who are fixated in the Oedipal and Electra stages of their psychosexual development might be considered â€Å"mother-fixated† and â€Å"father-fixated†, which may result in an adult choosing a sexual partner who resembles their parent. Stages of development The six-stage chronology of Sigmund Freud’s theoretic evolution of the Oedipus complex is: Stage 1. 897 – 1909. After his father’s death in 1896, and having seen the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Freud begins using the term â€Å"Oedipus†. Stage 2. 1909 -1914. Proposes that Oedipal desire is the â€Å"nuclear complex† of all neuroses; first usage of â€Å"Oedipus complex† in 1910. Stage 3. 1914 â⠂¬â€œ 1918. Considers paternal and maternal incest. Stage 4. 1919 – 1926. Complete Oedipus complex; identification and bisexuality are conceptually evident in later works. Stage 5. 1926 – 1931. Applies the Oedipal theory to religion and custom. Stage 6. 1931 – 1938.Investigates the â€Å"feminine Oedipus attitude† and â€Å"negative Oedipus complex†; later the â€Å"Electra complex†. Definition of id, ego and superego Id, ego and super-ego are the three parts of the psychic apparatus defined in Freud’s structural model of the psyche; they are the three theoretical constructs in terms of whose activity and interaction mental life is described. According to this model, the id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual trends. The ego is the organized, realistic part and the super-ego comprises that organized part of the personality structure mainly but not entirely unconscious, that includes the individual’s ego ideals, piritual goa ls, and the psychic agency or conscience that criticizes and prohibits his or her drives, fantasy, feeling, and action through guilt. Oedipus and Oedipus complex: Otto Rank behind the Sphinx, by Gustave Moreau (1864) Worth mentioning is an article on Sigmund found on About. com education by Kendra Cherry, She writes â€Å"Psychology’s most famous figure is also one of the most influential and controversial thinkers of the twentieth century. Sigmund Freud’s work and theories helped shape our views of childhood, personality, memory, sexuality and therapy. His work is relevant in all areas of development. I am thrilled to find that his work is related to childhood development, perhaps not as well rounded and child focused as Maria Montessori’s interest which is solely on all aspect of child progressive development. Bibliography Sigmund Freud, Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 20 Feb. 2013. ;en. wikipedia. org;. Sigmund Freud. biography. 20 Feb. 2013. Bio. true stor y. ;www. biography. com; Kendra Cherry, About. com education. 20 Feb 2013. ;about. com;

Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gay Marriage - Essay Example 5). Using the example of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, a gay couple who had been together for over forty years, yet when Thea died, Edith was left with taxes that she would not have received had she married a man. This couple stands as the perfect example of how mistreated same-sex couples are, prompting the Supreme Court to hear their pleas for equality. The article comes to an end with a rundown of the various complications that may come as a result of the Supreme Court making a ruling on gay marriage, and the fact that the Supreme Court is limited in its power when it comes to state law. Mark Sherman and Dennis Junius’s article, â€Å"Obama Considers Weighing In on Gay Marriage Case† looks at the Obama administration’s decision to urge the Supreme Court to overturn California’s ban on gay marriage. President Obama made his stance clear since his first inauguration address that he support gay marriage and felt that gay couples should not be treated diffe rently under the law. President Obama stated that â€Å"his administration would do whatever it could to promote that principle† (Sherman & Junius par. 8). However, these beliefs were primarily personal, and Obama set little in motion for taking the issue to a legal level. Sherman and Junius also point out the many limitations that the Supreme Court has in making a ruling, as well as the other options that proponents of gay marriage have. The primary similarity between these two separate articles is that they focus on the ongoing battle to legalize gay marriage and allow same-sex couples to make use of the same rights that heterosexual couples receive upon marriage. Homosexuality has been a taboo topic up until a decade ago, and it continues to become more known, and the argument strengthened, as proponents speak up for the rights they believe that everyone deserves, regardless of who they love. In Bravin’s article, we see the steps that have been taken by the gay comm unity and those that support the gay community to get their voices heard by powers that have the abilities to overturn bans against gay marriage. In Sherman and Junius’s article, the debate has moved beyond what is expected of the Supreme Court and, instead, looks to how our current president can help the cause. The two articles both provide background and methods as to what is currently taking place in this fight for equality. Another startling similarity is how the two articles focus mainly on the proponents for gay marriage and spend very little time looking at those that are opposed to accepting same-sex couples as legally married. While bias is not necessarily present in either article, all of the authors seem more concerned with a positive fate for same-sex couples and gay marriage supporters. This concern is seen in how the authors, along with providing background into the debates, also offer up additional routes that same-sex couples can take depending on the ruling o f the Supreme Court. As a result, it becomes clear that same-sex couples have many avenues to continue their fight, though there seems to be a collective hope that the Supreme Court will find sympathy with those that desire equality with their partners. A major difference found between the two articles is that the perception on the debate of same-sex marriage shifts from a select few homosexual couples and the Supreme Court, in Bravin’s article, to a much larger public audience, including many people who

Why did Capitalism first appear in Britiain rathen than any other area Essay

Why did Capitalism first appear in Britiain rathen than any other area in the world - Essay Example To know why it started in England also gives us an insight on the many factors that made it successful there despite early misgivings about this system. Although England already had characteristics of the rudimentary form of capitalism by 1815, it did not immediately take hold because the wealth and power structure of the country had not changed yet. This simply means the old feudal system was not yet completely erased in which peoples wealth were measured by an amount of land they possessed. In other words, the country at that time was still largely anchored on an agricultural economy. The majority of people still depended on the produce of the land for their sustenance as income source. The other countries on continental Europe were largely weakened by frequent wars. It was only England which had remained largely untouched because it was separated from the continent by the English Channel and was therefore insulated from its ill effects. However, it must be conceded that other factors conspired to make England especially favorable to large scale developments in terms of capital and labor. The first big industries of coal mining and its related iron and steel industries were located in close proximity in England (SÃ ©e 139). England was a major sea power at the beginnings of the nineteenth century and it gave the country undisputed dominion of the high seas. With its tremendous sea dominance, it gave England unfettered access to much of the import and export trade in agricultural commodities such as cotton for its burgeoning textile industry, back then a key element in modernization of any country. France, which was the sole European power to seriously challenge England, was weak from the big wars of the Napoleonic era and then convulsed by its own revolution which followed to establish the first French republic. England was uniquely positioned to take some advantage of this turmoil. A study of the early economic history

What is Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is Art - Essay Example It was like art for me was ballet, Van Gogh, and those expensive pieces auctioned off at Christie’s. The keyword is â€Å"expensive† – a consumerist concept. The interactions within the lectures – those between teacher and students and students among themselves, gave me further insights. As I learned together with others, I came to understand the diversity of our perceptions, of our skills and the individual ability to construct meanings. So art may be different but it can also be universal. It is like the concept truth, in a way. I also discovered some of my personal biases and preferences and how they affect my understanding and interpretation of artworks. Having recognized this, I can say that I am now in a better position to appreciate art and identify what it is. One important principle that I learned was that in art, there is no one or single beauty because beauty is diverse. I have learned the dynamics behind this, which I believe widened my horizon and understanding so that I am able to appreciate art in its true

Film Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analysis - Assignment Example The qualifiers are the concepts of empowerment and life satisfaction of the recovery model versus the rigid medical model traits and practices of the medical model. It means that the claim does not reject medical treatment through medicine, but focuses on the limitations of the medical model instead. a. The long shot during the voting shows empowerment as it includes all nine patients raising their hands in favor of the vote of watching the World Baseball Championship in contrast to only Nurse Ratched who is against it. 2. Backing: Cheswick points out to Ratched that he would like to watch the baseball series. The close-up shot of his face shows determination in discussing this matter with Ratched. He says that watching it can be â€Å"good therapy too† (Forman, One Flew). Cheswick shows his demand for life satisfaction through entertainment. Another example is the music that plays when McMurphy pretends to watch the baseball game. 2. Backing: Before the second round of voting for the watching of the baseball series, Cheswick argues that Ratched should not impose analysis on Billy because he does not want to talk about his problem anymore. He asks: â€Å"Why are you pressing him? Why can’t we go on to some new business, huh?† (Forman, One Flew). During this time, Nurse Ratched answers that the â€Å"business† of the meeting is â€Å"therapy† (Forman, One Flew). She is in medium-shot which shows how she firmly holds on to her pen as if she is controlling her anger because her patients are questioning her authority. She is emotionally detached to the concerns of the patient and she prefers professional distance by focusing on therapy than her patients’ current concerns on life satisfaction. 4. Backing: Even when nine patients already voted for the watching of the baseball show, Ratched includes other patients, even

OLM Individual ASSIGNMENT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

OLM Individual - Assignment Example These include process design and structure, human resource management, product design, location, capacity planning, supply-chain strategy, and partnering with outside agencies. Based on these factors, proven practices and principles have been linked with activities in operations management of the fast food concept that can help in achieving sustainability in the competitive market and the firm’s corporate strategy. According to Hill (1991), ‘The production/operations management (POM) task is concerned with the transformation process which takes inputs and converts them into outputs, together with the various support functions closely associated with this basic task’ (cited Brown, 2000; p.7). Such transformation processes can be applied to three main categories, materials, customers and information. Brown (2000) describes that Operations Management encompasses the most vital activities of production, beginning from and including, planning and design, production processes of goods and services, and also effective integration of marketing, finance, human resources management and strategy in order to enable a business to enter and compete with both new and existing markets. In other words, a business’s success and sustainability largely depend on the operational capabilities, including efficiency and quality. Based on a case adopted from Brown (2000; p.1), an attempt to establish a relationship between strategy and operations management through different ways in which an organization’s operations can add value to the delivery of goods and services has been coherently illustrated. The case is about ‘Sunnyside Up,’ a fast food concept in UK, a responsibility given to Chris Cowls, a former Franchise Director of Burger King. Chris Cowls and this team is responsible for designing and setting up the Sunnyside Up in UK market which already has well-established McDonalds

Future Goals and Reasons for Choosing the DNP Program Essay

Future Goals and Reasons for Choosing the DNP Program - Essay Example I would like to contribute in improvement of this situation. I also believe that the doctorate will put me at an advantage economically, more so because it will increase the enumeration which I will receive. I also believe that there will be high chances of obtaining scholarships in this program to enable me become a professor in the field. The program is relatively new and has room for accommodating individuals like myself in its line. Leadership in my view is an essential part of any nursing career path. I intend on continuing to develop my leadership skills through ongoing educational pursue and via taking greater positions of responsibility. My current position as a Captain with the United States Army reserves has allowed me to put leadership knowledge into practice. I also feel that the DNP program will further enhance these skills. I see myself as someone with wide and diverse knowledge in advanced practice with the ability to link classroom studies with clinical challenges. I also envision myself with the ability to integrate all the knowledge I will have obtained up to that level into my area of expertise in the health industry. I also believe that I will be able to research into various quarters that have been the cause of discrepancies in the health industry. Besides this, I will be able to cooperate with other fields of the profession to achieve effectiveness as a practioner. Some of the fields that I picture myself working with include administration and education. As I have taken on more responsibilities, I have become more cognizant of some of the problems with our health care system, and I plan to become more active toward creating and influencing a positive change. For example, I plan to advocate and to fight hard to force policy makers to take decisive steps to move today's bureaucracy driven, heavily regulated third-party payment system to a new patient-centered system of consumer choice and real market competition. I also envision myself as a competent manager of health care. This implies that I will have the ability to merge all the legal, ethical and professional requirements and standards during service provision. I believe that I will be able to provide adequate healthcare for all patients that I will deal with. This will be regardless of their background as I am ready to work and have worked with diverse population groupings during my practice. My position as a correctional nurse and a captain with the 6250th medical hospital, has given me the opportunity to work with a variety of patients from many cultures and backgrounds. I feel that this experience has enriched me and has allowed me to provide culturally sensitive care to the patients that I am entrusted to serve. Lastly, I envision my role as one who will be able to deliver changes in the field of healthcare delivery. I intend on doing this by affecting health policies in the industry and changing the attitude of service delivery. Professional experiences that contributed to nursing I will complete my bachelor's degree in nursing from Washington State University in May 2008. I also have a master degree from Chapman University in Clinical Psychology. Before I became a

In the current economic climate in Britain, the risks of starting up a Essay

In the current economic climate in Britain, the risks of starting up a new business outweigh the benefits, Discuss - Essay Example Admittedly, some very recent reports of Britain's Office for National Statistics indicate a hopeful improvement in the economic performance of the nation with regard to its GDP that showed ‘over 3 percent annual growth rate’ unlike other world economies (Schomber and Milliken). Although the 0.8 percent growth it showed between July and September ranks its fastest pace in more than three years, the employment growth has not yet showed significant improvement; and this makes the sustainability of the economic recovery uncertain. Hence, from an entrepreneur’s point of view, the risks of starting up a new business in UK in the current economic climate outweigh the benefits. Some experts believe that Britain’s economy is built on shaky foundations. To illustrate, as Elliot, the Guardian reporter points out, the economy is exceedingly depending on private, ‘and to a lesser extent to public borrowing’. He also says that the so called economic recovery is concentrated only in certain sectors and as a result, ‘manufacturing base is shrinking’ and the trade deficit is mounting. Obviously, all these reports reveal that UK economy currently is relying on a debt based recovery which will raise long term financial stability concerns. The growing rate of consumer borrowing is one of the symptoms of this economic crisis. Another point to mention here is that the highlighted GDP growth in fact does not add up for the country’s working class. For instance, over the past 12 months, the use of food banks has gone up by 170% in the nation, and still five million people in the UK are currently living in fuel poverty (Cresswell). The financial position of an economy can influence a company’s stability and sustainability. New businesses are highly vulnerable to risks related to the economic stability of the country in which it operates. New entrepreneurs often fail to plan financial projections or create good working e nvironment. It is necessary for new businesses to determine if their product or service is strong enough to sustain the market completion and other challenges. Business owners with little knowledge in current trends and socio economic changes tend to fail in their venture. In other words, it is important to study the socio economic and political conditions of the business destination before commencing operation. Finding a new appropriate business is also a challenge in the new environment. It requires extensive research to determine the most relevant product and business concept in a competitive environment. One recent survey report reveals that 31% of the participants opined that finding a new business would be the major challenge for their organisations in 2013 ‘followed by rising costs (14%) and holding onto customers (13%)’ (MT Management). At this juncture, new entrepreneurs must be cautious about the current economic climate in the UK regardless of the recent impr ovements. This is because even Britain's big businesses have just started spending their cash piles after the recession. Although expansion is their higher priority, for the time being, their decisions seem to be an experiment. When it comes to new businesses, they usually confront insufficient cash flow, lack of expertise, and knowledge. Although new businesses fail due to a multitude of reasons, there are

No topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

No topic - Assignment Example However, very often these expectations were not lived up as it not very easy for the new government to rule the country. These difficulties created new problems for newly independent state, especially if these were African states, which became independent after the long years of colonial regime. Colonizers ruled the country in their own way and it was not very easy for the new government to cope with all the problems that a newly independent country may have faced. There can be the following four main issues of the post-colonial period defined: Sovereignity and safety. The government of the newly independent states should have taken care of sovereignty and safety. This was important because the countries were created and ruled by colonizers and in the new conditions they could easily disintegrate; Propaganda of unity. The colonies created by Europeans had different culture and different languages, thus it was essential to provide national unity. People with different culture and reli gions belief had to realize that they are citizens of one country called Africa. Otherwise, the country would not be able to exist; Ethic conflicts prevention. The main principle of colonial policy was â€Å"divide and rule†. This created very difficult relations between the ethnic groups. Many of them were aggressive in their attitudes towards the other. Thus, it was important for the government to prevent further conflicts; Human services provision. Colonial regime did not prescribe satisfying basic human needs of the citizens of colonies. Colonists needed only their work and did not think about what they need. Thus, it was important for the new government to satisfy basic needs of the citizens of newly independent Africa. 2. The role of women in African nationalism creation was very interesting and it predefined their position in post-colonial society. Some scientists even argue that African nationalism managed to reach its goals at the expense of women and their subordina te position. It means that the nationalists defended women’s interests in order to attract as many people as possible to their movement. It was determined that the struggle for women’s rights was held alongside the struggle for freedom of Africa. Certainly, we can’t omit the fact that the common interests of the struggle usually overshadowed the interests of women as women were initially directed on the struggle for the interests of nationalists. Notwithstanding that nationalists defended women’s interests and talked about â€Å"motherland† instead of â€Å"fatherland†, when they talked about the â€Å"fathers† of the revolution, they still talked about men. This was primarily because most of women who took part in the revolution were uneducated. However, they managed to find the connection between maternity and the fight and turned the ability to give birth into their force. This helped them to move into politics as â€Å"birth give rs for all these men†. 3. State politics can be considered through the concepts of engagement and disengagement. There are four forms of political relations defined: state elite is engaged in regulation; state elite is disengaged due to the obstacles on the way to authority met by elite or elite retrenchment; ordinary citizens are engaged in political regulations; ordinary citizens are disengaged due to bad access to power. The disengagement from the state threatens the hegemony of the state. People do not trust their state and want to

Poetry and Ozymandias Heart Essay Example for Free

Poetry and Ozymandias Heart Essay How life goes on: the analyzing of diction and imagery in â€Å" Ozymandias† The poem â€Å"Ozymandias† by Percy Bysshe Shelley is about a traveler telling the speaker about a statue in the desert. This statue is half sunk in the sand and the traveler explains that the â€Å"sneer of cold command† on the statue’s face shows that the sculptor understood the passions of the statue’s subject. This man sneered at the people who were not as powerful as him, but he fed his people because of something in his heart. The Traveler goes on and says that on the pedestal of the statue, it is written, â€Å"My name is Ozymandias’, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!† But when you look all around the statue for the â€Å"works† there is nothing but sand and a bare desert. In this poem, Percy Bysshe Shelley creates the image of destroyed sculptures to show that nature destroys all and his choice of diction is quite interesting. The diction in this poem creates a strong sense of imagery. The notable diction is combined with alliteration to create even more powerful imagery, such as the â€Å"Sneer of col command†. Ozymandias’-â€Å"ozy† meaning air and â€Å"mandias† meaning King/God, is a sonnet, a fourteen lined poem metered in iambic pentameter. Percy Bysshe Shelley uses words such as, Trunk-less- torso is gone, visage- another name for face, and colossal- which is an allusion of the colossus of roads. He uses this choice of diction to interest the reader furthermore by being more descriptive and letting the readers imagination go wild. The poem Ozymandias has two voices. The first is the speaker, who tells the entire poem. The other is the traveler, who tells the main speaker about the poem. The speaker tells us the traveler is from an antique land,† which is a metaphor for the old age of his country. Antiques are valued mainly for their age and are almost always not modern. The traveler is described as well-traveled, knowledgeab le, and wise. The Traveler’s whole speech is about a statue that he once saw in the middle of a desert. He tells us that the â€Å"trunk† of the statue is gone; The head of the statue lies in the sand at the feet of the legs and the expression on the face is still visible. There is a lot of death in this poem. The figure represented in the statue is dead, along with the civilization to which it once belonged. The Traveler says that the lip is â€Å"wrinkled†, but he says this is not because of old age but it is the â€Å"sneer of cold command†. This leaves the reader with an impression that Ozymandias’ was a cold ruler and had no trouble giving orders. In this  octave though it is suggests that the stone is â€Å"lifeless†, but on it is some â€Å"passions†. The reader, most likely imagines that these passions are greed, conceit, and other passions that are appropriate to a harsh, power-loving ruler. These same passions are said by the traveler to â€Å"survive† the â€Å"hand that mocked them,† which would be the sculptor, and the â€Å"heart that fed† them, which is Ozymandias’.The poem is consistent to a single metaphor: the shattered, ruined statue in the desert wasteland, but another metaphor is â€Å"the heart that fed†. Ozymandias’ heart â€Å"fed† these passions. The heart seemed to be compared to a powerful figure and the passions seemed more like an animal the master throws some food to, but I think the sense is more that Ozymandias’ heart fed on the passions. When you look at it like this, Ozymandias’ heart becomes a killer and the passions his prey. It seems obvious then that the passions kept the heart alive and beating, the passions are sustenance to the heart. The passions don’t seem to be suggested to be bad, but Ozymandias’ feeding on these passions of greed and conceit resulted in evil, the same evil we see on the statue’s face. His image of the broken sculpture shows how things change over time and that human beings and materialistic values are seasonal and are bound to end. They are all prone to be affected by the laws of time.

Sonoco Products Company

Sonoco Products Company According to (Chidambaram VijayabanuS and Ramachandran, 2012) success of a company is based on the human assets. This case study report is on Sonoco Products Company and its HR activities under the leadership of Cindy Hartley. It provides an overview of Sonoco Products Company, change requirements in the package industry and their influence on Sonocos strategy in tune with the objectives of the vice president of the company, analysis of the changes and judging their effectiveness, identifying the problems in Sonocos strategy with respect to HR management besides identifying ways and means to improve the HRM operations in Sonoco. According to ( Gibb, Stephen, 2003), HRM is essential. Finally suitable recommendations are given to Sonoco for the betterment of its strategies as world class HR organization under the leadership of its vice president Cindy Hartley. With leadership qualities senior management can take higher responsibilities (Jean-Francois Coget, 2011). About Sonoco Products Company In consumer and industrial packaging Sonoco is a global company with around 100 years of experience. In its chosen business, right from the inception from 1980s till initial part of 1990s, Sonoco enjoyed success and tremendous growth financially (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). However, due to its fixed pricing of plants, economic crisis in US markets such as manufacturing exports severely impacted Sonoco. For instance, due to such reasons, sales of Sonoco fell 6% down between the years 1995-1999. Nevertheless, the company, with its strategies to reduce expenses, managed to gain increase in profits by 14% in the period. Afterwards, sales of the company declined and that caused its stock values coming down and pressure was built on the company to maintain credibility with shareholders. At this juncture, new CEO by name Harris DeLoach was appointed by Sonoco. The main challenges before DeLoach were to reduce operational costs; to ensure top-line business growth; restructuring the consu mer packaging division; bring about cooperation across the divisions; considering human resources as corporate resources rather than a talent managed under general manager; revamping and restructuring divisions including HR (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). Since the beginning of Cindy Hartley in the capacity of senior VP of HR division, she was working totally towards the throats of the companys CEO DeLoach. In her tenure she introduced many changes and new policies in order to improve the business performance of the company, succession planning, development, compensation etc. Earlier when the company was in full swing of profits, the managers did not take the inefficient employees seriously as business growth was evidenced. Now it is changed and Cindy Hartley as per the DeLoachs challenge responded quickly and pondered over the problem and improve efficiency in HRM wing. Towards all these things, and reduce the cost Cindy Hartley set forth three important objectives as outlined in other section of this report (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). Packaging Industry and Sonoco Sonoco has been into the packaging industry. In 19900 packaging industry was making good revenues. The revenue generated by around 100, 000 companies worldwide was worth $400 billion. Consumer packaging paper and board reported very good increase in its growth. Paper and board recorded 34% revenues while consumer packaging recorded 70% and industrial packaging at 30%. In the later part of 1990s, due to globalization, businesses encountered competitive challenges and also growth opportunities (Sonoco Products Case Study p2). Manufacturing became decentralized as many companies from USA moved to other countries such as India and China where human resources were not costly. Later years i.e. between 1998-2000 there was dramatic increase in the share of five big companies reported at 40% to 60% increase in revenues. Consumer preferences were changed and domestic consumer markets recorded the segmentation of products were changed as per the preferences. When it comes to food industry more evidence is observed. In the retail markets products are even altered as per the customer requirements. Due to customer preferences instead of one version of product seven or eight becomes a common place. Packaging also was playing an important role while branding and thus it attracts more people. In those days in retail business packaging was more influential than advertising for getting new customers and retaining the existing one (Sonoco Products Case Study p2). As there are many changes in global economy and market conditions in USA, the effect of globalization, it was the responsibility of packaging companies to be more innovative and implement changes in the business as required. As said by an observer to win in the race one has to use emerging technologies as that gives winning edge to organizations. Companies who were into packaging invested a huge amount for making timely changes to their product designs. Afterwards the concept that appeared was one-stop-shop which attracted manufacturing firms, and other related businesses. The issues in the packaging industry include globalization of businesses, fixed price concept of Sonoco, USA firms started investing overseas, adapting to technology innovations, abrupt changes in the product design, decline in sales and revenues etc. The changes in the business arena, especially in the packaging industry influenced Sonoco to change its strategies and focus on more customers and solutions oriented and understood the words of Proctor Gamble. It also started looking at markets with focused coordination (Sonoco Products Case Study p3). What were Cindy Hartleys objectives for changes at Sonoco? Cindy Hartley, after becoming VP or HR department of Sonoco, she set forth three objectives to be achieved which were in tune with the thoughts of the new CEO of the company who wanted to cut short expenses of the organization more than 20% (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). The objectives are as given below. Making GMs accountable for managing talent and ensure that inefficient employees are not entertained. Considering HR talent as corporate resource rather than GMs talent and utilizing the human resources evenly across divisions. Developing consistent practices towards HRM. Optimizing HR to support business objectives of GM. Before she took office, employees were given salaries even when they are not performing. It does mean that as the company was in good profits, it ignored the HR best practices towards people who do not perform well. Cindy Hartley in the capacity of VP under the guidance of CEO wanted to make this organizational change to see that human resources are optimally utilized. GMs were made responsible for optimal usage of human resources and considered HR talent as corporate resource instead of just looking at it GMs manpower (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). HR Changes at Sonoco When Cindy Hartley was hired as new VP of HR window of Sonoco, she identified many problems with HR function as it was ruined and not consistent. The organizational structure in 1995 has some inherent problems. The focus on HR was different in those days. They thought it as something like back-room operation (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The organizational structure was tactical in nature rather than strategic. In 1990s large divisions in the company have their own HR functions which are individual and not aligned to the overall corporate HR function properly. There were inconstancies in payroll related activities and also confidentiality was not maintained in such matters. The main problem was that corporate HR was seen in different perspective. It was seen as an entity that simply takes care of recruitments and relationships between employees and organization. Strategic planning was not possible due to staff structure which was complex. GMs of divisions exercised discretion and make mistakes in the process of providing compensation to staff members (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The reporting structure of the company has less useful things and HR people were taking things for granted. The process of compensations was considered entitlements rather than looking them at in practical cost related perspective. Sonocos employee appraisal strategy was also not perfect. The timing of it and the encouraging merit employees was not flawless. There were cases of manipulation of performance reports. The performance evaluation was not actually reflecting the efficiency of employees. At the same time experienced employees are an asset (Barbara A. Anderson, 2005). Worst case is that the best performed employees were fired due to reasons other than performance. There were not action plans, and there were complaints from the employees with respect to their career (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). When Hartley took office in 1995, she was determined to build HR group with much focus on business orientation and professionalism. Priority was given for making leaders in the organization. It does mean that leadership traits were taught to HR people. The companys growth strategy, cash flow, working capital management was given focus. Favourable work conditions also play a role (ISIK U. ZEYTINOGLU GORDON B. COOKE KARLENE HARRY JAMES CHOWHAN1, 2008). The priorities set by Hartley to set the things right are as shown below (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The compensation strategies and measuring performance of individualos is given top priority as this ensures that the best performers are given right compensation. Planning for making good number of leaders for the ensuing generation. A robust employee development process that ensured that employees skills are improved constantly. Organizational performance results in financial growth (Brain becker and barry garhat, 1966). From the perspective of changes in the organization she was regarded as a change maker. She was well known among her colleagues as a good manager. A counsel was built to help in HR management. When she stared change management, many in the organization did not allow it. For instance HR heads of the divisions resisted her actions towards making changes in HR strategies (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The first problem tackled was compensation and performance management as they are fundamental issues of HR. In 1996, HR management was revised again to make it more effective. Its main focus was on alignment and consistency. For change management all stake holders are convinced. For each plant manager specific set of metrics are given. For Instance the metrics are safety, customer returns, quality, machine downtime, plat profit etc. The metrics of individual units are aligned with overall busine ss objectives of the company. In 1997, the Sonoco Products Company adopted a shared vision with respect to performance management. In other words Sonoco discussed the performance management strategies with employees as well (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The compensation management and salary system are combined. The mangers were encouraged to follow guidelines and educate employees so as to make them to give best services and also measures value addition of individuals. With respect to succession planning and leadership development the strategies are to be agreed up on by divisional senior management. And advisory team was built by Hartley for improving the system (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The six leadership traits are recorded. They include coaching and monitoring, knowledge management, teamwork, strategic integration, communication and customer satisfaction through excellence. Sonoco followed three sources for assessing the capabilities of managers. They include successi on planning, performance management system and 360-degree feedback. HR function is improved every year. By 2000, almost all fundamental changes were made to the organizational HR function. Hartley revamped aspects like IT systems, performance management, compensation, diversity and succession planning. However, it has must to do to make strides in business growth. Intensive and basic compensation plans were subjected to major changes (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). HR Structure Recommendation for Sonoco HRM efficiency is possible through right personnel (Y. Paul Huo, Heh Jason Huang, and Nancy K. Napier, 2002). Hartley wanted to restructure HR function. There are two models for structural organization of HR division. They include centralization model and hybrid model. In the centralization model many HR activities are handled by four centers of expertise. These divisions are managed by field experts who have wealth of knowledge. It helps in the reduction of administrative and other costs pertaining to process improvement. However, it faces fewer opportunities when it has to be aligned with individual businesses (Sonoco Products Case Study p7). Centralization requires clever way of handling HRM (Asma Zaineb, 2011). The second option is named as hybrid structure. In this approach the divisions have provisions in the involvement of compensation, personnel programs, succession planning and staffing. It leaves the individual HR manager on which GMs rely. The both structures meant for imp lementing HR strategy that is common in both. The HR changes done by Hartley are sustainable as they are meant for reducing expenses and improve large scale business opportunities (Sonoco Products Case Study p7). For HR structure of Sonoco I recommend centralized model as it has many advantages over hybrid structure (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). The advantages include reduction in operational costs, concentration of HR skills, sharing of knowledge, optimization processes and organizational support. Centralized human resources model can save operational costs for various activities of HR such as recruiting, benefits and compensation management, and recruiting. Sharing of knowledge among the divisions is possible through centralized computing. Technology should be used in recruitments (Derek S.Chapman and Jane Webster, 2003) Centralized HR managers are easily accessible and one can get faster service (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). It promotes HR skills improvements. Business processes can be optimized effectively using centralized HR model. It facilitates easy and consistent development of processes for various activities like performance management, recognition, recruiting, and payroll. Its easy to develop companywide aspects such as resource processes, easy to develop communication with all places in the organization. Another advantage of centralized computing is better organizational support for company. Centralized approach well suites organizations where staff members are trained as to how to communicate effectively. The approach provides (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). SHRM also gained popularity (Patrick M. Wright, Benjamin B. Dunford, Scott A. Snell, 2001). Nevertheless, centralized model of HR has its limitations such as administration causing inequalities, strict conformity of official norms etc. and dictatorship which does not take employees into confidence while making policies (Asma Zaineb, 2011). Size of the organization also has consideration for HRM strategy (GEORGE CALLAGHAN AND PAUL THOMPSON, 2002). Fig. 1 Centralized Model for HR Structure As can be seen in fig. 1, the HR structure of Sonoco has VP at the top of the hierarchy. The single rooted hierarchy with administrative, experts and field staff services. The study of Sonocos business scenario and HR function closely from the views of Hartley and CEO of the company, there was lot of improvement in its functioning due to the efforts of Hartley. However, it can be said that it needs further improvement. The following are the recommendations for Sonoco. First and foremost importance has to be given to a centralized mode of HR structure as it has many advantages. It reduces costs of process improvement activiti4es and also administrative costs. As Sonoco VP of HR and CEO of the company want to reduce the operational costs, the centralized model is best suited. The existing practice of linking HR operations and processes with business objectives of Sonoco, culture and values has to be continued with further changes if required. HR influences many key systems (Coro Strandberg, 2009). The best practices are pertaining to it such as organizational core competencies, performance management, 360 degree reviews, building tomorrow leader through career development and training, organizational reviews, learning by doing, online performance and learning, training for sales and marketing people, team skill development, reward and recognition including broad banding, and centennial shares. There is relationship between training and organizational performance (Salem Shiryan, Dr. Himanshu Shee and Deborah Stewart, 2012). And training makes organization stronger (Rebecca Grossman and Eduardo Salas, 2011). Reflection The HRM module has given me adequate insights into the HRM activities that help me in putting in into use in my future endeavors. Understanding certain concepts of HRM has led me to know the fundamentals of HRM. From the study it is understood that human resource department is not meant for acting as back-room while it has tremendous utility when harnessed properly. The study also let me know the important structure for HRM such as centralized hybrid models. Moreover Sonoco case study has given me in depth understanding possibilities in realizing the case with respect to HR management. From this experience I came to know certain facts related to HR structures known as centralized and hybrid. No changes can be implemented without people involving in the process. This is the reason continuous education and training is required to staff members in order to improve quality in service and also produce leaders for future generation.

Types of Assessment and Evaluation

Types of Assessment and Evaluation Assessment and evaluation has become critical issues especially in the field of teaching and learning; it requires watchful consideration by every teaching practitioner in any educational institution. This is also the area where many teachers sink into the pool of confusion. But it has its key function, which is to collect information on the achievement of every individual student and judge their everyday progress. In other words, it serve vital role in the process of effective teaching and learning. Therefore, this essay will explain my understanding of assessment and evaluation from the perspectives of development, formal, informal, special needs, and standards in brief. However, to do this, we first need to define assessment and evaluation. The word assessment is derived from the Latin word assidere meaning to sit beside. It is obvious that simple tone of this phrase is soothing, and it suggests mutual confidence and understanding. So, it indirectly tells that existence of positive association between assessment and the process of teaching and learning in schools is necessary. By and large, assessment is a process of collecting information relative to some identified aims and objectives involved with students progress and achievement in the process of teaching and learning. More specifically, classroom assessment refers to the process of gathering, recording, interpreting, using and communicating information about their progress and achievement during the development of knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes. According to Lloyd-Jones and Bray (1986) assessment is referred to the process in which certain quality of a students education is measured, by the teacher, an examiner or the student.   It is means to measure worthiness of students performance.   Assessment, therefore, involves much more than testing. It is an ongoing process that encompasses many formal and informal activities intended to examine and improve teaching and learning in all areas of the curriculum. On the other hand, evaluation  is more or less defined as the process of judging relative merit, value, or worthiness of educational programs, or techniques by using realistic information generated through assessment. It helps in updating the nature and degree of learning; plays pivotal role in curricular decision making; and it favour better links between learning, and the aims and objectives of teaching. Moreover, it creates strong bond between learning and the environments in which learning takes place. Therefore, in educational setting, assessment and evaluation seeks evidence that the learning activities designed for students are effective. Assessment and Evaluation from the perspective of development Why do we assess and evaluate? This is the first question that knocks in my mind whenever I look assessment and evaluation from an angle of development. Generally, teachers plays vital role in developmental assessment and evaluation of students learning and programs for many reasons: Firstly, assessment and evaluation help teachers and student affair administrators to enhance their understanding of the needs of a persistently varying student population. In addition, it will help in identifying developmental delays in students and to develop strategies for intervention. For that, I would prefer to use the concept of integrated model of child development. It is because the model covers up all developmental areas such as sensory, behavioural, language, motor, perceptual, social cognitive and emotional skills. So it can also be used to improve holistic development of students as a student, self, and valuable citizen of the nation as it reflects their personality as well as their degree of achievement in the field of learning. Secondly, assessment is also meant to develop efficient educational institutional plans and policies to meet students developmental needs and learning styles. They are crucial for advancing the quality and easy accessibility of programs and services. Thirdly, we cannot avoid its greatest contribution in curriculum development. Through assessment and evaluation, we will be able to help curriculum developers for deciding how we might improve courses and programmes. At the same time, as a teacher we can contribute in doing revision on curriculum, course materials, teaching methodologies, etc. It is because assessment results can specially provide a potent rational for securing scaffold for curriculum changes, development and review. Formal and Informal Assessment and Evaluation A formal assessment is also sometimes known as summative assessment. And it is generally assessed in the form of quiz, test, or paper and is graded based on how well student is able to perform. A summative assessment is normally carried out at the end of unit or module. Furthermore, formal assessments are categorized into criterion-referenced tests and norm-referenced tests. Criterion-referencing is assessment based on certain criterion or principle, and norm-referencing is graded assessment based on the comparisons of learners achievement against one another from time to time. I prefer more of criterion referencing method than norm-referencing because it can be used to judge students achievement and progress on a series of key criteria set based on reasonably expected learning outcomes and objectives. Whereas, norm-referencing is based on the hypothesis, that a more or less similar range of human performance can be anticipated for any student group. On the other hand, Informal assessment is referred as formative test, and it is a continuous process of assessment and evaluation. Feedback plays vital role here as it allows both learners and teachers to evaluate learning and spot out the areas for improvement. But which one could be the best form of assessment, formal or informal? In my opinion, the use of informal assessments is best for the overall learning. It facilitate teachers to assess students through a range of classroom-based activities, identify students weakness then and there and start work for the improvement, rather than waiting at the last minute like informal assessment. Assessment and Evaluation for special needs students Students having problems such as: motor, linguistic, cognitive, behavioural, organizational, speech and physical disabilities are usually referred as special needs students, and it also includes gifted students. They should not be left out without normal education. Special arrangements or special needs accommodations should be offered to them in order to pursue their academic goals and achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency. Similarly they also need to be evaluated and identified their strengths, weaknesses and give guiding principles to make effective progress in attaining their academic goals. Other than teachers and peers, students family should involve in it. So, I feel that, by building an alliance with their parents; obtaining students developmental history and current family experience; and discussing issues with them would help greatly for addressing challenges in guiding special needs students to succeed like other normal students. Moreover, evaluation will be holistic and addresses all aspects of functioning. For that we should not forget to take students individual learning styles into account as all students do not have same learning capability and ways. Sometimes students with special needs are integrated in regular classrooms because the main idea of assessment and evaluation in this field itself is to see whether a student is able to adapt, make progress and met objectives in normal class like normal students. Assessment indicates whether the student learned the materials intended and what are some of the drawbacks areas to be improved. So schools and teacher must give all students an equal opportunity to education. Infect, they should provide counteractive assistance to special needs students. Never the less, we as a teacher, in order to select education program and activities suitable for our students, we must carefully evaluate our options and consider the specific needs of our disabled students. Standards based Assessment and Evaluation Here, it includes two types of educational standards, a content standard and a performance standard. A content standard defines the knowledge, concepts, and skills acquire at each grade level, while performance standard state the level of performance that is considered acceptable aligning to the benchmark set by the teachers. Standards-based assessment and evaluation is meant to identify students with different pace and capabilities in learning, so that we can design strategies to help them and make all of them achieve and master to the level that they are required to retain certain benchmark in learning. Understanding Standardized Test and its characteristics is necessary when we discuss about assessment and evaluation from the perspective of standard as it is one of the instrument required in standard assessment and evaluation process. Range of knowledge and understanding in specific subject is being assessed through standardized testing on students. And it is a snapshot in time where assessments are administered and scored in the same way for all students. For example, multiple-choice questions and written responses to be answered within a given time frame are examples of standard test. That means students are not allowed to use outer resources or references in order to complete the test. Their performance on these tests decides whether they will be promoted or not from one grade to the next. And this is what almost every school district now administers it. However, it is important for us not to get confused of Standardized tests with the standards movement, which approve definite grade-level content and performance standards in main subject sphere. Frequently, regulated uniform tests are not associated with state and district content standards, and these causes noticeably lose of connection between what is being taught and what is being tested. So as a teacher we have to process our teaching according to the curriculum. The standard evaluation will enable other school improvement plan and projects, and to bring advance changes in curriculum and pedagogy, and incorporation of new assessments. So standardized assessment and evaluation is uniformly regulated test which it refers to when every student at a particular grade level has to undergo the same test with same question, at same time frame in same year throughout the country. In the nutshell, we would find that the descriptions given in above paragraphs are all views from different perspectives constructed by hypothesizing the both special needs students and normal student as an active in structuring their own learning in the context of social interaction; role of educational institutions and teachers in establishing the childs stage of development in any aspect of learning, and that information collected through various assessment and evaluation methods will then be used to scaffold the next learning and curriculum development.

Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics Essays -- Sociology Racism

Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics At some point in life, every individual has been treated like an outsider. It occurs often with children or teenagers. However, one can still be regarded with this attitude as an adult. Furthermore, an entire group can feel as if they are being treated as an outsider, and sadly enough, it does happen regularly. One author, David Hernandez, spoke about these occurrences through his poem â€Å"Pigeons.† With his poem, Hernandez argues that Hispanics are never treated or viewed as insiders, but always as outsiders. Sadly enough, I would have to agree with Hernandez’s argument, for in his poem he concludes that Hispanics are viewed as â€Å"weird† because of their culture, are deprived by the public, and are not accepted by any of the other cultures within the American society. In the very first line of his poem, Hernandez throws out a shocking argument statement. This line reads, â€Å"Pigeons are the spiks of Birdland† (Hernandez 1023). This is extremely shocking since Hernandez was Hispanic, yet he is calling his people â€Å"spiks† and â€Å"pigeons† in degrading ways. Nevertheless, he does it to make a strong argument. First, he says that his people are viewed as pigeons because their culture is seen as weird and odd. I would have to say that I agree with Hernandez’s feelings on this, even though I do not agree that this is the right attitude to have toward Hispanics or any other race for that matter. Many times the Hispanic’s dress or the way they do things is looked down upon. It seems odd, though, that this is the attitude, since Americans have adopted several aspects from the Hispanic culture, such as pià ±atas at parties and their many types of foods like tacos, en... ...aces and by many people, â€Å"[Hispanics] are not accepted anywhere,† making them â€Å"the spiks of [America]† (Hernandez 1023). David Hernandez’s poem â€Å"Pigeons† makes strong arguments toward the fact that Hispanics are viewed with negative and prejudiced attitudes, are underprivileged by society, and are not accepted in many aspects of the general public, and with these arguments I would have to agree. Nevertheless, Hispanics are not the only group of people who are viewed with a degrading or biased attitude. Many other races are treated as outsiders, which is not right. Every human needs to reach out to others, helping each person to feel included into society. Works Cited Hernandez, David. â€Å"Pigeons.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 1023-24. Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics Essays -- Sociology Racism Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics At some point in life, every individual has been treated like an outsider. It occurs often with children or teenagers. However, one can still be regarded with this attitude as an adult. Furthermore, an entire group can feel as if they are being treated as an outsider, and sadly enough, it does happen regularly. One author, David Hernandez, spoke about these occurrences through his poem â€Å"Pigeons.† With his poem, Hernandez argues that Hispanics are never treated or viewed as insiders, but always as outsiders. Sadly enough, I would have to agree with Hernandez’s argument, for in his poem he concludes that Hispanics are viewed as â€Å"weird† because of their culture, are deprived by the public, and are not accepted by any of the other cultures within the American society. In the very first line of his poem, Hernandez throws out a shocking argument statement. This line reads, â€Å"Pigeons are the spiks of Birdland† (Hernandez 1023). This is extremely shocking since Hernandez was Hispanic, yet he is calling his people â€Å"spiks† and â€Å"pigeons† in degrading ways. Nevertheless, he does it to make a strong argument. First, he says that his people are viewed as pigeons because their culture is seen as weird and odd. I would have to say that I agree with Hernandez’s feelings on this, even though I do not agree that this is the right attitude to have toward Hispanics or any other race for that matter. Many times the Hispanic’s dress or the way they do things is looked down upon. It seems odd, though, that this is the attitude, since Americans have adopted several aspects from the Hispanic culture, such as pià ±atas at parties and their many types of foods like tacos, en... ...aces and by many people, â€Å"[Hispanics] are not accepted anywhere,† making them â€Å"the spiks of [America]† (Hernandez 1023). David Hernandez’s poem â€Å"Pigeons† makes strong arguments toward the fact that Hispanics are viewed with negative and prejudiced attitudes, are underprivileged by society, and are not accepted in many aspects of the general public, and with these arguments I would have to agree. Nevertheless, Hispanics are not the only group of people who are viewed with a degrading or biased attitude. Many other races are treated as outsiders, which is not right. Every human needs to reach out to others, helping each person to feel included into society. Works Cited Hernandez, David. â€Å"Pigeons.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 1023-24.

Comparing Crime and Punishment and Taxi Driver :: comparison compare contrast essays

Crime and Punishment and Taxi Driver He is a man whose psychological workings are dark, twisted, horrifying, and lonely. He is an absurd, anti-hero who is absolutely repulsed by his surroundings, and because he is unable to remove himself from them, he feels justified in removing other people. This profile fits Travis, portrayed by Robert DeNiro in Scorsese's film "Taxi Driver,", and Raskolnikov, the main character of Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. Their revulsion for life leads both men to commit cold-blooded murders, but the story lines contain major differences. By contrasting these differences and comparing the common themes of the classic and the film, we may come to a clearer understanding of the purpose of both stories. The root of both Travis' and Raskolnikov's problems is their complete and utter disgust with the world around them. Travis is a New York City cab driver who drives everywhere and picks up anyone. It doesn't matter to him if the customer is a prostitute who uses his backseat as her workplace. He just drives around with a glazed look of indifference in his eyes, while inside, his heart is overflowing with rage. In contrast, Raskolnikov is an ex-student living in St. Petersburg during the mid 1800's. He is extremely poor, and therefore lives in an area called the Haymarket, where all the whorehouses and bars were located. Every time he goes out, he walks past the dregs of society, which fills his heart with hatred for everyone and everything. Both characters see the world to be completely evil and devoid of all goodness, and this existential view drives them to become exactly what they so desperately hate. Their revolt against ugliness pulls both characters towards the most ugly of all deeds - murder. Travis dreams that "someday a real rain will come and wipe this scum off the streets." He feels some sort of divine calling to actually become this "real rain." Similarly, Raskolnikov plots to sacrifice one "louse of a human being" who is "no good to anyone" for the benefit of thousands. Out of this scheme he derives his Extraordinary/ Superman theory that states that humans are divided into the ordinary and the extraordinary, the men and the supermen.

Concert Attendance Report Essay

I am a casual listener because I like having music playing, filling the environment with sounds. I can listen to music while studying and sleeping, and I like listening to music because it can make me relax and ignore the noise that around me. I attended the concert on October 5 at 8:00pm. Contrapunctus XIX, from The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080 by Johann Sebastian Bach, Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss and Symphony No.7 in A major, Op.92 by Ludwig Van Beethoven were performed. The style of Contrapunctus XIX, from The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080 is set progresses to double, triple, and mirror fugues, culminating in a quadruple fugue. Metamorphosen is a memorial elegy. Symphony No.7 in A major, Op.92 is in four movements, Poco sostenuto – Vivace, Allegretto, Presto and Allegro con brio. The orchestra had violins, violas, cellos, basses, flutes, piccolo, oboes, English horn, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, keyboards and harp. Contrapunctus XIX, from The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080 is an unfinished work by Johann Sebastian Bach. The Art of the Fugue is a set of fugues of increasing complexity using every theoretical device. The set progresses to double, triple and mirror fugues, culminating in a quadruple fugue that was incomplete because of Bach’s death, and his son arranged for him. Bach is the Baroque composer. Contrapunctus XIX was incorporating counterpoint, and explicitly and systematically explored the full range of contrapuntal. The volume of this piece is soft. Its tempo is Adagio or Lento (slow). Its contour repeated pitch melody, direction is static, and had a narrow range. Its rhythm is alternation of tension and relaxation. It is a strophic form. It is a classical music. Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss. This piece uses as its primary motivic element a passage from the funeral march in Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. Its tempo is andante (at leisurely walking speed). Its volume is crescendo (becoming louder). Its rhythm is alternation of tension and relaxation. Its contour jagged melody, direction is static, and had a wide range. It is a  repetition and contrast which is ternary form. It is a romantic music. Symphony No.7 in A major, Op.92 by Ludwig Van Beethoven. The Seventh Symphony is in four movements. After a slow introduction (as in the First, Second and Fourth Symphonies) the first movement is in sonata form and is dominated by lively dance-like rhythms. The second movement, in A minor, is â€Å"slow†, although the tempo marking is _Allegretto_ (â€Å"a little quickly†), making it slow only in comparison to the other three movements. This movement was encored at the premiere and has remained popular since. The ostinato (repeated rhythmic figure) of a quarter note, two eighth notes and two quarter notes is heard repeatedly. The third movement is a scherzo and trio. Here, the trio (which is based on an Austrian Pilgrims’ hymn[2]) is played twice rather than once. This expansion of the usual A-B-A structure of ternary form into A-B-A-B- A was quite common in other works of Beethoven of this period, such as his Fourth Symphony and String Quartet Op. 59 No. 2. The last movement is in sonata form. Donald Francis Tovey, writing in his _Essays in Musical Analysis_, commented on this movement’s â€Å"Bacchic fury†. Its volume is crescendo (becoming louder). Its rhythm is tension. Its contour jagged melody, direction is upward, and had a wide range. It is a repetition and contrast which is ternary form. It is a classical music. I enjoyed the concert so much because I like Beethoven’s music, and I am so happy to see such a large orchestra! I have never seen it before. I am looking forward to attend it again.

Bridge On The River Kwai Essay

For example: a characters intention, sequence of events, etc? A part in the movie which was confusing was when Nicholson decided to assist the Japanese in building the bridge. He becomes so obsessed in building the bridge (which he regarded as a symbol of British efficiency and resourcefulness, which will be remembered for times to come) that he fails to identify that he is collaborating with the Japanese even when he was informed by his own medical officer. He becomes so blinded by this that he, a man of principles and one who follows rules mentioned in the Geneva Convention is willing to make his officers work for the timely completion of the bridge. Saito tells Nicholson that it will not be necessary to bring the copy of the Geneva Convention and walks away making the silence/no-response response speak for him. Due to the indirect form of communication it is hard to follow if Saito means that Nicholson should not bring the book because he has previously read it and now that it has been brought to his attention he will not make the British officers do manual abour or that he has read the book but will still make the British officers do manual labour. Making silence speak instead of words and the indirect form of communication gives the essence of a reactive culture. Another part of the movie which was hard to understand was when Nicholson fell on the detonator at the end of the film. It is unclear if Nicholson had an intention to destroy the bridge or if it was a mere accident. His last lines â€Å"what have I done† do clarify his intent but due to the fact that he falls on the plunger there was no ample clarification for the same. There is a possibility that due to his love for the bridge uilt by the British soldiers he had Just proceeded towards the plunger to disconnect it, however, dies while doing so and hence falls on it instead. 0 What was the best thing about the movie? What was the worst? The best part about the film was the way Nicholson stood by his principles and persuaded Saito to not make his officers do manual labour and hence go by the rules mentioned in the Geneva Convention. The astonishing part about this was that this was taking place in a POW camp where the bargaining power was higher with Saito than Nichonson. Nicholsons’s leadership abilities made his officers not give in to Saito and start anual work, and hence continued to be punished in the oven. His leadership abilities are portrayed well when the British medical officer comes to meet him at the oven, Nicholson was more concern about his officers than about himself even after he was deprived of food and water for numerous days. His pride and patriotic qualities tacilitate him to stand by his word against Saito even atter physical and emotional harm is being inflicted on him during the period of negotiation. On the other hand I feel that 2 Saito underestimated his BATNA (Best alternative to a negotiated agreement). I feel hat during the time of positional bargaining with Nicholson, ultimately carving under pressure and letting him out of the oven, Saito should have used his own soldiers for the bridge (till such time Nicholson was persuaded to make his men work) and created more discipline and collaboration among the workers for the timely completion of the bridge. I feel that there was little room for principled negotiation as Nicholson was not willing to do so. The worse part of the movie was the collapse of the bridge in the end. A bridge which was the cause of various negotiations between Saito and Nicholson, in the process esulted in numerous threats, blackmail and infliction of physical and emotional harm from Saito to Nicholson and consequentially got Nicholson himself killed. By the collapse of the bridge all that seemed to be a waste. 0 What did you find to be the most interesting or surprising element of the film? Why? The most surprising element of the film is the fact when Nicholson decides to take over the responsibility to construct the bridge after having won the negotiation against Saito and having no obligation towards doing so. He becomes so obsessed in building the bridge (which he regarded as a symbol of British efficiency and resourcefulness, which will be remembered for times to come) that he fails to identify that he is collaborating with the Japanese even when he was informed by his own medical officer. He defends himself in front of the officer by saying that he is getting the bridge made efficiently as he wants people who use to bridge in the future to remember how it was built and who built it. He also adds that by working on the bridge together his men will feel like British soldiers rather than Japanese prisoners. The bridge was Nicholson’s trophy and was not an instrument to keep the British soldiers together. He becomes so blinded by this that he, a man of principles and one who follows rules mentioned in the Geneva Convention is willing to make his officers work for the timely completion of the bridge. He forgot about the war and his loyalties and started to aid in the improvement of the bridge rather than working in accordance with the instructions provided by the Japanese. It was this perceived duty that lead to his downfall ultimately. This was due to the fact that if he was not that keen of building a good bridge, he would not have reacted the way he did once he identified the explosives and could have prevented the unnecessary loss f lives towards the end including his own. 3 0 What is the movie trying to tell viewers? The movie glorifies the western civilization, especially that of the British. On the other hand it portrays the east Oapanese) to be weak and still learning. 0 How does it go about conveying this message? In the beginning Saito and Nicholson did not get along well. Nicholson insisted that his officers were not to do manual labour as per the rules stated in the Geneva Convention, however, Saito was more bothered about getting the bridge ready on time. When the numerous attempts Saito made to persuade the stubborn Nicholson ailed he tried a friendly approach by offering the starved Nicholson with Beef corn and Whiskey and by telling him that the senior officers including him do not have to manual labour. Saito had to ultimately carve and wilt towards the strong armed Nicholson even though Nicholson was in his POW camp. This was done using the anniversary of Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese war in order to save face. The concept of saving face is due to the impact of collectivism. This concept of saving face suggests that Saito is from a country with a high long term orientation index (L TO) culture. Not only this, once Nicholson took up the responsibility of the bridge and implemented British designs, oversight and ingenuity to it, he ended up making a more technically sound and competent bridge than the Japanese could have otherwise built. What cultural issues do you see? How are these portrayed? o Individualist, Power distance and hierarchy, Communication styles, role of gender, etc? In the initial part of the movie the American soldier bribes the Japanese captain to assist him in getting hospitalized. The Japanese soldier does not use the word ‘No’. He indirectly tries to xpress his reluctance to hospitalize the American. When the American insists using the usual America n loud and verbose attitude, the solder uses silence for the same and walks away after moving his head from side to side. This indirect and non-verbal form of communication indicates that the Japanese is from a collectivist, low IDV and a high context culture. The American soldier wanted to be hospitalized as he was self-centered. This along with the fact that he ran away shows that he was individualistic and did not care about anyone else. It can therefore be perceived that e has a high internal locus of control, signifying that he is in charge of his own life and that what happens to him is a result of his own actions and hence indicates that he is from a high IDV and a low context culture. 4 A more participative hierarchy is portrayed by the British soldiers. This can be seen when the British officers and their Colonel meet and have a debate on the topic of escape from the camp. One of the officers directly disagreed with Nicholson when he advised the officers not to escape from the camp. The officer argued that staying in the camp is a sure way of getting killed. This shows the impact of an individualistic ulture as in a collectivist culture disagreement is usually done indirectly or very discreetly. The British (westerners) usually like to near the word ‘No’ in order tor the meaning to be conveyed effectively; they do not understand indirect negative responses. This kind of participative nature and direct denial from an officer to the colonel’s advice signifies a low power distance index (PDI) as power seems to be shared and well dispersed. This direct approach can also be seen in Nicholson when Saito tells him at the beginning of the movie that he will order his officers to work and he directly replies saying ‘No’. The local woman are looking up to the men and taking care of them in the scene where the American is returning the POW camp to destroy the bridge. It seems as if the women expect the men to be tough, assertive and be the provider. This shows that the local community is a high Masculinity index (MAS) culture. Hierarchy has been shown in many instances during the film. As far as the Japanese were concern, the Japanese soldier taking his cap off and bowing (In Japan there are rules for the Japanese equivalent of the Western handshake for who to bow, how much they should bow and hence are difficult to master) to Saito at the beginning of he film, bringing him a platform to stand on as he was short and so that people look up to him and salute him, were some instances showing hierarchy amongst the Japanese. Also the man responsible for fanning the Saito does not speak due to respect and even if it is raining the soldier still stands outside the premises as they are lower down in the hierarchy. 0 Did you like the film? Why or why not? Yes, I liked the film. The film did not have a right or wrong due to which it follows a unique and realistic approach based on individuals. Like more war films it is neither for nor against the war. By the end of the movie the viewer is less interested in the fact that who wins the war than about how the individuals will behave. 0 What adjective would you use to describe your reaction to the film? Why did you react this way? As rightly described by Clipton at the end of the film, the adjective that can be used to describe my reaction of the film is madness. Every individual in the film is inclined towards their own duty, order and chaos that they lose what really matters and what is most important. Emotions and orders have taken over the right or sane thing to do. The characters have hence led the situation to go out of hand. 0 In what ways can you identify with the movie, its characters and its message? The movie is more about the events surrounding the war rather than the battles and the fighting. These events have turned mortality, Judgment and sound thought around and have eventually lead to madness. There are various examples of this so called madness in the movie; the madness of Nicholson who says that working with the enemy is not going against one’s country, the madness ot the American who accepts to return to a camp on a suicide mission where he escaped, nearly getting killed and he madness of a struggle the obliged men to make harsh decisions. Based on your knowledge of negotiations what do you think was going on? o What kind of dirty tricks were being used? Give 3 examples. Initially Saito used a forceful approach in negotiating with the Nicholson. Saito caused emotional (By cutting food supply and taking people from the hospital to work) and physical (When Saito slapped Nicholson and put him in the oven) means in order to persuade the soldiers to commence work on t he bridge. Saito underestimated his BATNA (Best alternative to a negotiated agreement). I feel that during the time of positional bargaining with Nicholson, ultimately carving under pressure and letting them out of the oven, Saito should have used his own soldiers for the bridge (Till such time Nicholson was persuaded to make his men work) and created discipline and collaboration among the workers for the timely completion of the bridge. I feel that there was little room for principled negotiation as Nicholson was not willing to do so. One of the dirty tricks used by Saito was that of threat’ when he warned Nicholson that if he does not order his troops to start work on the bridge he will be shot. Another dirty trick used by Saito in the initial part of the movie was that of ‘Chinese water torture’, signifying that he kept repeating his demands without bothering much about what Nicholson has to say. 6 The third dirty trick in the movie was when Saito asked the British soldier to meet with Nicholson for 5 minutes and tell him that if he doesn’t order his officers to start work he will make the people in the hospital work. This was a ‘bluff on Saito’s part, even after hearing this Nicholson never changed his decision and the soldiers at the hospital were never made to work. What values are portrayed? Independence, cooperation, hierarchy, power, etc? The values that are portrayed in the movie are Independence, hierarchy, bravery, power, pride, patriotism, collaboration, leadership and commitment to duty. 0 How were these values portrayed? o Give examples of the type of behaviour that you base your answer upon Independence was shown when the Americ an played on his life in order to escape from the Japanese camp in order to be free. Hierarchy can be seen by the Japanese soldiers to Saito when they remove their cap and bow to him, when they get him a raised platform during the time of his speech, y the guard to Saito’s house has to stand outside even though it is raining and by the man responsible for fanning not speaking in the entire movie. These major differences in hierarchy and the soldiers accepting an unequal distribution of power indicates a high power distance index (PDI). Bravery has been shown by Nicholson when he did not give in even though Saito threaten ed him witn a gun hidden in the truck. Collaboration was shown by the soldiers once the bridge was the responsibility of Nicholson. This was not present when Saito is in charge of the bridge as stated by he British engineer when he was questioned by Nicholson what he would have done differently if this was his bridge. Because of the task-oriented approach of Nicholson and he planning ahead step by step which can be seen when he says this is the end of the agenda while meeting with Saito for discussion of the proposal for the new bridge, the soldiers were able to effectively collaborate. This suggests that Nicholson is from a linear Active Culture. Pride and patriotism can be seen when the British officers were marching in group and whistling. 7 Leadership was portrayed by Nicholson when the British soldier brought him food in he oven. Nicholson had not seen sun light for days, was weak and deprived of food and water but even then he was more concern about his officers than about himself. Commitment to duty was shown by Nicholson when he took over the responsibility of the bridge. He made the best and most efficient bridge possible, forgetting about the war and his loyalties. 0 Was there anything about the movie (sights, sounds, smells, colors, background scenes) that told you something about the culture that you were dealing with? What did you learn? The type of culture seemed to be a collectivist one. This can be seen rom the behavior of the society when the American escapes and reaches a village. 0 What does the movie tell you about the culture of the producers of the film? What about the film gives you this indication? The movie portrays glorification of western civilization in terms of perseverance and inventiveness, specifically the British. This indicates that the producer is from the British culture. Nicholson was able to circumvent Japanese commands due to his Engineers having the ability to construct a more technically sound bridge than the Japanese Engineers. 0 How do you think other audiences would react to this film? Why? I feel that other audience would feel that the film is more about the events surrounding the war rather than the battles and the fighting. These events have turned mortality, judgment and sound thought around and have eventually lead to madness. There are various examples of this so called madness in the movie; the madness of Nicholson who says that working with the enemy is not going against one’s country, the madness ot the American who accepts to return to a camp where ne escaped, nearly getting killed and the madness of a struggle the obliged men to make harsh decisions.