Dramatic devices Essay Example for Free

Dramatic devices Essay Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible for his beliefs in McCarthyism, rampant at that time. He was against it being a hunt of the communist figures, no matter how questionable they being communist in the slightest. It was sparked by a fear that Russia was going to take over the world. Making people scared and suspicious, Miller had to be subtle in expressing his anti McCarthyist views, so he used an allegory a play. This play used the Salem witch hunt, similar because of the unsupported accusations, the people encouraged to denounce their friends, and fear and suspicion. The Salem witch hunt was more brutal, with the witches being killed, with only peoples accusations as evidence. Miller had to recontextualize the story, to stop accusations against him. The first words spoken being My Betty be hearty soon?. The title is fitting as a crucible is a container where metals are purified after heating. It reflects how Proctor has been heated by his ordeal and came through to die, his conscience clear purified. I will explore the techniques used in creating the play, to create various moods in the mind of the audience, in Act I. In Act I we find Parriss and Mrs. Putms children Betty and Ruth, inanimate on their beds. People are jumping to the Devil and Parris is putting that off, scared for his name in the village. We find that Abigail and friends had been dancing in the woods. We do get clues that the girls are faking their illness, as Betty wakes up when Parris leaves the room, we find Abigail quickly becomes the leader; an expert is called in Mr. Hale. Abigail takes the chance to talk to John Proctor, who becomes the main character. Tituba. Parriss slave, as usual is blamed for witching the two children in the woods. This cause a lot of the girls to say they saw each other with the Devil. In terms of this plot tension is created within the audience. The secrecy and mistrust creates this. Talking behind peoples backs and the ducking and diving which takes place is the cause. How the plot thickens so quickly would make the audience more uneasy. The dramatic irony with the talking behind each others backs creates tension, and involves them more; they want to see what happens. The techniques used to create meaning for the reader, is the overture and the prose on the characters. The reader trusts the prose and they give information on the characters, they are there because there can be no nuances or subtext in the speech, creating a fast story, the prose slows it down, getting the reader more involved.  An audience wouldnt have these to guide them, it would be up to the actors to read the prose and interpret them in their acting. The play was performed when McCarthyism was at its peak, so it would be blindingly obvious to the American audience what it was about. The allegory would mean the audience would relate to it, creating tension when they think its about 1 thing, then realize its about something else. The time the story is set in is a somber time, spooky because of the black garments and archaic speech, immediately making the audience uneasy, the first words spoken being My Betty be hearty soon? This inverted language makes it seem more Biblical and legal, heightening the impact they have as does the syntax. The older time distances us, making the characters seem austere and quite oppressive. The double-negative furthers the tension by adding confusion, making it more farcical, which further distances us. Claustrophobia, furthers the tension as there is no escape for the characters, they are trapped which makes the audience feel trapped as well. The first thing we find is that Parriss room is small, with narrow windows and leaded panes like a prison this creates claustrophobia. Parris is trapped, making the audience more susceptible to panic. He is also kneeling he is suppressed by God, it bears down on him. Laws and limitations create claustrophobia as well. Not have permitted anyone to read a novel This shows how small minded the laws were, consequently making the people small minded. Not being able to explore themselves and their emotions, making them bland with no escape from reality. Their creed forbade vain enjoyment Shows how religiously they stuck to their beliefs, making their lives bland and boring, and possibly more excitable over the out-of-the-ordinary. The edge of the wilderness was close by The wilderness was the Devils land, they were locked in their town nothing else existed. It stood dark and threatening How they were held in place, scared to go further. They believedthey heldthe candle that would light the world Shows how small minded they were; the Devils land was irrelevant. Parris makes the audience feel angry and frustrated by the fact that he is supposed to be a leader. He is pompous then the Doctor must search on, unpopular and paranoid a faction to drive me from pulpit, unjust Out of my sight!, ambitious do not preach for children, cowardly they will hound me out of Salem, greedy not used to this poverty, hypocritical in defense of Abigail he calls others witches, overly pious send for Reverend Hale, dishonest and vain in covering truth Uncle the rumour of witchcraft is all about. So he is not a particularly pleasant person. If he denies witchcraft in his own home it could seem dishonorable and suspicious so he doesnt. Even so the audience would realize his difficult position, and give him room to breathe. Abigail is a big character, she schemes her way to becoming the leader of the witches Now look you, all of you. She is fearful of her name in the village Not I, sir Tituba and Ruth This gives her a good position, she can scheme to save herself and being manipulative Now if they be questioning us. The audience can relate to her to an extent, everyone can be a leader and scheme; this also makes her the baddie the audience will be interested in knowing what happens to her. Proctor is the character to which we can relate to, the main one. Through Proctor we have a medium in which we can see something and consider ideas. As does Hale, it put us in their shoes. Proctor sees Abigail as a child, strengthening our bond with him. He also sees through Parris, who we find being very greedy with his fire wood money. Also Giles sued him and he paid up although Giles just misheard him Ive paid you for it Proctor is very honest and just wants to get on with his life. The audience will have an affinity with Proctor. Conflicts between characters Abigail and Elizabeth both love Proctor, Proctor and Parris: Parris isnt godly and is a hypocrite etc. these conflicts are like smaller plots in their own way and add to the audiences excitement, also annoying us when they dont resolve, theocracy religion says the you cant, but they want to.  The structure is broken up with the overture and prose which the actors interpret and use the instructions to show it to the audience. This adds an extra dimension to the play, incorporating the prose, with its history and explanations. Intertextualism, the themes that link Salem and McCarthyism, spark questions it is years since the Salem trials but we still havent learnt, human character prevails. The questions dramatic devices that go unanswered, especially at the end with Proctor being hung, should he have been? He doesnt want to go back to the same society that tried to hang him a dramatic device, people are ready to persecute when that is what they are trying to escape irony. The irony, people went to America to escape and be free, supposed to have got better satiring the American Dream. These themes mean more to a 1950s audience, with the exact same one present.

Effects of Greenhouse Gases on the Environment

Effects of Greenhouse Gases on the Environment What are the three human affected sources of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 75words 704-705 Krogh (2011), states that the three human affected sources of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are from the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the amount of cattle we raise. These three affects either put in too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere or doesn’t produce enough. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, gives off a great deal of carbon dioxide gases into our atmosphere. Deforestation is the cutting sown of trees, which eliminates the carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis among other plant life. It also has the effect of putting too much CO2 into the atmosphere because trees are known to take up CO2 and make oxygen for the atmosphere instead. Another greenhouse effect produced by humans is in the amount of cattle and rice we need to grow. Since we have to mass produce crops and cattle for the alarming number of human growth, this ultimately allows high amounts of gases into our atmosphere. You are hiking with a friend and reach the peak of a mountain after a long climb. On your climb upward, you had a clear trail with a little grass and small shrubs along the way. But looking down the other side, you see lush vegetation and many broadleaf trees farther down the slope. Your friend wonders why there is such a big difference. What explanation can you offer your friend? 75 words I would let my friend know that he/she is seeing the effects of the rain shadow. Krogh (2011), says that mountain ranges force air to rise, and drops its moisture on the windward side (pg.711). As a result, when the air travels over to the other side of the mountain it no longer as any moisture to drop. This obviously leaves no more rain to fall to nourish plant life and animal life, leaving it dry and inhabitable to much animal life. Compare and contrast ecological dominants with keystone species and give examples. 200 words 671-672,G5,G8 Krogh (2011), defines ecological dominants as a species that is abundant and obvious in a given community (pg.G5). He goes on to define keystone species as a species whose absence of a community would bring significant change in that community (Krogh, pg.G8). In an ecological dominant community it is usually always seen as a community of plants and shrubs. In the keystone species, its community is usually always seen in animal life such as the sea star. Although they are known to be of small numbers they produce a huge impact on our ecosystem when disturbed. For example, in the keystone species once a predatory animal is removed from its habitat the others in the â€Å"community† face the dangers of other predators. This can result in the elimination of a species. While in the ecological dominants community, they are always so largely populated that they take over others for survival. Krogh (2011), gives an example of the Kansas prairie fields that are dominated by tallgrass f or the ecological dominants, and the predatory sea star Pisaster ochraceus for the keystone species (pg.672). As stated above, they are different in the way they affect the ecosystem, but they are similar in the way that they are both a type of species. Give an example of why keystone species play a large role in community despite the fact that they may be present in relatively small numbers. 200 words 671-673 Keystone species are relatively smaller in numbers but have a huge impact on the ecosystem when disturbed. Keystone species are known as predators that can control a single community and without them the other species within the community may not be able to survive. This can be seen through the example that Krogh (2011) gives with the predatory sea star Pisaster ochraceus (pg.672). This is a good example because even though they live in moderately small quantities, once you remove it from its community the results can be catastrophic for the rest of the community. Removing the predatory sea star would leave the rest of them vulnerable to other predators, and may end in the extinction of them if the predatory sea star does not return. In other words, once the sea star has been removed it starts a trickling down effect on other sea animals among its biomass. More and more species that live in or near the sea star ecosystem will start to disappear due to lack of food or the overpowering of other predators in the sea. Another result of the of removal of a keystone species is now newer species are able to come in and take over the habitat they once lived in so they can flourish and live in that ecosystem. Explain the four types of biological community interaction and give examples. 500 words The four types of biological community interactions are: competition, predation and parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. The competition interaction is a competition between two or more species (Krogh, pg. 674). This is a competition among species for resources in order to survive. These species do not compete by fighting, but rather by gathering enough resources to outlive the next species. This competition can be between species of the same or a different community. This competition can result in the extinction of a species because of lack of resources to survive. Krogh (2011), give the example of competition between the P. aurelia and the P. caudatum (Krogh, pg.674). In this experiment, both organisms were grown in the same test tube. It was documented that instead of either one trying to attack the other, the P. aurelia just outgrew the P. caudatum. This ultimately resulted in the P. caudatum to die out due to lack of room and resources (Krogh, pg.674). This type of biologica l interaction can be seen in many different types of species. It can also be seen in resource partitioning. This is where two species don’t attack one another for resources, but they take up two different sides of the resource in order to survive, thus leaving one another alone for the time being. The second biological community interaction can be viewed between predation and parasitism. This is where one species benefits while a different species is affected. Predators will obtain their resources through eating their prey, while parasites will live on other species and obtain its food through them. A big difference between the two is that they predator doesn’t live on its prey like the parasite. Also, the predator kills for its food, and the parasite won’t always kill its host for resources. Krogh (2011), give an example of the predator interaction with the common house cat and the rat (Krogh, pg.676-677). The cat preys on the rat as a vital food resource. He a lso gives the example of the strangler fig tree for the parasitism interaction. This tree will wrap its roots around a host tree to obtain nutrients and eventually killing it (pg.676). The third biological interaction is mutualism. Mutualism is an interaction between different species that does not end up in the harming of either one of them. Instead is a helpful interaction among the two different species. Krogh (2011), shows the interactions between the rhinoceros and the oxpecker birds as a good example of this mutualism interaction (pg.680). In this example, the oxpecker bird will sit on the back of the rhino eating any foreign objects off of it, and the rhino in return will provide a safe place for the bird to reside. The fourth type of interaction within communities can be seen through commensalism. This interaction is also among different species, but it results in one of the species flourishing while the other is left unaffected. An example of this type of interaction is exp lained with a bird and a tree (Krogh, 2011). Birds tend to make nest within the branches of a tree to have a place to live and flourish while leaving the tree unaffected of its existence.

The Business Environment Of Tata Motors In India

The Business Environment Of Tata Motors In India As emphasized by (Palmer and Hartley, 2006) the Macroenvironment of a company is composed of the External Determinants. This includes factors such as political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal. These factors have an indirect impact on a firm or any business activity. The Microenvironment of a company is composed of the Internal Determinants. This includes factors such as suppliers, consumers, competitors. Bringing this into perspective it is very significant for any company to analyse and study the Business environment in order to make plans, design strategies and take decisions. For example, a company from the United Kingdom setting up its activities in India has to focus on the Macro and Micro Environment in India to run successfully. If they work according to the analysis of the business environment in the United Kingdom they are bound to fail in their operations in India. Thus to understand the Macroenvironments, companies and management students can make use of PEST analysis which helps in critically evaluating the political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal determinants which have an indirect impact on any business entity. This critical evaluation helps a business firm to strategise effectively and take justified decisions. After analysing the business environment using the PEST tool, any company can make use of SWOT analysis to gain an insight on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to survive in todays world comprised of severe competition. According to (Day and Shoemaker, 2005) scanning the Business Environment is like adapting a peripheral vision. Companies with a peripheral vision can recognize the changes taking place in the business environment and accordingly take steps to confront potential threats and grab the opportunities that can prove to be of significance moving ahead. Companies with a good peripheral vision gain a competitive edge over their competitors if they react positively to the changes happening around. The company selected for this work is Tata Motors. Being a huge manufacturer of automobiles, its periphery consists of all the accordant forces. Thus an analysis will be done considering the changes that have occurred over the last five years, how Tata Motors have reacted to these changes in order to survive in todays world of fierce competition. In this work Tata Motors will be analysed using tools like PEST Analysis, Michael Porters five forces and SWOT Analysis, and in the process these tools should be of help in deriving some conclusions and making some recommendations. Organisation Description and Background Tata Motors is Indias largest manufacturer of automobiles. It was initially known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company. In 1954, the company signed a collaboration agreement with Daimler Benz of Germany and started the manufacturing of commercial vehicles. It has been a pioneer in this sector, especially in India. They also have their base of operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain. Manufacturing of passenger cars, utility vehicles, passenger buses and light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles are the main areas of business of Tata Motors. [www.tatamotors.com] The commercial line of Tata Motors has had its roots strengthening since several years in different market segments such as Europe, Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. Tata Motors have always believed in acquisitions to expand their business and build a market share around the world. Daewoo, a commercial vehicle company was the second largest truck manufacturer in South Korea. It was acquired by Tata Motors in the year 2004 and this take over gave Tata a significant place in the Korean Market. Following this acquisition Tata Motors got into a joint venture with Thonburi Automotive in the year 2006 allowing them to operate in Thailand. Tata Motors believes in expanding through Mergers and Acquisitions rather than spending several years in building a business. [www.tatamotors.com] The largest acquisition made by Tata Motors was that of Jaguar and land Rover from Ford in March 2008. These two brands cost Ford 5.3 billion dollars where as Tata paid Ford 2.3 billion dollars (Carty, USA Today). This was a significant step for the company as it paved way for them into the business of luxury cars. Tata Motors, in the above mentioned journey has been exposed to the determinants in its environment. Going ahead an analysis would be done on it using tools such as PEST Analysis, Michael Porters five forces and Swot Analysis. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS: As mentioned above Tata Motors has its operations in several countries around the world. In setting up these operations it was vital for Tata Motors to analyse the Political Environment so as to run the business smoothly. Over the last five years Tata Motors has had a chance to venture in different Markets. When it entered in the UK, the options of entering USA and Russia were also available. But Tata Motors preferred UK over USA and Russia due to favourable political factors such as India being a preferred economic agent, UK car market and potential and language similarity. USA market requires high quality and there are several non-tariff barriers which make it difficult for a new company to enter the market. The reason Russia was declined is because they lack a well-developed dealership network, there were high entry barriers, Language problem and finally there was always the uncertainty of future economic state. As emphasized by (Hill, 2002) the cooperation between India and the U K falls in the regime of favourability which implies benefits being derived due to less tariff and non-tariff barriers. Thus Tata Motors decision of entering the UK market is justified. ECONOMIC FACTORS: This is one of the most significant determinants that need to be analysed as it encompasses factors such as market growth potential, pricing strategies, return on investment and various such monetary aspects. Since 2004 Tata Motors is on an expansion role around the world. It has made its presence felt in over five countries world-wide through acquisitions and joint ventures. Over the past five years there have been changes in different economies. Tata Motors has been adapting to these changes successfully and running their business smoothly. To give an example if there is a hike in price of aluminium in Kenya, Tata Motors has the option of falling back on suppliers in Europe or Asia. They also have to keep a close eye on the fluctuation in the currency rates. The rupee being strong against the American Dollar doesnt mean it will be strong against the Sterling Pound. This factor is directly related to Capital Investment thus posing a challenge, Tata Motors operating in different econ omies which have been in a turmoil due to recession. SOCIAL FACTORS: Demography is one of the significant social factors. It comprises of lifestyle, consumer trends, income, spending power etc. The trait of demographic trends allows a company to make plans and strategise on the kind of products to be marketed. As emphasized by (Mintel, 2006) the influence of fashion and luxury is so strong that consumers neglect the hike in price of fuel. Catering to this Tata Motors launched Tata Safari and Tata Sumo Grande, Indias premier SUVs. Having said that, not all the people are in a position to afford these cars. Bringing this into perspective Tata Motors has continued to manufacture and market Tata Indica, a low budget passenger car. A lot of motorcycle accidents taking place in India, Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Tata Group had a vision of launching the worlds cheapest car and his vision did come true in the form of Tata Nano. Thus it is clearly evident that Tata Motors does respond to changes in the social factors. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: Technology is a factor that enables a company to gain a competitive edge and survive the fierce competition in the market. Tata Motors has currently employed 1400 Scientists and Engineers in their Research and Development Team. This has ensured that they are ahead or at par with their competitors in the domestic market as well as internationally. [www.tatamotors.com]. In the last 5-10 years technology has been advancing at a very rapid space. There have been foreign automobile giants like Hyundai, Toyota etc setting up operations in India. Their cars were technologically far too advanced than Indian cars. They had power steering and windows, central locking, automatic transmission on gears etc. Considering these changes in the environment Tata Motors did not lag behind. They also adapted and brought out cars with this technology and survived the robust change and maintained their position as a leader in the automobile sector. MICHAEL PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS: http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/images/porterfiveforces.gif Source: www.valuebasedmanagement.net. The above mentioned diagram shows the factors considered as significant by Michael Porter in his analysis. Moving further we will see how this analysis can be used to evaluate Tata Motors project Tata Nano. Threat of New Entrants: Tata Motors launched Tata Nano as the worlds cheapest car. It basically targeted the people who used motorcycles as their mode of transport. Indian automobile sector is vibrant and emerging, attracting international brands like Volkswagen, Toyota, etc all of whom are expected to launch new innovative products. Tata Nano is priced approximately at just Rs 1,00,000. Launching a product at such low cost implies that the manufacturer needs to make a huge initial investment and bear a low profit margin as well. The competitors are studying the strategies of Tata Motors closely. But because of the above mentioned reasons Tata Motors doesnt have the threat of New Entrants immediately but yes it will have to definitely face some fierce competition in the future. [www.scribd.com] Threat of Substitutes: Tata Nano faces a threat from electric cars as a substitute. Reva car is already present in the Indian market and Morbi based Ajanta Group is planning on manufacturing an electric car. Ajanta Group is planning on pricing its electric car at Rs 85000 which is even cheaper than the Tata Nano. Reacting to this threat Tata Motors has aleady considered making an electric car and named it the E-Nano. [www.scribd.com] The second hand market for cars is also booming in India. These second hand cars can act as substitutes to Tata Nano as they are in the same price range, moreover they have powerful engines. [www.jimthetrucker.com] Bargaining Power of buyers: Tata Nano is a car that has been manufactured keeping in mind the people with low income. At present Tata Nano is the only car in the Indian Market available at such a low price(approximately Rs 1,00,000). Bringing this into perspective the Indian consumers do not have many options. This implies that there is not much bargaining power vested in the hands of the buyer. But as and when the competitors come with similar cars the buyer will have the power to switch cars, the power of choice etc. [www.tatamotors.com] Bargaining Power of Suppliers: There are about 60 companies acting as suppliers for Tata Nano. These suppliers together assimilated an amount of about $112.7 dollars to set up base on the Singur Complex. Suppliers mentioned that the existing plants were equipped enough to support the launch of Tata Nano provided the Tata Plant shifts to Pantnagar or Pune. Other suppliers showed cooperation by showing the will to use their sheds as warehouses for storing purposes. (www.scribd.com) Tata Motors has formulated a bill marketing system vesting the interest of the suppliers. Through this Tatas bank makes the payment to the suppliers and then Tata pays the bank. Tata has also set up a suppliers council to recognize and rectify issues such as delayed payments which were acting as hindrance between the company and its suppliers. [www.tatamotors.com] This shows that the suppliers conveyed utmost support to Tata Motors, thus rather than acting as a threat they acted in favour of the auto manufacturer. Tata Nano being the only make of its type the suppliers seem to be liberal but as and when competitors come up with similar cars the suppliers bargaining power will pose as a threat. Rivalry among existing firms: The competition is very fierce among car manufacturers in India, especially the small car manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Chevrolet etc. Tata Motors had come up with the Tata Indica to compete with the Maruti Suzuki 800, Maruti Suzuki Zen etc. Maruti at that time was the leader in the small car market in India. As a counter attack to the Tata Indica, Maruti came up with cars like Alto and some brand extensions like the Zen Estilo. The scene completely changed with the launch of Tata Nano. The price of Tata Nano was half the price of Maruti 800, which then was one of the cheapest car in the Indian Market. In response Maruti Suzuki talked about slashing down the prices of Maruti 800 and Maruti Alto. There were also speculations about Maruti Suzuki redesigning the 800 to pose a challenge to Nano but this got scrapped as the costs involved were very high. The launch of Nano also hurt the dealers of second hand vehicles. These dealers in response got in tie-ups with banks and financial institutions to attract consumers towards buying second hand cars. Thus the launch of Nano intensified the rivalry amongst existing firms. [www.driveinside.com] VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS http://gscmotion.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/a-value-chain-analysis1.jpg Source http://gscmotion.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/using-value-chain-analysis-for-customer-satisfaction/ The diagram shown above describes the main components and sub-components of a value chain. Going forward in this assignment an analysis will be done on the value chain of Tata Motors. Inbound Logistics: Tata Motors has a very strong set up of Inbound Logistics. This gives the company attain a competitive edge over the other players in the market. Following are the factors which enable the company to maintain a strong set up on Inbound Logistics. Tata Motors gets into Long term contracts with its service providers in transport and various other activities. It does the same with the agents dealing with it. It employs special personnel at regional offices to supervise the entire process. The company has made use of SAP business softwares to strengthen its IT department through which it is able to monitor the activities. The storage facilities are very efficient which lead to easy stuffing and retrieval of materials. [www.tatamotors.com] Operations: Over the past few years Tata Motors has established a Capital Equipment Manufacturing Division which assists the company in development capabilities of international standard. It also has designed Apprentice trainee courses which ensure stability in the supply of skilled manpower. Tata Motors also has a team looking into Kaizen and TPM which profoundly works towards improving efficiency. The company has an automated manufacturing process. Moreover the manufacturing is well distributed not just within India but globally. The company practices optimum utilization of capacity. An example to support this could be that of Mercedes Benz which uses Tata Motors paint shop facilities. Outbound Logistics: Stockyards all across the country and also in the countries abroad where Tata Motors has its operations set up implies that they have a strong Outbound Logistics. As mentioned above the company gets into long term contracts with transporters, gives high and constant business to them which ensures it gets the best deals. SAP programmes ensure that all the offices and various sections are well connected which ensure timely execution of tasks. Pilferage is prevented, thanks to an excellent security system being enforced. Marketing and Sales: Tata Motors is in a pact with large number of dealers and agents to support the function of marketing and sales of its products. Tata Motors follows a systematic approach towards understanding the needs and preferences of customers. Over the past five years Tata Motors has been analysing the market dynamics and accordingly manufacturing innovative products or extending existing brands. Some examples of this would be Tata 207, Tata 407 and Tata Ace. Tata Motors caters to different segment of customers like the common man, farmers, Defence, State Transport etc. It has specific teams developed to address the needs of these customers respectively. Their strategy in Marketing and sales has enabled them to impose a Pan India and Global presence. A fact to support this statement is that Fiat which is an international brand got into a pact with Tata Motors on 13th January 2006 to use the dealership of Tata Motors to sell its vehicles and Tata Motors would use Fiats technology and unutilized capacity.[www.tatamotors.com]

Global Economy And The Environment Essay -- essays research papers

Global Economy and the Environment As the global economy gets integrated, national or local corporations will gradually transform in to a multinational corporation (MNC). When this type of development occurs, the host countries are usually the ones that become the immediate stake holders. This is because when a MNC sets its foot into a host country, there are economic, political, social and environmental impacts that result from their corporate actions. In many cases, it is certainly possible that it can end up in a win-win situation, if the host country and the MNCUs both work mutually. However there have been unfortunate examples, where this has not been the case. In general, international agreements have its advantages, due to the fact that we can harmonize international standards. Therefore environmental concern is one of the key issues that the policy makers and MNCUs should set a high priority on. This is because growth and development is strongly correlated with environmental degradation. Furthermore, it is fair to say that the MNCUs are more likely to have a more harmful environmental impact from growth and development, as opposed to the local corporations. This is because MNCUs may not be as knowledgeable as local corporations in resource utilization and land management. This also refers to the notion of Rthe locals know their land better than anybody elseS. The tropical rain forest of Brazil is a good example of this. The RindigenousS or the local people have a g...

hesitant hamlet :: essays research papers

Hesitant Hamlet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the play, Hamlet is shown not acting quickly in crucial situations, which brings us to his tragic flaw, hesitancy. Hamlet, stopping to think situations through, lets opportunities slip right through his hands that will immensely affect so many people in the future. If Hamlet would just act on instinct, than hesitancy would never be an issue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unfortunately for Hamlet, in this play he does not have all the time in the world to get revenge towards Claudius. Early on in the play Hamlet sees the ghost of his father’s spirit and it beckons him to follow if he wishes to speak to it. Hamlet being encouraged not to follow by his comrades says, â€Å"It will not speak, then I will follow it† (Shakespeare 1.4). Almost without thinking Hamlet makes the decision to follow the ghost, this will later prove totally uncharacteristic of him. Thinking they can still convince him, his friends, Horatio and Marcellus, try once again to stop him only to hear, â€Å"Hold off your hands; my fate cries out; by heaven I’ll make a ghost of him that let’s me† (Shakespeare 1.4). Hamlet lets it be known here that he has made his mind up and anyone who tries to stop him, he will make a ghost out of, heaven willing. Hamlet does not show any signs of hesitancy here, but will soon allow it to get in h is way for at the wrong time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After meeting with the ghost, Hamlet is aware of his uncle Claudius being the one who murdered his father. Hamlet, longing to avenge his father’s death gets the perfect chance catching Claudius off guard while he is alone on his knees praying. Hamlet speaks saying, â€Å"Now might I do it pat, now he is praying. And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven. And so am I avenged† (Shakespeare 3.3). Hamlet does not act, leaving Claudius harmless while he is apparently repenting and talking to God. Hamlet wants to make sure Claudius dies and is on his way to the burning pits of hell instead of heaven. Unfortunately, moments later Claudius rises from his knees and quotes, â€Å"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; words without thoughts never to heaven go† (Shakespeare 3.3). Claudius amazingly says it himself that his words are not sincere and they wont make it to heaven. Hamlet makes the biggest mistake of his life here, not taking advantage of the picture perfect moment to kill Claudius.

Poems from the Kokinshu: A Literary Analysis Essay

Poems from the Kokinshu is an anthology of poems from the Japanese medieval times (Lawall. ed, 2002). The anthology is divided into different poems depicting human emotions as they vary season after season, or as people move into an entirely new environment. The principal theme of the poems revolve around the concept of love—the progression of feelings, the â€Å"entire course of the love affair, early yearnings, passionate meetings, sadness and regret† (Rodd and Henkenius, 1996). As each season, starting from spring, progresses, the emotions entailed in each poem also changes and develops. One of the principal stylistic features in the anthology is simile, wherein the author compares his feelings to his observation of what is happening in his environment. An example of simile is expressed in Poem II, 73: â€Å"like the world hollow as a cicada’s cast-off shell– oh cherry blossoms– you too will fade away just as we catch sight of your beauty† In this particular poem, the author compares his object of affection to a decaying shell of the cicada as the day turns into night. Simile occurs in several poems just like the said example. Another striking stylistic feature presented in the poem is antithesis, wherein the author expresses his emotions in contrast to his environment. In several poems wherein the prevailing emotion is grief, the author contrasts his feelings to the beauty of his environment. Here is an example from Poems 7 and 8 from the Spring Poems of the Kokinshu: â€Å"so longingly have I awaited the fresh flowers of spring, that they have dyed my soul and I see snow as clustered blooms on branches though I bask in the comforting warmth of spring’s light how melancholy to think that my hair now wears a crown of winter snow† Aside from the aforementioned poems being examples of antithesis, parts of them also suggest allegory. The phrases â€Å"they have dyed my soul† and â€Å"to think that my hair now wears a crown of winter snow† mean that the character in the poem is old and has white hair. The antithesis comes as he describes the warmth of spring in contrast to the cold winter which his body and soul are experiencing, i. e. , his old age. Given that the anthology was written and compiled in the Japanese medieval times, the concepts or theme presented in The Kokinshu are parallel to other literary works done in different parts of the world, such as the Medieval Lyrics of the English Literature. Though a significant number of these lyrics talk about Christianity and religion, most works are also written in the concept of love with a pretext of nature. An example of a Medieval Lyric similar to the theme of a Kokinshu poem is Westron Wind (Western Wind): â€Å"Westron wind, when will thou blow? The small rain down can rain. Christ, if my love were in my arms, And I in my bed again. † As said earlier, the prevailing concept tackled in the anthology is love and its accompanying emotions that were given color and described in comparison/contrast to nature and its seasons. The concept of love, though internationally recognized throughout the centuries and millennium, is somewhat a secondary concept in the 21st century. In this day and age, with all the prevailing issues such as technology, globalization and others, the concept of love is deemed unimportant to be tackled, although, it is indeed, as cliche dictates, the universal language. As Mario Vargas Llosa said, literature is â€Å"one of the common denominators of human experience through which human beings may recognize themselves and converse with each other, no matter how different their professions, their life plans, their geographical and cultural locations, their personal circumstances. † Although the concept of love is not deemed as important as business or political concepts nowadays, it still is a ruling emotion that affects each person. Any person who has loved or wanted to love, or even despised love, can relate to the verses of the Kokinshu, including myself. References Lawall, S. N. (Ed. ) (2002). The Norton Anthology of World Literature. New York: WW Norton & Co, Inc. Rodd, L. R. , & Henkenius, M. C. (Eds. ) (1996). Kokinshu: A Collection of Poems Ancient

Group Dynamics and Leadership Essay

Abstract: Why are some teams successful and others unsuccessful? What criteria or attributes are needed for success? Contemporary teaching and learning practice over the past few years in higher education institutions has seen a proliferation of open-ended constructivist learning designs that incorporate collaboration. This has promoted the need for identifying essential attributes needed for successful teamwork. This study reviews the literature with a view of identifying a framework that educators can use to help promote effective teamwork in their classes. A case study is used to investigate two teams of final year multimedia students completing a project-based unit, in which teamwork was an essential ingredient and immersed in an authentic context. Attributes gleaned from the literature for successful teamwork was used to compare the two diverse teams. Keywords: Teamwork, higher education, authentic environment Introduction With the shift from a predominately instructivist to constructivist pedagogy the need for tertiary educators to use a variety of teaching strategies and methods is becoming increasingly important. Learning designs need to incorporate student-centred team based learning pedagogy such as project-based, case-based, inquiry-based and problem-based scenarios (Oliver, 2001). Students need to be immersed in learning environments that promote real learning in real contexts. Teams and teamwork help to promote deep learning that occurs through interaction, problem solving, dialogue, cooperation and collaboration (Johnson & Johnson, 1995). These learning designs promote the construction of knowledge as they are embedded in a social experience with a team environment (Vygotsky, 1978). Effective teamwork can affect the successful delivery and implementation of these learning designs. Tertiary educators cannot assume students will the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to create and contribute to a synergistic team environment. Through a review of the literature, this paper identifies a range of attributes considered necessary for successful teamwork. These are then used to compare two contrasting teams with a view of confirming their validity through a case study. Research has provided a number of attributes required for successful teamwork. Many of these attributes have been consistently identified in the literature. Table 1 provides a summary of literature on the successful attributes needed for effective teamwork as follows: †¢ Commitment to team success and shared goals – team members are committed to the success of the team and their shared goals for the project. Successful teams are motivated, engaged and aim to achieve at the highest level; †¢ Interdependence – team members need to create an environment where together they can contribute far more than as individuals. A positive interdependent team environment brings out the best in each person enabling the team to achieve their goals at a far superior level (Johnson & Johnson, 1995, 1999). Individuals promote and encourage their fellow team members to achieve, contribute, and learn; †¢ Interpersonal Skills includes the ability to discuss issues openly with team members, be honest, trustworthy, supportive and show respect and commitment to the team and to its individuals. Fostering a caring work environment is important including the ability to work effectively with other team members; †¢ Open Communication and positive feedback – actively listening to the concerns and needs of team members and valuing their contribution and expressing this helps to create an effective work environment. Team members should be willing to give and receive constructive criticism and provide authentic feedback; †¢ Appropriate team composition is essential in the creation of a successful team. Team members need to be fully aware of their specific team role and understand what is expected of them in terms of their contribution to the team and the project; and †¢ Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability – team members need to be accountable for their contribution to the team and the project. They need to be aware of team processes, best practice and new ideas. Effective leadership is essential for team success including shared decision-making and problem solving. Case Study Final year students enrolled in the Interactive Multimedia course at Edith Cowan University are required to develop skills and expertise in managing the design and development of client web sites. The unit IMM 3228/4228 – â€Å"Project Management Methodologies†, uses teams of  four or five students to utilise their specialist skills to meet a â€Å"real need† for an industry client. Team roles include programmers, graphic designers and project managers. There were 82 students (20 teams) completing this unit. The aim was to have students experience project management issues that occur when dealing with â€Å"real† clients in â€Å"real† projects and was heavily focused on teamwork and problem solving. The environment was based on the learning principles of authenticity, self-regulation and reflection (Luca & Oliver, 2001). Features included student contracts, journals (for self/peer assessment & reflection), â€Å"Conference Centre† for problem solving, bulletin boards, time management tools, syllabus and assessment materials, lecture notes, legal/QA templates, relevant URL’s, web sites and assignments developed by previous students and a student details database. Within this setting, two teams were selected for investigation. One team was highly successful in developing a quality product, and collaborated in a highly successful manner. Another team, experienced severe team problems, which caused it to become dysfunctional and had to be split. Data was collected on both of these teams from focus groups sessions, interviews and questionnaires that were recorded and transcribed for analysis. A summary of the results is discussed below with reference to key attributes needed for successful teamwork as outlined in   participants understand their purpose and share their goals – the co mbination achieves mission (Francis & Young, 1979) members must share a strong common goal (Kets De Vries, 1999) groups provide each member of the team with prestige and recognition (Scarnati, 2001) successful teams are motivated to succeed (Bradley & Frederic, 1997) there is strong team commitment to succeed (Critchley & Casey, 1986) members have strong shared values and beliefs (Kets De Vries, 1999) engaged in and satisfied with their work (Wageman, 1997) creation of a team atmosphere that is informal, relaxed, comfortable and non-judgemental (Harris & Harris, 1996) †¢ promote group cohesion (Bradley & Frederic, 1997) †¢ people enjoy regular interaction with individuals who have similar interests and goals (Scarnati, 2001). Interdependence †¢ one cannot succeed unless the other members of the group succeed (Smith, 1996) †¢ together the group can deliver more than the individuals who compromise it could do in isolation (Francis & Young, 1979) †¢ team members must work together effectively to produce successful systems (Bradley & Frederic, 1997) †¢ team members interact to help each other accomplish the task and promote one another’s success (Smith, 1996) †¢ team members build on the capabilities of their fellows – the combinations energised through synergy (Francis & Young, 1979) †¢ team members must take an interest in both the group and each individuals achievement (Harris & Harris, 1996) †¢ team members must never be fully self-directed or completely independent (Johnson, Heimann, & O’Neill, 2000) †¢ teams are often empowered to accomplish tasks not available to individuals (Scarnati, 2001) †¢ Individuals experience a wide range of new ideas and skills when interacting with team members (Scarnati, 2001) †¢ team members learn together so that they can subsequently perform better as individuals (Smith, 1996) Successful Team This team of students was highly successful in developing a quality product, as well as being highly collaborative. Their journal entries continually reflected positive comments about other team members, and at no stage during the semester was there a request or requirement to transfer marks from one team member to another. Team meetings were always friendly, and at no stage were team issues discussed as being problematic. The team always focused on the project and how the process of development could be improved by exploring expectations of the tutor, client and end users. An analysis of the data collected from this team indicated that they showed the attributes needed for successful teamwork. In almost all of their responses in interviews, focus group meetings and questionnaires it was evident that this team was committed to: Commitment to team success and shared goals – the team was highly focused on delivering a quality product, and not pre-occupied by personal issues that might have interrupted this objective. They facilitated and nurtured positive, cooperative-working relationships based upon the focus of developing a quality final product that would impress their client tutor, peers and end users. The whole team was strongly motivated to out-perform other teams and shared a strong common goal of wanting to develop a product that would support their chances of gaining employment at the end of the course. This was evident in almost all of their responses; Interdependence – the team members felt that they had a responsibility towards the other members of the team and that the success of the project was based upon each team member’s contribution. Team members were always happy to help peers when they were experiencing difficulties. The team would proactively brainstorm problems individuals team members were having and offer assistance if needed; Interpersonal skills – the team recognised that team members had different personalities and experienced problems at different stages. They showed consideration for each other, respected and supported others in difficult times. Open communication and positive feedback – the team recognised that it was a â€Å"healthy thing† to discuss problems or difficult issues and try to offer constructive help/criticism in trying to resolve these. They strongly valued open dialogue that enabled team members to express their concerns in a non-defensive manner. They were open and truthful about all aspects of the project; Appropriate team composition – this team was proactive in selecting their team members well in advance for this unit. They had carefully considered the skills needed for each team member, and also the type of personality for each team member. These were carefully discussed and considered by two team members four months before the unit commenced; Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability – team members were all aware of the importance of everyone’s role within the team and the process used by the team to plan and track the timing and quality of required tasks. The project manager was well respected by the team, and always consulted the team before making any major decisions. Also, the team had a number of quality assurance procedures which helped monitor activities as well as individual team members’ accountabilities; Unsuccessful Team Another team of students experienced severe team problems, which caused it to become dysfunctional and had to be split. At the first peer assessment session, marks were transferred between team members, as it was perceived that some team members weren’t contributing. Even though agreement was made at this meeting that marks should be transferred, and suggestions were made about how to improve the situation, resentment amongst team members escalated. This was clearly evident from the comments being made through the confidential on-line journal entries each week. The tutor had several meetings with the project manager and individuals to help try to resolve issues, but to no avail. At one of the team meetings a serious disagreement occurred, in which one of the team members verbally berated another, from which point there was no reconciliation. After this altercation, team members felt they could no longer work together, so even though they would experience a heavier workload, they unanimously agreed to split and form two separate teams. An analysis of the responses given by the successful team indicated that this team had a strong awareness of the attributes needed for successful teamwork. Comparing responses from this team against the key attributes needed for successful teams shown in Table 1, it was evident that this team was not congruent with these criteria: Commitment to team success and shared goals – one team member was highly motivated to achieve a high quality product, though two others were content with merely just gaining a pass i.e. they were happy to put in minimal effort. This mismatch of expectations caused many problems and frustration for team members early in the semester; Interdependence – two team members were highly competitive in this team that negated the development of a synergistic team environment. They were highly focused on our own tasks, and were not interested in helping others who may have been having problems. If others weren’t performing, then the attitude was that peer assessment should be applied, rather than trying to support and help the individual. This caused a lack of team cohesion and cooperation, a feeling of disempowerment, and resulting in the eventual split of the team; Interpersonal skills – the team showed little consideration for each other and gave almost no support for others in difficult times. Team members seemed unaware and very surprised that they had upset other team members by their comments. They seemed to have not detected they were hurting others feelings by their comments and the approaches taken to solve team problems; Open communication and positive feedback – comments made by team members indicated that peers were inconsiderate of their situation and problems, and were not inclined to discuss problems, as they would only attract criticism and negative feedback. This resulted in team members not communicating freely or discussing their problems that had potentially damaging effect on the team; Appropriate team composition– this team was formed haphazardly. Three of the original team members had a quick discussion in the class and decided to make a team, and another team member arrived a week later, so the team agreed to accept them in their team, as they needed to make a team of four. Expectations and skill were not carefully considered; Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability – the project manager happened to be the youngest in the team, and didn’t command the respect needed. Team members often complained about team meetings being a waste of time, and also of team members being late or contributing effectively. One team member felt that he was not included in decision-making and did not receive all communication regarding the progress and development of the project from the project manager. The overall management of this team was perceived to be ineffective by most of the team members; Summary and Conclusions This study compared how well two teams performed by comparing attributes identified for successful teamwork, as shown in Table 1. From the results it is evident that these attributes played an important role in determining the success of these teams. The results show a compelling relationship between how the teams embraced these six attributes, and how successful the team was in collaborating and developing a quality product. The results from this study indicate that these key attributes need to be carefully considered by both tutors and students when teamwork activities are proposed. Further research needs to be considered on how best to implement these strategies in a methodological fashion to ensure tutors and students acknowledge and understand the importance of how to implement each attribute i.e. a template outlining implications for best practice when designing and implementing constructivist learning designs which incorporate teamwork activities. References Bradley, J. H., & Frederic, J. H. (1997). The effect of personality type on team performance. Journal of Management Development, 16(5), p. 337-353. Critchley, B., & Case, D. (1986). Teambuilding – At what price and at whose cost? In A.Mumford (Ed.) Handbook of Management Development. Gower Publishing Company Limited, University Press Cambridge Fisher, S. G., Hunter, T. A., & Macrosson, W. D. K. (1997). Team or group? Managers’ perceptions of the differences. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 12(4), 232-242. Flynn, G. (1997). How do you know if your work teams work? 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