Thursday, May 14, 2020

Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller - 1216 Words

American playwright Arthur Miller’s 1949 creation, Death of a Salesman, is adapted for the small screen by German director Volker Schlà ¶ndorff. This 1985 made-for-television film stars Dustin Hoffman as protagonist William â€Å"Willy† Loman. Kate Reid, John Malkovich, and Stephen Lang round out the Loman family in the roles of Linda, Biff, and Harold Happy, respectively. The film closely follows Miller’s original work as it tells the story of Willy, an overworked and underappreciated salesman, losing his grip on reality and his career. For the most part, the film is shot from static cameras that give it a similar feel to what would be experienced as an audience member viewing a live theatrical performance. There is no visible proscenium arch, implying that, although the film did not use a camera dolly to achieve long flowing shots, the various scenes visible on stage throughout the film are part of a sound stage and not a traditional theatre. The actors that play the Loman family deliver convincing performances that reinforce the tightknit but fractured nature of their onscreen family. Hoffman, as Willy, is believable in his role as a stressed middle-aged man. As the film progresses, it is evident, by the frantic nature of Willy’s dialogue and actions, that he feels increasingly backed into a corner by both society and his own expectations of himself. Reid, as Linda, fills the role of a backseat matriarch of the Loman family. Her quiet but intentional demeanor serves to balanceShow MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1387 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican play-write Arthur Miller, is undoubtedly Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949 at the time when America was evolving into an economic powerhouse. Arthur Miller critiques the system of capitalism and he also tells of the reality of the American Dream. Not only does he do these things, but he brings to light the idea of the dys functional family. Death of a Salesman is one of America’s saddest tragedies. In Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman, three major eventsRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller888 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman† is a play written by Arthur Miller in the year 1949. The play revolves around a desperate salesman, Willy Loman. Loman is delusioned and most of the things he does make him to appear as a man who is living in his own world away from other people. He is disturbed by the fact that he cannot let go his former self. His wife Linda is sad and lonely; his youngest son Biff is presented as a swinger/player while his eldest son Happy appears anti-business and confused by the behaviorRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1573 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresents a character with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while th e audience experiences catharsis (Bloom 2). Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall, and theRead MoreDeath of Salesman by Arthur Miller972 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Death of a Salesman by the playwright Arthur Miller, the use of names is significant to the characters themselves. Many playwrights and authors use names in their works to make a connection between the reader and the main idea of their work. Arthur Miller uses names in this play extraordinarily. Not only does Miller use the names to get readers to correlate them with the main idea of the play, but he also uses names to provide some irony to the play. Miller uses the meanings of someRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1628 Words   |  7 PagesArthur Miller wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning play Death of a Salesman in 1949. The play inflated the myth of the American Dream of prosperity and recognition, that hard work and integrity brings, but the play compels the world to see the ugly truth that capitalism and the materialistic world distort honesty and moral ethics. The play is a guide toward contemporary themes foreseen of the twentieth century, which are veiled with greed, power, and betrayal. Miller’s influence with the play spreadRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller949 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Salesman can be described as modern tragedy portraying the remaining days in the life of Willy Loman. This story is very complex, not only because of it’s use of past and present, but because of Willy’s lies that have continued to spiral out of control throughout his life. Arthur Miller puts a modern twist on Aristotle’s definition of ancient Greek tragedy when Willy Loman’s life story directly identifies the fatal flaw of the â€Å"American Dream†. Willy Loman’s tragic flaw can be recappedRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller846 Words   |  4 PagesA Dime a Dozen The Death of a Salesman is a tragedy written by playwright Arthur Miller and told in the third person limited view. The play involves four main characters, Biff, Happy, Linda, and Willy Loman, an ordinary family trying to live the American Dream. Throughout the play however, the family begins to show that through their endeavors to live the American Dream, they are only hurting their selves. The play begins by hinting at Willy’s suicidal attempts as the play begins with Linda askingRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller Essay2538 Words   |  11 PagesSurname 1 McCain Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Death of a Salesman Death of a salesman is a literature play written by American author Arthur Miller. The play was first published in the year 1949 and premiered on Broadway in the same year. Since then, it has had several performances. It has also received a lot of accordances and won numerous awards for its literature merit including the coveted Pulitzer for drama. The play is regarded by many critics as the perfectRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller2081 Words   |  9 Pages#1 â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller is a tragedy, this play has only two acts and does not include scenes in the acts. Instead of cutting from scene to scene, there is a description of how the lighting focuses on a different place or time-period, which from there, they continue on in a different setting. The play doesn’t go in chronological order. A lot of the play is present in Willy’s flashbacks or memories of events. This provides an explanation of why the characters are acting a certainRead MoreDeath Of Salesman By Arthur Miller1475 Words   |  6 Pagesto death to achieve their so- called American dream. They live alone and there is no love of parents and siblings. They may have not noticed the America dream costs them so much, which will cause a bigger regret later. In the play Death of Salesman, Arthur Miller brings a great story of a man who is at very older age and still works hard to achieve his desire, which is the American dream. Later, he no tices that his youth is gone and there is less energy in his body. Willy Loman is a salesman, who

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Use of Math in Auto Racing Essay - 1263 Words

Mathematics is found everywhere in life and work and auto racing is no exception. There are many applications of math in racing. The purpose of racing is to win and in order to do that there must be a lot of math involved. If you don’t use math and use it correctly then you will not win. Mathematics is involved in racing in two ways, the car setup and scoring an measurements. The car setup involves tire pressure, down force, wedge, aerodynamic Drag, camber, track bar and valance. The scoring system also uses math. In addition to scoring math is also used to measure different racing related subjects such as car weight, gas mileage time interval, qualifying, and the track characteristics. Tire†¦show more content†¦The track bar locates the vehicles rear end housing from left to right underneath it. In calibrating the vehicles â€Å"suspension geometry† by raising or lowering the track bar a team is able to change the rear roll center which determines how well the car will handle in turns. Determining the proper angle of the track bar a team controls the car. A cars valance also involves using math. A cars valance is the panel that extends below the front bumper, also known as a front air dam. The amount of clearance between the valance and the ground directly affects the amount of front downforce the vehicle creates. The lower the valance the greater the downforce. The teams must use math in order to determine the distance the valance is to the ground and the amount of downforce it creates for the best possible performance. In addition to the setup of a car math is also used in auto racing in order to score and determine racing related measurements. Math is used in the scoring or points system of auto racing. The points system in NASCAR uses math in order distribute points to the drivers and teams. The winner receives 175 points and from there the points given decline in five point increments for places two through six. Points awarded then drop four points per driver for positions seven through eleven and then three points per driver fromShow MoreRelated Physics of Car Racing Essay1508 Words   |  7 PagesThis paper is a look at the physics behind car racing. We look look at how we can use physics to select tires, how physics can help predict how much traction we will have, how physics helps modern cars get there extreme speed, how physics lets us predict the power of an engine, and how physics can even help the driver find the quickest way around the track. Tires are the most important part of race or any car for that mater. (Physics of Racing) After all they are the only thing that is contactRead MoreStem Of The Technology Classroom1512 Words   |  7 Pageswealth of potential for this new pedagogical model and the positive influence it will have to unite inter faculty teachers as well as giving students real world examples of traditionally vague or difficult to grasp concepts such such as algebra in maths or report writing in science and English. As the digital age pushes the technological boundaries at an unprecedented rate, traditional pedagogy is struggling to keep up with the demands of present and future industrial needs and career possibilitiesRead MoreMath: Normal Distribution and Confidence Interval3370 Words   |  14 PagesStatistics Math 1342 Final Exam Review Name___________________________________ MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. Provide an appropriate response. 1) A card is drawn from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Find the probability that the card is an ace or a heart. 17 7 3 4 A) B) C) D) 52 52 13 13 Answer: D 2) The events A and B are mutually exclusive. If P(A) = 0.7 and P(B) = 0.2, what is P(A or B)? A) 0.5 B) 0.9 C) 0.14 D)Read MoreViolent Video Games Are Numbing the Minds of Children Essays1986 Words   |  8 Pageschildren and teens, numbing their thoughts and reprogramming their minds. Like a drug, it desensitizes them, and makes them more prone to violence. This idea of violent video games was not a phenomenon until the later 20th century, and evolved from racing into enemies, to free-for-all drug abuse and sexual/physical violence that most youth know and play today. These games have a detrimental impact on teens, making them eat more, become more aggressive, and wash away their morality. Although some mayRead MoreThe Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games3383 Words   |  14 Pagesfighter pilots of today are more skillful is that this generation’s pilots are being weaned on video games. o Planning, resource management and logistics. The player learns to manage resources that are limited, and decide the best use of resources, the same way as in real life. This skill is honed in strategy games such as SimCity, Age of Empires, and Railroad Tycoon. Notably, The American Planning Association, the trade association of urban planners and Maxis, the game creatorRead More The Fulcrum and the Lever Essays2653 Words   |  11 Pagesthrough the door of my tiny one-bedroom house and stare at the desk, piled high with debris: old junk mail, magazines, and a few bills. I keep thinking maybe on my day off I’ll clean this mess up, balance my check book and pay my bills. â€Å"But what’s the use?† I think to myself, â€Å"I have $210 left on my credit card, that’ll get me through another week.† Independence is what I wanted and that’s what I got. I have a car, a house, furniture, stocked cupboards, and plenty of I-can-do-what-I-want free will.Read Moreme I and me7467 Words   |  30 Pages  and  individuals  in  the  study. Page  2 16) A  study  was  conducted  to  determine  if  listening  to  heavy  metal  music  affects  critical  thinking.  To  test  the  claim, 124  subjects  were  randomly  assigned  to  two  groups.  Both  groups  were  administered  a  basic  math  skills  exam. The  first  group  took  the  exam  while  heavy  metal  music  was  piped  into  the  exam  room,  while  the  second  group took  the  exam  in  a  silent  room.  The  mean  exam  score  for  the  first  group  was   76,  and  the  mean  exam  score  for the  second  group  was  83Read MoreBusiness Environment of Pre-British India13645 Words   |  55 Pagesneither the use of metals nor the art of cultivation. They never constructed homes, but lived in natural caverns. They used sharp edged tools mainly of quartzite stone. Axes, arrow-heads, spears, digging tools, circular stones, hurling choppers, knives, scrapers, hammer stones, were used. There is evidence of the use of fire at the Kurnul caves. Mesolithic Man / Middle Stone Age The Mesolithic man was a hunter, who lived on the wild fruits and vegetables of the forests. He started to use chalcedonyRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesattribute the work in the manner specified by the author, namely by citing his name, the book title, and the relevant page numbers (but not in any way that suggests that the book Logical Reasoning or its author endorse you or your use of the work). (2) Noncommercial You may not use this work for commercial purposes (for example, by inserting passages into a book that is sold to students). (3) No Derivative Works You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. An earlier version of the book wasRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pages These range from introduction to marketing/marketing principles to courses in marketing management and strategic marketing. It can also be used as a text in international marketing courses. Retailing, entrepreneurship, and ethics courses could use a number of these cases and their learning insights. It can certainly be used in training programs and even appeal to nonprofessionals who are looking for a good read about well-known firms and personalities. TEACHING AIDS As in previous editions

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Nike Promotion free essay sample

Another important factor in economy is the maturing market in athletic shoes. There is also a growing adverse demographic change in the marketplace brought about by the sweatshop expose that Nike has not overcome yet. Effects to Nikes growth are also affected not only by domestic economy but also by the international economy. The continued weak Euro and Asian recession could potentially hurt Nikes international sales and growth. Nikes extreme sports product line is seen as inferior quality compared to competitors and is hurting sales and brand image. CUSTOMERS In 1998, Americans spent $38 billion to buy over 1. 1 billion pairs of shoes. Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association revealed that athletic footwear makes up almost 35% of all footwear purchases. The existing domestic industry focus is on casual and comfortable shoes. Demand is up for the brown shoe casual footwear with a comfortable and rugged design. This is because of the increasing number of workplaces allowing casual dress codes. Multinational customers account for a large part of Nikes sales. In 1995, Nikes international operations accounted for 36. 6 of its total revenues. The company believes that demands from international markets will increase in future. Nike must cater to a large portion of the new generation that demands the latest trends and styles. Nike should take into account the changing US demographics due to the rising proportion of Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans. These groups have different preferences that Nike should be able to satisfy. Nike should identify the next generation of loyal customers and provide for their needs. COMPETITION Competition is very fierce due to the number of companies competing for sales. Lots of money goes to marketing and promotions using various channels to reach the young demographic group of consumers who spend the most money on Nikes products. Growth is slowing down in the athletic footwear industry. But new markets are emerging with high growth rates. These markets include extreme sports market and the corporate merchandise market. Nikes global market share was an impressive 30. 4% in 1998. The closest competitor, Adidas, held 15. 5% of the market share while Reebok held 11. 2%. The remaining competitors, including Fila, Timberland, Asics, Converse, and New Balance, among others, each hold approximately 3-5% of the remaining market share. MARKETING ASPECTS OBJECTIVES Nikebiz. com stated that Nikes mission statement is â€Å"Through the adoption of business practices Nike is committed to securing intergenerational quality of life, restoring environment and increasing value for our customers, shareholders and business partners. † Nike shows passion for their company, products, and athletes. They are determined to provide consumers with comfort and assurance. They also find ways to innovate and create. They adhere to their five brand principles namely: inspire, innovate, focus, connect, and care. Another Nikes objective is â€Å"to be the worlds leading sports and Fitness Company. Nikes mission statement is similar to a vision statement and is potentially a weakness. The mission identifies the sports and fitness industry business they are in, it does not specify as to what products and services they provide. The mission statement does not mention distribution channels and customers. However, it portrays managements beliefs and the desire to be number one and remain in the leading position in sports and fitness shoe and apparel industry. STRATEGIES Corporate Strategies. The past two decades saw a change in economy from â€Å"standardized† to flexible†. Having a strict corporate organization used to be the rule, now it is common to have a flexible organization that uses subcontracting. The main reason Nike succeeded in competing in the footwear industry for a long time is because they remain flexible in an unpredictable market by subcontracting overseas in countries with low labor-cost. Another reason for Nikes strength in competition is their product differentiation. Aside from athletic shoes, Nikes product line now offers a broad range of clothing, equipment and accessories. TACTICS Nikes distinctive tactics are found in the area of marketing, specifically in consumer brand awareness and brand power. Nikes catch phrases like, Just Do It, and symbols like the Nike Swoosh, are reminders of the Nike empire. This tactic is effective because it could not be easily replicated and it offers value or benefit to consumers. Nike is becoming a part of American and world culture, the brand power becomes more difficult to replicate. The trademark and a slogan serves as the companys fingerprints. Nike is able to capitalize the unique identity due because of its financial strength. Nike reaches millions of consumers through large-scale marketing campaigns. The public benefits from the strength of Nikes image when they make a purchase. Consumers often associate Nike image with quality products. By associating star athletes and motivational slogans like, Just Do It, consumers identify their purchases with the prospect of achieving greatness. This image they create forms a tactic that competing companies can not easily duplicate by simply improving their products. PRODUCT Nike sells a huge variety of products, including shoes for running, basketball, cross training, Women and children. All of which are currently its top-selling product categories. Nike also sells shoes for outdoor activities such as tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, football, bicycling, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, aquatic activities, auto racing and other athletic and recreational uses. Nike began selling active sports apparel in 1979 as well as athletic bags and accessory items. The company sells a line of performance equipment under the Nike brand name, such as sport balls, timepieces, eyewear, skates, bats and other equipment. They also sell a line of dress and casual footwear and accessories for men, women and children under the brand name Cole Haan. The company markets headwear under the brand name Sports Specialties, through Nike Team Sports, Inc. They also sell small amounts of various plastic products to other manufacturers through Nike IHM, Inc. Bauer Nike Hockey Inc. manufactures and distributes ice skates, skate blades, in-roller skates, protective gear, hockey sticks and hockey jerseys and accessories under the Bauer and Nike brand names Pricing Strategies Nike uses vertical integration in pricing wherein they own participants at differing channel levels or engage in more than one channel level operations. This is also an attempt to control costs and influence pricing practices. PLACE Distribution channels and policy. Should additional channels be added, why? Nike sells its product to about 20,000 retail accounts in the U. S. and in approximately 110 countries around the world. Nike sells its products in international markets through independent distributors, licensees and subsidiaries. Independent distributors has little or no pressure for local adaptation because the 4Ps of marketing are managed by distributors. PROMOTION Nike has been one of the top retail industries for quite along time. This is because they sell quality products, customer loyalty, but most of all, its great marketing techniques. Nike has a number of famous athletes to create a great deal of attention to their products. Nike has signed the top athletes in many different sports such as the Brazilian Soccer Team (especially Ronaldino, Renaldo, and Roberto Carlos), Lebron James and Jermane ONeal for basketball, Lance Armstrong for cycling, and Tiger Woods for Golf. Sponsoring of events is another great promotional technique for Nike. It brings attention Nikes products. Web sites are a great promotional tool as they cover these events. Such events include Hoop It Up and The Golden West Invitational. Nike also personalizes websites. They make the websites exclusively for a sport such as nikebasketball. om , nikefootball. com , and nikegolf. com Marketing strategy: Nikes marketing strategy is an important component of the companys success. Nike is positioned as a premium-brand, selling well-designed and expensive products. Nike lures customers with a marketing strategy centering around a brand image which is attained by distinctive logo and the advertising slogan: Just do it. [35] Nike promotes its produc ts by sponsorship agreements with celebrity athletes, professional teams and college athletic teams. However, Nikes marketing mix contains many elements besides promotion. These are summarised below. Advertising From 1972 to 1982, Nike relied almost exclusively on print advertising in highly vertical publications including Track and Field News. Most of the early advertising was focused on a new shoe release, essentially outlining the benefits of the running, basketball or tennis shoe. In 1976, the company hired its first outside ad agency, John Brown and Partners, who created what many consider Nikes first brand advertising in 1977. A print ad with the tagline There is no finish line featured a lone runner on a rural road and became an instant classic. The success of this simple ad inspired Nike to create a poster version that launched the companys poster business. In 1982, Nike aired its first national television ads, created by newly formed ad agency Wieden+Kennedy, during the New York Marathon. This would mark the beginning of a remarkably successful partnership between Nike and W+K that remains intact today. The Cannes Advertising Festival has named Nike its advertiser of the year on two separate occasions, the first and only company to receive that honor twice (1994, 2003). 36] Nike also has earned the Emmy Award for best commercial twice since the award was first created in the 1990s. The first was for The Morning After, a satirical look at what a runner might face on the morning of January 1, 2000 if every dire prediction about Y2K came to fruition. [37] The second Emmy for advertising earned by Nike was for a 2002 spot called Move, which featured a series of famous and everyday athletes in a stream of athletic pursuits. [38 ] In addition to garnering awards, Nike advertising has generated its fair share of Controversy. RANDOM: The short version of this is: Nike makes itself pop up everywhere, so that its well known. It associates with people that most of its consumers want to emulate (such as michael jordan, in the 1990s) and creates products that will appeal to as wide of an audience as possible while using those celebrities its consumers want as bait (eg, michael jordan and the Air Jordan shoe line). This is just the marketing side: The business as a whole creates fast, easy assembly methods that allow it to use cheap labor in southeast asia and elsewhere to get cheap products (around 10 dollars) and sell them at extremely high prices (about 150 dollars). With nike, most of what youre buying is image. Nike, Inc. is a marketer of sports apparel and athletic shoes. The American manufacturer, through its marketing strategy which rests on a favourable brand image, has evolved into a large multinational enterprise In keeping with the brand image is its association with the distinctive logo and its advertising slogan, Just do it. In order to maintain and sustain this image, the company makes huge investments in advertising and brand promotion. Its promotional activities include agreements for product sponsorship with professional athletic teams, celebrity athletes, and numerous college athletic teams. Nike is involved in the production of goods for a wide variety of sports, competing with every sports fashion brand in existence. Because of the absence of any single brand that rivals the products of Nike, the company has no direct competitors, with the exception of German company Adidas. This has helped popularize the brand worldwide in all areas of sport and sports fashion. When Nike first began as Blue Ribbon Sports they only sold one product (running shoes) and because of this they had to make the target audience large. However, because of the wide-range of products that Nike sells they now have different target-audiences for each product. For young people, Nike sponsors popular athletes that their customers want to emulate.

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Holocaust Essays (497 words) - Human Rights Abuses, The Holocaust

Holocaust The Holocaust was one of the greatest atrocities known to man. This paper will clearly show the cruelty, death destruction that was caused during the Holocaust. In addition, this paper will overview the background and goals of the one man responsible for this great tragedy. Holocaust is the name given to the mass murder of six million Jewish people in Europe during World War II, from the period of 1933- 1945. The word Holocaust originally meant widespread destruction by fire. By the end of the war, the word Holocaust became known as the destruction of Jews in Europe by Nazis. The Jews were treated horribly. The cruelty inflicted on the Jews began on The Night of Broken Glass, on November 9th-10th, 1938. On that night, Storm Troopers went through Jewish cities and burned two hundred and sixty seven synagogues. The Nazis also arrested 20,000 Jews. Nazis tried to find the longest and most painful way for Jews to die. For Example, thirty three thousand seven hundred and seventy one Jews were machine- gunned on September 29th- 30th, 1941. Millions of Jews were forced to leave their homes and were imprisoned in concentration camps. Jews were also required to pay a four hundred million dollar fine to pay damage done to there own property. By the end of the war, over two-thirds of the Jews in Europe were killed. Six million Jews were slaughtered. Also, about two thousand Jewish women raped and killed. After a decision was made to remove all Jews from Germany, mass arrests began in 1938, which is when slave labor camps were established. The first German concentration camp named Dachua, was established in 1938. Between five and six million Jews died. Two million Jews died in a concentration camp named Auschwitz. Auschwitz was the main extermination camp. Auschwitz was also known as The Death Camp. More than half of the Jews killed, were exterminated at the camps. The types of methods used to kill the Jews at the camps were: carbon monoxide, electrocution, phenol injections, flame-throwers, hand grenades and machine guns. If Jews weren't killed immediately, they were placed in concentration camps and killed by punishment. The one man responsible for the killing of six million Jews was Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born April 20, 1889 in Austria. When Hitler got older, he was convinced that both Germany and himself were stabbed in the back by the Jewish people in Europe. Hitler's goal was to exterminate all Jews in Europe. By the time Hitler's life ended he succeeded in killing two-thirds of the Jews in Europe. Adolf Hitler ended his own life by committing suicide in his bombproof bunker on April 30, 1945 in Berlin, Germany. The most unbelievable aspect of the Holocaust is the fact that it was planned and executed because of one insane man. The twelve years, in which the Holocaust took place, were the most horrific and destructive years known to man. History Essays

Monday, March 9, 2020

The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations Essays

The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations Essays The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations Paper The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations Paper Essay Topic: Economics The Man Of Mode At the beginning of the Second World War, Taylorism disappeared and was replaced with another form of work organization: Fordism. Fordism appeared when Ford started producing Model T cars but by basing his production upon Taylorist lines. Scientific management was still used; there was an explicit distinction between management and workforce, each employee had a specific task to do and their task was timed. Fordism seems more closely attached to the production system of modern organizations than Taylorism does, since it includes Taylors ideas but by also introducing new ones, and this is why this essay will be centred on the link between Fordism and todays production system: Toyotism. At the end of the 1980s, Fordism, which had been at the base of economic growth in the country for thirty years, fades away. Changes in demand, rise in the workers strikes the organizations must react and readapt themselves, also in order to face the rise in foreign competition. The Japanese model of organization used since the end of the Second World War, Toyotism, was then adapted in Europe and the USA during the 1980s. But what can we say about this post-fordism twenty years later? The worker, who now sees his work as more interesting, where he has more responsibility and importance, is he now liberated from his constraints? Havent things changed, especially in the tertiary, which had been kept out of scientific management for so many years? And finally, wouldnt it be more specific to talk about neo-fordism rather than Toyotism? We shall see that scientific management is still relevant to modern organizations in a first part, and then shall see that this isnt completely true anymore. In modern organizations, hierarchy is still present. It will probably always be like this, somebody needs to be in charge or else there would be too many conflicts. Hierarchy is one of the three most important points of scientific management, along with the specialisation of the workers task and the timing of this task so as to impose a cadence. What Taylor wanted to show was that the old way of organizing work in the 19th century was too slow, there were too many gaps in the production process and that this led to a very low productivity. Taylor wanted a separation of planning from execution, and this is still the way that it works in the time of Toyotism. Every organization has a manager who will plan the work, see the objectives of the product or service, and then leave it to the workers to fulfil the concept. Nowadays, the hierarchy doesnt only stand out through the fact that there is a manager and that there are workers, but also with sub-divisions. In organizations we now find a managing director general, a manager, a sub-manager, foremen and so on. These all have different tasks, from planning to execution, so this shows that Taylors idea is still used nowadays. Leadership is therefore still present nowadays but it seems to be going through some changes. Alvin Gouldner, in Studies in Leadership, said that traditional authority does not command the respect and ready obedience that it once did. To achieve this obedience it seems like leadership is the step to take. Fred Fielder made a theory on how to be a successful leader. He based it on three interrelated factors: leader-member relationships, task structure and power of the position. The higher these three factors are the better leader you are (Horn: The development of modern management). It seems as if they are taking Taylors idea about hierarchy and developing it. Taylor had realised that to improve the productivity of an organization he had to time the tasks and make sure that they were done in the fastest time possible. This way every worker would produce more of a product per day and the profitability of the organization would also increase. This led to difficulties in the workers lives; they would feel stress and this wouldnt be good for them neither mentally nor physically. This was one of the reasons for the Fordism crisis in the 1980s, the workers contestations led to strikes and managers saw that it was time to change the production system. What the workers were timed by during Fordism was the work chain, parts and pieces would pass on a rolling carpet in front of them and they would have to assemble them so as to be passed on to the next worker. Today the work chain still exists for it has proven to work well although the workers dont benefit from it. In the fordist system organizations didnt wait for the demand for them to produce, because they knew that the demand existed. Organizations produced in vast quantities and stocked the products before they were sold. They therefore needed stocking space, people to look after them, and all of these made supplementary production costs. Nowadays, organizations wait for the demand before they produce. It is for this reason that, for example, if we are buying a car we have to wait a while before we actually receive it. There are no stocks, no papers, and these organizations also want there to be no delays. There is also a research of quality, and all of these factors impose a rhythm on the workers that they must respect, so it comes back to the same timed conditions that there were in Fordism and Taylorism. In both the taylorist and the fordist systems, the worker wasnt qualified, he had one task to do and was taught how to perform this task. This also led to conflicts; the worker felt that he was dispossessed of his knowledge and skills so with the new production system the workers became qualified. They learnt about different working posts, they could move around so as to feel more responsible. But through mechanization and the upgrading of computer systems the worker once again feels dispossessed of his knowledge and skills. Machines start replacing men, all that the worker has to do is to program the machine and it will do the rest. The workers feel that it isnt even worth having the qualifications anymore since they can be trained within a few hours. It isnt only industrial workers that feel this way, but it is also starting to affect the workers in the tertiary sector. In 1974, Harry Braverman wrote a book entitled Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century, which later became known as the Braverman thesis. This is now referred to as the McDonaldization thesis, showing the deskilling of work in fast-foods (Huczynski and Buchanan: Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory Text). The work in fast-foods is standardised, they produce the same hamburgers over and over again, so the work is also very repetitive. The employees are trained within a few hours, and the start at their work post. This reminds us a lot about Taylorism and Fordism; you have one work post and you stay at it. Either you fry the meat, warm the bread or serve the customers. There are other examples in the tertiary, such as the new information technology in banks, which simplifies the work of the workers. In the end they just have to write down some numbers in their computer and it will give them their answer. Cadences also exist in other areas of the tertiary, for example room cleaners in hotels who only have a certain amount of time per room. In Taylorism the motivation used for the workers was a system of economic rewards. These rewards were attributed to a worker when they saw that he was working hard, for example by beating the cadences imposed on him. Today salaries are a lot more individualised, but systems of economic rewards still exist. They are called raises, and they are achieved the same way that they were almost a century ago. It here seems as if we can rather talk about neo-fordism rather than Toyotism or Japanization, but there are other aspects that show that nowadays we use a completely different production system. Under other aspects, we can see that Toyotism is a new production system and that there are differences between it and both Fordism and scientific management. These differences are mainly to do with the workers tasks which expand, the new bottom-up style of working and the new remuneration system. Oliver Sheldon said that there may be a science of costing, of planning, of manufacturing, of dispatching, but there can be no science of cooperation (H. Pollard: Development in management thought), or in other words that in order to make things run smoother on the workers side there were changes to be made. He said this in the 1920s and it wasnt until sixty years later that these changes were made. These changes included task rotation, where the worker would occupy several different posts in order to break the monotony of his work, to make him feel more responsible and to allow him to get a more complete vision of the production process. So as to help the workers cope with their new work tasks the organizations set up education and training for them which once again also allows the workers to feel more important (Noon and Blyton in Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory Text). The work expands to more interesting aspects such as the upgrading of the machinery and the control of the quality. During Taylorism and Fordism the organization was what was called top-down, the orders came from the manager and the worker would have to do with it without having his say. Today this has changed, it is now considered as a bottom-up way of organizing the production. This means that the worker can give his ideas, and he is encouraged to do this through the installation of teams that work together. They have an objective to fulfil but they organise their own work. There is less hierarchical control and the group is responsible for its production. Quality circles are also put into place where groups of volunteers discuss problems and suggestions or solutions. Individual or collective rewards are given out if a suggestion is applied with success. The nature of the organization changed with post-fordism. There were changes in demand, the people now are after different products rather than standardised ones, with a research of quality, and organizations also must look out for foreign competition. During the time of Fordism, the companies tried to compete with each other through the price of their products; nowadays the price isnt the only competition between them, there is also the aspect of quality which is now very important. During Fordism, as soon as there was a fluctuation in the salaries it was generalised, there would be a collective rise in wages. With the passage into post-fordism, the salaries became much more individualised with the return of rewards as in Taylorism, but now not only for good work but also for good suggestions. Toyotism is seen as a new form of work organization, but in relation to Fordism, Taylorism and scientific management, some things havent changed, and this is not always for the best. We can say that post-fordism is fordism which has been humanised in social relations, it allows the worker to participate in the improvement of the production through the quality circles, and gives him more liberty in his work. On the other hand, hierarchy is still present, the working conditions are still poor in some cases, some workers still have very repetitive work and all of this leads to stress and to poorly physical conditions. Toyotism can therefore be described as a sort of neo-fordism as opposed to post-fordism since some of the aspects remain present.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

The impact of October Crisis of Canada Research Paper

The impact of October Crisis of Canada - Research Paper Example All in all, the effects of this war had many negative implications for the people of Canada, and especially Quebec. This article reviews the impact of this in Canada and mainly Quebec. On 5thOctober 1970, James Cross, who was a British diplomat, was kidnapped in his residence at gun point. In a few hours the members of FLQ movement admitted to the abduction. They demanded for the release of their own members who were convicted for murder and violence. The justice minister of Quebec denied these demands. On the same day the Quebec minister of labor and immigration, Pierre Laporte, was kidnapped and later killed. This triggered the government to deploy the Canadian armed forces to assist the local police in manning Canada. They also declared the â€Å"apprehend insurrection† under the war measures act. The state of emergency declared a ban against the FLQ movement and detention without charges were authorized (Tetley, 2006). The Quebec nationalists started the FLQ movement in 1963 as measure to initiate a spirit of unity in Quebec. The Quebec people comprised of individuals who used French as their first language. This spirit of nationalism was historical from the time France had colonized the region of North America which is currently referred to as Quebec. In Quebec the majority of the people were French speakers as compared to their number in the rest of Canada. As a result, they viewed themselves as a secluded minority. This feeling to a large extent propelled this group to establish a movement that would sensitive to their democratic rights. For instance, their remuneration was lower than that of the British people. In the province of Quebec, the English Canadian earned 40% percent higher than all other ethnic groups (Monrue, 2009). This strengthened the desire to form an entity to fight for their survival as the government had failed to provide the same. This was the origin of this revolutionary m ovement (Tetley, 2006). The FLQ was started

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS - Essay Example Most of the EU trading occurs in between the European countries itself, owing to its flourishing nature it stands first among exporting and second among importing countries. The key concepts of European Union are, Integration- combining a range of different pieces into a single body, or the removal of barriers to enable the pieces to move closer together (Jones 2008,pp.88-87), Supranationalism – which express the power of EU decisions that override those made by national governments whenever the two conflict (Ibid ,pp.137-138) and the Intergovernmentalism – the idea of different governments of EU working together to protect its national interests (Ibid 2008,p.87). The most important key institutions of European Union are The council of the European Union representing the governments of the member states; European commission which consists of the commissioners appointed by the member states ,the executive body and driving force ; The European Council that comprises the h eads of state/government of the member states which gives political direction to the EU and sets policy agenda and strategies for the EU and European Parliament elected by the people of the member state, law-making body. ... n spreads some precious lessons to the whole world through their integrated efforts and activities which if put into effect may enable all human beings to live in peace and harmony around the Globe. References Jones, A. (2008) A Glossary of the European Union. Edinburgh University Press. The EU & Supply Chain Management The Supply Chain Management (SCM) can be defined as the† management of upstream and downstream relationship with suppliers and customers in order to deliver superior customer value at less cost to the supply chain† which refers to a system of organizations in moving a product from supplier to the customer (Christopher, 2011, p. 3). SCM heavily depends on the areas of operation management, logistics, procurement, and information technology (Ibid). Some suggest it is more accurate to use the term â€Å"Supply network†, viewing the supply chain as â€Å"a network of connected and interdependent organizations mutually and cooperatively working together to control, manage and improve the flow of materials and information from suppliers to end users† (Chopra & Meindl 2010). Different SCM models were proposed for the better understanding and systematic coordination of the business functions. For instance, Supply Chain Council promotes Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) whereas the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF) promotes SCM Model. By going truly global with the SCM, business firms can understand the competitiveness and can identify significant links in the network. It also helps to focus on long term issues. According to Chopra and Meindl (2010), the decision phases of a supply chain includes 3 steps the Supply Chain Strategy or design, Supply Chain Planning and the Supply Chain Operations. Essentially the fundamental role of SCM is to facilitate the