Music Since World War II, Concert Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Since World War II, Concert Review - Essay Example There are many types and styles of music written since World War II, the only limit is the composer’s imagination. They are looking for different modes of expression. Composer Arnold Schoenberg experimented strange and unorthodox tonal schemes and harmonies. Bela Bartok, a Hungarian composer, combined the Twentieth Century forms with music of Hungarian peasants. Edgard Varese who belongs to the group of ‘Avant-garde’ experimented with the manipulation of rhythms. Igor Stranimsky, throughout his entire career made experiments with kaleidoscopic rhythms and instrumental colors. So it is very clear that composers since Second World War made lots of experiments with traditional instruments and modes of expression. Yet some of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, such as Giacomo Puccini, an Italian opera composer and Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Russian composer, followed traditional forms of music history. Music since World War II has seen several new and ecle ctic styles. Under the musical direction of David Currie, the Ottawa Orchestra presented a concert entitled ‘A French Connection’ comprising of the compositions of Pierre Merure, Steven Gellman and Camille Saint Saens. Pierre Merure discovered French music and developed an interest for orchestration which was very much visibly noticeable in his very first work ‘kaleidoscope’

Learning Team Reflection Essay Example for Free

Learning Team Reflection Essay Training Plan Implementing an effective training plan is necessary in order for a company to be successful. A structured training plan for Landslide Limousines will ensure employees are aware of the company’s objectives and goals. According to Bradley Stonefield, the training plan for Landslide Limousine will entail three key components a set of needs assessment, types of training methods, and training evaluations strategies. Training offers reliable information and skill to an employee about the company’s prospects and procedures. Properly trained employees contribute to a company’s achievement of goals and ultimate success. Each team member chose topics to evaluate and research effectively and apply there relevance towards the team discussion. Our first communication with Bradley Stonefield informed Atwood and Allen that he wishes to hire 25 employees and have a location in Austin, Texas. The second conversation with Mr. Stonefield led to information regarding the annual net revenue of negative $50,000 in his first year and a growth prediction of 5% over a couple of years. Most recently, Atwood and Allen has learned that Mr. Stonefield predicts that his annual employee turnover rate will be 10%, and his concern on cost for the training plan. The needs assessment constitutes several aspects revolving around the daily operations, individual employees, environment, organizational and demographical information of a business. Operational Analysis Designing an operational plan for the Landslide Limousine service determines the efficiency of various aspects within the small business operation. The  process usually begins with a period of observations, the group of individuals performing the analysis watches and takes detailed notes on a day-to-day operation of the limousine business in the initial stage. Logical reasoning methods assist in compiling the information used in the process with various mathematical models and statistical analysis. Operational analysis aims to determine whether each area of the organization is contributing effectively to overall performance and the furthering of company strategy. Using the operational analysis to ensure that the business Mr. Bradley wants to start should align appropriately with the company’s strategic plan. By examining the current performance of the operational portion of an investment, and then measuring that against an established set of performance parameters and goals, operational analysis within the business can reveal the company’s strengths and weaknesses as well as any opportunities for improvement with the individuals he may want to hire for future employment. With all the detailed information our team gathered in order to best serve and provide the right information for this business, by conducting an operational analysis, this should seek to examine a number of functional areas within the business; including strategic planning, customer results, and business results, financial performance, and quality of innovation. Now, the objective process should principally be to reassess existing processes and determine how objectives improve, how costs minimized and even, on occasion, eliminating a task. Operational analysis can be a relatively simple process for the company and meaningful in assisting a new business venture. Through a few manageable steps in the process, Landslide Limousine needs to assess their productivity and possibly reallocate investments to ensure activities within the company are in line with the small business company’s strategy. Studies prove that establishing a schedule benefits the completion of the process. This process may outline the timeline and resources necessary for completing the operational analysis. Outline strategies and methods accordingly and adhere to them during the process. Collect information to provide key insights into actual performance in comparison with strategic planning and performance goals. Complete an analysis gap to identify and report performance, cost and benefits based on an analysis of the actual performance data. Demographic Analysis According to Bradley Stonefield, the demographic analysis that needs to be address is a specific population to describe the small business and its characteristics, such as income level, background checks, driving records, location and salaries. A demographic analysis is useful in a business plan, to describe the population where the business is located. Income level data is a good indicator of residents’ spending power. Income positively correlates with retail expenditures in many product categories. During market evaluation, retailers look at the median or average household income, and seek a minimum number of households within a certain income range prior to establishing a business or setting prices. Another common practice is to analyze the distribution of household incomes. Different businesses may avoid extremely high or low-income areas. Some specialty fashion stores target incomes above $100,000. Background checks often requested by employers for job candidates during e mployment screening, especially on candidates seeking a position that require high security or trust. Traditionally, background checks administered by a government agency for a nominal fee, but maybe administered by private companies. Background checks can be expensive depending on the information requested. Results of a background check typically include past employment verification, credit history, Driving history for a small business aspect and criminal history. Mr. Stonefield is interested in locating a limousine company within the Austin, TX area. A small business is unlikely to dominate any particular market in a city. However, strategic use of location-based marketing can make you a viral hit in your suburb or street and this may be all it takes to double the turnover in the limousine business. Location-based services can provide the company with information about how many people check in for a certain area or business, which has checked in most often and how many people have used an offer of this kind of service. This kind of information can be very useful in assessing the success of the company’s location-based marketing program. The average wage for a Limousine Driver is $12.85 per hour in the state of Texas in 2011. People in this job generally do not have more than 20 years’ experience. Pay for this job rises steadily for more experienced workers, but goes down significantly for the few employees with more than 20 years experience. Limo drivers have limited career advancement  opportunities. Some acquire supervisory or management positions, while others train new drivers or receive preferred shifts. Moving into a dispatching or managerial role is another choice for experienced limo drivers. Organizational Analysis Organizational Analysis for this company is a means of measuring how the small business will do and how to identify ways to improve the company in order to ensure success into the future of the company. A strategic way in preparing this aspect is to use the SWOT analysis. This stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These factors make up the bulk of the way the study and be analyzed and can give a in great details a pretty good indication of how Landslide Limousine will do and how it could be expected to do move forward in the future in making profits. The results of the analysis will help Mr. Stonefield be able to make good decisions and improve any efficiencies while without making any major changes. Strengths within Landslide services are usually the starting point for this company. Internal/external factors should include a stable workforce, methods and simple strategies are a way to mainstream the total aspects of all local business within the area is which this is a key aspect. Weaknesses can come from all different locations and can be widespread. This may include aging facilities, possible inexperienced/unprofessional drivers, outdated equipment, purchasing of quality vehicles fleets, price/packages, and areas of specialties. Opportunities should include new market creations, consumer based locations, overhead, and debts. Now, threats could possibly take on another aspect within the business. These can range just from local communities services to government products/services to the rules and regulations. Individual Analysis Certain ideals manifest in behaviors of individual members and affect group dynamics. Task functions include behaviors such as identifying tasks, coordinating, clarifying and summarizing. Individual Analysis based off different levels and/or services provided by the limousine service help to decipher if business needs are met. This type of analysis can be based off a wide stream of studies in business. This specific analysis can have more disadvantages than advantages needed in order to find ways to being a  business. Learning how to work effectively in a group situation is the key to success in many professions in business. Learning key ways to get the business from crawl, walk, run phase is another way employees have the advantage of learning how the aspects of business work in the community. Environmental Analysis This analysis scan can help assist in understanding the broader context in which individuals are operating in. By investing time, identifying key trends and environmental factors to obtain information for small business within the regions in which we want to base our business and all the studies that are included. Some small businesses and organizations frequently choose to review the external factors in the process, but it is important to consider the internal environment factors. These may include looking at the organization’s internal capacities and resources, and projecting how to change in the future to meet the organization objectives. Another useful component to the analysis phase is to survey external customers in the local area and ensure all aspects of the locations are covered. Challenges observed and/or anticipated, or missed opportunities, and even basis such as how others described your individual work to get the process started may have a short-time or long-term effect. Environmental analysis uses a series of ranks and assessments in evaluating employee performance, customer satisfaction, and overhead coat are all similar factors during the first phase of the analysis. Training Methods Appropriate training is liable to have a positive or negative affect on important issues in business. How a company conducts, training is a critical decision that every business has to make consciously. All features involved in effective training should be considered, such as, time, cost, training environment, and training cost. The delivery of the training is pertinent. If the delivery of the information is confusing to employees, the training does not occur properly and is a waste of time, resources, and capital (Ongoing Training: A Method for Success, 2012). Various approaches to training are utilized and implemented. Types of Media Considering the impression Landslide Limousines anticipates on making, Atwood  and Allen Consulting recommends technology-based training. Technology-based learning may prove to be beneficial. Basic methods of learning through technology include interactive videos utilizing a computer in combination with a digital video (DVD). Web-based training programs or internet-streamed videos such as â€Å"YouTube† videos are increasing, popular tools among training methods. The aforementioned method is valuable in illustrating scenarios that the trainer would like to emphasize. These methods are conducive within a large group of people. Learning Principles When opting to use technology-based learning, companies must ensure accessibility for employees. Learning principles, considered laws of learning, are discovered, tested, and benefit practical situations (Naval education and Training, 2010). The trainer must possess the capability of applying the principles while instructing. Most importantly, the trainer needs to be clear on the objectives of the training, and relate it to the work environment. There are three types of learners: visual, hearing and hands-on. Atwood and Allen Consulting recommend that Landslide Limousine combine the training methods and perform more interactive learning experiences that will accommodate the three types of learners. Using what the military medicine has called for years â€Å"See one, do one, teach one† (Naval education and Training, 2010). The trainer will teach the skill so the employees can see it, then the employees will demonstrate their knowledge displaying their proficiency, finally the employee will teach a new employee. Those that teach, learn. Trainers will be inclined to become familiar with the material, recall it accurately, and apply it effectively. This method is cost effective in the sense that when there is a time one employee must carry out the tasks of another, therefore causing no interruptions in business. This method works best for companies that are just beginning. Training for learning skills or fact The required training conducted is for skill and fact. The training enhances knowledge of skills that enforce relevant facts, in reference to training. Effectiveness of Methods The effectiveness of the methods of instructions can be verified by how the employee perform their duties, by employee’s questionnaires and/or testing,  and by comments done by the trainers themselves (Naval Education and Training, 2010). The effectiveness of these methods displayed through the performance of the employees. Training Evaluation Strategies Evaluation on training is of utmost importance. Here is where a business learns of training that works versus training that is of no use to the organization. In order to evaluate specific training, addressing certain questions alleviate concerns of risk in that course of training. Potential questions are: Did the trainees learn a specific skill, knowledge or performance? Did change occur and was it related to the training? Are the changes positively reflecting in productivity and to achieving organization goals? Will these changes occur with a different set of trainees using the same training criteria? (Chapter 8, 2013) Typically, training is a trial and error system. What may work for one individual may not necessarily pertain to another type of learner. As mentioned previously, people learn in different manners. Some need visual aesthetics to increase their ability to comprehend the training. While others’ need a more tactile experience and participate in the training. This is not an entirely new concept and has developed over the last decade to include the use of technology to enhance learning. The same can be said for training and evaluation strategies. The idea behind training evaluation is to recognize the criteria of the training are met within the company. Using pretests to determine a suitable new hire reassures current employees that the individual grasps the goals and concepts of the business. An example of a pretest is as simple as an application, a resume or orientation. All of this information allows management to decipher an individual based on experiences. Once training is underway, management will monitor and observe the associates reactions and the trainer’s methods of approach. This segment is extremely important considering the trainer. If the trainer does not connect with the class or leads them astray and off topic, the training becomes worthless and consumes the organization’s time and money. The trainer’s obligation shall remain cost effective to the company and stay on task to complete the training in a time efficient manner. Aside from management monitoring and observing, feedback is equally important, and can  come from employees, supervisors, managers, and customers. Collecting feedback for an organization is conducted a number of ways. Suggestion boxes placed randomly around the business provide anonymous suggestions from individuals employed in the organization or from customers who believe change is necessary. Feedback is also collected verbally either in a group of employees or individual basis. Sending surveys to clients containing pertinent information to the limousine service allows them to feel connected to the business and builds trust. The implementation of the feedback is the most important aspect to changing the current operational standards of the business. Manager’s need to rise above the concept of â€Å"if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.† Business evolution is constant and technology increases daily allowing change to happen more frequently, and not because â€Å"it’s broken,† but because a new element has become known and can be a useful tool in training. References Email from Traci: Performance Management Plan. (2015). Retrieved from University of Phoenix: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/Materials/IP/curriculum/sb/HRM531/assignments/week5/intro.asp Naval education and Training. (2010). Personal Qualification Standards for Master Training Specialist. NAVEDTRA 43100-7C Ch. 1. Retrieved from Naval education and Training website Ongoing Training: A Method for Success. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.lctmag.com/operations/article/41017/ongoing-training-a-method-for-success http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533041.htm http://education-portal.com/articles/Salary_and_Career_Info_for_a_Limo_Driver.html http://www.studymode.com/essays/Individual-Analysis-Of-Working-In-a-712116.html

Burberry Market Position and Competitor Analysis

Burberry Market Position and Competitor Analysis Ans: Burberrys target customer is someone who wants luxury while being functional. The brands point of difference with other luxury brands is that they could be luxury, aspirational, and functional. Burberry decided they were going to reach these customers from Bravo identifying their niche between labels of Polo Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani on the apparel side, and between Coach and Gucci on the accessories end. The Burberry team priced the products between these price points to reach consumers. Burberry wanted to create the image of accessible luxury. The characteristics of a market are assessed through various models such as analysis of Porters five forces of competitors analysis. Here, we view Burberrys market positioning through its competitors analysis. Burberrys products include continuity products which have a product life cycle of a few years, and fashion products which are designed to respond to a fashion trend. Therefore, the market positioning of the Burberry is unique and varies as it targets trendy as well as classic customers. Burberry targets all its customers through a common theme of functional luxury. Burberrys main competitors include Coach, Armani, Gucci, and Polo, all of which are among top fashion brands in UK and globally. Coach and Gucci, both are more focused towards fashion accessories while Polo and Armani are more focused towards apparels; although all have a range of products in both apparel and accessory categories. Burberry has positioned its brand in the minds of consumers to be functional luxury. Burberry maintains a product line with great width and depth consisting of many products. Their products fall into one of two main categories: fashion or continuity. Fashion products are designed to be responsive to fashion trends and are introduced on a collection-by-collection basis. Continuity products have life cycles that are expected to last for a number of years. Burberry also has three primary collections: womens wear, menswear, and accessories. With so many different products offered in different collection and the fashion vs. continuity of Burberry products the product mix is very great. This contributes to the positioning of the Burberry brand. Burberry has received awards for the Contemporary Design Collection of the Year and the Classic Design Collection of the Year. This illustrates how diverse the Burberry brand is Therefore, the market positioning for Burberry varies. Burberry can appeal to the hip 25-year-old man or the conservative 65 year old man. However, many Burberry ads feature younger models. Recent Burberry ads have featured everything from a British landscape with aristocratic looking models to edger ads with models in bikinis. Taking all of this into account, Burberry is targeted towards many different segments of the population with one common theme, functional luxury. Burberry has many competitors that include: Coach, Polo, Armani, and Gucci. Relative to that of Burberrys competitors, they have positioned themselves very well in the minds of consumers. Coach primary positioning is on handbags. While Coach also carries other accessories that range from watches and shoes to scarves and dog collars, Coach remains primarily in the accessory end of fashion. Coach was also not even a player in the top 10 luxury goods players. However, Coach held 6% of the accessories share and in a price comparison was more on the low end of cost for accessories. This does not however reflect Coachs marketing positioning. Coach is just simply more affordable and more accessible to the general population. Polos marketing positioning is centered more towards clothing. While Polo was a number two player in the top luxury brands they captured the most market share for apparel, however, lower priced than Burberry. The Polo brand has great brand equity and is very well established in the minds of consumers. Armani, another competitor or Burberry, placed 8th in the top 10 global luxury goods. While Armani really only focuses on apparel the brand still maintains a strong luxury position in the market. Gucci also placed in the top 10 global luxury goods. Guccis marketing position is towards luxury accessories. They captured 12% of the accessory market share and were the highest priced brand for accessories. Overall, Burberrys competitive positioning is suitable over the long term. While brand like Coach and Gucci focus more on accessories and Armani and Polo focus more on the apparel market, Burberry has succeeded in penetrating both the accessory and apparel market while remaining a luxury good. Burberry has also succeeded is positing itself between brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren and Armani in apparel, and between Coach and Gucci in accessories. Burberry also has many different lines within the Burberry brand. This allows for more high-end goods and goods that would be feasible for purchase by the general population. Burberrys positioning of functional luxury is extremely competitive and will sustain over the long-term. Q2. Is Burberrys competitive position sustainable over a long term? Why? Ans: Burberry, initially Burberrys was popular amongst the British Royalty during the 1900s for its original designs and uncompromising quality. Thereby, the brand increasingly became a symbol of both luxury and durability. However, during the mid-90s, the company started facing several strategic and structural issues. In spite being a profitable business the earning quality was low. The brand came to be perceived as stodgy-looking and conservative, and skewed to a older customer-base. However, reinvention of the brand took place when Rose Marie Bravo came on board as the chief executive, with the basic motive to transform Burberry from a tired outwear manufacturer into a luxury lifestyle brand that was inspirational, stylish and innovative. The following measures were taken: Recruiting people, who were experienced and skilled in the field, thereby made a A-list industry talent team. Changing the name from Burberrys to Burberry and a contemporary logo and packaging was introduced. Repositioning the brand between cutting-edge fashion and classics. Burberry was positioned as a aspirational as well as functional brand and represented accessible luxury. The product line was upgraded and Burberry came up with three primary segments: Womens wear, Mens wear and accessories. Burberry expanded its portfolio in two segment: low priced labels including Thomas Burberry (in Spain and Portugal) and Burberry Blue and Black labels (in Japan) mainly to appeal younger, more fashion conscious customers and the high-end label Burberry Prorsum to position itself in high-profile luxury market. Advertisement campaign including Stella tenant, featuring a British aristocrat and model Kate Moss featuring the modern, fashion-oriented side. The check prints were an integral part of Burberry design pattern, and accounted almost 25 percent of companys revenue from check products. It also launched Burberry Brit, a new perfume line featuring a check design bottle. Thereby, Burberry positioned itself as a brand between lifestyle and fashion brand. Thus Bravos team brought Burberry from a broken position to a popularity stage. Thus, Burberry holds a competitive edge and positioning in the market. This competitive position for Burberry is sustainable over the long term due to several reasons. Not only due to its particular price points, but Burberrys intensive consumer surveying is also important. Burberry has consistently focused on remaining true to their core brand values and heritage to the Burberry brand. Burberrys market share in 2001 as rated against the top 100 luxury goods players was 5.2%, putting them in 4th place overall. This compares with 14.4% market share for LVMH (1st), 9.1% for Polo Ralph Lauren (2nd), and 4.4% for the Gucci Group (5th). Armani falls short with a smaller percentage (3.5%) of the market. Coach is far below these and does not appear on the top 10. If you compare by the type of luxury good; in accessories: Gucci is at 12%, Coach at 6%, Polo at 4%, and Burberry at 4%. And for apparel considerations: Polo is at 9%, Burberry at 3%, Armani at 2%, and Gucci at 1%. It is clear here that these distinctions occur based on the depth and width of each companys product line. Coach sells far more accessories (i.e. leather goods) than clothing, and Polo sells far more clothing than accessories. Burberry is almost balanced, and sells an equal amount of both, on their 2003 annual report Burberry shows almost even income from womens wear (33.3%), menswear (27.4%), and accessories (28.6%). For this reason, Burberrys competitive position is sustainable, as they have a decent demand for both accessories and apparel. Q3. Bravos team is currently carrying out several initiatives including multiple collections, multiple channels and multiple licenses. What is the role of each of these initiatives in Burberrys overall business model? Ans: Multiple Brands Burberry created multiple brands (Prorsum, London, Blue and Black, Thomas Burberry) to attract certain kind of customers whom they were not targeting initially and to cater certain characteristics of certain customers. This idea supports Bravos goal to attain new customers along with retaining old customers For example, Burberry London was offered as a lower-priced label designed to appeal to a younger, more fashion-conscious customer. Blue and Black is sold in Japan, for younger individuals, and is a foreign product that diversifies the product risk. Burberrys Prorsum product line was introduced to secure their positioning in the niche and luxury market. It shows consumers that Burberry competes with the latest fashions, and represents the highest end of luxury items. Prorsum was used to show the Burberry brand as luxurious and according to Bravo, the Prorsum introduction was created to tell people that something new was happening at Burberry. The idea was to introduce a high-profil e, high-end brand, and do it in a first-class way, by putting it in the best stores in the world. The intended role for Burberrys collections (Womens wear, Menswear Accessories) was due to extensive consumer research to also help recruit a newer consumer. The only way to do this was to update the product line to fit the fashion-desires of current and potential customers, and a way for Burberry to give a consistent look and feel across an array of products. Not only did they maintain creating products that were expected to have a lifespan of a number of years, but they also created other fashion-oriented productsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦designed to be responsive to fashion trends, thus maintaining their flow with fashion evolutions. Burberrys continuity products (classic trench, duffle coats, handbags and scarves) have longer life cycles than that of its fashion oriented products. Care must be taken in analyzing product life cycles. In terms of womens wear, menswear, and accessories, each col lection allows Burberry to compete with its major competition. A collection of accessories allows Burberry to adequately compete with larger accessory players such as Gucci and Coach. Multiple Channels Mass exposure was allowed to customers in wholesale and retails. The company had taken more control over its distribution by purchasing some distributors and severing ties with others. It had 3162 wholesale stores, 434 department stores, and 2728 specialty stores. Multiple Licensees Throughout the 1970s, when Burberry was owned by GUS, the Burberry brand became licensed on too broad of an array to maintain the true image and values of Burberry. With this came overall turmoil when the pricing, designing, and quality of Burberry products became skewed across numerous markets which then resulted in the brand having losing much of its exclusivity and the Far East [accounting] for a disproportionate 75% of sales. Due to this fact, Bravo determined and executed a plan where Burberry would now exercise control over everything from design to sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution. Ultimately, devising this licensing strategy allowed for the elimination of price, design and quality inconsistencies. Multiple licensees allows Burberry to introduce products in markets their competition has better hold of, and still share in some of the profit. These new collections and brands serve to further Burberrys new strategy and to mitigate risk of alienating core customers. Q4. Has Bravos team managed to elevate the overall status of the Burberry brand? Ans: Bravos team has managed to elevate the overall status of the Burberry brand through a complete transformation of the brand from being a classic aristocratic brand to a complete fashion oriented though being well-verse and sticking to its core brand values providing the customers both luxury and durability, for which it is known. The product was positioned as an affordable luxury brand catering customers of all age groups and from different fronts of life. The team rigorously worked to completely overhaul the pricing, distribution, product, and promotion. Multiple product lines and brands were created and the company moved in a global direction. Burberry also saw that by 2002, gross margins were now 56% compared with 47% in 2000. Multiple brands like Burberry Prorsum, Thomas Burberry, Burberry Blue and Black labels were launched to cater every segment in the market place. In terms of distribution, by 2002 Bravo and her team had managed to create world-wide distribution of the Burberry product. According to the study, they had 3,162 wholesale doors worldwide, including 434 department stores and 2,728 specialty stores, and also more than 132 company-owned stores. Lastly, Bravos team challenged themselves in finally devising a plan to promote the Burberry image. With the help of a famed advertising team, the Burberry campaign executed. The first flight launched in 1998 and featured Stella Tenant, a British Aristocrat and ultimately told a story that was able to convey the brand values, tradition, and heritage of the Burberry brand. The following winter, in 1999, the team was able to maintain the value image of Burberry, but also introduced model Kate Moss into their ads to simultaneously convey Burberrys more modern, fashion-oriented side. Ultimately, each challenge remained focused on Bravos original goal to make Burberry a global brand, while maintaining the core values and heritage of Burberry. Thereby, Bravo and her team brought Burberry at a status of most preferred, durable, luxury and also fashion oriented and accessible brand for all age category customers, thereby redefining an elevated status of Burberry.

Smiths Outlook on Life in Sillitoes The Loneliness of the Long Distan

There are two basic facts in Smith’s life: one, that he’s in a war with the â€Å"In-laws,† and two, that he’s going to fight it until the day he dies, or die fighting. From Smith’s perspective, there is an impassable line between him and the In-laws, who are out to get him, and his best method of success is beating them down. In taking revenge on the governor of Borstal, Smith thinks he has succeeded. What Smith doesn’t realize is that he, not the governor, truly loses when he loses the race. Smith needs to revise his world view to realize that there is a better way of getting what he wants, and the revenge he seeks is only a sign of his weakness and unhappiness with his own life. By focusing his energy on getting revenge, Smith compromises his opportunities and ability to succeed. Ultimately, his actions are a loss for Smith more than for the people he is fighting. Smith sees the authority figures around him as a threat to his happiness. To Smith, the cops and the governor of Borstal block his success. This is such a strong reality for him that the idea of them being on his side is impossible: â€Å"If only ‘them’ and ‘us’ had the same ideas we’d get [along]†¦but they don’t see eye to eye with us and we don’t see eye to eye with them, so that’s how it stands and how it will always stand† (7-8). The â€Å"them† he refers to are people like the governor of Borstal and the cops, the â€Å"In-law blokes† who, according to him, are â€Å"all on the watch for Out-law blokes like [Smith]†¦waiting to ‘phone for the coppers as soon as [he makes] a false move† (10). Furthermore, his strongest truth is that he is alone: â€Å"I knew what the loneliness of the long-distance runner running across country felt like, realizing that as far as I was concerned this feeling was... ...ke Smith, they become ever more revengeful towards those who end up punishing them for not being something they have no real incentive to be. Ultimately, criminals such as Smith end up wasting society’s resources (cops’ time and citizens’ money), wasting their own energy which could be better used to make them economically productive and contributing members of society, and making society less safe by reducing the mutual trust of society’s members due to thefts. The society does not seem to have a good way of dealing with criminals—Smith is not rectified in any manner by Borstal, and merely punished. Perhaps society needs to focus on increasing financial opportunities for the poor rather than trying to change values that are really an outcome of the society in which they grow up. The core problem is the society; once that is fixed, values will change automatically.

Good Science :: Science Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Good Science Science has helped to improve the lives of people around the world. Today, science has improved human health and medicine to help people live longer, and help people live with diseases people had little hope of living with a few decades ago, such as AIDS. While our scientific advances continue, ethical questions arise about how science should advance, such as stem cell research. Mary Shelley, author of the novel Frankenstein, and Michael Bishop, who wrote the article Enemies of Promise, have different views about how scientific knowledge affects humanity. Mary Shelley was born the daughter of feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and political theorist William Godwin. While on vacation with her husband, she began to write the novel Frankenstein, about a scientist who created life. The scientists name was Victor Frankenstein. In a selection from the novel, Frankenstein says The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials; and often did my human nature turn with loath ing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion (232). Frankenstein is disgusted because he must go to a slaughter-house to get parts for his creation. Frankensteins disgust shows how horrible and demoralizing his scientific endeavors are, and he continues his experiment despite the negative affect his experiment has on his health. He realizes the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasure in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind (233). Frankenstein worked so hard to give life to his creation he thought of nothing else, and he was living his whole life to accomplish one goal. He realizes how much time he has been spending on his experiment and the effect his work is having on him, so he believes humans do not have the ability to deal with work in this manner. Therefore, scientific experimentation is not worth the negative effects the experiments have on the human mind. Eventua lly, Frankenstein accomplishes his goal, but his creation does not turn out like he expected. After giving his creation life, Frankenstein is horrified and leaves his home. Frankenstein concludes Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to be greater than his nature will allow (231).

Women in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire and Arthur Miller

Women in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman The part of Stella and Linda are both archetypal female figures in that they follow the typical fictional role of the submissive wife and mother. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella DuBois (renamed Mrs. Stanley Kowalski) supports and forgives her husband, defending him against any criticism. Likewise, in Death of a Salesman, Linda - the only female character with any import - is a meek, timid figure around her husband. This weakness is underscored by the sentence structure and diction that each character uses when in conflict with their husband. As both Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller are men, it can be seen that their female characters tend to be what men would desire in women, without giving a too-accurate portrayal of an actual person. Stella and Linda are both symbols of the deferential wife and mother, not convincing portraits of women. Stella and Linda are both thought of only in relation to the other characters. They exist to support their husbands and defend them from other characters. Both Stella and Linda attempt to blind themselves to their husbands' flaws, and apologize to other characters for their husbands' actions. When Stanley gets drunk, smashes the radio and window, and hits Stella, Stella must apologize to Blanche for Stanley's behavior: "He's half-drunk!"; "He didn't know what he was doing... He was as good as a lamb when I came back and he's really very, very ashamed of himself." All that Stella can do is make excuses for his behavior, not blaming him for anything: "People have got to tolerate each others' habits, I guess." It is in this scene (4) that the audience truly sees Stella... ...laces, especially in scene 3: "All of you - please go home! If any one of you have one spark of decency in you-"; "You lay your hands on me and I'll-". This is realistic for some women who are submissive to their husbands, more so than perhaps the characters' actions, but the portrayal of the women characters as weak and wavering spouses is not realistic when it is the only female element. There are no strong female characters in either A Streetcar Named Desire of Death of a Salesman. Stella and Linda are dutiful wives, inferior to their husbands, who forgive and support them in spite of abuse. This is shown by their change in sentence structure and diction. Perhaps some males desire unconditional support and surrender from their wives, but to portray all females as weak women at the every beck and call of their husbands is unrealistic and inaccurate.

Hawthorne The Myth of the Docile Worker Essay

Review This journal begins with an introduction to the infamous Hawthorne experiments led by Elton Mayo and Fritiz J. Roethlisberger. These experiments were based on Mayo’s belief in the need to shift the focus of management from a scientific approach to one that valued human relations. The Hawthorne experiments surfaced as the pioneer studies of it’s time in human management psychology. The results developed a theory known as the â€Å"Hawthorne effect† in which many have incorporated to form the fundamentals of modern day human relations in commerce. Roethlisberger described the â€Å"Hawthorne effect† as an awareness from the working class when special attention is given by their managements thus bringing about a positive change in productivity. Today, the â€Å"Hawthorne effect† is even equated as simply treating employees well. Bramel is critical when pin-pointing the flaws of the theory. Being unconcerned over the methodology and accuracy of the experiments, he gives Mayo the benefit of the doubt and instead questions in particular two aspects of the theory. The first of which is the assumption that workers are easily manipulated by their higher managements to become constructive and cohesive with their fellow workers thus increasing productivity regardless of the working environment or economy. The second assumption being, conflict between management and it’s workers are due to external factors and downplays the fact that conflicts of interests between the two parties is inevitable. The truth remains that the firm is exploitive in it’s capitalist nature, managers will constantly seek to increase productivity whereas workers will always look out for their own economic interest. Bramel’s interpretation of the Hawthorne effect puts into play the fact that the capitalist recognizes that human relations is important. However, he puts it sharply that Mayo’s interpretation of the management- worker relationship is that of a myth, and is not relevant to all managements and cannot be used as a textbook answer towards dealing with workers. Bramel is not the only one who is critical when it comes to the Hawthorne effect theory. Richard Gillespie, 1991, presents us with the most balanced view he strongly disapproves with the Hawthorne effect theory that satisfied employees are productive employees. Instead, he believes the Hawthorne effect is subject to the interpretations by the various experts who manage the situations and apply the theory on their workers to achieve the results they require. I believe the question now lies, how can managements change their worker’s attitudes to achieve a trusting and productive worker? A review of : Bramel, D. (August 1981). Hawthorne, the Myth of the Docile Worker, and Class Bias in Psychology. American Psychologist, Volume 36(8) pp. 867-878. Oreg and Berson note that careful selection process when selecting personnel eliminates negativity in workers and helps bring together like minded people who are passionate about their jobs and look for work satisfaction. (Oreg and Berson, 2011) In this way, class biases and the conflict of interests between managers and workers is reduced. Managers can expect to achieve their desired results and produce a motivated workforce. Managers can expect to maximise the capacity and performance of their human resources by orientating their workers to familiarise them with the company’s goals, objectives and vision, help their workers understand the constant changes and demands of their job requirements and minimises misunderstanding and conflicts in the workplace. In other words, by setting performance expectations that correspond with the worker’s value systems help managers shape their employee’s attitudes. (Oreg and Berson, 2011) Armed with such valuable information, managers who relay their expectations and keep an open channel of communication between themselves and their workers, allow workers to achieve their targets using their best possible means in the the ways most comfortable to them. Integrating workers into the firm is crucial. By providing a flexible and comfortable work environment, managers are able to fully achieve productivity by allowing each worker to be individualistic and reach their full potential. (David Fairhurst, 2010) David woods agrees that complex management hierarchies should be removed and employees are looking for the freedom of speech and their opinions to be valued by managements. He illustrates that in order to retain the best talents, modern managements are to be less oppressive in their management styles and provide more engaging benefits. Employees appreciate the transparency help in management and no longer feel that the firm is looking to exploit them, rather to reward performance based or meritocracy. (David woods, 2010) Wayne Gwilym the HR director of insulation firm Rockwool is one such manager. â€Å"I am a change manager†, Gwilym states. A decade ago, the workers were negative and demotivated when Gwilym took over HR operations of the family based business. Today, Gwilym boasts of the transformation that the Rockwool workforce has gone through and has become a valuable asset to the company. The answer for Rockwool’s workforce transformation presented to us by Gwilym was simple. It was to get the HR team, managers and their workers to work together to develop employment policies as a collaborative effort and expedite it’s implementation. Today, Rockwell strongly believes that a motivated workforce who trusts and looks forward to the business’s future success is one of the forces driving the business forward. Gwilym is a change manager who sees the importance of giving his worker’s stretching targets and establishing a cost cutting project (Harrington, Sià ¢n, 2010) A survey based research conducted by Anne Delarue, Geert Van Hootegem, Stephen Procter and Mark Burridge on teamwork and organizational performance go hand in hand with the concepts as explained to us by Gyilym. The authors suggest that an A review of : Bramel, D. (August 1981). Hawthorne, the Myth of the Docile Worker, and Class Bias in Psychology. American Psychologist, Volume 36(8) pp. 867-878. inclusive human resource system which emphasizes on teamwork, will have a positive effect on employee’s job satisfaction, commitment and motivation. These factors in turn lead to an improvement in employee attitudes and organizational performance. The journal points out that it is important for managers to discover how and why employees behave and perform the way they do. (Anne Delarue, Geert Van Hootegem, Stephen Procter and Mark Burridge, 2008) Bramel’s speculations in the Hawthorne effect theory involving the myth of the docile workers and that class biases do exist is one that I believe holds substance even in our day and age. Further research into the factors as pointed out by Bramel drive the same point home, class biases will continue to exits due to the capitalist nature of the industries and that workers are also humans whose mental state cannot be controlled and is difficult to predict. In today’s context, management sees the importance of a changing and flexible management that places importance in the welfare of it’s workers in order to obtain maximum productivity. Our society’s demanding and constantly changing expectations requires mangers to step up to the challenge to become a change manager who can adapt and find a balance between the expectations of the employers and it’s employees. Management styles will continue to vary and change, however, one fact remains, it is the managers’ duty to employ management techniques to reduce and eliminate threats to the firm. By narrowing down the factors that causes negativity in the workplace, managers can prevent workers’ counteractive mentalities and detrimental company cultures from taking seed. As quoted from Leo Burnett, â€Å"When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one†¦ But you won’t come up with a handful of mud either†. And I believe this is the mindset managers should have when working with their workers bearing in mind that the workforce are the ones who make or break a firm. As quoted from Will Hutton, â€Å"Human resources play a crucial role in the transformation of an industry – but only if it embraces the challenges.† (Will Hutton, 2010) A review of : Bramel, D. (August 1981). Hawthorne, the Myth of the Docile Worker, and Class Bias in Psychology. American Psychologist, Volume 36(8) pp. 867-878. Resources: Richard Gillespie, (1991). Manufacturing Knowledge: A history of the Hawthorne experiments†. Cambridge University Press. Shaul Oreg & Yair Berson, (Autumn 2011 ). Leadership and employees’ reactions to change: The role of Leaders’ personal attributes and transformational leadership style. Personnel Psychology, Vol. 64 issue 3, pp. 627-659. Fairhurst, David, (Nov 2010). We’re in danger of losing sight of the fact employees are human beings rather than, well, human resources. Human Resources. Human Resources. pp. 15-15. David Woods, (Nov 2010). HR Lessons†¦ From history. Human Resources. pp. 62-62. Harrington, Sià ¢n, (Nov 2010). Order out of Chaos. Human Resources. pp. 29-31. Anne Delarue, Geert Van Hootegem, Stepjem Protec & Mark Burridge, (2008). Teamwork and organizational performance: A review of survey-based research. International Journal of management reviews, volume 10 issue 2, pp. 127-148 Will Hutton, (Nov 2010). We cannot wish back into existence factories and steel mills that have been closed over the past 40 years. Human Resources. Pp 22-22.