The Concept of Postmodernism - 5138 Words

CHAPTER 1 The concept of ‘Postmodernism’- A Theoretical Approach It is a clichà © by now to say that we live in a postmodern world, and it is true that the word ’postmodern’ has become one of the most used, and abused, words in the language. Still, it is striking that not many people can say with assurance what this term actually means and involves. Some theorists suggest that ‘postmodernism’ refers to a mood or an attitude of mind, others define it as a literary, cultural, or philosophic phenomenon. Either way, critics haven’t agreed on a common definition for the concept. â€Å"Brian McHale points out that every critic â€Å"constructs† postmodernism in his or her own way from different perspectives, none more right or wrong†¦show more content†¦He famously claimed that when one of he most representative examples of the style, the award- winning Pruitt- Igoe housing complex in St Louis, Missouri, was demolished in 1972, modern architecture died. The trend towards eclecticism in architecture, wi th old and new styles freely being mixed, was given its greatest boost by Jencks. He also considers that the confusions between the late modernism and the post-modernism could be explained by the fact that both artistic movements were born in the post-industrial society. On the other hand, he claimed that the concept of postmodernism itself suffered some changes during the decades and became clear in its meaning only in the ‘80s.. But not all theorists see such a contrast between modernism and postmodernism. In Postmodernist Fiction, Brian McHale affirms: â€Å" Postmodernism follows from modernism in some sense, more than it follows after modernism†.[v] Dan Grigorescu, a Romanian theorist, shares the same opinion concerning the dispute between modernism and postmodernism: â€Å"Prin â€Å"noua paradigmÄÆ'† nu se urmÄÆ'reÅŸte acreditarea ideii cÄÆ' ar exista o rupturÄÆ' totalÄÆ' à ®ntre modernism ÅŸi postmodernism, ci mai degrabÄÆ' a aceleia potrivit cÄÆ'reia modernismul, avangarda ÅŸi cultura popularÄÆ' au intrat à ®ntr-un nou sistem de relaÃ… £ii reciproce ÅŸi de configuraÃ… £ii ale discursului ce a primit numele de postmodernism, considerat de autorul rà ¢ndurilor de faÃ… £Ã„Æ' ca fiind cu totul diferit de paradigma â€Å"modernismului elevat†Show MoreRelatedThe Concept of Postmodernism5129 Words   |  21 PagesCHAPTER 1 The concept of ‘Postmodernism’- A Theoretical Approach It is a clichà © by now to say that we live in a postmodern world, and it is true that the word ’postmodern’ has become one of the most used, and abused, words in the language. Still, it is striking that not many people can say with assurance what this term actually means and involves. Some theorists suggest that ‘postmodernism’ refers to a mood or an attitude of mind, others define it as a literary, cultural, orRead MoreKurt Vonnegut : The Concept Of Postmodernism1598 Words   |  7 Pagesincredulity toward metanarratives.† Through his statement, he endeavored to associate a theory to the shifting concept of postmodernism; to synopsize different events, experiences, and phenomena in history through a universal appeal to truth. While his supposition, through equation with the poems of Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Olsen, or John Cage - does indeed seem to hold validity; to define postmodernism remains difficult. To define this era would be to violate the p remise of the postmodernist that no absoluteRead MoreEssay on Why Postmodernism Failed to End History1542 Words   |  7 Pages‘Why did postmodernism threaten to end History, and why did fail?’ This question poses two clear questions, why postmodernism threatened the end of history, and why it failed to do so. While few would counter the assumption that it did fail, it can be argued that it massively changed history, and through answering the questions posed, this can also be addressed. In 1986 A. Huyssen claimed that postmodernism possessed ‘the unshaken confidence of being at the edge ofRead MoreDesigning A New Method Of Visual Communication1461 Words   |  6 PagesPostmodernism in design is often distinguished by its difference in ideas and concepts to modernism. Graphic design was lead by modernism throughout the 20th century, however postmodernism was not recognized until the 1980s. Once it became known – as complicated as it was – designers saw it as an opportunity to break away from the modern movement to create a new method of visual communication with their work. Although the ‘rules’ of design were broken in postmodern practice (Poyner 2013 p.13), itRead MorePostmodern Concepts Influence on Museology934 Words   |  4 PagesPostmodern concepts have influenced curation and exhibitions, under the effect of museum classifications which determine the audiences’ perspectives on exhibitions. Postmodernism is highly influ ential and appealing because it is avant-garde (challenging past traditions). People appreciate new concepts, especially those that challenge the concept of art. The process of curation not only considers the organisation of the exhibition but is highly influenced by conceptual frameworks, postmodernism being partRead MoreRelationship between Postmodernism and Post colonialism1048 Words   |  5 PagesPostmodernism has been described as a new version of Western cultural imperialism. Discuss the relationship between postmodernism and postcolonialism. Postmodern theory been applauded as liberating, even democratising, in its rejection of absolutism and in its refusal to accept the dictates of hierarchy and certainty. It calls for the abandonment of the modernist qualities of objective truth, centralized knowledge, totalising explanations and determinacy . Rather, postmodern theory advocatesRead MorePostmodernism : Modernism And Postmodernism1549 Words   |  7 PagesModernism and Postmodernism To begin with, to determine the meaning of postmodernism is possible only through the relationship with modernism. Modernism in modern science is understood as a kind of cultural consciousness, which is implemented in the artistic practice of symbolism, expressionism and acmeism. In the socio-historical context, it means the period of modernism in the development of culture from the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, that is, from Impressionism to a new novel andRead MoreEssay on Midnight in Paris1672 Words   |  7 Pagesfilm engaging and witty, but it also manages to provide both, overt and covert examples of postmodernism in film. By analyzing Woody Allen’s 2011film Midnight in Paris, we can identify the presence of many underlying motifs in both the narrative and the characterization of the film when using some of Frederic Jameson and Jean Baudrillard’s concepts on postmodernism. One of the main concepts that postmodernism relies on is bricolage, which is reflected in Midnight in Paris through the usage and mixturesRead MoreAssessment of the Contribution of Postmodernism to Our Understanding of Society1025 Words   |  5 PagesAssessment of the Contribution of Postmodernism to Our Understanding of Society The idea of the modern began as a way of describing the ideas and behaviour that emerged during, and contributed to, the decline of medieval society in Europe. There were three main elements in modernity: 1. Economic: This involved the growth of the capitalist market economy, the production of goods for profit and the emergence of wage labour. 2. Political: The emergence of theRead MorePostmodernism : Modernism And Postmodernism1472 Words   |  6 PagesModernism and Postmodernism are both two important eras in design. Postmodernism takes a lot of concepts from the modernism era. Both modernism and post modernism focus on Style, Social analysis, Cultural Context, Philosophy, Politics, Human experience, Machine aesthetics, and the constant transformation of the â€Å"New†. An interesting fact of the Modernism and Postmodernism is the use of the psychology and philosophy themes 1. Subjectivity 2.History 3. Culture and 4. Theoretically divers aesthetics

Higher Rates Of Chronic Illness - 1077 Words

Higher rates of chronic illness in minority populations requires health care providers developing a plan of care to assess the dietary practices and traditions of a populace and gain the knowledge to assist these minorities with compliance, explain what behaviors can be modified amiably to be acceptable to culture and tradition. Risk behaviors also include lack of or late pre-natal care, the lack proper care, food and shelter and religious beliefs such as fasting. When assessing the health education needs of minority patients the provider takes an in-depth look at many factors. Factors to consider in program planning include language barriers, current disease trends in the community, literacy levels, and demographics to name a few. Problem†¦show more content†¦Food insecurity is the unreliable availability to consistently obtain food without resorting to socially unacceptable practices with over 14% of the people in the U.S. affected and the rate is higher among the Hispanic population (ADA, 2017). The goal for J.M. is to become more educated about diabetes mellitus and healthy food choices. Behavioral objective for J.M. would be to consult with a dietician and diabetic educator to review smart food choices, exercise and community resources which may be available to guide her in self-managing her illness. The outcome to this objective is the patient obtained the knowledge to make healthy food choices for both herself and her family evidenced by verbal understanding and loss of 1-3 lbs. within the next 6 weeks. Problem 2 – Physical Activity: Goals, Objective and Outcomes Problem 2 for the patient is her lack of physical activity. Although the patient walks a couple of days per week for 30 minutes this falls below the recommended 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, spread over at least 3 days per week, with no more than 2 consecutive days without activity (ADA, 2017). Hispanic’s in the U.S. have acknowledged that their new diets and limitedShow MoreRelatedCauses And Differences Between Men And Women The Aging Process1399 Words   |  6 PagesIs there a gender difference in chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and parkinson’s disease, for older adults in North America? Aging is inevitable, it is part of nature and as an individual ages, they become more at risk for developing a chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and parkinson’s disease. 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For more than 50 years, Madison Children’s hospital (MCH) has been steadfastly committed to providing the highest quality medical care to children. MCH has provided medical care to over 1 million children in the county of Orange. Our regional pediatric healthcare network includes a state-of-the-artRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder1167 Words   |  5 Pagesvirtually every medical condition. Overall, approximately 24% of patients do not adhere to their medication regimen. This non-adherence rate skyrockets when the condition is chronic, and is even higher when the illness is a severe mental illness (American Pharmacists Association, 2013). Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness that has one of the highest non-adherence rates, up to 65% (American Pharmacists Association, 2013). The reasons for this non-adherence are multi-faceted. Some reas ons are commonRead MoreBetter Not to Know in Mishel’s Uncertainty in Illness Theory Essay examples1156 Words   |  5 PagesMishel’s (1988) Uncertainty in Illness theory is a mid-range nursing theory that examines how uncertainty can affect patients. In addition, Mishel’s theory identifies causes of uncertainty that negatively or positively affect the patient. If an individual is spiraling down a known path of illness, they may perceive uncertainty as a benefit. However, illness uncertainty causes breakdowns, fear of the illness, emotional distress, loss of control, and inappropriate coping methods (Mishel 1988). TheseRead MoreEssay On Home Health Care1710 Words   |  7 Pagescontrol technology to the home is crucial; furthermore, coupling high-tech home health care with early diagnosis will certainly increase life expectancy. If pathogenic microbes could be eliminated from the home, it would be possible to prevent chronic and lethal respiratory infections from developing in people who have weakened immune systems. What the average person does not realise is that their home is filled with millions of microbes. This includes good and bad microbes. â€Å"A molecular-basedRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Chronic Illness1491 Words   |  6 PagesThe phrase chronic illness is one that no one wants to hear when going to the doctor. We do not want to hear about a diagnosis that will be with us for the rest of our lives, but it is even worse when we learn that our child or our younger sibling is sick. For my family this happened about six years ago with my little sister. We learned that she had Chron’s Disease. 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However there is a question of whether it is due to chronic illnesses as to why individuals

Memoirs of a Geisha Free Essays

I. Title: Memoirs of a Geisha (1997) II. Author: Arthur Golden (1957- ) III. We will write a custom essay sample on Memoirs of a Geisha or any similar topic only for you Order Now Setting: a. Where: Gion, Kyoto, Japan b. When: Early 1900’s (1930’s, World War II) IV. Character and Characterization: c. Principal Characters i. Sayuri Nitta (Chiyo Sakamoto) Sayuri is the main character of the book. As a child, she always thought well of others. She has determination and does not give up easily. Her gray eyes are what make her stand out the most. ii. Mameha Mameha was a well-known geisha in Gion. She was Sayuri’s older sister (not by blood) and mentor. She taught Sayuri what she needed to do for her to become a successful geisha. She is very determined and would do anything to achieve her goal. iii. Hatsumomo Hatsumomo was a geisha of the Nitta Okiya, the same okiya that Sayuri came from. She boasts of herself and thinks that no one is better than her. She despised Sayuri and saw her as competition, which led to her numerous attempts to destroy Sayuri’s life. iv. Chairman The Chairman was the reason why Sayuri had a purpose to live, which was the result of his act of kindness to Sayuri when she was a child. He is a person who thinks of other’s feelings. As a geisha, Sayuri wanted nothing more than for the Chairman to take notice of her. . Nobu Nobu was the Chairman’s right-hand man, the Chairman owed him a lot. He is patient and kind. Nobu’s appearance is peculiar because of his skin which was damaged by a bomb. He fancies Sayuri and waited most of his life to become Sayuri’s danna. d. Secondary Characters i. Pumpkin Pumpkin was Sayuri’s friend when they were young. T heir friendship was destroyed by Hatsumomo, who was Pumpkin’s older sister. She was sweet and very helpful at first, but was influenced by Hatsumomo. Pumpkin also became a geisha from the Nitta Okiya, but she was not as famous as Sayuri. ii. Auntie Auntie was the first person to show kindness to Sayuri when she arrived at the Nitta Okiya. She wanted Sayuri to become successful and to not end up like her. When Sayuri became a geisha, she continuously helped her through what she needed to do. iii. Mr. Tanaka Sayuri, as a child, idolized Mr. Tanaka and thought that no other man is higher than him. Mr. Tanaka was the person who offered Sayuri’s father to sell Sayuri and her sister Setsu. He was the reason why Sayuri ended up in Gion. iv. Mother Mother was the sister of Auntie and the owner of the Nitta Okiya. She was very fond of money and would do anything to become richer. She later adopted Sayuri as her daughter and as the successor of the Nitta Okiya. v. Dr. Crab Dr. Crab was one of the men who were attracted to Sayuri when she became a geisha. Dr. Crab is a kind of person who would let nothing to stand in his way. He is known for spending a lot of money in the pursuit of mizuage. V. Subject Matter: a historical fiction about the life of a geisha in Japan before World War II VI. Thesis/Main Idea: The story revolves around a girl whose life was transformed from rags to riches when her father sold her until she became a well-known geisha in Kyoto. VII. The Part I Like The Best. Why? I was thrilled the most when I was reading the part where the Chairman met Sayuri in the Ichiriki Teahouse after the incident with the Minister on the island of Amami. I was so consumed by the book since I badly wanted to know what the Chairman would say to Sayuri. Shock and disbelief came over me when the Chairman admitted that he knew Sayuri was the child he saw crying near the Shirakawa Stream. VIII. The Part I Like The Least. Why? I did not like the part where the war was going on and Gion closed down. I felt as if the part was not that significant to the main topic of the story and that the story would just have the same effect to the readers without it. As a reader, I thought that this was the dullest part of the story. IX. Vocabulary Improvement: 1. Geisha-(n. ) a Japanese women educated to accompany men as a hostess, performing different skills such as dancing and playing instruments * Most Americans confuse geishas as prostitutes because of the pretend geishas who called themselves geisha girls and sold their bodies to American soldiers in Japan during the World War II. . Okiya-(n. ) the lodging house in which a geisha lives until she has paid all her debts from the okiya for sending her to school * Mameha was a geisha who was allowed to live in her own house since she was able to pay off all her debts from the okiya she was from. 3. Danna-(n. ) a geisha’s patron, a wealthy man who supports the geisha’s needs in exchange for spending time with him privately * Nob u spent almost his entire life waiting to become Sayuri’s danna which unforntunately never happened. 4. Shamisen-(n. a three-string musical instrument that is played using a plectrum * Many geishas, if not all, were taught how to play the Japanese instrument called shamisen, which they used in performances. 5. Mizuage-(n. ) the coming of age ceremony of an apprentice geisha, usually associated with the geisha’s loss of virginity; a large sum of money is to be paid to the geisha in return for her mizuage * According to Mineko Iwasaki, the geisha Arthur Golden interviewed for his book, a geisha’s mizuage was never won by means of bidding. X. Brief Summary: Chiyo Sakamoto, a girl from a little fishing village called Yoroido, was 9 years old when her father sold her and her sister Satsu to a man named Mr. Tanaka. They were brought to Kyoto where Chiyo and her sister were separated; Chiyo stayed in Gion in the Nitta Okiya as a maid, whereas her sister was brought to Miyagawa-cho where she worked as a prostitute. Chiyo started going to school to become a geisha, but when she learned about her sister’s location, she went to look for her. When they met, they decided that they would runaway a few days after, Chiyo tried to runaway but failed, which caused her her schooling priviledges. As Chiyo continued to live as a maid, knowing that she won’t see her sister again, she felt as if she has no purpose in life; then he met the Chairman who treated her kindly, which gave her hope for a better future. After this incident, she wanted to become a geisha hoping that she would please the Chairman someday. Mameha, a well-known geisha in the Gion district, became her mentor and trained her to become a successful geisha; she then changed her name to Sayuri Nitta, of the Nitta Okiya. Though she had numerous admirers, she wanted no one but the Chairman to take notice of her; she strived hard to for this and in the end, she eventually learned that the Chairman acknowledged her way back then from the very first time they met. How to cite Memoirs of a Geisha, Essay examples Memoirs of a Geisha Free Essays â€Å"Memoirs of a Geisha† is a book written by Arthur Golden. The plot takes place in Japan and tells us the story of a young girl; a fisherman’s daughter and her journey through life to become a famous Geisha, a Japanese female entertainer. The book describes the struggles of a young girl, Chiyo, who is abandoned; sold by her father. We will write a custom essay sample on Memoirs of a Geisha or any similar topic only for you Order Now The story is told in flashback format with reference to the protagonist’s present and past. The focal point of the story is constantly on the internal narrator, Chiyo, who later changes her name to Sayuri when she becomes a geisha. Sayuri, who is our protagonist, is eight years old and lives in the small fishing village of Yorido at the beginning of the story. She lived happily with her family until one day her mother becomes sick. Her father who is a fisherman can’t afford the medical treatment of her mother. Seeing no other way out, he sells Sayuri and her clumsy older sister Satsu to Mr. Tanaka; the owner of the seafood company which all the villagers work for. Mr. Tanaka brings the girls to the cultural city of Gion. Satsu who is the less beautiful of the two is sold to a brothel while Sayuri is sold to the Nitta Okiya, a geisha house. At the Nitta Okiya she meets a number of different people. There is the owner of the Okiya who is referred to as â€Å"Mother†, a bull-dog looking woman, whose main concern is money as described by Sayuri. The main â€Å"Villain† of the story is Hatsumomo , a famous and successful geisha who lives in the same Okiya as Sayuri. Hatsumomo is the main resource of the Nitta Okiya since all the money she earns goes to support it. From the day Sayuri arrives at the Okiya, Hatsumomo dislikes her, she tries to make Sayuri’s life as hard as possible. At first it is hard to understand why she has that kind of behaviour towards Sayuri but as the story continues we understand that it is all about jealousy. Hatsumomo can’t stand that Sayuri is beautiful and sees that in a few years she might become a successful geisha unless she gets rid of her. Hatsumomo clearly states that she hates Sayuri and doesn’t want her in the Okiya: â€Å"I shall destroy you† (pg. 78)1 Sayuri comes to the Okiya with a debt which she has to pay off. The debt just keeps getting bigger because she has to take geisha ‘lessons. Sayuri is taken out from geisha practice,e after several accidents, and made a slave at the Okiya. She has no hopes for her future when Mameha, a character who becomes very important to the story, comes to convince Mother to let Sayuri continue her geisha practice. She helps Sayuri throughout her career by introducing her to many famous and rich people who can invite her to their parties and by taking her to all important places where the big parties are held. Mameha gives her personal lessons and gives her all help she can and if it weren’t for Mameha, Sayuri would never have become a geisha. Throughout the story we see how Sayuri’s character changes drastically, from a simple and a naive country girl to a slave with no future to a graceful famous geisha and when the story turns again, a seamstress trying to survive the second World War. Although the story mostly concentrates on Sayuri and we get to know the secrets of a geisha’s life, there’s a lot more that can be learnt from the story. It tells us about the life in Japan before, during and after the Second World War. The story which is set in Japan wouldn’t have existed if we were to set it elsewhere. Geishas are something unique to only Japan and can’t be found in any other culture around the world. It tells us about the time before the war when everything was good. Sayuri mentions the war a couple of times, in the beginning but she talks about it as if it were something that was far off and didn’t concern her. Then slowly she starts realising that the war is affecting them more and more when they start using ration books. Still, the reality of the war isn’t realised fully by either Sayuri or the reader until it hits you in the face when suddenly the heads of different Okiyas are selling fancy kimonos and jewels at the black market for their survival. The book mentions real-life incidents such as the bombing of Tokyo and other big cities. It tells us about the problems that the people of Japan were faced with and how even graceful geishas are forced to become normal seamstresses, making parachutes for the war. The theme of the book in my opinion is first of all, the life of a geisha since it tells us about how geishas lived and what they had to go through. Arthur Golden takes us into an unknown world and reveals the secrets of what seems to us a glamorous life. The book shows that the life of a geisha is far from glamorous. Both in sense of the social problems they have to face such as jealousy from other geisha and the struggle to make a good reputation for themselves in order to survive and also personal problems such as those older geishas, whose skin has rotted and become yellow because of the paints they used, had to face. Another theme of the book may also be; destiny. Sayuri’s destiny was to become a geisha no matter what came in her way, no matter how impossible it seemed at times, she finally succeeded in becoming a geisha and not just that, she even became a very successful and famous geisha of her time. When the book starts and we see the village of Yoroido through the eyes of a young innocent girl, you wonder ‘what does this little girl living in a small fishing village have to do with a graceful and glamorous geisha? It’s almost as you wonder whether the title of the book is wrong. As the story develops, we see how Sayuri ends up in the cultural city of Gion, but then suddenly when the story turns again and Sayuri is made a servant at the Okiya you start wondering if the story will instead start focusing on Hatsumomo. The book is very slow and boring in the beginning, several times I thought of just putting it down but just then the story takes a new turn. It really tells about a life I knew nothing about before and got really interesting the further I got into the book. The author has tied in historical events into an interesting story reflecting not only the lives of geishas but also the lives of ordinary people of that time. I found the book very interesting and different but a bit slow. Since it is semi-reality based I would recommend it to people both my age but also older people. The story catches your interest whether you are young or old. I would give the book 3 out of 5 points. How to cite Memoirs of a Geisha, Essay examples

Case Study Analysis on an Organisation free essay sample

Organisational change is something that occurs throughout an organisation’s life cycle and effects the entire organisation rather than one part of it. Employing a new person is one example. Change is increasing due to a number of forces including globalisation led by rapidly advancing technologies, cultural diversity, environmental resources and the economy; therefore the ability to recognise the need for change as well as implement change strategies effectively, in a proactive response to internal and external pressures is essential to organisational performance. Internal changes can include organisational structure, process and HR requirements and external changes involve government legislation, competitor movements and customer demand (Wood et al, 2010). Change does not need to be a painful process, as it may seem when observing the amount of failed change management initiatives with reports as low as 10% of researched success rates (Oakland Tanner, 2007), when successful change management strategies are utilised and planned, including effective communication strategies, operational alignment, readiness to change and implementation, which all lower and overcome resistance (Wood et al, 2010). There is a great amount of literature on the negative aspects and difficult management with employees resisting change, however Wood et al (2010) challenge this notion by questioning the change management process as people do not resist change itself but aspects of the change that affects them personally such as fear of the unknown, status, remuneration and comfort. Resistance to these changes is a healthy reaction and can be managed effectively in the beginning by ensuring communication and using one of the change initiatives described here. Background Information Truelocal is based in Sydney, with small sales branches in Brisbane and Melbourne. It employs over 150 staff, an increase of approximately 50% over the past two years. It was founded in 2005 by NDM as part of an expanding operation of online websites to provide across the board consumer services, including news and magazine websites; online sport and weather information; and shopping comparison search engine, web-based recruitment, and travel search engine solutions [http://www. ewsdigitalmedia. com. au, accessed 25/08/2010]. As the world shifted into what is often referred to as the ‘digital info age’, consumer demand for online media as a way to source information significantly increased and demand for printed media decreased putting pressure on newspaper companies to expand to producing news and information online in digital format. This included News Corporation which decreased its newspaper operations and increased its digital expansion. As an employee at Truelocal for over six years, I have acquired this information presented here through interviews with management, company information and my own observations internally within the organisation’s sales department working in the roles of sales executive, account manager and senior retention account manager. The Need for Change – Management Structure Truelocal needed to align its culture, values and structure with the parent company in order to meet strategic growth goals not long after it was founded. Wood et al (2010) describe the work of an author, Noel Tichey on managing strategic change. Experts use three fundamental sets of change in their approach; technical design, political allocation and culture/ideological mix problems. It is one of these problems that become a pressing issue at any one time of which then initiates the change. In Truelocal’s case there were a number of changes evolving and at this time it was culture problems. NDM has been growing in size since its establishment in 2006 with a number of acquired website operations, each operating as a separate business unit with the support of HR, Finance, IT, Commercial Operations and other support services provided by the parent company (NDM). A decision was made to align the organisation in terms of operations, culture and strategy so it could concentrate on innovation and performance to achieve its goal of becoming the number one provider of online information in Australia. As a result NDM redesigned its organisational structure as Truelocal and most of the other business units merged together in one location. Not long after this relocation, Truelocal began flattening out the company structure lead by a new management team and CEO. It has since been under constant change to achieve it’s goal to continue growth (both in number of staff and performance) and excel as a high performing and innovative company with an agenda of being the second largest online directory service in Australia after it’s competitor Sensis (Yellow pages online). Wood et al (2010) explain the performance gap is a desire to move from one less desired state to another. This can be seen by the increased performance after the change occurred and culture change was implemented. What changed Fundamental changes that occurred were a shift from the existing vertical, bureaucratic structure to a horizontal structure and change in specialist functioning of divisions creating a professional, corporate environmental culture that was customer focused. The existing culture was a casual attitude towards dress requirements, starting and finishing times, breaks, informal communication expression and channels and many staff were employed as friends of existing staff rather than based on competency and job skills. Some managers had their partners working for them and a few were family members. There didn’t appear to be any dress code and people came and left work at varying times. Additionally management employed more skilled staff, retrained existing staff and created processes of which procedures were then put in place. One of the ways these objectives were achieved was by the reduction of management layers resulting in more direct reporting. Wood et al (2010) explain as organisational size increases, the more interconnections and less direct communication between people takes place (Wood et al, 2010). Change Process When management at Truelocal uplifted existing management and reporting structures, staffs were initially left without direction, reporting channels, processes and goals were not clearly communicated causing a lot of uncertainty. Consequently many staff resigned as they felt upset and confused about what was happening. Truelocal however, retained some of the more experienced staff with new career development propositions and new managers were encouraging and open about future improvements that were to take place within the organisation. One of the ways Truelocal could have managed this change is by using the Freeze/Unfreeze concept; Wood et al (2010) explains Kurt Lewin, a famous organisational Psychologist’s three-force phase, which is needed for any organisation to be motivated to bring about the change of which are; 1) Unfreezing focuses on preparing people for change. This is a critical part of the change phase prior to implementation by analysing and influencing resistance and need to change. A common tool that is used at this stage is called Force Field Analysis, this measures these forces. ) Changing of people; tasks; structure; technology. Ideally the organisation will be completely unfrozen, ready for change and its goals made clear. It is recommended that staff are not perceived to have a sense of high or low security at this stage in order to avoid resistance. 3) Refreezing is the evaluation and reinforcement of the changes that took place. The new managers were recruited by Truelocal for their exp erience in organisational transformation within the type of professional, high performing, corporate environment the organisation desired and who worked at their competitor company. These managers were expected to manage the entire change process themselves. Change agents are people or groups who take responsibility for the change of behaviours and existing patterns in a supportive manner (Wood et al, 2010). The perceived risks however, are the responsibility of the organisation’s leader who decides on the direction of the change (Oakland Tanner, 2007). Planned changes that took place were; Structure – change in organisational design by reporting systems, operational processes and size of teams, while roles were redefined by definition, job title and remuneration. Tasks – Most jobs were redesigned including more responsibility for staff in management roles and multi functional tasks for other staff. One of these job designs is called job enrichment, which is the increase and deepening of motivating factors built into a job (Wood et al, 2010). Some of these enrichments used by new management were increased responsibility and accountability, less control and more freedom in the job and more recognition. People – improvement of recruitment and selection process by advertising formal job vacancies on the organization’s intranet and incentives for staff to nominate candidates who were then formally interviewed by a number of managers. Additionally training sessions for new staff, coaching and certification courses were made available. Carless (2005) describes her research on the compatibility of job-person-organisation-environment fit. She believes a person must assess their attributes and personality with the job and organisational characteristics, which is likely to improve job satisfaction and adjustment to the environment. Culture – organisational values and beliefs were communicated from the parent company of which staff was rewarded when their behaviour displayed these values. Recognition was given in addition at meetings and performance appraisals. This is the observable culture, however as Wood et al (2010) explain, shared meanings and stories are other powerful aspects of culture and this can be observed at Truelocal by the high turnover of staff by both stories and norms that communicate the need to work hard to perform in the job or leave. Cultural symbols include trophies for ‘employee of the month’ awarded to the highest performer. These symbols serve to transmit cultural meaning (Wood et al, 2010). In the sales department a large subculture can be observed. Wood et al (2010) explain strong subcultures are often found in high performance task forces where people share similar values and backgrounds. This subculture included men between the ages of 22-30 yrs that have no formal education, drink alcohol excessively, and are passionate about technology, highly materialistic and view women as sex objects, which can often be observed by their language and behaviour. Moreover this culture is likely to be influenced by the national culture of which the organisation is embedded (Wood et al, 2010). In fact this subculture existed in the old culture before the restructure of which the company held ‘diversity training’ focused on discrimination and fairness within the workplace resulting in terminations. According to The Economist (2008), in the economic downturn companies need ‘Generation Y’ as hungry 25-35 year olds without commitment, for marketing and product innovation with emerging technologies, able to put in the time and energy to help them deal with recession hazards, especially in sales. Strategy – operations and planning were clarified at monthly and quarterly meetings including product changes. These were addressed by department managers regularly and CEO meetings irregularly, to engage staff. Wood et al (2010) explain leadership has changed from the traditional trait and behaviour approaches to transformational, charismatic, visionary focus and is separate from management. The leadership team at Truelocal formally includes the CEO and parent company (NDM) leaders. Their leadership function can be observed by their language and behaviours they use a transformational and visionary change approach. Objectives – specific performance targets were set allowing staff to earn a higher commission by overachieving set targets, recognition and prizes to increase motivation consistently. Purpose – both the CEO and the parent company made organisational goals clearly communicated vision and clarified progress regularly. Recognition was given for the contribution of each department and each business unit to the overall success of the organisation. These changes were managed by senior staff using a combination of change strategy approaches as explained by Wood et al (2010) that include a forced approach of top down command, one way communication, coercive reward and punishment approach, rationalisation approach and shared decision making, empowered approach. Of these approaches no single approach was concluded best by researchers on organisational change and it is advised that more commonly a combination will occur, however guidelines are offered to change agents and managers (Wood et al, 2010); consider use of expert consultants communicate the need for change feedback from employees avoid changing for the sake of change study organisational change and structures From this perspective Truelocal management took the right approach by varying the way they managed the change. Change Results The facilitation of clearer and faster communication channels enabled staff to work more efficiently and get things done faster, along wit h improved technology. Further benefits of this structure were people collaborating in teams, using initiative and increased spontaneous communication while rules, procedures and close supervision were reduced as described in (Tushman, Anderson O’Reilly, 1997). Wood et al (2010) describe the matrix structure is common in large organisations wanting to improve customer responsiveness. Truelocal’s reporting structure utilised this organisational design as part of the change, for example the finance manager reports to the CEO of Truelocal and to the Commercial Director of NDM, however Wood et al (2010) note each organisation’s structure is unique and there is no single observed design. This change is described by Wood et al (2010) as radical. Radical changes are fundamental reorientations and transformational, often initiated by the arrival of a new CEO. Culture Performance Change Since the change occurred, Truelocal’s sales department recorded a growth rate of 15% per full time employee (FTE). Some strategies used were; Performance appraisal review (PAR) – staff are asked to grade themselves on their performance and their use of company values of which are discussed by their managers. For example one of the values is ‘Impact’ and an employee is asked how much impact they contributed to the organisation since the last performance review and they are required to give examples of this behaviour. These PARs are held quarterly and annually. Reward and remuneration – staff are given targets according to their job level and experience with incentives to over achieve. These targets are called Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The person’s job is broken into task components of which each component consists of a target behaviour that is rewarded. Remuneration is based on the overall percentage of KP I achievement. Recognition – employee of the month award was created by encouraging staff to use an online submission for their preferred co-worker who had gone over and above their job requirement displaying one of the company values. In addition the company awards the sales department with the person with the highest dollar value in sales and yearly a larger reward of which one year was a new car. Similarly a newsletter recognises new sales people who achieve early in their job. All of these reinforcements are called extrinsic which are rewards given to someone by another person’s valued outcome and because they are environmentally impactful are valued in influencing behaviour through the law of effect (Wood et al, 2010). Cultural change can take years according to Wood et al (2010); however effective cultural change strategies can be used to shorten the timeframe. One of which is explained by Oakland Tanner (2007), it is important to align the culture to support the desired change in behaviour. For example Truelocal needed a professional, customer focused culture which required staff to develop professional skills and behaviour. The result was all departments undertook a full training programme designed to increase awareness in communication, with a focus on questioning and empathy. Conclusion Truelocal is a young company and part of the larger and still relatively new parent organisation, NDM, operating under the global News Corporation. The industry it operates in, digital media is one of the fastest growing and changing environments globally. It changed from a structure and culture of casual, unprofessional work practices managed within a more bureaucratic structure that was under performing to a transformational, high performing, innovative and professional culture that is customer focused. Truelocal achieved its goal of growth, productivity and change in culture, however many staff were lost in the process and not much planning appeared to be in place. It is unclear as to the lack of planning, communication or use of external consultant in the case of radical change that occurred. One assumption might be due to budgetary restrictions as the company has been running at a loss since it started, reporting a loss this year of over one hundred million. Apart from the successful change management strategies that were used by the change agents, in particular the motivational strategies used by nominated change managers, numerous other approaches were identified that may benefit the organisation for managing future changes more effectively. Reference List Carless, S. A. (2005). Person-job fit versus person-organisation fit as predictors of organisational attraction and job acceptance intentions: a longitudinal study. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology. 78 (3), 411-429. Generation Y goes to work (2008, December 30). The Economist (US). Retrieved from http://www. economist. com/business/displaystory. cfm? story_id=12863573 Oakland, J. S. , Tanner, S. (2007). Successful change management. Total Quality Management, 18 (1-2), 1-19. Tushman, M. L. , Anderson, P. C. O’Reilly, C. (1997). Technology cycles, innovation streams and ambidextrous organisations: organisaiton renewal through innovation streams and strategic change. Managing strategic innovation and change. Oxford University Press, NY. 2-23. Wood, J, Zeffane, R. , Fromholtz M. , Wiesner R. , Creed A. , Schermerhorn J. , Hunt J. , Osborn R. , (2010). Organisational Behaviour, Core concepts applications. 2nd Ed. John Wiley Sons, Australia, Ltd. Milton Qld.

Studying Two Alan Bennett Monologues Essay Example

Studying Two Alan Bennett Monologues Paper A monologue is a play with a single performer. The word monologue is of Greek origin and comes from mono-logos. Mono means word of one person and logos means voice hence monologue, one voice. Alan Bennetts work is impressive and his understanding of characterization is second to none. He has an ability to capture the life- styles and backgrounds of the characters he creates. The language of each character brings forward clichi s that can be humorous although in my view this might not have been always intentional. In carrying out my research I found an article in The Times Newspaper where Alan Bennett recognized that although he calls this work a series of monologues they could be plays. In fact, two of his monologues have been lengthened to enable them to be performed in the theatre. The article also stated that they could, equally well, be called short stories, for although none has a conventional short story construction, each has a plot, of sorts. It is a measure of Bennetts skill with language, that all of the scripts establish detail, plot and development of character. A Lady of Letters We will write a custom essay sample on Studying Two Alan Bennett Monologues specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Studying Two Alan Bennett Monologues specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Studying Two Alan Bennett Monologues specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Patricia Routledge was cast in the BBC production to play Irene Ruddock, a middle aged woman who writes letters. We soon discover that what she regards as her public responsibility has in the past turned into libel. As a result legal action has been taken against her and she has been bound over to keep the peace by a court for writing invasive and offensive letters to her neighbours. Irene Ruddock is a lonely and sad woman. The death of her mother had a deep effect on her life and writing letters is in a way her escape route for loneliness and a lack of friends/family. Her letters include writing replies to circulars and even a letter to the Queen about dog droppings! It starts to become really serious when she writes to her neighbours believing that they were abusing and neglecting their child. This is based on her prejudice towards the parents, for example she is disgusted by the fact that he has a tattoo and the kiddy looks filthy. Although Irene realizes that she may need help and visits the doctor she neglects to take the medication. Her local vicar also has little influence on her. Eventually Irene is cautioned by the police and informed that the child has died of leukemia. She is prosecuted and given a suspended sentence and assigned two social workers, who try to encourage her to join the community. Her response is to write another series of letters about the local community policeman and the lady at No. 56, which land her in prison. Prison life dramatically changes Irene because she has now found the friends and companionship she had longed for in the outside world. Irene making friends in prison is surprising because she is now mixing with people who were the victims of the letters she used to write. The strength of the monologue comes from a malicious trouble maker who finally becomes a liberated woman. It is ironic that for Irene prison is for her freedom. A Cream Cracker under the Sofa Thora Hird in the original BBC production plays Doris, a fiercely independent woman. While carrying out housework she severely injures herself. She tries to attract attention and when a policeman knocks on the door she decides to turn him away. Doris refuses to consider moving to an old peoples home where everyone smells of pee. Although one should feel sorry for Doris it is difficult to do so given her obsessions with hygiene. This monologue and the revelations about Doris and Wilfred the baby which wasnt fit to be called anything and which was wrapped up in newspaper as if it was dirty is much more shocking than A Lady of Letters. Doris has a very old fashioned outlook on life, she remembers the world when people were clean and the streets were clean. Doris is a very strong-willed woman. It is ironic therefore that to be saved she must admit that she is unable to look after herself, because she does not realise this she would rather die on the floor of her home than go to aold folks home. Talking Heads My research established that Alan Bennett believes forms. dictate themselves and that material demands to be written in a particular way and no other. Each of his characters, according to the author has a single point of view and none is telling the whole story. He says that his characters are artless and dont quite know what they are saying. This is in my view very much about the conventions he establishes. It seems to me that Alan Bennett writes very realistically. The actors speak directly to camera and alone. It is as if the audience is not watching as far as the speaker is concerned. In some ways this is like a catholic confession. The characters reveal themselves to be what they are. The writer assumes that you understand the characters emotions and you can relate to them in some way or another. The writer also assumes that you care about what happens to the characters. The BBCs approach to televising Alan Bennetts plays for television was in many ways to keep their theatrical presence although they were recorded in a television studio. The BBC broadcast them in the late 1980s; they received great public and critical acclaim because of their portrayal of human endeavour. Thora Hird won a BAFTA in 1988 for her performance as Doris in A Cream Cracker Under the Sofa and won three more awards for performances in Alan Bennett monologues, Two BAFTAs and one EMMY. These monologues were among Alan Bennetts first to be produced and broadcast. One of the challenges in televising a monologue is keeping the audiences attention as monologues are not always visually entertaining. In the programmes the directors use a close-up camera shot when the character is talking about something important. For example, in The Lady of Letters when she talks about the visit from the police when Irene states the line: No. Leukaemia The technique of mid-shot and close-up is used throughout. The music in the monologues is very fitting and allows the audience to appreciate the different moods of the play. The music is in the minor key throughout most of the monologues, demonstrating how depressed and miserable the characters sometimes are. The music is introduced to create atmosphere when something particularly emotionally stirring or dramatic is occurring. The music is also used to link the end of scenes and the fades to black. However, silence also is used to highlight different parts of the play. When the actors say important lines there is a silence for a few seconds before music is brought back. This allows the audience time to assess the dramatic effect of the play. There are several set changes in both monologues. The Lady of Letters starts off in Irenes house, in a dull plain room with just a desk and a window. The walls are plain and white with no form of decoration. The lack of decoration might suggest her lack of interest in the inside of her house; she is more interested in what is outside. After a short period of time she moves to an armchair to read the paper, yet she is still in view of the window. In the middle of the monologue there is an end of scene in which Irene is leaving her house and putting her coat on. The only other set change in A lady of Letters is when she is sent to prison. The prison walls have a plain industrial pattern and a reinforced window to prevent the inmates escaping. The sets in A Cream Cracker under the Sofa do not change very often. At the beginning of the monologue Doris is sitting in an armchair in her main room. In the room is a fireplace. When Doris tries to go and make a cup of tea she is unable to do so and ends up on the floor by the fireplace sitting next to the wedding photo she cracked. Doris attempts to make it to the door to get help. This is when the next scene change occurs. Doris ends up seated on the floor in front of the door. Later on as the monologue draws to a close Doris manages to drag herself back into the living room in which she started the monologue. The main setting of a Cream Cracker under the Sofa is Doriss main room. This room is full of furniture and is very out of date. I think this is linked with the fact that she is trapped in the past by her views of people and her obsession with hygiene. In a monologue, normally you do not see the plot happening directly. It happens, then the character tells you about it. The only exception of this in the two monologues is at the end of A Cream Cracker under the Sofa. When the police officer approaches the window you actually see Doris turn down the officers help. Fading to black is used to differentiate between two different time periods and to change the set, for example in A Lady of Letters after Irene says the line: He needs reporting (when referring to the police officer who is having an affair with the woman down the street) It fades to black and comes back with Irene in prison, this shows it is used as both a change of time and place. In the monologues the character is always talking to the camera and almost always looking straight into the camera. This makes it seem as if the character is talking directly to the viewer and I think this helps the viewer to understand their choices and opinions better than if they were not talking to the camera. One becomes almost like the characters diary. I think this because they tell you everything, yet you play no part in the plot or their life. The two monologues vary in the use of humour. A Lady of Letters subject matter uses humour effectively whilst A Cream Cracker under the Sofa has little humour. The situation of an old woman alone and in pain, condemning herself to death leaves little to laugh about. However a few moments for example are when Doris is lying distressed on the floor and a young boy enters her garden and she sees him spending a penny she says: The cheeky monkey. Hes spending a penny. Hey. Hey. Get out. Go on. You little Demon. Would you credit it? Inside our gate. Broad day light. The placell stink. Also Doris states: They ought to get their priorities right. They want learning that on their instruction course. Shouting about Jesus and leaving gates open. Its hypocrisy is that. It is in my book anyway. Love God and close all gates. Most of the comedy in the two monologues is ironic humour. Irony is when the character says something then something happens that completely contradicts what they said for example, when Irene says: Prison, they have it easy, television, table tennis, art. Its just a holiday camp, do you wonder theres crime? Then when she is sent to prison she enjoys it, this is ironic. The settings in both monologues are similar yet subtly different. For example they both start off in rooms that are old fashioned, but they are old fashioned in different ways because they are from different generations. Both the rooms have a focal point that is involved in the plot and the character concentrates on it. In A Lady of Letters it is the window. Irene is near a window for almost the whole of the monologue this is because she is observing the social life of her community rather than taking part in it. In A Cream Cracker under the Sofa the focal point is the fireplace. Doris injures herself while trying to dust it, she ends up next to it when she tries to go and make a cup of tea. Windows are also key in A Cream Cracker under the Sofa. Through the windows Doris sees the little boy spending a penny and the police officer coming to help her. There is a wide variety of connection between the two monologues. They both are about women who are trapped in some way. Irene is trapped by her anti-social letter writing and her lack of friends. You know that Irene has a lack of friends because she calls her pen a real friend. Doris is trapped by her obsession with hygiene and her old fashioned views. You can tell that Doris is obsessed with hygiene because she talks about how she had an argument with her deceased husband Wilfred about having a tree in the garden she says: Given the choice Wilfred Id rather have concrete. He said concrete has no character. I said, Never mind character, Wilfred, Where does hygiene come on the agenda? With concrete you can feel easy in your mind This extract shows just how obsessed with hygiene Doris is and how it rules her decisions and her life. Another extract that demonstrates how obsessed with hygiene she is, is when she and Wilfred have a discussion about getting a dog: Hairs all up and down, then having to take it outside every five minutes. Wilfred said he would be prepared to undertake that responsibility. The dog would be his department. I said, Yes, and whose province would all the little hairs be? What they both need is friends and family, to distract Irene from the goings on of her neighbours and to stop her from sending letters and to give Doris companionship. Both monologues are about two women who are living by themselves and they both have lost a loved one, Doris her husband and Irene her mother. Each monologue makes you feel sympathetic towards the characters involved because of the ordeal they have been through. At the end of A Lady of Letters you feel happy for Irene because of her new found friends. At the end of A Cream Cracker under the Sofa you are not sure if you should be happy for Doris because she avoids being sent to the old peoples home (Stafford House), or if you should feel sad for her because she dies. The monologues have quite similar structures. Both the monologues start off in mid conversation leaving the audience confused as to what is happening and what the character is talking about. They also both finish with a summing up line. For A Lady of Letters the finishing line is: and Im so happy The last line in A Cream Cracker under the Sofa is: Never mind. Its done with now, anyway. Both these lines give the audience a look at how the character views her decisions and their outcome. The language used by the characters and written by Alan Bennett is quite varied and it is like a real conversation. It is not like someone is reading from a script. It is as though they are really making it up as they go along, because Alan Bennett has written in thinking time and pauses for contemplation. The language that is used is the kind of language that women of those ages would be using. I noticed that the two characters speak quite similarly and have a similar vocabulary of words; for example, they both refer to children as Kiddies.

Review

Anthem Ayn Rand Critical Essay/Review AnthemWhen I first began to read this book, I was a little hesitant because the book was relatively short and at the time I thought that short books weren't really worth reading. The novel has about 128 pages but the text is quite small. Most short books that I have read either weren't very good, or it had a sequel to it which left me with anxiety and wonder because I wanted to know what happened next. I could never do that though because I didn't have the next book. However, there was no sequel to this book; it was all together in one very well written and exciting story.Anthem is a book written by the famous author, Ayn Rand, who has also written other books such as We The Living, The Virtue of Selfishness, and Atlas Shrugged. Anthem, in my opinion, should be the most famous out of them because honestly, it is one of the best books I have read.It is almost like the book reached out into my body and sucked me in. I suggest to anyone who hasn't read a good book lately to read this on e.The book is in such a different writing style that at first it may be a little complicated to keep up with it. Equality 7-2521 is a young boy who is the main character of the story. As you can see, that seems like a very odd and unusual name and indeed it is. In this story, a person cannot have their own name or independence nor can they say the word "I"; it is known as the Unspeakable Word. If you were to say "I", you could either be punished, banned, or even executed.Anthem has this mythic and ancient feel about it, Review Review Review Having been asked to write a review as an assignment, it was only natural of me to be pulled to the write something about my favorite past time; movies. As it is widely popularized all over the world, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the Bond film franchise and this provided a perfect setting to produce the 23rd installment of the spy series; Skyfall. Daniel Craig, arguably the best Bond actor ever to utter the infamous shaken not stirred line, has his third outing as James Bond. The film kicks off with pre-credit action scene that culminates in a vicious hand to hand combat on top of a moving train (as if there is any other kinds of Bond fight) and climaxes with Mr. Bond assumed dead. I would not want to spoil the salient plot line, except to highlight that the circumstances do seem to drive our favorite hero to feeling a little disillusioned- and reduced to ordering a bottle of Heineken as opposed to his preferred poison. However, to the Bond fans, rest assured that he does not order this drink is a glamorous establishment. This opening sequence, coupled with a catchy theme song by Adele, serves up one of the best openings of any Bond norm. And so my hopes were extremely high, until the film thrust into what seems like an unnecessary blend of the Chekhov and John LeCarre slated into a conventional Bond film: undercover spies are in peril, there are chances of a mole in the organization, top governmental secrets have been leaked, Director M is facing both personal and professional threats and when Bond finally surfaces, he is feeling more than a little betrayed and shaken, not stirred, to his foundation. Everyone who has watched a traditional Bond film knows that there isnt any conventional rogue asset to blame, but a captivating arch villain (Empire, 2012). Javier Bardem plays the renegade asset with a couple to scores to settle with Director M. He seems to be particularly skilled in employing what seems like hundreds of well trained but nameless arms men whose primary purpose seems to be getting killed. The movie, directed by Sam Mendes, is still quite entertaining. The action scenes are well staged, predominantly the aforementioned opening sequence and a climax that involves daring, not only for the appealing Bond but also for Judi Dench and the grizzled Albert Finney. Ralph Fiennes is a superb addition to the cast as a firm but sympathetic bureaucrat. Bardem is pleasantly over the top as the chief protagonist, and the Bond girls- one nice, one naughty- are rather limited in their contributions to the plot. The jury is still out as far as the current state of the Bond series and Daniel Craig is concerned. Craig is a capable actor, but his portrayal of Bond is somewhat unpleasant and would not be entirely out of place in a spy film, say, on the order of a Graham Green or a LeCarre project. In the last couple of productions, Craigs performance seems devoid of appeal; there is little flamboyance to his one-liners and no delight when he gets to do what the things Bonds characters do best- that does not involve ending peoples lives. Current Bond films want to offer two viewpoints in their plots: they want to achieve a certain emotional and intellectual complexity to the franchise, while still maintaining an extremely pragmatic, though thrilling, action scenes. The challenge is that now there is a distinct sluggishness between the set pieces. Additionally, when one is given more time to critically asses the film, one can criticizes almost everything, including how many times Bond had the vill ain in his sights. However, the ending does provide a glimmer of hope that the Bond series will be back to real business in the foreseeable future- someone take the Heineken of his hands and get this man a martini, shaken not stirred.

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Assignment

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Assignment Example The forty-seven-year-old Betty Vinson together with the 35-year-old Normand would face a sentence of fifteen maximum years, in jail. The sentence, however, can reduce to become years less than fifteen. Also among those who admitted the guilt, according to reports by the US TODAY, are Buford Yates and David Myers. The former was a former accounting director and the latter a former controller. The two pleaded guilty during the case of the government against WorldCom. The two were former low-level accountants at the collapsed firm. The sentence was not just. Ms. Vinson made the ethical decision as a way of cooperating with the prosecutor. The confession of guilt was a way of cooperation with the prosecutors. This was in exchange for possible leniency. The prosecutor, therefore, should leave Ms. Betty Vinson without putting then to the sentence. The two ex-WorldCom accountants were following the orders of the Chief Financial Officer, Scott Sullivan. Madoff was a Wall Street cognoscente and led the Nasdaq Stock Market. He also was a money manager that many sought-after. Clients believed to have the secret to investment success. He logged 10 percent of the yearly returns and set little down month. He got returns, in the end. He exploited three things. He took advantage of the fact that a significant number of investors sophisticated funds of hedge funds as well as advisers on investment issues. He exploited the fact that a considerable portion of the investors forgot that if something looks too good, then it is questionable. Madoff also took advantage of regulators’ failure to view his real image. The regulators considered Madoff an influential investment advisor as well as a broker. The discovery of Madoff’s dealings came long after he practiced them for a considerable period. This came with the collapse of markets and a stagnating economy.

Fast-talking Dames In The Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fast-talking Dames In The Films - Essay Example The film â€Å"Adams Ribs† constructs Amanda as a Fast-Talking Dame. Amanda is ahead of time in her career and speech. The film introduces a woman who after learning that her husband is having an affair with another woman, fires a gun at them but one bullet hits her husband on the shoulder. The case is allover in the newspapers. Banners family consists of both the husband and the wife being in the law profession. The case is received differently by the couple. This brings an argument in the family apartment because Adam is assigned the case on the prosecutor side while Amanda seeks the accused who agrees she represent her as a personal lawyer. Amanda sympathizes with the woman because she believes that it illegal for a man to cheat on his wife. This feeling pushes her to request the woman if she may represent her as the lawyer in the case because she believes in equality. Amanda tries to outweigh her husband in the career. Also, Adam cannot keep the pace of Amanda speech since she talks very fast when arguing in the house about the case she is representing the accused. This constructs Amanda as a fast talking dame. In the courtroom ,Amanda bases her argument on the issue that both sexes are equal. However, Adam reminds Amanda that there is a difference between a woman and a man but, Amanda argues that the difference is quite small, Adam still insists the difference is significant. This is traditional notion that mocks the female who try to compete with the men since they should be seen and not heard Finally, at the end of the case, Amanda is able to convince the judge who makes the ruling in her favor. Thus, Amanda’s client is not found guilty. Amanda seems to be very dominant in the film. Almost all arguments that arise she emerges as the winner due to her good command of speech that Adam find so hard to keep up with.

Paper 4 uses at least two quotations from a secondary source found in Essay

Paper 4 uses at least two quotations from a secondary source found in the Literature Resource Center database - Essay Example s to do with motherhood, and mother and daughter relationships, it focuses more on the struggle and necessity for determining one’s own self, in terms of identity and freedom of choice. Olsen’s characters, mother and daughter, depict two people desperately striving to find their ‘self’, independent of each other, and within the realms of a society that continually places expectations on its people, especially women. The narrator embarks on a valuation of her role as a mother, which includes â€Å"her own responsibility, her own failure, and finally her need to reaffirm her own autonomy as a separate human being who cannot be defined solely through her parental role.† (Frye p.130) Emily, the daughter grows from a small sickly, innocuous child and teenager, lacking in self confidence, to a nineteen year old who realizes her ‘self’ through comedy and is finally happy in her ability to make her own choices. The entire story is seen from the narrator’s – the mother’s perspective, wherein she provides a sequential accounting of her past; this past life description is often interrupted by reference to present needs, "Ronnie is calling. He is wet and I change him," (611) which helps to illustrate the never ending work and her responsibilities involved in being a mother and the lack of time for her to even gather her thoughts for a moment, â€Å"†¦and there will be an interruption and I will have to gather it all together again.† (608) The narrator provides an insight into the hardships of motherhood and her plight in having to raise her daughter on her own during the depression, â€Å"I was nineteen. It was pre-relief, pre-WPA world of the depression,† (609) and the inadequacies of child care, â€Å"when she [her daughter] was eight months old I had to leave her †¦ with the woman downstairs,† (609) and â€Å"the only way† she â€Å"could hold a job† (609) was by placing her daughter in an inadequate nursery, but â€Å"it was the only place there was.†

John Kotter Good Leadership Management Essay

John Kotter Good Leadership Management Essay Lead only if u can manage. Though leadership means superiority and power, but management is the basic necessity and pillar of a business organisation. For a leader to function efficiently managerial skills and abilities are essential. The words lead from leadership and manage from management itself specifies its functions and characteristic activities. Leadership and management are definitely two distinctive and complementary systems of action as told by John Kotter in 1991. Both leadership and management are not natural, they are acquired abilities and talents that can developed and modified according to the situation. Both leaders and managers are significant in an organisation to lead the management towards its vision and to manage the employees to accomplish the mission of the organisation. To briefly elaborate the topic assigned, this report will proceed along the following spectrum: what is management? , management concepts, who is a manager?, managers attributes and qualities, role of a manager, management theories, what is leadership?, who is a leader?, what attributes/traits makes a leader successful?, theories of leadership and difference between leadership and management. All of these topics will be explained briefly below with suitable quotes and examples. WHAT IS MANAGEMENT AND ITS CONCEPTS? Management is an existing process which is mainly result oriented, this process involves proper utilization of resources such as human, financial and material resources which are available to the organizations and to individual managers for the purpose of goal attainment (Michael Armstrong, 1990, p. 1). There are four basic management concepts namely, Planning- What, How and When the tasks must be performed. Organizing- Determining tasks, Groupings of work and Putting plans into actions Influencing- Motivating, Leading, Directing organization members mainly to increase productivity. Controlling- Gathering information, Making comparisons and Finding new ways of improving production through organizational modifications (Samuel and Trevis, 2012, p.27). WHO IS A MANAGER? A Manager is a person in an organization, who has a group of employees under his control and it is his responsibility to plan, organise, influence, monitor and control the work of his group or team in order to achieve the organizational goals. There are different types of managers based on their field of work. Such as financial, production, service, marketing, human resource managers. Different managers have different responsibilities and targets. According to F. John Reh,(2011) a senior business executive says a manager is a person who helps others and get more done by motivating them, providing directions, making sure they are working together toward a common goal, removing roadblocks and providing feedback. Peter F. Drucker,(2009) a successful American businessman says The productivity of work is not the responsibility of the worker but of the manager. MANAGERS ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITIES Conceptual ability- A manager is in need of this ability which also involves decision making skills during some complex situations including environmental situations. A managers conceptual ability should be used in relation to the objectives and strategic planning of the organisation. (Laurie J. Mullins, 2005, p.212). Social and human skills- It refers to interpersonal relationship between the manager and employees. The manager should effectively utilise the human resource of the organisation which involves team works and proper direction to his employees and more over the manager should also be versatile. (Laurie J. Mullins, 2005, p.212). Technical competence- It is the managers ability of utilization of specific knowledge, methods and techniques to organise the tasks and is mostly required at supervisory level, staff trainings and in day-to-day operations. (Laurie J. Mullins, 2005, p.211). ROLE OF A MANAGER See Possibilities Manager is the only people who knows the employees better than anyone else and try to bring the best out of them. (Scrid, 2012) Know the Structure   Manger should be up-to-date with the organisation structure and objectives, so that he can evaluate his expectation from the employees. (Scrid, 2012) Remember: Small Actions Count!   Little drops of water make the ocean, and little kindness act as bond between the manager and the employees and creates respect among each other. (Scrid, 2012) Be Creative In this complex and volatile business environment it is expected for the manager to be creative and be an inspirational tool for co-workers and other employees. (Scrid, 2012) Commit   As the level of commitment is contagious, a manager should not only be committed to his objectives but should also show commitment toward his employees. (Scrid, 2012) Be Human   Authority should not create a gap between a manager and his employees. The manager can be himself, but if he tries to be someone his employees can look up to. The manger will gain respect, loyality and a good connection. (Scrid, 2012) Stay Versatile   A manager should be flexible and versatile and be ready for sudden changes and others suggestions from his employees. (Scrid, 2012) Have fun while you work   A manager should know how to be professional at work and having fun in the process. (Scrid, 2012) Be a role model   The manager is considered as the leader for the employees working under him. The employees will mirror their managers work ethics. So the manager should be worthy of being a role model. (Scrid, 2012) MANAGEMENT THEORIES: Frederick Taylors Scientific Management Lillian Gilbreths motion study Max Webers bureaucratic theory Henri Fayols administrative theory Elton Mayos hawthorne effect Systems Approach Chaos theory Team Building theory WHAT IS LEADERSHIP? Ralph Stogdill (1950) points out that the definition of leadership has three components, they are: 1. Interpersonal relationship, 2. Social context and 3. Goal attainment. So leadership is the process of influencing one subordinate or an organised group in setting a goal and in attaining the targeted goal. (Buc and Huk, 2010, p.596) Peter F. Drucker,(2009) a successful American businessman says Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. WHO IS A LEADER? A leader is one who keeps people moving forward by motivating them and invest in them rather than getting something out of them.A leader is one who delegates the work to the right person who can do it better than the others.A leader not only identifies problems but also initiates a solution to the problem. According to Douglas MacArthur, (1930)   the son of the high-ranking military figure, Arthur MacArthur says A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. WHAT ATTRIBUTES/TRAITS MAKES A LEADER SUCCESSFUL? Emotional intelligence- It is the ability to identify, evaluate, and control the  emotions  of oneself, of others, and of groups. Daniel Goleman framed emotional intelligence and he identified six leadership styles which affect working atmosphere and financial performance. The aspect of emotional intelligence is the selection of these leadership styles to be successful. (Buc and Huk, 2010, p.614) Interpersonal communication skill- It is the   is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through  verbal  and  non-verbal  messages: it is  face-to-face communication. Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said, it is also about the language used and but  how  it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice,  facial  expressions, gestures and body language.(Skillsyouneed, 2012) Modification skills- a leader must be versatile and flexible in order to handle the situations and make some modification in his behaviour, objectives and plans in order to initiate a solution for the problems being faced by the organisation. Creativity- as the decision making process lies in the hands of the leader. It is expected from him to be creative and come up with some innovative decisions for the welfare and profitability of the organisation. Creativity make the leader a role model. Motivation- it is the process of keep people or employees moving forward by fulfilling their needs and ideas and focusing them toward the attainment of the organisational goal with energy and persistence (Buc and Huk, 2010, p.225) LEADERSHIP STYLES Leadership styles mainly deals with the different functions of leadership and the style of leadership towards members of the group or subordinate staffs. They are classified into three styles, namely: Authoritarian (or autocratic) style- it is where the power is with the leader and all the interaction with the group and employees move towards the manager. The leader alone exercises decision making, authority for determining policies, procedures for achieving goals, work tasks and relationships, control of rewards and punishments. Democratic style- it is where the power is mostly with the group and there is a good interaction with in the group. The leadership functions are shared with the group and the manager is also a part of the group. The group members can give their suggestion in decision making, determination of policy and in implementation of systems and procedures Laissez-faire (genuine) style it is were the members of the group and their workings are observed and the power is passed to the members to allow them the freedom of action and no to interfere, but be available if help needed. The members are left to face decisions. There is often confusion over this style of leadership behaviour THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP: Great Men Theory The Trait Theories of Leadership Style Theory Douglas McGregor: Theory X and Theory Y Contingency Theory Behavioural Theories Participative Theories Relationship Theories DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT CONCLUSION

Snapshots of Love Essays -- Personal Narrative, essay about my family

Most of the snapshots of my life are held in the photo albums of my mind. Some were captured by a camera, and those pictures I keep in a shoebox under my bed. I'm lucky to have "shoebox photos" of the earliest things I can remember. For example, three days after my third birthday, Katherine Emily arrived. I remember my dad taking me to see my new baby sister; we stopped at a gas station on the way to the hospital and bought my mom candy and a cola. That day, the camera caught the tiny smile only a big sister could have as she holds one of the best birthday presents ever. I don't take up even half of a blue hospital chair as I cradle Katie in my arms. She is wrapped all in white, like the little angel that every baby is. My white, hooded sweatshirt has faint patches of sky blue, and just a tiny crimson triangle of a T-shirt peeks out from behind the zipper. Looking closer, a third person can be seen: my mother's wrist-banded hand holds Katie's head up. My tiny arms weren't quite strong enough for that task. That was the first time I ever posed with Katie. Looking at that photo makes me remember all the other pictures I have of Katie and me, even when there was no camera with film and batteries ready to go. It's these pictures that I'll never lose. Before Katie and I went off to school, we spent our days in the tunnels and caves of cardboard boxes and secret hideaways under the kitchen table. Our house has never been short on toys (there were six kids born before Katie and me), but boxes have always been a favorite. I remember being able to easily slide through the long passageways, my back not even brushing against the "ceilings" of our tunnels and forts. Katie had an even easier time ... ..., on the right, Horseshoe Falls bubbles under a mist that slowly rises above the horizon. Katie and I lean against the heavy, black railing, and against each other. Our smiles are sweet and happy, reminiscent of Katie's first birthday. These two shoebox pictures of Katie and me are just two snapshots in a shared photo album, filled with every cake, thought, joke, and sweater we've shared. In the midst of looking through the collection, Katie yells at me, "Hey, that's my shirt!" "You borrow my stuff," I reply. "Not without asking." "You had my black skirt for three months." "I asked for it." I let the fight peter out, not wishing to waste a memory on an argument about clothes. There will be plenty of hair-pulling, name-calling, and angry situations between Katie and me to come. I want to save my film for better times. Snapshots of Love Essays -- Personal Narrative, essay about my family Most of the snapshots of my life are held in the photo albums of my mind. Some were captured by a camera, and those pictures I keep in a shoebox under my bed. I'm lucky to have "shoebox photos" of the earliest things I can remember. For example, three days after my third birthday, Katherine Emily arrived. I remember my dad taking me to see my new baby sister; we stopped at a gas station on the way to the hospital and bought my mom candy and a cola. That day, the camera caught the tiny smile only a big sister could have as she holds one of the best birthday presents ever. I don't take up even half of a blue hospital chair as I cradle Katie in my arms. She is wrapped all in white, like the little angel that every baby is. My white, hooded sweatshirt has faint patches of sky blue, and just a tiny crimson triangle of a T-shirt peeks out from behind the zipper. Looking closer, a third person can be seen: my mother's wrist-banded hand holds Katie's head up. My tiny arms weren't quite strong enough for that task. That was the first time I ever posed with Katie. Looking at that photo makes me remember all the other pictures I have of Katie and me, even when there was no camera with film and batteries ready to go. It's these pictures that I'll never lose. Before Katie and I went off to school, we spent our days in the tunnels and caves of cardboard boxes and secret hideaways under the kitchen table. Our house has never been short on toys (there were six kids born before Katie and me), but boxes have always been a favorite. I remember being able to easily slide through the long passageways, my back not even brushing against the "ceilings" of our tunnels and forts. Katie had an even easier time ... ..., on the right, Horseshoe Falls bubbles under a mist that slowly rises above the horizon. Katie and I lean against the heavy, black railing, and against each other. Our smiles are sweet and happy, reminiscent of Katie's first birthday. These two shoebox pictures of Katie and me are just two snapshots in a shared photo album, filled with every cake, thought, joke, and sweater we've shared. In the midst of looking through the collection, Katie yells at me, "Hey, that's my shirt!" "You borrow my stuff," I reply. "Not without asking." "You had my black skirt for three months." "I asked for it." I let the fight peter out, not wishing to waste a memory on an argument about clothes. There will be plenty of hair-pulling, name-calling, and angry situations between Katie and me to come. I want to save my film for better times.

Are Steroids Worth the Risk

Are Steroids Worth the Risk? One of the most controversial issues with all athletes are steroids. How harmful are they? Is it worth the risk to get a competitive edge on the game? Should it be banned from sports? Steroids are not the answer; not only are there physical bad side effects, there are also psychological effects short and long term. The history of steroids dates back to the 1930s, the were taking from male testosterone originally. They were used to treat HIV-AIDS and cancer. They also helped stimulate bone growth and appetite, in order to help those who had trouble with weight gain. An example of this was a man named Barry Tyson who was suffering from HIV and took steroids in order to help build more mass in order to fight off infections from the disease. He noted that, within the first dosage he had taking at night he woke up the next day feeling like a new man and had abundant sources of energy. Some were along theses lines of using it for good medical use and healing it was lost for the benefit of athletes. The effects of steroids are tremendous in both genders. Yes even girls have been caught on steroids to help give them an advantage in sports. The risk that effect boys in the long run are; Testicular shrinkage, blood clotting, breast development, impotence (inability to get an erection), sterility, jaundice (liver damage), shortening of height, heart disease, cancer, and even tumors. Now why would someone want to risk all those long term effects just to get a little stronger. Some would say, â€Å"well I'm just going to use it for a little then I will get off of it. Well steroids is just like any other drug, it is addicting. People try to get off, but once off they realize they cannot get gains as quickly as Palcsik 2 they were before and go back on the steroids thinking just one more time will be fine. After time has passed they never get off and become addicted just like any other drug. Even if you are still skeptic here are some short term effects on boys from steroids: Premature balding or hair loss, dizziness, trembling, seizures, pain when urinating, and even aching joints. Not only are boys effected, but some girls try to get a competitive edge over the fellow athletes. Steroids are not meant to be taken by woman, because a woman's genetics are not meant for male testosterone. Some of the effects on girls are; increased facial hair, development of masculine traits such as deepening of the voice, loss of feminine characteristics, shrinking of breast, and even extreme increased sex drive. These risks are not worth having just so they can become better or close to their competition. Most woman's effects of steroids are irreversible and once one cannot be changed. Another trend found in woman is that when they take steroids they tend to drink more often than usual. This leads to even more liver problems and possible shut down of this organ may be a long term effect. Not only are there physical effects, but there are some psychological effects also. One of the most major factors is â€Å"roid rage. † Roid rage is a result of steroids that cause drastic moods swings and aggression. No just little mood swings, they are extreme uncontrolled bouts of anger caused by steroid use. The longer use of the steroids the more so called rages are experienced and to a greater extent. Back a few years ago there was an entertainment wrestler that used steroids excessively. As the years went on he never noticed any rages or irritability. Suddenly one day he snapped in a violent rage killing his wife and strangling his little seven year old son. Other psychological effects are depression, becoming delusional, paranoia, and even problems sleeping. So not only are there all these mental aspects of steroids that can destroy you, but also physical effects too. Many people believe that taking steroids to get the competitive edge is worth it. Look at all these negative effects. The short term results are not worth the extreme damaged caused to athletes body. People also say well steroids shouldn't be illegal in sports, if you choose to take the risk then it is Palcsik 3 that persons responsibility. The answer is no steroids are not okay in sports or at all in daily life. It was initially banned not because it was considered cheating in sports, but because of the unhealthy effects of steroids and the addictions caused by it. Also it is cheating it is not a persons natural ability, it is fake and additives to the body that are naturally there. People might say well people use it when they are sick so it can't be that bad. Steroids should only be used in medicine to help patients that need it because it is controlled by doctors so u cant exceed the amount you are supposed to have. It is a controlled prescription that the doctors understand. Steroids are not the answer for athletes. If you have the raw natural talent then you have what it takes to be a superb athlete, if not then keep trying till it is no longer possible. If it is not meant to be then it isn't meant to be, there is no point in sacrificing your body just for a few years of possible fame or glamor. Also its not even guaranteed that a person will succeed in the what the reason is that they are taking steroids. The question is are you willing to go throw pain and suffering for the rest of your life just for a advantage over the competition for a temporary time?

Early History Of The Celts Essays - Celtic Studies, Celts

Early History Of The Celts Essays - Celtic Studies, Celts Early History Of The Celts INTRODUCTION The Ancient Celts were not an illiterate people, but they transferred their knowledge orally. They had an alphabet of twenty letters called Ogham. Each letter was named after a tree from the land where they lived. Ogham was used on standing stones, primarily on graves and boundary markers. The primary sources of information about the Celts are, in that light, the texts written by the Romans who were in touch with them and Christian monks, who lived in Irish monasteries in the Middle Ages. Caesar, Livy and Tacitus, wrote about their contemporaries who lived in a way different than themselves and therefore were considered barbarians, but even though they did not have a positive attitude towards them, they still left some useful information about Celtic society, religion, way of life, and so on. One of the problems that arise from this is that many things in these writings are romanised, e.g. Caesar interprets Celtic gods and calls them by the names of their Roman equivalents: They worship as their divinity, Mercury, in particular, and have many images of him, and regard him as the inventor of all arts, they consider him the guide of their journeys and marches, and believe him to have great influence over the acquisition of gain and mercantile transactions. Next to him they worship Apollo, and Mars, and Jupiter, and Minerva; respecting these deities they have for the most part the same belief as other nations: that Apollo averts diseases, that Minerva imparts the invention of manufactures, that Jupiter possesses the sovereignty of the heavenly powers; that Mars presides over wars. The second type of sources are the books written from 6th - 13th century on by Christian monks in Ireland and Celtic Britain. These books were written several centuries later, so the oral tradition might have changed and much of the information was under Christian influences. The Celts were one of the most significant and powerful peoples in Europe from fourth until first century BC, and their culture one of the most influential. From then on they had a turbulent history, and their legacy continues to live even today. The following pages will be an attempt to MAIN PART Today, Celtic is a family of languages of the Indo European group. The Celts are, by definition, all the people who spoke or speak one of the Celtic languages. A unifying Celtic language existed probably somewhere between 1200 and 750 BC, in the Bronze Age, when Urnfield culture was at its peak. This people spoke a language that would later develop into Celtic. Their ur- Celtic developed in two dialects, first Goidelic (or Q Celtic) and later Brythonic (or P Celtic). The P/Q differentiation came from the diverse pronunciations of an Indo European sound /kw/. In Goidelic it became /k/, in Brythonic /p/. Goidelic transformed into the languages spoken in Ireland, Isle of Man and Scotland; Brythonic into Welsh, Cornish and Breton. The next period of Celtic history is connected with Hallstatt culture, which existed approximately from 700 to 500 BC. The later Iron Age phase of Celtic culture is called La Tne, after a site in western Switzerland and dates from 5th to 1st century BC. The Celts almost certainly began to expand to the British Isles during this period. Their influence extended from what are now France, Spain, and British Isles to the shores of the Black Sea from the Ukraine to Turkey. When the Romans came to these territories, they ended the La Tne culture, but in the places they did not occupy, like as Ireland and Scotland, the La Tne culture prospered until about 200 AD. The word Celt comes from Keltoi, the name that Greek writers gave to these people. To the Romans, the Continental Celts were known as Galli and Galatae, or Gauls and they called those in Britain Pritanni. In the 4th century BC the Celts invaded the world in possession of the Greeks and Romans, conquering northern Italy and sacking Rome, while also conquering Macedonia and Thessaly. They raided Rome in 390 (or 387), conquered southern Italy between 282 and 272, sack Delphi in 279, and the Gauls came to Asia Minor in 278/277. After the height of