Carnival Corporation Case Study Essay

Carnival Corporation as the largest cruise line in the world is being a leader and innovator in the cruise line industry. Many of the onboard activities and services were introduced to strengthen the competencies between competitors. The challenges of the Carnival were being overcome by the management with creative and innovative strategies. As a corporate entity, Carnival did not refuse to withdraw money to settle the ocean pollution charged by public. The expansions of cruise line market via acquisition of a few subsidiaries dominate the cruise line in the world. 1. Strengths (internal factors) First, the largest cruise line in the world, as the leader and innovator in the cruise industry (growth from two converted ocean liners into an organization with multiples cruise lines). Second, the belief of management and Board of Directors that the company will grows better. It motivates the employees to work hard. Third, internal grow in term of vessels that approximately ten vessels are under construction. Fourth, employees loyalty (the longest period employees remain in this organization is around eight years) because Carnival management treating well to their employees in terms of wages). Fifth, creative and innovative corporate officers that is ready to face challenges. Sixth, Carnival has operational experience and economic of scales that causing them to have lowest break even point in the same industry. Weaknesses First, in 1972, the speed of ship was slow. Second, the long-term debt within 1999 and 2001 is increased (the payback of debt may lower the revenue and thus decreasing the dividend payment for shareholders). Third, the expand market (business) of Carnival causing the difficulty in managing the business. Fourth, reducing on net income in 2001 is because of higher costs and expenses. 2. Opportunities (external factors) First, the expansion through acquisition can reduce the competitors in same industry and has the ability to compete with other competitors (lower advertising costs). Second, collaboration with travel agents can promote cruises. Third, the industry is expected to have bright future in passengers, consolidation through mergers, buyout, and smaller cruise operator failure, and the expansion of the industry worldwide. Fourth, expand of target customers from older people to younger people. Fifth, expand of onboard activities (casino, disco, and nightclub). Threats First, terrorist events that were happen in 11 September 2001. Second, negative publicity in 2002 where Carnival subjected by the ocean pollution charges and â€Å"Norwalk-like† virus that affect the cruise industry. Third, the increased of fuel costs and airline costs that affect the industry. Fourth, the failure of Carnival discontinued operations of Fiesta marina Lines that affect the company image. Fifth, Persian Gulf War that was increased competitors in the cruise industry especially in Caribbean area. Sixth, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines had institute a major shipbuilding program that challenges Carnival. The emergence of Walt Disney Company in the cruise market; and the prospect of new ships on the horizon give impact to the â€Å"family† cruise vacation segment. 3. Core competencies Yes, Carnival has core competencies because it is the competency crosses divisional boundaries, Carnival can do exceedingly well, and must continuously reinvest in it: i) Adding diversion onboard – such as disco, nightclubs, casino, and others. Carnival also tries to attract younger cruisers by providing vacation package that included airfare to the port of embarkation and home after the cruise. ii) Product positioning – Carnival believes that cruise market comprised to three segments (contemporary, premium, luxury) with different passenger demographics, characteristics, and growth requirements. iii) Travel agents – collaborate with travel agents to promote cruises. Carnival also training travel agents from nonaffiliated travel firm to sell cruises. 4. Distinctive competencies Yes, Carnival has distinctive competencies because distinctive competency is the superior to those of the competitions and difficult for competitors to compete with Carnival: i) Investment in new ships – Carnival is expanding its internal growth by investing in new ships. The ships under constructions are around 10 vessels. It is difficult for other competitors to invest in these large numbers of ships in same period but Carnival can do. ii) External expansion through acquisitions – Carnival has five subsidiaries that control the major cruise lines in different countries. This causing Carnival becomes as the largest cruise line in the world. 5. What trends are emerging in cruise industry?  i) The adding diversion onboard such as planned activities, disco, nightclubs, casino, and other forms of entertainment activities (different kinds of activities that suitable for different ages of target customers). ii) Moderate priced vacation for younger cruisers that included airfare to the port of embarkation and home after the cruise. iii) All inclusive packages that began with bags were tagged for the ship at the airport, air-conditioned bus, meals, onboard activities, house keeping service, until passengers were transported back to airport. iv) Love story movie such as â€Å"Titanic† and â€Å"Love boat† that promote the romance onboard encouraging couples to join cruise. 6. Marketing strategy i) Price – moderate price (vacation packages) that middle-class clients afford to pay. Prices for different levels of rooms are charged according to the customers needs. ii) Product – vacation package that suitable for the clients aged. Other onboard activities such as casino and disco. The service from picking up the clients at airport to board and dropping clients again at airport. iii) Place – Caribbean ports and other destination such as Walt Disney World, Holland, and Costa, as long as the clients want to go. iv) Promotion – some of the promotions are done by travel agents. The â€Å"Fun Ship† cruise that with designated shipboard party and everyone is welcomed by Carnival is another success promotion. 7. The importance of travel agents The travel agents will help Carnival to promote the cruises as an alternative to Disney or European vacation. For people who never take a cruise in their life, or afraid of taking a flight to the destinations will be attracted. Thus, it shows that the important role of travel agents to Carnival. Besides that, not only attracting clients to take a cruise as the core business, selling cruise is also part of the Carnival business. Thus, Carnival is training travel agents from nonaffiliated travel firms to sell cruise. Because of the attractive benefit in term of money provided by Carnival, in year 2000, Carnival took reservations from about 29000 travel agencies to promote the business. And, it proves that this strategy in promoting cruises either to attract clients boarding the cruise or selling the cruise is succeed. 8. Flight or cruise? We will choose cruise because we have not travel yet to some where by cruise before. i) In our opinion, although the price for a cruise might be higher a bit than to take a flight to Caribbean island that we can afford to pay. By choosing a package for the cruising is worth because there will be variety of services that suitable for us as active younger cruisers rather than just to sit in the flight and we have nothing to do. ii) Even though cruise may take a longer time to reach Caribbean island, the final destination that we will reach is Caribbean island no matter we take a cruise or flight. Thus, we can enjoy the onboard facilities that we have paid for. Disco, nightclubs, gym room, cinema, and casino are the places that we seldom go for but we can enjoy if we take a cruise for this vacation. iii) Cruise is a place that we can relax ourselves since the purpose of travel is to relax our mind. The sea view from a ship can make us happy and reduce our stress. On the other hand, we c an also meet some new friends through this trip. iv) Besides, we can experience some exotic destinations when the cruise will sail in the ports. The cruisers can come down from the vessel and visit some famous spots. Adversely, if we take flight, we can’t visit anywhere except just transit in airport. 9. Evaluation of Carnival’s targeting to specific target market i) Contemporary segment – served by Carnival ships, featured a casual ambiance. ii) Premium segment — served by Holland America, for longer market and appealed to more affluent consumers iii) Luxury segment – served by Seabourn and Cunard, catered to experience cruisers. The above are the target market for Carnival. Each segment has different types of costs to be charged to consumers. For the contemporary segment, it is more suitable for family and people who need relaxing during a short period of holidays. The price is cheaper than premium or luxury segment. For the premium segment, it is more suitable for affluent consumers, who need a longer period to relax. It normally targets an older people to board because the facilities in the ship are more suitable for their ages. This segment of cruise will have more cabin or public space per person. In term of price, it is the most expensive and little people can afford to pay. The price for this segment is higher than contemporary segment. Not everyone will prefer this segment of cruise because they need to consider the available time for taking the cruise. The luxury segment targets for extremely rich consumers where they were served as â€Å"king† and â€Å"queen† in the ship. The consumers who taking this segment of cruise can show that they have a higher social status and prestige is the main consider by consumers. 10. Strategic management in Carnival Carnival has a very unique and successful strategic management in cruise industry. During terrorist events in 2001, the world cruise industry was negatively impact by it. However, to overcome this problem, Carnival offered a deep discount to lure back the passengers. In year 2002, Carnival was subjected to the ocean pollution charges. The company was withdrawing $18 million to overcome this issue. This strategy is not only to overcome the issue ethically but also to maintain the company image. Carnival is doing well in pricing strategy where they offer different kinds of packages with moderate price for different kinds of customers. To improve the core competency of the company, Carnival tried to increase the services onboard and adding diversions onboard. Even though other cruise company can imitate this strategy but Carnival is the first to invent the same strategy that succeeds to gain revenue from it. Carnival tried to introduce new strategy to make more convenience to consumers such as the â€Å"all-inclusive package†. The main purpose of this strategy is to maximize the satisfaction of consumers on Carnival services. Finally, to reduce the competition in cruise industry and to compete with other competitors in the same industry, Carnival did acquisition on many cruise lines as subsidiaries. The expansion of Carnival in cruise line market through acquisition can tighten the status of Carnival in cruise industry. 11. The advantage of being a CFC The individuals (foreigners or locals) who held the stocks of Carnival under the CFC status are incorporation exempt shipping operations of United States persons from income tax. Carnival with all of its income (except of United State source of income from transportation, hotel and tour business of Holland America) would be exempt from United State federal income taxes at the corporate level. This exemption not only can increase the revenue of Carnival, it also allows the company to have more funds (liquidation assets) to run more projects or activities for the company. The reason of government to give exemption to Carnival is because to encourage this industry to growth and attract more passengers boarding on ship, especially the ship with casino. It will increase the government sources of money. 12. How to maintain low costs, high level of service? i) Vertical integration or outsourcing – Carnival can try to produce in-house or outsource the products or services in related industries such as shipbuilding, meal preparation industry, and transportation (bus). This is because either vertical integration or outsourcing, which contributes the lowest cost, will be the choice of Carnival to either produce in-house or to outsource the needs. The good relation with suppliers can guarantee the best quality of the products or services. The in-house produce (vertical integration) can guarantee for the high level of products and services quality. ii) Maintain employees – Experienced employees can be the senior for the new comers. They can train and guide the new workers while doing a task rather than the company to send them for training course. Thus, maintaining experienced employees can save the labor cost and maintain the service quality to passengers. iii) Maintain crui se standard (such as sanitary standard) by periodically checking to avoid break down during cruising and it may need higher cost to repair and bring inconvenience to passengers. Conclusion The success of Carnival is depends on the innovative Board of Directors and management. The growth of cruise market becomes more significant because of the low fares high quality of service. Carnival is dominating the cruise line market but they still do investment in improving the services so that to avoid the core competencies become the weaknesses of the company. Even though the net profit of year 2001 is decreased but it did not mean that they have weak internal control. External factors such as increased in fuel cost also are considered the factor in the declining profit. Finally, Carnival has the potential to grow in cruise line market because they already gained the experience in cruise line and they have strong financial to support many cruise activities.

Music falls Essay

This third activity was chosen because it provides the children with this means of communication, giving them the opportunity to express themselves freely. Doing this helps them progress emotionally and cognitively in all other areas of their learning. Music falls under Donaldson’s construct mode, under value-sensing. She argues that emotion and thought are frequently related closely to one another (Palmer, 2001).  Neill (1927) also favoured music within the curriculum, as he alleged that it had a therapeutic function, particularly with children with psychological problems. He also acknowledged that it gave the less academically challenged pupils something they may excel at. This activity, therefore, assists in increasing the child’s self esteem, giving them more confidence in other areas of the curriculum too. Differentiation  The possibilities for differentiation within this lesson are extensive. As it is a relatively free activity, the children can move as much, or as little as they like. Interaction from the practitioner could be by means of praising those who demonstrate effort and capability, or by encouraging the children to express themselves and by giving them the confidence to move as they wish. Those who do not attempt to join in could be partnered with others, to provide further encouragement and enjoyment. Evaluation  This activity provides the children with the freedom to move their bodies in ways which are normally considered inappropriate within the classroom. There is no specific way in which the children are required to move and so they have the opportunity to truly express themselves without the usual confines and barricades. Skinner (1971) believes that behaviour is not something a child is born with, it is shaped by consequences. The conditioning adopted by the setting determines the catalogue of behaviour the child has at his disposal (cited in Palmer 2001). Skinner recognised that children respond to positive re-inforcement. The practitioner in this activity praises the children, encouraging them to express themselves further. Bandura suggests that adults can gain children’s attention and highlight the behaviour patterns they want to encourage (David T et al, 2003). He suggests that the children will mimic the behaviour they see in others. In this activity, if the children see the practitioner praising one child as suggested by Skinner, their behaviour will be reinforced and this should encourage more of this behaviour. As the rest of the children bear witness to this development, Bandura suggests that they will reproduce this behaviour to gain recognition for themselves. This was apparent when watching the behaviour of the whole class. When one child became slightly over-excited and silly, others began to imitate him. The practitioner quickly took control of the situation by praising one of the children who was making slower, more gentle movements and the children responded swiftly by slowing their movements down too. Conclusion Each one of these activities proved to be successful. The children enjoyed them and were keen to stay on task throughout. The relevant areas and aspects of learning were adequately covered and the children gained a great deal from participating. From carrying out this research, it is apparent that it is necessary for practitioners to plan their scheme of work effectively in order to guarantee that the foundation stage curriculum is covered throughout the year. This work has examined the long, medium and short term plans and has explained why they are used. It has researched the emergence of the foundation stage curriculum and the ways it can be adapted and moulded to fit into many different types of early years settings. Using the three activities this work has established the theoretical underpinning of the curriculum and demonstrates the strategies which can be applied to differentiate the experiences effectively. Bibliography Books Bee, H. & Boyd, D. (2004) The Developing Child, Tenth Edition USA: Pearson Education, Inc.  Boushel, M., Fawcett, M. & Selwyn, J. (2000) Focus on Early Childhood: Principles and Realities Malden, Mass: Blackwell Science  Carnie, F (2003) Alternative Approaches to Education: A Guide for Parents and Teachers New York: Taylor and Francis

The Universal Credit Program: Project Management

Management This report is addressed to the Universal Credit Project Board. Number of words: 1582 Executive Summary The Universal Credit Programme has failed in many eyes because of a lack of good project management. I researched the reasons of the lack of good project management and come to some good conclusions on the following subjects: 1. Project Initiation The programme was underestimated and the goals where to optimistic, the effects of the project initiation are clearly linked back of the complications which appeared later on the project.For example the project has changed project manager 5 times because of a lack of transparency. The lack of transparency can be linked back to setting to many goals in the project initiation. The project should have research the details better on making an IT programme this big. 2. Project organisation and structure The programme has been approached with an agile method, a lot like scrum-method. The biggest mistake that was made is the lack of u se of an agile project framework. It is logical that a programme from this size always includes Waterfall project management'.But in the Universal Credit programme the waterfall-managing ethod was counterworking the agile approach that was used. The project also lacks of a good stakeholders communication department, the communication with the stakeholders has been a big problem with the Universal Credit programme. More details about these conclusions can be found in the rest of the report. Introduction to the report For the course Project Management (344SAM) I am asked to write an report addressed to the Universal Credit Project Board. This is regarding the bad publicity the project has gotten lately from the press.The case study consists of an article form Brian Wernham where he claims that the Universal Credit Program has suffered from bad Project Management and a â€Å"lack of transparency'. In my research I will only use the information available till 5 September 2013, because this is the date when the report was published. In my research I will be focussing on the following 2 subjects: 1. Project initiation Brief background on project For this project I will be do research on the project management of the Universal Credit Programme.This program is developed to make a single monthly payment instead of all sorts separately benefits and tax credit top-ups payments. This rogram includes a ‘subsidy to work, people will be encouraged to work this way. To establish this project there must be a solid and reliable IT system. A lot of calculations have to been made and a lot of external influences must be taken in account. I'm going to research: What where the project goals, scope, organisation, business case, constraints? Which organisation and structure has been used?At the end of the report I will write my conclusions and recommendations. Project Initiation When the project was initiated at the end of 2012, there was a lot criticism on the project. This w as mainly because of a lack of transparency; people didn't really know what the programme meant. 1 1(The Ethical Deficit of the Proposed Universal Credit, Harley Dean, 2012, The Political Quarterly, Vol. 83, No. 2) The project initiation can be divided in 5 segments, which I will describe separately.Project Goals They are a lot of project goals for the universal credits programme: Good outcomes for claimants, Improved health (mental health especially), Increase the overall level of competencies and qualifications. Get more people from welfare into work. Reduce the amount of people getting homeless. And there are a lot of smaller goals stated in the report. They want to aim to process 95% of new housing benefits within 1 5 days. Also all the claims will merely be online processed. 3 Scope Entrepreneurial Council Board, Corporate Strategy and Governance Board.Project Organisation The project organisation consists of: 1 . Project Manager 2. Administrative employee 3. Trainee's for staf f 4. Online development 5. Communications and marketing 6. WMT The Entrepreneurial Council Board and WMT monitor the project. Business case There is no business case in the Project initiation document (PID). Constraints The PID says: â€Å"The current financial constraint being placed on the Council means we need to be creative about how we continue to deliver our services† 2 The budget and the quality are fixed. l will discuss this part in part 2. ) 2 (Project Initiation document. rtf, Alan Robinson, 2012, https:// knowledgenub. local. gov. uk/) 3 (Project Initation document (PID), Ali Ghanimi (project manager), John Magness (Project sponsor), August 2012, https://knowledgehub. local. gov. uk/) Criticism on the project initiation I will criticise all the parts of the project initiation separately. The project has a lot of goals and sub-goals. This (as seen in the future) will lead to a lack of transparency because there can't be send out one universal project goal.Also becau se of this high amount of goals there will be a lack of focus within the own organisation and even at the project manager. Project organisation The project organisation is monitored by the WMT itself; it could be useful to have influences from external parties. Also as seen in the future the complexity of the IT- part of this program is underestimated in this report. There should be more focus on how this IT-part is going to be set up and what kind of recourses are needed to chieve this. There is stated that no detailed business case is required.As shown in the future it would have been useful if they have done this part more detailed. The report would have set more directions for the programme as a whole. The price and quality are going to be fixed, getting the price fixed for an programme this size will require a lot of research in advance of the programme starting. This will take a lot of time and money and will exceed the 100million maximum development money that was agreed of i n 2012 by the council office. 4 The universal credit has spent over 425 million pound on the development ofUniversal Credit, this could have been prevented by focussing more on the use of project management frameworks and a detailed business case which is supported with reliable research. 1 1 (Universal Credit, Incremental IT, Brian Wernham,2013, Course work briefing 344SAM, moodie) project INITIATION DOCUMENT (Pid) Project organisation and structure As seen in the previous part the project used ‘an agile development approach'. The costs and quality were fixed in advance. This is to ensure that the final product is really going to work.The development method, scrum, has been used, this is a flexible way of developing a roduct. The scrum was used without the use of a project management framework such as the Dynamic Systems Development. The programming was done by the scrum-like approach but as seen in section one of this report; this project has a lot of ‘big picture goal s'; these goals fixed and are mainly in the Waterfall' world. The board wanted a big up front design, which is crossing the scrum-like programming approach which is changing it's goals and methods in an much higher speed.This big picture is counterworking the programmers. Below a illustration how the water-scrum-fall model works. In the Universal Credit System the ‘scrum' didn't have a change to be agile, once they went in a direction it was impossible to â€Å"swim back†. 2 1 (Water-scrum-fall model, Cristian Mesaros, Marketing Manager ,2013, www. iquestgroup. com/en/iquest-news/water-scrum-fall-model-life-sciences') 2 (Universal Credit, Incremental IT, Brian Wernham,2013, Course work briefing 344SAM, moodle) The Overall governance structure is shown in the image below.It must be said that the project manager has been replaced 5 times in over a year of this programme running, how is this possible? The lack of transparency from day 1 has resulted in nclear targets. The project has been monitored by the WMT, this monitoring should have been more in collaborating with the lower-level mangers who where working with a way more flexible approach. Also is there a lack of a good stakeholders communication department, the communication with the stakeholders has been very bad and should have gotten more attention. (Preparing for Universal credit, London Borough of Lewisham local authority led pilot, August 2012, https://knowledgenub. local. gov. uk/) Conclusions The Universal Credit System is a project that has cost 4 times what was counted on. How is this possible and where can we put the blame? I'm going to give my conclusions on this research in 2 departments: Project Initiation The project had too much goals, which has lead to haziness for the overall The project has a lot of goals and sub-goals. This (as seen in the future) will lead to a lack of transparency because there cant be send out one universal project goal.Also money that was agreed of in 20 12 by the council office. Project organisation and structure The project has changed 5 times of project manager because of a lack of transparency, intern and extern. Credit programme. I think the board underestimated he complexity ot this programme; overall the Universal Credit programme should have used project management a lot more. Recommendations Below a list of recommendations I make on what could have done better on the Universal Credit programme: Divide the programme in separate parts, with separate goals.

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PR trends contributing to growth - Assignment Example One part of the public that has increased influence on the growth of PR in organization is confrontation with activist groups like Greenpeace. Activism has become more relevant to the PR field for several reasons, including the fact that organizations have to become more effective in dealing with these groups (Theaker & Yaxley, 2013). Moreover, activism has become a major rejuvenator for organizations as management has to change the way that they manage their relationship with activist groups in society. The McLibel case is a good example of how companies have been forced to change their PR strategy to deal with activist groups, as well as providing a blueprint for research into activism’s cause and effect relationship with organizations. In this case, McDonalds had been spending almost $2 billion on promotion and advertising its products and restaurants annually because of a firm belief in defending their reputation (Theaker & Yaxley, 2013). Defense of the company’s reputation was also taken up through legal action, whereby most of their critics were forced to apologize in order to avoid litigation. However, this strategy of attempting to remain unchallenged was tested when the activist group Greenpeace attempted to effect a change in their policy. Their libel action against McDonalds started when they designed and distributed a leaflet about what was wrong about McDonalds and what the company did not want the public to know about their operations. They criticized McD onalds of being partly responsible for starvation in developing nations, as well as for the destruction of tropical rainforests. Moreover, McDonalds was also accused of exploiting children in their promotions and ads, animal cruelty, poor working conditions for employees, and serving food that could cause heart disease and cancer (Theaker & Yaxley, 2013). The activist

Explain what is meant by effective managerial Essay

Explain what is meant by effective managerial - Essay Example It is very important for people working in a particular organization to communicate with one another in order to remain informed and updated regarding current changes taking place within the organization. An individual cannot solve all the issues he/she faces on their own and requires help of others to solve these issues; and in order to attain help they need to communicate with others about their concerns (Alvare, 2005, p.129). This communication will provide help for an individual as others will try to solve the issue with him/her. 1.2. Managerial Communication Managerial communication is regarded to be an element which assists managers with communication with individuals working in the same hierarchical positions, with individuals who are at the top level of the hierarchy and with individuals who occupy the lower levels of the hierarchy. Managerial communication is important for managers as it assists them with performing their main role of getting things done by others. Manageria l communication is said to be effective in nature when a manager is able to successfully get things done by others. Effective communication takes place when the message sent by the manager is clearly understood by the receivers of the message (Clampitt, 2010, p.260). A manager identifies that communication has taken place in an effective manner when the desired result of the message has been achieved or the feedback provided by the receiver is similar to the feedback expected by the manager. 2. Body 2.1. Importance of Effective Managerial Communication Managerial communication that is effective in nature is significant in order to exchange opinions and ideas between different employees as well as between the manager and its subordinates. Managers need to promote discussions that are healthy in nature within the organization in order to obtain effective and efficient results. Effective managerial communication helps managers with obtaining ideas from subordinates, and then these idea s are implemented as solutions into issues experienced by the organization. Effective managerial communication is essential in order to attain aims and objectives of the organizations in an effective and efficient manner. With the use of effective managerial communication, managers can help their subordinates understand the tasks they need to perform and to inform subordinates about the organization’s expectations. Effective managerial communication leads to decrease in duplication of work. When managers of different departments communicate with each other, they tend to share information regarding projects they are working on and due to this one manager will remain informed what others are working on and will work on some other aspect or objective of the organization. Effective managerial communication helps managers with motivating employees in order to attain the objective of getting work done by them. Managers who are empathetic towards their employees ensure that they are well aware of the issues experienced by the employees and these grievances can only be known if managers participate in communication in an effective manner (Dasgupta, 2013, p.180). Once the managers are aware of employee grievances, they can help them solve these grievances in order to motivate them to work hard. Effective managerial communication even assists with solving disputes among employees and among those individuals who are at the top level of management and the employees who are at the lower level of the

MIH543 - Perspectives on Abuse Violence Module 5 - SLP Essay

MIH543 - Perspectives on Abuse Violence Module 5 - SLP - Essay Example What are the chances that this form of violence can be reduced? Abuse violence represents a prevalent issue for health care workers in many regions of the contemporary world. Health care workers critically need education in this area if they are to effectively function detect the occurrence of violent abuse in their patients and provide health care services to these individuals. Health care workers also need to be knowledgeable in the area of other services that patients who are experiencing violent abuse can be referred to for additional assistance and services. Various world regions are known to have high rates of familial violence and abuse. One such are of he world is the country of Iraq reported to be characterized by â€Å"extraordinarily high levels of cultural and institutional violence†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Heartland alliance: International Programs, 2010) World wide it is reported that â€Å"one out of every here women†¦will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries .† (Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2004) The National Institute of Justice reports that there is a need for the development of a new protocol for health care providers who treat individuals affected by abuse and violence. This requires that health care workers world wide be on the receiving end of education and training to assist them in properly documenting and assessing abuse and violence that their patients have endured. The work of Tacket (2004) states that three actions are needed by health care services in regards to addressing the needs of patients who are abused violently: (1) improvement of information availability on domestic violence and services; (2) provision and acquisition of appropriate training for health care professionals; and (3) instituting systems of enquiry about domestic violence. Tacket (2004) reports that health care professionals and staff â€Å"should ideally receive

The Hill Project Management Company's Competitive Edge Term Paper

The Hill Project Management Company's Competitive Edge - Term Paper Example This research study highlights that technological changes and the problems in the economy commonly cause environmental threats to the businesses. Better and innovative ways need to be brought to fore in order to minimize these threats. Therefore, by making an environmental scan, the Hill project Management Company would be able to arrive at better solutions.As the paper stresses the environmental scanning shows that the business is competitive and currently commands a domineering position in its domain. It is seen from the fact that the business has proved itself to be efficient in several areas. The strengths connected with the business may be quality services, better support from the side of the government, good organizational climate and better conditions in the workplace. The strengths possessed by the business will assist the organization in arriving at best possible results. Eventually better market conditions will be created .Ultimately, all these factors will make the busines s well equipped and fortified. The aim of having proper understanding of the present conditions is to run the business in an active pace. Possessing proper control on the prevailing conditions is necessary to have a competitive advantage in the market.  The main competitors of the Hill Project Management Company are Acorn Energy, Inc. and Aecom Technology Corporation. It can be seen that the check is likely to be created upon one or the other particular regions.... Eventually better market conditions will be created .Ultimately, all these factors will make the business well equipped and fortified. The aim of having proper understanding of the present conditions is to run the business in an active pace. Possessing proper control on the prevailing conditions is necessary to have a competitive advantage in the market. 3. The main competitors of the Hill Project Management Company are Acorn Energy, Inc. and Aecom Technology Corporation. It can be seen that the check is likely to be created upon one or the other particular regions. These companies are quite active at the project and construction business. Moreover, the image so created by these two industries is quite attractive and appealing too. The business has to strive hard in order to face the challenges set by these two business giants. The business has to see to it that the situations require to be made efficient and knowledgeable in approach. â€Å"Profit maximization is a good thing for a company but can be a bad thing for  consumers  if the company  starts  to use cheaper  products  or decides to raise  prices† (Profit Maximization, 2013, par.1). One of the strategies that would prove fruitful is to increase profits and value for stakeholders at large. Basically, the industry should aim a higher target by making sure that the output requirements are met and remain productive throughout. For this, the check is likely to be worked upon on one or more of the respective regions. The Hill Project Management Company would implement strategic planning, which would be viewed as a precious extension to their production. Profits margin can be increased by employing best possible strategic moves followed by best

Idea of Progress Essay Example for Free

Idea of Progress Essay Im going to talk about the notion Idea of progress. To begin with, Id like to give a definition of progress. The idea of progress basically consists in believing that the world can become better in terms of art, science, technology, liberty, and quality of life. However, sometimes progress causes more problems than it solves . Consequently, we are going to weigh the positive and negatives aspects of progress, in science , in medicine and in new technologies. The idea of progress basically consists in believing that the world can become better in terms of art, science, technology, liberty and quality of life and has shaped most of Western civilisations vision of history . Progress implies change, some evolution from an old order with old traditions to a new order which is not necessarily embraced by all . Its at the heart oh a heated debate between those who approve of these changes and those who resist and criticize them in the name of tradition . As the rythm of progress seems to have accelerated these last few decades with an ever faster increase of major technological and scientific breakthroughs, the cult of novelty and progress is now being questioned . Indeed, a growing number of people voice their concern about the ethical, social and environmental consequences of such development and about the excesses of todays consumer society .

ACQUISITION OF JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER

ACQUISITION OF JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER In a changing world the only constant is change. The world hates change but, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress. Charles Kettering (Brainquotes.com) Change is a pervasive influence. We are all subject to continual change of one form or another. Change is an inescapable part of both social and organizational life. (Mullins, 2007:909) Organisational change means significant alteration in any one or more of the tasks, techniques, structures and people of the organization. (Saiyadain, 2003:174) Change is introduced either to improve effectiveness or to adapt to external changes. Managers face complex and challenging pressures and opportunities while introducing change in an organization. They must ensure the efficient use of resources and, at the same time, find ways of guaranteeing the long-term effectiveness of the organizations for which they work. Planning, implementing and coping with change has been, and seems likely to remain, one of the main challenges facing managers, in both the private and public sectors, today. In manufacturing, banking, education and health care change is the norm. (Carnall, 2007) Managing change at the best of times is a challenge since it goes beyond the realms of logic and delves into the realms of perception. People are naturally inclined over centuries of conditioned behaviour to be comfortable in the present and any announcement of change makes them perceive new situations, new people, new places, and newer security issues. Once again, when man is asked to think outside his comfort zone, his first perceptions are mostly defensive and negative, hence managing change is a challenge. Managing change in a personal or family environment is difficult enough in light of changed equations, changed economic status, and changed relationships. However, there is rarely any competitiveness or a threat of economical or emotional security from ones near and dear ones. None the less, the two points mentioned in the earlier paragraph about man perceiving change negatively remain a challenge. The process of organizational change can be initiated deliberately by managers, it can evolve slowly within a department, it can be imposed by specific changes in policy or procedures, or it can arise through external pressures. Change can affect all aspects of the operation and functioning of the organization. Most planned organizational change is triggered by the need to respond to new challenges or opportunities presented by the external environment. Planned change represents an intentional attempt to improve, in some important way, the operational effectiveness of the organization. Thus, the basic objectives of managing organizational change are: Modifying the behavioural patterns of the members of the organizations Improving the ability of the organization to cope with changes in its environment. It is also important for management to understand the reasons for, and nature of, resistance and to adopt a clearly defined strategy for the initiation of change. The successful management of change is an increasingly important managerial responsibility. (Mullins, 2007) The merger and acquisition boom has brought change on its trail throughout industry and commerce. A major aspect of organizational change can be viewed in an acquisition. In order to understand this facet, I studied the case of an Indian company acquiring a UK one; the Tatas acquiring Jaguar Land Rover. Tata is seen to value its employees as much as its profits, and prides itself on equality and fair management. After a great deal of bidding and negotiations, the Tatas bought the earlier Ford owned Jaguar Land Rover, for a whopping USD 2.3 billion. Both the corporations entered into mutual agreements regarding various aspects such as support facilities like IT, design and development of the automobiles to keep the uniqueness intact. By studying this organizational change, I analysed and focused on, how smooth communication and understanding can lead to copying with resistance of any sorts. LITERATURE REVIEW The concept of organizational change is a wide change as opposed to small changes. Examples of wide change may include a change in a mission, restructuring operations, new technologies, mergers and acquisitions, re-engineering etc. change should not be done for the sake of change its a strategy to accomplish some overall goal. (www.managementhelp.org) Typically there are strong resistances to change. People are afraid of the unknown. Often there are conflicting goals in the organization. Organizations wide changes often go against the very values held dear by members of the organization. Thats why organizational change discusses needed changes in the cultural aspect of values and beliefs. Planned Organization Change Process:- (Behaviour Modification) Organizational change calls for a change in the individual behaviour of the employees. Any organizational change whether introduced through a new structural design or new technology attempts to make employees modify their behaviour because unless the behaviour patterns change, there will be very little impact on the effectiveness of the organization. Kurt Lewin came up with a three-phase process of behaviour modification to implement planned change. Change in Organization Requires Change in the behaviour of individuals Calls for Unfreezing Movement Refreezing (Ahmad, Gilkar and Darzi, 2008) Unfreezing The process of unfreezing is the toughest phase where one has to overcome the inertia of comfortable practices and complacency to convince others that the change is not just necessary but desirable too. Lewin believes that change should not come as a surprise to members of the organization, unannounced change would be socially destructive and opposed by the members. (Cole, 2005) The management must pave the way by unfreezing the situation, so that members would be willing and ready to accept the change. This way any resistance to change can also be neutralised. Movement Once the unfreezing process is complete and the members of the organization accept and recognize the requirement of change and have been fully prepared to accept the same, their behaviour patterns have to be redesigned. (Kumar and Mittal, 2002) This can be done by establishing new reporting relationships and creating reward/incentive systems.(Hunt Simms) The movement process involves development of new attitudes or behaviour and the implementation of the change. (Mullins, 2007) Refreezing Change or movement phase continues until a new balance is made between the forces driving and restraining change. Thus the aim of refreezing is to establish this balance at a higher level of performance. This is done by supporting mechanisms for example policies, structure or norms (Mullins, 2007:910) which positively reinforces the new ways of working. (Hunt Simms) During this phase, individuals internalize the new behaviour developed in the movement phase. Resistance to Change:- Change in an organization can have different responses. The most obvious one is resistance. Any change whether beneficial or superficial, is likely to meet some resistance which is usually from the people of the organization, especially if the present system favours them. Respect for individuals and communication are the basics required to help people adapt to change. (Hunt Simms) In a sense, resistance to change is positive. It provides a degree of stability and predictability to behaviour. If there is not some resistance, organizational behaviour would take on characteristics of chaotic randomness. (Ahmad, Gilkar and Darzi, 2008) Resistance to change can take many forms and it is often difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for the resistance. The forces against change in work organizations include: ignoring the needs and expectations of members; when members have insufficient information about the nature of the change; or if they do not perceive the need to change. Fears may be expressed over matters such as employment levels and job security, de-skilling of work, loss of job satisfaction, wage rate differentials, changes to social structures and working conditions, loss of individual control over work, and greater management control. (Mullins, 2007 Resistance to change can be classified into two categories: Individual resistance Organizational resistance Reasons for individual resistance to change within organizations include the following: Selective perception: Peoples own interpretation of stimuli may lead to selective perception which further form a biased view of a particular situation, and thus cause resistance to change. For example, trade unions may have a stereotyped view of management as untrustworthy and therefore oppose any management change; however well founded might have been the intention. Habit: people tend react to situations in an accustomed manner. Proposed changes to habits, especially if the habits are well established and require little effort, may well be resisted. However, if there is a clearly perceived advantage, for example a reduction in working hours without loss of pay, there is likely to be less, if any, resistance to change. Inconvenience or loss of freedom: If the change is seen as likely to prove inconvenient, make life more difficult, reduce freedom of action or result in increased control, there will be resistance. Economic implications: People are likely to resist change which is perceived as reducing their pay or monetary rewards, requiring an increase in work for the same level of pay or acting as a threat to their job security. Security in the past: In times of difficulty or when faced with new or unfamiliar ideas and methods, people tend to reflect on their past to find a sense of security. For example, in bureaucratic organizations, officials often tend to place faith in well established procedures and methodologies and adhere to them as giving a feeling of security. Fear of the unknown: Many major changes in a work organization present a degree of uncertainty; for example, the introduction of new technology or methods of working. These changes which confront people with the unknown cause anxiety or fear. Reasons for organizational resistance to change within organizations include the following: Organisational culture: Culture is pervasive in nature, develops overtime and may not be easy to change. It has a significant effect on organizational processes and the behaviour of the staff. An ineffective culture may result in a lack of flexibility for, or acceptance, of change. Maintaining stability: Organizations pay much attention to maintaining stability and predictability. The need for formal organization structure and the division of work, narrow definitions of assigned duties and responsibilities, established rules, procedures and methods or work can result in resistance to change. Investment in resources: Change often requires large resources like buildings, technology, equipment and people, which may already be committed to investments in other areas or strategies. For example, a car manufacturer may not find it way to change to a socio-technical approach and the use of autonomous work groups because it cannot afford the cost of new purpose-built plant and specialised equipment. Past contracts or agreements: Organisations enter into contracts or agreements with other parties which many times limit changes in behaviour for example, organisations operating under a special licence or permit. Threats to power or influence: Change may be seen as a threat to the power or influence of certain groups within the organization, such as their control over decisions, resources or information. For example, managers may resist the introduction of quality circles or worker-directors because they see this as a threat to the power in their own positions. (Mullins, 2007) Managing organisational change: The successful management of change is clearly essential for continued economic performance and competitiveness. New ideas and innovations should not be perceived as threats by members of the organization. The efforts made by management to maintain the balance of the socio-technical system will influence peoples attitudes, the behaviour of individuals and groups, and thereby the level of organisational performance and effectiveness. (Mullins, 2008) Overcoming resistance to change A manger need not always be saddled with the task of change in organizations where resistance is strongly prevalent. There are some techniques which can assist him in overcoming resistance. But he should not underestimate the variety of ways people react to change and the ways they can positively influence specific individuals and groups during the change process. (Ahmad, Gilkar and Darzi, 2008) There are a number of ways in which resistance can be minimised. These have been developed from the ideas of Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) Education and Communication: Educating people and providing them with adequate information before the change takes place may not lessen resistance but should reduce the unnecessary stress. Managers should communicate their ideas via one-on-one discussions, presentations or reports, so that people understand the need of rand see the logic of the proposed change. Facilitation and support: If the proposed change is likely to mean changes in skills, time needs to be given for training and development. Managers need to provide all the support they can and lend an ear to their subordinates and their grievances. Negotiation and Agreement: It is possible to reduce resistance by offering incentives to active or potential resisters. Co-option: Another way to overcome resistance, obtain commitment and increase the quality of the change, in an individual or group is to give them a role with responsibility and status attached, in the implementation of the change. (Hunt Simms) Organizational Responses to Disruptive Change Christensen and Overdorf, identified three factors that affect organizational responses to different types of change and what an organization can and cannot do: resources access to abundant, high quality resources increases an organizations chances of coping with change processes the patterns of interaction, co-ordination, communication and decision-making employees use to transform resources into products and services. values the standards by which employees set priorities that enable them to judge whether an order is attractive, whether a customer is more or less important, whether an idea for a new product is attractive or marginal. There are three possible ways in which managers can develop new capabilities to cope with change: create new organizational structures within corporate boundaries in which new processes can be developed spin out an independent organization from the existing organization and develop new processes and values acquire a different organization whose processes and values match closely the new requirements. (Mullins, 2007) Actions to Secure Effective Change Kotter and Cohn list the following eight steps for successful large-scale change. Create a sense of urgency among relevant people, whatever the nature or size of the organization. Build a guiding team with the credibility, skills, connections, reputations and formal authority to provide change leadership. Create visions which are sensible, clear and uplifting, and sets of strategies. Communicate the vision and the strategy in order to induce understanding and commitment. Empower action and remove obstacles that stop people acting on the vision. Produce short-term wins that help to provide credibility, resources and momentum to the overall effort. Dont let up but maintain the momentum, consolidate early changes and create wave after wave of change Make change stick by nurturing a new culture, and developing group norms of behaviour and shared values. (Mullins, 2007) A Chosen Case : Tatas acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover Allow me to illustrate- In an economics class, some students felt that capitalism has negative connotations leading to disparities in society and hence socialism is a better option. The economics class teacher threw change in the direction of the students by offering an average gradation to all students ala socialism. At the end of the first test the students were all given B which was the cumulative average of the class. The students who usually did well did not find this change acceptable as their As became Bs and so in the next test the good students made lesser effort and the poorer students hoped that the performance of the good students will keep their grade at B. But in the second test, since the good students had made lesser effort the average of the class fell down to C and this made everybody unhappy with change and fulfilled the innate human belief that change is negative and bad. Arising from the above example, it becomes obvious that the change agent must not only have a powerfully beneficial idea but also have plans, programs, initiatives and good communication to help overcome the known and existing devil of negative perception to change in the human mind. Its in the above context that we assess how the new owners of the legendary Jaguar and Land Rover dealt with the organizational change in light of the ownership transferring to the Indian industrial giant-the house of Tatas. Tata Motors is Indias largest automobile company, with revenues of US$ 8.8 billion in 2007-08. With over 4 million Tata vehicles plying in India, it is the leader in commercial vehicles and among the top three in passenger vehicles. It is also the worlds fourth largest truck manufacturer and the second largest bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia and South America. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in South Korea, Thailand and Spain. It also has a strategic alliance with Fiat. (www.tatamotors.com) In January 2008, Tata was named the prime bidder for the upscale Jaguar and Land Rover units besting two other finalists, Indian automaker Mahindra Mahindra Ltd. and US private equity firm One Equity Partners LLC. On March 26th, 2008, Tata Motors announced its acquisition of the Jaguar-Land Rover businesses from Ford Motor Company for a net consideration of US$ 2.3 billion on a cash free, debt-free basis. The final purchase consideration includes the ownership of Jaguar and Land Rover or perpetual royalty-free licences of all necessary Intellectual Property Rights, manufacturing plants, two advanced design centres in the UK, and worldwide network of National Sales Companies. Ford completed the sale of its Jaguar and Land Rover businesses to the Indian multinational Tata on the 2nd of June, 2008. Tata Motors established that Mr. David Smith, the acting Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover, would be the new CEO of the business. (www.expressindia.com) Long term agreements and contracts have been entered into for supply of engines, stampings and other components to Jaguar Land Rover. Other areas of transition support from Ford include IT, accounting and access to test facilities. The two companies will continue to cooperate in areas such as design and development through sharing of platforms and joint development of hybrid technologies and power train engineering. The Ford Motor Credit Company will continue to provide financing for Jaguar Land Rover dealers and customers for a transition period. (www.tatamotors.com) Britains traditionally feisty and combative trade unions, cheered Tatas purchase of Jaguar-Land Rover. The top bosses of Unite, the UKs largest trades union called this acquisition real good news for the UK automotive industry because according to them Tatas are into making cars, not just money. Tata also promised that including retaining jobs and existing employee contracts for at least the next 5 years as well as putting money into J-LR to grow the business. Tata recognised the Britishness of the two brands and have no intention of closing any plants in the UK. In fact they are committed that after 2011, all the Jaguar Land Rover products will still be designed and manufactured in the UK. (www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The purchase agreement was seen by trade unions as safeguarding jobs in the UK for two reasons. First , Tata committed to follow an existing five-year plan to invest in and develop the car manufacturing businesses. Jaguar and Rover employ just under 16,000 people, most of them in the Midlands and at Halewood near Liverpool. Also, Tata is contracted to buy engines and other parts from Ford until at least 2012, which should protect employment at Fords plants in Dagenham and Bridgend. As of now, Tata has no plans to relocate manufacturing capacity to low-cost India. Instead it appears to see the purchase of Land Rover and Jaguar as a route into the middle to top end of the global motorcar market. Ford also reassured employees of Jaguar and Land Rover that they will face no financial risks from the takeover and that their pensions are safe because it will inject  £300 million into their pension scheme, to eliminate any deficit. (www.bbc.co.uk) DISCUSSION The Tata deal is known to be one of the most ambitious purchases of a British based manufacturer, by any company from the fast emerging economies of Asia. It is considered to be a momentous time for all at the Tata Corporation. The announcement of Tatas acquisition created many unusual challenges including cultural, financial, industrial and communication challenges. But, the Tatas managed this situation thoroughly and coped with any resistance they faced from the employees or the company really well. An advantage: Tatas had an edge as they had very recently acquired the steel producer Corus Steel. This gave them an upper hand over the rest of the bidders as they had enough knowledge concerning the laws, mind set, unions, heritage, business culture etc which helped them understand the British environment better than the rest. Pre Soaking the government: Tatas also did a very wise thing by approaching the government of the United Kingdom before the final bidding. They pre-soaked the government and most rightly convinced them about the acquisition which helped them out with understanding the scenario in the country. Education and Communication: Information is the life blood of any organisation and the way in which any idea is communicated can make a difference between a productive and committed workforce and one that is sceptical and unreceptive. Tatas took extreme care in their communication, initial interaction, minimal disturbance to operating practices to ensure that they had enough time to understand the national and corporate culture at Jaguar Land Rover. This also made the Jaguar Land Rovers management and staff secure about their job and financial security and thus provided them with the conviction to protect them both. Retaining many officials: A judicious decision which the Tata Corporation took was to retain the chief executive officer and many other top level management of Jaguar Land Rover. This made it easier and convenient for the Tatas to transmit important information and communicate effectively through the employees own credible leaders. Thus the workforce was more receptive to any decision or conclusion arrived at than that was expected to be. Negotiations and Agreements: Corporate values must be understood, respected and appreciated while entering into such propositions. This is essential to ensure that the merged organisation is run to the new organizational culture that they have jointly created. Tata entered into long term agreements for supply of engines, stamping and other components of Jaguar Land Rover. Both, Ford and Tata will continue to cooperate in different areas like design and development. This motivated and provided incentive to the company and its employees and thus Tatas avoided any resistance in this area. Facilitation and Support: Different perceptions of time was a particular challenge for both Jaguar Land Rover and Tatas. Indians usually take more time than the Brits to meet and interact with employees at all levels and develop relationships. This on the whole conflicted with the approach of the Brits who paid greater importance to things being done quickly and relationships can wait for later. The Tatas built excellent relationships with the management and the company. They took one step at a time. They have even agreed to keep intact the plants in the UK and committed further that the designing and manufacturing will be based there as well. Co-option: Including and involving the present employees of Jaguar Land Rover is an extremely important area which needed to be targeted. This is mainly so that the employees feel a part of the proposition and refrain from any sort of resistance to the acquisition. Thus from the above derived points and discussions, it is evident that the Tatas coped with resistance to change very well. There were no major problems that they faced regarding resistance and in fact were cheered by the employees for their entire proposal. The complete catch in the whole acquisition is time. All that the corporate world, specifically which of India and the United Kingdom needs to do is to wait and watch. It is with time that one will know how successful or unsuccessful this proposition of Mr. Ratan Tata (Chairman of the Tata group) will be. CONCLUSION A broad recommendation that I want to touch upon is that there is an enormous need for an organisational behaviour division in all corporations. Organisational change is not an easy task. It is serious business and may be one of the most risky decision making processes which no organisation can avoid either. The main aspect of change is faced and resisted by people ranging from the ones working in the organisation, running it or may be even the ones outside it. Thus the facet that organisational change impacts the most is organisational behaviour. It may be said that the human resource department can handle such deeds. But, in my opinion a human resource department looks into and understands matters of people of one particular country or culture. With the emerging multicultural, multi-geographical and multi-country mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, it is of crucial need to start an organizational behaviour division which handles these features of organisational change to secu re the financial health and reputation of a company. To conclude, I feel that steps should be taken to ensure that the human element is not ignored in the acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover because at the end of the day it is the combined effort of each employee that will have the biggest impact on the booming outcome of this acquisition. This can be done by watchfully selecting potential leaders in the organisation to help carry out and communicate the necessary changes to all other employees as this will subsequently help ensure they feel cared for. It is exceptionally necessary that the Tatas take out time to understand and appreciate the impact of a changing organizational culture on its employees and at the same time, recognize the challenge of bringing together both the national cultures or else the company will risk a lot at stake. With estimates signifying that as many as 80% of international and cross cultural mergers and acquisitions fail, it is only two years down the line in 2012 when all the agreement and contracts entered into by both the companies end, that we would have known whether Mr. Tatas team in spite of the unforeseen global economic downturn were able to achieve a smooth organizational change and manage it with à ©lan or were they 8 of the 10 that fail. To summarize, I began my essay with a brief introduction on managing organizational change and my specific case to illustrate the theme of the paper. This was followed by deeply understanding the main theories and points supporting managing change in the literature review section, where I focused mainly on resistance to change and different ways to cope with it. I then brought forward the case of Tatas acquiring Jaguar Land Rover and discussed the basic facts and information of the acquisition which led me to the discussion section. I pointed out various ways by which Tatas coped with resistance of any kinds and on paper seemed like one of the most perfect acquisitions. In conclusion, I further gave in some of my recommendations to support the case and of what I felt was the need of the hour. REFERNECES Ahmad, Gilkar and Darzi (2008) Organisational Behaviour Atlantic Publishers Distributors Carnall, A.C. (2007) Managing Change in Organizations 5th ed. Essex: Prentice Hall Cole, G. A. (2005), Organisational Behaviour Cornwall : Thompson Learning Hunt, M. S. Simms, H. Organisational Behaviour and Change Management Kumar, N. and Mittal, R. (2002) Organisational Behaviour New Delhi : Anmol Publishers Mullins, L.J. (2007) Management and Organisational Behaviour 7th ed. Essex : Prentice Hall Mullins, L.J. (2008) Essentials of Organizational Behaviour 8th ed. Pearson Education Saiyadain, M.S. (2003) Organisational Behaviour New York : Tata McGraw-Hill www.bbc.co.uk Available at [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2008/03/tata_and_british_jobs.html] Accessed on 2/01/2010 www.brainyquotes.com www.expressindia.com Available at [http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Ford-Tata-closing-in-on-Jaguar-deal/267399/] Accessed on 1/01/2010 www.managementhelp.org Available at [http://managementhelp.org/mgmnt/orgchnge.htm] Accessed on 30/12/2009 www.tatamotors.com Available at [http://tatamotors.com/our_world/press_releases.php?ID=370action=Pull] Accessed on 1/01/2010 www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com Available at [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/specials/Three-cheers-for-Tata-Britains-trade-unions/articleshow/2911159.cms] Accessed on 1/01/2010

William Randolph Hearst Essay -- History, War

A. Plan of Investigation How greatly was William Randolph Hearst's propaganda concerning the Cuban insurrection involved in the decision of the United States to declare war on Spain in 1898? This question will be addressed in this investigation in an attempt to find the degree of influence that the publisher William Randolph Hearst had on a brief period of American foreign policy (and Cuban domestic policy) by his manipulation of the press, the emerging medium of the screen, and the lobbying of Congress. This will be done by reviewing the two opposing theories regarding Hearst's involvement; one claiming that he was one of the leading catalysts of the conflict, the other arguing that he simply manipulated the existing public opinion to make money. This paper will also analyze the historical evidence that may or may not point to Hearst's early steps towards the war, such as journalist George Creelman's account of the controversial Remington-Hearst telegrams, as well as W. Joseph Campbell's study of the factu ality of Creelman's narrative. The period of time being examined is from Hearst's papers' first calls for intervention in Cuba in 1893 to their coverage of the sinking of the USS Maine on 15 February 1898. It will not discuss anything that Hearst published in this time period advocating intervention in or covering the crises in the Phillipines and Puerto Rico. B. Summary of Evidence On the evening of 15 February 1898, the USS Maine, an American battleship stationed in Cuba's Havana Harbor, spontaneously exploded, killing more than 250 of its passengers. Two days later, despite the warnings of the Maine's commander Captain Charles Sigsbee that "public opinion (about the cause of the explosion) should be suspended until f... ... for description" (New York Journal 17 Aug. 1897). The paper detailed the story of her bold resistance to the advances of a Spanish officer, her imprisonment in a jail reserved for prostitutes and her eventual rescue by Journal correspondent Karl Decker (Thomas 179-184), who, according to fellow Journal writer Willis Abbot, actually bribed the prison guards to stage the rescue (Abbott 215-216). From 12 January to 20 January 1898, the Journal ran a series of cartoons ridiculing House Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed for openly opposing American intervention. On 25 January, the Maine arrived in Havana harbor, the first American boat to arrive. "Our Flag at Havana at Last," declared the Journal. Then, for almost a month the paper was quiet, finally interrupted by the mysterious explosion of the Maine. By that time, Hearst was riding a wave of papers and power to war.

PIV Measurement of Fluid Flow Inside a Human Uterus Model for Cryoablation :: essays research papers

PIV MEASUREMENT OF FLUID FLOW INSIDE A HUMAN UTERUS MODEL FOR CRYOABLATION Xiaolong Luo1, Jim S.J. Chen1, Marla Wolfson2, Charles Philips2, Thomas Shaffer2 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Temple University 2Temple University School of Medicine Abstract – A new technique has been proposed that allows cryoablation to be achieved on the entire inner surface of the endometrium by circulating very cold perfluorochemical (PFC) fluid inside the human uterus. To understand the PFC flow field inside the uterus during cryoablation, a uterus model was constructed; a fluid delivery system including the fluid delivery probe was designed and built to simulate the PFC flow during cryosurgery. With particle image velocimetry (PIV), the fluid flow inside the uterus was investigated at room temperature to display a 2-D whole field velocity contour and vector plot. Keywords: PIV, cryoablation, PFC, endometrium I. INTRODUCTION Menorrhagia is medically defined as excessive bleeding at menses, in duration or amount. A frequent cause of menorrhagia is uterine fibroid growth. Traditionally, hysterectomy is the main treatment for menorrhagia. Several cryosurgery methods such as localized cryoprobes [1] and balloon ablation [2] have been developed as alternatives to hysterectomy to treat the dysfunction of the endometrium. However, these are localized techniques and sometimes there is still proliferation of the endometrium. A new technique is proposed that allows cryoablation to be achieved on the entire inner surface of the endometrium using a PFC fluid [3]. The objective of this project is to develop an efficient treatment method for abnormal uterine bleeding by freezing the endometrium. It has been shown that a temperature of –30 C is required for destroy tissue necrosis [4]. The heat transfer process during cryoablation was investigated experimentally and numerically (1-D) with good agreement [5], in which a uniform fluid temperature boundary condition was used in the 1-D finite difference method to determine the temperature history in the human uteri of eight patients. This assumed that the fluid flow inside the uterus is uniform, repeatable and controllable. During the experiments it was found that the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the insertion probe varied from 10Â ºC to 50Â ºC. Inconsistent fluid temperatures may be caused by inadequate circulation of PFC liquid, i.e., recirculation within the uterus. The goal of this study is to understand the flow field inside the uterus cavity during cryoablation so that the desired flow field and uniform temperature field can be obtained, thus proposing an optimal insertion probe design so that minimum PFC liquid and surgery time is used.

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five Essay -- Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterho

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five Great artists have the ability to step back from society and see the absurd circus that their world has become. Such satirists use their creative work to reveal the comic elements of an absurd world and incite a change in society; examples include Stanley Kubrick’s film, Dr. Strangelove, and Joseph Heller’s novel, Catch-22. Both works rose above their more serious counterparts to capture the critical voice of a generation dissatisfied with a nation of warmongers. Completing this triumvirate of anti-war classics is Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. Infusing his social commentary with science fiction, satire, bizarre characters, and the problem of death, Vonnegut creates one of the most effective arguments against war in the American canon of literature. The life of Kurt Vonnegut began on November 11, 1922 in Indiana. He aged and entered school, picking up an affinity for the written word while editing his high school paper (Klinkowitz, â€Å"Chronology† 3). As he grew up, Vonnegut faced a nation rapidly changing under the burdens of the Depression. This economic disaster harmed Vonnegut’s family as well, causing his parents to make countless sacrifices to keep their family from crumbling under the pressure (Klinkowitz, â€Å"America† 8). Vonnegut survived the Depression to enroll at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he majored in chemistry and biology. Three years into school he enlisted in the United States Army and fought in World War II. One year later Germans captured Vonnegut and held him as a prisoner of war in Dresden. He lived in this city for less than half a year before he survived the â€Å"boundless† â€Å"destruction† (Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five 22) caused by the D... ...uarterly 103 (1998): 17. Simpson, Josh. â€Å"’This Promising of Great Secrets’: Literature, Ideas, and the (Re)invention of Reality in Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions.† Studies in Contemporary Fiction 45 (Spring 2004): 261-271. Infotrac Onefile. 28 Oct. 2004. . Tanner, Tony. â€Å"The Uncertain Messenger: A Reading of Slaughterhouse-Five.† Merrill 125-130. Vees-Gulani, Susanne. â€Å"Diagnosing Billy Pilgrim: A Psychiatric Approach to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.† Studies in Contemporary Fiction 44 (Winter 2003): 175-184. Infotrac Onefile. 28 Oct. 2004. . Vonnegut, Kurt. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater or Pearls Before Swine. New York, NY: Dell Publishing, 1965. ---. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York, NY: Delta Fiction, 1969. Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five Essay -- Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterho Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five Great artists have the ability to step back from society and see the absurd circus that their world has become. Such satirists use their creative work to reveal the comic elements of an absurd world and incite a change in society; examples include Stanley Kubrick’s film, Dr. Strangelove, and Joseph Heller’s novel, Catch-22. Both works rose above their more serious counterparts to capture the critical voice of a generation dissatisfied with a nation of warmongers. Completing this triumvirate of anti-war classics is Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. Infusing his social commentary with science fiction, satire, bizarre characters, and the problem of death, Vonnegut creates one of the most effective arguments against war in the American canon of literature. The life of Kurt Vonnegut began on November 11, 1922 in Indiana. He aged and entered school, picking up an affinity for the written word while editing his high school paper (Klinkowitz, â€Å"Chronology† 3). As he grew up, Vonnegut faced a nation rapidly changing under the burdens of the Depression. This economic disaster harmed Vonnegut’s family as well, causing his parents to make countless sacrifices to keep their family from crumbling under the pressure (Klinkowitz, â€Å"America† 8). Vonnegut survived the Depression to enroll at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he majored in chemistry and biology. Three years into school he enlisted in the United States Army and fought in World War II. One year later Germans captured Vonnegut and held him as a prisoner of war in Dresden. He lived in this city for less than half a year before he survived the â€Å"boundless† â€Å"destruction† (Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five 22) caused by the D... ...uarterly 103 (1998): 17. Simpson, Josh. â€Å"’This Promising of Great Secrets’: Literature, Ideas, and the (Re)invention of Reality in Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions.† Studies in Contemporary Fiction 45 (Spring 2004): 261-271. Infotrac Onefile. 28 Oct. 2004. . Tanner, Tony. â€Å"The Uncertain Messenger: A Reading of Slaughterhouse-Five.† Merrill 125-130. Vees-Gulani, Susanne. â€Å"Diagnosing Billy Pilgrim: A Psychiatric Approach to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.† Studies in Contemporary Fiction 44 (Winter 2003): 175-184. Infotrac Onefile. 28 Oct. 2004. . Vonnegut, Kurt. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater or Pearls Before Swine. New York, NY: Dell Publishing, 1965. ---. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York, NY: Delta Fiction, 1969.

Personality Development Case Essay

Success in business and personal life is determined by one’s ability to communicate effectively with others. â€Å"Social intelligence,† or the ability to interact, converse, negotiate with, and persuade others, is the most highly paid and respected form of skill one can have, and this can be developed. Students participating in this program will experience a drastic transformation in terms of personality, communication skills, confidence level and the way of looking at life. The entire program is based on the concept of learning and acquiring skills most effectively when one is not under any pressure. The whole process of acquiring skills is like a game – entertaining and exciting. It is similar to the way a child learns to communicate and acquire skills, but with greater awareness. Basic Personality Development Workshop A wholistic workshop focused on the person’s appearance, social graces, and personality. This workshop will help the participants to project themselves in a corporate setting thru social graces and etiquette. Presence, Polish, and Power Workshop This workshop aims to help participants project a confident, professional and polished image. The Art of Business Dining This is a comprehensive session on everything one needs to know about fine dining: from use of basic tools to engaging in table talk. The objective of this course is to help the individual create a positive impression with others and enhance the image of the company he or she represents. Wellness in the Workplace This workshop was designed for leaders and persons who will eventually manage teams. Stress affects productivity and teamwork. It’s therefore important for a leader to address actual and potential stressors in the office and at home. Creating Lasting Connections This workshop serves as an introduction to the science of social intelligence – it will help you gain insights on human relations; how to better â€Å"read† people, situations and react accordingly. Key Topics * Personality Development * Confidence Building * Business Etiquette * Corporate Grooming * International Etiquette * Social Etiquette * Dining Etiquette / Table Manners * Gentlemen Etiquette * Ladies Etiquette * English Voice / Accent * Dress Code * Presentation Skills * Personal Counseling

Principles of personal development Essay

Reflective practice is when you reflect over the work you’ve done, why and how you did it the way you did, thinking it over, learning new techniques and seeing if you need to take a different approach to it next time. 1.2 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided. Reflective practice is important because of you didn’t reflect over the work you have done you would never be able to improve on what you have done. By reflecting you can look over work you have done and see what worked well and what didn’t then try and improve it for the next time if needed. 1.3 Explain how standards inform reflective practice in adult social care. Standards may include code of practice, regulations, essential standards and national occupational standards. Standards inform reflective practice by informing own learning, by helping one to think about professional accountability, by enabling professional development and by prov iding a way of identifying what is required for good practice. 1.4 Describe how own values, beliefs systems and experiences may affect working practice. Your own view may cause conflict with others or help you understand others views and help improve communication. Also own views may make you favour others with your views or you may not respect views of others which will end in you not having good communication skills with certain individuals. 2.1 Explain how people may react and respond to receiving constructive feedback. When people have been given constructive feedback some people take it in a good way and listen to the feedback to try and improve on their work but some people get defensive and take it as a dig at their work and choose not to follow the feedback. 2.2 Explain the importance of seeking feedback to improve practice and inform development. It’s important to seek feedback to identify what is working well, identify areas for improvement and development. To show that you are open to continuously improving your practice also show that you are able to learn and listen to others. 2.3 Explain the importance of using feedback in improving own practice. To show respect for the reviews of others and that you have listened, to insure that your practice meets the needs of the individuals and to enable you to develop new approaches and ways of thinking. 3.1 Describe the components of a personal development plan. When putting a personal development plan together you will need objectives for development, proposed activities to meet objectives and timescales for reviews. 3.2 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development. The different sources of support are formal or informal support, supervisions or appraisals. 3.3 Explain the role of others in the development of a personal development plan in identifying Strengths and Areas for development. Others with may help you could include other staff member or professionals. They could provide you with a greater insight, enable you to think about the impact your practice has no others, provide you with information and new ideas, help indentify your strengths and areas for development and develop a working relationship with you. 3.4 Explain the benefits of using a personal development plan to identify ongoing improvements in knowledge and understanding. Focus on what one wants to achieve and how to do it, increasing own understanding of how to meet identified needs.

Print Shop

It provides homeless and at risk youth the opportunity to learn fundamental work and life skills. The Print Shop is located at Eve's Phoenix- see Exhibit 1 for a description of Eva Smith and her vision. The youth are paid entry-level wages and are accountable for duties and responsibilities that mirror those of most printing operations. Even before the youth are hired, they Job shadow to get an appreciation of working in the graphic communication industry. The Print Shop is based on a blended value proposition which entails social, economic and environmental dimensions.It is dedicated to â€Å"continuing asset building† so that the youth can come self-sufficient in the long term. Success is achieved if both the youth and the Print Shop develop self-sufficiency. Operations The Print Shop specializes in â€Å"trainee- friendly' print work, typically small format Job printing (1 1†³ x 17† and under) in one color and 2-3 spot color reproduction. It can work with most g raphic design software programs. In-house graphic design work is also available. Commercial projects Include business cards, letterhead, business cards, forms and brochures.Finishing services Include trimming, folding, scoring, perforating and shrink- wrapping. The Print Shop occupies 800 square feet In Eve's Phoenix. It has four presses: an A. B. DiCk 360, an A. B. DiCk 9810, a Heidelberg CM. 46 and a Multiple 1 250, all with color heads, and other donated equipment. Michael Ralph joined the Print Shop as its business manager after a long career in advertising. His role is to manage the systems, the people and the business opportunities of the Print Shop. His challenge is â€Å"to make sure that the fine line between training needs and business demands is relatively constant. The Print Shop is supported by an advisory board which includes senior members of the graphic communications industry. The board revised advice on curriculum, employment opportunities and technology. See Exhi bit 2 for the members of the advisory board as well as the Print Shop's organizational context. The Print Shop participates actively In the graphic communications Industry; for example, It has had booths at trade shows. Curriculum training and counseling for three weeks; 2. They get on-the-Job print shop training for 20 weeks; and -2- 3. They make Job connections and career development in the last four weeks.They learn fundamental employability work habits (e. G. , team work, attendance, punctuality and safety) as well as a customer service orientation. Youth learn about the graphic communications industry and go on tours of organizations so that they can see where they might work after graduation. The Print Shop brings in peer mentors to assist both the trainees and the instructors with training and production. The peer mentors are themselves Print Shop graduates. Once the youth graduate, they stay connected to the Print Shop through a two year follow-up program.They receive traini ng in Job planning and organization, prepares using various software programs on both PC and Macintosh platforms, small offset press operation and binding and finishing. The program is delivered by two well experienced faculty, Patrick Fisher and Bill Kid, who work part-time. They have a deep appreciation of the challenges that their students have faced in the past and are patient and flexible in how they deliver the curriculum. Outcomes The Print Shop started production in 2002. It trained ten youth in print shop and small business skills – six graduated and four were employed.In 2003, all 1 1 graduates have gone on to graphic communications programs or to commercial print shops. While four lost their opportunities, two have been re-employed. Graduates eave become press helpers and operators and production assistants, earning between $8. 00 and $14. 00 an hour. Every year, a graduate is awarded the Toronto Club Printing House Craftsman's Student Award. In 2003, the Print Sho p had revenues of $50,000, achieving 30 per cent business cost classificatory. It got 80 per cent of its work from other community organizations and 20 per cent from ‘caring corporations'.

The Impact of Technology on Music in the 20th Century

Matthew Hugenschmidt LBST 3020-090 Final Paper For centuries man has sought pleasure through music and visual arts. Until the last 100 years or so that required someone to go see a live performance, either locally or possibly to a larger metropolis with concert halls and theaters. The technological advances experienced in the last century have allowed the pairing of the audio and visual media for the masses, and have let them spread much farther than their local roots and changed their influence on society.Though essentially performing the same function, they have gone from merely allowing an escape from everyday life for very limited audiences to affecting American society’s values, view of its own culture, and consumerism. With the advent of the gramophone in 1901 people were able to listen to music inside their own homes, as well as were able to easily transport music from one area to another. (Savage 115) It was these earliest recordings brought with the American troops, o r doughboys, in WWI that brought jazz, blues, and other American musical styles to Europe.These recordings would heavily influence the shape of the European musical landscape after the war, and also increase the overseas demand for American culture and style. The music and associated dances were completely new to Europeans, and combined with the care free attitude of the Americans it showed what was seen as a hopeful way of life that had all but been forgotten in the war ravaged continent. This craving for American culture would have a large effect on the coming European generations, and would help steer the musical course for the bands that started the British Invasion.Almost simultaneously, nickelodeons started to become popular in urban areas of the United States. Named after their admission price, a nickel, these places showed short motion pictures and were usually located in working class districts. (essortment. com) Since the movies of the time were silent, the theaters usuall y had a piano or organ to provide music for the film. This was the first time there was a mass media distribution that included both audio and visual components, though the music played varied a bit from theater to theater. As movie technology improved nickelodeons soon ecame out of date, but they laid the ground work for audio and visual pairings in mass media. The rise of national radio broadcasts in the United States would play a huge part in the spread of music around the country. When the national broadcasts went to clear channel, it signaled the rise of weekly radio shows that became standard nationwide. Because of the limited variety of programming at the time, these programs had a very large audience base. One of these radio shows was Ozzie and Harriet, a family oriented radio show that was based on Ozzie and Harriet Nelson’s family.The show was quite popular on the radio since it portrayed the everyday stereotypical white suburban family. The major leap came when tel evision became the new medium of choice. In 1957 Ozzie and Harriet moved from radio to television, and by this point their son Ricky had also become an integral part of the show. This was during the very beginnings of Rock & Roll, and Ozzie saw an opportunity to cross market his son as both an actor and a singer. At the time the genre was represented primarily by figures like Elvis and Chuck Berry who were by considered risque by the elder suburban white population.Ricky Nelson was marketed as a wholesome alternative singing the same style of music, thereby appealing to both the youth and their parents. This was a major step in defining stars in pop culture since it cemented that the performers image could be more important than their musical ability and gave rise to the teen idol culture. Concurrently, since the national broadcasters had begun to focus on television, the local radio stations no longer had time occupied retransmitting the major station broadcasts. Because of this th ey found it necessary to diversify their offerings to fill the time slots.This allowed them to cater more to their local audience and what they wanted to hear. This heralded the rise of the disc jockey, and because the radio signals reached beyond the immediate locale it broadened the fan base for many musical styles. Programs like Red Hot and Blue in Memphis started playing some more alternative styles, and when it was realized that there was a large demand for this music they became important for the stations and their advertisers. (Miller 35) These shows would play what they pitched as new and â€Å"hot† tracks, thereby pushing their listeners in the directions they wanted.The person that would take this to the next step was Dick Clark with American Bandstand. He very successfully took what these radio shows were doing and applied it to national television. By carefully selecting the performing artists and the kids dancing to the music, he cultivated a very tame and innoce nt atmosphere for the show. This was integral in changing the image of Rock & Roll and its perception by the older generation, and though there had been variety shows for a good number of years, it was the first television show to completely focus on music and giving it a visual component.American Bandstand would go on to be one of the longest running series in television history. Also in the mid-1950s movie industry was becoming more popular than it had ever been, and this was due largely to the trickle down of the post World War II economic boom. Many teens had part time jobs doing things like delivering papers or running errands, and others were given an allowance by their parents. Because they had no bills to pay, all of the income for this demographic was disposable income. This led to almost all of their money being spent on entertainment.This started in the early 1900s with the nickelodeons, and then progressed as the movie industry expanded and technology progressed to allow longer films and include audio. When the movie Blackboard Jungle was released in 1955 it brought out a very interesting revelation. The Bill Haley and His Comets’ song â€Å"(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock† was played over the opening credits, and though it had been released the year before it had not fared well at all on the charts. As soon as it was featured in the movie it immediately shot to the top of the charts, where it remained for eight weeks. Covach 78) Alan Freed, a New York City DJ, immediately saw an opportunity and began making movies such as Rock Around the Clock, Rock Rock Rock, and Mr. Rock and Roll. These movies had very little in the way of plot or story line, but focused on promoting some of the hottest musical acts of the time, including Chuck Berry and Little Richard. They also served to further the career of several new artists such as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. (Covach 84) This would mark the beginning of cross marketing musica l stars into movies.The person who is most responsible for the cross genre bridge between music and visual media was Elvis. His start was a humble one, beginning with him paying for his own recording at Sun Records. Sam Phillips thought the he heard something special and signed him. For the first year and a half that after his first Sun recordings, Elvis was primarily known in the south and was relegated to the country charts. It wasn’t until Phillips sold his contract to RCA that Elvis began getting television appearances, starting with Stage Show. Covach 85) The show had poor ratings, but within week of his start there he had become a national phenomenon. This led to his appearances on the Milton Berle show, the Steve Allen show, and culminating in the Ed Sullivan show. With his good looks, sex appeal, and exciting performance style, his television performances rapidly cast him onto the national stage. (Covach 84) This meteoric rise would forever cement the link between ima ge and popularity, and also add to the â€Å"rags to riches† dream which has always been prevalent in lower and middle class households.Once Freed’s movies started coming out and doing well, RCA was quick to pitch their new star as an actor as well, though more as a feature with hip music in it rather than a sort of American Bandstand movie. The movies Elvis did, such as Jailhouse Rock, fared decently well at the box office, and usually had a single by the same name released concurrently, which in turn became a hit. The companies behind the scenes had realized that by doing this they could have their star produce multiple revenue streams for them. This would lead to a slew of movies following the same formula, especially beach movies with surf music.These movies would prove to be very influential to the images of bands and individual singers for years to come. The next level of combining visual arts and music came in the form of marketing for a band, manifested as The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. This movie departed from the Elvis style fictional motion picture that just included songs by the featured artists, which were pretty much standard at the time. Rather, this film portrayed The Beatles roughly as their lives actually were. Though exaggerated, they used The Beatles playing themselves showing their daily lives.The use of irony and satire were prevalent throughout the movie, which makes it an entertaining comedy. Even so, the viewer gets the sense that they are connected to the band and has gotten to know them on a personal level, and they could easily be someone down the street. One of the common themes throughout the film is the manager’s futile attempts at controlling the band members. Whenever he tells the band they need to do something like reply to fan mail or stay in the dressing room the first thing that is done is the opposite.Though the band members are always going against what they are being told to do, they always come through to fulfill their responsibilities, usually at the last possible moment. This appealed to both the youth who appreciated the free spiritedness The Beatles exhibited as well as the adults who cared about the example it set of fulfilling responsibility, thereby successfully cross marketing the band to both demographics. All of these events were heavily intertwined with the boom in consumerism in the 1950s and 60s. In an era of excess, the image of success is what was being sold.The idea of the suburban house with two cars and modern amenities was what the older generation who still remembered the depression was being pushed towards. With the surplus of disposable income in the post WWII economic boom, Americans began replacing items rather than fixing them, which let almost all products to be disposable. This attitude carried over to entertainment as well. Because of the short attention span of the general public it was no longer enough to just make good music. The image of the artist and how they were marketed became in some cases more important than the music itself.Rock & Roll was integral in the shift of America’s values in 1950s to 1960s towards the liberal side, starting with the youth. The music and the image it portrayed meant different things to different people, usually split by generation, but the successful visual marketing done by some key players helped change the image and soften the transition to allow the older generation to become more receptive to the cultural changes. The liberalization of music and image that started in the 60s would grow by leaps and bounds in the 70s.Artists began to take the alter ego route started by the Beatles with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and stepped it up a notch. One of the most notable examples of this was Alice Cooper. Alice Cooper’s lead singer, Vincent Furnier, had noticed that most rock stars of the day were portrayed as heroes, but there were few rock villain s. He created the persona of Alice Cooper as such a villain and also dressed in tattered women’s clothes to add more social controversy. The biggest break and controversy that really launched the band was the infamous â€Å"Chicken Incident†, where at a show a chicken somehow made its way on stage.Thinking chickens could fly Alice Cooper threw the chicken into the air above the audience thinking it would fly away. Unfortunately, the chicken fell into the audience where it was torn apart. This turned into a story of him biting the head off the chicken and drinking its blood, which made national headlines. As had been learned with Elvis, the only bad press is no press, and this rang true for Alice Cooper as well. Following this, their performances were known for being â€Å"dangerous, dark, and irreverent. † (Covach 344) These shows usually ended with some sort of gruesome death for Alice, frequently beheading or electric chair.This goes to show how important and image and show could be to the career of a band. The next major development in visual and music pairing was MTV. This would go on to change the course of pop music and culture from its inception in 1981 all the way through the present day. MTV was modeled after Top 40 radio, focusing on the most popular artists at the time. In the early days they found that their most successful market was mainly the Midwest, so they focused on playing the mainstream rock artists that were usually white as well.At the same time most videos were shot on shoestring budgets since labels weren’t convinced that music videos would pay off in additional sales. (Covach 451) The view of music videos would change with Michael Jackson. In 1983 â€Å"Billie Jean† was rising in the pop charts, but MTV refused to play the video, presumably because it was thought it wouldn’t appeal to their target audience. After a great deal of pressure from Jackson’s label MTV conceded, and the video became very successful. This brought a significant rise in popularity to both the network and artist, and that in turn showed the labels the importance of music videos.After that, videos were major undertakings with major label backing and significant repercussions. It was found that even if the music wasn’t good, if the artist looked good in the video then they could be successful. This really is a continuation of the teen idol phase of the late 1950s, just taken to the next level and across a broader range of styles, which still continues today. Though MTV had become more popular and mainstream, it also had the double edged effect of negative media attention for the content of the videos it played.Applying images to music that was said to be â€Å"a help to the devil† (Gilmore 263) would bring further scrutiny to the content of the music itself. Though rap music was already under attack from the media and PMRC (Parents Music Resource Commission), videos like that of N. W. A. would further widen the gap. The most important technological advancement of the last 20 years or so is the development of the internet. This one creation has done more to connect the globe and share information than anything else in the history of man. The amount of information that is readily available o anyone with an internet connection is almost incomprehensible. This sharing of information has also had a drastic effect on the music industry and artists. According to Brian Hiatt and Evan Serpick â€Å"the Internet appears to be the most consequential technology shift for selling music since the 1920s. † (Hiatt & Serpick) Because of the internet, anyone with a microphone or video camera and internet access can publish their music. With the advent of some computer programs like Pro-Tools there isn’t even a need for musicianship. This has greatly changed the landscape for artists and how music is viewed socially.Until an artist becomes successful enough for corporations to heavily invest in, the responsibility for creating an image and fan base has largely moved from the label to the artists themselves. No longer does the label sign a band, make a record, and then produce a formulaic video to try to garner interest. Take Arctic Monkeys for example. Their debut album â€Å"Whatever people Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not† released in 2006 became the fastest selling debut album in British music history. (NME) They did this by recording early demos and giving them away on burned CDs at shows.In the digital age, these songs were immediately shared on the internet as well by their fans, which greatly broadened their popularity. Once their popularity was recognized, they were signed and had a huge debut album. This shows the shift in landscape and how the sharing of information and files on the internet can impact such a major industry. Works Cited Covach, John. What's That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History. Ne w York: W. W. Norton ; Company, 2009. Essortment. com. The Nickelodeon’s History. ; http://www. essortment. com/nickelodeons-history-21268. html;. Gilmore, Mikal.Night Beat: a Shadow History of Rock ; Roll. New York: Anchor Books, 1998. Hiatt, Brian and Evan Serpick. â€Å"The Record Industry’s Decline†. Rolling Stone 19 June 2007: n. pag. Web. Miller, James. Flowers In the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock n' Roll 1947-1977. New York: Fireside, 1999. NME. com. â€Å"Susan Boyle beats Leona Lewis, Arctic Monkeys to ‘biggest first week sales for UK debut album’ title†. < http://www. nme. com/news/various-artists/48619> Samuels, David. Only Love Can Break Your Heart. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008. Savage, Jon. Teenage: the prehistory of youth culture: 1875-1945. New York: Penguin Books, 2007.