Before Romeo and Juliet even meet at the masked ball in Act one scene five Essay Example

Before Romeo and Juliet even meet at the masked ball in Act one scene five Essay Example Before Romeo and Juliet even meet at the masked ball in Act one scene five Paper Before Romeo and Juliet even meet at the masked ball in Act one scene five Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet The prologue is written in the form of a sonnet. It starts by introducing the two households and their ancient grudge. The play is set in fair Verona, Italy. Italy was regarded as a wealthy, romantic country in which romantic plays were often set. We are then told that the deaths of star-crossed lovers is the only way to end their parents rage. It tells us the end of the play before it has started which sets a sombre mood. The audience will see the characters struggle yet know they are always doomed to fail. There is also a reference to the stars. This is continued the whole way through the play and gives the impression that he stars determine the characters fate and they are not in control of their destiny. This all adds to the dramatic tension. Shakespeare mentions death, death-marked love and fatal loins, which all add to the fear of the audience. He does not let us know the reason behind the grudge. This prevents the audience from becoming biased towards one side, and creates sympathy as we feel that the more modern characters like Romeo and Juliet dont have much to do with the grudge. It also reinforces the self-perpetuating nature of the feud. Act one, scene one begins with the Capulet servants. They speak in prose sing slang and begin by insulting the Montagues, The dog of the House of Montague moves me! This sets the scene in conflict. They treat women as objects and weaker vessels. This is a very physical view of love and contrasts strongly with the love between Romeo and Juliet which comes later in the play. Shakespeare also includes some humour. After Benvolio and Tybalt enter, it soon turns into a brawl, including old Capulet and Montague. We are introduced to Benvolio as a peace maker as he says, I do but keep the peace, and Tybalt as a trouble maker as he tells the Montagues about peace that he hates the word as e hates hell. Shakespeare goes from the bottom of society with the servants, up to the top with the Lords. Language varies from prose, with the servants, to blank verse with Tybalt and Romeo and poetic verse with Lord and Lady Montague and the prince. Romeo and Juliet are kept out of this brawl, to show their innocence and also so that there is no chance of them possibly seeing each other and the prince says, If you ever disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace, letting the audience know how serious this has become and at the same time showing the reason why Romeo will soon be anished. After the excitement, Lady Montague changes the mood with a rhyming couplet, O where is Romeo? Saw you him today? Right glad I am he was not at this fray. Montague talks about Romeo being upset about something. Benvolio introduces us to Romeo which calms the whole scene down. When we meet Romeo, he talks about love and hate. He uses such oxymorons as brawling love, loving hate, heavy lightness, serious vanity, feather of lead, cold fire and sick health. This is to do with his love for Rosaline bringing him pain and anguish rather than joy. It is also about the crazy world of the feud. At the end of Romeos short speech, he says, That love I feel, I feel no love at this. This could tell us that he feels no love in the feud or that in return, he is receiving no love from Rosaline, which leads us to believe that he love will be forever unrequited as in the conventional courtly love. We have been given the impression of Romeo as someone who falls in love with a woman who is not goingg to love him back. In the play, we do not meet Rosaline which could be so that we dont make comparisons between her and Juliet. Benvolio advises Romeo to Examine other beauties, and although this is first rejected by Romeo, this ironically is what he will do. In scene two, we meet Paris who asks Capulet for Juliets hand in marriage. However Capulet thinks she is too young to be a bride. The servant with the guest list for the Capulets masked ball is illiterate so asks Romeo for help in reading it. This could be down to fate as is the fact that it was a masked ball and the Montagues could get in without being recognised. Romeo decides to go to the Capulets party to see Rosaline, and not as Benvolio suggests, to Compare her face with some that I shall how and I will make thee think thy swan a crow. In scene three Juliets mother asks her, How stands your disposition to be married? Juliet replies, It is an honour that I not dream of. Lady Capulet shows her desire for her daughter to be married, as she tells her that she, herself was a mother to Juliet at her age. The nurse is quite excited about it as she says a man, young lady; lady such a man. As all the world, why hes a man of wax. Juliet tells her mother, I look to like if looking, liking move. But no more deep I will endart mine eye. Then your consent gives to fly. She isnt goingg to do anything that her mother doesnt consent to, but she will look. This has significance to what happens later because she did exactly the opposite and fell in love with Romeo and eventually got married to him without letting her mother know. Towards the end of the scene, Romeo predicts the consequences of him goingg to the ball. He says that some consequence, yet hanging in the stars shall lead to his death. This is also a reference to star-crossed lovers from the prologue. He also mentions the phrase, direct my course. This also leads back o the idea of fate controlling the characters actions. This gives the audience a feeling of apprehension. It is love at first sight when Romeo meets Juliet. He delivers a series of five rhyming couplets talking about her beauty. Tybalt recognises Romeos voice and interrupts the romance by trying to get his uncle to throw him out. He says, This by his voice hold be a Montague. Capulet refuses and speaks well of Romeo, Verona brags of him to be a virtuous and well governed youth. This is surprising. It also delays the more important plot for a few minutes which adds to dramatic tension. The first words that Romeo and Juliet share are in the form of a sonnet. The way in which the words are used is very clever and the sonnet is finished with a kiss. The sentences flow together well which makes Romeo and Juliet seem compatible. The words of the sonnet have connotations of a courtly love, however, the kiss shows a more physical side which makes Romeo and Juliets love a mixture of the two types. Just as they are to kiss again, the nurse interrupts. This represents real life and also interrupts the peace. They both find out who the other is at the same time and they both mention death. Romeo says, My life is my foes debt and Juliet says, If he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed. This reminds the audience of the prologue, and Juliets words, My only love sprung from my only hate ia a reminder of the feud and shows us that from the start, their love was tainted by the feud. The words are also quite similar to Romeos loving hate in scene one when he talks with Benvolio. This also shows their compatibility. Juliet is led away by the nurse and Romeo, by his friends. This represents the distance between them and a sense of real life keeping them apart. I think Baz Luhrman interprets Romeo and Juliet very well in his film. It has been set in modern days and the prologue is read out on the news. We are introduced to the characters and their feud using pictures to avoid confusion and we see two sky scrapers with the familys names on the top of each, symbolising power, wealth and also their alikeness to one another. The music is loud and tense which gives it a dramatic atmosphere. We are first introduced to the Montague boys in a gas station and when they meet the Capulets a fight occurs. Both groups of boys are loud and Tybalt ears leather clothes and metal shoes which make him look tough and scary. Their clothes and cars contrast as the Capulets wear dark colours and drive a black car and the Montagues wear bright colours and drive a yellow car with no roof. This highlights how different they are. Fast, loud music is combined with the sound of helicopters and police cars, speed up the scene. Lord Montague and his wife arrive in a limousine symbolising wealth and Luhrman has cleverly showed the guns to be called sword so Shakespeares lines such as Give me my long sword, ho will not ave to be changed when put in modern days. Suddenly there is total silence as they are told off by the prince. It is a very dramatic way of changing the atmosphere. Calm, quiet music plays as Lady Montague and Benvolio talk of Romeo, and we are first introduced to him on a beach at sunset which is very romantic. We are introduced to Paris as Bachelor of the year on magazines, showing his suitability to Juliet and why her parents approve of him. We see Paris and Lord Capulet together which shows their friendship. Instead of the Montagues finding out about the party from Peter, they see t on television and decide to go. We meet Juliet in a big mansion as she and her mother get ready for the party and talk about Paris. Lady Capulet is very bossy and loud. The nurse is smaller and friendly and it seems that she and Juliet have a good relationship. Fireworks are going off which are romantic and shows that it is a big occasion. Fate also plays a major role in this play and Baz Luhrman has interpreted he that heth the steerage of my course, direct my saile as a point when Romeo is taking drugs and loses control. As it is a masked ball, all the characters are in costumes. Romeo is dressed as a knight. This symbolises that he is a hero. Also, when he first sees Juliet, he says, What ladys that which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight? Juliet is an angel which implies that she is innocent. There are also references to dear Saint and speak again bright angel. Tybalt is dressed as a devil, symbolising evil, and his friend is death, subtly telling the audience that he will soon die. Lady Capulet is dressed as Cleopatra, showing the audience, her beauty, richness and love of men and her husband is an emperor symbolising his wealth and power. This, however could also symbolise that he is living in the past and has old fashioned views on things like marriage. Paris is an astronaut, which is a well respected, though superficial modern day hero. It also shows that he doesnt really fit in as most of the other characters are dressed as more historical figures. Lady Capulet is wearing lots of make up, yet Juliet is wearing none. This shows the audience that she is pure. The music is vibrant and loud in keeping with the party theme. Young hearts born free relates to Romeo and Juliets situation. Baz Luhrman has Romeo and Juliet meet at a fish tank. The music has changed to soulful singing which is romantic and calms the whole pace of the scene down. The fish tank symbolises distance between Romeo and Juliet. It is also relaxing and there is mirror imaging between them. Lady Capulet flirts with Paris, which highlights the age difference between her and her husband. Romeo and Juliet find out about each other at the same time and there is slow, deep music. As Romeo is pulled away by his friends, this is combined with fast talking and barking dogs, making Romeo feel lonely.

R. Buckminster Fuller, About a Visionary Designer

R. Buckminster Fuller, About a Visionary Designer Famous for his design of the geodesic dome, Richard Buckminster Fuller spent his life exploring what the little, penniless, unknown individual might be able to do effectively on behalf of all humanity. Background: Born: July 12, 1895 in Milton, Massachusetts Died: July 1, 1983 Education: Expelled from Harvard University during freshman year. Received training at the U.S. Naval Academy while enlisted in the military. Fuller developed an early understanding of nature during family vacations to Maine. He became familiar with boat design and engineering as a young boy, which led him to serve in the US Navy from 1917 to 1919. While in the military, he invented a winch system for rescue boats to pull downed airplanes out of the ocean in time to save the lives of pilots. Awards and Honors: 44 honorary doctoral degreesGold Medal of the American Institute of ArchitectsGold Medal of the Royal Institute of British ArchitectsNominated for Nobel Peace PrizeJanuary 10, 1964: Featured on the cover of Time magazine 2004: Featured on a commemorative stamp by the US Postal Service. The artwork was the painting of Fuller by Boris Artzybasheff (1899-1965), an image that originally appeared on Time magazine. Important Works: 1926: Co-inventor of a new way to manufacture reinforced concrete buildings. This patent led to other inventions.1932: The portable Dymaxion house, an inexpensive, mass-produced home that could be airlifted to its location.1934: The Dymaxion car, a streamlined, three-wheeled automobile that could make extraordinarily sharp turns.1938: Nine Chains to the Moon 1946: The Dymaxion Map, showing planet Earth on a single flat map without visible distortion of the continents.1949: Developed the Geodesic Dome, patent in 1954.1967: Biosphere, the US Pavilion at Expo 67, Montreal, Canada1969: Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth1970: Approaching the Benign Environment 1975: Synergetics: Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking (read Synergetics online) Quotes by Buckminster Fuller: Whenever I draw a circle, I immediately want to step out of it.You must choose between making money and making sense. The two are mutually exclusive.We are blessed with technology that would be indescribable to our forefathers. We have the wherewithal, the know-it-all to feed everybody, clothe everybody, and give every human on Earth a chance. We know now what we could never have known beforethat we now have the option for all humanity to make it successfully on this planet in this lifetime. Whether it is to be Utopia or Oblivion will be a touch-and-go relay race right up to the final moment. What Others Say About Buckminster Fuller: He was really the worlds first green architect and was passionately interested in the issues of ecology and sustainability....He was very provocative- one of those people that if you met him, you would learn something or he would send you away and you would pursue a new line of inquiry, which would later turn out to be of value. And he was totally unlike the stereotype or the caricature that everybody assumed he was like. He was interested in poetry and the spiritual dimensions of works of art.- Norman Foster Source: Interview by Vladimir Belogolovskiy, archi.ru [accessed May 28, 2015] About R. Buckminster Fuller: Standing only 52 tall, Buckminster Fuller loomed over the twentieth century. Admirers affectionately call him Bucky, but the name he gave himself was Guinea Pig B. His life, he said, was an experiment. When he was 32 years old, his life seemed hopeless. Bankrupt and without a job, Fuller was grief stricken over the death of his first child, and he had a wife and a newborn to support. Drinking heavily, Buckminster Fuller contemplated suicide. Instead, he decided that his life was not his to throw away- it belonged to the universe. Buckminster Fuller embarked on an experiment to discover what the little, penniless, unknown individual might be able to do effectively on behalf of all humanity. To this end, the visionary designer spent the next half century searching for ways of doing more with less so that all people could be fed and sheltered. Although Buckminster Fuller never obtained a degree in architecture, he was an architect and engineer who designed revolutionary structures. Fullers famous Dymaxion House was a pre-fabricated, pole-supported dwelling. His Dymaxion car was a streamlined, three-wheeled vehicle with the engine in the rear. His Dymaxion Air-Ocean Map projected a spherical world as a flat surface with no visible distortion. Dymaxion Deployment Units (DDUs) were mass-produced houses based on circular grain bins. But Bucky is perhaps most famous for his creation of the geodesic dome- a remarkable, sphere-like structure based on theories of energetic-synergetic geometry which he developed while in the Navy during WWII. Efficient and economical, the geodesic dome was widely hailed as a possible solution to world housing shortages. During his lifetime, Buckminster Fuller wrote 28 books and was awarded 25 United States patents. Although his Dymaxion car never caught on and his design for geodesic domes is rarely used for residential dwellings, Fuller made his mark in areas of architecture, mathematics, philosophy, religion, urban development, and design. Visionary or Man With Wacky Ideas? The word dymaxion became associated with Fullers invention. It was coined by store advertisers and marketing associated, but is trademarked in Fullers name. Dy-max-ion is a combination of dynamic, maximum, and ion. Many concepts proposed by Buckminster Fuller are ones that today we take for granted. For example, way back in 1927, Fuller sketched a one-town world, where air transport over the North Pole would be viable and desirable. Synergetics: After 1947, the geodesic dome dominated Fullers thoughts.  His interest, like any architects interest, was in understanding the balance of compression and tension forces in buildings, not unlike the tensile architecture work of Frei Otto. Like Ottos German Pavilion at Expo 67, Fuller showcased his Geodesic Dome Biosphere at the same Exposition in Montreal, Canada. Lightweight, cost-effective and easy to assemble, geodesic domes enclose space without intrusive supporting columns, efficiently distribute stress, and withstand extreme conditions. Fullers approach to geometry was synergetic, based on the synergy of how parts of things interact to create the whole thing. Similar to Gestalt Psychology, Fullers ideas struck the right chord with visionaries and non-scientists especially. Source: USPS News Release, 2004 Architects on US Postage Stamps: 1966: Frank Lloyd Wright2004: Isamu Noguchi, Landscape Architect2004: R. Buckminster Fuller2015: Robert Robinson Taylor, Architect

On-Job Training And E-Learning In The Petrochemical Plants Research Paper

On-Job Training And E-Learning In The Petrochemical Plants - Research Paper Example The researcher states that training has become a need of organizations of today. This has encouraged me to conduct research on one of the most important industries of the economy, Petrochemical industry. The petrochemical industry is critical to the success of any economy and therefore I got interested in analyzing and identifying how businesses in the petrochemical industry train its employees. Technology has influenced businesses and it has changed how businesses train its employees. Therefore I am interested in analyzing and comparing two of the most used training techniques in the petrochemical industry; On-Job Training And E-Learning. This research study aims to analyze the impact of training on the performance of employees in the petrochemical industry. Two important training techniques are analyzed; on-job training and e-learning. The report, therefore, analyzes whether on-job training and e-learning have a positive or a negative impact on the performance of employees in the p etrochemical industry. The report also analyzes which of the two techniques are more effective to enhance the performance of the employees in the petrochemical industry. The petrochemical industry has become highly competitive. It is believed success is dependent on three important factors in this competitive market and these factors are efficiency, quality, and product development. In the petrochemical industry, there are different types of reactants, toxic gas emissions, and other chemicals that have potential for toxic and are flammable. Therefore training of employees is significant in ensuring that health and safety measures are made and employees are safe. Training is helpful in improving the efficiency of the employees as well.

Changing Workplace Culture through team leadership Research Paper

Changing Workplace Culture through team leadership - Research Paper Example Workplace culture is a very essential factor in the success of organizations because it determines the levels of employee motivation, and performance thereby influencing organizational performance accordingly. It is in the least incentive of any organization to have employees that are unengaged and ill motivated because this inevitably leads to low organizational outputs. The organizational leadership culture, the system of unspoken norms and assumptions that govern how managers operate, is unescapably a powerful and distinct element in the organizational culture. The fast changing and complex business environment today requires organizations to operate at a strategic position that matches the complexities and uncertainties presented to them to ensure sustained growth and success. In this regard, every organization needs to thoroughly assess its strategic leadership culture as the first step in moving towards the establishment of a culture that powerfully steer the organizational goa ls and objectives against all odds in the business environments. ... This has led to the move towards considering a change from the current bureaucratic style of leadership to team leadership to improve employee motivation, engagement, and productivity while reducing turnover and attaining sustainability for the organization. Literature Review A considerable amount of research has been completed in validation of the relationship between organizational culture, leadership culture, and employee levels of motivation, engagement, productivity, turnover, and organizational sustainability. Largely, most of the literature available is consistent insofar as the subject is concerned, that leadership culture influences organizational culture, and a complex interplay of these two factors is more likely to yield either positive or negative outcomes on employee motivation, performance and turnover. McGuire et al 2009 contends that organizations seeking to adapt to turbulent changes taking place in the fast paced complex business world need a new kind of leadership capability to reframe dilemmas, reinterpret options, and to reform operations for sustainability (McGuire et al, 2009). Jones argues that inter-relationships between leadership team members and their behaviors with one another as well as with their staff have an influence in shaping the culture of their organizations (Jones, 2012). Corrigan et al (2002) examine the relationship between levels of transformational, transactional, and laissez-fare leadership and measures of organizational culture and burnout (Corrigan et al, 2002); leaders who rate themselves high in transformational leadership also rate their organizational cultures as transformational. Similarly, subordinates who rate their leaders high in

Internationanl Business Essay Example for Free

Internationanl Business Essay The organization that I have chosen is Sony Corporation. Sony Corporation is one of the most successful multinational Corporations in the world; it is also one of the best-known names in consumer electronics industry. Since it was established shortly after World War 2, Sony has introduced a stream of revolutionary products, including the transistor radio, the Trinitron television, the Betamax VCR, and the Walkman portable cassette player (FundingUniverse, 2000). Over the years Sony has successfully developed into one of the biggest player in the consumer electronics industry, producing a wide range of products including Audio system, Video cameras, Television, gaming system, Semiconductors and also electronic Components. Valued at $17.12 Billion in the market (Forbes, 2011), Sony Corporation is a great example of successful Multinational Corporation that has competitive advantage in the global market place. Daniel Spulber’s Star Analysis is an analytical framework that helps strategy makers in gathering and processing data about global market (D.F.Spulbur, 2007). By identifying the culture, feature and structure of the business environment in different country, Spulber’s Star Analysis can assist the manager in developing a global strategy that provide their organization with the competitive advantage to succeed in the international market. Star Analysis is based around five major components, which is the features of the company’s home country, supplier countries, customers countries, partner countries and competitor countries. In this case, Star analysis will be used to evaluate the competitive strategy of Sony Corporation and how Sony Corporation improved their global competitiveness. Home Country A company’s home country refers to the country where the business has its headquarters (D.F.Spulber, 2007). In this case, the home country for Sony Corporation is Japan. D.F.Spulber (2007) stated the features of home country are often a good guide to the company’s business practices, corporate culture, and core competencies. D.F.Spulber (2007) also stated that a company can benefit from home-country strengths by using the home country as a launching pad for international expansion, and this is the case for Sony Corporation. Benefiting from the culture and features of Japan, Sony Corporation has developed a strong foundation for their international expansion. This can be justified using the Porter’s diamond theory. M. Porter states that basic factors of endowment, such as natural resources, climate, location and demographics, can provide an initial advantage that is subsequently reinforced and extended by investment in advanced factors, examples of advanced factor s are communication infrastructure, sophisticated and skilled labor, research facilities and technological know-how. Conversely, disadvantages in basic factors can create pressure to invest in advanced factors (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). That is the case in Japan, where they lack arable land and mineral deposit, and yet through investment from government and organizations has built a substantial endowment of advanced factors. Japan government’s subsidies and investment in education system, has created large pool of engineers, which is vital to Japan’s success in many manufacturing industries (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). This environment provides Sony Corporation with sufficient workforce and skilled labor. Japanese’s constant investment on Research Development has developed the technological know-how of the country. This practice can also be seen in Sony Corporation’s strategy, which spent approximately 6.99% of their revenue, which is $5.5 billion on RD annually and the percentage of employees engaged in RD is 32.49% (TechnologyReview, 2012). This gives Sony Corporation the competitive advantage in the global technological market. Another attribute in Porter’s Diamond is demand condition; In this case, the pressure from Japan’s sophisticated and knowledgeable buyers of cameras has helped stimulate the Japanese camera industry, including Sony Corporation, to improve product quality and to introduce innovative models (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). This constant demand for innovative and high quality product has forced Sony Corporation to invest in RD and hence, improved the performance of the company and therefore, gained competitive advantage in the global market. The next attribute is the presence of suppliers or related industries that are internationally competitive. In this case, most of the suppliers of Sony Corporation, for example, Dai Nippon Printing Co, Ltd are one of the top smart card vendors in Asia (Sony.Net, 2011) .Successful electronic IT manufacturers including Hitachi Ltd., Fujitsu Ltd. and NEC Corp has contributed to the semiconductor industry in Japan, which provided the basis for Sony Corporation’s success in cameras and other technically advanced electronic products (DailyYomiuriOnline, 2012) The last attribute of Portal’s Diamond is the strategy, structure and rivalry of firms within a nation (Charles.W.L.Hills, 2010). ). In this case, there are many successful Multinational Corporation in Japan’s technological manufacturing field, such as Toyota, has come out with management philosophies like Total Quality Management, Just-in Time Philosophy and so on ( James et al, 2009). By practicing the same Sony Corporation has benefited from these practices and be more cost effective(Richard A.Gershon, 2007). Major domestic competitors such as Panasonic Corporation also induce Sony Corporation to look for ways to improve efficiency and produce more innovative products. All t hese factors have improved Sony Corporation’s overall global competitiveness. Supplier Country Supplier countries refer to those countries in which the international business transacts with its input suppliers and countries in which the international business manufactures its products (Daniel.F.Spulber, 2007). In this case, Sony Corporation previously had more than 2,500 suppliers around the globe; however after incurring heavy lost in year 2009, Sony Corporation has decided to cut down the number of suppliers (CRN, 2009). To achieve global competitiveness advantage, Sony Corporation’s strategy is to outsource, or externalize part of their value chain activities to different supplier countries, and internalize their core competence, which in this case is their innovative design and technology of their product. Their current major suppliers are companies from China and USA, for example Shenzhen LVSUN Electronics Co., Ltd, which supplied laptop batteries and Nvidia Corporation, which supplied Laptop’s graphic cards (Sony.Net, 2010). China are well-known for their l ow wage labor force so the cost of production for Sony will be much lower compare to their global competitors. USA is a technology-advanced country and by buying new technologies from firms in USA, Sony Corporation’s products are much more advance and better in quality, which in turn increased their global competitiveness. The company is vertically integrated in their supplier’s countries. Sony Corporation established production facilities such as manufacturing plants in Japan, China, USA, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand (Sony Supply Chain Solution. Inc, 2011). Country like USA and Singapore has low trade-barriers and their government policies encouraged Foreign Direct investment, which smoothen Sony’s plan to establish manufacturing plant in their land. Conversely, China and Malaysia has higher trade barriers and strict government policies that might increase the risk of recovering the cost of investment. This strategy has both positive and negative effects on Sony Corporation. By establishing their own manufacturing plants in suppliers countries, Sony are able to protect their proprietary product technology from their competitors, this view is supported by Charles.W.L.Hills (pg 558, 2010). Besides that, majority of Sony’s manufacturing plant are located in technologically advanced countries such as Japan and USA. Therefore with the advanced infrastructure and skilled labor, Sony’s production are more cost-savings and efficient. However, on the other hand, managing and operating plants and firms in different countries has increased Sony’s organization scope, which in turn will increase the organizational complexity and hence raise the firm’s cost structure, this cost is known as cost of hierarchical governance. This view is support by Charles W.L.Hills (pg 559, 2010). In fact, the high cost of governance in different country has been such a burden to Sony that the top management has decided to shutter some of the factories and manufacturing plants, in order to reduce overall cost (CRN, 2009). Furthermore, to overcome this issue, Sony has decided to outsource part of their production to companies in China and USA. Examples are Foxconn Technology Group for the manufacturing of Sony LCD TV and Blackboard Inc for the manufacturing of Sony’s FeliCa Card readers (Sony.Net, 2011). By outsourcing part of the manufacturing,, Sony was able to take advantage of less costly workforce in China and more efficient production facilities in USA. As a result, Sony has been able to avoid bureaucratic inefficiencies and reduce their cost of operation that arise from vertically integrate, and the resulting increased in global competitiveness. This view is supported by Charles.W.L.Hills (pg 559, 2010). Customer Countries In this case, Sony Corporation’s major customers, or target market are the home country itself, Japan, USA and Europe countries. The Japan market is accounted for 24.2% of Sony Corporation’s revenue while USA market is accounted for 23.6%, Europe market for 25.7% and others minor customer countries for 26.5% (Sony.Net,2010). Evaluating the Entry mode of Sony Corporation, the company has initially chosen wholly owned subsidiaries as their strategy to enter the U.S market. More specifically, Sony Corporation practices Greenfield ventures, by establishing manufacturing plants and retails stores in U.S. Sony Corporation first move was the establishment of a small television assembly plant in San Diego, California back in 1972. Sony then expanded and diversified its U.S operation by adding more production facilities in different region of U.S (Sony.com, 2011). In 1960, Sony Corporation of America (SONAM) was established in the United States to manage operation in U.S (Sony.com, 2011).Sony Corporation’s initial entry to U.S. market was facilitated by the unfavorable exchange rate between yen and dollars at that particular period of time, and also the U.S government policies that encouraged foreign investment (SonyNet-history, 2011). Similar scenario happened in Europe, where Sony Corporation initially enter the Europe market by Greenfield ventures, establishing operating firms such as Sony (U.K.) Ltd in United Kingdom, Sony G.m.b.H.in Germany and so on. This strategy proved to be beneficial because this entry mode allowed Sony to protect their technological competence and gives Sony the ability to engage in global strategic coordination. However, the drawback is that this method of entry can be very costly. This view is supported by Charles.W.L.Hills (pg 482, 2010) After establishing firms and production facilities in foreign market, Sony Corporation further strengthen their position by joint ventures with Tektronic Inc from U.S and Ericsson in Sweden, which later on has been wholly acquired by Sony (Sony.com, 2011). Besides that, Sony Corporation has also established strong distribution network, by having retail stores and distributors throughout the U.S and Europe region. Through the establishment of operating firms in foreign market and joint ventures with local companies, Sony Corporation has managed to get closer and understand the demand and preference of consumers in the U.S and Europe market. Consumers in the USA and EU are generally technologically savvy and have always been demanding innovative technological products; The income per capita for US is 47199 US dollars and research shows that the highest technology expenditure for households in US is at around $94 per month ( Huffingpost.com, 2011). They are certainly willing to spend more on technologically products (Accenture, 2010). By understanding these preferences and demand of consumers in USA and Europe, Sony Corporation is able to design and produce innovative products that satisfied consumers, hence achieving the global competitive advantage. Partner Countries According to Daniel.F.Spulber (2007), the features of partner countries are highly useful in determining the potential contribution that the business and its partner will bring to the joint activities. One of Sony Corporation’s most beneficial and strategic alliances is their partnership with Korea’s Samsung. Sony and Samsung shared complementary technology that would benefit each other. Sony was able to utilize Samsung’s knowledge and technology to make LCD, which is critical for the large flat –panel TVs that were in high demand. Samsung’s skills were complementary to Sony’s since they were tuned to computer displays while Sony brought TV display knowledge (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). According to Charles W.L.Hill (2010), one of the benefits of strategic alliance is the share of cost and risk. This is certainly the case for the Sony-Samsung joint venture. The Sony-Samsung Joint venture set up a manufacturing facility in Tangjung, South Korea ( Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). The joint venture helped Sony and Samsung save significant cost in RD and manufacturing and helped the companies gain substantial economies of scale in manufacturing (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). By sharing ideas between both companies, product innovation is enhanced, allowing Sony to boost its global sales of flat-panel TVs (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). In order to keep up with advances in digital technologies that was driving innovations in the global market, Sony and Samsung agreed to share patents for a variety of technologies-13,000 patents from Sony and 11,000 patents from Samsung (Daniel F.Spulber, 2007). Another successful alliance for Sony Corporation is the research joint venture between IBM and Toshiba. This particular joint venture had developed the Cell chip that powered the Sony PlayStation 3 (SonyNet, 2011). The companies split the high development costs and employed engineers around the world. Besides that, Sony Corporation’s joint venture with Ericsson from Sweden allowed Sony to enter the mobile communication industry in Europe, which later expanded to Asia with the name of Sony Ericsson. Sony’s successful alliance with global companies like Samsung, IBM and Ericsson has allowed Sony to produce and design innovative products with high quality. Besides that, joint venture with Ericsson allowed Sony to understand Europe’s market condition better which smoothen their entry to Europe market and all these have helped Sony to achieve global competitive advantage. Competitor Countries One of Sony Corporation’s major competitors is LG Electronics. LG Electronics is a Korean-based company that sells electronic products such as televisions, mobile phone, Air conditioners, Home appliances and a lot more. The features of LG Electronics’s Home Country, South Korea, has played an important role in the company’s business culture and global strategy. South Korea’s government has set their goal to open new opportunities for the electronics industry and this has given LG Electronics an extra boost for expanding their market internationally (Frost-Sullivan, 2007), which is a treat to Sony Corporation in the global market. However, Korean’s culture of high uncertainty avoidance might be the reason they are less innovative, since LG Electronic employed their staffs from Korea, their products might not be as innovative as Japanese companies like Sony. As for LG Electronics supplier countries, their major suppliers are Hong Kong HuiChun Co.Ltd a nd Veise Electronic Co.Ltd from China mainland. Utilizing the labor of lower wages in China, the cost of production for LG electronics might be lower than other companies in the industry, which is a treat to Sony as well (GlobalSources, 2012). As for LG Electronics partner countries, LG Electronics has established strong alliance with multinational companies like Intel, Microsoft and Mozilla has given them the technological advantage to compete in the global market. These alliances have helped LG Electronics to overcome their lack of technological innovation in their home country. In order to compete with LG Electronics in the global market, Sony Corporation has initially practices the international strategy. According to Charles W.L.Hill, an enterprise pursuing an international strategy is confronted with low cost pressures and low pressures for local responsiveness. These type of enterprise tend to centralize product development at home but tend to establish manufacturing and marketing function in each major country or geographi c region in which they do business (Charles W.L.Hill, 2010). This is initially the case for Sony Corporation, who started their entry to foreign market in such pattern. By centralizing RD in Japan, Sony entered foreign market by establishing manufacturing plant and operating firms in USA, Europe and other Asia countries. However, as the cost pressure and pressure for local responsiveness increases, Sony Corporation has change to transnational strategy. According to Charles W.L.Hill (2010), a firm that pursue a transnational strategy is trying to simultaneously achieve low costs through location economies, economies of scale, and learning effects; differentiate their product offering across geographic markets to account for local differences; and foster a multidirectional flow of skills between different subsidiaries in the firm’s global network of operations. By partnering with strong suppliers in China and USA, economics of scale can be achieved. Besides that, multidirectional flow of technological skills and knowledge from different subsidiaries, such as Sony Ericsson in Sweden, and the Samsung-Sony joint venture in South Korea and so on is also happening constantly. However, such strategy is so difficult to implement that Sony Corporation has faced some negative impact, having too high cost due to differentiation of product in different market. Conclusion As a conclusion, by applying the Spulber’s Star Analysis, Sony Corporation was able to achieve global competitive advantage in the global market. By using their strong foundation in Japan, where they receive not only support from government but also the culture, knowledge and infrastructure, Sony successfully expanded their business worldwide. Economics of scale has been achieved with the help of strong suppliers from mainland China and USA. Sony was able to enter their customer’s countries easily with joint ventures with local firms and Greenfield ventures. Using the information gathered they managed to understand the demand and consumer preferences of each market. Sony further strengthens their positions in the global market with help from their strong alliances such as IBM, Ericsson, and Samsung and so on. Evaluating the function of Star Analysis, such analysis is fairly useful for international managers to plan their strategy. By studying the features of the home, suppliers, customers, partners and competitors countries, the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a organization can be found and this information can be use to help the organization achieve global competitive advantage. For example, the SWOT of Sony has been identified after applying the Star Analysis. Therefore, international managers should practice Star Analysis before implementing their global strategy. Reference Charles W.L.Hill (2010). International Business, Competing in the global marketplace. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. pg181-183, pg255, pg405-407, pg487-489, pg556-560. Spulber, F.Daniel (2007). Global Competitive Strategy. London: Cambridge University Press. pg 134-150. Michele Masterson. (2009). Sony Says Sayonara to 1250 Suppliers. News, Analysis, and Perspective for Vars and Technology integrators. 13 (2), pg23-24 Bob Ferrari. (2011). Sony’s Supply Chain Remains in Turmoil. Supply Chain Strategy. 12 (5), pg 5-6. Anon.(2011).PartnerSupplier.Available:http://www.sony.net/Products/felica/business/partners/index.html. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012. Anon. (2010). Sony said to be outsourcing production of high-end LCDs, Foxconn and Wistron getting the nod. Available: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/18/sony-said-to-be-outsourcing-production-of-high-end-lcds-foxconn/. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012 Anon. (2011). Sony Supply Chain Solution. Available: http://www.sonyscs.co.jp/english/index.html. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012 Anon.(2011).SonyCorporateHistory.Available:http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/history.html. Last accessed 29th Feb 2012. Anon. (2011). LG Suppliers. Available: http://www.globalsources.com/manufacturers/LG.html. Last accessed 28th Feb 2012. Anon. (2007). Government Policies Set to Position South Korea Among the World’s Top Industrial Nations . Available: http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?Src=RSSdocid=103675273#top. Last accessed 28th Feb 2012.

Internal Conflict: Nature, Humans, and Animals :: Philosophy Essays

Internal Conflict: Nature, Humans, and Animals Caught up in the modern day scheme of things, I haven't felt connected to nature in some time. I always considered myself a lover of nature and the outdoors. But driving west on US 41, as I passed the turnpike and headed into the everglades, I began to think about the last time I had been so removed from the everyday hustle and bustle. I have been having internal conflict as of late, and it seems this trip illuminated some facets of this inner unrest. It has always been easier for me to put my thoughts on paper. This is the attempt of this essay, to externalize this internal conflict. As I do this, I am hoping to better understand myself. One such debate I have with myself is whether human life is to be held above other life, and if such a concept is even possible. The second of my internal conflicts is animal rights. Do or should animals have rights? Finally, and most important, what is my responsibility or place in the grand scheme of things? This includes my decision to be a responsible human being, and whether I should have children or adopt. These ideas, not mutually exclusive, tie together and overlap in a common theme of my current internal thought processes. It seems to be my understanding that western religion or Christianity holds the belief that animals were put here on Earth for us humans. Human beings are held above all else. This is the justification for things like animal research, and the draining of the everglades for human habitation. I personally would put most members of my human family above my pet dog, if it came down to a choice. But my question is, are our lives more valuable than other life in the grand scheme of things? Or are all living things, being in a common ecosystem, interdependent? Finally, what kind of life will there be if we continue our current path of destroying these habitats, our habitat? When I pulled into Coopertown, I noticed I was the first person to arrive. This gave me a chance to look around a little. Coopertown is a tourist trap. It includes a quaint restaurant which offers gator tail and airboat rides, the latter being the reason for our trip. As I walked past the restaurant and toward the dock where the airboats depart, I came to a hut with a counter where you inquire about the airboat rides.

Two Men and a Truck

After reading the case study Two Men and a Truck, I have concluded that the motivational theory used by Mary Ellen Sheets was the goal setting theory. When using the goal-setting theory, employees are motivated when they have a specific goal to complete. Mary Ellen sheets set these goals and encouraged her franchises. Her goal was to have all the franchises have a good experience considering that this is an industry known to cause stress. Two Men has a computer lab where the franchisers are able to check their colleagues spending patterns as well as communicate with each other. This allows them to see what is working and what is not, to help them to be successful. Mary Ellen Sheets business approach to creating high-performing teams within the company was to create consistency within the company. She created Stick Men University, which allowed the franchise owners as well as their employees to learn everything that she has learned. This includes learning the basics such as answering a prospective client’s first call to shaking their hand after the job is completed. Mary Ellen Sheets went as far as building a two-story house at the University to help the franchise owners and employees simulate moving challenges and work through them. After reading the case study Siemens, I have concluded that the motivational theory used by Klaus Kleinfeld was the job enrichment theory. When using this theory, employees who have control over how they performed their job or how they manage their job, are motivated to work better. Klaus Kleinfeld negotiated with the employees to work flexible shifts. He explained to them that this would help to accomplish the work more quickly and cost effectively. By accomplishing this goal, the company would make more money. This would then give the employees more money and job security. These are two big motivators, which would have employee’s performance increase. Klaus Kleinfeld’s approach to creating high-performing teams within Siemans was to encourage the employees to work together to get the job done. Many companies are outsourcing jobs to other countries as a more cost efficient option. Klaus Kleinfeld knew it was important for the employees to work together to be able become more cost efficient. This would allow them to keep their jobs instead of their jobs moving to another country. Klaus was able to motivate the employees to pull together, because he was very open with communication with the employees. He would answer emails from employees immediately, even if it were late at night. This type of leadership is what allowed him to be able to accomplish this.

Jane Eyre: Feminist Hero

Jane Eyre: Feminist Hero Submissive, domestic, good-tempered, quiet, agreeable and mild; these are all words that could be used to describe the ideal Victorian woman. Sexism and discrimination put up roadblocks and didn’t allow much room for educational growth for women. Education and job opportunities were limited and left most women with marriage, particularly to a wealthy man, as their best option for security. Jane Eyre broke the mold of the common Victorian woman; she was determined, stubborn, and would not be swayed from doing what she believed to be right and just. She worked her way up from orphan, to governess, to wife of a wealthy man – all without compromising her integrity, her moral standards or her pride. In a time where women had little to no say over how they lived their lives, Jane was doing just the opposite and taking control over her own destiny. It all begun when Jane left Gateshead as a young girl. She escaped her cruel aunt and cousins and ventured out on her own, leaving a semi-comfortable living situation and the familiar in pursuit of bettering herself with an education. As a result of Jane receiving an education, she was able to further her independence by taking a job as a governess at Thornfield. Though the profession of governess was considered low class and seen as little more than a servant, Jane took the opportunity. Again, Jane left the comfort of familiarity and moved on to do what she believed best. As a governess, Jane was able to make her own wages and, though she was living in someone else’s home and worked for Mr. Rochester, she wasn’t taking charity from anyone; she was working for her keep (Bronte 140). Jane was a very passionate person and, despite the social norm being that women held their tongues in front of men, Jane spoke her opinions boldly, especially to Mr. Rochester. Jane didn’t feel that stifling her voice was fair, and she refused to do it. Jane explained her views on the women of the day in the following passage: Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as en would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex (Bronte 130). When Mr. Rochester told Jane that he was going to be marrying Miss Ingram, Jane’s true feelings for Rochester came to the surface and she insisted on leaving Thornfield. ‘Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automation? -a machine without feelings? and can you bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soul and heartless? You think wrong! – I have as much soul as you, – and full as much heart †¦ I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh; — it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal, — as we are’ (Bronte 296)! Jane couldn’t stay at Thornfield as anything other than his significant other. She couldn’t stand the idea of watching him with someone other than her. On the day of Rochester and Jane’s wedding, the truth about Rochester’s marital status was discovered and after learning about Bertha, Jane left Thornfield and â€Å"fled from temptation† (Bronte 372). If she had stayed at Thornfield with Rochester, she would have become his mistress, and despite loving Rochester with all of her heart and wanting to be with him, she ran, knowing that being his mistress would be morally wrong. Jane couldn’t be Rochester’s mistress, even though most women would have accepted the opportunity to be with Mr. Rochester, even if only as his mistress, because it meant security, wealth, comfort, and love. Rochester put Jane’s strength and determination to the test when he begged her to stay (Bronte 371). As much as he pleaded with her, she couldn’t and wouldn’t lower herself to living a life of sin, so instead, she bravely and independently ventured out on her own with no money, no job, and no plan. Jane was constantly fighting to overcome the obstacles that stood in her way: a repressive family, a low social class standing, no wealth, and sexism. She overcame Mr. Brocklehurst’s oppression, refused St. John’s proposal, knowing that it was wrong to marry him, and only married Mr. Rochester after she received her uncle’s inheritance. As a result of inheriting the money, Jane became Rochester’s financial and social equal. Mr. Rochester was also blind at the time of their marriage, which meant that the typical roles had been reversed; the male was dependent on the female, rather than the female being dependent on the male. Rochester looked to Jane to be his eyes and to take care of him (Bronte 515). Jane didn’t do what was easy; she did what was right, moral, and what she knew to be best not only for her, but for everyone. Despite the ways of the era and the way that women were perceived, Jane wanted to be independent and strong. She spoke her mind and gave her opinion despite most people not wanting to hear it. Jane Eyre has brought inspiration to many women throughout history with her strength and independence and will continue to do so for many generations to come.

The Complete Maus essays

The Complete Maus essays Ones ability to love changes from romance to romance and over time. In Art Speigelmans comic book novel, The Complete Maus, the central character, Vladek Speigelman, a Holocaust survivor, values his relationships with his first and second wives strikingly different. Speigelmans novel gives an enlightening and affective narrative account of the Holocaust through Vladek, a Polish Jew. The author, Vladeks son, Artie, uses an extended metaphor throughout the novel, portraying the Jews as mice, the Nazis as cats, and the Polish as pigs. Vladek displays his love for Anja, his first wife and Arties mother who killed herself years after the Holocaust, by constantly providing for her financially. He uses his money to keep her alive both before and after time at Auschwitz, a concentration camp. However, in the case of Mala, his second wife, he provides her with little financial support, which drives her away from him. Furthermore, Vladek supplies Anja with emotional support and consta nt love. Both before and after her death, it is clear that Anjas well-being is always on his mind. However, Vladek shows little emotional regard for Mala. He frequently speaks harshly about her to Artie and makes it clear that Anja is and will always be his one and only true love. In Speigelmans novel, the manner in which Vladek generously supports Anja financially demonstrates that he truly loves and values their relationship. Throughout his narrative, there are situations in which money is necessary in order to keep them both alive. Vladek often supports her financially even before the Holocaust. For example, when Vladek goes to Bielsko, a town in Poland, to run his factory, Anja begins a bout with depression. Her family feels that it is necessary to send her to a sanitarium, one of the most expensive in the world, so Vladek leaves behind his financial responsibilities in order to be with her, and learns...

Tuojiangosaurus - Facts and Figures

Tuojiangosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Tuojiangosaurus (Greek for Tuo river lizard); pronounced TOO-oh-jee-ANG-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of Asia Historical Period: Late Jurassic (160-150 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 25 feet long and four tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, low skull; four spikes on tail About Tuojiangosaurus Paleontologists believe stegosaursthe spiked, plated, elephant-sized herbivorous dinosaursoriginated in Asia, then crossed over to North America during the late Jurassic period. Tuojiangosaurus, a near-complete fossil of which was found in China in 1973, appears to be one of the most primitive stegosaurs yet known, with anatomical features (lack of tall vertebral spines toward its rear end, teeth in the front of its mouth) not seen in later members of this breed. However, Tuojiangosaurus did retain one very characteristic stegosaur feature: the four paired spines at the end its tail, which it presumably used to inflict damage on the hungry tyrannosaurs and large theropods of its Asian habitat.

Overpopulation in India Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Overpopulation in India - Research Paper Example It has been said that among the government’s duties and responsibilities is to care for the people under its subjection, feeding them and providing them with the means to make their living – and the education necessary for them to do so. In this regard, some countries do better than others, even succeeding on many levels, allowing its citizens to enjoy life to the fullest. There are also countries that instead fail miserably, due to the untimely interplay of certain factors. Unfortunately, whether this failure results from an actively malevolent government, or from a merely neglectful one, the result is still the same; it is the people who suffer. Sometimes, though, it so happens that while the government may indeed be willing to care for its citizens, the fact that there are just too many of them may prove to be a hindrance. After all, the government will always be composed of human beings who are flawed, and will consequently be unable to watch over every single citizen living in the country at all hours. Even worse is that some governments may not be that effective at providing for their far-too-many citizens to begin with, resulting in widespread suffering all over the country. It is bad enough that, for whatever reason, these countries find it difficult to provide their citizens with at least the basic level of care and support that they need. But when there are too many people in one place, the government’s already limited ability to provide for its citizens becomes even more constrained. And when this happens, people suffer – which can then give rise to a whole new range of issues. Sadly, such countries st ill do exist in this day and age. For instance, China’s status as one of the world’s superpowers has done little to alleviate the suffering of its 1.3 billion people, no thanks to issues such as corruption and poor legislation. And considering how the issue of overpopulation is a major, major concern even in economically powerful countries, the same can be assumed to be just as applicable in the case of the many developing countries all over the world, maybe even more so. This particular paper focuses on the issue of overpopulation in the Indian nation in the context of concurrent environmental issues, analyzing it in comprehensive detail in order to hopefully suggest solutions to the problem. Additionally, the main problem of overpopulation shall also be connected to other pervading issues within the country in order to shed more light on the situation. Overpopulation in India – Poor Water Sanitation The deplorable state pervading in India is definitely a disqu ieting sight to behold. Not only does it share the same problem of overpopulation with the People’s Republic of China, it does not even have a strong economy to help it cope effectively with the problem. This becomes an even more urgent concern when one takes into account how India’s population is exceeded only by the Chinese, and how even this state of affairs may not last much longer. More to the point, the fact that India is exceeded by one other country in terms of overpopulation does not make it any less overpopulated. Indeed, unlike China, India cannot adequately rely on its economy to compensate for its excess where the population is concerned. For while the steady and consistent growth of the Indian economy is definitely a positive sign, it loses much of its meaning when one considers the horrendously skewed wealth distribution pervading in India, so much so that 33% of the income is earned by the top 10% of income groups (Civil Society Information Exchange, 20 03). The Indian government’s ability to provide for its people is already severely limited on its own, and is further stretched to the breaking point in its efforts to provide for its 1.1 billion citizens (Hoevel, 2007). This same source also quotes the US Census Bureau, which estimates that this number will have ballooned further by 700 million people by the year 2050, noting that