Color in Do the Right Thing

Jionne McMichael November 17, 2012 Art of Film Color As A Formalistic Device in Do The Right Thing Spike Lee presents his â€Å"truth† about race relations in his movie Do the Right Thing. The film illustrates the spectacle of black discrimination and racial altercations and portrayed the â€Å"true† realities of an African American living in the 1980s. The movie is set in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York on the hottest day in the summer where racial tensions are growing.Spike Lee uses color dramatically to help illustrate and emphasize these growing tensions that ultimately escalates to violence and tragedy and also, to help emphasize emotions. Color, as defined by Gianetti, is a realist technique but can be formalist having a subconscious impact on the viewer. There are two types of colors; warm and cool. Warm colors stress adjectives such as violence, stimulation, aggressiveness etc. Cool colors stress adjectives such as serenity, tranquility etc.Spike Lee definitely embraces this by using the elements of both warm and cool colors to emphasize the theme of escalating racial tensions that come to a climax at the end of the movie. In addition, it emphasizes the weather and the heat with bright tones. The color red is used symbolically to convey a variety of emotions. Mood and tone are created by this use of color. As racial tensions escalate, the color continues to visually dramatize what is going on in the minds of the characters as well as what is occurring in each scene.From its first frame, the energetic credit sequence in which actress Rosie Perez dances in a red bodysuit vibrantly to Public Enemy's powerful anthem â€Å"Fight the Power,† against a rear-screen backdrop that is lit in vivid blues and reds, right to its final shot. The film is an explosion of bright and warm colors and glows in an almost burning-furnace light full of vibrant red, orange, and yellow hues. In the first scenes, yellow light pours t hrough windows of shuttered apartments, nearly obscuring or melting the actors and scenery around it.In later scenes, particularly the nighttime sequences, a chiaroscuro effect is used, with blue and purple light surrounding the outer areas of the screen, and bright yellows and reds lit on the actor's faces and bodies. Overall, color is used as a metaphor for the emotions of the characters as well as to set the tone and mood. At the end of the movie, the culmination of these elements parallels the violent consequences of racism and prejudice. The different colors used in the film create a visual experience that helps to set the tone.The bright, vibrant colors create strong impressions of the characters’ emotions, as well as the overall mood of the movie. The main color used is red, which emphasizes the high temperatures experienced by the people in the neighborhood. In a scene showing Da Mayor's bedroom, the whole room is tinted with yellow, orange, and red to symbolize the h eat. After this scene, we get introduced to the character Smiley who is standing in front of a big red building and he is being shown with an orange tint.Then this scene is followed with Mookie in his sister, Jade’s room. This room is totally red, to show that it is very hot in there. We can see the use of red, orange and yellow through out the movie to keep reminding us of how warm it is. The bright red brick wall that serves as a background for the three men on the corner gives the scenes involving them a tone of the weather. This brick wall is a reoccurring object in the movie, and it gets lighter or darker depending on the mood of the particular scene.Tints of red, yellow, and orange are shown during the course of the film to maintain the mood of heat created by them. As the day progresses, bright yellow colors slowly transition into a darker yellowish or orange color. This is used as an indication of the setting sun and the dissipating heat. Color not only emphasizes the heat, but also emotions. The red color used so often reflects the tension, conflict, anger, and frustration among the characters. Their strong and passionate emotions are complimented by the tints of red, yellow, and orange used in the scenes.As rising racial tensions mount, color is used again to emphasize the heat and emotion. When the rioters set Sal's pizzeria on fire, it is a bright contrast to the surrounding dark night. The bright color of the flames conveys the rage of the rioters over Radio Raheem's brutal death at the hands of the police. As Sal and his two sons watch their pizzeria burn down, we see that reoccurring red wall behind Vito. The red color stresses their emotions of anger about the injustices that are taking place. The color red is also used in reference of love and hate.When Sal and Pino are sitting together in the pizzeria, the tone seems to be a bit red hinting some kind of love connection between the two. It is not the usual red color that shows the hot w eather. Also Da Mayor gives red roses to Mother Sister, the red in the roses stands out from all the color during the scene. The use of color in the lighting also brings another important element into the ways that certain scenes play out through the movie. There is a lot of natural lighting being used portraying the characters just as they are. But at the same time, different locations provide for different lighting styles.Such as is the case in Sal’s Pizzeria where it seems everything is a bit too dark and somewhat shady. Even in the introduction when Mookie wakes up for the day the lighting being used makes his room seem jumbled and is an insight into his life being a mess. The bright fluorescent lighting in the Korean store makes everything stand out too much, and does not make the place seem inviting, but strictly business instead. The light in DJ Mister Senor Love Daddy’s booth is relaxed and calm, just enough light comes in reflecting the cool personality he por trays.In the scene where Mookie decides to take yet another break from work and visits Tina the mood is entirely set by the color of the lighting. The sun is going down and the room becomes blue. It provides the cool, just as the ice Mookie brings, and makes everything slow down as it happens. The scene where the character Buggin Out gets his shoes scuffed by a white pedestrian is complemented by the warm colors of the mise-en-scene along with the costumes which are important in suggesting the positions of the characters in the community.The mise-en-scene includes the brightly colored cars on the road as well as the red and brown buildings, all very warm colors. It appears that in the post-production the shots may have been edited to posses a red hue, intensifying the hot atmosphere that is created by the heat wave. Along with this, Buggin’ Out and his group all match the mise-en-scene, wearing bright yellow, orange and red costumes suggesting their sense of belonging to the neighborhood. The contrast is presented through the entrance of the white man who is wearing a green t-shirt with lue socks pulled up, the antithesis of the warm colors the audience has been consistently presented with. The color difference is emphasized in the juxtaposition of the shot, reverse shots where we see the frame filled with Buggin’ Out and his friends wearing the warm colors and then the quick pace of the cuts to the white man wearing the cool green color. The contrast in colored clothing between the characters accentuates the difference in skin tone, instigating the audience’s insight into the importance of racial tension within the film.The out of place coloring in the white man’s costume, suggests the unusual nature of him being in this black community, an idea pointed out by Buggin’ Out when he says, â€Å"what do you want to live in a black neighborhood for anyway? † Also, the cool nature of the man’s clothing could be seen to emulate the calm and collected manner in which he handles the situation, he keeps trying to diffuse the argument with apologies and through this, Lee highlights the hot-headed nature of Buggin’ Out, a characteristic the audience is shown more explicitly later on in the plot.In conclusion, Spike Lee is very clever in his use of colors. Warm colors, especially red, are used in characters clothing as well as props and lightening to help put emphasis on the growing racial tensions among the characters that ultimately ends in a huge riot and tragedy. Color is also used to help express emotions that the characters are facing. For instance, in the riot scene, there are so many reds and oranges that clash with the dark blue night to illustrate the anger of the riots after the murder of Radio Raheem at the hands of the police.Spike Lee’s use of color is forcing us to take sides with his ideology, which is very explicit in this film. The principal idea of Lee’s film is that of the oppression of the black working class, by the non-black capitalists in their very own community. Lee has his characters basically come right out and express their view on this subject. The black characters of the community are alienated from their capitalist counterparts and therefore feel a certain rage against them. By using color, he forces us to take sides with them and succeeds in that.

Introduction to Muslim art and architecture

In this essay I will speak about the exhibits and shows I viewed on my recent visits to the Victoria and Albert Museum and British Museum. It was a truly oculus opening experience. It opened up a new dimension of Islam which I had non considered antecedently. I had ne'er known there was any kind of art or architecture in Islam. I had ever thought of museums as truly deadening topographic points. At first, I was truly doubting but shortly was fascinated by the artifacts. I shall depict the most dramatic and outstanding artifacts I saw and some information I learnt about them. In the Victoria and Albert Museum, I viewed a hearth from the castle of Fuat Pasha. It was made in Istanbul in 1731 CE and is designed in a typical Ottoman manner. An interesting thing to observe here is the on some of the tiles are written some names. These are said to be the names of Ahl Al Kahf. Their narrative is related in the Quran. A group of young persons and their Canis familiaris who were monotheists were being persecuted by the Roman Empire. They sought safety in a cave and prayed to ALLAH ( SWT ) . ALLAH ( SWT ) caused them to kip and they woke up and thought a twenty-four hours had passed. They were weary of being caught and so they elected one of them to acquire nutrient. This young person went carefully and tried to purchase some nutrient. When he tried to pay for it, the store keeper would non accept on history of the money given was expired. Coins like this had non been in usage for 100s of old ages. He rushed back to the cave and told the others. They had really bee n asleep for 300 old ages! ALLAH ( SWT ) had saved them from their enemy who were destroyed where as they were unharmed. This was a mighty Ayat of the power of ALLAH ( SWT ) and of the world of Resurrection. The utilizing of their names on hearths is to guard off immorality. Another point which stood out was the minbar which is a mosque dais. It was built in Egypt, most likely Cairo, someplace between 1468 CE to 1496 CE. Its design is in a Mamluk manner. It uses geometric forms which is an implicit in characteristic of Islamic art. The chief exhibit had to be the Ardabil rug from Ardabil in North Western Iran. The rug is 34 ? pess by 17 ? pess. It is the oldest lasting rug from this period dating back to 1540 CE. It was completed during the regulation of Safavid Shah Tahmasp I the boy of Shah Ismail. Ardabil is a metropolis with a great historical tradition of rug trade and has produced the finest Iranian Rugs of all clip. The rug is symmetrical which is another implicit in characteristic of Islamic art. The xanthous medallion in the Centre is a symbolic representation of the Sun which at that point in clip was assumed to be in the Centre of the existence. Originally this rug was portion of a set of two, and was created for the intent of marking the shrine of Sheikh Safi Al Din Ardabil who was a Sufi maestro in mystical Islam who died in 1334 CE. Shah Ismail, who reunited Iran after many 100s of old ages, founded the Safavid Dynasty named after him and established Shiite Islam as the province faith in 1501 CE. In the British museum I saw a ceramic gravestone of a Qadi called Jalal Al Din Abdul Malik who passed off around the twelvemonth 1270 CE in Kashan, Iran. He was known as Malik Al Ulama. The gravestone is covered in Arabic penmanship incorporating poetries of the Quran. Ayat Al Kursi is written on the outside frame. The penmanship and frames are painted in Co blue. The following object I saw was a mosque lamp from the clip of the Ottoman Empire. It can be accurately dated thanks to the lettering which states the name of the creative person every bit good as where and when it was made. The creative person was Musli who produced it in Iznik in Turkey in the twelvemonth 1549 CE. The Ottoman Caliph Suleiman The Magnificent who reigned from 1520-1566 ordered the rebuilding of the Dome Of The Rock in Jerusalem. The lamp was created to adorn the inside. It has three grips and ironss are used to hang the lamp. When lit, the penmanship lights up. The lamp besides displays tulips which are a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. Tulips were used in ornaments everyplace from mosques and castles to vesture. The lamp was discovered in Jerusalem in the nineteenth Century. I so viewed a gold dinar coin. It is one of the original coins from the clip of the Caliph Abdul Malik of the Umayyad Dynasty. This coin was portion of the Islamic coin system which was established in order to replace Byzantium and Persian coins which were antecedently in usage. This was done because the usage of images on Byzantium and Iranian coins are out. The Islamic coins contained the Kalimah, the basic and most cardinal message of Islam. The coin is dated to 696 CE to 697 CE, likely from Syria. The last point I would to speak about both because it is the last point I saw and was surely the one point which stood out for me was the carven jade terrapin. It caught my oculus instantly. It is highly graphic. It must hold been carved by a really skilled expert. It originates from Allahabad in Northern India and is dated back to the seventeenth Century. It may perchance hold been created between 1605-1627 during the reign of Selim the boy of the 3rd Mughal Emperor Akbar who reigned from 1556-1605 and a Hindu princess. Akbar built a castle at the Hindu metropolis of Prayag and renamed it Allahabad. Akbar ne'er lived in the castle alternatively giving it to his boy. Selim is known to hold had a captivation with natural phenomenon and this could hold been used as an decoration for the garden pools at his castle. The carven jade terrapin was made from a individual piece of green jade nephrite. It was discovered at the underside of a cistern in the beginning of the nineteenth Century d uring digging work in Allahabad. How it ended up at that place in the first topographic point is a enigma. It was so transported to England by Alexander Kyd. It was so sold to the British Museum in 1830. I discovered Islam has a rich diverseness and history. I learnt how Islamic art & A ; architecture is different from other civilizations. I learnt that despite assorted dynasties and epochs, all Islamic art & A ; architecture portion some common cardinal rules. These cardinal rules are that human or carnal figurative representations are non allowed, this is due to the cardinal rule of Islam being Tawheed which is belief in One GOD who is unobserved and nil is like Him so utilizing any images are purely out. This is in blunt contrast to many idol idolizing communities who created ocular images of their Gods such as Ancient Egypt. Another rule is the usage of geometric forms which can be infinitely repeated. Another rule is the usage of Arabic penmanship in order to fancify poetries of the Quran, which can so be used for its ultimate intent, to propagate the faith of Islam. I saw many ancient artifacts of the Islamic universe and saw how art & A ; architecture ties in with the history of great Islamic Empires and Dynasties. Each Dynasty had its ain typical symbols such as tulips for the Ottomans. Each Dynasty has left a go oning bequest through art & A ; architecture such as the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus as a mark of the power and glorification of the Umayyad Dynasty at its extremum. It was a genuinely mind blowing experience. The most of import thing I learnt is that all these objects and artifacts I viewed during my visits to the museums are a portion of my history and heritage.BibliographyCarved jade terrapin. [ Online ] . ( 2009 ) . British Museum. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/c/carved_jade_terrapin.aspx [ Accessed 26 December 2009 ] .Ceramic gravestone of Jalal al-DincAbd al-Malik. [ Online ] . ( 2009 ) . British Museum. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/c/tombstone_of_an_islamic_judge.aspx [ Accessed 26 December 2009 ] .Mosque lamp. [ Online ] . ( 2009 ) . British Museum. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/m/ottoman_mosque_lamp.aspx [ Accessed 26 December 2009 ] .Golddinarof calif Abd al-Malik. [ Online ] . ( 2009 ) . British Museum. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/g/gold_dinar_of_caliph_abd_al-ma.aspx [ Accessed 26 December 2009 ] .PALACE AND MOSQUE: ISLAMIC ART FROM THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM. [ Online ] . ( 2009 ) . Victoria And Albert Museum. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/8405-popup.html [ Accessed 26 December 2009 ] .Manner In Islamic Art. [ Online ] . ( 2009 ) . Victoria And Albert Museum. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1342_islamic_middle_east/index.php? id=1024 [ Accessed 26 December 2009 ] .The Ardabil Carpet. [ Online ] . ( 200 9 ) . Victoria And Albert Museum. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.vam.ac.uk/collections/asia/object_stories/ardabil/index.html [ Accessed 26 December 2009 ] .

This is a position paper for an economics case Research

This is a position for an economics case - Research Paper Example This paper discusses the trend and status of prices and the standard of living in the U.S. The current situation in the economy is the weakest though the economic fundamental might show the economy is doing fine. Even when the rate of unemployment is as it lowest, and the free market uninterrupted by economic crisis there is more to be done on the prices of goods. People may be in employment, but still life in poverty because the cost of living is high. The economy of the United States has increased since the inception of the industrial revolution with the exception of instances of economic crisis in 19 30 and other financial crisis including the 2007 -2008 financial turmoil. During the recession, the economy output of the country decreases and people lose job, as a result. In case where people keep their job they do so with pay cut to ensure that the industry survives the crisis. This demonstrates the worst of the effect of prices in the economy. However, during the boom it is only a few who benefits and the rest of the people condition remain unchanged. Moreover, the government had resulted to borrowing to maintain a high standard of living. This, however, has a negative effect on prices and inflation. The country right now is dealing with the problem of debt, and it had reached the maximum amount that was set earlier by the congress. Therefore, failure to pass a debt ceiling bill that increases the level at which the government can borrow leave the government operation vulnerable and a possibility of defaulting past engagements. The challenges of unstable prices are borne by consumers because they are trapped within their wages. The United State Bureau of Census and concern from the labour sector has been raising concerns of the living standard in the next decades. The Bureau of Census has projections of the country’s economic capability to maintain a healthy

Human papillomavirus (HPV) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human papillomavirus (HPV) - Essay Example HPV only affects women. This report addresses the issue of HPV, how it affects human beings and assesses the value of vaccines available for prevention of this virus. The report is addressed to the Minister of Health. The first step that the Ministry of Health should take in addressing the issue of Human papillomavirus is to understand the virus as well as how it affects human beings. As a Minister of Health, it is inevitable to have a clear understanding of this virus. Human papillomavirus is virus from the papillomavirus family. It is sexually transmitted and is the most common STI. The virus is available in over 40 HPV types. The virus infects the genitals of both female and male. It causes a number of cancers which include cervical cancer, penis cancer, vagina cancer, vulva cancer among others. In fact, this virus causes cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer in the world. Therefore, it is imperative that your Ministry should look into this issue and give it the weight that it deserves. Many people do not know about the virus despite being common. The reason as to why many people do not know much about it is the fact that they may not notice it when infected. About half of al l men have been infected by the virus at a given time in their life while 3 out of 4 women have had the infection. The HPVs that cause cancer are referred to as the high risk HPV. The next fact that your Ministry needs to be aware of is the manner with which the virus affects and how it spreads. First, it is necessary to note that about 5% of all cancers in the world are caused by the high risk HPV. In addition, almost all cervical cancers are caused by this virus. The types HPV 16 and HPV 18 are responsible for cervical cancer in women. Genital contact is the main method through which the virus is passed on from one person to another. It is necessary to note that the virus be passed on even between partners of the same sex if

The United States and the Asia-Pacific region Essay

The United States and the Asia-Pacific region - Essay Example Apart from that, the United States provides its key allies with technological assistance to enhance their defense. Military cooperation in the form of combined drills helps Asia-pacific powers such as Korea to be well equipped to extend the mandate of the U.S in the area. By offering security assistance, America hopes to equip its allies to deal with their security directly.America has the political and military ability to bring warring parties in the region to a common table. This process is essential in diffusing tension. This is a diplomatic approach that the country pursues based on several considerations. For instance, the region has some of the countries with the biggest military might, including nuclear weapons (Vicziany 13). The military developments in the region is immense and acts of aggression are likely to cause massive impacts. A move towards production of weapons of mass destruction on a large scale not only threatens the region but also the world. America uses its inf luence to avoid the proliferation off destructive weapons.   Based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) OF 2010, the U.S is keen to get Asia-pacific countries to scale down on their nuclear developments (Long 89). It is essential for the military undertakings to be controlled to avoid war rhetoric or threats. The United States, while seeking to use its diplomatic appeal aims to get an alliance that stands strong to neutralize threats to the stability of the Asia-pacific region. High on the priority list of America.

Tenet Healthcare Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tenet Healthcare - Term Paper Example Tenet has over one hundred thousand employees and has its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. As a National Medical Enterprise, attorneys John Bedrosian, Leonard Cohen and Richard Eamer established Tenet in 1967 (Brooks, Silverman and Wallen, 2015). By 1975, the enterprise owned and operated twenty-three hospitals and a home healthcare business. It grew to expand in the 1970s and the 1980s to the present Tenet Healthcare Corporation. Tenet’s stock price declined by over 70% in 2002 because of Federal Investigations. It was in 2003 when Tenet’s Commitment to Quality, an initiative to improve the safety, service, quality and outcomes of the care services was initiated. In an endeavor to rebuild its Ethics and Compliance Programs, a chief compliance officer reporting directly to the board of directors was hired. Tenet strived to achieve its financial performance goals in the face of many compliance challenges instituted by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Despite the many challenges, Tenet managed to use various strategies leading to its growth and expansion and the acquisition of many other companies. According to reports released on 20 January 2015, Tenet owned two hundred and ten outpatient centers. Its operated hospitals include two children’s hospitals, four academic medical centers, and a critical access hospital with 20,814 licensed beds and three specialty hospitals that primarily serve urban and suburban communities in fourteen states. Tenet subsidiaries own and lease medical office buildings located near Tenet hospital campuses. These subsidiaries operate freestanding and provider-based outpatient centers in 16 states, ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic imaging centers and satellite departments. The Corporation owns over five hundred physician practices (Brooks, Silverman and Wallen,

Summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summaries - Essay Example Among these sources of threats include malicious codes, industrial espionage, malicious hackers, loss of some physical and infrastructural support, incidences of employee sabotage, fraud and theft, errors and omissions, and threats to personal privacy. A computer virus is a code segment that is capable of replicating by possibly attaching copies of it to existing executable files, implying that viruses can exist in a computer without infecting the system; not unless one opens or runs the malicious program. It is majorly spread by sharing of infected files through emails and removable disks. A worm, on the other hand, is a self-replicating program or algorithm which has the capability of creating copies of it and thereafter executing without the requirement of a host program or user interventions. Just like in the case of viruses, worms exploit the use of network services to propagate itself to other hosts systems within the network topology. A Trojan horse is a program which performs a desired task, however, which also includes the unexpected functions. After installation or running of the Trojan horse, it gets activated and starts to alter the desktops by adding ridiculous active desktop icons; deleting files and destroying other information on the systems; and creating backdoor on the computer systems to offer malicious users the easy lee-ways into the system. Its unique feature that explicitly distinguishes it from worms and viruses are that it does not actually replicate/ reproduce by infecting other files. A Blended threat is rather more sophisticated in the sense that it bundles the worst known features or viruses, worms, Trojan horse and malicious codes. For its aided transmission, it can exploit the server and the linked internet vulnerabilities to initiate, and thereafter transmit by spreading its attacks to other various systems interlinked within the network structure. Blended threats are characterized by

Sacrificing Gaddafi Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sacrificing Gaddafi - Speech or Presentation Example One would require a strong motive to do sacrifice. Sacrifice can be positive too if it brings positive benefits as a result. Gaddafi had been oppressing and subjugating the Libyan people, We can no longer live under this evil subjugation, sacrificing Gaddafi would bring positive results. Libya is not like Tunisia or the Egypt it is place which is completely different. In case of distraction it would just split in to several other states. These were the words of son of Gaddafi on the Libya TV on Sunday. Of course he is very right as Libya is neither Egypt nor it is Tunisia. It is a country that is over 600,000 sq. miles and is populated by less than even 7 million. Since, the 1969, it has been the victim of single leadership, a man who has treated it mercilessly by showing cruelty to anyone who speaks against him or the revolution or the regime he was governing. It is a country that is built over the importance of tribal unity though despite the largest oil reserves in Africa, it cont inues to permit two third of the citizens living under poverty lines. It is a unique country that cannot boast much of its positive bilateral relations with the west or the Europe, as it has only recently made amendments in its relations with the neighbors across the Mediterranean after many years of US and UN imposed sanctions. (Gaddafi: Africa's king of kings) After the cold in 2004, the Europe ties then developed for better. As could be seen Libya became the third biggest oil supplier to European countries, having in the recent years surpassing Saudi Arabia even. The proximity to Europe, relative lack of foreign investment, unexplored terrain gave Libya a deep value a worth of gem equivalence especially for the oil dependent economies of west. (Gaddafi's personal website) The fact that the leader may publicly hang the dissident students was of no greater concern as long as the philosophy of intolerance had extended to, adequately suppressed, the supposed "threat" of Islamism. Sti ll the recent events have just forced world leaders to just re- examine the relationship with the distorted regime. Accounts of the unprovoked sniper attacks on the peaceful demonstrators, use of the violent foreign mercenaries as means of the crowd control, live ammunition being shot in to crowds of protesters, along with the media black-out that tried (un-successfully) to prevent world from finding out the truth This has brought about fresh focus and attention to plight of the Libyan people along with the reaction of their in-humane leader.(Freedom 2011) As he had addressed the nation, Gaddafi’s feebly masked threats were then received angrily by the protesters in the streets. His claims in regard to the celebrations of people of Darnah, Benghazi and al-Bayda were brought about by drunk and drugged youngster led to the furious chanting plus jeering against the Gaddafi and his son. Gaddafi’s warnings of possibility of civil war and separatism evoked slogans emphasizin g the unity of Libyan people and their intention to support one another till they achieved victory.( A new flag flies in the east) The strengthened protest is one of the case in point. Having been silent for a specific period or the beginning periods the Libyan people then made it to the streets in much of the increasing numbers their final destination became the presidential house. However, the difficulties have gone beyond this. Reports of helicopters bombing protestors as well as forcing them out of city centre apartment blocks in order to make room for snipers are also confirmed by those very people who were on the ground. If one watches from their house they could find Saif’

Classics 20 - discovering Romans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Classics 20 - discovering Romans - Essay Example as such a playwright who infused humor in comedy with several other literary techniques to enact and resolve such types of cultural conflicts as generational and social problems as portrayed in the discussion below. In his play entitled Brothers, Terence uses fictional characters as he attempts to analyze and represent that various types of cultural conflicts that existed in the society. The characters possess appropriate personalities a deliberate feature that Terence employs in order to justify the conflicts that existed during the early Roman society. Demea one of the key characters is an Athenian man with two sons Aeschinus  and Ctesipho. Demea is a strict father who strives to raise his children in a manner he considers upright. In an unprecedented shift, Demea separates his children at a tender age thereby giving one of his sons to his brother Micio while he remains with one of the sons, Ctesipho. While the playwright does not validate Demea’s decision to separate his children, the separation helps portray the various types of cultural conflicts that existed in the Roman society. The early Roman society expected parents to raise their children. Such is a portrayal of responsibility. Parents therefore make decisions for their children as they grow. This way, children grow into adulthood as defined by their parents. By separating the two sons, Demea develops a scenario where his sons grow into two different adults with different personalities. The relationship between sons and fathers for example influences the nature of adults the sons become. As explained earlier, Demea is a stringent father and a strict disciplinarian. His brother Micio is an easy going and liberal bachelor. His lifestyle therefore influences the relationship he creates with his nephew, Aeschinus. The separation of the boys at such tender age instigates the formation of difference personalities in the boys owing to the fact that they live the rest of their lives with two different men

Disclousuer requirments in securities regulation between Saudi Arabia Research Paper - 1

Disclousuer requirments in securities regulation between Saudi Arabia and united States (compareson) - Research Paper Example Disclosures imply that public should be informed of any investment decisions, while the undermining of this confidence leads to the collapse of the securities market harming national economy for a very long period of time. Saudi Arabia is considered to be one of the largest developing stock markets in the world. Nowadays it shows increasing demands for various investments in corporate securities. While in 2006, Saudi Arabia securities market was regarded as the market which suffered from the lack of transparency and disclosure credibility less than average due to the economic crisis happened in this state. Great part of the investors received no compensation for the caused damages and had no any practical possibility to protect their rights with respect to the securities rights. Thus, some scholars define the current legislation of Saudi Arabia on the securities law and its disclosure as existing in place, but not functional in practice. Despite this fact, some states share the views that Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that has relatively strong disclosure requirements. This country is able to ensure investor’s protection during exercising of business transactions. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to describe the disclosure requirements applicable to the securities in Saudi Arabia and it comparison with the strong securities market conditions prevailing within the USA market. In Saudi Arabia, some principles applicable to the issuers of securities exist. Hence, issuers that offer securities through public offer are always subject to disclosure requirements involving shareholder voting decisions and equal treatment to each other. In any case, the body governing the issue of securities requires submission of the reports on the disclosure of significant amount of shareholders of the companies. At the same time, Saudi Arabia implements main

Effect of Electronic Media in Public Essay Example for Free

Effect of Electronic Media in Public Essay People’s life is becoming more convenient and colorful compared with the past years because of the growing popularity of electronic media, which are media that use electronics or electromechanical energy for the end-user (audience) to access the content. The user of electronic media, such as the internet, 3G mobile phone were increasing rapidly in China within the past years. In the year of 1987, Chinese people sent their first email to Germany in an institute located in Beijing. In 2000, the number of internet users was 225, 000, 00 and this figure reached to 513,000,000 by the end of December, 2011. Besides, Chinese mobile phone users have exceeded one billion by the end of 2011. Why these electronic media increase so fast? Because it is the age of information and technology today. Xiaoping Deng (1988) pointed out that Science and technology constitute the primary productive force. Electronic media devices have found their way into all parts of modern life. For example, a person who has something urgent to inform to his family, of course he would choose to use e-mail instead of writing letter, for its more convenient and fast and can be read at any time or anywhere by the receiver. The other electronic media, like telephone, telegraph, which are all quicker and safer than the traditional way to communicate. Besides, books and newspapers cost people a lot (money, time, etc.) since these traditional media published frequently and updated slower than the electronic media, such as the internet. The electronic media affect people’s life greatly because of their convenience and safety. It also provides people with a public platform to express the true thoughts from their inner world. However, we should know that there are always two sides to everything, and it is without exception for electronic media. Excessive using of electronic media may lead people to indulge in the virtual world. For instance, children are addicted to net games so the phenomenon of absenteeism in school appeared which is a rare  phenomenon in the past years. Moreover, since the early 1960s, research evidence has been showing that violence in television, movies, video games, cell phones, and on the Internet increases the risk of violent behavior. In conclusion, People should know how to use these advanced and modern media in a reasonable way, for these new electronic media could result in a serious of problem during their lifetime if they are used improperly by the people. References 1.The 29th China Internet Development Statistics Report(2012).{online].Available from: http://www.cnnic.cn/research/bgxz/tjbg/201201/t20120116_23668.html 2.Wikipedia.{online].Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media 3.L. Rowell Huesmann. (2007). The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research.

Royal Bank of Scotland Staff Management

Royal Bank of Scotland Staff Management The Royal Bank of Scotland Executive Summary Royal Bank of Scotlands rapid expansion into the global market as against its roots as a national bank, has exposed the bank to the ripple effect created by the fall in the USA housing market, which has led the global banking industry into greater economic crisis. As a result of RBSs exposure to the current financial crisis, this report shall looks at the difficulties involve in leading and motivating staff of RBS as it navigates its way out of the crisis. The difficulties with leading staff of RBS that shall be looked into involve, lack of In-depth and technical knowledge by the board and the CEO, Managing culture, Managing Change, Loss of reputation, and Government Interference. Understanding and satisfying of staffs need in this current financial crisis may be a difficult task for the management of RBS, this report shall also evaluate the difficulties of motivating staff of RBS ranging from government influence, disparity in pay, public outcry and challenges in satisfying the need of every employee of RBS Lastly the report shall recommend practicable solutions that are applicable to the current financial crisis to the management of RBS. 1.0 Introduction The environment where business operates has a major impact on its operation. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) operates in the UK financial industry which is one of the strongest financial hubs in the world. Porter (1998) says that a business will be successful if all the elements of the microenvironment are favourable to the organisation, this can not be in isolation of the macroenvironmental factors which also dictates the success of an organisation. The current financial crisis, was ignited by the fall in the USA housing market, and has a ripple effect which has exposed RBS and the UK banking industry as a whole, this has led to the liquidity problem been faced by the industry and the loss of confidence in the banking industry. Companies that market products or services have always had to deal with a wider range of issues than those encountered by domestic firms (Jeannet and Hennessey 1998). Royal Bank of Scotlands rapid expansion into the global market as against its roots as a national bank, has exposed the bank to greater economic crisis. The new chairman headed by Sir Philip Hampton in his bid to reform the bank has rooted out seven non executive directors and the former CEO Sir Fred Godwin who spearheaded the Global expansion, and appointed a new CEO Stephen Hester. In 2008 RBS group declared a loss of  £28bn the biggest loss in British corporate history (www.guardian.co.uk) and this has culminated into several lay off of staff. The Government in its effort to save the bank has injected some fund into the banks business and now owns about 70% of the bank. RBS has laid off some thousands of its workforces over the past year, there is consistent criticism from the media and the general public about bankers pay and reward, banks exposure to the global crisis, governments control power etc, all these have sent different signal to the remaining staff and also create difficulties in leading and motivating these staff by the management. 2.0 Leading Staff Of RBS During The Financial Crisis It takes a mentally tough and emotionally strong CEO and a competent Board to survive the current crisis. Kotter (1996) as cited by Robins and Judge (2007) says management is about coping with complexity by implementing the vision and strategy provided by leaders, coordinating and staffing the organisation for smooth operation, while leadership on the other hand in contrast is about coping with changes, by having ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a set of goals. Robin and Judge (2007) also group leadership theories into two, Charismatic and transformational leadership. But says Transformational leadership builds on the transactional leadership Ø The charismatic leadership theory. Charismatic leaders have vision, willing to take personal risk, sensitive to follower needs. These individuals are set aside from ordinary people and treated as endowed with exceptional qualities and are given unprecedented autonomy and resources, which then makes such individual to posses ability to leverage higher salaries and reward even when their performance was not very good, high risk taker, incur high cost and engage in self sacrifice to achieve the vision, and engaging in unconventional behaviour. These traits were seen in Sir Fred Godwin character, though to some extent the staff and board were satisfied with him before the current crisis, but such attributes may be difficult to lead staff and the whole of RBS group in this current crisis judging by their recent performance (Refer to Appendix 1). Ø The Transformational leadership theory Transformational leaders are known for providing vision and sense of mission, communicates high hope, inspirational motivation, careful problem solving skills etc, however it also build up on the characteristic of transactional such as the contract exchange for reward, and management by exception. These set of individual inspire staff to put in more effort to achieve the business objectives and goals, and also help staff at looking at old issues in a different way by been more innovative and creative. These traits are been seen in the new CEO Stephen Hester and such characters may seems to fit in to lead in this current financial crisis 2.1 Challenges with leading staff of RBS out of this current financial crisis Ø In-depth and technical knowledge of the board: According to Peter Principle, In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to level of incompetence. The remuneration package approved by the former board of RBS has shown that though the board has some financial experts but the full understanding of the former CEO package which led to the public outcry was not fully understood by some members of the board before they approved it. This was also emphasised by Ministers who believed that it was not only Lord Myners who did not know that Sir Freds pension was discretionary. They believed that the old board of RBS was kept in the dark too (www.bbc.co.uk). The current board has several financial experts with years of experience working in the industry but this still does not guarantee that all strategies and decision made by them shall be perfect. Ø In-depth and technical knowledge of CEO: Dive (2009) argue that most CEOs do not know how to establish accountable organization. RBS was reported to have lost over  £600m in Madoffs alleged investment scam. This could have been attributed to the lack of understanding and technical knowledge of such investment exhibited by the former CEO Fred Godwin before venturing into such a risky investment scam. However the new CEO too could have being tricked into such investment because it is very hard for CEO to posses in-depth and technical knowledge of all the financial operations and investment. But not withstanding CEO should strive enough to develop or gain the full understanding of some decision they might have made in past and to be able to correct some anomalies When Egg card terminated over 100,000 of its credit card customer in February 2008, the CEO said he believes they pose an unacceptably high risk to the company, this was supported by Angela Knight, chief executive of the British Bankers Association, who said that Eggs action was a sensible way of looking after a business (news.bbc.co.uk). Ø Managing culture Another difficulty leaders are likely to face in the current financial crisis is the ability to manage culture. Leaders need to know how to manage culture that exit within its organisation and the environment where it operates. The issue that leaders face at each of their organisational growth stages are different, partly because the role that culture plays at each stage is completely different (Schein 2004). The inability by banks chiefs to manage the bonus culture that exits within the financial institution in UK has led to public outcry and different criticism about the ability of these executives to run a profitable company and at the same time manage its staff. Stephen Hester who was brought to turnaround RBS might be faced with managing culture because it is a barrier to change, and change is prone to resistance. Stephen Hester is expected to deal with lavish executive perks in RBS which has become a culture in the banking industry, such as the  £17m private jet used by Sir Fred Godwin, and heavy pension schemes. However Stephen Hester too according to (www.dailymail.co.uk) lives an expensive life style such a 350 acres of country estate, expensive mansion in London, and large option reward. This is a culture that has been in the industry for quite some time and it may be difficult for any new CEO to change because he too might have been a benefactor at a point in time, and also for the position of a CEO of a large financial organisation like RBS to be attractive, the reward needs to be competitive. This is a major challenge that Stephen Hester and the board might faced in leading at this point of time. Ø Managing Change Johnson et al (2001) say when a business is in terminal decline and faces closure or takeover, there is a need for rapid and extensive change in order to achieve cost reduction and revenue generation. Stephen Hester was appointed not only as CEO at RBS but implied as a change agent who will carry out a rapid change within the bank. Change is a major challenge and may be difficult to implement than it seems at first because while changing the business strategies and operation, one has to change the people and their orientation. Balogun and Hailey (2004) say success rate for most of the change programme launched within organisation is poor and the failure rate is 70%. However Stephen needs to find ways of ensuring that the outcome is positive change rather than damaging to the business. RBS in its bid to be back to a profitable organisation has embarked on different change management processes which have led to some job cut, however resistance to these changes is expected. Rob Macgregor, Unites national officer, said the union was appalled that thousands of people, who form the backbone of the RBS operations, are to be made redundant. He added: These employees are totally blameless for the current position which RBS is in, yet they are paying for the mistakes at the top of the bank. (www.guardian.co.uk) Ø Loss of reputation Adams Equity Theory says the more upset people get the greater they strive to redress the inequity. The general public and the medias impression of banks and financial institution has led to the loss of reputation of most banks in the UK , which was even seen in the damage done to the building of RBS by angry protester in April 2009 during the G20 meeting in London. This has created fear into the members of staff of RBS not to be attacked in public once people know that they work for the bank. And this may even force some to leave the organisation or think about a career in another industry. Ø Government Interference The injection of over  £20bn by the UK government to salvage the RBS from collapse has led to major influence of government in the decision to be made by the current Board and CEO. Decision made by management must always be the one politician will prefer rather than the one that will be of best economic interest to the bank. The recent announcement by the bank to cut 9000 jobs over the next three years which might result in a savings of over  £2.5bn (www.guardian.co.uk) was strongly rejected by the Politician , and the banks deputy chief executive had to change their strategy from job cut to redeployment of staff while facing the MPs. This is a vital challenge that faces the management of RBS in leading the staff for a profitable organisation. 3.0 Staff Motivation Unhappy staff are known to have little chance to produce satisfied customers, so the more contented staff are, the higher customer satisfaction will be. The management of RBS needs to integrate individual needs along with the organisational goals in other to achieve the business objectives, but motivation of staff comes with different challenges. 3.1 Challenges with Motivating staff of RBS during the current financial crisis Ø External influences A key difficulty been faced by most organisations during this global financial crisis is that they have placed too much attention on the external environment, at the detriment of the internal working environment. RBS continuous laying off staff with the aim of cutting cost was a result of its exposure to the global economic crisis, liquidity in the market, and fall in stock value. This is a demotivating action to the staff of RBS but the management and board of RBS might want to first readdress it position in the banking industry before it can then focus on the staff extreme needs. Ø Reward Structure The pluralist perspective of organisational conflict according to Lashley and Ross (2003 ) emphasises that conflict between subgroups is inevitable, and therefore it must be handled and managed carefully . Because of the higher pay package being offered to some investment staff of RBS, some group of staff in the retail and commercial sector of business may believed that they are being underpaid and at the same time bring in lesser risk, this may result in different conflict and complex issues arising among staff. Also the need for reward when target is met may be valued by some top performing investment staff within the bank, and they may threaten to leave if they are not been compensated competitively with what is obtainable in the industry. Increased wages are precisely what RBS may not be able to provide during this storming period however Nelson (2005) has also said though money is a factor of motivation, but not sufficient condition alone to attract, retain and motivate good employees. Ø Satisfying needs of all staff Money may not be provided everytime while appreciation and involvement of staff which are seen as other means of motivation can be provided any time. The problem with this, is understanding the need of all members of staff of RBS and aligning organisation policies with these needs. Maslow hierarchy of needs says before the self actualisation of need can be met, the basic life needs needed to be met, and he also said when a need is satisfied it no longer motivates and the next higher need takes its place (Refer to Appendix 2). Maslow hierarchy of needs might be ineffective when organisation is faced with too many external factors. Virtually almost every staff of RBS is worried about their job security, public attack, loss of bonuses, and stigmatization of banking profession. Therefore understanding and satisfying of staffs need in this current financial crisis may be a difficult task for the management of RBS. Ø Government Interference/ public outcry The Government forced down the 2008 bonuses that were supposed to be paid to staff of Lloyd bank, as a result of government ownership in the bank and the poor performance of the bank in 2008, while some staff see these as unfair treatment because they met their target and they deserve their bonuses. This was supported by Unite trade union who says they will not accept a situation where staff are made to suffer financially for the mistakes or greed of the top executives who ran the bank. This could be demotivating to staff that work in the three banks where government have control, in which RBS is one of them 4.0 Recommendation Leading and motivating is an integral part of managing people in an organisation, because people are major asset to such organisation. Gratton (2000) says people should be treated with politeness, respect, dignity and fairness. This can help to build an organisation where people can grow and flourish and at the same time save management reputation when they acted wrongly Organisation branding could help to motivate employee, it helps to give them a job securities and the status that is attached to the branded company. Media can be used to gain back the good image RBS is known for, and also management should avoid action or event that may put the company into public debate by ensuring that ethical decision are taken all the time. Businesses that survive the trying times are the ones whose leaders adopt a attitude of discovery and change, instead of resistances. Johnson et al (2001) suggest five style of change management: Education communication, Collaboration/participation, intervention, direction, coercion, some of which can be used by the management of RBS while turning the business around. Though RBS do appraise its staff regularly the use of management by objective (MBO) as part of its performance measurement for staff may be very much ideal in this era, in order to align both the goal of individual staff with that of the organisation. Butler (2009) says that in a multicultural organisation, transformational leadership demonstrates care for the personal relationships with a diverse group of people that in turn builds better leader-member exchanges, trust and organisational commitment. These kind of leadership traits might have been suggested to the board of RBS before the selection of Stephen Hester as the new CEO with the hope of changing the staffs paradigm and give them higher satisfaction. However a transformational leader will require more to be successful in this era , and this may include trust and been ethical, in other to gain the respect and to remove the stigma associated to CEO of big banks seen as selfish ,greedy, and extravagant lifestyle. Apart from the normal qualities of a good leader, two exceptional role that may be expected of the new leadership of Stephen Hester and the new Board at RBS are to provide team leadership, and self leadership roles. Team building is essential for every organisational development and growth. Task and problems are shared to enhance productivity, great leadership takes into account proper delegation amongst staff while still taking responsibility at the end of its completion. Leaders lead by good examples in era such as this, Josef Ackermann, CEO of deutsche Bank pledged to relinquish his bonus which runs into millions of Euros (www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk). This action has also prompted 3 other senior board members to agree to relinquish theirs as well. Which is now been used as a yardstick in the industry. Though Stephen Hester is new at RBS but there are some other processes or action through which he can control his own behaviour in order to exhibit self leadership role However leadership though required some qualities but these qualities and the leadership styles varies along with the changes in the environment. Managing change may go with different kind of leadership style. Lewin et al (1939) identify Authoritarian, Democratic, and laissez-faire style as the three major classification of leadership style. Stephen Hester may decided to use any or combination of the styles. Whichever option adopted has its own shortcoming, therefore the management should ensure it monitor the resistance and blend with any changes to its style that might fit any particular circumstances. Training is one of the strategies for success in organisation, the cultural change that is expected of the new board can be done through training of its staff. Also RBS Management is expected to come up with some practicable corporate and business strategies, which will give not only the shareholder confidence in the bank but inclusive of the staff, who will then be certain about their long term commitment to the business instead of the fear of losing their jobs RBS management need to put more efforts into the remaining staff so as not to lose the key ones, because of the amount of training and experience that has been impacted into them. Therefore involvements in plans and decision, timely and resourceful information, celebrating success, flexible working hours are some of the intrinsic motivation that can be used. Bibliography Armstrong, M.(2001). Human Resources Management Practices. 8th edition. Published by Kogan Page Ltd London. Balogun, J and Hailey,H. (2004). Exploring Strategic change .FT Prentice Hall, London BPP ACCA Study text(P3)-Business Analysis) (April 2007), 1st edition, Published by BPP Learning Media ltd. Butler, C. (2009). Leadership in a multicultural Arab organisation. Journal of Leadership Organization Development Journal Volume:30 , Issue:2 , Page: 139 151,Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited Child, J. (2005). Organisation Contemporary Principle and Practices. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Crouhy, M. Mark, R. and Galai, D (2001).Risk Management :comprehensive chapters on market credit and operational risk. Published by McGraw-Hill Dive, B. (2009).Why do banks continue to waste talent. Journal of Industrial and Commercial Training Volume: 41 , Issue: 1 , Page: 15 19. Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited Gratton, L. (2000). Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose. Published by Peason Education Ltd Jeannet, P. and Hennessey..D, 1998. Global Marketing Strategies.4th edition. Houghton Mifflin Company Johnson, G. Scholes, K. Whittington, R (2001). Exploring Corporate Strategy.7th edition. Published by Pearson Education, Uk Kotter,J. (1996) Leading Change. Published by Harvard Business school Press Lashley, C. Ross, D.(2003).Organisational Behaviour for Leisure Services. Published by Butterworth-Heinemann Laurence,J.Hull,R.(1969). The Peter Principle: why things go wrong. Published by Willian Morrow and Company New York. Lewin, K. LIippit, R. and White, K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271-301 Nelson, B. (2005). 1001 Ways to Reward Employees .Workman Publishing Company, New York. Porter,M.(1998). Competitive Advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance, Free Press New York Robins.S., and Judge.T, (2007). Organisational Behaviour,12th edition .Pearson Education Inc New Jersey Schein, E. (2004).Organisational Culture and Leadership.3rd edition. Published by John Wiley and Sons http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7222336.stm (Accessed on 10/04/09) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7926977.stm (Accessed on 11/04/09) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7890924.stm (Accessed on 12/04/09) http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090407/tuk-rbs-to-axe-9-000-jobs-dba1618.html (Accessed on 14/04/09) http://www.abraham-maslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp (Accessed on 10/04/09) http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2009/02/driven_to_distr.html (Accessed on 10/04/09) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1078815/New-Royal-Bank-Scotland-Boss (Accessed on 12/04/09) http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/08/rbs-job-cuts-unite-union-banking/print (Accessed on 09/04/09) http://www.rbs.com/about-rbs/what-we-do.ashx (Accessed on 11/04/09) news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7921778.stm (Accessed on 09/04/09) www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk (Accessed on 12/04/09) www.dailymail.co.uk (Accessed on 12/04/09) www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/feb/06/rbs-boardroom-shakeup/print (Accessed on 10/04/09)

The Ultimate Tragic Hero King Lear English Literature Essay

The Ultimate Tragic Hero King Lear English Literature Essay King Lear, one of William Shakespeares greatest tragedies, depicts a society in grim circumstances. As with all tragedies, there exists a tragic hero  [1]  , one who possesses a fatal flaw that initiates the tragedy and all the sufferings that follow. In this play, the tragic hero is undoubtedly the title character, King Lear. The plot is driven by the power and consequence of losses, more specifically, the losses of Lear. In the course the play, King Lear, because of his flaws, loses his authority as a king, his identity as a father, and his sanity as a man. One loss builds on another, but moreover, his greatest loss, and what distinguishes this tragedy from all others, is his chance of redemption. Unlike other tragedies, there is no salvation for the tragic hero or any sign of optimism in the conclusion. This bleak portrayal of King Lear, through his losses, makes him the ultimate tragic hero, and the play an ultimate tragedy. The play begins with King Lears decision to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. This is the first sign of Lears loss the loss of authority. Wanting to abandon his responsibilities before his time, Lear claims, tis our fast intent / To shake all cares and business from our age, / Conferring them on younger strengths while we / Unburdened crawl toward death (I.i.38-41). It can be argued that his flaw is in his decision to prematurely abdicate the throne, going against nature. However, it is more crucial to realize that his major flaw is actually in his character, shown through his judgment in renouncing his power. Lear carries immense insecurity and egotism as he announces that he will offer the largest share of kingdom to the daughter who professes the greatest love for him. Goneril and Regan both proclaim in fulsome terms that they love him more than anything in the world, while Cordelia speaks from her heart in honest terms that she loves him exactly as a daughter should love her father. Valuing self-importance above all else, Lear is blind to the loyalty and love of Cordelia and instead, perceptive to the flattery of his two vile daughters. Furthermore, Lear is infuriated when Kent objects and protests to his decision: Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least, / Nor are those emptyhearted whose low sounds / Reverb no hollowness (I.i.153-155). This fatal flaw of insecurity and egotism induces Lear to make error in his judgment, resulting in the improper division of his kingdom and the loss of his two most loyal companions Cordelia and Kent. The consequences of this error build up throughout the play, leading to Lears ultimate tragic fall. Lears lost royal authority now transfers to his two daughters, Goneril and Regan, and they deceitfully use this power against him. Ironically, Lear also falls in status, to a level inferior to that of his own children. Goneril no longer loves him beyond all manner and Regan no longer is an enemy to all other joys as they have professed in the beginning (I.i. 61, 73). Instead, Goneril reprimands his father for the way his servants and knights have infected her home (I.iv.237). Regan follows suit, and insist that The old man and his people/ Cannot be well bestowed (II.iv.258). His daughters no longer even respect him. Lear has now lost his identity as a father, since he even confesses that [He] should be false persuaded / [He] had daughters (I.iv.227-228). Troubled and confused, Lear reveals his weakened sense of identity when asking Who is it that can tell me who I am (I.iv.224). Stripped of authority as king, Lear has now also lost authority as a father over his own flesh and blood. King Lears banishment from his daughters undoubtedly has tremendous psychological effect on him. He not only loses youth as he crawl toward death, but also loses sanity as his heartà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦break into a hundred thousand flaws and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦go mad (I.i.41, II.iv.284-286). With so much suffering already thrown upon Lear due to his tragic flaw, it seems that Shakespeare has now shown pity and decided to set the stage for a reversal of fate. Losing sanity has given King Lear the opportunity to discover the truth and the core of humanity. With disapproval of Regan and Goneril, Lear heads outside, where a wild storm takes place. In this time of chaos, Lear meets Edgar as Poor Tom and gains profound revelation of man and life. Seeing Poor Tom bare, at humans most natural state, Lear questions, Is man no more than this? and realizes that the unaccomodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art (III.iv.103-104, 107-109). He continues with disrobing himsel f, and at the same time, removing himself from any social constraints. It is at the extreme low point that Lear strips of his rationality and relies on his inner instincts to fully grasp his identity and regain his humanity. He now understands the deep love of Cordelia and the disguise employed by his other daughters. The real King Lear finally emerges. Although Shakespeare creates this turning point for Lear, he is actually paving the way for a greater tragedy. Lear loses everything he has authority, family, and sanity, but now he faces his greatest loss the chance for redemption. After the storm, Lear is finally reunited with Cordelia as he struggles to regain his sanity. Cordelia  never loses her love for her father even after he has disowned her, and after seeing him, she cries, O my dear father, restoration hang / Thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss / repair those violent harms that my two sisters / have in thy reverence made (IV.vii.27-30). The mention of restoration signifies Cordelias ability to redeem Lear of his previous mistakes. When Lear wakes up, he admits, I am a very foolish fond old manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I fear I am not in my perfect mind (IV.vii.61,65). This reveals Lears new regained understanding of himself and his admittance to his faults, a sign of the first step towards redemption. At this point, after all the turbulence, the audience takes a sigh of relief, feeling positive and seeing hope for Lear. Unfortunately however, this play does not leave any traces optimism. In the final act, Edmund captures Lear and Cordelia as his prisoners, and orders both to be killed. Lear escapes, but Cordelia, his loyal and loving daughter, dies. Lear finally realizes only Cordelia can give him a chance which redeem all sorrows that ever [he] have felt (V.iii.272-273). Her death breaks the last thread between Lear and happiness. He expresses his deepest sufferings and declares his sorrows when sees Cordelia has gone foreverà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Shes dead as earth (V.iii.265-267). With nothing left, not even the future and possibility for redemption, Lear loses the only possession that remains his life. King Lear is truly a tragic hero because he was so close to happiness after much torment, yet he is still unable to achieve salvation, and instead, he is subjected to complete deterioration, both mentally and physically. Is this the promised end? Kent, Lears loyal servant, questions at the end of the play (V.iii.270). Indeed, this is the tragic end of King Lear, a play displaying a world of corruption. King Lear, due to his tragic flaw of insecurity and egotism, makes an initial mistake that soon snowballs into a series of losses, including the loss of authority, identity and sanity. Just as he is about to redeem himself, he is deprived of that chance as he losses the only one capable of restoring him Cordelia. The play ends with the ultimate downfall of the tragic hero, as Lear dies in a state of grief. In this way, King Lear portrays not only the tragedy of a society, but more importantly, the tragedy of a man. Even though Lear has undergone much transformation and realized the meaning of humanity, the bleak society he lives in does not warrant him the opportunity for redemption. Through revealing his losses, King Lear illustrates the journey of the title character, an ultimate tragic hero.

The Positronic Man :: essays research papers

THE POSITRONIC MAN An extraordinary story about an extraordinary robot. In the twenty-first century the creation of the positronic brain leads to the development of robot labourers and revolutionises life on Earth. However, to the Martin family, their household robot NDR-113 is more than a tool, it is a trusted friend, a confidant, and a member of the family. Through some unknown manufacturing glitch, NDR-113 or known as Andrew has been blessed, with a capacity for love and a drive toward self-awareness and development that are almost...human. This story is set on an Earth, which is just starting to get used to the idea of robots. Even so, it is an earth that was not ready for Robot NDR-113. Andrew, with his ability to assimilate emotions, and an unexpected gift for fine arts, both astounded and worried people. In an attempt to become human, he develops several prosthetic devices, which prove a godsend to humans. Almost, however, is not enough. Andrew's dream is to become accepted as human. Facing human prejudice, the laws of robotics, and his own mechanical limitations, Andrew used science and law in his quest for the impossible, arriving at last at a terrifying choice: to make his dream a reality, he must pay the ultimate price. I must say that I didn't have very high expectations for this book because I am not a very big science fiction fan, but this book changed my mind. There are many reasons why this particular book changed my view on science fiction. One of the major reasons for my enjoyment of this book is the way in which it was written. Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg set this story up wonderfully. I personally liked the way the book is structured. The first chapter takes place at the end of the story so you start thinking about what is going to happen right from the start. Then, as you near then end of the story you return to where you began in the first chapter and finish the story with a thought provoking ending. Another major reason that I liked this particular story is because it touched on many ethical aspects, from different points of view. Such as, what it means to be human, how humans in general would be perceived by an intelligence that has no knowledge about the way we as human’s reason or think. The authors also showed how humans will react when they find out that they can create a being with the ability to not just think in a logical pattern but also be creative and intelligent well beyond their own abilities.

Joan Didions Essay Los Angeles Notebook -- Didion Los Angeles Noteboo

Joan Didion's Essay "Los Angeles Notebook"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Santa Ana winds cause people to act more violently or unruly and makes others irritable and unhappy to a great extent. Joan Didion explains to the reader about how the Santa Ana affects human behavior in her essay â€Å"Los Angeles Notebook.† Through the use of imagery, diction, and selection of detail Didion expresses her view of the Santa Ana winds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Didion paints uneasy and somber images when describing the Santa Ana winds. â€Å"There is something uneasy in the Los Angeles air†¦ some unnatural stillness, some tension,† starts the essay off with the image of Los Angeles people in a sense of stillness or tense. She further adds, â€Å"Blowing up sandstorms out along Route 66†¦ we will see smoke back in the canyons, and hear sirens in the night,† propagating the uneasy and stark image of Los Angeles. â€Å"The baby frets. The maid sulks,† she adds, giving a depressing view into the effects of the Santa Ana winds on people. Didion, in an attempt to show the craziness associated with the Santa Ana winds, points out the Indians who throw themselves into the sea when bad winds came. At any rate, Didion attempts to show the negative effects of the Santa Ana winds through images of stillness, uneasiness, and sobriety.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In her tone, Didion remains clear, consistent, and vivid. Her choice of words remains simple as if to not alienate the readers of her essay. Her tone for the first half of the opening, primarily the first and second ...

The Problems With Affirmative Action Essay -- affirmative action argum

The Problems With Affirmative Action Tim was working as a college professor for many years at an ivy-league school. Tim was a very well liked by the students and by the administration. Tim's qualifications were hard to beat, with a book and many other writings to his credit. One day he went to work and found out that he had been replaced by a woman that had less experience and fewer credentials (McElroy). The definition of affirmative action is as follows: Affirmative action means taking positive steps to recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals from groups that have traditionally been discriminated against on the basis of race, sex, disability, or other characteristics. In this sense, affirmative action goes beyond equal employment opportunity, which requires employers to eliminate discriminatory conditions, whether inadvertent or intentional, and to treat all employees equally in the workplace ( What ... action? ). Tim lost his job to a procedure that had the main purpose to make the process of hiring workers and accepting people to colleges equal for the minorities and women. However, the process, affirmative action, does not make it equal and it gives minorities and women extra rights. Affirmative action is a procedure that is unfair and unjust to the majority of the people. It is not ethical to cure discrimination of minority's and women with another form of discrimination when the majority is discriminated against. Discrimination is hard to correct, but if laws are for discrimination of any kind, it will never be corrected. Plous argued against this and said, "the most effective way to cure society of exclusionary practices is to make special efforts at inclusion." In the statement, the word "special"... ...ww.now.org/press/04-03/04-01.html>. Jorgensen, Eric T. "Affirmative Action is Not So Bad." The Back Page. 4 Sept. 1998. 21 Oct. 2003 <http://www.sff.net/people/ericj/backpage/1998/affirmac.htp>. McElroy, Wendy. "What does Affirmative Action Affirm." wendymcelroy.com. 24 Oct. 2003 <http://www.zetetics.com/mac/affirm.htm>. Plous, S. "Ten myths about affirmative action." Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination. 2003. 21 Oct. 2003 <http://www.UnderstandingPrejudice.org/readroom/articles/affirm.htm>. Smith, Peter J. "Affirmative action can hurt qualifited whites." The State News: Michigan State University's Independent Voice. 15 Sept. 1998. 21 Oct. 2003 <http://www.statenews.com/editionsfall98/091598/op_ltr3.html>. "What is affirmative action?" Hrnext.com. 2003. 21 Oct. 2003 <http://www2.hrnext.com/Article.cfm/Nav/1.41.105.0.6829.6829>.

Proactive Strategies Essay

Proactive strategies are the strategies that are already in place to deal with behavioural problems. Proactive behaviour management is about sharing what strategies are with the children to make sure they know what’s expected of them. Reasons children behave as expected could be that they simply ‘know’ what is expected of them or they ‘know’ the consequences for not behaving appropriately. Praise is the best way of promoting a proactive behaviour management plan. We need to give lots of praise for positive behaviour and logical consequences for inappropriate behaviour. The best way to let children know what you expect of them is to remind them every day, tell them the rules of the setting, discuss choices with them and don’t forget to praise them when they are behaving appropriately. Proactive strategies include: Rule making and boundary setting Know how to undertake observations that identify events and triggers Know policies and procedures Celebrate and praise all children’s accomplishments Reactive Strategies Reactive strategies are how you deal with an incidence of inappropriate behaviour at the time it occurs. We respond to the child’s choice and implement a consequence for inappropriate behaviour. No matter how good our proactive strategies are we will at some time need to use a reactive strategy. Consequences that are reinforced to children on a daily basis as part of proactive strategies will be carried out in reactive strategies. If a child makes an inappropriate choice then we must redirect their behaviour. Reactive strategies include: Use knowledge to manage an incident of conflict Support children to achieve a positive resolution and agree ways to avoid conflict in the future. 2.2 My role in my setting includes some of the following to help identify the proactive and reactive strategies; Diversion strategy Negotiation – that de-escalates a situation, restore calms, resolves conflict and disputes. Mediation Physical and verbal intervention Challenging inappropriate behaviour Anti bullying strategies Practitioner’s knowledge of how to avoid escalating a situation Explaining the potential outcomes of children’s chosen actions. Time out or breather, calm down strategy Organising the environment Using non-confrontational language that avoids blaming – YOU did that Whole setting approach, room approach, indoor, outdoor approach. 2.3 The importance of identifying patterns of behaviour or triggers that result in challenging behaviour is that early warning signs can be spotted and acted upon before the behaviour happens or escalates. Some identifications of a precursor to challenging behaviour are tense muscles, pacing, sweating, facial expressions and increased rate of breathing. These can be difficult to spot in young children. A young person may exhibit changes in their ‘baseline’ behaviour or mood. Factors that can lead to mood changes are:- †¢ Lack of choice – ensure there are plenty of activities to choose from. †¢ Boredom through lack of environment – ensure a good, well set out environment. †¢ Limited communication and understanding – ensure you engage children in conversation. †¢ Over stimulation through noise and general disruption to routine – a calm environment is needed. †¢ Overcrowding – if too many children around one activity then redirect some to another activity. †¢ Antagonism, aggression or provocation by others – the child causing the disruption needs to be removed from the situation before it escalates. †¢ Frustration – a child may get frustrated if they can’t do a certain activity, adult intervention will diffuse this situation as the activity can be shown to the child. †¢ Physical illness – the child will need extra support if they are unwell. †¢ Emotional upset due to bereavement – the child will need extra support. 2.4 Challenging behaviour is a very individual thing, the causes and triggers differ according to each individual, as do the reactions and their degrees of severity. It is therefore important that when planning strategies for dealing with challenging behaviour we ensure that they are just as individual as the triggers. No two people will respond in the same way to established strategies. Rather than attempting a ‘one size fits all’ approach you are showing an ability to adapt and respond. This shows that you can identify and recognise each individual’s strengths, incorporate them into your planning and build on them. It tells the child or young person you are supporting that they have recognisable value and worth and that no matter how challenging their behaviour may be there is always something positive to build on 2.5 Children have an inborn desire to please people and gain approval, if they don’t get this through the acknowledgement of positive behaviour they are more likely to use negative or challenging behaviour. By reinforcing positive behaviour you are encouraging children to seek attention as a result of appropriate rather than inappropriate behaviour. Focusing on negative behaviour will only trigger your own frustrations and aggression causing you to exhibit exactly the behaviour you are striving to stop. By focusing on reinforcing positive behaviour you are therefore modelling the  kind of behaviour you feel is appropriate because you are calm, focused and feeling positive 2.6 If you use proactive strategies then you can stop the behaviour before it starts. Therefore the child feels calm and relaxed and everyone is happy. If reactive strategies are used then the behaviour has already happened and the child may be experiencing remorse, be ashamed, confused, humiliated about the incident/outburst. Whereas Proactive strategies identify triggers and early indicators that help to stop the behaviour before it starts, reactive strategies deal with the behaviour once it’s done. If house rules or boundaries aren’t known then the child won’t know what is expected from them.

Formal System to Control the Flow of Materials

Case Study – Big D Company TASK 1 1. 1 In order to advise the management on the installation of a more formal system to control the flow of materials and goods from supplier through stores and production to dispatch we must first summarize the current problem areas confronted by the Big D. †¢ Problem areas in Big D Company are presented in the order shown in the paragraph o On the highly standard material sizes, more than enough for one order might be purchased and in most cases full lengths would be ordered rather than the exact fraction needed. Some of the ordered exceeds the immediate requirements resulting in the purchasing of the same material without verifying the available stock. o Molded plastics were sometimes bought in excess of immediate needs and the quantities shown on the bill of materials were note amended. o Materials brought in from the supplier were not crossed checked with the Big D records and taken directly to the production or assembly. o Shop works were not scheduled and machines were idle and the foreman worked on any order. o No formal purchasing system Completed jobs were not recorded and sometimes units were assembled in advance of the completion of the entire lot. o The sales and production records indicated frequent early deliveries or o Quite a few times completed orders were kept in storage room †¦ which caused lost orders. o The superintendent usually allowed himself more time than was necessary for ordering, machining and assembly. Again this caused loss of order. o The company had not formal inventory control system. o Not records were kept of raw materials. o An Informal tabulation of finished goods was used. o Job were frequently sold even before completion A second lots were started before the first was finished, o No formal production planning and inventory control activity. †¢ The Proposed for Appropriate Structure for the Purchasing Function Purchasing department is considered the backbone of any org anization. One role of the purchasing department is to procure all necessary materials needed for production or daily operation of the company. For a manufacturing company, this might include raw materials such as iron, steel, aluminum or plastics, but it also might include tools, machinery, delivery trucks or even the office supplies needed for the secretaries and sales team.The purchasing department also makes sure there is always sufficient product on the shelves to keep the customers happy and keep the store well-stocked. It is especially important to keep inventory ordering at a reasonable level; investing large amounts of capital in excess stock could result in storage problems and in a shortage of capital for other expenditures such as advertising or research and development. Purchasing also oversees all of the vendors that supply a company with the items it needs to operate properly. Couple of conclusions was made after studying the problems noted above.First, it is quite cl ear that a formal structure must be put in place. Secondly, a formal inventory control system & production planning must be introduced. Having these in place, the company will avoid losing orders and in time will solve all the above problems. It is proposed here that the purchasing function to be structured in a CENTRALIZED way. Centralized purchasing structures are characterized by all purchases, being managed by a central purchasing group. In this approach, the operating units are consulted but are not fully responsible for their own buying.Centralized purchasing provides the firm with a single, collective sourcing and buying power. This model captures a large part of the potential corporate purchasing synergies, but there is little user control and responsiveness to local needs. The primary advantage of centralized purchasing is to realize a favorable price due to accumulated volumes. With centralized purchasing, the actual ordering process is centralized. The purchasing function will be organized by the superintendent in a manner intended to help meet the purchasing goals of the board.The purchasing function includes the following responsibilities: †¢ making purchases for all departments in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including, board policy, the superintendent’s directives, good purchasing practices and ethical principles; †¢ establishing and enforcing a system for approving the accounting for purchases and for receiving all materials; †¢ Establishing a practical degree of standardization of equipment, supplies and materials with sufficient flexibility to meet unique needs of the company Purchasing ProcessThere are many reasons why a formal process must be followed including the prevention of fraud, cost saving, compliance with regulations, management of risk and control. Approved Suppliers Approval Process and Segregation of Responsibilities Audit Trail Accounting Automation Purchasing Process Flowchart [pic] Th ere is sometimes a significant amount of effort required to ensure that a supplier is appropriate for a particular category of goods or services. They should be able to supply goods and services that meet requirements of quality and fit for purpose.They should be reliable financially sound and not present a commercial or reputation risk and their prices should be competitive. It makes no sense to perform the relevant research on a supplier each time goods or services are required. By developing preferred suppliers, longer term sustainable relationships can be developed that deliver a better value for money. Approval Process and Segregation of Responsibilities The principles of approval and segregation of responsibilities provides an organization with a control to reduce the risk of fraud.The requirement for the approval of a purchase requisition prevents inappropriate purchases being made and the separation of responsibilities to unconnected parts of the buying organization helps to reduce the risk of collusion. Audit Trail A formal purchasing process that records a predefined set of processes allows the path of events to be examined retrospectively to identify errors or deliberate breaches of policy. Accounting The organization has a legal responsibility to account for their finances including for the goods and services that they procure.It is important therefore that proper records are maintained e. g. to record dates, prices and department details as well as to categorize goods and services appropriately to distinguish between capital goods and expenses for example. This can have a crucial bearing on how the finances of the organization are described which in turn can have a tax and profitability impact. Automation A standard process allows for automation and the use of technology which reduces the cost of the process. 1. 2 A Purchasing system is defined in investopedia as a method used by the organization to buy products and/or services.A purchasing system manages the entire acquisition process, from requisition, to purchase order, to product receipt, to payment. Purchasing systems are a key component of effective inventory management in that they monitor existing stock and help companies determine what to buy, how much to buy and when to buy it. A popular purchasing system is based on economic order quantity models. Purchasing systems makes the purchasing process more efficient and helps the organization reduce supply costs.Computerized purchasing systems can cut companies’ administrative costs, shorten the length of the purchase cycle and reduce human error, thereby minimizing shortages. They can also simplify order tracking and make it easier to manage purchasing budgets by quickly creating expenditure reports. Ways to improve Purchasing system 1. Make past-performance evaluations more meaningful. As long as neither outstanding nor mediocre performance is significantly differentiated, past-performance reports will not provi de a meaningful incentive for anyone.For large supplies, bring in interviewers trained in eliciting differentiated information to guide evaluators through report cards. 2. Reward suppliers for recommending cost-saving ideas. Before issuing a request for proposals, give potential bidders an opportunity to suggest requirements changes that would result in big cost savings with little performance penalty. 4. Use contests as a procurement technique. 5. Make successful supply management experience a promotion criterion for staff.Purchasing System could also be improved through performance management and benchmarking. Performance measurement is a tool to help managers control the outcomes of their organizations. It enables them to be the driver rather than a passenger on their organizational journey. PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT At the strategic level, we use a three-stage top down approach, which takes into account the conflicting interests of different groups of stakeholder. Key performance areas covering the whole spectrum of stakeholder requirements are defined.Elements to measure in each of the key performance areas are identified. One or more performance indicators for each element to measure are considered. The following diagram summarises the approach: [pic] The performance measurement system should be: Complete – The set of performance indicators should measure whether all stakeholder requirements are being met. Each indicator should be operationally and economically feasible to measure. Consistent – All major actions that can be taken by an organisation should affect an indicator and hence be subject to measurement.Effective – Each indicator should be a measure of current performance that is amenable to management action to change its value in the future. The set of indicators should encourage the necessary behaviour to bring about significant and continuous improvement for all stakeholders. Transparent – Whenever possible, indicator s should be developed to allow comparisons to be made and benchmarking to be undertaken. As summarized blow, the set-up and continuous improvement of the management system resides in â€Å"Plan†, â€Å"Check† and â€Å"Act. [pic] 1. 3 Staff Responsible for goods & services and their respective roles: At present only the following staffs have either direct or indirect responsibility for goods: |Staff Member |Roles | |Purchasing Manager |Purchase of materials. Obtain casting, materials and parts | | |indicated. |Foreman |Work on manufacturing orders. Keep staff & machines busy. Also | | |responsible to meet the estimated completion dates. Check off each| | |part of the quantity | |Superintendent |Ordering material, machining and assembly of goods. |Superintendent’s Secretary |Updates the traffic function | |Superintendent’s employees |Receiving & warehousing materials | Based on the proposed structure, the following is the recommended procurement function: |Position |Responsibilities | |Procurement Director |Major duties include oversight of all procurement functions. |Senior Procurement Analyst |Responsible for contributing to and continually improving an efficient and | | |cost-effective process designed to assist Institution staff in their procurement of | | |goods and services through an integrated procurement process of Accounts Payable, | | |Purchasing and Receiving, in compliance with Institutional policies and government | | |regulations.As a contributing member of the Procurement Team, is committed to the | | |common purpose, performance goals and approach for which team members hold themselves | | |mutually accountable. Performance evaluation is based on a combination of team success| | |and individual accomplishment. | | | |Senior Administrative Assistant   II |Responsible for general office management, Procurement help desk, training | | |presentations, processing major bid documents, maintaining  auditable records of | | |procurement files, data input into ERP system for Payables activity   | | | | |Procurement Systems Assistant |Responsible for invoices related to purchase orders, stock room orders and | | |sub-contracts and non-po related invoices. | | | |Procurement Systems Coordinator |The Coordinator handles and coordinates all aspects of the Procurement System/Process;| | |ensures system integrity, process assurance, analysis/testing and continuous | | |operations. Serves as Supervisor for   the payables team and payables processing for | | |the institution. The Position has an interest in owning and improving current | | |administrative systems necessary to the success of the organization. |Procurement Representative |Responsible for purchasing and payable of all items and Contract for services | | |. Responsible for purchasing and payable of all items. | |Senior Procurement Representative |Responsible for assisting the Operations group in developing procurement | | |specifications, selecting supplier markets, maintaining appropriate business | | |relationships with the Institution's vendor base and processing procurement | | |documentation including bids, Purchase Orders and Accounts Payable certificates. | |Additionally, will also assist  in all major contract development; and will act as the | | |Procurement staff supervisor in the absence of the Director. | |Reimbursement Facilitator I |Shared responsibility for the audit & data entry of all Request for Payments. | |Assistant Coordinator |Assists in ordering and stockroom operations. | |Stockroom Coordinator |Manages stockroom operations. | 1. 4 Supply chain management (SCM) is concerned with the flow of products and information between supply chain members' organizations.Recent development in technologies enables the organization to avail information easily in their premises. These technologies are helpful to coordinates the activities to manage the supply chain. The cost of information is decreased due to the increasing rate of technologies. In the integrated supply chain model as shown below bi-directional arrow reflect the accommodation of reverse materials and information feedback flows. Manager needs to understand that information technology is more than just computers. Except computer data recognition equipment, communication technologies, factory automation and other hardware and services are included. [pic]The importance of information in an integrated supply chain management environment: IT infrastructure capabilities provides a competitive positioning of business initiatives like cycle time reduction, implementation, implementing redesigned cross-functional processes. 1. Satisfying customer has become something of a corporate obsession. Serving the customer in the best, most efficient and effective manner has become critical. 2. Information is a crucial factor in the managers' abilities to reduce inventory and human resource requirement to a competitive level. Information flows plays a crucial role in strategic planning. Supply chain organizational dynamics:Big D participating in supply chain management initiatives accept a specific role to perform. It also shares the joint belief that it and all other supply chain participants will be better off because of this collaborative effort. Power within the supply chain is a central issue. It has been identified that there are five basic levels of participation of individual firms with in the interorganizational system. 1. Remote Input/Output mode: In this case the member participates from a remote location within the application system supported by one or more higher-level participants. 2. Application processing node: In this case a member develops and shares a single application such as an inventory query or order processing system. 3.Multi participant exchange node : In this case the member develops and shares a network interlinking itself and any number of lower level participants with whom it has an e stablished business relationship. 4. Network control node: In this case the member develops and shares a network with diverse application that may be used by many different types of lower level participants. 5. Integrating network node: In this case the member literally becomes a data communications/data processing utility that integrates any number of lower level participants and applications in real times. Information and Technology: Application of SCM: In the development and maintenance of Supply chain's information systems both software and hardware must be addressed. Hardware includes computer's input/output devices and storage media.Software includes the entire system and application programme used for processing transactions management control, decision-making and strategic planning. Recent development in Supply chain management software is: 1. A software programme which is useful for computing freight costs, compares transportation mode rates, analyse cost and service effect iveness of carrier. 2. A Supply Chain planning software programme which is used for demand forecasting, replenishment & manufacturing tools for accurate planning and scheduling of activities. 3. A software system called Transportation Network can be used for optimization and streamlining the bidding and award process. . There is a software programme to provide a programme capable managing the entire supply chain. Electronic Data Interchange: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) refers to computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in a standard format. EDI describe both the capability and practice of communicating information between two organizations electronically instead of traditional form of mail, courier, & fax. The benefits of EDI are: 1. Quick process to information. 2. Better customer service. 3. Reduced paper work. 4. Increased productivity. 5. Improved tracing and expediting. 6. Cost efficiency. 7. Competitive advantage. 8. Improved billing.Though the use of EDI supp ly chain partners can overcome the distortions and exaggeration in supply and demand information by improving technologies to facilitate real time sharing of actual demand and supply information. Data warehouse: Data warehouse is a consolidated database maintained separately from an organization's production system database. Big D can used a multiple databases. A data warehouse is organized around informational subjects rather than specific business processes. Data held in data warehouses are time dependent, historical data may also be aggregated. Communication Improvement Information technology can improve the flow of communication within the workplace. Electronic communication methods used in the workplace include email, voicemail, videoconferences, online newsletters, instant messages and the Intranet.The Intranet, a company exclusive website, can be a great way for you, as a manager, to obtain feedback from your workers. Task 2 2. 1 The negotiation process has become a more impo rtant element in the supply chain process as companies look to reduce their expenditure whilst increasing their purchasing power. This means that purchasing manager must negotiate increasingly better rates with suppliers whilst maintaining or increasing quality and service. So Far Big D has been on the losing of this exercise. In other words, Big D has been paying more than it should have and it goes without saying that the quality and services have been going south as well.Purchasing manager should enter all negotiations with clearly defined objectives. Without having objectives, the possibility for the purchasing manager to compromise price and the quality or service is significantly raised. The Purchasing manager should enter strong into discussions to negotiate with the vendor with precise objectives that they wish to achieve for their company. The objective should not be absolute and should allow for some flexibility. However, the manager should also ensure that they do not dev iate from the objectives and allow themselves to negotiate on areas that were not part of the discussion. Negotiation is an important part of the role of the purchasing Manager.It is a skill that is learnt and training can help purchasing staff in understanding what is needed when negotiating with vendors. 2. 2 Big D’s distribution channels is in complete mess and need a face-lift. Without distribution even the best product or service fails. It is believed that Big D must undergo two levels: 1) To organise communication, which was discussed earlier and 2) To organise exchange through distribution. Distribution is important because: A. it affects sales – if it's not available it can't be sold. Most customers won't wait. As it’s the case in Big D B. distribution affects profits and competitiveness since it can contribute up to 50% of the final selling price of some goods.This affects cost competitiveness as well as profits since margins are squeezed by distributio n costs C. delivery is seen as part of the product influencing customer satisfaction. Distribution and its associated customer service play a big part in relationship marketing. Decisions about physical distribution are key strategic decisions. Channels change throughout a product's life cycle. Changing lifestyles, aspirations and expectations along with the IT explosion offer new opportunities of using distribution to create a competitive edge. Controlling the flow of products and services from producer to customer requires careful consideration. It can determine success or failure in the market place.Decisions about levels of stock, minimum order quantities, delivery methods, delivery frequency and warehouse locations have major cash flow implications as well as customer satisfaction implications. Distribution Strategy Distribution strategy is influenced by the market structure, the firm's objectives, its resources and of course its overall marketing strategy. a) The first strateg ic decision proposed here is that the distribution is to be: Intensive and mass distribution into all outlets for all the small simple fittings. In addition, Exclusive restricted distribution for all the large flow meters weighting upto 70 KG. b) The next strategic decision clarifies the number of levels within a channel such as agents, distributors, wholesalers, retailers. In some Japanese markets there are many, many intermediaries involved. [pic] 3.The current situation in Big D’s in terms of security of goods is not quite what it ought to be in company with years of operations. A lot of security issues exist. Sales had been lost to competitors and other sales had been lost due to setting estimate. No company had no formal inventory control system, hence, no records was kept of raw materials, purchased parts or manufactured parts on hand. There were no records kept on accumulated parts and even worst, the parts were stored in bins in the assembly department. The following are some recommendation on Production & Operation of Stocks and ways to reduce loss and theft of goods: There are three types of stock that a business can hold: Stocks of raw materials (inputs brought from suppliers waiting to be used in the production process) †¢ Work in progress (incomplete products still in the process of being made) †¢ Stocks of finished products (finished goods of acceptable quality waiting to be sold to customers) The aim of stock control is to minimise the cost of holding these stocks whilst ensuring that there are enough materials for production to continue and be able to meet customer demand. The marketing department should be able to provide sales forecasts for the coming weeks or months and so allow stock control managers to judge the type, quantity and timing of stocks needed.It is the purchasing department’s responsibility to order the correct quantity and quality of these inputs, at a competitive price and from a reliable supplier who will deliver on time. As it is difficult to ensure that a business has exactly the correct amount of stock at any one time, Big D should hold buffer or safe stock. Big D must introduce effectiveness and efficiency as essential factors in internal control in the management of its operation. †¢Inventory management: Big D will have an inventory clerk assigned to the requisition and/or the distribution of items. It could add inventory management to the job description of one of the workers.As the theft of any item is a loss to any company, managers must implement inventory procedures that ensure the smooth requisition and dissemination of items while ensuring that items are accounted for. †¢Separation of accounts payable and receivable: Avoid theft and fraud by one or more employees by separating the accounts payable and receivable duties. It’s best if Big D introduces segregation of duties in the Accounting Dept. and the management must continuously monitor the account ing records. Big D must ensure that internal control is deep in its organization. Employees may steal for different reasons but good internal control measures should reduce theft.Big D can implement inventory management systems, to reduce the likelihood of employee theft. REFERENCES Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operations, Second Edition by Sunil Chopra and Peter Meindl (May 1, 2003) Purchasing and Supply Chain Management by Robert M. Monczka, Robert B. Handfield, Larry C. Giunipero and James L. Patterson (Mar 8, 2011) 5th Edition South-Western College/West; 5 edition (March 8, 2011) ISBN-13: 978-0538476423 Purchasing and Supply Chain Management: Analysis, Strategy, Planning and Practice by A. J. van Weele (Dec 9, 2009) ———————– Case Study – Big D Company Purchasing (BUS441/20762P) [Prepared by Mohammed] [13th May 2012]