Absolute Moral Rules - 1954 Words

Absolute Moral Rules One may believe that an absolute rule against killing humans is essential because killing is always evil and inhumane. Others believe that there are great exceptions to killing humans, such as self-defense, that need to be taken into account when making an absolute rule about killing humans. If someone tries to kill your family member or tries to kill you, should you stand there and die because you do not want to violate the absolute rule, even if your reason behind breaking the rule brings about more happiness and outweighs the consequences of breaking the rule? Immanuel Kant believes that good will, what he sees to be the ultimate intrinsic good, along with following the categorical imperative determine whether†¦show more content†¦Kant argues that the right action is one that follows the categorical imperative, in this case, abiding by the moral rule not to kill anyone. Kant believes that no matter the circumstance, if humans violate the categorical i mperative, and there are bad consequences, they are responsible for these consequences. If humans act under the categorical imperative and there are still bad consequences, they are not responsible because they abide by their duty- to follow the exceptionless moral rule. The only way to violate the moral rule is if the individual breaking the rule creates a new maxim, in which, for instance, it is always permissible to kill under self-defense. The issue with this new absolute rule is that by saying humans can kill in self-defense are the intentions of the humans good-willed or are their intentions faulty? Also, is killing under self-defense really going to bring about a new universal maxim in which everyone can kill under self-defense, no matter the circumstance? It would be impossible to create this self-defense universal maim because creating this new maxim would just bring about new exceptions within that rule. Utilitarians, on the other hand, go against Kant’s idea that t here should be absolute moral rules. They believe that moral rules should be followed if the consequence for one’s action brings about the most happiness and the least amount of pain. In Utilitarianism, John Stuart MillShow MoreRelatedNo Moral Rule Is Absolute909 Words   |  4 Pages No Moral Rule Is Absolute The simple definition of Utilitarianism is â€Å"the belief that a morally good action is one that helps the greatest number of people†(Utilitarianism, ). However, Utilitarianism is far from a ‘simple’ philosophy, and while there is no perfect doctrine when it comes to Normative Ethics, Utilitarianism comes the closest for a number of reasons. The first is impartiality; or rather equality of concern for everyone’s well-being. The second is that Utilitarianism is not basedRead MoreAbortion And The Morality Of It921 Words   |  4 Pagesperformed to save the life of a woman. This exception to the rule gives insight into the battle that exists today and the ethical debate of abortion. As stated in Landau (pg. 232), â€Å"Every moral theory we have considered thus far is absolutist. Most of these views are monistic, defending the idea that there is just a single absolute moral rule.† This theory cannot be followed for abortion if we look at it and say there are exceptions to the rule. Abortion is unethical and immoral because it kills a humanRead MoreMoral Particularism : A Deeper Level And Oppositions Essay1561 Words   |  7 PagesMoral Particularism is the philosophical theory that there are no moral principles that determine what one should or should not do. This theory is a stark contrast to other moral theories such as Utilitarianism or Kantian Ethics, which are moral theories that rely on absolutes to determine which actions or morally correct or incorrect. Moral Particularism relies on the context of each varying situation to guide one’s moral compass. One can pick and choose which moral assertions to subscribe to forRead MoreHacking As A Co mmon Act And Scandal Essay1413 Words   |  6 Pagesconsequences of the act in order to determine whether this act is moral and ethical, which indicates that ‘the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its utility in providing happiness or pleasure as summed among all sentient beings’ (Christians, 2006, p. 7). According to the act Utilitarianism, the act is morally right if it could contribute to the maximal utility for all involved parties. The rule Utilitarianism indicates that the rule is right if it could bring the overall and maximal benefitsRead MoreUtilitarianism Vs. Kantian Theory1100 Words   |  5 Pagessupporter of Utilitarian theory; which focuses on overall happiness and consequences of an action (EMP 122). While Kant believed in his own theory that moral rules are absolute (EMP 129). Utilitarianism and Kantian ethics have few strengths and notable weaknesses, thus proving both theories implausible when compared to the minimum concept of moralit y and the moral issue of Euthanasia. According to Jeremy Bentham and Utilitarianism, morality is about making the world as happy as possible (EMP 99). This conceptRead MoreEthical Ethics And Normative Ethics1078 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is a right or obligation? What is good or bad? These two questions are examples of why mete-ethics and normative ethics exist. To be able to create an environmental ethic, one must have a sense of moral conclusion. Whether these morals are categorized through self-interest or obligation, meta ethics and normative ethics try to decipher these notions. To derive a normative ethic, meta-ethics needs to explain the language of morality, and how do humans come to a consensus of specific actions andRead MoreRobbing the Rich to Give to the Poor Essay917 Words   |  4 Pageshouses that living conditions are less than tolerable around the world. Though it is easy to empathize for the poor, it is sometimes harder to reach into our pocketbooks and support them. No one desires people to suffer , but do wealthy nations have a moral obligation to aid poor nations who are unable to help themselves? Garrett Hardin in, Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping The Poor, uses a lifeboat analogy to expose the global negative consequences that could accompany the support of poorRead MoreThe Cultural Landscape Of Church And Culture1257 Words   |  6 PagesRelativism â€Å"Moral relativism of the cultural, as opposed to individual or personal, variety is commonly understood as the view that the truth or justification of moral claims and values can only be judged in relations to the moral code of the culture in which they occur (Sikka, 2012).† Morality is based on culture and according to Sikka, culture is swayed by the elite seeking their own benefit (2012). The elite convince enough people in their culture to believe a specific way to make something moral or immoralRead More Kant and the Categorical Imperative Essay897 Words   |  4 Pagesconsequences of an action. He believed that consequences were no guide to whether an action was moral or not. His theory is known as deontological, or duty-based, where ends can never justify the means.He believed that there were general rules which must be adhered to in every circumstance. He called these absolute rules of what is good or bad Categorical imperatives. These rules were rationally determinable. Individuals must never be reduced to the level that they are a Read More Deontology and Homosexuality Essay887 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch by Herek (1987), religion is one of the most important social agents in defining viewpoints against homosexuality, and their intolerance reflects on both the academic community and the entire society. As a moral realist, I cannot form prejudices because the main rule of moral realism states that the objective truth is not related to subjective beliefs. The perlocutionary analysis will be used in evaluating and responding to the issue because my goal is to persuade the faculty advisor that

John F. Kennedy s President Of The United States

Although all on Earth we do not look alike, there are people whose similarities never cease to amaze us. The resemblance is so strong that one wonders if he has never been a relationship between those two people in a previous life. In this case it is the former president of the United Sates John F. Kennedy, one of the most legendary president of the United States. He is listed as the youngest elected president and die at the heart of its mandate to the presidency of the United States, killed two years after entering the White House. Today it remains the only American president of the Catholic faith; and the current president of the United States Barack Obama considered the first black president of the United States. The two men who have†¦show more content†¦The United States had never elected a president of a Catholic religion, and above all a source of Irish Boston. For the record, during the late 19th century and early 20th century, According To the Griot Irish immigrants were very scorned by so-called Americans native . In the 1870s and 1880s the Irish are drunks and the silly caricature. Going to the policy, Irish began to gain momentum and power, especially in Boston or lily was too populated. But that s no problem, the issue of religion still always be a big problem during the presidential campaign of Kennedy. Until he was even invited to meet in a speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association September 12, 1960. I am not the Catholic candidate for president, said participants. I am the Democratic Party candidate for President who also happens to be a Catholic. I m not talking about my church on public matters and the church does not speak for me. Similarly, during his presidential campaign, Obama was invited to give a speech that speaks to both his race and religion in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008 (The New Times). In this speech, like John Kennedy, Obama spoke of reports which meant that the Americans are united and not to those that divided. In their race for the presidency, the two men shared messages highlighting the service. Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country, Kennedy said in his famous inaugural address, January 20, 1961.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream Essay Example For Students

In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream Essay Horror is a film genre seeking to draw a negative emotion from the viewer by manipulating the primal fear of human. Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginative content such as time travel, space travel, parallel universes, extraterrestrial life; all were involving with futuristic setting and high technology. Above these points, the film Alien combined the two factors in one movie, and introduced a new kind of science fiction horror, which also made it a classic movie ahead of all the other film that comes afterward. The threat still comes from the unknown, but the environment and method of attack were different. Moreover, all the effect in the film were done before CGI, making the realistic appearing of aliens bursting out of chests and of bloody gory deaths all the more amazing since there is no help of computer. First, the idea of alien as the main plot is quiet unique at that time, since all the unknown thing makes people scared. As we watched the film in class before, such as the killer in the movie Time Machine and Psycho, or the demon that was not suppose to be dug out in The Exorcist. One common thing in these horror films, all the female character is always vulnerable and weak who waits for help or to be killed somehow. However, in Alien, they created the first heroine character- Ripley, who is hard, competent and ruthless in the big screen that showed the spirit of independent female power. The film begins with an obvious hierarchy of male dominants; however, as the films goes and men are killed or fall under the chain of command to woman, another first. The environment was also very distinctive from other horror film; a group of people out of nowhere in the space, lacking of substantial resource to call for help. Its already a dangerous act to put a group of people in a sealed container, since youve known about how humanity works under the temptation of power and desire. If something bad happened no one can hear you scream from space. Ridley Scott surely knew how to create the atmosphere of fear and create the fidgety surprise to the audience. Many scenes in the movie successfully gave me a fright. Dallas unsuccessfully attempts to remove the creature from Kanes face, discovering that its blood is acid. Eventually, the alien detaches on its own and seems dead or not, which is terrified. Afterward, the small alien creature burst out from Kanes chest and quickly escapes and began to haunt them one by one. Its quite similar contrast from the film Psycho, instead of being haunting by the unknown slasher in a creepy old mansion, the crew startling and attacking by the alien creature and fears its dangerous ability and unpredictable hostility. In the end, Ripley fought alone in the spacecraft against the alien, the fear from her eyes and a bit of desperation really expressed the feeling of in space, no one can hear you scream. Always be careful of you ambition, it might cause a catastrophe. A famous quote form Neil Armstrong: Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Since the great astronaut printed his footstep on moon for the first time, the outer space becomes a whole new paradise to human cover with mysterious color. People are so eager to find out whats out there from earth. In the film, Ash tried to preserve the skin-color squirmy stuff, this showed the character of curiosity and ambition in human instinct somehow always brought a calamity. It seems to be some kind of pattern in both horror film and science fiction film that people always looks for trouble through their ambition. It also exists in other film, the ambition of the time machine inventor who curious about time travel though he want it to be used in a good purpose, however, not only causing a lot of troubles also pay a huge price for his aspiration. .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 , .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .postImageUrl , .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 , .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2:hover , .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2:visited , .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2:active { border:0!important; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2:active , .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2 .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udd85643b0737c8bc488b1c9d8c2651b2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Space Exploration EssayIn The Exorcist, based on curiosity and the spirit of archaeology, they dug out the thing which draws the snake out of its hole. Humanity is a reverse track which rotating nonstop in the train of tragedy; human is the master of trouble-maker, but they know how to clean the mess up. In despite of facing the high form alien, it still defeated by a woman with courage. A spirit of pure and justice conquered the demons trick. With the strongest will, it can knock down any fear. So you can scream as loud as you like when youre scared, however, shatter your fear is all that matters.

Situation Significant Compelling Circumstances †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Situation Significant Compelling Circumstances. Answer: Introduction: This is to inform you that under the migration agent code of conduct as established by the Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994 it is my duty to provide you with the most relevant advice on the prospects of you making a successful visa application as per s319 of the Migration Act. It has been provided to me that both of you want to get married within one year. The visa application of MR. HENRY LI had been cancelled with respect to a student visa. Sandra who been in a previous relationship had sponsored ex-husband for a period of 3 years. According to Migration Act a person has to wait for 5 years before he can provide sponsorship to another person in relation to a Partner Visa. However the above specified requirement may be waived under the Migration Act if it can be shown that compelling situation have occurred for the visa applicants which should lead to the waiver of the requirement. Generally a person is not allowed to apply for a further Visa on shore in case a visa application has been refused since the person have last entered Australia what the person holds of bridging visa other than a substance abuser as provided by section 48 of the Migration Act. However if a person is applying for a partner visa then the bar under section 48 can be exempted. Therefore there are significant chances that you can apply for a partner visa while staying in Australia and holding a bridging visa even when you are holding a bridging Visa and your student visa application has been cancelled. Under the code of conduct it is my duty to provide you with a fair quotation of price for making a visa application. It is advised you that you include your partner in the visa application as $6,685 are charged for making a partner visa application and only $1,800 for adding a partner to such application. In the given situation if a way waiver is provided you would be able to attain a Bridging C visa through which you would be entitled to make an application for partner visa while staying in Australia. The hospitalization of Sandra and her dependence on MR. HENRY LI can be claimed as a significant compelling circumstances under which the 5 years sponsorship period may be waived by the Minister. Any medical certificate which may be required for making the application can be obtained from any doctor practicing in Australia as per the convenient of the clients. In case Sandra is not able to attend the 5 years waiting period then she may leave Australia by applying for a Bridging B Visa and make an application from outside Australia for a partner. Although some provisions are against your visa application if the application is made in a proper way you may be able to attain the visa Bibliography Migration Act 1958 (Cth) Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth)

10 Common Sentence Mistakes in English

10 Common Sentence Mistakes in English Some mistakes are common when writing sentences in English. Each of these 10 common sentence mistakes provides correction information as well as links to more detailed information.   Incomplete Sentence or Sentence Fragment One common mistake many students make is the use of incomplete sentences. Each sentence in English must contain at least a subject and a verb, and should be an independent clause. Examples of incomplete sentences without a subject or a verb might include an instruction or a prepositional phrase. For example: Through the door.In the other room.Over there. These are phrases we may use in spoken English. These phrases shouldnt be used in written English as they are incomplete.   Sentence fragments caused by dependent clauses used without an independent clause are more common. Remember that subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses. In other words, if you use a subordinating clause beginning with a word such as because, though, if, etc. there must be an independent clause to complete the thought. This mistake is often made on tests asking a question with Why. For example: Because Tom is the boss. Since he left work early without permission.   These sentences might answer the question: Why did he lose his job? However, these are sentence fragments. The correct answer would be: He lost his job because Tom is the boss. He lost his job since he left work early without permission. Other examples of incomplete sentences introduced by subordinating clauses include: Even though he needs help. If they study enough. As they had invested in the company. Run-on Sentences Run-on sentences are sentences that: Are not connected by appropriate linking language such as conjunctions.Use too many clauses rather than using periods and linking language such as conjunctive adverbs. The first type leaves out a word - usually a conjunction - that is required to connect a dependent and independent clause. For example: The students did well on the test they didnt study very much. Anna needs a new car she spent the weekend visiting car dealerships. The first sentence should use either a conjunction but, or yet or a subordinating conjunction although, even though, or though to connect the sentence. In the second sentence, the conjunction so or the subordinating conjunction since, as, or because would connect the two clauses. The students did well, yet they didnt study very much. Anna spent the weekend visiting car dealerships since she needs a new car. Another common run on sentence occurs when using too many clauses. This often occurs using the word and. We went to the store and bought some fruit, and we went to the mall to get some clothes, and we had lunch at McDonalds, and we visited some friends.   The continuous chain of clauses using and should be avoided. In general, do not write sentences that contain more than three clauses to ensure that your sentences do not become run-on sentences. Duplicate Subjects Sometimes students use a pronoun as a duplicate subject. Remember that each clause takes only one sentence. If you have mentioned the subject of a sentence by name, there is no need to repeat with a pronoun. Example 1: Tom lives in Los Angeles. NOT Tom, he lives in Los Angeles. Example 2: The  students come from Vietnam. NOT The students they come from Vietnam. Incorrect Tense Tense usage is a common mistake in student writing. Make sure that the tense used corresponds to the situation. In other words, if you are speaking about something that happened in the past do not use include a tense that refers to the present. For example: They fly to visit their parents in Toronto last week. Alex bought a new car and drives it to her home in Los Angeles. Incorrect Verb Form Another common mistake is the use of an incorrect verb form when combining with another verb. Certain verbs in English take the infinitive and others take the gerund (ing form). Its important to learn these verb combinations. Also, when using the verb as a noun, use the gerund form of the verb. He hopes finding a new job. / Correct - He hopes to find a new job. Peter avoided to invest in the project. / Correct - Peter avoided investing in the project. Parallel Verb Form A related issue is the use of parallel verb forms when using a list of verbs. If you are writing in the present continuous tense, use the ing form in your list. If you are using the present perfect, use the past participle, etc. She enjoys watching TV, play tennis, and cook. / Correct - She enjoys watching TV, playing tennis, and cooking. Ive lived in Italy, working in Germany and study in New York. / Correct - Ive lived in Italy, worked in Germany, and studied in New York. Use of Time Clauses Time clauses are introduced by the time words when, before, after and so on. When speaking about the present or future use the present simple tense in time clauses. If using a past tense, we usually use the past simple in a time clause. Well visit you when we will come next week. / Correct - Well visit you when we come next week. She cooked dinner after he was arriving. / Correct - She cooked dinner after he arrived.   Subject-Verb Agreement Another common mistake is to use incorrect subject-verb agreement. The most common of these mistakes is the missing s in the present simple tense. However, there are other types of mistakes. Always look for these mistakes in the helping verb. Tom play guitar in a band. / Correct - Tom plays guitar in a band. They was sleeping when she telephoned. / Correct - They were sleeping when she telephoned.   Pronoun Agreement Pronoun agreement mistakes take place when using a pronoun to replace a proper noun. Often this mistake is a mistake of use of a singular form rather than a plural or vice versa. However, pronoun agreement mistakes can occur in object or possessive pronouns, as well as in subject pronouns. Tom works at a company in Hamburg. She loves his job. / Correct - Tom works at a company in Hamburg. He loves his job. Andrea and Peter studied Russian at school. He thought they were very difficult. Correct - Andrea and Peter studied Russian at school. They thought it was very difficult.   Missing Commas After Linking Language When using an introductory phrase as linking language such as a conjunctive adverb or sequencing word, use a comma after the phrase to continue the sentence. As a result children should start studying math as early as possible.  /  Correct -  As a result, children should start studying math as early as possible.

Free Essays on Asian Parents Vs. The Asian American Child

Amy Tan’s â€Å"Two Kinds† and Janice Mirikitani’s â€Å"Suicide Note† are two literary pieces dealing with Asian American daughters and expectations their Asian parents hold. In â€Å"Two Kinds,† the daughter is an adult looking back on her pressured childhood with her mother. In â€Å"Suicide Note,† the poet, a young college student, who feels it is impossible to please her parents. Although the two works are similar, Tan uses characterization and symbolism to comment on the impact of the daughter’s relationship with her parents, while Mirikitani uses symbolism and voice to convey her message. Amy Tan uses characterization very strongly in the short story â€Å"Two Kinds† for the daughter, Jing Mei. Characterization is used as a literary element through actions, dialogue, and the relationship with others to assist in building Jing Mei’s strong character. Jing-Mei’s mother is a determined Chinese immigrant with high ambitions for her daughter but little practical idea of how they can be achieved. Her mother is motivated by both her haunting past and her hopes for the future. This is seen is the opening paragraph of the story as Tan states, â€Å"America was where all my mother’s hopes lay. She had come to San Francisco in 1949 after losing everything in China†(320). Having come from a traditional Chinese culture, Jing-mei’s mother expects certain behavior of her daughter, such as obedience, respect for her parents, and gratitude for their sacrifices made on her behalf. But she is raising this daughter in America, and Jing-Mei is influenced by many factors that are in conflict with those traditional Chinese values. Her mother wants American success for her daughter, but she wants it on Chinese terms. In characterizing Jing-Mei, Tan allows the reader a number of glimpses into the duality of human nature. Jing-Mei is neither fully Chinese nor fully American, but a blend of both. She is torn between the influences of these... Free Essays on Asian Parents Vs. The Asian American Child Free Essays on Asian Parents Vs. The Asian American Child Amy Tan’s â€Å"Two Kinds† and Janice Mirikitani’s â€Å"Suicide Note† are two literary pieces dealing with Asian American daughters and expectations their Asian parents hold. In â€Å"Two Kinds,† the daughter is an adult looking back on her pressured childhood with her mother. In â€Å"Suicide Note,† the poet, a young college student, who feels it is impossible to please her parents. Although the two works are similar, Tan uses characterization and symbolism to comment on the impact of the daughter’s relationship with her parents, while Mirikitani uses symbolism and voice to convey her message. Amy Tan uses characterization very strongly in the short story â€Å"Two Kinds† for the daughter, Jing Mei. Characterization is used as a literary element through actions, dialogue, and the relationship with others to assist in building Jing Mei’s strong character. Jing-Mei’s mother is a determined Chinese immigrant with high ambitions for her daughter but little practical idea of how they can be achieved. Her mother is motivated by both her haunting past and her hopes for the future. This is seen is the opening paragraph of the story as Tan states, â€Å"America was where all my mother’s hopes lay. She had come to San Francisco in 1949 after losing everything in China†(320). Having come from a traditional Chinese culture, Jing-mei’s mother expects certain behavior of her daughter, such as obedience, respect for her parents, and gratitude for their sacrifices made on her behalf. But she is raising this daughter in America, and Jing-Mei is influenced by many factors that are in conflict with those traditional Chinese values. Her mother wants American success for her daughter, but she wants it on Chinese terms. In characterizing Jing-Mei, Tan allows the reader a number of glimpses into the duality of human nature. Jing-Mei is neither fully Chinese nor fully American, but a blend of both. She is torn between the influences of these...

An Annotation of Incident by Countee Cullen Essay

An Annotation of Incident by Countee Cullen - Essay Example The author starts off with a nostalgic stanza; a nostalgia that is filled with the hope of meeting new people and gaining memorable experiences in Baltimore. He tells of his sojourn in Baltimore—‘once riding in old Baltimore’—with an emphasis on the word ‘old’ to perhaps inform his readers that Baltimore has changed a lot since the incident. Or perhaps to stress that ‘old’, racially prejudiced Baltimore is no more. Then he describes what he feels and thinks about while passing by ‘old’ Baltimore—‘heart-filled, head-filled with glee’ (Nielsen 29). He uses the words ‘heart’ and ‘head’ to express the delight that he felt and the hopeful thoughts that he has in seeing Baltimore. But instead of using the word ‘happiness’ he says ‘glee’, perhaps to moderate the intensity of his feelings. This gleeful emotion intensify when he suddenly encounters someone from Baltimore—‘I saw a Baltimorean’ (Nielsen 29); a Baltimorean that would quickly change his views of and hopes for Baltimore. He describes their encounter- ‘Keep looking straight at me’. His description of this encounter leaves the reader guessing: will this be a friendly encounter or a hostile one? The author then gives important details about this particular incident. The reader is informed that this story is a childhood memory—‘Now I was eight and very small’ (Lown & Steinbergh 106).... This revelation perhaps surprises the reader because of how vivid the author recounts the incident, as though it only happened recently. Knowing that the author was only eight years old when it happened heightens the essence of the story. It becomes a story about an innocent child who, at a very young age, already has something to share to the world through poetry. After revealing his age at the time of the incident, the author describes the ‘Baltimorean’- ‘and he was no whit bigger’ (Nielsen 29). This depiction implies that in terms of stature, they are clearly equal. And seeing that the ‘Baltimorean’ seems harmless, the author shows amicability—‘And so I smiled’ (Nielsen 29). However, immediately afterward, he reveals how the ‘Baltimorean’ responded to his friendly gesture—‘but he poked out His tongue/ and called me, ‘Nigger’’ (Nielsen 29). This revelation may have taken aback t he reader, for the author starts off his poem with a cheerful tone, and then drastically changes the mode into something unpleasant. The final stanza portrays how the incident affected the author’s perspective, not only of Baltimore, but the entire state of affairs during that time. It describes how, at a very young age, this very important incident scarred and opened the eyes of the author to reality. It shows how all positive expectations can be crushed by a single incident. The author equates this incident or, more particularly, the attitude of the Baltimorean toward him, to the entire Baltimore—‘I saw the whole of Baltimore’ (Lown & Steinbergh 106). He is implying that ‘old’ Baltimore is a racially prejudiced place. He then tells the reader how long he stayed in Baltimore, that is, ‘from May until

Establishing theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Establishing theme - Essay Example as’ literary works, many things with the reference to the Star Wars universe (toys, clothes and other items of everyday use) have been produced and successfully marketed. The films themselves deserve particular interest because of the strength and actuality of the themes they cover, and the movie of the present paper – the fourth episode, â€Å"Star Wars: A New Hope† – deal with the one of the most often discussed topic – the destiny of an individual. The film uses techniques (lighting) and design elements (costuming, set design) which contribute to this topic establishment, which will be explained below. Lighting. The use of lighting technique is a strong point of the film, especially in regards to the theme of the destiny of a human being. The scenes of the film which involve the film protagonist – Luke Skywalker (for example, a scene when he buys droids for his caregivers’ farm in a desert: the sun is shining bright, and the sky is cloudless – no obstacles for the light) – employ a sufficient amount of the light of both natural and artificial origin, which determines his destiny as positive and, what is important, realized by himself as such. The best example of the lighting employment is the light sabers of the Jedi – in the trilogies, blue saber is a feature of a positive character (Jedi knight), whereas the negative ones, the Siths, operate red power beams. The light of a light saber is an indicator of a character and a reflection of his fate – the Jedi fulfill the mission of the good and complete it, even if they are killed in a combat , they are present with their close persons and guide them in a correct direction, whereas the Siths strive only for their own satisfaction and want absolute power which, in the end, leads them to failure. (Lucas, 1977). It is also necessary to mention that the visualization of the lighting effects were on a relatively high level for the times of the film, and â€Å"†¦brought audiences into more immediate

Films and American Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Films and American Popular Culture - Essay Example This article is relevant to my topic, because it analyzes the negative effects of the mainstreaming of rap music on the goals of rappers. Blair showed concern for the commercialization of rap music, because commercialization has historically benefitted white firms more and diluted the genuineness of black rap music. He narrated the history of rap in the U.S. He argued that Marxian hegemony theory can best explain how mainstream black rap has become a tool for the elite to propagate their own interests and goals. This is a good article, because it explores the theoretical underpinnings of commercializing black rap. It directly answers the research question also on the challenges of rap music. Blair’s findings that commercialization is not an absolute good for black rappers contradicts the implications of the findings of Hunnicutt and Andrews, because in their study, black rappers use mainstream music to broaden their prominence and audiences. Hence, for Hunnicutt and Andrews, m ainstreaming black rap can also indicate the acknowledgement of the invisible voices of low-income, young, black men. Deflem, M. (2001). Rap, rock and censorship: Popular culture and the technologies of justice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Law and Society Association, Chicago, May 27-30, 1993. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zzcens97.htm The source came from a paper presented at the annual meeting of the Law and Society Association, Chicago, May 27-30, 1993, so it is trusted as a scholarly article. This source is relevant, because it examines how popular music has been put on trial, because of its deviant messages. Deflem reviewed literature on music censorship and its effects on the development of rap music and other forms of popular music. Findings demonstrated that the law has been used to regulate social processes and institutions, but the history of music censorship demonstrated that the law and law enforcement could not significantly impact and limit musical expressions, mainly because of the First Amendment protection. The strength of this article is that it answers both research questions. Its weakness is its focus on the legal history of music censorship. This article has the same findings as Blair, in that dominant social institutions and tools are being used to limit or crush the social, economic, cultural, and political messages of black rap music. Hunnicutt, G. & Andrews, K. H. (2009).Tragic narratives in popular culture: Depictions of homicide in rap music. Sociological Forum, 24 (3), 611-630. The source came from a peer-reviewed journal, so it is trusted as a scholarly article. It is important to the research, because it answers the question about the goals of rap music. They explored homicide themes in rap lyrics across the period 1989–2000 and used the framework of cultural criminology. Their sampling included 360 titles, where they took the first top 30 songs for each year. Find ings showed three categories: 1) exaltation of killing, 2) moralizing tales about the destruction of violent death and the need for change in society, and ? or 3) homicide used as a figure of speech for being a â€Å"bigger† or more popular rapper. Some songs cautioned about the consequences of leading a criminal life, while others remarked on the power structure, and situations of preserving respect, zero tolerance, and vengeance. Homicide is also surprisingly gendered, with men killing men. The

The Organisational Structure Of Jaguar Management Essay

The Organisational Structure Of Jaguar Management Essay Jaguar over the last decade has been over taken by Ford, who have invested considerable in to to the Jaguar / Ford strategy to become the number one automative company in the world. Jaguar used WCT (world class timing) or WCP (world class process) but now have invested considerable in FPDS (Ford Product Development System). Which will reduce the time from concept to the customer. With the advent of the supplier development and closer relationship between the supplier and the customer, it has resulted in more suitable and cost effective processes and materials been selected early on in the programme, which is resulting in Jaguar investing in more techniques and processes to maintain its competitive edge and maintain existing hold in certain markets. In this report I will be discussing the corporate level, business level and manufacturing level strategy used within Jaguar/Ford. I will also be addressing the following questions : Current and Future impact on the organisation Tools and tecniques used to analysy the various strategies used How these strategies affect the upstream and downstream customer or supplier within the supplier chain What actual part my colleagues and I play in formulating and achieing the company goals and objectives Possible improvements in the implemtation or formulation of any ofthe companies strategies  £10000 would I i What is the organisational structure of Jaguar ? I will also discuss the possibility of investing  £10,000 in to the company, look into the future trends and analyse the methods employed at Jaguar. I will conclude by reviewing my findings. 1.2 Background To illustrate the principles of Manufacturing Strategy. I have selected the Jaguar Cars Limited, for which I am project engineer in Electrical Engineering. As Project engineer of the security system team in the body systems department at Jaguar Cars Limited, Whitley, Coventry. My role and responsibility as Project engineer, consist of various task and project every year. One of many projects under my control is the security system project. This consists of selecting new suppliers, working out roles and responsibilities, setting up meetings/presentations, liaisons with various tier one and tier two suppliers, setting targets for various attributes and setting up training for staff in my team. The current security system products are supplied by Megamos. Jaguar and Megamos relationship first started in 1982, when Megamos supplied Jaguar with a security system for the XJS vehicle. This consisted of a security ECU, remote transmitters and security sounders. Megamos headquarters is based in Germany but they have set up a site close to Jaguar cars to build on this close relationship as required in a supplier development programme. Megamos are a subsidiary of a larger group called Delphi and Textron. In November 1989, Ford acquired Jaguar cars Ltd. This has helped Jaguar to reduce its number of 1st tier supplier from 420 to 350, with the Ford 2000 initiative this will be reduced further, this has also helped in more common product and processes being used on both Jaguar and Ford car lines. The FPDS process is the first all new common process to be used at Jaguar and Ford simultaneously, this will help Jaguar and Ford to reduce the development cycle from concept to customer. Ford 2000 means that we need to invest in initiative that will reduce development cycle time, to increase productivity and variability of our product range. This should result in more common parts, product and processes being used across the works, with the implementation of FPDS we have started to see the results. CHAPTER TWO 2.1 Objective Ford / Jaguar Stratgies : The objective of the reprt is to evaluate FORD / JAGUAR strategy. I will be evaluating the company Mission Sttement and Comany Histiory as an overview. Tis will then be followed by a critical analysis using the SWOT matrix, PORTERs five factors and other Hills 5 step approach showinfg the inter-relationship between stratgies. FORD / JAGUAR VISION CHANGES GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE COMPANY: Each of you, have the means and opportunity to positively impact Fords quest for world-wide leadership. Our goal is to be the worlds leading automotive company. We at Ford face a challenging and exciting future. In the fall of 1994, we began a dramatic global reorganization called Ford 2000. Since that time, we have changed our structure and processes to become more efficient and responsive to the customer globally, and will continue to do so into the future. FORD 2000 STRATEGIES When we launched Ford 2000, we developed 7 strategies that are key to our success. It should be noted that, empowered people is at the top. We believe empowered employees, making decisions every day are instrumental in achieving our goals. GLOBALIZATION Ford Automotive Operations (FAO), developed as part of Ford 2000 combines our operations around the world into a single, global structure. FAO was established by combining north american automotive operations, Ford of europe, international automotive operations and the automotive components group. At the heart of FAO are the 3 vehicle centers. These centers each have worldwide responsibility for the processes and systems that contribute to a vehicles product development, manufacturing, supply and sales activities. While design and manufacturing are centralized, marketing and sales operations will remain localized locally managed, sensitive and responsive to the needs of customers and dealers. We will become a global organization for collecting the voice of the customer from various markets and sources, to ensure that voice is well-represented within the vehicle centers. ALEX TROTMAN QUOTE Alex trotman, our C.E.O. and clearly the leader of the companys globalization initiative, has said, to survive and prosper in the future, we cannot maintain the status quowe want to be the best in the world; not second best, not third best, the best. Our Ford 2000 reorganization strategies will make us the worlds leading automotive company. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION The Ford customer service division are shaping themslves to become the customer service satisfaction leaders. FPSD TO FCSD Several years ago we transformed the Ford Parts Service Division (FPSD) into the activity it is today, the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD), the companys voice of the customer. Notice the subtle but obvious change? The word customer. We took a look at ourselves and asked where we wanted to focus our efforts and resources over the long term. We decided we wanted to be recognized as a leader in customer satisfaction. However; before we could start on this change journey, we had to develop a vision of what we wanted to be and a mission which would help us get there. VISION AND MISSION OUR VISION IS: To provide owners of Ford motor company vehicles or Jaguar Cars Limited an ownership experience that is so good, they will buy again and tell others how great it is to own a Ford or Jaguar product. OUR MISSION IS: We are the companys principal source of customer support and vehicle service. Our mission, in partnership with related company activities, is to improve continuously both our own and Ford and Jaguar dealers ability and commitment to provide superior customer service. The owners of our vehicles will determine our success. Simple statements, challenging tasks. Do you agree? DRIVERS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION In order to help us focus our attack, we comissioned extensive research and determined that the drivers of customer satisfaction came down to three elements: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 58% of a customers total satisfaction is related to the vehicle itself. Interestingly, our research pointed out that FCSD can affect 18% points of that number because of our involvement with providing quality parts for the vehicle; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 21% of customer satisfaction is influenced by the sales experience, and. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the final 21% is influenced by the service experience. Within the service sector, repairing the vehicle correctly on the first visit, termed fix-it-right-the-first-time contributed to 42% of the customers service satisfaction while customer handling practices accounted for 40%. So, in total, we established that FCSD contributes to 39% of the factors that drive customer satisfaction. KEY STRATEGIES There are 4 key strategies that support our strategic thrusts: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Working With Dealers To Improve Fix-It-Right-The-First-Time-On-Time Capabilities (FIRFTOT). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintaining a field focus (dealer support customer handling) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Support of the upstream engineering process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ maintaining a focus on a quicker service fix process FIRFTOT AND FIELD FOCUS INITIATIVES Improving dealer firtftot capabilities field focus As I mentioned earlier, repairing a vehicle correctly on the first visit is the primary driver of service satisfaction. The rapid advancement of technology incorporated into our vehicles has improved our quality and reliability but has challenged the dealers ability to keep up. Providing ongoing support as it relates to training employees, attracting and retaining quality personnel and establishing sound business practices to better handle customers are among the dealers priorities. Several recent initiatives have been launched that will mutually benefit the dealer and customer base simultaneously: The FCSD field reorganization, completed last year, revolutionized the level of support afforded dealers. The MARKET AREA TEAM APPROACH PROVIDES THE DEALER WITH MORE DIRECT COMPANY SUPPORT BY: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Placing a larger percentage (82%) of our field office personnel in dealer contact roles; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ establishing specialized dealer contact teams with defined roles; and. . . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ placing our most experienced managers in consultative, leadership roles (doms) to improve dealer operations. REGION TO DEALER SURVEY RESULTS Our dealers have recognized this effort by showing significant increases in satisfaction with Ford customer satisfaction support. Another milestone accomplishment involving dealer support is the fordstar distance learning system. Currently, we are approaching 100% participation. The entire dealership network, 5000 dealers in the united states will be fordstar capable. We have committed to regular programming to support their technical and non-technical training needs. This initiative has been greeted with strong dealer support since dealers can now receive interactive training (sales, service, technical) and communicate with the company without leaving the dealership. Long-term, these initiatives will undoubtedly have a continuous and positive impact on customer satisfaction and owner loyalty. UPSTREAM ENGINEERING QUICKER SERVICE FIX I will now discuss an area where we have made significant improvement, upstream engineering and establishing a quicker service fix process. The upstream engineering process will prove to be a competitive advantage in that it allows us to build quality into future designs. As part of the upstream engineering process at Ford: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fcsd personnel have been co-located on forward -year design teams where they interpret field data, serve as the voice of the customer and have a measurable impact on overall quality; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ we also assigned these co-located employees with the task of developing an affordable service structure while improving the field serviceability of our product. Thereby, holding technology in check. While upstream is proactive, we must still be positioned to react to problems as they occur. Thats where quicker service fix initiatives come into play. Our goal is to resolve service problems within 90 days of their assignment to engineering. We currently achieve this standard around 72% of the time, but we are trending in the right direction. We will accept nothing short of 100% on this important area. Last year, in support of this standard, we added fcsd members to each of the plant vehicle teams to improve resolution time and become more proactive: the role of pvt members involves: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analysis of current vehicles and identification of component problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ interpretation of quality to promote quick problem resolution à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ representation of the voice of the customer at the production level Each strategy and initiative I discussed with you will contribute to quality improvements. But no more than fcs 2000 and policy deployment combined. Fcs 2000 contains the infrastructure which will allow us to align with the objectives of Ford 2000, while policy deployment will align objectives toward common goals and promote focus throughout the organization. Most of you have heard or read about Ford 2000, the largest reengineering project ever undertaken by a major corporation. Im pleased to say that we are beginning to see the results of this important initiative with products like the expedition where the use of common components (54%) control cost, quality levels are world class and it was designed and delivered in 37 months. This is only a start, now let me show you how our globalization initiative, known as fcs 2000 aligns with Ford 2000. FORD 2000 ENTERPRIZE MODEL On the Ford 2000 enterprize model, after sales service is the term that relates to fcs 2000. Let me start out by defining what aftersales service means to us. . . It is not about repairing problems on vehicles after they are sold, it is about designing quality and serviceability into our vehciles upstream so the problems never occur in the first place. However, this is where the real work begins. Once the majority of reactionary problems have been eliminated, we must then provide each of our customers , world wide, with consistent, world class service experience so they remain loyal to us long-term. When i refer to consistency, I like to use an analogy which relates to mcdonalds restaurants. . . [add lib mcdonalds consitent quality from chicago to cologn] FCS 2000 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM This model displays the four process groups which make up the global and regional organizations under fcs 2000. Briefly. . . Business development will focus on working with dealers to improve competitiveness and customer focused practices in order to capture a higher percentage of the service business. Parts supply and logistics will consistently deliver the right part to the dealership, on time and at a price the customer is willing to pay. Technical support will provide a single, accurate, timely and common technical information process worldwide. Vehicle service and programs will be developing upstream engineering processes which will consistently design quality and serviceability into the vehicle and when a problem occurs, it will be handled in a timely and customer driven manner. This global structure I just reviewed will impact the 5 regions which make up the global fcsd. They include north america, europe, south america, asia-pacific, and export. This structure will allow us to think globally, but act locally. Much of what we still must achieve requires extensive cultural change throughout fcsd. CUSTOMER SERVICE CULTURE INITIATIVE By benchmarking industry leaders in customer satisfaction the customer assistance center has developed a customer service culture initiative. There are three key areas to this initiative: Customer service philosophy transform customer service from a department to an attitude, embraced by all employees! Revised new employee orientation stress the importance of customer service on day one with you our new employees. Continuous reinforcement daily team meetings focusing on the importance of customer service and best practices. By establishing customer service as a way of life, the customer assistance center will help drive our goal to be the worlds leading automotive company. Additional details of this important initiative will be covered later this afternoon. DIVERSITY AWARENESS A key driver in culture transformation is diversity! What is diversity in the work place? It includes all the differences that define us as unique individuals. Differences such as: culture, ethnicity, race, gender, nationality, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, experiences, opinions, and beliefs are just some of the distinctions that each of us bring to the workplace. By understanding, respecting and valuing these differences, we can capitalize on the benefits that diversity brings to the company. The entire staff within the customer assistance center have attended a diversity awareness session. Eeryone in the organisation has attended a session during there level 1 training process. The company wide roll-out was completed by the end of 1997. By valuing diversity, we will be better equiped to meet the challenges presented by global competition. This challenge seems to have been embraced by most of the employees within the organisation. We must also work together as a team to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage that will make us rise above our competition. PLAYING TO WIN That means having a playing to win versus playing not to lose attitude. when you play to win: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ you are focused on being number 1, not number 2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ you are willing to take risks, try new things that will yield the big rewards On the other hand, people who play not to lose are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ satisfied with being the close follower à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ focused on playing it safe à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reliant on what you know worked before We, at Ford customer service division, are definitely playing to win! We have embraced that winning philosophy and developed the Ford corporate culture, known as winning together. Ford places a premium on sharing best practices, recognition of effort, and the setting of stretch targets. All are required to foster a winning together culture within an organization. You are joining Ford motor company at one of the most exciting times in history. As you move through your career, you will be influenced by its history, but you dont have to be constrained by it. JACK WELCH  [1]   Id like to believe we are practicing what Jack Welch, chairman of General Electric and the dynamic force behind General Electrics renewal, has been preaching. His 3 operating principles sum up what we are trying to achieve with our entire strategic change and reorganization process: STRETCH Using dreams to set business targets with no real idea of how to get there. If you know how to get there, its not a stretch target. SPEED Allowing us to shift the center of gravity of the company. only the most productive companies are going to win SHARED VALUES- Piercing the walls of 100-year-old fiefdoms and empires called finance, engineering, marketing, and gathering teams from all those functions in one room, with one shared coffee pot, one shared vision, and one consuming passion As the leaders of tomorrow, you must embrace stretch, speed and shared values. All three will be critical in our fast-paced global marketplace. I talked a great deal about change. And you will hear even more about the importance of change, embracing change and leading change as globalization progresses. Why is all of this so important? DR. GOLDSBERRY QUOTE  [2]   Because our future is not secured by what we did in the past, or even what we are doing at the presentno matter how great that was or is. We have to change strategically and continuously if we are to be a global leader. Without strategic change, we will only be able to watch our competitors achieve the goals and rewards that we seek. I challenge each of you to value our customers and think strategically, to stretch your thinking and goals, and to be proud that you are an employee of Ford motor company. 2.2 Mission Statements Fords Mission Stement Jaguars Mission Staements Which Corporate strategy is right for Jaguar Cars Limited ? There are five possible steady state (that is, non -emergency) corporate strategies. Strategic Thinkers ANSOFF, H. IGOR Russian American engineer, mathematician, military strategist and operations researcher. The model assumes that the purpose of a firm is to maximise long term profitability (return on investment) and then gives a host of checklists and charts for deriving objectives, assessing SYNERGY between different parts of the firm (functions and businesses), appraising the firms COMPETENCE profile and deciding how to expand ( how to diversify, how to assess whether entry to an industry likely to give the desired ROI, whether to acquire or go for organic growth, and how to weight alternatives taking into account a large number of highlighted factors. He stresses the need for a common thread for all a companys businesses if it is to add value to them. The ANSOFF MATRIX is definitely a useful framework for considering expansion into new areas. The ANSOFF MATRIX shown below gives 4 options for increasing sales. The Ansoff Matrix for business development 4 3 New Market 2 1 Existing Existing New Product Arrow indicates increasing risk BOX 1, selling more of existing products in existing markets, is a low risk, market share gain strategy. To be useful, this must specify how this objective is to be attained, for example by enlarging the sales force, increasing advertising or cutting price. The XK8 / XKR was the first times in over a decade Jaguar started to advertise its product range, it increased its sales force in all the markets especially in Germany and the United states. BOX 2, implies product development to sell new (or modified) products to existing customers : fine as long as the firm has a good track record of product development and provided the new product share enough costs and skills with the existing products, and do not face a very strong incumbent competitor ( see also adjacent segment). This is when Jaguar introduced the XKR the supercharged version of the XK8, the sales plan predicted sales of up to 15000 units per annum but it sold in excess of 5000 units, due to our track record and existing products sharing cost. BOX 3, takes existing products and sells them to new markets or customers. This is clearly sensible if the new markets can be cultivated at relatively little extra cost, but can be risky if a new market requires investment in fixed cost (for example, a new salesforce), if the customers have different requirements, or if there are entrenched competitors. BOX 4, new products to new markets is the highest risk strategy : the segments being entered are not adjacent to the existing business and it is almost like starting a new business from scratch. The presumptions that Box 4 strategies are inherently unsound and should only be taken either in desperation or because there is a compelling short term opportunity not being exploited by others. PORTER, MICHAEL Porter defines two kinds of competitive advantages : Low cost, or differentiation. He places a firm in the context of its industry (see PORTERS FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES) and identifies the firms own value chain (all the ways it adds value from start to finish by activity) systematically. Porter Competitive strategy codified how to gain competitive advantage. His analysis suggests four diagnostic components of looking at any specific competitor : (1) Future Goals: what are they trying to achieve, including their ambitions in terms of market leadership and technology : (2) Assumptions : how does the competitor perceive himself, and what assumptions does he make about the industry and his competition ? (3) Current Strategy ; and (4) Opportunities : what do they think they have ? Armed with this framework, one can then construct scenarios about competitors possible reactions to any action by ones firm. Porters five competitive forces Porter was an innovator in structural analysis of markets, which previously, even with BCG (Boston Consulting Group) , tended to focus largely on direct competition in the industry, without looking systematically at the context in other stages of the industry VALUE CHAIN. Porters five forces to analyse are : Threat of potential new entrants Threat from substitutes using different technology Bargaining power of customers Bargaining power of suppliers Competition amongst existing suppliers. The interactions amongst the five forces are shown below. From this porter builds a useful model of industry attractiveness and how this might change over time, both because of objective economic changes and also because of the ambitions of the players themselves. Michael Porters Five Competitive Forces Potential New entrants Threat from new entrants Competitors in the industry Bargaining Power Suppliers Bargaining Power Customers Competition among exising companies Threat from substitutes Substitutes Jaguar History .. .. . .. .. .. . . .. . . Within the automotive industry there is a trend towards, only five six major players within this field. The customers voice is been heard and been acted upon. There has been a tread towards more customers wanting luxury vehicles and this segment is growing very fast and all projected figures show that this tread will continue. This is one of the drives behind the set up of the new Luxury vehicle team Premier automotive Group being set up by Ford and Jaguar. The premier automotive group is made up of Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo and Lincoln. It is envisaged that together, these four brands will ensure that Ford will progressively become a leading force in the global luxury car market. This is being headed by Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, who was previously the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at BMW. A key qualifier and undoubtedly an order winner for Jaguar is the brand image, the image of quality , wood finish and leather seats. Dr Reitzle stated we need to continue our commitment to become th e worlds leading consumer company for automotive products and services  [3]  and Jaguar, Aston Martin, Lincoln and Volvo are powerful brands and by grouping them in this way it allows us to bring a laser-like focus to these products and also allows us to preserve the diversity of these vehicles in terms of customer appeal and cultural heritage. The objective of the Premier Automotive Group will be to develop strategies to leverage and grow our premium and global brands. Driven by the statement .. to always meet or exceed the customers needs Jaguars strategy has been geared towards providing the customer with surprise and delight features. This direction is a major contributor to higher gross sales and profit. This is clearly shown in Jaguar sales as it reached 50,000 units for the first time in its history. How will this strategy affect downstream and upstream companies in the supply chain ? Jaguar strategy in terms of offering a vehicle with individual style and elegance is the way forward in the luxury market segment. A supercharged Jaguar is one vehicle that was under estimated by sales and market and the press, but as soon as it hit the market it was such a success Jaguars downstream supplier were unable to keep up with the demand. It was predicted to sale only 1500 units but it actual sold in excess of 5000 units. In order to implement this strategy greater investment is required along with training and developing the skill base, the core competence both from within the group and buying in expertise. A recent example of this has been expanding the veneer workshop and carrying out all the work in-house, were as at one stage this work was going to be out sourced for the S-type. Down stream the subcontractors reaction has been understandably negative. Jaguar and Ford only use Q1, QS9000, ISO14001 approved supplier for all its components and parts. This will no doubt result in larger price increases as supplier try and achieve there customers goals. SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Good training / education programmes Good communication : weekly or daily feedback Broad customer base Brand image nd heritage High quality Potential for Growth internally and externally Good team work and support from other platforms or car lines WEAKNESSES Loss of customer goodwill low resale value Under resourced Information systems weak too many new electronic process that have not been fully de-bug Limited product range Delivery times gon average >90 days OPPORTUNITIES Expansion of core business Many more product lines (e.g. X400, X350 etc.) Joint customer supplier development New territory For more X-car line features or functions THREATS Mergers Premim Automative Group BMW Globalisation strategy of customers, especially customer wants and needs Shorter times from concept to market from our competitors. The SWOT analysis clearly highlights the overall position of the company in the market place. Jaguars future strategy can clearly derived from the strengths and opportunities available. Jaguars long history for providing the customers with a vehicle with an individual style, quality wood finish and leather and at a price a customer is willing to pay is defiantly a strength that will lead it to achieve or exceed it corporate strategiy for the future and meet all the future business plans (business strategies) for the next decade. The opportunities that are available to Jaguar suggest that heavy investment and process competence would allow it to focus on its customer base also allow for the provision of supplying more variety of vehicles to the customers. Although this clearly highlights w

Creon as the Tragic Hero in Sophocles Antigone Essay example -- Antig

Creon as the Tragic Hero in Antigone     Ã‚   This essay will compare two of the characters in â€Å"Antigone†, Antigone and Creon, in an effort to determine the identity of the tragic hero in this tale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To identify the tragic hero in Sophocles’ renowned play â€Å"Antigone†, we should first consider both the elements present in Greek tragedies and what characteristics define a tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is: â€Å"Tragedy is a story taking the hero from happiness to misery because of a fatal flaw or mistake on his part. To be a true tragic hero he must also elicit a strong emotional response of pity and fear from the audience. This is known as catharsis or purging of emotion.† In most cases the tragic hero begins the play with high status, which is often lost in the exodus of the play. For example, in another of Sophocles’ plays, â€Å"Oedipus Rex†, in which Oedipus is the undisputed tragic hero, Oedipus begins the play as an illustrious king and ends as a blind beggar. His plight encourages sympathy from the audience because of the curse that had been on him since he was a chil d.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Antigone, to whom the play owes its name, is daughter of Oedipus, the former king of Thebes. It would seem that she has a relatively high position for a woman, based on the fact that she has a marriage tie to Haemon, son of Creon, the present king of Thebes.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Antigone, rather than being happy at the plays’ beginning, instead makes her entrance in the opening scene very upset with the order given by Creon not to bury her brother Polynices. Antigone is then caught while burying Polynices and seems almost content with being put to death, â€Å"I earned the punishment which I now suffer† (Antigone, 152), though... ...† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Heidegger, Martin. â€Å"The Ode on Man in Sophocles’ Antigone.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Jaeger, Werner. â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Segal, Charles. Oedipus the King: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. Sophocles. Antigone. Exploring Literature: Writing and thinking About Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Joseph Terry. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc, 2001. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Trans. Bernard M. W. Knox. New York: Washi ngton Squ are Books, 1994.

Channels of Distribution: McDonald’s Essay

Introduction. The core of this presentation is to discuss the theory of distribution strategy with the underlying real life examples of McDonald’s fast-food restaurants. The aim is to discuss McDonald’s distribution channel and the way in which this fast-food restaurant chain gets its products to the market. In the theory of the Marketing Mix, place (distribution) determines where the product will be sold and how it will get there. In fact, as noted on www.mcdonalds.com, McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer, with more than 30,000 local restaurants serving nearly 46 million people each day in 121 different countries. Approximately 80 percent of all McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent franchisers. Furthermore, at the essence of place decisions, Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 513) claims that, â€Å"retailers, particularly fast foods chains, often state their seven P’s of marketing to be, that is location, location, location, location, location, location and location.† Hence, a retailer’s location is the key to attracting customers. The costs of the building or leasing facilities are a major factor on the retailer’s profits. Thus, site location decisions are among the most important the retailer make† (Kotler, et al., 2001, p. 513). Intensive Distribution. Distribution arrangements tend to be long term in nature. Because of this time horizon, channel decisions are usually classed as strategic, rather than tactical or operational ones. Many of McDonalds restaurants are open 24 hours per day which satisfies the customers needs and wants, especially for exists their hunger. This kind of distribution strategy is called â€Å"intensive distribution†, means marking the product available for sale through all possible channels of distribution. As defined by Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 487), â€Å"intensive distribution is stocking the product in as many outlets as possible.† In addition, this strategy must be designed to reach the consumer wants at anytime and anywhere. Vertical Marketing Network (VMN). A franchise organization, to quote Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 482), is â€Å"a contractual vertical marketing network in which a channel member called a franchiser links several stages in production-distribution process†. McDonald’s has adopted the service-firm-sponsored retailer franchise network, in which a service firm licenses a network of retailers to bring its service to consumers (Kotler, et al., 2001, p. 482). Nevertheless, McDonald’s caters to a large consumer market with varying tastes and thus cannot afford to introduce products without familiarizing itself with provincial preferences in food. For this reason, McDonald’s distributes its products in foreign and domestic locations with the help of franchisers who are well aware of what works in their country. Moreover, these franchisers also provide insight to the company on its diverse customers, and helps McDonald’s achieve its vision of â€Å"being the world’s best quick service restaurant experience.† In brief, this is an extremely intelligent distribution method since it helps in providing people with the kind of products they desire, maintaining the franchise reputation worldwide. To encourage repeat customer visits, McDonald’s is intensifying the efforts to ensure the restaurant interiors and exteriors are clean and welcoming. Moreover, McDonald’s intends to regain the status as the gold standard for clean restaurants. Furthermore, McDonald’s is giving the business a fresh edge in many places by rebuilding, renovating and re-imaging the restaurants. The McDonalds experience abroad demonstrates that doing such can result in improved sales and profitability as stated on www.mcdonalds.com. McDonald’s ensures consistent products by controlling every stage of the distribution. In addition, regional distribution centers purchase products and distribute them to individual restaurants. On the other hand, when designing its channels, a company needs to consider competitors’ channels. Yet, it may want to compete in or close to the same outlets that carry competitors’ products (Kotler, et al., 2001, p. 486). Thus, food companies want their brands to be displayed next to competing brands. Meanwhile, McDonald’s adopted this setting channel objective as a view and therefore wants to be located near its competition. On the other hand, McDonald’s uses essentially the same competitive strategy in every  country, the company wants to be the first in the market and establish the brand as rapidly as possible by advertising very heavily. This effective distribution strategy (place) has helped McDonald’s develop a strong market share in the fast-food market around the world. Moreover, according to Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 513) stores must have a planned atmosphere that suits the target market and moves customers to buy. In addition, McDonald’s has pre-determined the locations for many of its stores to help reach a variety and diverse popul ation. Conclusion. In conclusion, McDonald’s has an intensive distribution process which is a credit to their Marketing department. As businesses and other organizations move forward, the challenge of making their products and services readily available to customers around the world will become much more difficult and complex. Marketers responsible for developing and managing the marketing channels needed to meet these customer demands in the global market will need all the help they can get. McDonald’s has implemented a successful distribution strategy in which other companies should follow. Adopting a marketing strategy that openly focuses on distribution (place) on location of stores, has helped make McDonald’s the successful business it has become is a definite success story. References: Kotler, P., Brown, K., Adam, S., Armstrong, G., 2001. Marketing, 5th Edition, The McGraw-Hill Companies, New York. http://www.mcdonalds.com/

Digital Image Manipulation Investigation Essay Example

Digital Image Manipulation Investigation Essay Example Digital Image Manipulation Investigation Paper Digital Image Manipulation Investigation Paper Essay Topic: Arabesques In our ICT unit, Art Gallery, we have had to do a bit of research on Digital Image Manipulation. We will then be creating our own.  In this report, you will probably learn something new about the world of Digital Image Manipulation.  What is Digital Image Manipulation?  Digital Image Manipulation is altering, trimming, colouring, layering, basically changing an image. This may be done using computer software of programs like Adobe Photoshop. Digitally Manipulated Images are sometimes made for good purposes like advertising. Sometimes, users of Photoshop will change and/or recreate images to offend others, purposefully. The final result of an image that has gone through this process sometimes are so well done and are of very high quality so we question them as to whether or not they are genuine.  Since when has Digital Image Manipulation been used?  Digital Image Manipulation has been around since photography started but now Digital Image Manipulation is becoming more and more popular. This is mainly due to the falling rates of the software and programs needed to alter an image as one likes. Where are Digitally manipulated images found?  Digitally Manipulated Images can be found anywhere, from bus stops to magazine covers, from bill boards to movie posters. Nowadays, with all the technology we know, humans can make just about anything using computers and Photoshop and are not try to show their art to the rest of the world.  Who and why was Photoshop created for?   hotoshop was originally designed for the industry purpose, not for private owners wishing to play around with their images. Therefore if you buy Photoshop or any other up to industry standard software you will be paying very high rates for some tools and features you may never use. The Knoll brothers, Thomas and John, created Photoshop. The first version, Photoshop 1.0 was shipped out in February 1990.  Why do people enjoy Digitally manipulating Images so much?  I think that we enjoy using Photoshop and altering images because it is fun. On a rainy day, it can be a great pastime. I like the competition. If I dont win an award, I try again but if I do, I have to beat my best next time. says one user I interviewed in a www.worth1000.com chat room. Another said that you dont need to get out all your painting material and start from scratch, just switch on the computer! Having the power of a God, was another answer. How do you make digitally manipulated Images?  Digitally Manipulated Images are made by adding together two images or changing/altering one image. Depending on which technique you want to achieve, you can use different tools on the software you are using.  Artistic Techniques  This list shows what some of the artistic techniques to Photoshopping, the term now used for making digitally manipulated images, and art with a few notes about what they are and how they are used in art.  Political Art: Caricatures of Political Images or people. Play of words on political subjects. Political Awareness Texture: Texture can change the mood or ambience of an image.  Perspective: A point of view. Often has a vanishing point where all lines meet. The closer an object, the larger. The farther the object, the smaller and the fainter.  Humour: To make fun of certain people or societies. Play of words used in images.  Patterns and Repetition: Repetition- repeated many times, doesnt have to be exact. Pattern- also repeated many times but has to be more precise. Patterns and repetitions can be found in the nature, on tiles, on arabesques, in geometric drawings, etc.  Colours: Primary colours {red, blue, yellow} are very strong colours. Colour can change a mood or feeling of art. Colours can be used to attract attention or focus on a certain object in the image.  Composition and Use of Space: Layout of the image. Make the object that you want to be focused the first thing that the viewer would see.

Computer outline essays

Computer outline essays I have owned my computer for about two years now and I already want another one. Do not get me wrong I am sure my computer is great but in this day and age everyone wants the newest and coolest toys. I want a super computer that will never crash and will never give me any problems. I am sure that people say this all the time but they just do not get what they want because the technology is not out there yet. The technology is close so I would like a computer that is fast and smart. It would have to have a big screen and a great sound system. I also want a computer that is extremely fast when it comes to the Internet. It also has to be very fast when it comes to downloading. The computer I own now is a Dell. I have been very happy with it up until it crashed. That really made me mad about my computer. The model of my Dell computer is a Dimension 4100. It has a Pentium III Processor. The Pentium III Processor is at 733 MHz. It also has 128 MB of SDRAM at 133 MHz. My computer also has a CD-RW, which has three burning speeds. These burning speeds are 8x/4x/32x. It also has a 12X max variable DVD ROM drive, with a Harmon Kardon HK-595 surround sound speaker system with a nine-inch subwoofer. I also received the 3.5 inch Floppy Drive. I got the 3.5 floppy drive because it is very useful for transferring smaller documents like school papers. I also got the quiet keyboard with the roller ball mouse. The screen I chose to get with my computer was a 17-inch Trinitron flat screen. A tuff decision that I have to make is what kind of computer do I want. Would I rather have a Mac or a PC? There are ups and downs to owning either one. The good thing about a Mac is that they are coming out with a lot of revolutionary things. Since I am very into music I would want to get the iPOD as well. Macs are also extremely good computers to use for editing. The Macs come with very user-friendly programs,...

Pro and Con about gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pro and Con about gun control - Essay Example Such a flexibility of the legislative framework of all American states is accounted for the peculiarities of the changing dangerous situation of the U.S. citizens who over and over again suffer from the lack of arms trafficking control on both markets, official and underworld ones. The issue is that numerous pros and cons of weapon possession as well as the interdependent amount of crime have significant differences standing on each specific case of different America’s states, which have a bit or radically varying laws of gun control. So let’s study and consider what for and against arguments can serve for the critical solicitude of the Americans’ status as a shooting nation in relation to its own safety. It is firstly necessary to explain that the issue of gun control manifests its relevancy through the increasing number of murders, rapes, robberies, different incidents on the back of weapon possessing by everyone from adults with mental health through dropouts to children and adolescents with divergent response to possible acts of aggression or other reasons for gun use. This applies especially to the fact that â€Å"†¦as the gun ownership rises, so does the gun homicide rate. More guns mean more gun deaths† (Harmon, 2013). Really, weapon ownership increases the risk of being killed. For that matter America’s case is extremely screaming for its almost hundred-per-cent national possession of any type of arms. â€Å"Overall, 46 percent of gun owners own some kind of gun primarily for protection against crime. The figure is 41 percent for males, and 67 percent for females† (Cook, & Ludwig, 2008). These data can confirm a greater anxiety for their safety among women, whereas in contrast men are those who much more likely to pull the trigger (according to statistics). So the primarily reason of carrying-weapons is self-defense. They say weapon doesn’t

Trends, Issues and Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trends, Issues and Community - Essay Example However, neoclassical approaches are also not without their flaws and thus practical policymaking ought to be about ensuring that the government is driven hard to deliver that which is the best from available resources. This brief essay presents a discussion about the neoclassical and the Keynesian or the welfare state approaches to policy making and presents an examination of the impact of neoclassical approaches to policymaking in Australia. I certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author of this study. The main content of the study which has been presented contains work that has not previously been reported anywhere. Individuals and communities in Australia and in other developed nations are often perplexed at the demise of the so called welfare state which had done far more to try to look after the individual than what is often observed today. Thus, government policies are now forcing individual citizens to take on far more responsibility in nearly everything, ranging from welfare, education to health despite a certain lack of satisfaction with this approach from the citizens (Centre for Policy Development, 2008, â€Å"Real World Economics†). The new policymaking is explained in terms of the limited ability of the community to care for the individual due to resource constraints and a shift from the Keynesian / Welfare state approach to the neoclassical or the new right approaches that are designed not only to provide but also to alter individual behaviour in a manner that is likely to be less of a burden to the society at large. The change that is now observed is often disturbing for those who had seen far better days when government really cared and help was always available in difficult times. Thus, it makes sense to try to understand what guides the new policymaking that has had an impact on nearly all facets of individual’s existence within the community and why Australians and others

Why Media Ownership and Diversity Matters Essay

Why Media Ownership and Diversity Matters - Essay Example Why Media Ownership and Diversity Matters? By writing this letter, it is my firm belief that you will take a leading role in advocating for issues pertaining media ownership and diversity. From the onset, it is vital to highlight that various legislations and court rulings have rolled  the gains made in the ownership of media in the country with the issue of ownership concentrated on certain key elements while women and the minorities face challenges in media ownership. Simultaneously, it is evident that employment of women and the minority in the media industry experiences little progress despite the country’s efforts in engaging the minorities and women in various fields due to affirmative action. Undeniably, there is a persistent lack of women and minority representation in the management of media houses and broadcast companies, which consequently narrows the economic and professional opportunities in one of the most influential industries in the country. The issue does not only occur in management. However, watch ing prime time news in the media depicts minorities in a bad light. For example, the scenes that the media subjects their viewers to involve Latinos invading the borders of this nation while the black community in America is painted as criminals with handcuffs on them following incidents of crime and consequent arrest by law enforcement agencies. Indeed, this depiction of minorities paints a gloomy picture on the country’s media. On the other hand, women also face widespread underrepresentation on prime time news. In line with this, a study held by 4th Estate during the 2012 presidential poll in America observed that there were seven times as many quotes from men than from women in the country’s main TV news programs newspapers. To make matters worse, the country’s media focused more on men than on women even in instances whereby the news focused on issues related to women. Consequently, this is an indication that there is the presence of widespread exclusion of women and minorities in the country’s media, which leads to the stories of these vital groups remaining largely untold. Research studies indicate of the effectiveness of news coverage in impacting on public opinions based on various approaches such as agenda-setting and framing (Avery and Peffley 134). In line with this, setting an agenda determines the issues that media and broadcasting houses discuss in order to influence public opinion. On the other hand, framing involves the communication of content by a media or broadcasting house to the public. Consequently, it is essential to point out that the framing of the content and agenda-setting influences the way that the public in the country will perceive issues that are political, social, and economical in nature. Based on this, it is evident that the failure to involve the minorities and women in management and employment in media has failed to ensure the presence of an agenda that sets to debate issues that affect them an d how to solve these issues. For this reason, the country continues to debate on minority issues that are not conclusive since the people responsible for setting the agenda for discussion are not fully involved by the media. On the other hand, their involvement in setting the agenda might not be effective since their issues will not be solved effectively based on the evidence that

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay Example for Free

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay Motivation and Organizational Culture Assignment In any given business or workplace environment the employees that work there should be the most valued assets. Research has shown that personnel who are happy and taken care of are much more productive than those who are not, therefore establishing a more pleasing work atmosphere. That being said, business leaders and managers alike play an extremely important role in workplace psychology. According to our text, leadership is the process of leading a group and influencing its members to achieve common goals. All managers are leaders (Robbins, DeCenzo, and Coulter, 2011). In today’s society more managers are leading through empowerment by allowing team members to be involved in the decision making process. More and more employees â€Å"are developing budgets, scheduling workloads, controlling inventories, solving quality problems, and engaging in similar activities that until very recently were viewed exclusively as part of the manager’s job. As mentioned earlier, research has shown that employees who are pleased are far more beneficial than employees who are not. There are many things that managers can do to ensure that their employees feel valued, and remain satisfied. First of all, it is important that managers avoid using intimidation. To intimidate means to make nervous, or instill fear. In some cases an individual can take advantage of their title and turn in to an authoritarian. In a sense this means that the big guys squash the little guys.

Romanticism and Realism in War Stories :: Romantic Period Essays

Romanticism and Realism in War Stories Tom Brokaw called the people who lived through World War II (WWII) â€Å"The Greatest Generation†, where he shares many heroic war stories in The Greatest Generation. The classic character displayed in the book was a decorated war veteran who returned to the United States (US) and developed a prosperous lifestyle. The WWII veterans came to symbolize strength, honor, unity, justice, success, and noble sacrifice. This image was portrayed through literature and film. Books and movies created an image of the WWII veterans which the US would idolize. Popular culture gave the war a romantic appeal. People fell in love with the idea that the US was liberating Europe from the Nazi Hun and the evil Japanese Empire. After the war, men came back to marry their sweethearts and had several children who were called the Baby Boomers. This romanticism continued through television shows like Leave it to Beaver and literary titles similar to Dick and Jane, which dominated popular culture . Though popular culture defined the perfect life, the lifestyle was not typical for the average American. The Baby Boomers were called into the Vietnam War and expected to follow in their father’s heroic footsteps; but unlike their father’s generation they failed to live up to the expectations. The Baby Boomers rebelled against the state and popular culture, developing flower power, free love, and equality. The Vietnam War conflicted with many of the generation’s values, resulting in internal conflict with many of the nation’s youth. Some men joined the military to fight, while other dodged the draft, creating conflict within a generation. Overall, the Baby Boomer generation symbolized individuality, dishonor, injustice, failure, and wasteful sacrifice. Unlike the WWII era, the Vietnam War brought realism into literature and film. There were no heroic movies of men fighting in Vietnam. Men could no longer shoot fifty enemy combatants on top of a tank without being hurt. Instead, popular culture brought a realistic view of war, death, pain, and destruction. Author Tim O’Brien, like many war veterans, struggled with his Vietnam experience and expressed them through writing. Tim O’Brien exposed the truth behind war stories because he shows the difference between WWII romanticism and Vietnam realism. The difference between romanticism and realism can be seen through two variations of the same war story.

Clan X :: Essays Papers

Clan X There's a new kid at school, his name is Leigh, he thinks he is such a big shot-know all. When he rocked up at school on his very first day, he tried to do a fancy bunny-hop on his crappie, smashed up old bike and stacked it. It was hilarious, especially when he tried to get back on. He just fell straight over it again and broke three of his spokes and started to cry. He walked around school the entire week, showing off in front of everyone, telling them how good he was, trying so hard to be everyone's friend, but we made sure nobody liked him. We were part of a Clan I started called Clan-X. My gang members were: Rene, Grant, Mark, Trent, Tim, Daimien and myself, Cameron. We basically just pushed people around for kicks. Usually people that were half our size and walked around by themselves. We liked to blow up people's letter boxes the most, usually just at random. Whenever any new kids came to our school, we used to tease and make fun of them, so they felt unwelcome and had no fri ends. Usually they left the school, we loved it when they did that. Anyway, back to the story... On Friday afternoon, just after school, we were all walking home talking about how much of a loser this new guy was. By the time we got to the end of the street, we had all agreed that we should do something totally outrageous to his cat because he had been bragging about it all week. On Saturday, we all met up at the local park and brought along little tools which we thought might come in handy for this sinister exercise. Grant and Rene brought some rope and a switch-blade. Trent and Mark brought a bottle of methylated spirits and some matches. Tim and Daimien brought a voice scrambler and a mobile phone and I brought some explosives, which I got from the local markets. We thought about what we were going to actually do. Finally, I stood up and said, "Okay, First, I will jump Leigh's back fence and grab the cat. I'll take Tim and Daimien with me just in case I can't find it. Grant and Rene can then tie it up to a tree and cut it's whiskers off. Then Trent and Mark can saturate it with methylated spirits, (making sure not to drown it, as we want it to burn alive).

The Warhead Cable Test Dilemma

Question 1 According to Kohlberg's moral development theory, Stanton Wong moral development should be at post-conventional level, where it is believed that caring for other is everyone's obligation. It is because he is concerning with the well being of the innocent civilians and the military personnel if a faulty missile misfired. Beside that, he also thinking a method of solving the problem so that everyone is cared for equally and nobody will harmed by the faulty cable. For Harry Jackson, he stage of moral development is at the pre-conventional level. At this level, self-interest is emphasized and values are adhered to in order to avoid punishment and also be rewarded. It can be proved by his intentionally to ignore the result of the product test and do not take action to correct the problem. It is because he does not think of the well being of the civilians and military personnel because he more worries about getting punishment from higher up if the warhead cable cant be deliver on time to the customer. From here we can see that he emphasis on his self-interest more than the values of other people. Question 2 I think Stanton Wong should report the test result to the customer's source inspector, Jane Conway first and ask Jane to perform additional sample testing. I think it can help to convince Harry Jackson to stop the cable for shipping out for the customer if Jane found out there is a problem occurred on the cable. If Harry still refuse to solve the problem, then Stanton should report the case to the top management who have the power to change Harry's decision. One of the ethical reasoning is logic, it means before we can conclude or make a judgement , we have to ensure that premise, either factual or inferred, are know and clear. In this case, I think it is logical for Stanton to report the problem to authorities if the faulty items could harm innocence and also because he cares about the civilians and armed forces. Accuracy is one of the ethical reasoning, it means whatever evidence cited to support our judgement should be accurate, relevant, and complete. So, before he reports to top management, he should ask the source inspector to run additional test to ensure the previous test result is accurate and certainly. The other criteria of ethical reasoning is consistency. It states whatever decision a person made or action taken should consistent with his or her moral values. Thus, Stanton should makes a decision that does not contrary with his moral values. Question 3 Currently, I think he should not be a whistle-blower. Because there are several methods to solve this problem internally,such as informing the problem to top management and thus he should not involve public media in solving this problem. Beside that, he should considers his role as an employee. As a employee, his role is creating values for the company or help the company the achieve its goals. If he blows the whistle on his own company, it will defame the company plus he might get fired or distrust by his colleagues. At the meantime, it might consider unethical to be a whistle-blower because it doesn't bring any positive values for company and may against the conducts as an employee. In addition, the effect may cause to the company if the scandal concern a company leak out is always out of estimation, so he should not risk his career and the fame of his company since there are other methods can be use to solve this problem. Question 4 The company already have the protocol in testing and reporting of product tests. The company could heavily punish those who do not follow the protocol to avoid this kind of situation. In additional, the company should be careful when hiring the plant manager. They should hire someone with good moral values such as honesty and sincerity. Beside that, they should make sure the plant manager is open-minded, and with good interpersonal or people management skills. It can help to prevent this kind of situation because a open-minded manager able to listen to advices or opinions and making wise decision based on evidences. Beside that, a manager with good interpersonal or people management skills could enhance the performance of the employees and this increase the quality of the product. Furthermore, I think the company can give the quality control supervisor the power to stop or adjust the production if product failure occurred. It is often costly to reproduce the product when it was finished. Thus, the company should allow the quality control supervisor to find out and solve the problem instantly without waiting further instruction from plant manager.