Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 8

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Human relations approach resulted in greater production through humanization of an organization because it strove for greater understanding of people’s social needs. Classical approaching in understanding organizations considers an organization in terms of its function as well as the formal structure. The classical approach believes organizations emphasis on planning work, technical requirements for the organization and the assumption of rational as well as logical behaviour. The approach believes that a clear understanding of the functions of an organization is essential in understanding the way the organization works as well as the steps necessary in improving the method of working. Moreover, the classical approach considers the identification of goals as essential in clarifying purposes together with responsibilities in the various levels of an organization. The approach gives attention to the allotment of work, apparent definition of tasks and maintaining specialization an d coordination. Recently, attention shifted to understanding of organizations in terms of systems where a number of interrelated subsystems are linked. The systems approach tries to combine the classical and human relations approaches since attention in this approach focuses on the work organizations as well as the interrelations of structures and behaviour as well as the various variables in the organization. The system approaches persuades managers to consider an organization both as a whole and as portions of a larger environment with the notion that activities in any part of the organization influence other parts. Classical theory emphasized the need for improving the organizational structure as a way of increasing efficiency by emphasizing principles of design in the logical structure of an organization. According to Donaldson (2000), there are various common principles that relate to every form of organization with particular attention in principle of

Can Go Issues And Solutions

Can Go Issues And Solutions One of CanGo division is an online book store. Best sellers are kept in the warehouse grouped by subject, while other titles are ordered from publishers or other sources. The current process involves pickers getting lists with titles that have been ordered and then picking them from inventory. The issues with this system are that the lists are random and congestion. This is because a picker may have to go from one end of the warehouse to the other and back again when fulfilling an order. In addition, multiple pickers often end up in the same place at the same time causing congestion. If the picking process is improved, it would mean CanGo can carry more inventory and decrease the amount of time it takes to get books to customers. Solution 1 CanGo has presented a proposal to purchase an automatic storage and retrieval system (ASRS) to streamline the picking process. An ASRS is a system that uses technology for depositing and retrieving inventory from a defined storage location. There are several benefits to an ASRS including better use of both space and labor, and it improves the company control of the materials CanGo needs to consider several things when designing a system. These include the material to be moved, numbers of load to be stored, material flow description, description of operations, and architectural consideration for future expansion (ASRS, 1999). It is obvious that CanGo deals with books but it is important to know the weight and the dimensions of the books. Material flow description or flow charts illustrate how the books get from the starting point to the outbound truck, including a description of what the operator does and shows places where a logjam may occur. Architectural consideration means that the size of the building may place limits on what system CanGo uses. There are several manufactures of ASRS systems. One is Cisco Eagle and its mini storage system (Cisco eagle mini load). Material is placed in a tote, a tray or a carton. Storage can be single, double or triple deep. In conclusion a good ASRS system will lower storage costs and enable the work force to be more productive. Problem 2 CanGo continues to strive to increase their sales and to work through their growing pains that are often experienced by new companies. Like many startup companies, CanGo is faced with the prospect of large investments back into the company in order to increase production and streamline the delivery system. One issue that CanGo needs to rectify is the number of abandoned shopping carts that the company is experiencing. According to a recent survey conducted by Comscore, 76% of orders are abandoned. This is because the educated consumer of today continues to comparison shop throughout the checkout process. While CanGo has experienced a smaller percentage of abandoned orders, the problem is still prevalent. Solution 2 East Coast Consulting simulated the purchasing process on CanGos website and offers the following recommendations. Review the pricing of items that are offered. If an item is the same or similar as to what is offered on other sites, the consumer will shop by price alone. Offer a clearance or sale area in order to entice shoppers. Offer free shipping. 76% of consumers rate free shipping as a must for online orders. According to David Bell of Wharton, For whatever reason, a free shipping offer that saves customers 6.99 in shipping is more appealing to many than a discount that cuts the purchase price by $10 Eliminate the need to register in order to check out. This requires too much information from the customer and takes too much time. Provide the option of Guest check out. Remember that in order to follow up on abandoned orders, an email address must be obtained. This should be the first field presented to the customer upon checkout. Build trust and eliminate doubt with customers. This can be accomplished by addressing frequently asked questions, clearly stating the return and privacy policy and a security guarantee. Also, CanGo needs to prominently show the company information including an email and phone number. Implement Live Chat. In a recent survey, 77% of retailers listed Live Chat as critical to converting the shopping cart into sales. Offer more payment options including PayPal and Amazon Checkout. Also provide clear instructions on providing credit card information. Simplify this process as much as possible and make the checkout button a clear call to action. We feel these recommendations will greatly improve the conversion rate at CanGo. Problem 3 One of the main problem that Can Go is facing is making their website user friendly and more appealing, At this point, nearly every company has a website, and for good reason. Potential customers and clients use sites to learn about the company, but also to get a general feeling about service and culture. If Can Go makes their website user friendly and attractive then customer would definitely come back and buy the service. Solution 3 Although a fantastic-looking website can be powerful, design isnt the first place to start when it comes to user experience. Because businesses need to understand their consumers in order to develop products and marketing campaigns that appeal to their target audience, consumer psychologists often spend a great deal of time learning more about what makes shoppers tick. This often involves first figuring out the target audience for a particular product including the gender, age and socioeconomic status of the typical shopper. Next, the consumer psychologist might begin researching the types of products and marketing messages that appeal to these types of buyers. Other consumer psychologists might focus on social marketing, or how ideas and messages spread among groups. Researchers might be interested in getting out information about a product or an important public health message. Learning how beliefs andÂÂ  attitude spread among groups can help organizations learns how to better get their message out and encourage word-of-mouth marketing. Consumer psychologists often conduct research to learn more about buyer behavior. Common research methods used by these professionals include experiments, phone surveys, focus groups, direct observation and questionnaires. Chances are good that you have participated in at least one market research survey in your life. These are often conducted by phone, but may also be done online or through direct mail. In a survey, consumers are often asked to describe their past shopping behavior, factors that influenced their decision-making and their future buying plans. Researchers also typically gather details about each respondents sex, age, race, educational history and current financial situation. This type of information can be very useful, since it allows researchers to look for patterns and learn more about who buys certain products. For example, using a survey might allow researchers to discover that women between the ages of 30 and 45 who have a household income between $50,000 to $100,000 are most likely to buy a particular product or service. By knowing this, they can then begin designing marketing campaigns aimed at this target audience. Learning these aspects will definitely help Can Go to help better their business. Problem 4 CanGo has spent a lot of time trying to meet the needs of their current customers and have done very well at that. Recently, CanGo began research to understand their current customers purchasing habits and the changing and evolving ecommerce market. For CanGo to remain successful, they must understand the new target market. It is very well known that customer retention is imperative to be successful and without doing the proper research, CanGo will not be effective at holding on to their current customers or gaining new ones. This will ultimately make them a failure with the new product and it could cause them to go under for a lack of being able to gain new customers for the current market. Solution 4 CanGo needs to take a look at it current customers first. Then they need to understand what the age group of its current shoppers is and what they are purchasing. Then CanGo can identify any buying habits. This will help CanGo with their advertising and marketing. This can also help with planning so that their customers will not be impacted by a lack of product. CanGo will also need to identify the target market for online gaming. Doing market research will help CanGo by answering certain questions. What age group of people likes to play games online? What time of day do they like to play these games and how often. How much do online gamers pay for this service? What does the current competition offer? This way they can better understand the new target market as well as the old one. Problem 5 CanGo recently experienced an increase in orders from Japan. When the company received the occasional order from Japan, it was economical to send via UPS. Now, with the increase in sales to Japan, it makes sense to look into companies that specialize in business shipments to Japan. CanGo also should learn all it can about Japanese shipping regulations. Solution 5 CanGo should seek to partner with several companies that specialize in business shipments to Japan. One company is Best Shipping (Best shipping). According to their website, Best Shipping not only accepts imports, but they are licensed customer brokers. They are able to navigate the Japanese shipping rules and regulations and have its own fleet of trucks. This means that one company will have control of the shipment from the time merchandise leaves CanGo until it arrives at the customers door. Another company that specializes in shipping to Japan is Yamato Transport Inc. There office is located in Secaucus, New Jersey and specialize in air and ocean freight, international moving and import and export custom clearing services in the US. The company has several businesses that specialize in door to door shipments in a particular region of Japan. Large American based shipping companies like UPS and Fed Ex have experience serving the Japanese market and should be part of CanGos rotation of Japanese shippers. Although the shipping companies are experts in Japanese shipping rules and will handle most of the details, it is helpful to know the basics. Jetro.org, Japans external trade organization, offers useful information for US companies doing business in Japan. Problem 6 CanGo is spending time to fix all of the things that are not currently working. In doing so there has not been any update on what they are going to do to get the new product line off the ground. Has research been done to see if there is a competitor out in the online gaming market? What type of computer system is needed to handle online gamers? Is CanGos security tight enough to handle the hackers? What is needed to get the online gaming up and running? Does CanGo have enough capital to make this happen? These are all questions that have not been answered. CanGo has not assigned any specific people to the new project. This is going to be a lot of work and take a lot of time. The marketing department also needs to focus on who they are marketing to and how they are going to market to them. Solution 6 So that the team stays focused at a time like this there should be weekly meeting on what is going on with the new project what needs to be done. Deadlines need to be set. This way it is clear that CanGo has not decided not to do the project and that this needs to be done in addition to the corrections to the current process. This way it is clear to all what the goal is. This will help the workers not lose sight of what is important and what needs to be done. CanGo need to make a Gantt chart so the time line of what needs to be done. This will also help assign people to specific task. When CanGo does this it will make it clear to all what needs to be done and who is going to do it. Once it is clear to everyone who is doing what, CanGo needs to look at what they are looking to sell. A Gantt chart would be beneficial to help assign people to specific task and provide clear goals and time frame for completion. In Closing it is important for CanGo to focus on now and the future. That means looking at what is happening to maintain the current customers and drive new ones. East Coast Consulting has provided 6 problems and 6 solutions that will allow CanGo to get once set closer to getting where they want to be. References ASRS. (1999, May 27). Consideration for planning an automated storage retrieval system. Retrieved Feburary 1, 2013, from https://www.cirrelt.ca/mhmultimediabank/ApplicationGuide%5CMHIA%20-%20ASRS%20considerations.pdf Best shipping. (n.d.). Best shipping/ services. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from Best shipping: http://www.bestshipping.co.jp/english/service/index.html Cisco eagle mini load. (n.d.). Retrieved Feburary 1, 2013, from Cisco eagle: http://www.cisco-eagle.com/material-handling-systems/asrs-systems/mini_load Japanese external trade organization. (n.d.). Jetro.go.jp. Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://www.jetro.go.jp/ Yamato transport inc. (n.d.). about us Yamato transport inc. Retrieved January 31, 2013, from Yamato transport inc: http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/en/corporate/

Last Of The Mohicans :: essays research papers

Last of The Mohicans Summary: Cora and her younger sister, Alice, both recent arrivals to the colonies, are being escorted to their father, Colonel Munro, by a troop of British soldiers. Along the way they are ambushed by a Huron war party led by Magua, a sinister warrior with a blood vendetta against Munro. Munro's soldiers are wiped out and Cora herself is nearly killed by Magua but is saved at the last moment by Hawkeye, a white trapper raised by the Mohican tribe. Hawkeye promises to take Cora and her sister safely to their father, and along the way Cora and the intense Hawkeye fall in love. Together they must survive wilderness, war, and the relentless pursuit of Magua. Analysis: The introductory moments are somewhat confusing, and it takes about fifteen or twenty minutes to get the characters and situations straight. Madeleine Stowe's British accent is of the "now-you-hear-it, now-you-don't" variety, although her performance pretty much makes up for this inconsistency. Finally, the photography surrounding the waterfall is unconvincing. Other than those few things the film was great. From beginning to end, there isn't a weak performance. Finally, there's the story, which, while not all that complex, is of epic nature. At first I wasn’t expecting this movie to be good but by the end of the last battle I knew that The Last of the Mohicans is a memorable motion picture adventure, and one of the best films I’ve ever seen. Comparison: In the movie, the siege at Fort William Henry is a concentration of a massive French force on an isolated fort of what seems to be no more than 300 people. Also the siege of the fort by Gen. Montcalm was reduced to one night of action and romance in the film. The great portrayal of traditional siege warfare in the movie serves only as a background for the development of the love between Cora and Nathaniel. In actuality, the seven day siege had two major fronts: the fort which held about 500 men and a camp east to the fort which held roughly 2000 men.

How far do you think Educating Rita has a happy conclusion?

Many definitions of comedy claim that at the end of the play a happy conclusion will have emerged. How far do you think Educating Rita has a happy conclusion? Educating Rita is a play by Willie Russell, set in 1983. It is a semi-autobiographical play about Rita, a young working class Liverpool hairdresser who decides wants to gain an education using an Open University. Her tutor is the disillusioned and alcoholic Frank, who teaches at the Open University to pay for his drinking habits. Rita decides she wants to learn everything, even if it means ‘abandoning her originality’.With Rita’s marriage break down, and Frank’s alcoholism, will either of them ever receive their happy ending? In some ways, I think the Educating Rita does have a happy ending. This is due to many incidents throughout the play which shows Frank and Rita can have a good life and can now move on with it. At the beginning of the play, Rita says that she â€Å"wants to learn everything†. By the end of the play, she fulfils this dream as she passes her exams and can now be seen as an â€Å"educated woman†.She can now be herself, a working class hairdresser, yet have an education at the same time, which she didn’t think she could have before, as she thought she was â€Å"out of step. † Furthermore, nearing the end of the play, Frank gives Rita a dress that he bought for her. â€Å"Well, it’s er – it’s a dress really†. This is significant as she says that she’s not going to buy a new dress until she has learnt everything and passed her exams. When Frank gives Rita the dress, he says it’s for an â€Å"educated woman friend† of his.Therefore, this could show that the play has a happy conclusion as Rita has done what she wanted to do and, with Franks help, learnt â€Å"everything. † Also, Frank gains self-confidence. This is because Rita convinces him that he is a good teacher. â€Å"I came to tell you you’re a good teacher. † This shows that Frank, although a few hiccups along the way, gained a lot throughout the play. This shows that Educating Rita has a happy ending because Frank finally gets approval and self – confidence. Rita also realises that she has choices.This is shown when Denny burns her books. â€Å"He said either I stop comin’ here an’ get off the pill, or I could get out altogether. † This shows how serious Rita is about gaining an education, even if it does mean sacrificing her marriage. This shows that Educating Rita does have a happy conclusion as, even though Rita loses a few things, she now knows she has choices. â€Å"I’ll make a decision, I’ll chose. † This shows that Rita knows she doesn’t have to conform to what other people want. Half way through the play, Rita has an identity crisis. â€Å"Because I’m a freak.†Rita thinks she is â€Å"out of step† becaus e she doesn’t fit in either working or lower class and she doesn’t know where she should be. This is shown when she doesn’t know whether to go to the pub with her family, or to Franks house for dinner. However, after her roommate Trish tried to commit suicide, Rita realises that being higher class doesn’t mean you’re happy. Also, that she doesn’t have to change to fit in. This shows that Educating Rita can have a happy conclusion as Rita goes back to her usual enthusiastic self and is back to having her own opinions, instead of â€Å"empty quotes.†Even though Frank and Rita have negative experiences throughout the play, Rita cuts franks hair and wishes him good luck, so they depart on good terms. â€Å"I’ll take ten years off ya. † This shows how Educating Rita can have a happy conclusion, even though Rita is back to being a hairdresser, her and Frank can remain friends and they have both learnt a lot from each other. On the other hand, the play could be seen as having an unhappy conclusion. This could be due to how Frank and Rita departed. Firstly, throughout the play, Frank shows signs of having a crush on Rita.â€Å"Why didn’t you walk in here twenty years ago? † This shows Frank fancies Rita, however Rita never reciprocates these feelings, which could be seen as disappointing as it’s not a normal love story. Educating Rita could also be seen as having an unhappy ending as both Frank and Rita are what they used to be. Frank remains an alcoholic and Rita is back to hairdressing. â€Å"If you could stop pouring that junk down your throat. † Rita thought Frank would stop drinking, however he doesn’t. Therefore, the play could be seen as unhappy because Frank hasn’t got out of his old habits.In conclution, I think that Educating Rita could been seen to have a happy ending because Frank and Rita both gain something from being together. Although they have thei r ups and downs throughout the play, they depart on a happy note. Rita learns everything she wants to and fulfils her dreams of being educated whilst Frank rekindles his love for poetry and gets to move on to Australia, as well as his self-confidence. They both have a happy ending and can still be friends, even if Frank was hinting throughout the play that he fancied her. Therefore, I think that Educating Rita has a happy conclusion overall.

Apple Case Study 1

Apple Table of Contents: I. Introduction II. Opening Case III. Competitor Analysis IV. Sales Analysis V. Profitability Analysis VI. Cross Elasticity of Demand: Competitors v/s iPhone VII. Demand, Cost and Pricing VIII. Pure competition, Monopolistic Competition & Oligopoly IX. Conclusion X. References I. Introduction Apple Inc. (Apple) designs, manufactures and markets a range of personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, and sells a range of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. It's products and services include Macintosh (Mac) computers, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Xserve, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems, third-party digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, and a range of accessory, service and support offerings. The Company sells its products globally through its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. As of September 25, 2010, the Company had opened a total of 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. II. Opening Case: Apple reveals the iPhone MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO—January 9, 2007—Apple ® today introduced iPhone, combining three products—a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod ® with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps—into one small and lightweight handheld device. Phone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting users control iPhone with just their fingers. iPhone also ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, which completely redefines what users can do on their mobile phones. â€Å"iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobi le phone,† said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. We are all born with the ultimate pointing device—our fingers—and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse. † iPhone is a Revolutionary Mobile Phone iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows users to make calls by simply pointing at a name or number. iPhone syncs all of your contacts from your PC, Mac ® or Internet service such as Yahoo! , so that you always have your full list of up-to-date contacts with you. In addition, you can easily construct a favorites list for your most frequently made calls, and easily merge calls together to create conference calls. iPhone’s pioneering Visual Voicemail, an industry first, lets users look at a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to the prior messages. Just like email, iPhone’s Visual Voicemail enables users to immediately randomly access those messages that interest them most. Phone includes an SMS application with a full QWERTY soft keyboard to easily send and receive SMS messages in multiple sessions. When users need to type, iPhone presents them with an elegant touch keyboard which is predictive to prevent and correct mistakes, making it much easier and more efficient to use than the small plastic keyboards on many smartphones. iPhone also includes a calendar application that allows calendars to be automatically synced with your PC or Mac. iPhone fea tures a 2 megapixel camera and a photo management application that is far beyond anything on a phone today. Users can browse their photo library, which can be easily synced from their PC or Mac, with just a flick of a finger and easily choose a photo for their wallpaper or to include in an email. iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone which also features EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies for data networking. Apple has chosen Cingular, the best and most popular carrier in the US with over 58 million subscribers, to be Apple’s exclusive carrier partner for iPhone in the US. iPhone is a Widescreen iPod Phone is a widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets music lovers â€Å"touch† their music by easily scrolling through entire lists of songs, artists, albums and playlists with just a flick of a finger. Album artwork is stunningly presented on iPhone’s large and vibrant display. iPhone also features Cover Flow, Apple’s amazing way to browse your music library by album cover artwork, for the first time on an iPod. When navigating your music library on iPhone, you are automatically switched into Cover Flow by simply rotating iPhone into its landscape position. Phone’s stunning 3. 5-inch widescreen display offers the ultimate way to watch TV shows and movies on a pocketable device, with touch controls for play-pause, chapter forward-backward and volume. iPhone plays the same videos purchased from the online iTunes ® Store that users enjoy watching on their computers and iPods, and will soon enjoy watching on their widescreen televisions using the new Apple TVâ„ ¢. The iTunes Store now offers over 350 television shows, over 250 feature films and over 5,000 music videos. Phone lets users enjoy all their iPod content, including music, audiobooks, audio podcasts, video podcasts, music videos, television shows and movies. iPhone syncs content from a user’s iTunes library on their PC or Mac, and can play any music or video content they have purchased from the online iTunes store. iPhone is a Breakthrough Internet Communications Device iPhone features a rich HTML email client which fetches your email in the background from most POP3 or IMAP mail services and displays photos and graphics right along with the text. Phone is fully multi-tasking, so you can be reading a web page while downloading your email in the background. Yahoo! Mail, the world’s largest email service with over 250 million users, is offering a new free â€Å"push† IMAP email service to all iPhone users that automatically pushes new email to a user’s iPhone, and can be set up by simply entering your Yahoo! name and password. iPhone will also work with most industry standard IMAP and POP based email services, such as Microsoft Exchange, Apple . Mac Mail, AOL Mail, Google Gmail and most ISP mail services. iPhone also features the most advanced and fun-to-use web browser on a portable device with a version of its award-winning Safariâ„ ¢ web browser for iPhone. Users can see any web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on iPhone’s multi-touch display with their finger. Users can surf the web from just about anywhere over Wi-Fi or EDGE, and can automatically sync their bookmarks from their PC or Mac. Phone’s Safari web browser also includes built-in Google Search and Yahoo! Search so users can instantly search for information on their iPhone just like they do on their computer. iPhone also includes Google Maps, featuring Google’s groundbreaking maps service and iPhone’s amazing maps application, offering the best maps experience by far on any pocket device. Users can view maps, satellite images, traffic information and get direct ions, all from iPhone’s remarkable and easy-to-use touch interface. iPhone’s Advanced Sensors Phone employs advanced built-in sensors—an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor—that automatically enhance the user experience and extend battery life. iPhone’s built-in accelerometer detects when the user has rotated the device from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display accordingly, with users immediately seeing the entire width of a web page, or a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio. iPhone’s built-in proximity sensor detects when you lift iPhone to your ear and immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches until iPhone is moved away. Phone’s built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display’s brightness to the appropriate level for the current ambient light, thereby enhancing the user experience and saving power at the same time. Pricing ; Availability iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007, Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008, in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model for $599 (US), and will work with either a PC or Mac. iPhone will be sold in the US through Apple’s retail and online stores, and through Cingular’s retail and online stores. Several iPhone accessories will also be available in June, including Apple’s new remarkably compact Bluetooth headset. iPhone includes support for quad-band GSM, EDGE, 802. 11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2. 0 EDR wireless technologies. iPhone requires a Mac with a USB 2. 0 port, Mac OS ® X v10. 4. 8 or later and iTunes 7; or a Windows PC with a USB 2. 0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2). Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended. Apple and Cingular will announce service plans for iPhone before it begins shipping in June. III. Competitor Analysis Market Share by OS Nokia still has a third of the overall mobile phone market. The average selling price of a Nokia Smartphone fell by 21% from 2009. Nokia is selling plenty of devices, but they are at the cheap end of the market. They lost what some in the industry refer to as â€Å"mindshare† to Apple's iPhone and the Google Android mobile software platform. Nokia wants to sell services – music, maps, and applications – as well as hardware but high-end phone users are looking elsewhere. The company says a new family of Smartphone’s, led by the N8 released in 2010, will revive its fortunes at the top end of the market. Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop was forced to abandon the mobile phone giant's in September 2010. The news that the Finnish firm might only break even in the second quarter of this year slashed 25 per cent off its value in 24 hours. Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has announced it will shed 7,000 jobs from next year as part of a plan to refocus the company on Smartphone. The Finnish firm is moving from Symbian to Microsoft's Smartphone technology. The firm recently confirmed the deal with Microsoft last week to jointly develop Smartphone technology, which will cut costs by about 1bn Euros a year. Under the terms of that deal, Nokia agreed to start using the Microsoft's operating system on its Smartphone instead of its own Symbian platform. Nokia's response to the Smartphone threat from competitors such as Apple's iPhone and phones using Google's Android system has been long been a key investor concern. Prior to the iPhone, Nokia was the king of mobile handsets. Now its share of the Smartphone market has plunged from 47 per cent to 27 per cent. It has also lost its ranking as the largest handset maker in terms of revenue to Apple. Android When Google decided to get into the Smartphone business it decided that Android devices would be everything that the iPhone was not. Apple one or two handsets, Google on the other hand was laying out a great number of handsets. Manufacturers such as HTC, LG and Motorola could use the new operating system for free. It enabled Google to have phones for every section of the market – high powered and pricey, cheap and practical. Android's real selling point would be the apps. Here too, the policy was one of openness. Apple controlled its App store controlling every submission and rejecting those that contravened its rules. For Android anyone who had written an app could upload it. At first, users and app developers welcomed the free-and-easy approach. However, some have begun to question if Google's policy for the apps is the best way to manage the Market. Three years after its launch, hardware sales are booming. Yet sales of Android apps remain relatively poor. Estimates of Apple’s App store in 2010 were ? 1. billion. Android Market managed just ? 62 million. The figure was lower than both Blackberry App World (? 100m) and Nokia's Ovi store (? 64m). Research predicts massive improvements for Android by this time 2012 but it is still expected to lag far behind iOS. Finally Android's market share grew to surpass the Symbian platform used by Nokia making it the most sold Smartphone Microsoft Microsoft market share is declining in the Smartphone platf orm market. Windows Phone 7 lacks a number of features despite the innovation of its user interface. Microsoft hopes to gain market share once Nokia Windows Phones and its wide-ranging â€Å"Mango† software update get released later in 2011. Microsoft has unveiled the first major update to its Windows Phone 7 operating system it launched in 2010. The update, codenamed Mango, intdoduces more than 500 changes. Microsoft’s attempts to break into the Smartphone race have been mediocre at best. Currently, the company controls less than 4% of the market. Despite this, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform is forecasted to beat Android in 2013. Microsoft introduced Pocket PC in 2000, followed by Windows Mobile in 2003, prior to Apple and Android's release. However it still failed to compete in the market, or rival Symbian who controlled nearly 90% of the market share. Microsoft lacked the features and compatibility that Symbian was featuring at the time, and as a result, consumers refused to recognize its product or give Microsoft the opportunity to be a contender in the Smartphone industry. The platform was notoriously sluggish and the most difficult of any platform to use. Microsoft tried to solve some of these issues with minor tweaks and software updates over the years to little or no avail. As Windows Mobile market shares continued to decline, Microsoft had no other option than to overhaul the Microsoft platform and launch Windows Phone 7 in 2010. Windows Phone 7 was much improved. But Microsoft still failed to take control of the market, or garner any real significant attention from consumers. RIM Research In Motion has given up more ground to Apple and Google in the hypercompetitive Smartphone market, a report shows, while two brokerages cut their price targets for the BlackBerry maker on concerns it can no longer keep pace. The latest figures dropped RIM from second to third place. The Canadian company's struggle to compete is unlikely to get any easier, with Apple's upcoming iCloud service expected to hurt RIM. IV. Sales Analysis Apple  produced some stellar results: revenues up 48% year-on-year to $13. 5bn, and profits up. The process is confused because  Apple has begun restating its year-ago earnings, to take into account the fact that it now recognizes income and revenue from subscription-based products such as the  iPhone(which may be sold on an 18-month contract) as soon as it gets it, rather than deferring it over the life of the device/contract as it used to. It began doing that in the most recent quarter, covering Christmas, which – confusingly – is the first quarter of its financial year. So previously, the second-quarter revenues were $8. 16bn, not the newly-restated $9. 08bn; the profits were $1. 21bn, not the now-given figure of $1. 62bn. The numbers also don't include the iPad, because the quarter ended on March 31 – the iPad was launched three days later. According to MacJournals, which chewed over the numbers, â€Å"At $5. 445 billion, iPhone sales accounted for 40% of Apple's revenue. All Mac sales were 28%, all  iPod/Music sales were 24%. Mac sales are 2. 943m units, generating revenue of $3. 76bn – which Apple says was 33% year-on-year growth, compared to market growth of 24%. The company's market share of mobile subscribers has also taken a deep plunge. Market research firm comScore says that between October and January, Microsoft's share of the market fell from 19. 7% to 15. 7%. RIM, the maker o f the BlackBerry, remained the leader, growing from 41. 3% to 43%. Apple ‘s iPhone increased slightly, from 24. 8% to 25. 1%, and Google's Android grew by more than 250%, going from 2. 8% to 7. An interesting analysis comes from Tomi Ahonen, a former Nokia executive. â€Å"I am writing the first history of the once-iconic iPhone, written now in early April 2010, before Apple has released its first quarter earnings for 2010. This is literally the peak of the short reign that Apple's iPhone had as the most emulated Smartphone. [†¦] And mark my words, the numbers are now very clear, Apple's market share peak among smartphones, and among all handsets, on an annual basis, is being witnessed now. † V. Profitability Analysis Apple reported in the second quarter of 2011 that net income rose 95 percent, to $5. 9 billion, or $6. 40 a share, from $3. 07 billion, or $3. 33 a share, in 2010. Revenue climbed 83 percent, to $24. 67 billion, from $13. 5 billion. The profit margin in 2011 is 22. 36% of the sales which is an improvement over the level the company achieved in 2010. The company’s return of equity is 38. 78% while in 2010 it was 26. 2% which means that there is a 12. 58% increase on the return of equity. The gross margin is 39. 07% which is slightly better than the company achieved in 2010. VI. Cross Elasticity of Demand: Competitors V/s iPhone When the iphone 3GS was released on July 11, 2008 it cost $199 with the AT;T two year contract. In January 2011 Apple cut the iphone 3GS price to $50. cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for product A% ? in price for product B %? in price for iphone: Price of Iphone 3GS, 2010 + Price of Iphone 3GS, 2011? Price of Iphone = 199 + 5050-199 = -1. 671% With the Market share OS table above we can compute the % ? I demand for prodct competing with the iphone. %? in demand for Symbian = Symbian market share of Q1 2011 – Symbian market share of 2010 = 27. 4% – 37. 6% = -8. % Symbian-iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for Symbian% ? in price for Iphone = -8. 6%-1. 671% = 5. 146 %? in demand for Android = Android market share of Q1 2011 – Android market share of 2010 = 36% – 22. 7% = 13. 3% Android -iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for Android% ? in price for Iphone = 13. 3%-1. 671% = -7. 959 %? in demand for R IM = RIM market share of Q1 2011 – RIM market share of 2010 = 12. 9% – 16. 0% = -3. 1% RIM -iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for RIM% ? in price for Iphone = -3. 1%-1. 671% = 1. 855 ? in demand for Microsoft = Microsoft market share of Q1 2011 – Microsoft market share of 2010 = 3. 6% – 4. 2% = -0. 6% Microsoft -iphone cross-price elasticity of demand = % ? in demand for Microsoft % ? in price for Iphone = -0. 6%-1. 671% = 0. 359 The price elasticity of demand is the responsiveness of quantity demanded by a change of 1 percent in price. It is calculated by dividing the percentage change in the demanded quantity by the corresponding percentage change in price. The iPhone was launched in the US roughly at the beginning of the second Quarter 2008, at a price of $599. In mid September Apple reduced the price for the iPhone by 33% from $599 to $434. According to the quarterly reports, Apple sold 270 000 iPhones in the second quarter and 1,119 000 iPhones in the third quarter. If calculated according to the equation for price elasticity of demand, the iPhone would have a price elasticity of 4. 7, which means that Apple would lose almost 4. 7 percent of iPhone sales for each corresponding 1 percent increase in price. Since elasticity is greater than 1 the price is inelastic so the iPhone is a luxury commodity. Many consumers wait until increased competition forces Apple to decrease prices. VII. Demand, Cost ; Pricing Demand Apple’s iPhone Supply and Demand Concept of Supply and Demand There is a general rule in economics that if the price of a certain good or service rises, then the demand for such good or service declines. If the price decreases, then potential demand also increases (inverse relationship). On the supply side, if the price of a good or service increases, then firms will be willing to supply the market with higher volume of such good or service. If the price decreases, then firms will cut their supply of the good or service (positive relationship. The market then adjusts the price of the good or service in order to satisfy both the consumers and the suppliers. This is called market equilibrium. Apple iPhone Demand Last July, Apple iPhone was able to outsell all smart phones in the United States. It almost equaled the sales of the most popular feature phone (LG chocolate), giving it a relatively stable position in the market. New Apple handset models accounted for almost 1 . of all phone handset sales in the US for about a month. It was estimated that the demand for Apple iPhone was rising at7 . 2 a month, equivalent to about 5 million units of quantity demanded. The market research firm iSuppli noted â€Å"This is a remarkable accomplishment for Apple, considering that July marked the first full month of sales for the iPhone. While iSuppli has not collected historical information on this topic, it’s likely that the s peed of the iPhone ‘s rise to competitive dominance in its segment is unprecedented in the history of the mobile-handset market (Marsal ,2007 . In short , almost unexpected rise in demand of Apple iPhone was unaccounted by many experts , including of which are some of its competitors . The same research firm also noted that survey revealed that almost 57 of iPhones (bought in July ) were purchased by US consumers . Most of the consumers are aged 17-35. Almost 52 of the consumers of this product are male, and about 48 are female, revealing an almost equal propensity to consume for the product among the sexes. Added to that, iSuppli noted that 62 of the consumers of the product are actually college graduates or those with graduate courses . Nonetheless , the same research firm noted that â€Å"some of the iPhone ‘s success in July can be attributed to pent-up demand following months of hype (stagnant demand). Real proof of success will come in the coming months as demand patterns stabilize (Marsal, 2007). This prediction was almost accurate when the demand for iPhone was almost rising at 8 per month (month of June). Cost Apple's Iphone 4 smartphone, for which it's charging at least $500 at retail, is built of parts that cost $187. 51, according to market research firm Isuppli. According to the tear-down the most expensive part of the Iphone 4 is the 3. 5-inch LCD screen which costs $28. 50. Isuppli thinks that the Iphone 4 screen must be identical to one made by LG. It seems that Apple has managed to keep its parts cost at about $170 to $180 per unit. Isuppli's cost estimate doesn't include labour, shipping, advertising, software development or patent licensing. The cost is based on a 16GB version of the Iphone 4 but the low costs of each componant are fairly staggering. The Apple A4 processor reportedly is made by Samsung Electronics for $10. 75 per chip. Isuppli thinks that Geneva-based STMicroelectronics supplied the gyroscope chip at an estimated cost of $2. 60, as well as an accelerometer chip used in previous Iphone versions, which has an estimated cost of 65 cents. Other component suppliers named by Isuppli include Skyworks, a wireless chipmaker and TriQuint Semiconductor. In 2009, Isuppli estimated that the components and materials used in the iPhone 3GS cost about $179. Since then Isuppli thinks that the materials costs for that model have fallen to $134. Thus the Iphone 4 costs a bit more to make than the earlier model. Of course this means that Apple's gross margin on the hardware in Iphones is extremely high. The actual price margin gets obscured by the fact that AT&T heavily subsidises the phone in the US for about what it costs to manufacture. However the real winner is Apple, which does not have to pay for the cost of manufacture and still takes home about three times Iphone 4 production costs, on average. Pricing Because the iPhone price is entirely set by Apple, it makes an interesting case study on how much the price of technology drops over time. The official price of the iPhone periodically drops, as shown in the table below. But, there are no sales and a new iPhone is never sold for less than the official price. (There are occasionally sales on the refurbished iPhones for example on black Friday the refurbished 3GS was sold for $50. 00 instead of the usual $150. 00. )   Finding historical street price data is harder than historical MSRP data. For the iPhone both prices are the same. The table showing the historical price is included below. 1st Gen 4GB| 1st Gen 8GB| 3G| 3GS 16GB| 3GS 32GB| 29 June 2007| $499. 0*| $599*| N/A| N/A| N/A| 5 Sept 2007| Discontinued| $399| N/A| N/A| N/A| June 2008| N/A| N/A| $199| N/A| N/A| June 2009| N/A| N/A| $99| $199| $299| VIII. Pure competition, Monopolistic Competition & Oligopoly Apple Inc. planned to begin producing this year a new iPhone that could allow U. S. phone carriers other than AT&T Inc. to sell the iconic gadget, said people briefed by the company. The new iPhone would work on a type of wireless network called CDMA, these people said. CDMA is used by Verizon Wireless, AT&T's main competitor, as well as Sprint Nextel Corp. nd a handful of cellular operators in countries including South Korea and Japan. The vast majority of carriers world-wide, including AT;T, use another technology called GSM. With Apple developing a phone with CDMA capability, its exclusive U. S. arrangement with AT;T dating to 2007 appears set to end. Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, declined to comment. An AT;T spokesman said: â€Å"There has been lots of incorrect speculation on CDMA iPhones for a long time. We haven't seen one yet and only Apple knows when that might occur. † Apple declined to comment. For AT;T, the Apple relationship has been crucial, helping to make the carrier the U. S. leader in lucrative smart-phone market share. According to comScore Inc. , AT;T has over 43% of all U. S. smart-phone customers, compared with 23% for Verizon. These customers are especially attractive because they generally pay higher monthly rates for data plans. For several quarters, AT;T's growth has come almost single-handedly from the iPhone. In the fourth quarter of 2009, the carrier said it activated 3. 1 million new iPhones. In comparison, it counted only a net total of 2. million new subscribers as some customers moved from other phones to iPhones. Now that a new Verizon-compatible iPhone appears to be on the horizon, Digits looks at what Apple can do to win over mobile business users, particularly from RIMM's BlackBerry market. The people briefed on the matter said the upgraded GSM iPhone is being made by Taiwanese contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. , which produced A pple's previous iPhones. The CDMA iPhone model is being made by Pegatron Technology Corp. , the contract manufacturing subsidiary of Taiwan's ASUSTeK Computer Inc. said these people. One person familiar with the situation said Pegatron is scheduled to start mass producing CDMA iPhones in September. Other people said, however, that the schedule could change and the phone may not be available to consumers immediately after production begins. Representatives of Pegatron and Hon Hai declined to comment. Verizon has publicly stated its interest in the iPhone, but people familiar with the situation said Apple originally decided against developing a phone for Verizon to keep its development process simple, since the technologies are incompatible. Verizon also is upgrading its network to a higher-speed technology, so Apple has said it believed CDMA was a short-term technology. Apple later changed its mind as it realized Verizon's upgrade would take longer than expected, said people familiar with the situation. Making the iPhone available through Verizon, which has over 91 million customers, as well as potentially other CDMA carriers could open up a significant new market. In 2009, iPhone sales globally rose 83% to 25. million, far outpacing the 20% to 25% growth in smart phones sales overall, according to Bernstein. But since Apple already dominates smart-phone sales through existing partners, â€Å"sooner rather than later, Apple is going to have to look to find incremental distribution,† which implies a monopolistic competition between all smart phone sellers, said Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi. He estimates Verizon could help Apple nearly double the number of iPhone users in the U. S. Some advantages that iPhone has comparing to other smart phones are: 1. Pod: iPhone is a not just a phone it is widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets you enjoy all your content — including music, audiobooks, videos, TV shows, and movies — on a beautiful 3. 5-inch widescreen display (Nokia N95 only has a 2. 6 inch screen). The N95 does have a good media player, however with all the iPod features and 4 GB / 8 GB space, it makes the iPhone the best music phone. 2. Advanced Safari browser: iPhone lets you see any web page the way it was designed to be seen, then easily zoom in by simply tapping on the multi-touch display with your finger which will change mobile browsing for the good. . OS X: All the power and sophistication of an advanced operating system that gives you access to true desktop-class applications and software, including rich HTML email, applications such as widgets, Safari, calendar, text messaging, Notes, and Address Book etc. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so you can read a web page while downloading your email in the background. This software completely redefines what you can do with a mobile phone. 4. User Interface: iPhone features the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse. It’s an entirely new interface based on a large multi-touch display and innovative new software that lets you control everything using only your fingers. 5. Visual Voicemail: The iPhone lets you select and listen to voicemail messages in whatever order you want — just like email using a revolutionary new feature called the visual voicemail. IX. Conclusion Analyzing as managerial economics students, we can conclude that although the current methods and techniques are serving us well in analyzing the current market situation, there will be new techniques emerging in the future with global changes occurring at leaping speeds. What is essential is for us to grasp is that the theory is flexible with these changes and that it can be shaped or rounded to be applied to any market situation analysis. The content and subjects we learned in this course are nothing but the bedrock tools that any manager needs to know and use in his daily life in order to forecast revenues and demand, analyze current markets and evaluate his company’s stance regarding his competitors. X. References ttp://theblogpaper. co. uk/article/business/31may09/price-elasticity-demand-iphone http://news. cnet. com/8301-13506_3-20064223-17. html http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-10725887 http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/uk-13284156 http://m. ibtimes. com/microsoft-windows-phone7-google-android-apple-157595. html http://www. reuters. com/article/2011/06/03/us-rim-research-ubs-idUSTRE7523PP20110603 www. newyorktimes. com www. wallstreetjournal. com

Critical Essay on The Great Gatsby

Critical Essay on The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgeralds most famous work and it is considered to be his best. He provides a powerful, disturbing insight into the American society in the 1920s in particular those who became rich, achieving the American dream. It probes how greed leaves people unhappy and unfulfilled. The Story Line The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate who is Gatsbys neighbor in New York. Gatsby, a millionaire, holds a party in his mansion every weekend. Invited are people that are the cream of the young society world. They come only to enjoy themselves, and gossip. Gatsby who seems to live the American dream is unhappy and dissatisfied. He is in love with Daisy, who married Tom Buchanan. Nick eventually invites Daisy to his house for tea where Gatsby re unites with her. Soon they become lovers, and Tom eventually gets suspicious and confronts them. He also brings up that Gatsby made his money from illegal alcohol sales and gambling. Daisy then drives to New York with Gatsby, and kills a woman accidentally. Gatsby takes the blame. The dead woman’s husband, George Wilson finds out the car that killed his wife is Gatsbys. He comes to Gatsbys house and kills Gatsby with a gun. Nick ends up arranging Gatsby’s funeral and then leaves New York both saddened and disgusted by the whole lifestyle he witnessed. False Values Fitzgerald primarily shows the false values of the American dream. Gatsby is a wealthy man, and this is the primary identity Fitzgerald gives him as he explores this theme. A man with a past becomes a millionaire, a playboy, who enjoys parties and the company of socialites. He is shown as shallow and frivolous, his life is empty, and he is unhappy with it all. The only sense of meaning he has is derived from his love for Daisy. He wants Daisy, not this life, but we see he was motivated to this pursuit to win Daisy back. This effort of Gatsby is the central point Fitzgerald wants to make. Gatsby seeks to find his happiness in the values of the American dream. Money and popularity are the reason for life. If you have it, you have the American dream. He shows through Gatsby that these values are false empty and meaningless. Gatsby in comes to realize this, and in the end is prepared to give everything for love. Shallowness of Pleasure Once Gatsby is dead Fitzgerald uses the character of Nick to explore the whole lifestyle in its wider context of the class of people Gatsby was involved with. Fitzgerald uses Nick to highlight and attack the shallowness of this class that lived by social climbing, and their own enjoyment. They are shown in Gatsby to be decadent, cynical, and emotionally manipulative, not caring about the pain they cause. Their only interest is their own pleasure. Gatsby is in love, and therefore at variance with these values, frustrated by his social set, and in the end murdered, showing that such a lifestyle is flirting with disaster. Fitzgerald with this book captured a lifestyle within a decade that while outwardly fascinating, it was corrupt and horrible. He himself was part of that very lifestyle and a victim of it. The book he wrote reveals how the American dream was corrupted by decadence. Tips on writing a critical essay on The Great Gatsby: Research information from a wide variety of sources about The Great Gatsby. Collect more than you can use. Then take out relevant material and re-read it. When you are satisfied, you have what you need then you are ready to write. Highlight critical details from your material and write your thesis statement. Ensure you make it clear and concise. Write your essay introduction, and develop your outline. Limit your paper to three major sections where you use your important points. To these points add your details and arguments, and ensure you keep a logical flow. When finished write your conclusion. Use the body points of your essay to bring your critical paper to a clear conclusion.

The Fighting Against Environmental Degradation

The Fighting Against Environmental Degradation The economic growth witnessed in the 20th century was accompanied by extremely high levels of environmental degradation (Smith, Harggroves Desha, 2010). This form of degradation was so significant that the existence of the planet was endangered.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Fighting Against Environmental Degradation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, several countries started revising their economic development strategies by including environmental preservation (Smith, Harggroves Desha, 2010). Several international organizations also came into play in order to enhance the protection of the environment. This led to the emergence of decoupling of economic growth and fighting against environmental degradation as potential ways of advancing the planet towards a sustainable future. Several measures have been devised in order to attain the aforementioned strategies. Generally, these strategies targ et economic growth without causing physical degradation of the environment. It also ensures sustainability of both the environment and overall economy (OECD, 2001). Several measures have been initiated so as to enhance decoupling of environmental degradation as well as economic development. For instance, the overuse of natural resources with the desire to advance economic development is the initial area that requires attention (Volker, 2013). Both the public and private economic development investors need to develop new ways of resource utilization that will ensure environmental sustainability (Smith, Harggroves Desha, 2010). One of the best known initiatives is the ‘green economy’ movement. The latter targets mutual benefits that may be both economical and environmental in nature. Through this focus, the three pillars of sustainability namely the society, environment, and the economy are observed (Smith, Harggroves Desha, 2010).Advertising Looking for term pa per on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In order to boost the effectiveness of the aforementioned pillars, countries across the world have developed policies and laws that ensure strict adherence to the environmental initiatives (OECD, 2001). These policies are meant to enhance continued economic development without degrading the environment. International organizations such as UNEP have stipulated the maximum amount of natural resources that are to be used annually across the world. The latter aims at regulating the use of resources such as water, materials, and energy (Taoisearch Kenny, 2010). This organization also ensures that natural resources are not depleted as a result of economic development. Initiatives such as the green belt movement target reforestation as an environmental conservation initiative. This initiative advocates for planting of trees as part of infrastructural development and environmental pre servation. The green energy initiative also asserts that it is vital to use materials that are renewable in the generation of energy. Furthermore, the initiative has proposed several non-toxic ways of producing energy (Volker, 2013). Moreover, the initiative aims at minimizing carbon emissions which are usually generated as byproducts in the energy generation processes. The use of green energy sources such as solar and wind energy have proved to be more sustainable especially in regards to economic development. The manufacturing industries are also expected to employ production processes that minimize the release of toxic substances into the environment (Taoisearch Kenny, 2010). The processes should employ technological skills that hinder emission of industrial by-products.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Fighting Against Environmental Degradation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The waste products should be biodegradable and have insignificant harm to the ecosystem (OECD, 2012). The use of more refined industrial manufacturing processes that have minimal wastes is one effective way of ensuring that such wastes are not released to the environment. The industrial products are also being evaluated on the levels of toxins deposited in the immediate environment. Regulations are currently in place to minimize release of non-biodegradable substances into the environment (OECD, 2012). In cases where such products are a necessity for economic stability, recycling is usually encouraged so that such wastes do not end up in the environment. Therefore, industries are encouraged to produce market and environment-friendly products. This is a business policy that targets a sustainable business environment (Taoisearch Kenny, 2010). References OECD (2001). The Transition to Sustainable Development: Are We Making Progress in Decoupling Economic Growth from Environmental Degradation? Web. OECD (2012). Ways to Decouple Economic Growth From Environmental Degradation. Web. Smith, M. H., Harggroves, K. C., Desha, C. (2010). Cents and Sustainability: Securing Our Common Future by Decoupling Economic Growth from Environmental Pressures. London: Routledge.Advertising Looking for term paper on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taoisearch, A., Kenny, E. (2010). Our Sustainable Future: A Framework For Sustainable Development For Ireland. Web. Volker, M. (2013). Lose Less Instead of Win More: The Failure of Decoupling and Perspectives for Competition in a Degrowth Economy. Environmental Values, 22(1), 43-57.

Best Quotes About Friendship From the Greatest Thinkers

Best Quotes About Friendship From the Greatest Thinkers What is friendship? How many types of friendship can we recognize, and in what degree shall we seek each of them? Many of the greatest philosophers in both ancient and modern times have addressed those questions and neighboring ones. Ancient Philosophers on Friendship   Friendship played a central role in ancient ethics and political philosophy. The following are quotes on the topic from some of the most notable thinkers from ancient Greece and Italy. Aristotle aka AristotelÄ“s NÄ «komakhou kai Phaistidos StageiritÄ“s (384–322 B.C.): In books eight and nine of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle divided friendship into three types: Friends for pleasure: Social bonds that are established to enjoy one’s spare time, such as friends for sports or hobbies, friends for dining, or for parties.Friends for benefit: All bonds for which cultivation is primarily motivated by work-related reasons or by civic duties, such as being friends with your colleagues and neighbors.True friends: True friendship and true friends are what Aristotle explains are mirrors to each other and a single soul dwelling in two bodies. In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old, they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life, they incite to noble deeds. St. Augustine aka Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430 A.D.): I want my friend to miss me as long as I miss him.   Cicero aka Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.): A friend is, as it were, a second self. Epicurus (341–270 B.C.):  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It is not so much our friends help that helps us as it is, as the confidence of their help.† Euripides (c.484–c.406 B.C.):  Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness. and Life has no blessing like a prudent friend.   Lucretius aka Titus Lucretius  Carus (c.94–c.55 B.C.):  We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Plautus aka Titus Maccius Plautus (c.254–c.184 B.C.):  Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend. Plutarch aka Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (c.45–c.120 A.D.):  I dont need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.   Pythagoras aka Pythagoras of Samos (c.570–c.490 B.C.): Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life. Seneca aka Seneca the Younger or Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c.4 B.C.–65 A.D.:  Friendship always benefits; love sometimes injures. Zeno aka Zeno of Elea (c.490–c.430 BC):  A friend is another self. Modern and Contemporary Philosophy on Friendship   In modern and contemporary philosophy, friendship loses the central role it had played once upon a time. Largely, we may speculate this to be related to the emergence of new forms of social aggregations.  Nonetheless, it is easy to find some good quotes. Francis Bacon (1561–1626): Without friends the world is but a wilderness. There is no man that imparteth his joys to his friend, but he joyeth the more; and no man that imparteth his griefs to his friend, but he grieveth the less. William James (1842–1910):  Human beings are born into this little span of life of which the best thing is its friendship and intimacies, and soon their places will know them no more, and yet they leave their friendships and intimacies with no cultivation, to grow as they will by the roadside, expecting them to keep by force of inertia.   Jean de La Fontaine (1621–1695):  Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which strengthens with the setting sun of life. Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963):  Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. George Santayana (1863–1952):  Friendship is almost always the union of a part of one mind with the part of another; people are friends in spots. Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862):  The language of friendship is not words, but meanings.

Short Story Analysis on "The Cask of Amontillado" Essay

Short Story Analysis on "The Cask of Amontillado" - Essay Example A person pretending to be a good friend turns out to be a killer. His revenge takes the better part of him; He plans about it, follows faithfully and executes his evil plan. As the story starts, we are prepared for a story full of revenge. Montresor says â€Å"Fortunato had hurt me a thousand times and I had suffered quietly. But I learned that he had laughed at my proud name, Montresor, The name of an old and honored family.† Because of this, he sets out on a mission to revenge for himself and the disrespect that Fortunato accorded his family. He says ‘I promised I would make him pay for this’. In his revenge mission, he is courteous that no one would know about it, hence he decides not to tell anyone but execute the plan all by himself. He arrives at this decision because he did not want to suffer in any way as he followed his wreaked heart to execute another man. Even as revenge so much throbbed through his blood, he was cautious to raise any alarm as that would cause him not to execute his revenge. Therefore, motivated by revenge, he ‘continued to smile in his face’. Even in his mind, he knew that the smiles were a mere show of his teeth. He frankly says that Fortunato did not understand that he was then smiling at the thought of what he planned for him, at the thought of his revenge. Determined to kill Fortunato, he identifies his weakness. Fortunato, though a strong man to be feared, he had a great weakness. ‘He liked to drink Good wine’. And the bad part of it, which Montresor could easily take advantage of, was that he always drank too much of it. That presents Montresor a channel which he can exploit to achieve his desires of revenge. Having identified this weakness, the avenger goes ahead to buy wine, he actually buys the best wine, for he thinks clearly that the wine can give him the revenge that he so much wants to carry out. He already has laid a trap for Fortunato. A trap to

Patriot's Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Patriot's Act - Essay Example The Patriot’s Act has given more powers to security agents in the United States to conduct searches, gather intelligence without need of warrants. The Act also allowed the government to freeze monies meant for terror groups and online security has also been bolstered. All these provisions in the Patriot’ Act have increased security and thwarted terror attacks against the United States. However, some provisions of the Act have been ineffective in fighting terrorism and most of these acts are stem from foreign based provisions. Introduction The September 11, 2001 terror attack on the United States shocked the country and the world at large. Following the attacks, several security measures from different fronts were initiated to guard against more terror attacks on the Unites States. One of the measures that were initiated was the enactment of the Patriot’s Act, a law enacted a few weeks after the September 11, 2011 attacks. The Patriot’s act contains several provisions that were to safeguard the United States from terrorism. For instance, the act gives power to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies to conduct random searches on an individual’s household. The Patriot act is still in operation till today and President Obama extended some of the provisions of the act that were to expire this year. ... Security agencies in the United States have been given more freedom to investigate or interrogate terrorists from all regions globally. The Patriot act has also led to increased security at border points and entry points into the United States including ports and airports. The Patriot Act had a profound effect on the definition of terrorism especially on the front of domestic terrorism where acts of terrors were taken seriously (Wong, 2007). The act reduced restrictions on security agencies and it gave them power to investigate any American citizen while at the same time, the act allowed American security forces to investigate any foreigner suspected of being a terrorist. The act also allowed American security forces to protect critical infrastructure and demand information concerning any individual in the United States (Smith, 2009). The Patriot Act also gave powers to the secretary of Finance to regulate funds of suspected foreign individuals or corporations involved in corruption. The act has however tightened the noose on money laundering and this has reduced terror activities in the United States. The Act contains provisions that gave power to authorities to detain or deport immigrants involved in terrorism. These provisions have been successful in reducing acts of terror in the United States (Citizen 68, 2010). Increased surveillance of the internet and online activity has enhanced security since it has been effective in curbing theft of sensitive information. In terms of general safety, the Patriot Act has been effective in ensuring that acts of terror against the United States are greatly reduced (Stefoff, 2010). The Patriot’s Act has

Problems of Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problems of Performance Management - Essay Example In view of this information, the Systems Model of Performance Management is adapted. The paper is concluded with a discussion and recommendations for future research. By definition, Performance Management generally includes performance planning, i.e. goal setting, ongoing coaching and development of subordinates, formally reviewing performance and rewarding performance. It was first introduced by Michael Beer as an innovative appraisal and development system that combines the developmental facet of performance appraisal with the goal-setting facet of MBO (Beer & Ruh, 2000; Beer, Ruh, Dawson, McCaa & Kavanagh, 2001). At the time, it was considered an improvement on the performance appraisal system, which was generally considered as subjective and plagued by rather problems. In considering the value that could potentially be added by Performance Management, it is important to bear in mind that Performance Management as a process was developed because of the failure of performance appraisals. In essence, Performance Management represents a move from an isolated, mechanistic, HR-driven approach to performance appraisal towards a comprehensive, integrated business-driven system aiming at organisational and people development. (Cawley et al. 2003) It was believed that by participative setting goals that are aligned with higher organisational goals, conducting performance reviews and coaching on an ongoing basis, and rewarding an individual's performance based on the outputs of the Performance Management system, desirable outcomes would follow. While conducting a survey among Performance Management facilitators from major British organisations on potential problems experienced with Performance Management in the early 1990s, a wide range of problems was identified. In fact, so many problems emerged that in collaboration with these Performance Management experts a Systems Model of Performance Management was developed. The reasoning was that a systems approach would be required to address the wide variety of problems at different levels. The Systems Model is described elsewhere in detail (Spangenberg, 2003b). The Systems Model comprises inputs, processes, outputs and linkages to other systems. The effectiveness of Performance Management is greatly influenced by inputs into the system. (McDonald 2000)Strategic drivers comprise, firstly, the purpose or purposes of Performance Management. The desired purpose, or purposes, should be determined beforehand, should not contain contradictory elements, and should be clearly communicated to all. Secondly, the transformational framework comprising leadership, corporate strategy and culture is critical to changing the strategic direction of the organisation in order to exploit opportunities in the environment. (Neely 2002)A fair degree of sophistication is expected from all internal stakeholders, namely management, supervision and employees, to understand and apply the principles and procedures of Performance Management. A productive working relationship with unions or other employee representatives is essential. Because of the often-negative impact of discussing rewards during the final performance review, the reward issue may be separated from the annual review. In the Systems Model, it is considered as a linkage to the

Mod Culture and Fashion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mod Culture and Fashion - Research Paper Example The paper "Mod Culture and Fashion" concerns the connection between Mod fashion and designs. The leaders of mid 1960s style were the British. As the Mods strongly influenced the fashion in London, 1960s fashion in general set the mode for the rest of the century as it became marketed to young people, who, at the time, were gaining tremendous influence in affecting everything from clothes to the media, particularly the lifestyle of Mods as popularly reflected in their music and fashions. British rock bands such as â€Å"The Who,† children of the working class, gave up their nine to five jobs to become icons in the rock music world. It was not until 1964 when the Modernists were truly recognized by the public that women really were accepted into the group. Girls had short, clean haircuts and often dressed in similar styles to the male Mods—a trend which initiated UniSex design. As opposed to the 50s grease look, Mod style was classy, mimicking the clothing and hairstyles of continental Europe with tight-fitting suits and a more suave dressed appearance. They were the working classes with a sophisticated city look-- the clothing of a new forward-thinking generation. Mod from the longer version of Modern developed as a subculture from the original beatnik culture born in the coffee houses of the 1950s, where disenchanted young intellectuals met to enjoy the new modern jazz, read poetry and share political views. The new Mod culture that eventually evolved from it, however, was less intellectual.

Model of Albert Memorial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Model of Albert Memorial - Essay Example Built around 1863 by Sir George Gilbert Scott, model of the Albert Memorial still remains to be an authentic emblem of neo-Gothic architecture till date. The plastered and gilt model neatly wears a polished gander testifying to the facsimile of the original Memorial tower located in Kensington Gardens in the English capital.2 The model was commissioned by Queen Victoria to commemorate Prince Albert, her beloved husband who passed away in 1861. This essay is going to discuss the key points related to the model of Albert Memorial and not the Memorial itself. These points will pertain to the designing and production of the object as well as the technical aspects of the neo-Gothic style of architecture. The literature studies will involve exhaustive analysis of relevant sources, including images, critiques, historical accounts and other informative data. The model of Albert Memorial depicts a seated figure of Prince Albert shielded by a covering which is adorned with symbolic figures of angels. It is topped by a cross and positioned on a platform having ornamented horizontal bands between the architrave and the cornice. Figures of poets, painters, architects and authors are carved on the friezes with moulded plaster. ... It was orchestrated by the fact that middle class segment of the society gained ascendance following steady decline of the aristocratic upper class. The Industrial Revolution that shook the whole of Europe during this time also opened up new job avenues for the skilled craftsmen. Subsequently, both the elite class and the growing middle class could share a common point of interest ahead of the revivalistic phase during Queen Victoria's regime. In essence, the Industrial Revolution captured the spirit of the Aesthetic movement in the British society.4 Veblen (2004: 194) argues that the flurry of products conforming to the genre of industry arts was not caused by some arbitrary movement in aesthetic competence. Rather it was very much an acquired skill mastered through proper grooming of the workers within a systematic framework.5 Thus it would be justified to claim that the deployment of skilled workforce by Queen Victoria for the task of building the Albert Memorial model corresponde d to the norms of the transition from the Elizabethan to the Victorian era. Figure 2. Red House, Kent: Aesthetic Movement (Strickland and Handy 2001: 101) Mainly cast plaster is used to build the model, with a metallic framework to provide support. As far as decoration is concerned, an array of architectural techniques is incorporated to make it look like the original Memorial. The triangular gables beneath the covering are affixed with gilded and pied paper works representing mosaic. Granite effect is created through a scagliola-like decoration vested in the column shafts, the model floor, bases of the four corners, and the steps. The sculptured band around the base and other portions of the model are painted with a thick layer of

Portrait of a Fourth Grade Classroom Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Portrait of a Fourth Grade Classroom - Coursework Example Gullon (2005) observes that â€Å"your classroom has to serve a variety of purposes for a variety of people and as such will need routines and rules.† There is also the need to ensure that there is maximum quietness at all times to facilitate individual learning and attentiveness during lesson delivery. Again, tidiness ensures safety and makes the class conducive for learning. Finally, in other to ensure that obedient students are encouraged to put up good behavior and disobedient ones are deterred from their bad behavior, it is important to constitute a reward and punishment mechanism. Establishing an effective learning environment where all students achieve learning outcomes relies on the implementation of a broad range of classroom organisation and management strategies (McBain, 2004, p.1). This tells of how important classroom organization is in the everyday upkeep the classroom environment.

Model of Albert Memorial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Model of Albert Memorial - Essay Example Built around 1863 by Sir George Gilbert Scott, model of the Albert Memorial still remains to be an authentic emblem of neo-Gothic architecture till date. The plastered and gilt model neatly wears a polished gander testifying to the facsimile of the original Memorial tower located in Kensington Gardens in the English capital.2 The model was commissioned by Queen Victoria to commemorate Prince Albert, her beloved husband who passed away in 1861. This essay is going to discuss the key points related to the model of Albert Memorial and not the Memorial itself. These points will pertain to the designing and production of the object as well as the technical aspects of the neo-Gothic style of architecture. The literature studies will involve exhaustive analysis of relevant sources, including images, critiques, historical accounts and other informative data. The model of Albert Memorial depicts a seated figure of Prince Albert shielded by a covering which is adorned with symbolic figures of angels. It is topped by a cross and positioned on a platform having ornamented horizontal bands between the architrave and the cornice. Figures of poets, painters, architects and authors are carved on the friezes with moulded plaster. ... It was orchestrated by the fact that middle class segment of the society gained ascendance following steady decline of the aristocratic upper class. The Industrial Revolution that shook the whole of Europe during this time also opened up new job avenues for the skilled craftsmen. Subsequently, both the elite class and the growing middle class could share a common point of interest ahead of the revivalistic phase during Queen Victoria's regime. In essence, the Industrial Revolution captured the spirit of the Aesthetic movement in the British society.4 Veblen (2004: 194) argues that the flurry of products conforming to the genre of industry arts was not caused by some arbitrary movement in aesthetic competence. Rather it was very much an acquired skill mastered through proper grooming of the workers within a systematic framework.5 Thus it would be justified to claim that the deployment of skilled workforce by Queen Victoria for the task of building the Albert Memorial model corresponde d to the norms of the transition from the Elizabethan to the Victorian era. Figure 2. Red House, Kent: Aesthetic Movement (Strickland and Handy 2001: 101) Mainly cast plaster is used to build the model, with a metallic framework to provide support. As far as decoration is concerned, an array of architectural techniques is incorporated to make it look like the original Memorial. The triangular gables beneath the covering are affixed with gilded and pied paper works representing mosaic. Granite effect is created through a scagliola-like decoration vested in the column shafts, the model floor, bases of the four corners, and the steps. The sculptured band around the base and other portions of the model are painted with a thick layer of

Measles Outbreak in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Measles Outbreak in America - Research Paper Example Reasons for Vaccination It is difficult to comprehend why any person would want to halt or slow such progress, but maybe it is due to the misinformation of such individuals that forces people to ignore the effects of non-compliance. For starters, there is no definite treatment for measles. The only things that can be treated are the symptoms that are brought on by measles. During the post-eradication phase of measles, the highest number recorded for measles cases was as low as 37. This is according to the CDC, which was responsible for vaccinating the American public against the spread of the disease. Even the cases that were present had originated from outside the country. Since then, America is now recording its highest number of cases, which was estimated at over 600 cases at the end of the year 2014. In January 2015, over 100 cases were reported. In terms of vaccination, one dose of the MMR vaccine can last an individual a lifetime. It is meant to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. The use of this vaccine has increased the reduction rate of measles cases by 99%. For a highly contagious disease, this is an incredible number, meaning the eradication of this disease is possible. The aim of vaccination is to elicit certain responses in the immune system, which are often similar to when one is infected with the measles pathogen. In response, the immune system produces antibodies that fight against the disease, which means the individual vaccinated does not build up any severe symptoms.

Malaysian Film Industry Construct Malaysian Identity Cultural Studies Essay

Malaysian Film Industry Construct Malaysian Identity Cultural Studies Essay Malaysia is a Multiple ethic country, but the interesting situation is , the race that dominant the country are all imigrant, the malay was come from the Javanese. The Chinese is come from China and Indian people come from India. but nowadays they all citizen of the country, with these alieness history, how should Malaysian define their national identity? We have just celebrated the 25th anniversary of our independence. During this quarter ccentury we have reached a level of achievement which we can be proud of. We have succeeded in laying a strong foundation for the evolvement o f One citizenry, One language and One culture. It is on this foundation that we build a greater Malaysia.'(Malaysia : Crisis of Identity p8) What Malaysia needs are moderates of ends and not moderates of means who are eventually wMalaysia, an Indian Malaysia, a Malay Malaysia but a Malaysian Malaysia where the different races, languages, religions and cultures can flourish in Malaysia.'(p3) The first quote was adderssed by the BN Gorvenment after they win the election in 1982, at that days the gorvernment suggested the idea of Assimilation: A + B + C = A, where A, B, and C represent different social groups and A represents the dominant group. The subordination of minority cultures into a dominant culture.This approach may be likned to what some have called forced assimilation ((Alison Gibson. 1984. p 105) (National culture and democracy , Kua kia soon, p133) . The second quote was the respond from the people, espeacially the Chinese which represent the idea of Pluralism: A + B + C = A + B + C, where A, B, and C represent different social groups that over time maintain their unique identities. Cultural pluralism is fre-quently seen as a peaceful coexistence between groups. All cultures are to be allowed to exist separately and equally, harmonious or not. The harmonious version has been termedunity in diversity. (Alison Gibson. 1984. p 105) (National culture and democracy , Kua kia soon, p133). You can image when this two idea bump together, how much chaos it will make. The Malaysian have stay in this juncture for over 50 years, it is necessary to identify briefly the advocacy of various positions on National identity. First, i will discuss about what is National Identity, And then i will explore how the Malaysias film industry construt the image of Malaysians National Identity, And how the image change through the decade. What is National Identity. National identity is a complex idea, National identity erase difference by imposing a set of attributes on all menbers of the nation and unwilling ness to accept all these attributes threatens identity and therefore threatens expulsion from that community.(p62) The idea of erase all the difference doesnt mean to erase other culture, but erase any other identity that create by any individual group in the country because these are a power that will cause expulsion . National identity is one idea that can accept by all the individual group, and gather them in to one voice. National identity is only one of the many social identities available for citizens of multicultural countries such as Malaysia.National identity has a central role in promoting peaceful ethnic relations. (Malini ratnasigam, p3) In the book Ethnic relation and Nation Building Malini Ratnasingam claim that the national identity is the best form of identity should adapt by the Malaysian, beacause the other social identity content too much category that will tear the Malaysian into many individual pieces, but national identity will work well for the Malaysian, Because nation are crossed by those differences , a force of unite, a sense of belonging and nationess. So now we understand what is national identity. But now the question is who should decide what is our identity? At the begining of this dissertation, there are the arguement about chosing which idea shall we adapt, Assimilation or Pluralism? The nation is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion. (Benedict Anderson, p60) From the quote Benedict Anderson belieave that the nation is about all the member, even the smallest nation. National identity is a image that can imagined by every single nation. But In the book Cultural Contestatation author Zawahi Ibrahim disagree with andersons concept and suggested that the identity formation takes place within what he would call a two social reality which are authority-defined social reality, one which is authoritatively defined by people who are part of the dominant power structure. The second is everyday-defined social reality, one which is experienced by people in the course of thier everday life. These two social realities exist side by side at any given time. (Zawahi Ibrahim, 1998 ,pg18) The identity is a negotiation between these two social reality. How Malaysia film Indutry construt Malaysians National identity The Malaysian film indutry was founded on Chinese money,Indian imagination and Malay labour(Hamzah hussin,1994 ,p105) Although outside the screen, there are wonderful mullti cross ethnic relation on the movie production, but almost all the film are Malay movies. The only thing that really can consider as multi racial is the Old malay movie industry have strong influnce from indian bollywood style beacuse of the director, but very less of them had really mention about the multi ethnicity or religious relation. I chose to call this book 120 malay movie, because more than half of the movies were made before Malaysia was even created.(Plus they were made in Singapore) So what they have common were the languague and ethnic milieu they showcased. (120Malay movie , p26) The autor of 120 Malay Movie clearly state that the early film industry in Malaysia cant even consider Malaysias movie, It is only presented the early life of Malay in Malaysia, it maybe a very well materials for the Malaysias Malay identity, but obviously not suite the idea of National identity. But now it raise a question ,if the national indentity include everything, dont the Malay culture also part of the national identity? Yes, but now we talking about how the film industry help construt the national identity, at the old time, the Malay film are totally dominanted the film industry, which give an idea of the impression of the nation have owned by Malay, In the film Tajul Ashikin (see figure 1) there was a scene where two men try to peddle thier wares, but thier voices are drowned out by a newly arrived Chinese team that is offering dental services. This shows the Malay fear of being displaced in their own land by new arrivals who seem to be much better at buiness. (p25,120Malay Movie) Figure 1 Tajul Ashikin by M Amin But at that time, the stark economic disparity between Malay peasants and Chinese merchants didnt seem to have undue political repercussions because the populationwas sparse and times were good (120 Malay p269). So the movie show the worry of the Malay sovereignty instead of promoting peaceful ethnic relations. With this idea, it help to destroy the national identity instead of construt it. But still there is some exception.There is still some other racial tension pop up in these movie. On the film Mahsuri which release in 1959 (see fiugre 2), there was a part about a merciless indian teasing by the Malays about his skin colour. (p165) The plot is meant to be funny, in fact, it was directed by an Indian. Ethnic conflict often appear in Malaysian daily life, we can not avoid it, but we can face it with great attitude. This plot showed an attitude to face the difference between every ethnic, just laugh at it. Figure 2 Mahsuri by BM Rao The next film that have the multi ethnicity it is Ali Baba Pucang Lapok directed by Malaysian silver-screen legend P. Ramlee at 1960, P.Ramlee are one of the minority inside that can create the sense of Malaysianness in the movie in the decade. The movie itself are deliberate mish-mash of culture, inside the movie you can see different kind of culture image. But the most surprise scene will be when the Chinese trader being asked how long he have lived in the area, he answer that he have lived here for 80years, he not only counted his own 50 years age, but add up his father.(see figure 3) Figure 3 The Chinese trader said that his father lived there 30 years before he borned. This blurs the line between immigrant and native and it is precisely this blurring that must continue untill all Malaysian feel they have the same stake in the nation. (p26, 120 Malay Movie) It is hardly seen a movie have such multi culture in Malay old film. The national identity is to create a sense of nation, it only can be done when the have the idea that the land doesnt owned by anyone, but they were all born equal in this place. This movie successfully deliver the message. and helped construct the sense of nation, althought it is only one short scene, but it is still a big step for the Malaysias industry at the decade. Another film also directed by P.Ramlee Sesudah Sebuh (see figure 4), The most multi cultural cast we have ever seen. said the Author of 120 Malay Movie Amir Muhammad. The Main cast include the 3 main race of Malaysian, Melayu, Cina and indian. And a conversation in the movie, create am ideal racial integration, In a bookshop by a customer to the owner :Even though youre Malay and im Chinese, we are both Malaysians. And Malaysians have a duty to help each other. The Idea cant be more clear, its simple and directly pointing the ideal without any decoration. Figure 4- Sesudah Sebuh directed by P.Ramlee Although there are some more film that really promotiong the ideal natiaonal identity for Malaysian, but these number are still only a drop in the bucket. There are still mile a part to fill the whole bucket. But atleast we can see the root of the idea of national identity growing inside. When it come to 1970s, the idea of multic ethic face a challenge. The 513 incident had drag the ethic relation into crisis situation. The racial riots led to a declaration of a state of national emergency. The riot ignited the capital Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding area of Selangor, Malay mobs, wearing white headbands signifying an alliance with death, and brandishing swords and daggers, surged into Chinese areas in the capital, burning, looting and killing. In retaliation, Chinese, sometimes aided by Indians, armed themselves with pistols and shotguns and struck at Malay kampongs (villages). Huge pillars of smoke rose skyward as houses, shops and autos burned.( http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,900859,00.html) Tunku Abdul Rahmans multiracial style of government was successful until serious and widespread anti-Chinese riots broke out in May 1969. These riots followed a fall in support for the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in the federal election and were indicative of Malay resentment of the economic success of the Chinese business community. (http://www.city.com.my/malaysia-history.htm) After the incident, the gorvernment came up a serial of policy that surpress the other ethnic, in order to restructure Malaysian society. The UMNO-dominated states aggressive attempt to conflate the nations linguistic identity with Malays status as the sole nationaal and official language threatened the constitutionally sanctioned freeedom to use thier mother tongue.'(Milthiethnic, pg220) The pro-Malay policy. The most significant result of the events of May 1969 was an attempt, announced in the five-year plan (1971-75), to restructure Malaysian society. The aim was to raise the percentage of ethnic-Malay-owned businesses from 4% to 30% by 1990, and to extend the use of pro-Malay (bumiputra) affirmative-action quota systems for university entrance and company employment. Economic expansion, it was hoped, would greatly ease this redistributive process and at the same time offer the opportunity to eliminate poverty among all Malaysians. (http://www.city.com.my/malaysia-history.htm) The National Cultural Policy(NCP) was formulated at a congress held at the University of Malaya in August 1971, and the announced Policy consisted of three main principles. The national culture of Malaysia must be based on the cultures of the people indigenous to the region; Elements from other cultures,which are suitable and reasonable may be incorporated into the natioonal culture; and Islam will be an important element in the national culture. (Mohad Talib Osman, pg95 ) All of these policy indirectly influence the relation between ethnic, all the unequal act make the ethnic hatred grown day by day. Causing the idea of national identity start changging. The change of the society have brought into the film industry , the multi ethnic that rarely seen from the film before 1970s completely obliterate after these policy untill recent years. Before then we have Malay culture dominant film industry. The segregate can also see from the statistics that correlate cinema atendance by ethnic groupwith the national or language origin of the film being viewed. (see figure 5) LanguageEthinic Malay Chinese Indian/Other Malay 23% 0% 1% Chinese 7% 81% 0% Indian 34% 1% 83% English 35% 18% 16% Figure 5 Language distribution of cinema attendance by ethinic group (1979) The quetion of the cultural identity of Malaysian film is a constant issue, even for the least culturally minded film producer, since it is related to the need to attract a broad-spectrum audience.It is still the case that more than 90% of audience for Malaysian films is Malay (Malaysia Cinema Asian film, pg154) From the statistic we can see that Bahasa Melayu cinema is a weak cultural force, despite the Malays being the most powerful political force in the counry. At that time, The chinese usually watch the Hongkong or Taiwanese films ; or the second choice will be the English Language film, but not Bahasa Malayu film. The same situation happen with the Indian autience. cinema is probably the most raciallly segregated activity in the country today'(Mansor bin Puteh, 1990, pg154) On top we discuss about crisis of ethnic realation that cause restrict the multi ethnic movie culture. In 1981, the idea of Malay sovereignty that set by the gorvernment start to invade the movie industry. National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) was established in 1981 to encourage the development of the local industry. ensure that a sizeable portion of the total volume of buimess done in the production, distribution and exhibition sectors would be handled by Malays'(Baharudin Latif, 1981, pg150) Control and restrict from the gorvernment have caused the other ethnic have lower chance to make their own movie, and also restricted the creativity of theme or topic. All of these restriction had bring the Malaysia film industry far away from their Golden age in 1950s -1960s. Film are censored or banned if it oppose government polucy or encourage anti-gorvernment feeling; glorify communism and socialism; glorify any particular race while denigrating others; gloriy crime and immorality; deal with sadism, cruelty and excessive violence; insult public dignity ; and show behavior not acceptable to Malaysian society (Mohd Hamdan Bin Haji Adnan, 1991) These policy had make the Malaysian confuse and question about thier naional identity, the policy have succesfully incite the desire of Malay that persuit for Malay sovereignty, the other ethnic like chinese and indian felt betray by the country, when there is no nation pride in them, the National identity become dominant by the Malay, and become the image that shown by the Movie industry, but it is not the image that the nation share along, from (figure 5) we can see the local Malay film have not accepted by the other ethnic. so it is not a National identity of that decade, the film on that decade have lose the concept of being a National cinema. The cinema is then a mean of speaking the nation in all its constructed uniqueness. The connection between speaking the nation and selling the nation become all the more invitable when the rhetoric of both nationlism and marketing emphasize qualities of uniqueness, distinctiveness and patriotism. The term representing the nation there fore accuires and ecmonomic as well as an analytical and cultural objective it is not just how a cinema represents the nation, but also how successfully it does so. (Malaysia Cinema , pg 107) New Malaysian Film The decade of Malaysian film might look like a decade that have controled by Malay, and their the relation with other ethnic race doesnt seem well. Althought the realation between the different ethnic group are peaceful in decade before 1960s, but the policy in 1970s created an long fight between ethnic group. Race has always been an issue in my country, even before independence but never has it been as serious and divisive as it is today.Almost every issue is seen from the perspectivve of race to the point where it is impossible to obtain a consensus of public opinion on any issue'(Kee Thuan Che,1993,p57) But where there is pressure, where there is resistance. The serious situation also created a trend, Never has it been as desire as today, people pursuit for the unity of the Nation. In the book Found in Malaysia have interviewed 54 influential Public figure who have different race, religion, culture, gender, sexual,genarational and political. But when it come to the question: Describe what kind of Malaysia you whould like for yourself and future generation? They all gave a same answer in many different way, but in the end, the main idea is the same. All of us regardless of racial/ethnic, regious, class and linguistic backgrounds, share one thing in common : we are all Malaysian citizens and we call this country our home and care for its future. We dream of future Malaysia that is equal to all, but takes into acount ourparticular wants, needs and aspirations and at the same time, is able to cater to the needs of others according to an inclusive logic of equal representation and equal right.(Azizi Khan, 2004, pg475) The idea become a trend, and start to appear in the recent ten years. Beacuse the inrternet have start to cover all the new genaration daily life. Internet is one of the most powerful sources in human history, the information can share in rapid speed, milllion of personal narratives or popular forms of expression which help construt the everyday-defined social reality was shared everyday. Causing the Balance between the authority-defined social reality and everyday-defined social reality started to change. So we will start from Malaysia Independence Film Industry, which have well used the internet as a state for them to spread thier idea and story . The first example for indipendence film is the Project 15 Malaysia . 15Malaysia is a short film project. It consists of 15 short films made by 15 Malaysian filmmakers. These films not only deal with socio-political issues in Malaysia, they also feature some of the best-known faces in the country, including actors, musicians and top political leaders. You may think of them as funky little films made by 15 Malaysian voices for the people of Malaysia. ( http://15malaysia.com/) From the project name we can know that this film is dedicate to show 15 kind of story that happened in Malaysia. I going to take a few of them into discusstion. First i will start with the personal narrative story. House is a story about an indian family forced by the capitalist to give up their house for development, and also show the feeling of the indian kid(Rama) toward the house is more then a house, but a family.(see figure 6) The story attempt to explore the story inside the slums usually the indian race who have many family suffer with these problem in order to let the audience understand the country more. Figure 6 Rama express his feeling about the house. We will strat from Yasmin Ahmadm (see figure 6), Malaysias famous film director, writter and scriptwriter, in Malaysia, most of the ethnic used to avoid each other but inevitably bump together, no one can avoid, because this is just what live in Malaysia are look like, And most of her film are challenging the moment when different ethnic bump together, she narrate the spark of the moment and turn in into a moving picture. When most of the popular cultures movie deliberately avoid the ethnic conflict, her films break the boundary between ethnic and religion. She focus on emotion and the relationship between people, narate and present the story in a human perspective, not in Malay, Chinese or Indian, but back to the origin human emotion. It makes the audience to rethink about politic, religion and social issues in indirectly ways. The more we understand each other, the less we affraid. She is an ambassador of unity. An individual with amazing foresight who; work has bridged all the races in the country. Great loss to the nation and the creative world.'( Chandran Ravi. http://entertainment.malaysia.msn.com/photos/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=5080081page=13) Figure 6 Yasmin Ahmad Yasmin Ahmad first movie Sepet(see figure 7) is a story about a Chinese boy fall in love with a Malay girl. This might look normal in foreign country, but the relation between Chinese and Malay is not simple. Figure 7 Sepet The relation between Chinese and Malay always been complicate, that hatred between both of this race happen before incident 513, when in World war 2, the Japan invade and ruled this country for over 3 years. on that period, the Japanese surpress the Chinese but treated the Malay friendly and even form a Malay army to defence againts the communist, but who is communist? At that time many Chinese were the communist, the root of hate were start from here, and Malays fear of get replace by the Chinese in the econimic, then is the 513 incident, the unequal policy, Chinese fear of forced to join muslim if married a muslim and etc. All of these caused the relation between this two race are always controvertial. In the movie Sepet that is a scene the Protagonists(Jason) friend try to persuade Jason the relation between him and Heroine(Orked) is forbiden. Which clearly potrait the mind set of Chinese about the relationship of the interacial couple. (See figure 8 ). Figure 8 Keong (left) advices Jason not to get involved in relationship with Malay girls. Yasmin Ahmad used the traditional perception of Malaysians and confronted it in her movie. It cant be denied that she used a very creative way to show the relationship between history culture and innocent love. Malay films seldom touch on taboo topics like alcohol, dog, prostitution, suicide, etc. Many of the Malay films only showed the good side. Much of the time, they are hindered by those issues. But Yasmin Ahmad used reverse psychology to bring out the negative issues, because there are many grey areas to investigate in Malaysian culture. The following are some of the taboos in Malay tradition that is shown in the movie Muallaf (2007). A Muslim woman who despaired on her marriage ended up taking her own life by suicide. Young Malays play and get drunk in a snooker room. An Islam teacher touched a dog on his way to mosque. A sincere Malay Muslim girl works in a pub at night. These issues are a challenge to the traditional Malay society. However, the tasks that she undertakes must be lawful from the point of view of Islam. She must not work as a dancer, a model, a barmaid, a waitress, a film actress, a musician, or a prostitute to sell her femininity in order to make money, even with the consent of her husband. (A. Rahman I. Doi, 1990:147). Yasmin Ahmads movies use the sensitive issues faced by Malays as a discussion. Talking about sensitive issues is very challenging, especially on ethnicity. But it depends on how the director presented it. How much can the audience accept it, based on the issues? Yasmin Ahmand film has a power of introspection, Yasmin Ahmad film dig into the confilct between ethnic group instead of try to avoild these sensitive issue like other, Yasmin Ahmad bring the conflict right into audience eye without beautify it, only with the simplest emotion of human being, a way that lead us to undestand empathy. Only when Malaysian strong enough to really face themselves, then we can form our Identity Honestly. The next case will be opposite of Yasmin Ahmad film.Yasmin Ahmad film represent the reality side of ethnic conflict, now we are going to see the Malaysian utopia. Nasi Lemak 2.0(see figure 9) is directed by a controversial public figure Namewee, who have temper the national anthem and content with rasict, critic to gorvenment and religion in 2007. The song Negarakuku drag the attention of public, Public reaction towards the song is split, Immediate reactions in the form of YouTube comments range from being critical, in fair agreement, support, attacks and threats towards Wee. He became One of the most haterd public figure by the Malay ethnic at that time. Figure 8 Nasi Lemak 2.0 Nasi Lemak2.0 is the first Malaysian film that did not target one of the three population groups as its audience. And succesfully hit 7million ringgit gross. The movie is have many plot that content the relation between the different ethnic for example: the bright non-Muslim students unable to enroll into universities, authorities bias in favour of Malays, Chinese educated citizens speak poor English, immigrants issues, Hang Tuahs unsolved identity mystery, English educated Chinese lack of confidence in speaking Chinese language, Kuala Lumpur a busy and unsettling city, some non-Chinese could speak better Chinese, mix of Indian and chinese song, and culture of Baba and Nyonya. Different with Yasmin Ahmad film, althought in Nasi Lemak2.0 there is still some ethnic conflict, but most of the time, it show a utopia of how Malaysia ethnic group interact with each other, and create a whole new kind of culture. The song Curry Neh (see figure 9 ) in the movie, mixed the chinese and indian culture, There is more example like, the Malay chef teaching chinese matial art Taichi at the park (see figure 10) or the chinese tradition song sing with english lyric(figure 11). Attempt to question why cant a specific ethnic learn the culture of other ethnic. Figure 9 Curry Neh Figure 10 Malay teaching Taichi Figure 11 Tradition Chinese song sing with English Lyric The film was success because the intereact of different ethnic causing resonance among the Malaysian, the way of acting and some humour about the Malaysias gorvernment or stereotyping of ethnic is what Malaysia face in daily life. The second film of Namewee is Hantu gangster (see figure 12). The film continue the style of Nasi Lemak 2.0. Hantu gangster attempt to send the message of Nation unity before 1970s, and question about why todays ethnic relation become worst. The film style is same with Nasi Lemak2.0 The idea is the same but only the story had change, there are many ethnic intereact like Chinese only understand Malay when it speak in chinese accent, a Taoist priest that know different religion style of exorcism, a parody of the 513 incident, and a Indian Party song with Malay, Mandarin, Hokkien, Tamil lyric, etc. These ethnic mixture is what Malaysian Interested, although reality might not be the same, but from the sucess of these film we can see the future that Malaysian persuit, the future that Malaysian image. Figure 12 Hantu Gangster 2012 Conclusion Malaysia is a young country, there is many thing we have to experience to understand what are we today, what will be out future. Today Malaysia is in a turning point, where the politic have a new Atmosphere which will directly influence the authority-definedsocial reality. And the development of internet, liberty of speech help people to understand their capability, have the way to stand up and express thier emotion and their story, i believe in the future, when the authority-defined and the everyday-defined have found a way to line up, Malaysian will no longer quetion their identiry. References: http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Anderson.html (benicdic anderson)