Communism in Cuba Positive or Negative for Its Citizens

Communism is a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people. The idea of communism started in the 19th century by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engals. When communism first started it was an idea of a society based on common ownership of property. That idea eventually turned political and communism turned into a government. There have been communist groups in Cuba since the early 1920’s and it eventually grew into the only political party in the country. Over the years there have been many debates on what is the goal of communism in Cuba. The majority of people believe that communism†¦show more content†¦The Cuban people have been under the harsh dictatorship of both Felgenico Batista and Fidel Castro. They both had very strict policies and gave the Cuban people limited or no freedom at all. Batista and Castro w ere similar but yet different. One major difference that they had was that Batista was friendly with the United States and he had respect for American interest. On the other hand Fidel Castro hasn’t been as friendly with the United States, so the U.S has a trade embargo that restricts and American company to do business with Cuba and also U.S citizens are prohibited from traveling to Cuba unless for special circumstances. Felgenico Batista While Felgenico Batista was running Cuba many American companies grew rich off of Cuban resources while the Cuban people remained poor. An American mobster named Meyer Lansky came to Cuba to open a hotel. The mobster gave Batista 10% of the profits of the hotel and casino, so Batista became wealthy off of that. Batista became very wealthy off of American business and also organized crime. Meyer Lansky also turned Havana into a drug port. Batista did very little to help the Cuban citizens. While running Cuba Batista did not offer the people neither health care nor education. So many Cubans lived in poverty. When they became ill they wouldn’t be able to go to a doctor because they wouldn’t be able to afford it. When Batista took over the country inShow MoreRelatedA Brief History of Cuba1225 Words   |  5 PagesCuba’s people were slaves, outraged slaves began to rebel with the intention to win independence from the Spanish. In April of 1898 Spa in and Cuba went to war with Americas involvement which resulted in the Treaty of Paris in August of 1898 where Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Philippines, Cuba, and Guam. On May 20, 1902 The United States of America allowed Cuba to gain its independence. The newly written constitution stated that the United States retained the right to intervene in Cuba’s affairs. In 1933Read MoreFidel Castro And The Cuban Revolution1367 Words   |  6 PagesHavana, Cuba, having overthrown corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista the week earlier. It was the fruition of the Cuban Revolution, and the dramatic shift in power was about to radically alter the country’s political, social and economic course forever. The positive and negative effects of the revolution on the Cuban people, however, as well as the condition of Cuba’s economy pre and post-revolution, is subject to heated debate. Castro’s iron-fisted regime was the introduction of communism into theRead MoreComparing Peron A nd Castro On A Political And Economic Standpoint956 Words   |  4 PagesCompare and contrast Peron and Castro on a political and economic standpoint. Throughout their power, Peron and Castro both had incredible impacts on their country s economy and political aspect. However, these impacts could be seen on both a negative and positive standpoint. Peron transformed Argentina’s economy, social structure and political culture in ways that continue to shape Argentina to this day. On the other side, Peron’s political actions as well as his legacy cannot be characterized easilyRead MoreThe Civil War Has Changed The Country987 Words   |  4 Pagesbecause the Civil War was an establishment of our nation’s beliefs and freedoms; fought to preserve the Union, this war shaped what America was and would become. The Civil War changed the notion of what liberty was, the transition from negative freedom to positive freedom is an influential aspect of American idealism. The ideal of liberty that emerged from the Civil War, was that the liberty came from the power of freedom (McPherson, 1991). Future wars were fought on the notion of protecting andRead More From Communism to Democracy Essay924 Words   |  4 PagesFrom Communism to Democracy More than half a decade has passed since the sweeping political events of 1989 and 1990 in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. On December 26, 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist . In its place are the Russian federation and 14 independent countries. The impact of this change was felt across the globe, from European countries with close economic ties with the USSR to countries as far away as Cuba and AlgeriaRead MoreCommunism vs Capitalism992 Words   |  4 PagesIs Communism a better economic system than capitalism? By Michael Kujawski Since the beginning of the 20th century many countries have favored the economic system of communism over capitalism many political partys around the world that are communist based have the term â€Å"workers party†incuded in their name because communism is a system for the working class and capitalism is a competitive system for the upper class society to benefit. Read MoreMotorcycle Diaries3242 Words   |  13 PagesQuestion Two: Define Communism. Discuss its origins and how and where it was spread. In your discussion you must refer to at least 3 countries, which have adopted communism and examine its success and failures and the reason behind both. You must also examine the role Marxism plays in Communist ideology. Communism is an economic and social system in which all, or nearly all, property and resources are collectively owned by a classless society and not by individual citizens. It’s an ideology theoryRead More8.02 ccc chart1064 Words   |  5 Pagesmotivation  was  the   make  U.S.  businesses   more  competitive  in   the  world.  He  was   approved  by  congress   for  several  programs.   While  making  many   cuts  in  budget,  he   ended  up  increasing   defense  spending.   U.S.  exports  fell  in   value,  which  created  a   negative  trade   balance.  Many  began   to  doubt  and  criticize   Reagan  for  not   improving  the   economy,  caring  for   the  poor,  and   Many  new   jobs  in  the   decade  were   for  low   paying   service  work.   Millions  of   Americans,   especially   farmers  and   the  urban  Read MorePsci 140 Essay1016 Words   |  5 Pagesstate-controlled mass media, a single party that is often marked by political repression, personality cultism, control over the economy, regulation and restriction of speech, mass surveillance, and widespread use of terror. * Ideas of communism (terms of communism) Equality (goal) No private property No market Utopia (eventually no government)! * Policies implemented by Mikhail Gorbachev * The Great Leap Forward (China) The Great Leap Forward (1958-61) Make steel!! Famine—30Read MoreEssay on How The Cold War Helped America2321 Words   |  10 PagesThe Cold War was a war that spanned from the end of WWII in 1945 until 1991 when communism influenced by the Soviet Union collapsed. The casualties and losses of the Vietnam and Korean wars, the two major wars fought indirectly between United States and the Soviet Union during the course of the Cold War, would seem like a disaster for both world superpowers. But in fact it was not. The Cold war brought a period of extreme consuming by the United States especially in the nuclear arms race in order

McLaren Group of Companies Free Essays

string(82) " subsidiaries of the main company while others are completely separate companies\." Executive Summary The McLaren Group of Companies is often regarded as a â€Å"small conglomerate† as the company has several subsidiaries in related areas related to car business such as McLaren Applied Technologies, McLaren Electronics, and McLaren Marketing. However, one of the subsidiaries of the company is Absolute Taste which is a catering company and is one of the diverse businesses of the group separate from their car manufacturing business. McLaren Group caters to a niche market segment which is how it attempts to conquer the obstacles and market barriers prevalent in the mass car market. We will write a custom essay sample on McLaren Group of Companies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Moreover, the company adopts a medium level of diversification in its product portfolio as most of its businesses are interlinked or synergized while Absolute Taste and McLaren Automotives are slightly diverse. However, while operating in the contemporary business environment, McLaren Group operates on the historical perspective of diversification as it can be considered to be anti-competitive. Introduction and Background: The McLaren Group was created by Rob Dennis and is based at McLaren Technology Centre in Surrey, England. The company is now referred to as a â€Å"small conglomerate† and was initially established by a New Zealander by the name of Bruce McLaren in 1963. The company’s main focus is on the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One Racing Team. The McLaren Group now hopes to expand into manufacturing cars rather than just focusing on Formula One and has planned the launch of the McLaren P1, which is the successor to the McLaren F1. Recently, the group has diversified into other areas such as wind devices and other vehicles (McLaren, 2011). The McLaren group has several subsidiaries as it has recently diversified its operations into different areas. The subsidiaries include McLaren Racing which is one of the most successful teams prevalent and ranks second after Ferrari as the oldest active team, winning 182 races, 12 drivers’ championships, and 8 constructor’s championships. The second subsidiary is McLaren Electronic Systems which is also a member of the McLaren family and is a supplier to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. McLaren Electronics is responsible for supplying the powertrain control system, software, sensors, components, and ECU’s for the Formula One car as well as other cars present in the Formula One group. McLaren Applied Technologies is responsible for creating technical applications for the McLaren group and also provides services to other teams in involved in sports activities, defence, other automotive sectors, and health and wellness sectors.. McLaren Marketing is another subsidiary of the McLaren group and is primarily responsible for the marketing and promotional activities of McLaren Racing. Another subsidiary of the McLaren group is Absolute Taste which caters to a different business segment than the other businesses of the McLaren group. Absolute Taste is based in London and is a catering company which caters to the needs of numerous private parties including parties of celebrities (McLaren, 2011). McLaren Automotive is not a subsidiary of the McLaren group but is a separate company altogether. The company is a high-end manufacturer of high performance vehicles. The company is in close collaboration with McLaren Racing and basically functions as a primary producer of the Formula One car. The new McLaren Production Centre has been opened near Woking in 2012 and is estimated to value at ?40 million. The production of the MP4-12 C sports car is due to reach a grand 4000 by 2015 (McLaren, 2011). As the company has diversified into various markets, there were various obstacles and strategies that the company had to conquer and implement. This report will focus upon the strategy the McLaren group implemented in order to enter the mass car market, define the level of diversification that the McLaren group implements, and discuss the McLaren Group’s approach to diversification compared to the historical perspective discussed by Guld and Luchs (1993). Market Entry Barriers in Mass Car Market: There are several market entry barriers in the mass car market as competition is high and there are many highly renowned firms competing for market share. However, as the McLaren Group has attempted to penetrate the car manufacturing market, they had to conquer many obstacles and market entry barriers. The McLaren Group was already rather popular in related market segments to car manufacturing such as the production of the Formula One racing car and McLaren Racing team. Thus, the company had relevant market experience as well as a market reputation to enable the company to gain consumer confidence. This was one of the methods in which the company was able to conquer the market entry barriers prevalent in the mass car market (Melvin, 2006). However, the fact also remains that the McLaren Group is manufacturing cars catering to a niche market segment and are not focusing on catering to the mass market. McLaren Group has produced a highly expensive premium vehicle which is not for ordinary use but is used by racers, collectors, and/or the elite class who are interested in buying a premium vehicle. Thus, the target market that McLaren Group is focusing upon is not interested in options such as Ford, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, or other alternatives. Hence, these brands are not substitutes for the vehicles made by the McLaren group. The McLaren Group is more focused upon producing street cars and competing with brands such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and others. The McLaren Group’s main point of focus is performance and quality and thus they are able to charge a premium price (Melvin, 2006). Accordingly, the McLaren group is catering to a niche market segment instead of catering to the mass market. Thus, they are better able to deal with the pressure from competitors and attract a certain segment of customers towards their cars. This significantly reduces the level of competition that the McLaren Group has to deal with (Melvin, 2006). Level of Diversification: The McLaren Group has a number of businesses in various market segments which have all been mentioned above. Some of the businesses are operating as subsidiaries of the main company while others are completely separate companies. You read "McLaren Group of Companies" in category "Essay examples" However, when analyzing the level of diversification that the McLaren group incorporates into its portfolio mix, there are a number of considerations that must be made. First of all, it is important to note that previously large companies with many unrelated businesses were a source of high scrutiny in the past. Such businesses were highly criticized for being anti-competitive as they would expand into many areas of expertise and aim to force other competitors out of business. However, in recent times, such firms are accused of being uncompetitive as they do not add value across all of their businesses and are operating at a loss. Hence, in current times it is generally considered that diversified companies are not necessarily successful but may be highly unsuccessful if a high level of diversification is employed in the business (Goold Luchs, 1993). When considering the McLaren Group, it is evident that the company does have a portfolio mix which is diversified into various market segments such as electronics, technology, racing, catering, and car manufacturing. However, it is not completely evident that the McLaren Group has over- diversified into completely unrelated businesses and is not adding value to their business (Goold Luchs, 1993). The description of the subsidiary businesses mentions that businesses such as McLaren Applied Technologies, McLaren Electronics, and McLaren Marketing are all catering to the core business of McLaren Racing. While these businesses also apply their expertise in catering to the core business of McLaren Group, they have additional clients in the industry to which they cater to. Thus, they are benefitting their own business and gaining revenue from catering to other clients as well (Guuld Luchs, 1993). However, the McLaren Group is also diversified in a few markets such as in the catering market with their subsidiary Absolute Taste. While this business caters to the private catering needs of celebrities and serves food on private jets, this business is rather unrelated to the other subsidiaries of the McLaren Group which all cater to the electronic and technological needs of McLaren Racing. Hence, while all of the other subsidiaries of the group are related to cars and solutions related to the cars that the McLaren Group focuses upon, the business of Absolute Taste is not related to cars and is catering to a completely different area of business (Johnson et al, 2011). Accordingly, the level of diversification of the McLaren Group is complex as they are not completely catering to unrelated market segments but have some businesses which are not as closely linked or inter-linked with one another. The McLaren Group is regarded as a â€Å"small conglomerate† as a â€Å"conglomerate† refers to a company that operates in many unrelated businesses. Hence, it can be said that the McLaren Group does incorporate a medium level of diversification in their product portfolio (Johnson et al, 2007). Upon closer inspection, it can be concluded that the McLaren Group has opted to â€Å"stick to the knitting† as they have not diversified widely but have stuck to businesses they know best and where their expertise lies. However, the McLaren Gtoup does operate in different markets and requires different areas of expertise in its various businesses such as marketing, technical expertise, electronic expertise, and others. The expertise required in most of its businesses is related to cars although there are various types of skills required in each business. Nevertheless, most of the businesses in McLaren’s Group can be said to have stuck to the knitting and are not highly diversified as all are catering to the particular needs of cars. All of these businesses are interlinked except for Absolute Taste which is diverse from the other businesses of the McLaren Group (Johnson et al, 2011). It can also be said that the businesses of McLaren Group provide synergy with one another as they are all interrelated and provide skills and benefits to one another. McLaren Electronics works on finding electrical solutions to McLaren Racing, while McLaren Marketing seeks to perform the marketing and promotion activities of McLaren Racing. Hence, all of the businesses add value to one another and provide a combination of skills and benefits to one another. While this is a difficult model to implement, the McLaren Group seems to be implementing it quite effectively as the subsidiary companies perform tasks for the core company and also for other clients. Moreover, in this manner, the company is focusing upon its core competencies and strengthening them by horizontally integrating with other related businesses in order to strengthen and provide for the core business (Johnson et al, 2007). Hence, in conclusion, McLaren Group’s level of diversification can be labeled as medium as they are diversified into business which are mainly related to cars and provide synergy with one another. Their separate business which is not directly linked with their core business is Absolute Taste which is a catering company. McLaren’s Approach to Diversification: Previously, large diverse firms were regarded as â€Å"conglomerates† and it was considered that these firms were up to† no good† as they branched out into different markets and sought to drive out competition by catering to several different market needs themselves. Such firms were considered to be too big for their own good and were not seen as socially responsible or healthy firms as they were anti-competitive. They were termed as anti-competitive because they did not give other businesses a chance to compete with them and monopolized the market themselves. As monopolies are not considered healthy for consumers, such firms were previously perceived negatively (Karlsen, 2011). However, the contemporary perspective towards such firms is completely the opposite of the historical perspective as these firms are regarded as being up to â€Å"no good† because they are not adding value to themselves or to their other businesses. Hence, such firms are now regarded as uncompetitive (Karlsen, 2011). Accordingly, McLaren Group’s strategy toward diversification is in line with the historical perspective of diversification as the diversification strategy seems to be anti-competitive. The group seeks economies of scale and other benefits by providing all additional services in line with their core business themselves. Hence, they do not seem to be allowing other businesses to provide services for them and seem to be attempting to cover all aspects regarding their car-related business themselves. They provide technical applications, marketing solutions, and electrical solutions for their racing team and the cars they produce. Hence, while catering to other clients as well, they use their own company to perform the tasks related to the car-related business (Karlsen, 2011). Conclusion: From the analysis conducted, it is evident that the McLaren Group is not as diverse as some other companies are but is operating in a synergized environment which has many interlinked businesses providing benefits to one another. Hence, the McLaren Group can be termed as a â€Å"small conglomerate† and is operating according to the historical perspective of diversification. References Goold, M. And Luchs, K. (1993) ‘Why diversifyFour decades of management thinking.† Academy of Management Executive. Vol. 7:3, pp.7-25 Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2011). Fundamentals of Strategy. Prentice Hall Karlsen, O. (2011) â€Å"Racing Towards Sustainability: Formula One and Corporate Social Responsibility†. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Student Thesis. McLaren (2011) McLaren Official Website. [online] Accessed on: March 16, 2013 Available at: http://www.mclaren.com/ Melvin, J. (2006) McLaren Technology Centre. Architectural Design. Vol. 76:1 pp.110-113 How to cite McLaren Group of Companies, Essay examples

Ancient Peruvian Ceramics Of The North Coast Essay Example For Students

Ancient Peruvian Ceramics Of The North Coast Essay The first pottery pieces found in Peru were made somewhere between 1500 and 1000 b. p. The pieces were found in the central Andean region where a religious cult lived. This cult was called ChavÃÆ'Â ­n, after the best known ceremonial center, ChavÃÆ'Â ­n de HuÃÆ'Â ¡ntar. The religious center was the home to massive temples that were highly embellished with low relief sculptures of gods, animals, and symbols. The pottery found in the area where vessels that were well made and highly decorated with a similar motif as the temples. But the evolution of Peruvian pottery becomes somewhat confusing and complex after this first civilization of potters. There is a division of people into the North Coast and the South Coast. The split created two styles of pottery, although similar, they never quite merge. I am only going to talk about the north coast traditions. On the North coast there are five cultures that evolve into the dominant Mochica style, which was one of the most vigorous and prosperous cultures of Ancient Peru. The next earliest North Coast style, other than the ChavÃÆ'Â ­n, started with the Cupisnique people in the Chicama valley. Their ceramics closely resembled those of highland ChavÃÆ'Â ­n. They were well made and polished, though somewhat thick walled and heavy. The type of firing used produced a dark semireduced ware that varied from brownish gray to carbon black in color. Decoration consisted of bold, curvilinear human, feline, and birds of pray heads, eye patterns, pelt markings, and other brief symbols of geometric devices. In the valley to the south of the Cupisnique were the Salinar people who sometime during the fifth century b. p. oved into the north coast of Peru and spread its influence throughout the Cupisnique area. Salinar pottery, though deceptively primitive in ornamentation, was technologically superior to that of the Cupisnique. Vessels were made of well-prepared clays that were fully oxidized in firing, making them an even orange color. Cream and red slips were used to accentuate sculptural forms and create flat geometric patterns, but not to draw figurative motifs. The technical advances of the controlled oxidation firing and slip decoration soon had their effect on contemporary Cupisnique ceramics. Personally, I enjoyed the bottle forms they used with their double strap handles that lead from the shoulder of the forms to the one central spout. see figures 1 and 2. This style of vessel seems to continue throughout the centuries. Three other cultures in north coast valleys contributed their pottery style to the over all Cusisnique style that was evolving into the Mochica style. These people were the Gallinazo, Recuay, and VicÃÆ'Â ºs. The Gallinazo constructed double chamber vessels with whistle spouts and a type of decoration called negative decoration where they painted their simple designs on after the pieces were fired. The Recuay also had double chamber vessels but these had one functioning spout and one sculpted, usually an animal or figure. They also used negative decoration but theirswere much more elaborate designs than the Gallinazo vessels. The VicÃÆ'Â ºs lived in the highlands on the Ecuadorian border. They made very sculptural vessels with a stirrup handle and central spout. see figures 3, 4, and 5 Although a hand full of VicÃÆ'Â ºs artifacts have been found, not much is known about these people, but one can see a visible connection between all of these different cultures and the Mochica style that evolved out of them. The Mochica civilization flourished for nearly 1000 years and as time passed slight changes in the style could be seen and are chronologically separated into Mochica I-V. The first two are formative phases with lots of experimentation. The third concentrated on a distinctive art style, which continued through the forth and gradually declined in the fifth. They expressed many aspects of their culture and daily life in their ceramics. Things like warriors, runners people who run bags of beans were important to the ceremonial life, portraits, religion, gods, and animals were shown on vessels. .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 , .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .postImageUrl , .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 , .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2:hover , .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2:visited , .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2:active { border:0!important; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2:active , .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2 .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u91168eb4db8d443f42b6c03c485f9ee2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Major works in ancient history EssayMochica I was a strong continuation of the late Cupisnique sculptural style. The forms are compact with little suggestion of action, and details are often rendered in incised lines. Faces are generalized, but individual personages are differentiated by costume and accessories, and by distinctive physical traits. The style was not very elaborate. Some slip painting was done and the simple designs were sometimes accented by incised lines. The designs are similar to those of the Salinar, but they sometimes used the geometric designs of the Recuay. In Mochica II they mastered the art of slip decoration and oxidation firing. The ornamentation continued to stay predominantly geometric with some figurative motifs. They did have some relief-decorated ceramics which incorporated two concave sections made in the same mold, usually joined by a bread band of clay into which the stirrup spout was inserted. This mold technique is first type seen in this culture. figure 6 It continues to be used for all sculptural vessels. Sometimes the vessels would require two or more molds, some they used one mold twice. For highly ornamented vessels they would add headdresses and arms after the vessel was assembled and before it was fired. The Mochica III style used much more modeling of the forms and began to lean towards more realistic representations. They began to create highly polished black reduction wares. The oxidized orange ware with cream and red slip decoration was also being used in conjunction with the black ware. This was also the time in history when the Mochica peoples moved out of Moche and Chicama valleys and began to dominate neighboring groups by either military or religious conquests. By the Mochica IV period they had an extensive kingdom established and it brought together the peoples of all the north coast valleys. The ceramics were decorated in flowing, expressive lines and the modeled vessels showed attention to individual detailed ornamentation. But the creative flow in the ceramic styles was hindered somewhat because of a strict militant rule of the warrior-priest class that was beginning. Yet this was still the most creative time for the Mochica people. The final period in Mochica ceramics, due to a collapse of the culture, brought an abrupt termination of the great art tradition that it had expressed so well. The vessels found from this period show a carelessness in painting designs, and less attention to details in the sculptural forms. Many of the figures modeled in to the vessels were warriors dressed for combat. The decline in quality that can be observed, and the nervousness and tension that were expressed in their designs and forms was related to the pressure from the militant expansionist group, the Wari. The struggle between the Mochica and the Wari, was long and fierce, ending in a total collapse of their culture and a loss a 1200 year ceramic tradition.

Organisational factors Essay Example

Organisational factors Essay Purpose: To study and find out the organisational factors which play a significant role in the successful implementation of ERP and finally find out the relation between the factors which helps us in narrow down the factors so that we can get the most influenced factor to concentrate upon. It’s quite difficult for the company to take care of all the factors, so our next aim to find the major factor(s) which have more criticality over the others. Methods: During research project we collected the data from Primary and Secondary source.We prepared around 16 questions and get them answered from the employees and managers of the company who are currently using ERP. Apart from it we interviewed some top management level people for the detailed knowledge and its importance. Findings: After getting the results we found that we can group these factors into three groups according to the impact over the other. Introduction Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are adopted by many or ganisations to meet various challenges of information flow and competition. ERP systems help to make the key business processes to be automated and integrated in an organization.ERP systems help in timely flow of the information which can help in making efficient strategic decisions. Following pattern is followed, the related literature is reviewed. Then, hypothesis and objective is presented followed by research methodology used for study. Next, observation, findings and analysis are discussed. Finally, conclusion and suggestions are given. Literature Review 2. 1 ERP implementation success Several factors may affect ERP implementation in organizations. These factors include, lack of top management support (Supramaniam and Kuppusamy, 2011; Shah et al. , 2011; Finney and Corbett, 2007; Bhatti, 2005; Wong et al. 2005), business requirement gap (Shah et al. , 2011; Wong et al. , 2005), user involvement (Francoise et al. , 2009; Rasmy et al. , 2005) and vendor support (Al-Mashari et al. , 2006; Thavapragasam, 2003), communication and co-ordination which may cause ERP implementation failure. ERP systems always require changes in work flows which need organizational alignment which requires top management support. Top management commitment and support is noted as a critical factor which has a positive effect (i. e. positively related) on the success of ERP implementation success (Rasmy et al. 2005; Supramaniam and Kuppusamy, 2011, Shanks and Light, 1999; Shah et al. , 2011). Finney and Corbett (2007) also stated that top management support has the 1st most critical success factors regarding ERP success in his research. 2. 2 Organisational factors influencing successful ERP implementation Determining factors that are positioned behind a successful ERP system implementation has been a key research question in previous research. Implementation of an ERP system is a complex process including a great many factors and conditions which can potentially influence successful mplementation. These factors might have a positive effect on the ERP implementation project outcome, whereas the lack of these conditions could create trouble through ERP implementation. Many researchers have recognized that there are many factors that could be critical to the successful implementation of ERP. For example, [36] Somers and Nelson (2004) recognized that there are 22 critical success factors including Top management support, Education on new business processes, User training on software, On the hand, [1] Al-Mashari et al. 2003) found out that thre are 12 critical ERP factors such as ERP selection, project management, training and education, business process management, cultural and structural change management while [39] Umble et al. (2003) divided the factors into 10 categories including Commitment by top management, Clear understanding of strategic goals, Excellent implementation project management, Great implementation team, Successfully coping with technical issues , Organizational commitment to change, Data accuracy, Extensive education and training, Focused performance measures, and Multi-site issues resolved.Based on [12] Dezdar and Sulaimans (2009) work the factors can be grouped into 17 categories which subsequently can be re-organized into three main categories; organizational, project and system. [53] Dezdar (2010) found organizational factors to be quite instrumental in determining the ERP implementation success. This research focus on the following aspects of the organizational factors, i. e. Top management support, Organizational size , cooperation and coordination ,ERP training and education, and role of business vision and mission . These factors are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs. . 2. 1 Top management Top management support, has been emphasized, as a crucial factor in successful ERP implementation by many ([1] Al-Mashari et al. , 2003; [39] Umble et al. , 2003; [47] Zhang et al. , 2005). [29] Ngai et al. (2008), discussed that top management support, plays a significant role in the ERP implementation success because ERP are normally done on a large-scale and require extensive resources. Top management support has two major aspects or factors in ERP implementation projects: providing the necessary resources and providing leadership.Even the survey done for this project has shown the same results that management plays a very critical role in successful ERP implementation. 2. 2. 2 Training and education As mentioned earlier ERP is a complex system thus adequate training and education must be provided so that the users to use them effectively and efficiently ([8] Correa and Cruz, 2005; [47] Zhang et al. , 2005; [3] Bradley, 2008) and with ease. Training and education would enhance the users level of knowledge, understanding and efficiency, thus increasing individual performance and subsequently organizational performance. [27] Nah et al. 2003) stated that sufficient training can increase the pr obability of success of ERP system implementation, while inappropriate or no training can hinder its success greatly. Adequate training and education may also help the organization to build positive feelings towards the system. More important it may help ERP users to adjust to the organizational change-taking place with the implementation of the system. In addition, training increases ease of use, user acceptance and reduces user resistance, which, in turn, enhances the likelihood of ERP systems use and success ([3] Bradley, 2008). 2. 2. 3 Business mission:In order to successfully run a business, an entrepreneur needs a clear vision as to where the business is going. In other words, a business needs to know what its purpose is and where it is going. A mission statement is the perfect tool to develop in order to define a new businesss purpose, activities, and values . A mission statement should act as a lighthouse. If a company loses track of itself, it will be able to look back on t heir mission statement and be reminded of their overall purpose. In general, a mission statement should inform your workers and customers what the business is all about and where it is headed.A mission statement helps p a business to create a culture that is integrated with its overall purpose For purposes of this study, two notions, i. e. organizational mission and goals from the strategic management literature, are used to describe business vision. That said, many organizations in fact adopt ERP to meet their organizational objectives (business vision) ([8], [9] Davenport, 1998, 2000; [5] Bingi et al. , 1999). Sadly, it has been observed so far that many organizations fail to articulate their IT implementation strategy vis-a-vis overall business vision ([24] Keen, 1993; [10] Deloitte Consulting, 2000 According to [9]Davenport (2000), companies with a desire to implement ERP must be clear about their strategic intent before going for such an exercise. He quotes: In the same categor y of things that need to be settled beforehand if youre going to get value from an [ERP] is the notion of strategic clarity certainty as to what business the company is in [ ] ([9] Davenport, 2000, p. 47). 2. 2. 4 Organisation Size The journal â€Å"The impact of organization size on enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations in the US manufacturing sector† clearly states that organisation’s size plays a very important role in successful ERP implementation.The greater the size more the need to use standardized ERP for proper information flow. In the research done, it has been found out the organizations having branches ;gt;10 are implementing ERP package. 2. 2. 5 Employee resistance The research document â€Å"Resistance to change and ERP implementation success: the moderating role of change management initiative†. It clearly states that employee resistance plays a very important role in success of ERP. Even the research conducted stated the same result s. 2. 2. 6 Standardization of single packageThe research document â€Å"Understanding the Impact of ERP Standardization on Business Process Performance† states that standardization on a single ERP package contribute greatly in success of ERP implementation. Even the study conducted also showed the same results. 2. 2. 7 Connectivity across different companies The research document â€Å"Issues in multinational ERP implementation† try to state that connectivity across the organization play significant role in ERP implementation. This research carried out even stated the same results. 2. 2. 8 Range of branches: ERP implementation is beneficial when the organisations have wide range of branches.Various studies has been conducted which tried to state that only companies which has wide range of branches usually go for ERP implementation as it has more benefits in terms of information flow and resource allocation. Research Objective: â€Å"Our objective is to find out that o rganisational factors play a significant role in successful ERP implementation. † The relationship between each factor and the success of the ERP implementation is analysed in this research. The research analyses the data and information taken from various companies. Hypothesis: Null Hypothesis (H0):Organisational factors does not play significant role in successful ERP implementation. Alternate Hypothesis (Ha): Organisational factors play significant role in successful ERP implementation. Methodology: The methodology which we used in finding the survey data is from Primary and Secondary source both. We first examine the existing literature on critical success factors of ERP implementation (Secondary Data) and then assess the company perception on the criticality of these factors (Primary Data). The questionnaires were distributed to selected managers and employees of companies adopting ERP systems.We also gathered some data by taking interview of the Top management of some pr estigious company. This approach helps us in finding out various factors from practical scenario which really helps in the success of the ERP implementation. Few companies from where we gather the data are:– TCS, Ford, LnT, Renault, Daimler, Microsoft, Motherson Sumi Systems, John deer, Tyco, NCR Co. India Pvt. Ltd. , Yamaha motors Pvt. Ltd. , Infosys, and some experienced and knowledgably faculties of prestigious B-Schools e. g. IMT Hyderabad. Later we find the criticality of every factor by: Factor Analysis and Regression.We took 100 samples but only 54 relevant responses were found out. Number of sample questions in each survey are 16, some questions are objective type which can be answered on the likert scale and some are descriptive type because we are interviewing or gathering the data from the top management and employees of the company about the major factors and their importance. Therefore, we presented the mixed types of questions. While doing the project we come ac ross few limitations of the research: Firstly, the ERP implementation success dimensions were measured using subjective and perceptual measures.This was due to the difficulty in securing the related factual data from the participating organizations. Secondly, there can be some biasness in giving the data, as the companies who are currently in use of ERP and spend so much will give the biased information. The questionnaire is attached in annexure with all the responses from the industry i. e. primary source. Results: Linear  Regression  Results| The  REG  Procedure Model:  Linear_Regression_Model Dependent  Variable:  Success  in  implementation(Benefi  Success  in  implementation(Benefit  perception+Increase  in  satisfaction  level)| | Number of Observations Read| 52|Number of Observations Used| 52| | Analysis of Variance| Source| DF| Sum of Squares| Mean Square| F Value| Pr  ;gt;  F| Model| 8| 44. 19446| 5. 52431| 6. 46| ;lt;. 0001| Corrected To tal| 51| 80. 98077|   |   |   | Error| 43| 36. 78631| 0. 85550|   |   | | Root MSE| 0. 92493| R-Square| 0. 5457| Dependent Mean| 5. 51923| Adj R-Sq| 0. 4612| CoeffVar| 16. 75831|   |   | | - - - Note:  Model  is  not  full  rank. Least-squares  solutions  for  the  parameters  are  not  unique.Some  statistics  will  be  misleading. A  reported  DF  of  0  or  B  means  that  the  estimate  is  biased. | - Note:  The  following  parameters  have  been  set  to  0,  since  the  variables  are  a  linear  combination  of  other  variables  as  shown. | Top Management Influence =| 4 * Intercept| | | | Parameter Estimates| Variable| Label| DF| Parameter Estimate| Standard Error| t  Value| Pr  gt;  |t|| Intercept| Intercept| B| 3. 28844| 1. 89106| 1. 74| 0. 0892| Standardization of Single Packag| Standardization of Single Package| 1| 0. 10219| 0. 08832| 1. 16| 0. 537| Top M anagement Influence|   | 0| 0| . | . | . | Connectivity across different co| Connectivity across different companies| 1| 0. 19473| 0. 08456| 2. 30| 0. 0262| Organizational Size|   | 1| -0. 23147| 0. 19982| -1. 16| 0. 2531| Range of branches|   | 1| 0. 29018| 0. 11756| 2. 47| 0. 0176| Less degree of employee resistan| Less degree of employee resistance| 1| -0. 22751| 0. 17244| -1. 32| 0. 1940| Coperation and Cordination|   | 1| 0. 65358| 0. 24454| 2. 67| 0. 0106| Role of Business mission and vis| Role of Business mission and vision| 1| -0. 38776| 0. 23768| -1. 63| 0. 101| Training and Development|   | 1| 0. 35042| 0. 19639| 1. 78| 0. 0814| | Correlation of Estimates| Variable| Label| Intercept| Standardization of Single Packag| Connectivity across different co| Organizational Size| Range of branches| Less degree of employee resistan| Coperation and Cordination| Role of Business mission and vis| Training and Development| Intercept| Intercept| 1. 0000| -0. 2150| -0. 3886| -0. 7468| 0. 2264| -0. 4380| -0. 4969| -0. 5696| -0. 4536| Standardization of Single Packag| Standardization of Single Package| -0. 2150| 1. 0000| 0. 2258| 0. 1309| 0. 0552| 0. 0616| -0. 1327| 0. 2571| -0. 917| Connectivity across different co| Connectivity across different companies| -0. 3886| 0. 2258| 1. 0000| 0. 2307| 0. 1232| 0. 4621| -0. 0188| -0. 0187| 0. 3353| Organizational Size|   | -0. 7468| 0. 1309| 0. 2307| 1. 0000| -0. 1477| 0. 0832| 0. 3870| 0. 1966| 0. 2829| Range of branches|   | 0. 2264| 0. 0552| 0. 1232| -0. 1477| 1. 0000| -0. 1528| -0. 1183| -0. 4683| -0. 2168| Less degree of employee resistan| Less degree of employee resistance| -0. 4380| 0. 0616| 0. 4621| 0. 0832| -0. 1528| 1. 0000| -0. 0598| 0. 3169| 0. 3236| Coperation and Cordination|   | -0. 4969| -0. 1327| -0. 0188| 0. 3870| -0. 183| -0. 0598| 1. 0000| 0. 0296| -0. 1252| Role of Business mission and vis| Role of Business mission and vision| -0. 5696| 0. 2571| -0. 0187| 0. 1966| -0. 4683| 0. 3169| 0. 0296 | 1. 0000| 0. 0922| Training and Development|   | -0. 4536| -0. 1917| 0. 3353| 0. 2829| -0. 2168| 0. 3236| -0. 1252| 0. 0922| 1. 0000| | | Factor  Analysis  Results| The  FACTOR  Procedure| | Input Data Type| Raw Data| Number of Records Read| 52| Number of Records Used| 52| N for Significance Tests| 52| | | Generated  by  the  SAS  System  (Local,  W32_VSHOME)  on  February  24,  2013  at  7:27:27  PM| | | Factor  Analysis  Results| The  FACTOR  ProcedureInitial  Factor  Method:  Principal  Components Prior  Communality  Estimates:  ONE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  | | Eigenvalues of the Correlation Matrix: Total = 8 Average = 0. 88888889| | Eigenvalue| Difference| Proportion| Cumulative| 1| 2. 11694553| 0. 24953625| 0. 2646| 0. 2646| 2| 1. 86740928| 0. 50755333| 0. 2334| 0. 4980| 3| 1. 35985595| 0. 49497679| 0. 1700| 0. 6680| 4| 0. 86487917| 0. 32219842| 0. 1081| 0. 7761| 5| 0. 54268075| 0. 02774770| 0. 0678| 0. 8440| 6| 0. 51493305| 0. 0 7920770| 0. 0644| 0. 9083| 7| 0. 43572535| 0. 13815443| 0. 0545| 0. 9628| 8| 0. 29757092| 0. 29757092| 0. 0372| 1. 0000| 9| 0. 00000000|   | 0. 0000| 1. 0000| 3  factors  will  be  retained  by  the  MINEIGEN  criterion| Factor  Pattern| |   | Factor1| Factor2| Factor3| Standardization of Single Packag| Standardization of Single Package| 0. 69014| -0. 26162| -0. 23207| Top Management Influence|   | 0. 00000| 0. 00000| 0. 00000| Connectivity across different co| Connectivity across different companies| -0. 49203| 0. 54147| -0. 48463| Organizational Size|   | -0. 55073| -0. 48025| 0. 33725| Range of branches|   | 0. 20013| 0. 34213| 0. 80756| Less degree of employee resistan| Less degree of employee resistance| 0. 17237| -0. 68893| 0. 30760| Coperation and Cordination|   | 0. 7166| 0. 28393| -0. 13602| Role of Business mission and vis| Role of Business mission and vision| -0. 17059| 0. 74207| 0. 43129| Training and Development|   | 0. 73842| 0. 22839| 0 . 07819| | Variance Explained by Each Factor| Factor1| Factor2| Factor3| 2. 1169455| 1. 8674093| 1. 3598560| | Final Communality Estimates: Total = 5. 344211| Standardization of Single Packag| Top Management Influence| Connectivity across different co| Organizational Size| Range of branches| Less degree of employee resistan| Coperation and Cordination| Role of Business mission and vis| Training and Development| 0. 59859241| 0. 0000000| 0. 77015031| 0. 64768308| 0. 80925749| 0. 59896039| 0. 55025088| 0. 76578116| 0. 60353504| | | Generated  by  the  SAS  System  (Local,  W32_VSHOME)  on  February  24,  2013  at  7:27:27  PM| | | | | | | Findings: * The Regression equation is as follows: Success in Implementation = 3. 28844 + 0. 10219 * (Standardization of single package) + 0. 19473 * (Connectivity across different companies) 0. 23147 * (Organizational Size) + 0. 29018 * (Range of Branches) 0. 22751 * (less degree of employee resistance) + 0. 65358 * (Coope ration and Coordination) 0. 38776 * (Role of Business vision and Mission) 0. 35042 * (Training and Development) * R Square Value = 0. 5457 * Significance: 1. Corporation and Coordination, range of branches and connectivity across different companies has t-value ;gt; 2. 2. Standardization of single package and Training ;amp; Development have positive t-values but less than 2. 3. Organizational Size, Less Degree of Employee Resistance and Role of Business Mission and Vision have negative t-value. * In Factor Analysis, the organisational factors as 9 independent variables can be grouped into 3 factors: * Factor1 (Infrastructural and Structural factor)Standardization of single Package Organisational Size Cooperation and Coordination Training and Development * Factor2 (Organizational cultural factor) Connectivity across different companies Less degree of Employee resistance Role of Business Vision and Mission * Factor3 (Size factor) Range of Branches Discussion: Following is the interpr etation from the regression results: * The Organizational factors that have t-value greater than 2 will have significant positive impact on the successful implementation of ERP. These factors are: 1. Connectivity across different companiesFor the Organization to implement ERP successfully it should develop and maintain proper and high connectivity across different companies. 2. Range of Branches The organization which has large range of branches is more likely to be successful in ERP implementation. 3. Co-operation and Co-ordination There must be good cooperation and coordination among the employees working in the organisation as it is very crucial factor for the success of ERP * The Organizational factors that has positive t-value less than 2 will have positive impact on the successful implementation of ERP but not very significant. These factors are: . Standardization of single package All the different functional areas of company like HR, Finance, Marketing, and Sales and distrib ution should be standardize on single ERP package for successful implementation. 2. Training and Development The employees of the company should be given proper training on ERP modules for it to be successful in future. * The Organizational factors that have negative t-value will have negative impact on the successful implementation of ERP. These factors are: 1. Organisational Size If the organization size is small the ERP can be implemented quickly as compared to large. 2.Less Degree of Employee Resistance From our results, we found that the Less Degree of Employee Resistance factor will not contribute more for the successful ERP implementation. 3. Business Vision and Mission From our results, we found that the Business Vision and Mission factor will not contribute more for the successful ERP implementation. * Top Management influence is present everywhere the ERP was implemented. This shows that it is the most critical factor for the successful implementation of ERP. The R square value â€Å"0. 5457† shows that these independent variables are covering about 54% of variation in the output i. . , successful implementation of ERP. When we run the factor analysis we were able to group these 9 independent variables into three factors and these factors contributed about 66% of deviation. 1. The first factor which is the most important factor is having the independent variables as follows: * Standardization of single Package * Organisational Size * Cooperation and Coordination * Training and Development These independent variables show the common element of infrastructure and working structure of the organization. So, the first factor is named as Infrastructural and Structural factor. . The second factor which is the next crucial factor is having the independent variables as follows: * Connectivity across different companies * Less degree of Employee resistance * Role of Business Vision and Mission These independent variables show the common element of organ izational culture. So, the second factor is named as Organizational cultural factor. 3. The third factor is the next crucial factor having only one independent variable as: * Range of Branches This independent variable has the element as size of the organization. So, this factor is named as Size factor.From the correlation matrix we found high correlation among the independent variables that are in the same factor group which confirms our parity of results. Conclusion : The companies which have high connectivity across different companies, high range of branches, high cooperation and coordination among employees, and good training facilities are most likely to effect the successful ERP implementation. From our findings we found that the top management influence was an important and critical factor for success of ERP in companies. Recommendations:For the company to successfully implement ERP it should invest heavily in Training ;amp; Development facilities. It should encourage high c ooperation and coordination among employees. Because the organization cannot concentrate on 9 organizational factors and work upon that. So, we divided the 9 organizational factors into 3 factor groups and the company can choose one of the factor groups that can be Infrastructural and Structural factor. Simultaneously, it can work on the independent variables that are present in this factor to enhance the probability of success of ERP implementation.Sources :http://www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0378720601001343ttp://fico-forum. com/? p=147 https://dspace. lboro. ac. uk/dspace-jspui/handle/2134/8091http://www. researchersworld. com/vol2/issue2/Paper_07. pdf

Nuclear Arms Race essays

Nuclear Arms Race essays In order to maintain peace and stability in the world, there must be a balance of power between countries. The Nuclear Arms Race was started because there wasn't a balance of power after World War II. The U.S. was the only country at that time which possessed nuclear weapons. Russia, fearing a United States domination of world power, developed a nuclear bomb of its own. Thus started the Arms Race, in which both countries attempted to gain the upper hand in terms of the number of nuclear warheads each possessed. However, the Arms Race ended when several treaties in arms reduction were passed. I believe that in the end, the United States and the Soviet Union realized that one country would eventually win, and the balance of power would again be shifted. Fearing a nuclear war, arms negotiations began in an attempt to lessen the tension. This is evident in the fact that treaties between the two countries were signed, agreeing on the limitation and testing of nuclear arms. It is also illustrated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, where Russia agreed to withdraw the missiles placed in Cuba, fearing U.S. retaliation. In order to better understand the Arms Race, a brief history must be given. The Arms Race probably began in August of 1949, when Russia detonated its own nuclear weapon, thus ending the U.S. monopoly. In response, President Truman ordered the development of the hydrogen bomb in January of 1950. However, the Soviet Union made the first H-bomb in August of 1953. Then, the race escalated when the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile was developed in the summer of 1957, again by the Soviets. A serious crisis arose in 1962, when the Soviets placed ballistic missiles in Cuba, their new ally. The missiles were withdrawn when the U.S. threatened nuclear retaliation. In return, President Kennedy's promised not to invade Cuba. The world had never come closer to a nuclear war. Negotiations, beginning with the establishme...

How Sunscreen SPF Is Measured

How Sunscreen SPF Is Measured SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a multiplication factor you can use to determine how long you can stay out in the sun before getting a sunburn. If you normally can stay out 10 minutes before burning, a sunscreen with an SPF of 2 will let you stay out twice as long, or 20 minutes, before feeling the burn. An SPF of 70 will let you stay out 70 times longer than if you had no protection (or 700 minutes in this example, which would be over 11 hours or a full day). How Is SPFDetermined? Think SPF is a  calculated value or an experimental lab value, based on how much ultraviolet light penetrates a coating of sunscreen? Nope! SPF is determined using human experimentation. The test involves fair-skinned volunteers (people who burn most quickly). They apply the product and bake in the sun until they start to fry.   What about water resistant? For a sunscreen to be marketed as water resistant, the time required to burn must be the same before and after two consecutive 20 minute soaks in a Jacuzzi. The SPF factors are calculated by rounding down the time required to burn; however, you may get a false sense of protection from an SPF because the amount of sunscreen used in the tests is a lot more product than the average person uses. The tests use 2 milligrams of formula per square centimeter of skin. Thats like using a quarter of an 8-oz bottle of sunscreen for a single application. Still... a high SPF confers more protection than lower SPF.  How Sunless Tanning Works | How Sunscreen Works

Building Surveyor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Building Surveyor - Essay Example If we want to know the about the importance of the Building Surveying then first we will have to know about the Building Surveying. Building Surveying is the geometric measurement of the building in plan, section and elevation. Cutting edge equipments are used to perform a wide variety of measurement surveys. Robotic laser instruments are used to electronically observation and digitally recording of the surveys. Distances are electronically measured with light beams. Position is fixed with the help of a technology known as satellite positioning technology (GPS). Construction machines can be automatically guided by satellites and laser beams. We use Laser scanners for obtaining 'clouds' of points to create digital 3-D models of our environment for planning and development purposes. Use of the Computer-aided tacheometry and photogrammetry increases day by day for surveying building geometry. Manual methods such as tape, measuring-stick or laser-distance meter are also used for buildings.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Essay Example As the study outlines he was named after his grandfather and the Saint Johannes Chrysostomus. His father Leopold Mozart was not only an excellent violinist but also a composer and concert master of great repute. His mother was Anna Maria Pertl and he had a very talented sister named Maria Anna Mozart. (Nannerl) From the tender age of three, Mozart had such a keen ear for music and began learning the keyboard and by the age of five he started composing minuets. All through his teen years he dedicated himself to music and mastered the piano, violin and the harpsichord. The Archbishop of Salzburg appointed him as concertmaster in 1772 during which time he composed several sacred works. He fell in love with Aloysia Constanze Weber and in 1782; he married her in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Mozart worked in Vienna, supporting his family by teaching and composing and also by performing in both public and private. Mozart became composer of the â€Å"Imperial and Royal Chamber† and in 1787 one of his works titled â€Å"Don Giovanni† was premiered in Prague at the famous National Theater. By this time, while in Vienna, he was feeling quite sick while he completed another of his famous works titled â€Å"La clemenza di Tito†. Then on Dec. 5, 1791, Mozart breat hed his last just a few minutes before 1AM. He had been ill for quite sometime and had died of rheumatic fever. From this study it is clear that Mozart’s works can be categorized into three sections – Early -from 1761 – 1772, Middle – from 1772 – 1781 and the Late – from 1781 – 1791. The total number of his works was 600 in all which included 21 stage and opera works, 15 Masses, over 50 symphonies, 25 piano concertos, 12 violin concertos, 27 concert arias, 17 piano sonatas, 26 string quartets and many other pieces. Mozart contributed significantly to the sonata repertoire which included the violin and the piano.

The media & role in society Essay Example for Free

The media role in society Essay The media plays a crucial role in society. It is responsible for developing viewpoints through the images it represents. People form opinions through what the media provides. However, more often than not, the media is also responsible for presenting inaccurate and biased images which greatly influence the perception of people. Naturally, the wrong kind of representation sends the wrong kind of message. The 2004 movie â€Å"Crash† is a good example of how the media promotes unfair judgment, as its story increased the stereotyping of African-Americans through the negative depiction of one of its black characters. The movie â€Å"Crash† is not a typical film with one story told in a linear fashion. Instead, it presents multiple vignettes woven in a web of a single narrative. In essence, the movie is about the different lives of people living in Los Angeles. It features the life of a police detective and his lover partner, 2 car thieves, a locksmith, a store owner, a TV director and his wife, the district attorney and his wife, and 2 police officers. While the stories of the characters are introduced to each other’s lives through car crashes, these are more importantly connected by one thing: racial discrimination. The issue of race sits at the core of the story, as the film exhibits the conflict created by the various races of people residing in Los Angeles. All races are represented in the movie: African-American, Asian, Caucasian and Hispanic. These races collide in the story and the end result reveals the prejudices they have against each other. The story of each character ends differently; while some change for the better, some remain the same. Hence, â€Å"Crash† can be considered as the film which explores racial discrimination and its consequences through the point of view of diverse personalities. Upon watching the movie, Director Paul Haggis seems to convey two messages through his masterpiece. He intended the audience to recognize two realities that are often overlooked. First, he wanted to show that everyone is guilty of racial discrimination. Regardless of which race a person belongs to, this person may have judged another based on their race. The traditional notion is that only white people are guilty of having prejudice towards African-Americans and other races. However, the movie showed that those who are often victims of racial discrimination are also guilty of participating in it. The second reality that Haggis intended to show through his film is the interconnectedness of people. No matter how different people are, they are all linked in the society they live in. He showed that actions of one individual affect the actions of another, which explains the gravity of the consequences of racial discrimination in society. Thus, the intention of the filmmaker was to open the eyes of the audience about two realities. â€Å"Crash† can be considered as a remarkable piece of cinema, but it does have its flaws. It is an award-winning film with a socially relevant story to convey. Nevertheless, despite the film’s noble intention to preach against racial discrimination, it is guilty of giving a negative depiction of African-Americans, specifically the character of Anthony. Anthony, who was played by rapper Chris â€Å"Ludacris† Bridges, is a young African-American man who is a thief by profession. With his friend Peter Waters (portrayed in the film by actor Larenz Tate), Anthony steals vehicles to be sold to a chop shop. In fact, the first time they appear in the movie is when they steal the Lincoln Navigator which the Rick and Jean Cabot (Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock) own. However, it is not only the act of stealing that gives Anthony’s character its negative portrayal. It was the discrepancy between his attitude and actions that set him in a negative light. Anthony is depicted as an African-American fighting against the racial discrimination of his race. When Anthony first appears on screen, he was ranting to Peter about the unequal treatment he received from the African-American waitress. He complains that he was not served at the same speed as white customers, despite the fact that the waitress was of the same color as he. At this point, the audience recognizes Anthony’s awareness of the racial discrimination African-Americans suffer in society, sometimes even from people of the same racial background. Then, Anthony reveals his hatred of white people when Rick and Jean Cabot walk towards their direction; he becomes enraged when the Jean clings closer to her husband when she sees Anthony and Peter. Eventually, both men force the white couple out of their vehicle and steal their vehicle. Throughout the story, Anthony continues to react against the discrimination of blacks in society. He says that he would not hurt his fellow African-Americans, though by the latter part of the story he broke this promise. The depiction of Anthony’s character is negative because it shows the audience the contradictory nature of African-Americans. Anthony is a character who strongly opposes the unfair treatment against his race. Initially, such fervent opposition may seem as a good thing. However, his own actions encourage others to discriminate about him. While he hates the way white people discriminate against African-Americans, he gives these people enough reason to unfairly judge his race. The fear of white people towards blacks originates from the crimes or criminal activities that African-Americans are associated with. Instead of doing good things and proving society wrong about black people, he steals cars and justifies the fear. At one point, he even robbed an African-American man (Cameron Thayer as played by Terrence Howard). In addition, his actions also reflect his discrimination of others. He has extreme hatred of white people. Just as the white people discriminate against them, he also discriminates against them. He is also guilty of racial discrimination towards Asians; he ran over an Asian man he called â€Å"Chinaman. † Hence, the character of Anthony was depicted in a negative light as an African-American man who does not like to be discriminated but participates in the discrimination of others. The character of Anthony is also depicted negatively because it follows the stereotype of African-Americans in media. The media has often portrayed African-Americans as involved in criminal or illegal activities. The portrayal of Anthony is no exception. He was a young black man who lived on stealing other people’s vehicles. A stereotype is a representation of those who belong to a specific group which upholds common belief or unjustified bias. The stereotype of African-Americans in the media paints an unpleasant picture of a race, as it presents them as citizens who disrespect the law. Due to Anthony’s depiction in the film â€Å"Crash,† this stereotype remains. Again, African-Americans are categorized as those that are not capable of living without breaking the laws. In real life, this is not the case. While there are black people who are involved in criminal activities, there are also African-Americans who live honest lives and earn money through hard work. Because of the stereotype that is used in the movie, the behavior of those who abide by the laws are discredited while the behavior of those who break the laws overshadow them. The negativity of a portrayal or depiction is based on the unpleasant or unfair presentation of a character. For instance, Anthony is negatively depicted because the movie upheld the stereotype of black people being criminals. The existence of such stereotype is obviously pleasant and remarkably unfair. As was earlier established, not everyone from the African-American community is involved in illegal activities. Because Anthony was portrayed as a car thief in the movie, the general perception of people that blacks are criminals still remain. Through Anthony’s negative portrayal, the movie contributed to the existing stereotype of African-American people. â€Å"Crash† by Paul Haggis is a movie which explores racial discrimination in Los Angeles. It highlights the existing tension between different cultures and races. While it is a distinctly fine film, it contributed to the stereotyping of African-Americans through the negative portrayal of the character of Anthony. By presenting a black man as a criminal who also discriminates against others, the movie helped little in improving the general perception of black people in society. Instead, it furthers the public’s unfavorable opinion about people of color. Therefore, the story of the movie â€Å"Crash† increased the stereotyping of a group. Reference Reimer, R. , Korbelin, J. , Grasic, M. (Producers) Haggis, P. (Director). (2004). Crash [Motion picture]. United States: Lionsgate.

Comparing William Bennetts Leave Marriage Alone and Andrew Sullivans

What is marriage? For thousands years, marriage has been a combination between a man and a woman. When they love each other, they decide to live together. That is marriage. But what will love happen between two same sex persons? Will they marry? Is their marriage acceptable? It is the argument between two authors: William J. Bennett and Andrew Sullivan. The two authors come from different countries and have different opinion about same sex marriage. Sullivan agrees with the gay marriage because of human right, on the other hand, Bennett contradicts his idea because he believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Even though their theories are totally different, their opinions are very well established. In Bennett’s essay, he does not want to support gay-marriage so he provides evidences as to why it is a bad idea. In his opinion, marriage is a connection of a husband and a wife. On the other hand, gay marriage is a damage of this society because he doesn’t think same sex marriage is actually a marriage. First of all, he believes â€Å"same sex marriages would do significant, long term social damage† (Bennett 177). At this point, I don’t agree with him because in my opinion, gay people do not harm the society except decreasing population in a passive action but it is not the main deterioration to be long term or significant. As everyone knows, beside gay marriage, abortion is also the hot issue of the world especially with the religion today. Why do they have to get rid of their â€Å"blood†? When they love each other so much, they get married or have sex before marriage (it’s very normal with teenager today), and then when the love is bro ken, they decide to abort or in other word, they want to kill their ba... ...riendship, or the love to your friends. After reading two different essays, I think why we have to struggle with those things we don’t have to. Why don’t we just let it go and love will answer everything? In conclusion, same sex marriage is not a problem; the problem is how we can live together with it. I’m a Christian so basically, I don’t support gay marriage but when I think about human right, I feel it is not a dangerous problem for us. If they love each other, let them marry and they will solve that problem by themselves. Who knows after gay law is passed, no one want to marry with same sex person any more. So just let it is solve by itself. Sources Cited William Bennett, Leave Marriage Alone Andrew Sullivan, Let Gays Marry An Exchange on Same-Sex Marriage - William Bennett and Andrew Sullivan http://faculty.mc3.edu/barmstro/sullivan.html

How It Feel to Be Colored Me and How to Tame a Wild Tongue Essay

Sometimes we know who and what we are, but it’s impossible to wear an identity without becoming what we pretend to be or bullied into silence allowing ourselves to be made a victim to oppression. In this essay I’m comparing the authors of â€Å"How it Feel to Be Colored Me by Zora Hurston, and How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua. Gloria Anzaldua became a victim of oppression by accepting society expectations of the Chicano culture. Meanwhile, Zora Hurston accepted who she is despite who people perceived her as because of her skin color. These two authors defends their personal identities through their cultures in separate ways. In the story How to Tame a Wild Tongue, Gloria Anzaldua feels that the way someone is cannot be controlled it can only be erased; she states â€Å"Wild tongues can’t be tamed, they can only be cut out† (Page 31). Anzaldua was against losing her accent and had an issue with putting her first language as a second. She would rebel as a child when told not to speak Spanish, so she struggled with changing and adapting to the American culture. She believed her culture the â€Å"Chicano† culture needed to differ from others with a secret language they can be able to communicate amongst each other. â€Å"Chicano Spanish need to identify ourselves as a distinct people. We needed a language which we could communicate with ourselves, a secret language† (Page 32). By creating their own slang allows them to connect their identity and communicate reality, values, and things they have in common. Yet, Zora Hurston in the story â€Å"How it feels to be Colored Me† expresses the way she was created doesn’t bother her nor makes her sadden. â€Å"I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I don’t mind at all (Page 145).† Unlike other colored people she doesn’t hate herself for the color of her skin, she’s proud to be created as the person she is without regret. Although, she’s constantly reminded of her culture background it fails to bring her integrity down, because ancestors paid the price of her free start in society, and shouldn’t stop to reflect on choices that wasn’t hers. â€Å"Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the grand-daughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me. I am off to a flying start and must I not halt to look back and weep. Slavery is the price I paid for civilization, and the choice was not with me† (Pages 145-146). Zora Hurston doesn’t consider herself a part of her culture who uses their skin color for a bad excuse for why they’re in negative life situations. â€Å"I do not belong to the sobbing school of Negrohood who holds that nature somehow has given them a lowdown dirty deal and whose feelings are hurt about it (Page 145).

Native American Art Maria Martinez Essay

Art is defined as â€Å"one such as a painter, sculptor or writer who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value,† Answers. com, thus we define the works of the iconic pottery artist Maria Martinez with her worldly known gift of shaping earth residue to fine ceramic work. Nearing the end of 18th Century, using of plant pigments and powdered mineral residue became a preference method of painting and slowly caused the extinction of glazed pottery , therefore they needed a savior for their over a thousand legendary heritage of pottery was getting to extinction. It was only timely that the birth of the famous Maria Martinez was on this time and the love of pottery as an art was in her blood. Her skill advanced with each pot, and her art began to cause quite a stir among collectors and developed into a business for the black ware pottery. In addition, Maria began experimenting her new models and methods to produce new shapes and decorations. The Life of Maria Martinez It was in the between the year 1881- 1887 that a woman by the name of Reyes Pena and her husband a farmer, carpenter and cowboy Thomas Montanya in a village in San lldefonso, New Mexico, a small community of humble dwellings of the eastern bank of the Rio Grande gave birth to a beautiful girl by the name of Maria Antonia Montanya or famously called by her mother in her Tewa tongue, â€Å"Po-Ve-Ka† meaning â€Å"Pond Lily†. She was the second born of five siblings all girls. Maria Antonia Montanya who was later to be called Maria Martinez grew up watching her mother’s sister Nicolasa Pena roll balls of clay in her moisten hand to make a tall cylinder which she would put in a contour then leveling the finished product with a smooth stone to give it a smooth finishing . She would then dry it and paint it with a variety of clay slips then fire it in a wood fire. By now young Maria would make small crooked bowls and pots on her own. After her education Maria Martinez came back home and perfected her pottery specializing in jars called ollas. In 1904 a young lady of 17 years or so, she fell in love and married an art lover as herself, Julian Pocano Martinez a member of the same village who painted as she crafted pots, and later that evening boarded a train to a world fair in St. Louis, Missouri where they were to demonstrate their arts , Julian showing his custom dancing prowess with other village men while Maria shaped, fired and colored her ceramics. Later they opted on settling in their home village for good. They had same projects sometimes like the excavation headed by Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett and later their work was viewed at the museum. They had four sons and a daughter who died an infant. Maria Martinez continued with pottery even after the death of her husband due to alcoholism. But she respected his memories and used to sign her work with all her names and many are seen with the name of her husband. Her works turned a poor, remote village into a craft center. Education & Awards In between pottery with her aunt and 1896 Maria went to a government grammar school where she received academic education then later joined St. Catharine’s Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1912 Maria discovered her black-on-black technique but it was until 1919 that she and her husband went brave on decorating their wares with the shiny, glossy black look. By 1921 she had perfected the art and it was known widely and admired by many and taught her villagers that’s why by 1925 most of the villagers were molding the same technique. The Museum of Mexico collected much of the pieces for display and by 1930s Maria was financially independent due to the wide show of her work. The year 1934 awards started streaming in Maria’s life, in this year she was the first woman to get a bronze medal for Indian achievement by the Indian fire Council, the University of Colorado and the University of New Mexico were among the four universities that awarded Maria Martinez honorary doctorate degrees. In 1954 the American institute of Architects awarded her the years Craftsmanship Medallion and the French bestowed to her the French Academiques for her contribution to art. As if it wasn’t enough, in1969 she got the Minnesota Museum of Art’s Symbol of Man Award and in 1974 The New Mexico Arts Commission’s First Annual Governor’s Award. Description of Black-on-black Pottery One of the greatest achievements of Maria and Julia Martinez was the invention of the Black-on-black technique in pottery. For many generations, San lldefonso and the neighboring Pueblos made plain black pottery as their main traditional practice but in 1919 this was to change, for Maria and her husband discovered the use of decorations in the glossy black and matte black surfaces. In 1921, the Martinez introduced the skill to their people who were enthusiastic of the change and had fun making this new type of ceramics. They then started selling them and within no time they had attracted the attention of the world on their art. By 1920 it was only natural for the museum of Mexico to collect and display the pieces of the ceramic in their exhibitions, and with this move the town of San lldefonso was a tourist stop and the Native Americans had a model. The rim of the jar ‘olla’ is usually slightly flattened and has an angle at the shoulder which is marked. The rims of the jar created by the Martinez have decorations of continuous paneled bands above the angle of the shoulder. The pots have a smooth, shiny surface which reflects light. The ceramics are decorated using a lighter black band which winds around it. These decorations are manipulated as they appear as scratches on the pots surface. A serpent which has horns and wide eyes wraps the pot and crawls inside the thick light band as part of the decorations . The body movement of the snake appears to be alive which signifies the Pueblo community appreciation of nature and life. The various decorations, gives the final products a unique look and personifies the object. Importance of the Black-on-black technique When the Pueblo people had nearly given up on their ancestral gift of pottery to help them in any way, Maria Martinez gave hope to them when she crafted with affection and feelings and the by product was a piece that was admired by the whole world, which brought change socially and economically to them. Their heritage was restored and they all went back into pottery and out of the village came many more world recognized potters. The world attention turned the lldefenso town into a tourism center thus providing vocation to its people and it was no longer known as a poor village but a village with resources. The new technique appreciated the heritage of the Pueblos. More so, it brought different cultures from all over the world together to appreciate Mother Nature in giving the Pueblos a nice earth where they harvested the soil and for their artistic gift. Artistic Themes Presented In Pottery by Maria Martinez Daily Life In the early years of 1800 pueblo community was undergoing changes in both cultural and traditional practices. Among the changes was the introduction of the cheap Spanish tin wares and Anglo enamelware that were taking the place of their handmade ceramics, the water jars and cooking pots, which were now being sold for a few cents to the tourist who came to their village. That was when Maria Martinez revived the art of pottery making among her people, reconnecting them to their ancestral way of life as they are known for their famous pottery that goes with their words according to Susan Peterson, â€Å"†¦they are their earth and their earth is them you cannot speak of one and forget the other. † (13) Historic Edgar Lee Hewett who knew of Maria Martinez slickness and thinning of her pottery, invited her to help in the excavation of old broken pieces of ancient pottery that were discovered in Puebloan sited on the Pajarito Plateau above San llidefenso . She got interested with the proposal to refurbish the old ceramic that were later displayed in the museum of New Mexico for the world to view the handiwork. Political Within a period of time the work of Maria Martinez was recognized by head of states for several generation and got the privilege to be invited to the white house by: Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson. She didn’t pass the recognition of an avid collector of her work John D. Rockefeller, Jr. , who requested her to lay a cornerstone for the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Spiritual Baring the fact that Maria was the most famous of all potters in Pueblo and one of the greatest potters in the world , in her mind she saw herself as just one of the traditional women of San lldefonso who made good pottery. And was quoted by Richard Spivey in His book Maria saying: â€Å"My Mother Earth gave me this luck. So I’m not going to keep it. I take care of our people. † Her belief was seen and proved by the fact that she taught all she could the art of pottery that has been carried with her great and great-great grand children. Process Used To make the Black-on-Black Jar, Creating the black-on-black pottery is a tedious work that requires a lot of skill and patience. According to Susan Peterson of The Living Tradition of Maria Martinez pp164 -174 there are six important steps to be followed. Finding and collecting the clay, which is done in the month of October every year when it is dry and stored in an old weathered adobe structure, where the temperature is constant. The clay is brought into the house, a cloth is laid upon the table, hold a mound of gray pink sand with a hole size of your fist at the center fill it with blue sand of the same amount. Make another hole inside the blue sand but of smaller size now then fill the hole with water. Knead the substance together. Pick within the cloth then wash cover with a towel to prevent the clay from loosing its moisture for it will be there for a day or two. The supporting mold â€Å"a fired clay shape the origin of a new formation† also known as pukis builds the pot base pancake looking kind of base. Squeeze the clay together using your fingers shaping a wall up about an inch high from the pancake base. Make it thick and even by smoothing out the walls by making cross-crossing motions using a gourd rib. To increase the pots height coil long tubes of clay on top of the clay wall then smooth it out using the gourd. To patch air holes put extra clay seal away using the gourd rib. Scrap, sand and polish with stones after the pot is dry, this is the longest step in the whole process. The stones are to be applied to the side of the pot consistently, horizontally, with a rhythimic motion. By rubbing the stone parallel to the pot’s side produces a glossy, polished balanced look. Finally burnish then fire the pottery. After decorating, the pot is finished. Visual Elements in Maria Martinez Pottery Shape – The pot has a shoulder, top, body and a pancake shaped base. â€Å"†¦ The rim of an Olla jar is slightly flattened and has an angle at the shoulder. † (Bunzel 44) Lines – they are also evident in Maria’s pottery like the band under the neck of the pot with the slithering snake nearly biting its tail. â€Å"†¦the band wraps directly below the neck of the pot. † (Bunzel 44) Texture – The pots are known of their glossy, smooth even tone that even reflects light. A stone is used for smoothing the texture of the pot. â€Å"†¦by rubbing the stone parallel to the side of the pot produces a smooth, even look to the pot. † (Bunzel 44) Color – The final process in pottery is decorating the pot by giving it hue and color. The black-on-black technique was loved because it did not only have the deep black color but defined with a light black band. Value –The revival of the ancestral art and innovation of the black-on-black technique added value to the pottery work, thus they are presently sold for several thousand dollars a piece. â€Å":†¦ Since her death her art and that of her family has gotten more collectible and difficult to get. † Sublette J Mark. Principles of Design in Maria Martinez Pottery The principles of design are basically the recipe for a good work of art. The principles combine the elements of artistic placement of the art to produce a good design. For example center of interest, harmony, balance, directional movement, rhythm. Center of interest – The serpent below the neck of the jar attracts your attention the moment you see the pot. The horned big eyed serpent slithers and coils through from side to side nearly biting its tail. The pot is extra soft and glossy due to the technique of black-on-black. Harmony – Maria harmonized her work by putting even thickness in walls and exceptional symmetry. She was known for her skill in polishing and getting a fiery shiny surface on the pot. Her decorative designs worked in harmony with the surfaces and shapes; she rarely repeated her designs except for the special avanyu which was a mythical water serpent. Balance – In making the famous Olla jar the fast and must step was making a pancake like base to stabilize and create balance of the pot. So balance was fundamental for the success of the famous jar. Directional Movement – The decoration of the serpent body slithering round the pot seems alive and gives unique movement from the head of the serpent to the tail back to the head and not getting out of the band which has now taken place for the serpent’s path.

Ridley Scotts landmark noir science fiction classic Blade Runner Essay Example

Ridley Scotts landmark noir science fiction classic Blade Runner Essay Example Ridley Scotts landmark noir science fiction classic Blade Runner Essay Ridley Scotts landmark noir science fiction classic Blade Runner Essay Essay Topic: The Haunting Of Hill House Ridley Scotts landmark noir science fiction classic Blade Runner (1982) is a showcase of effective construction of mood through a combination of key on-screen imagery, including unique mise-en-scà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ne, and elements of the films soundtrack. Each element is not only effective in its own right, but also contributes to the films themes, most notably its exploration of immortality and what it means to be human. Scotts adaptation of Philip K Dicks short story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? into Blade Runner was uncompromising in its commitment to exploring difficult existential questions about the essence of humanity and individual identity, using the unique advantages that the medium of film provides. Blade Runner follows the struggle of a group of replicants, or artificial human beings, to find and meet with their creator in order to ask for more life, as their leader (Batty) puts it, because their life spans are limited to four years by design. The replicants are neither pleased by this limitation, nor their status as slaves to the human race, and stage a bloody offworld revolt which leads to their presence being banned on Earth, on penalty of death. Despite the risk, four replicants journey to Earth and resort to violence in their quest to find Dr. Eldon Tyrell, an artificial intelligence genius who designed the replicants and presides, albeit reclusively, over the Tyrell Corporati on from his penthouse perch atop a pyramid. A Blade Runner named Deckard is enlisted to come out of retirement to himself retire, a euphenism for kill, the wayward replicants. Over the course of the film, Deckard falls in love with Rachael, Tyrells niece, who is a replicant but is unaware of it. In a mind-bending existential twist, the films conclusion suggests that Deckard may himself be a replicant. Scott borrows heavily from the stylistic tradition of American noir films of the 1940s and 1950s to provide the mise-en-scà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ne for the story. Set in Los Angeles in the year 2019, the film depicts a thoroughly depressing, congested, urban environment in which the city and its citizens are literally soaked with deluge of never-ending acid rain, absurd gigantic commercial advertisements (including a dark satire of Coca-Cola), another poster ironically advertised the tagline: MAN HAS MADE HIS MATCH NOW ITS HIS PROBLEM. There is also the influence of the Japanese, who appear to have taken over the majority of the city. In an interesting choice, Scott hired electronic musician Vangelis to compose a dark, futuristic soundtrack for Blade Runner. Vangelis score was performed almost entirely on synthesizers, which was a departure from traditional film scoring methodology and which resulted in futuristic sound with 19th century influences. Of particular note is the extremely dramatic music underlying the opening of the film, setting a tone which is both noir and futuristic at the same time no small feat. Reportedly, Frederic Chopins trademark melancholy nocturnes inspired Vangelis; this music was a major influence in setting the tone of the film from the opening to the closing scenes. Chopins influence can also be heard in the music that replicant Rachael plays on her piano during the film, possibly suggesting that organic music, such as the piano, is more human than synthesizer music. Vangelis score further illustrates its innovative skill during a scene in which Deckard chases and kills one of the rep licants, Zhora, by shooting her in the back, the vivid image of her clear plastic mackintosh covered in blood evokes feeling of shock and horror as this is the first time you see replicants blood, thus affirming their humanity. Vangelis contrapuntal orchestration, combined with an almost overloud haunting saxophone solo, contributes to the tension of this disturbing execution sequence. The existential questions of the story, most notably what it means to be human, what distinguishes replicants from humans, are reinforced by Scotts savvy use of symbolic visual elements. Part of the answer suggested in Blade Runner is that these questions are heavily dependent on point of view and the experience of visual memory. Scott reinforces these notions through the repeated use of an eye motif throughout almost every element of the films mise-en-scà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ne, indicating that our perception and inner construction of reality is dependent on what and how we see. The films opening shows a giant eye; the replicants eyes are often showed glowing; the test employed to distinguish replicant from human (the Voight-Kampff test), is partially dependent on eye movement and the scenes depicting this test are layered with extreme close-ups of the replicants eyes; the replicant owl owned by Tyrell has wary blood red eyes; and Tyrell himself wears huge, thick glasses suggesting his both l iteral and metaphysical myopia and disconnect from both reality and the humanity of his own creations. Lastly, replicant Batty, who is the last replicant to die at the films end, delivers a moving speech telling Deckard of the wonders his eyes have seen, the vivid memories of which will be needlessly lost liketearsin rain to eternity upon his death. Collectively, the omnipresence of eyes, symbolically and literally, contributes to a sense of paranoia, a world constantly under surveillance; Scott cleverly highlights this theme by the use of ever-present searchlights throughout the film, only Tyrells penthouse has the luxury of escaping this constant surveillance. However, any viewer of Blade Runner must be wary; Scott goes out of his way to illustrate that vision doesnt necessarily guarantee certainty and truth for the viewer. Scott employs many simulations or fakes photographs, memory implants within replicants, artificial animals, and of course, the replicants themselves, which are simulated humans. Of course, Blade Runner leaves us to ponder whether or not the replicants are more human than their masters, with their simple desire to be free to live and be masters of their own destinies. This is contrasted with Deckards inhuman mission to kill them, and Tyrells chilling attempt to convince the replicants to simply revel in your time instead of fighting their own mortality. The irony, of course, is that humans fight the inevitable in the same futile ways; their creator, whoever it/she/he may be, has simply programmed a longer lifespan into humanity but death is as much a certainty for humans as it is replicants. Threading the motif of the e ye through to its tragic conclusion, Scott depicts a horrific scene in which Batty shatters Tyrells glasses and gouges out his eyes as revenge for the existential horror Tyrell has fated for the replicants. Scott explores some of the most profound questions of our time our search for our creator, our mortality, what it means to be human, and whether simply accumulating experiences and memories is enough to create a soul, whether human or replicant. He is hardly the first filmmaker or auteur to do so, but what is unique about Blade Runner is how Scott brilliantly utilizes both visual and auditory components to explore these themes.

Assessing Employee Perception on the Imperativeness for Sustainable Development in Organizations

Assessing Employee Perception on the Imperativeness for Sustainable Development in Organizations Background of Corporate Sustainability: During earlier times, the main objective of organizations was efficient utilization of resources and to capitalize on the fact that how efficient an organization is to convert its capital into profits (Jensen and Meckling 1976). The main role of the government is to make suitable structure which ensures that a leverage is built between this comportment of organizations in always achieving optimum amount of profits with overarching societal goals (Friedman 1970). A lot of management associates and researchers have confronted this imperativeness of organizations on profit maximization. Their outlook says that organizations have broader accountabilities and not only achieving maximum return on capital. Hence, in this context this thought of corporate sustainability gained importance (Hanley 2000). The concept of sustainability development has emerged from the macroeconomics level. It is primarily based on three factors – environmental reliability, economic wealth and social justi ce. They are also popularly known as three supports of sustainability (Elliott 2005). Since organizations have full access to the productive resources of the economy so, without organizational support sustainable development will not be so much effective (Bansal 2002). Background of Employee Perception: Fabricating an understanding of the societal behaviour from the information one generates from senses is known as perception. On the other hand, we can also say that perception is the method by which one can form opinions about other person’s qualities and characters. (Myers, 2004). Many debates have occurred stating that perception is the single most important determinant of human behaviour. In addition to that there can be no behaviour without perception. However concentrating on managers in an organization, OB theorists argue that, since there cannot be one specific strategy for analysing the perception of other people. So, ultimately it will depend on managers own ingenuity, creative skill set and contemplative abilities to handle perception (Rao and Narayan 1998). Employee perception and sustainable development in organizations. Unfortunately, this relation of employee perception and corporate sustainability has not been explored fully. Fewer empirical research has been done in this area which justifies or even mediates the relation between employees and sustainability. Neither in relation to employee perception of their organizations sustainable development or how corporate sustainability effect their everyday work outlook and behaviour (Aguilera et al. 2007) Lately, OB researchers have comprehended normative theory in the framework of sustainable development. Specially, researchers have argued, if employees’ perception is that organization has followed the path of profit generation by imbedding sustainable development into their organizational procedures, this will have positive effect of employees perception (Rupp et al. 2006) Hypothesis: Employee perception is positively related to sustainable development in an organization. Many studies have associated sustainable development with perceptive, responsive and behavioural employee reactions (Becker-Olsen et al. 2006).