Division and Destruction in King Lear Essay - 1662 Words

King Lear: Division of the Country, Destruction of the Family As Shakespeare’s King Lear opens, the political conditions in Britain are precarious. Lear is an aging king, four score and upward, with three daughters and no male heir. Sooner or later power must be transferred.nbsp; Through no mans fault, persons of extremely evil propensity were placed very close to power. This situation is an outer expression of the conditions of the social consciousness of the country. Until now Britain has been ruled by a powerful monarch who kept the country unified by his strength. There is no one of equal power to replace him. The solution which naturally suggests itself is a division into three parts, each to be ruled by a daughter and her†¦show more content†¦But as he is placed in life, Lears emotions are too much dominated by selfishness, vanity and egoism to express real love or affection. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; As the country has come to a transition point, so has Lear. In his old age, he feels compelled to put aside the mantle of authority and spend his last days in the comfort and warmth of his youngest daughter Cordelias affection. There is in Lear an inner urge to renounce the satisfactions of power with which he is saturated and grow into the satisfactions of the heart. But there is also much in him which is so accustomed to the privileges and pleasures of absolute power that to give them up would itself seem like death. What takes place is a working out of the forces within his being, compelling and resisting a shift in consciousness from the vital to the emotional center. nbsp; Lear announces a contest in which the kingdom is to be divided among his three daughters and their husbands according to each ones profession of love and devotion to him. Even the manner in which he expresses his intention forebodes a different outcome. nbsp; Meantime we shall express our darker purpose. Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom; and tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age, Conferring them on younger strengths, while we Unburdend crawl towardShow MoreRelatedEssay on Lears Character in William Shakespeares Play1216 Words   |  5 PagesLears Character in William Shakespeares Play The view of Lear being bent on his own destruction from the beginning of the play is an acceptable claim. 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Journal Free Essays

string(98) " some changes currently in our marketing ND management staff and are predicting a rise next year\." Headquartered in Los Angels, California, the company offers consumers over 250 quality and affordable arsenal care products. The Product Dry. Fresh makes Bianca brand nativity fluoride toothpaste. We will write a custom essay sample on Journal or any similar topic only for you Order Now We offer a peppermint flavor which is preferable to our target audience and offers cavity protection, fresh breath and strengthens teeth. Active ingredient is sodium nonprofessionals (0. 76%) is an nativity with a series of inactive ingredients. The Market Target market includes low income individuals, students, head of household, and elderly. The projected loss for our product in the current fiscal year is predicted $50,000 net loss. Variable costs to obtain a product and store in our warehouse is $0. 50 per unit. This variable cost cannot be reduced any further and will remain constant for the next two years regardless of volume. We have a unique advantage that our production can instantly vary to any output without increasing fixed costs or inventory costs. Our annual fixed costs are $250,000 annually including salaries, benefits, office supplies, warehouse space and our other product related expenses. This does not include any promotion like advertising, public relations or personal selling. Company overview Our mission is to provide innovative, high quality and affordable personal care products that exceed consumer expectations. The mission includes being the leader in the oral care category through fully understanding and addressing consumer needs. Our companies’ SOOT Analysis includes our strength to offer a low price, have an effective product, and a good price to feature ratio. We offer multiple oral healthcare products which increase customer susceptibility to our product. Bianca has had previous advertising in movies, and television which help our product recognition. Our weaknesses include lack of brand recognition and are unknown, lack of features including whitening, tartar control, sensitivity and also fluoride, low promotion edged, subpart quality and we offer smaller quantities than competitors for the of our product through retailers. Company opportunities include easy sales to wholesalers because of price. We can offer to convenience stores and also vending machines to increase sales without extra cost. We also have the opportunity to advertise to dentist offices and to get support. Threats include name brand competitors, other low cost entrants, supplier power, buyer power, rivalry between other low cost competitors, and also threat of substitute products affect our business. 95% of our sales are at the price point of $1. 15 through wholesalers. The wholesalers sell to retailers, who sell our product at $1. 61 per unit. The other 5% of sales occur over the internet at $1. 49 each. We show a fixed cost of 250,000 + (. 50 per unit PVC *units). We are selling at this price and are estimated to lose $50,000 this year. In order to market this toothpaste, and achieve a goal of $50,000 profitability a year we must sell 400,000 units. In order to hit this strategic goal we must attain more market share. The overall oral healthcare market is worth 10. 9 billion. Colgate holds 52% of the overall market. HULL holds 22%. Dabber has 14% We hold . 05% with other brands with 1 1. 5%. Current market trends it indicate whitening is a strong factor in increasing sales. Market Segments We have broken our market down into the following segments: Students (Students are on tight budgets, but still need to clean their teeth effectively because their diets are typically not conducive to oral health in the first place. ) Low Income Families (Lower income families need to buy lots of toothpaste, but can’t afford expen sive name brands. ) Value Shoppers (Some individuals/families simply look to get the most value for their money. Each of our market segments have similar characteristics. Most of all, they are looking o get the best oral care product on a limited budget. They are typically value driven, and will buy a specific brand out of habit and convenience rather than any specific medical desires in their product. Their needs in a toothpaste include cleaning their teeth, preventing tooth decay, freshening breath, and preventing plaque and tartar build up in their mouth. Primary Target Market Our primary target market is value shoppers. Our customers in rural areas are looking for a combination of features and convenience. Customers entail value shoppers, low income shoppers, students, households, low cost value proposition. We segment through Geographic (Rural and Urban), Behavioral ( Normal use, Whitening, Complete Care), Demographic (customer type) and other methods. Company Analysis Our goals include selling the best toothpaste at the best price. Through aggressive price techniques we offer a quality product at a low price. We sell most of our product to retailers and a slim margin over the internet. Company culture includes giving employees fair chance to speak their mind and voice concerns to management. Through respecting catheter and fostering innovation we have been able to sell our other products very successfully. Internal strengths we have include our differentiation of products. We offer Bianca mouth freshening spray, toothbrushes, floss and other oral health products. A weakness we have internally is that we do not currently offer any whitening products, and with the current trend it is hurting our growth. Opportunities that we have include a whitening pre brush rinse solution. We also can develop mouthwash and produce different flavors of our breath freshening spray. The oral healthcare market is increasing due to people’s reliance on vanity. Threats from other companies are hurting our sales due to competitor capitalization n the whitening, and feature/ luxury branding. Our low price toothpaste formula is not going to make your teeth any brighter, or remove layers of plaque that cause yellowing. Our product simply removes surface bacteria and doesn’t get in deep like other competitor products. Market share is a growing concern for us, we hold half a percent of the total market, and our competitor Colgate holds 52% of the overall market. We have a lot of room for growth inside our current market and huge incentives. Overall we are going to suffer a loss this quarter. We are going through some changes currently in our marketing ND management staff and are predicting a rise next year. You read "Journal" in category "Papers" We have more than adequate production methods and inventory warehousing. We anticipate being able to handle sales at a much higher volume. We are coming up with a new marketing scheme to make our product more appealing to our target market. We need to think creatively and bring in some fresh ideas and interns. Stock pence 2. 50 BASE (August 1st 2013) Competitor Analysis Our top three competitors are The Procter and Gamble Company Philips Oral Healthcare Inc I. Market position The consumer product conglomerate focused on toothpaste, toothbrushes and other oral care products. The position of the quality toothpaste could be niche or mainstream. The decision to position the new toothpaste on retail shelves is another important aspect of our sales positioning. Colgate toothpaste places the toothpaste in between one of the existing products and a competitor’s product. It. Strengths – Colgate Optic white and Colgate sensitive pro- Relief toothpastes and the re launch of Colgate total toothpaste contributed to their strength in the oral care market. – Collage’s strength in manual toothbrushes also continued in the U. S, driven by the success of Colgate 360 degree optic white, Colgate 360 degree Sensitive Pro- Relief ND Colgate 360 degree Surround. ‘. Weaknesses Colgate brand directly compete with P Oral-B company toothpastes which are globally known for their high functional properties, including sensitivity and teeth whitening. The company also increased its advertising expenditures by 31% in the two quarters of 2013. It has resulted in an overall market share gain in toothpaste and has growth from 52% in 2012 to 56% presently. Colgate has to worry about the innovative new products that could compete with their current quality toothpaste. Iii. Market Shares Colgate has been able to stay ahead of the market; it has one of the widest networks, caching 4. 5 million retail outlets in India. Collage’s sustained distribution strength, coupled with product innovation and creation of sub-categories such as mouthwash and sensitive oral care have helped it drive growth aggressively. They are always coming up with new ideas to push the barrier and capture new market shares. Promoting healthier lives, improving community oral health care, expanding their current â€Å"Bright Smile, Bright Futures† program all ATA low cost. They ensure that ingredients continue to meet safety, quality and environmental compliance and biodegradability. They have also been environmentally responsible through educing the environmental impact of Colgate products and packages by 20% increasing the use of sustainable materials and recycled content. Value Chain Partners Supply chain partners consist of primarily a manufacturing company (Dry. Fresh) in India. The factory produces the toothpaste, packages the paste into tubes, and seals and prints the tubes and boxes the final product. Large shipments leave the factory by means of distribution. A distributor moves the product from the factory to Wholesalers Warehouses Shipping yards Wholesaler’s mark up the product and sell the product in bulk to tillers. Wholesalers are responsible for distribution of the product after they purchase the product from the factory. Warehouses store the product until demand for the toothpaste is reached. At this point the product is removed and sold to different partners Shipping yards are usually located where a sea port meets a railroad. The trucks can drop off product for easy transportation over 1) ocean through massive commercial ships and 2) railway where trains transport goods efficiently 3) Trucks drop off their trailers and are easily navigated to new locations by other drivers. Once the goods are delivered to their final location it is usually at a retailer. Retailers purchase the goods from the wholesaler, offer a markup on the product and arrange the product on the shelves where it is ultimately bought by customers. When the product is sold directly over the internet a lot of the process is cut down. The internet protocol is much more simple. A supply chain partner is through the website design and maintenance teams in order to process orders and receive accurate shipping information, as well as process payment. When an order is paid for and set up for delivery, the company uses a mail company such as faded or SSP to deliver the final package to the customer. Climate Reducing global impact on the climate and environment plays an important role in associated with the manufacture and distribution of products it plays a large role in our manufacturing process. We try to reduce waste sent to landfills as well as request that all of our key suppliers measure and disclose the climate change information. Through the economic climate we are reducing the amount of water consumed in the manufacture and consumption of our products. Reducing the amount of water associated with our products saves a lot of money. Through working tit local and global organizations to promote access to clean water we promote water conservation awareness across the world. We reduce our environmental impact of products and packages by up to 20% by increasing the use of sustainable materials and recycled content. Social and cultural environment includes the increase of sustainability profile in our new products and in the balance of our portfolio. We ensure ingredients meet or exceed all recognized standards for safety, quality, and environmental compliance and biodegradability. Political and legal environment is included in promoting health and wellness and to reduce employee employee health risks. We have achieved a 5% reduction in costs and improvements in early diagnosis of chronic and treatable disease. We are focusing on safety to achieve the goal of zero lost time incidents. Other political impacts are the standards set to monitor our product and ensure public health. Technological environment by reducing our waste through technological upgrades we have been able to increase effectiveness and efficiency with lower waste. New methods allow for the reduction of water used in production and distributing so that we can control costs and provide the best product available. Insight driven innovation provides value added products and our marketing strategy shows that in order to ensure high standards we must have the essential technology to make it happen. How to cite Journal, Papers Journal Free Essays Here are some of the kinds of writing I have done, In and out of school, during the past year (check all those that apply). 0 Essays about literature CLC Book reports Emails for work or to friends Journal entries Personal narratives 0 Short stories Speeches for special occasions 0 Research papers Ã'Ëœ Job applications 0 Letters for business purposes 0 Notes too teacher Summaries Persuasive essays Deflations Diary entries Descriptions 0 Songs Poems Newspaper articles 0 Letters to friends or family Ã'Ëœ Postcards 0 Thank-you notes Text messages Any others you can think of: Click here to enter text. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Journal or any similar topic only for you Order Now Of the items on my list, I most liked writing personal narratives and research papers because I enjoy telling personal stories and learning about new subjects. 3. I least enjoyed writing poems and speeches because writing poems isn’t one of my strengths and I don’t enjoy talking in front of a large group of people; especially strangers. 4. When I am given a writing assignment, I usually follow this process: I create a chart of my Ideas along with reasons, write a rough draft, have someone read It, I make corrections, and then I write the final draft. And overall structure. 6. I think that the area of my writing most needing work is broadening my vocabulary. 7. The types of writing that I will probably do in my college courses are persuasive, analytical, and argumentative; in my possible career, analytical and argumentative; in my personal life descriptions. 8. In the past, my experiences with writing courses have been great. 9. My writing goals for this course are to broaden my vocabulary and to learn new writing styles. 10. My thoughts and concerns as I begin this course are not knowing my grades on my papers and assignments really frightens me. Other than that, I cannot wait to begin growing as a writer. How to cite Journal, Papers Journal Free Essays Proposals, persuasive messages, classroom practices Introduction: Given that students are enthusiastic about social media or even have expertise in some social media tools, the author decided to design a class project in her Writing for Careers (Business Communication) class that integrates social media in terms of content and project management. This article intends to describe such a class reject design as well as the working process; reflect on such a practice by reviewing students’ feedback, examining the final products, and assessing the learning outcomes; and finally provide suggestions on how to improve this project. Methods: This article describes the project design as well as the working process and reflects on this practice by reviewing students’ feedback, examining the final products, and assessing the learning outcomes. We will write a custom essay sample on Journal or any similar topic only for you Order Now In concluding, the article provides suggestions for Improvement, Students were excited about the project because It was related to social media; however some students were confused because they didn’t understand how such a project could be related to business management. Different books, articles, websites, movies, and/or TV shows were assigned to help with the project (ex. Get Connected: The Social Networking Toolkit for Business, the Oscar-winning movie The Social Network, Conic’s The Backbone Obsession, Barack Beam’s Social Media Lessons for Business. Also a few articles (Tangelo, 2010: Greenland, 2010; Jones Degree, 2011). Results: The few students who disliked social media or were very elucidate to get onto social media had an opportunity to learn something new. Those who were familiar with some social media tools learned new aspects and features. This project gave students the opportunity to practice and utilize a variety of skills: critical thinking, problem solving, audience analysis, persuasion, and document design. The process-based teaching enhanced their understanding and application of what they learned in class and also made it possible to customize the teaching. Discussion: Throughout the project several social media tools were discussed. Students were challenged to communicate not only their mastery of digital communication skills, especially social media skills, but also their understanding of the potential for using these skills in professional settings to target audience. In addition they had to demonstrate their rhetorical skills In persuading their audience in considering or adopting social media. This example of client-based, student- centered learning empowered students and increased student autonomy. Criticism: the goal of the project even after repeated instructor explanations. Their overconfidence and overestimation of their own social media skills also hindered their completion of the project satisfactorily. Instead of figuring out what the business or organization needs to communicate constantly and effectively with their customers, these students insisted on getting the opinion of the teacher or the client had to tell them what to do. These students spent time creating a profile page instead of Justifying why they had selected that particular social media tool. During the project; time was spent teaching social media tools, especially the ones students that lacked familiarity with social media. How to cite Journal, Papers

Regulatory Requirements for Hospitality Business-Samples for Student

Question: Discuss about the Regulatory Requirements for Hospitality Business. Answer: Hospitality Business Regulatory Requirements in Queensland, Australia Company Name and ABN The company name has to be registered under the business names register. This will be under the restaurant name and the preferred registration period will be indicated as either 1 or 3 years. The registration costs for one year is $35 and three years is $82. The business name registration form is filled in online in the website for Australian Securities and Investments Commission. A food business licence under the Food Act 2006 will be required as the business is a restaurant hence will be selling unpackaged food (Mundial, 2013).The food business licence application can be filled online and lodged at the nearest regional business centre and the fees will vary according to restaurant specifics as follows. The Australian Business Number will not require any fees but must be applied for and the company has to provide its proof of identity. The ABN application form is filled online through the Australian Business Register website and there are no costs. Building Regulations An application will be required by the restaurant if they are to change the layout of the premise that they want to hire (Dwyer Kotey, 2015). The application form for building layout change will be filled in online on the local council website,lodged and approved before renovations and the application charge is $89. Planning Permits An application has to be made by the restaurant for the planning of the restaurant setup. The application must be approved before the restaurant is opened. The form that will be filled is the food business approvals online form, which is available in the Queensland Government website. The fees that will apply are as follows. Third Party Insurance The business has to consider third party insurance as it will be serving customers. The restaurant must have third party insurance just in case any accident happens that will lead to lawsuits or any other legal issues. Third party issues will make sure such issues are covered. Third party insurance forms can be filled at any local insurance firm and costs may be as follows. Health and Safety Regulations For a restaurant business, all food safety regulations of Queensland must be complied with. The food standards code should be followed and is available for free to all businesses that deal with food. A food safety program based on HACCP principles must be developed and the document has to be regularly updated (Mundial, 2013). The state carries out impromptu audits of food safety programs at restaurants around Queensland. The form that will be completed is the online food safety program accreditation, available online in the Local Council website and the costs are as follows. Liquor License Regulations The restaurant will be handling liquor hence a licence and registration from the Queensland council will be required. This license has to be renewed annually by 31 July every year. The amount for the liquor license will be $ 492.90 each year and renewal requires the same amount. In Queensland, the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) regulates liquor licence and permit applications. Liquor licenses may take 4-6 months to be approved. The application form for liquor license will be filled in Queensland Government Website. GST Registration The restaurant business will require goods and services tax registration. This is required by any business which has an annual GST turnover of $75,000 or more. If a new business is registered and predicts that it will have this turnover, it has to register for GST. No application fees are required for this. The form can be filled at the Queensland Government Website. GST is charged at 10%. Taxation Requirements The business must have a tax file number. Tax must be paid by the business and filed to the Australian tax authority (Dwyer Kotey, 2015). The employer will also have to ensure that tax is deducted from its employees during salary payments. An employer must register for payroll tax 7 days after the end of the month if group wages exceed $21153 a week and the form is filled online in Queensland Government Website. The payroll tax rate is 4.75% of taxable wages. The business must also fill taxation forms for businesses at the Australian Taxation Office Legal Advice Required It is important that the restaurant seek legal advice from a lawyer who is familiar with requirements in Queensland. This will ensure that all legal requirements are met and that compliance is met as per the State requirements. The contract forms for legal advice will be signed at any lawyers office and costs will vary depending on the lawyer used. Business Compliance Needs The restaurant will have to comply with workplace compliance rules which apply to Queensland. All staff employed must undergo proper training for the workplace including food safety (Mundial, 2013). The restaurant can consider online nationally accredited training courses, in-house staff training or training manuals to be given to staff. The food safety training course can be done through completing an online application form at www.foodsafety.edu.au and paying a fee of $ 49. Risks, Penalties and Consequences of Non-Compliance The restaurant will have to follow required regulations or it risks hefty penalties and fines including the restaurant being closed down. On the spot fines can apply if the restaurant does illegal dumping and rates are as follows. less than 200 litres - 10 penalty units between 200 litres and 2500 litres - 50 penalty units over 2500 litres - 75 penalty units. Specialist Advice It is mandatory for restaurants in Queensland to have a food safety supervisor with proper certificates and training. An outside contractor can be hired or a current employee nominated. The supervisor has to attend training through a registered training organisation. The food safety supervisor training course can be done through completing an online application form at www.foodsafety.edu.au and paying a fee of $ 159. References Dwyer, B., Kotey, B. (2015). Financing SME Growth: The Role of the National Stock Exchange of Australia and Business Advisors.Australian Accounting Review,25(2), 114-123. Mundial, B. (2013).Doing business 2013: smarter regulations for small and medium-size enterprises. The World Ban

Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Essays (755 words) - Fiction

Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The title of the novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, can be interpreted as a theme running through the novel. Pride, observed Mary, . . . is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed, that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or another, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us. Pride and/or vanity is exhibited in different forms by each character. Ms. Austen was trying to send the message that an excess of pride or vanity is indeed a failing. Those characters who can recognize their flaw emerge as the true heroes of the story. In many minor characters of the novel, pride is a common characteristic. Mrs. Bennet, for instance, is extremely proud when it comes to her daughters marriages of mercenary advantage. She is so concerned that her neighbors have a high opinion of her that her own vanity will not even allow her to think of her daughters love and happiness. This is best shown with the case of Elizabeth Bennet s proposed marriage to the esteemed Mr. Collins, a man she did not love. Mrs. Bennet was so upset when her daughter refused Mr. Collins offer that she would not speak to her for passing up such an opportunity. We can see an example of pride for imaginary qualities in Mary Bennet who was herself the speaker of this passage. To the embarrassment of her family, Mary would take every chance she could to put on a show whenever in a public situation. Although she was not talented in any of the activities she decided to undertake, her high opinion of herself and her desire to esteem herself in the eyes of others enabled her to display her supposed talents. Mr. Collins possesses a definite sense of vanity. He is in no way concerned about his own opinion of his character, for as we see his character leaves much to be desired. All he cares about is what others think of him. He always needs the approval of his present company. When he gives Elizabeth the grand tour of his nothing-spectacular home, he is looking for her approval of his position and possessions. It is not important to Mr. Collins for people to like him as a person, they just had better be impressed his status in life and his connections. Mr. Darcy, as one of the main characters, is for the better part of the novel a focus of the theme of pride. His pride is very obvious. It is a part of his nature and is seen in his mannerisms and in his speech. Darcy has such a high opinion of himself that he does not care what others think of him or his prideful actions. He believes that he is the best in every way possible and finds that his standing in society gives him the right to be critical of those not as perfect as he. Elizabeth Bennet, the other main character of the novel, is just as guilty of being proud as any of the other characters in the novel. She prides herself on being unprejudiced and rational in the judgement of others. Yet, this is an imaginary quality as she learns that her preconceived notions of both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham turn out to be false. She is also very proud when Darcy confronts her about her family and connections. Although Darcy s accusations of the unsophistication of certain of her family members are true, Elizabeth is too proud to listen and accept the truth. Instead, she becomes so angered with Darcy that it effects her entire relationship with him. Both Darcy and Elizabeth come to recognize their pride as a flaw in their respective characters. Darcy realizes that he must check his pride in order to be seen in a good light by others. Elizabeth, the object of his affections, is so turned off by his prideful ways that a touch of vanity enables him to change himself for her. Elizabeth, while observing the transformations of

#8220;Informative Essay Sample on Sigmund Freud#8221;

#8220;Informative Essay Sample on Sigmund Freud#8221; Sigmund Freud, a physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and father of psychoanalysis, is generally recognized as one of the most influential and authoritative thinkers of the twentieth century. Freud’s most important and frequently re-iterated claim, that with psychoanalysis he had invented a new science of the mind, however, remains the subject of much critical debate and controversy. Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia. His father was a wool merchant and his mother was a lively woman, who was twenty years younger than his father and also his second wife. Sigmund was his mother first child of seven and he had two older half brothers. At the age of four, his family moved to Vienna where he lived most of his life. Sigmund was a brilliant child and eventually went to medical school which was one of the more viable choices for a Jewish boy in Vienna. He became involved in research under the direction of a physiology professor Ernst Brucke. Brucke believed in reductionism: â€Å" No other forces that the common physical – chemical ones are active within the organism†. Freud would later spend many years on trying to â€Å"reduce† personality to neurology, something he would eventually give up. Freud was very successful with his research, especially neurophysiology, and invented a special cell staining technique. While he was successful with what he had accomplished, there were limited available positions available and Brucke helped him receive a grant to enable his to study with the great psychiatrist in Charcot in Paris and then late his rival Bernheim in Nancy. Both studied the use of hypnosis with hysterics. After spending a short time as a resident in neurology in Berlin, he returned home to his fiancee, Martha Bernays, and set up a small practice in neuropsychiatry with the help of Joseph Breuer. Freud’s books and lectures brought him both fame and criticism from the mainstream of the medical community. He drew a number of very bright supporters who became the core of the psychoanalytic movement. Freud’s biggest flaw although, was the inability to be able to accept criticism and was known for rejecting people that did not agree with him and most went on to find competing schools of thought. Freud immigrated to England just before World War II, as Vienna became increasing dangerous place for Jews, especially for ones as famous as Freud. September 23,1939, Freud died of cancer of the mouth and jaw that he had suffered from the last 20 years of his life. Sigmund Freud had numerous theories over the course of his career; the ones that I will be discussing are only a few. Freud did not create the idea of the conscious versus the conscious mind, however he was responsible for making it popular. The conscious mind in what you are aware of at any particular moment, your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies and feelings. The largest part, however, being the un-conscious. The unconscious includes things that are not easily available to awareness, including out drives or instincts and things that we cannot bear to look at, such as memories and emotions associated with trauma. According to Freud’s theories, the unconscious is the source of our motivations. The id, the ego and the superego are another well-known theory that plays off of the conscious and un-conscious mind. Freudian psychology begins with a world full of objects. Among them is a very special object, the organism. An extremely important part of the organism is the nervous system. At birth, the nervous system is a little more than of other animals, an â€Å"it† or id. The id, or the nervous system, translates the needs of the organism into motivational forces, or otherwise called the primary process. The id works in conjunction with the â€Å"pleasure principle†, which is the demand to take care of the immediate need. An example, a screaming newborn does not realize that it needs food; it only understands that it needs something now. The ego derives from the id, or the â€Å"it† to the â€Å"I† that takes place during the first year of one’s life. The ego relates the organism to reality by means of its unconscious, and searches for objects to satisfy the wishes that the id creates to represent the organism’s needs. This is called the secondary process. The ego, unlike the id, functions according to the reality principle, which says, â€Å"take care of a need as soon as an appropriate object is found.† The ego then struggles to keep the id, or the organism, happy. The ego keeps record of the obstacles, aids, rewards and punishments, and from there forms the superego. This theory is usually not complete until the age of seven, if ever. There are two aspects of the superego: conscious and ego ideal. The conscious is an internalization of punishments and warnings. The ego ideal derives from rewards and positive models presented to the child. The conscious and the superego communicate their requirements to the ego with feelings like pride, shame, and guilt. The id, ego and superego lead to the fact that, as if acquired, that a new set of needs and wishes are of social, not biological, at this time. Freud once said, â€Å"Life is not easy.† Anxiety is a familiar part of each day for many; anxiety is another aspect of the mind that Freud investigated. Anxiety sits at the center of powerful forces: reality: society, as represented by the superego; biology, as represented by the id. When conflicting demands are made upon the ego, the feeling is called anxiety. It serves as a signal to the ego that its survival as a whole is in jeopardy. There are three different types of anxiety: realistic, moral and neurotic. Realistic anxiety is considered fear. Moral anxiety is a feeling that comes from the outer world, although could be considered shame, guilt and the fear of punishment. Neurotic anxiety is the fear of being overwhelmed by the impulses of the id. This is the anxiety that intrigued Freud the most. Although there are many theories surrounding Freud that could be discussed, the last one, and the most controversial one that I’d like to discuss us the Oedipal crisis. The Oedipal crisis is named after the ancient Greek story of King Oedipus, who inadvertently killed his father and married his mother. The theory works in this manner: the fist love-object for humans is out mother. We want her affection, her caresses and her in a broadly sexual way. In earlier readings, I found that Freud defined â€Å"sexual† as not just intercourse, but all pleasurable sensations of the skin. In theory, the young boy has a rival for his mother’s charms: his father. His father is bigger, stronger, and smarter and gets to sleep in his mother’s bed. Dad is the enemy. At this point in his life, the by had recognized that that he differs from girls as there is a difference in hair length and clothing style. From his perspective there is one major difference, he has a penis and girls do not. This is the beginning of â€Å"castration anxiety† or a slight fear of loosing one’s penis. To return to the original issue, the boy recognizes the father’s superiority and engages in some of his ego defenses: he displaces his sexual impulses on from his mother to girls, lat er women, and identifies with the aggressor, his father. He attempts to be more like him, or more like a man. The boy will then enter adolescences and then the world of heterosexuality. Freud also believes that women experience the same. The only thing more common that blatant admiration for Freud is the equally blind hatred that people feel towards him. Out of the theories previously discussed, the Oedipal complex and the associated ideas behind castration anxiety and penis envy is the least favorite. It has been discovered that these rules mostly apply in world in which the families are dysfunctional and are not working in the means intended. These circumstances include parents unhappy with each other that may use their children against each other, or in instances in which girls are ridiculed or forced to think that there are not an equal to men. These symptoms may also be found in circumstances in which parents may threaten to â€Å"castrate† a boy for certain behaviors. Ultimately, these circumstances apply in dysfunctional situations. If the Oedipal complex was viewed in a metaphoric and not a literal fashion the concepts could be considered useful. Children love their parents. Children learn the standard s of a relationship through the images that parents portray in their relationships. Children also imitate the behaviors on the opposite-sex parent therefore playing back into the Oedipal complex. Freud’s emphasis on sexuality is another area that is highly criticized. When exploring Freud’s theories further, I was amazed at the emphasis on just the word â€Å"sex† alone. In further researching the meaning, I found that Freud defined â€Å"sexuality† as a sensation to the skin. This definition put the theories in perspective for me. Human beings crave sensations to the skin: a hug, a kiss, and a caress. These types of affections are non-verbal forms of love that humans need to survive. I think that another extremely important factor is the time period in which Freud presented his theories. His theories were based on the intense avoidance of sexuality, especially among the middle and upper classes, and especially among women. Society today, forgets that â€Å"sexuality† was something that was looked down upon. Women who felt sexual desires were automatically considered a prostitute, and a new bride would be taken by surprise on her wedding nig ht (or could faint at the thought). I strongly think that Freud helped to open a window of understanding regarding the topic of human sexuality. Freud was strong enough to step from the norm and voice his opinions regarding this highly controversial issue and helped to navigate the way the future would view sexuality. I think that it is admirable that he had a strong enough character to discuss a subject potentially this disastrous to himself and his career. Freud made people aware of the fact that human behavior was based on biology and rationale. Freud showed the impact that human behavior had on society when it was realized that each individual is responsible for his/ her own actions. Freud proved the importance of family dynamics in a time where society believed that God determined the roles of men and women. The id and the superego will be a part of modern psychology from here on out. The ego defenses are something that I feel is anther important part of Freud’s theories. Many criticize Freud’s idea of the â€Å"unconscious†, however it seems to be clear that people in general will manipulate reality and our memories to suit our own needs. There are several situations from my past that I know have manipulated to suit what my needs were during those transitions. I also strongly believe that we all have â€Å"ghosts in the closet† from past experiences, some that we are even unaware of. These are two specific situations that play into the theory of the â€Å"unconscious†. Finally, if not the most useful, is Freud’s creation of basic therapy. Most therapists today still adopt the â€Å" talking cure† and provide a relaxed, physical and social, atmosphere in which they treat their patients. I feel that this will be another theory that will stick to psychology now and for times to come. I think that many people tend to disregard all of Freud’s ideas because they do not agree with a few. I think that many of Freud’s ideas are tied to his times, although I think that there is a few that play an important role in today’s society and will continue to play a strong role in the times to come. Freud was excellent at research and was an excellent observer of human conditions. Freud is a name that you can find regarding psychology today and will be a part of psychology in the future.

Asylum Seekers

They are fleeing a situation where the Sri Lankan government is killing 1400 a week of the 300,000 detained in concentration camps. This is a horror that drives people to flee with nothing other than the clothes on their back, is what politicians and media have taken to calling a â€Å"push factor. There is absolutely nothing illegal about seeking asylum, about arriving without authorisation or papers, or about coming by unregistered boats as long as there is a legitimate reason states the United Nations. However the Australian Government still labels them illegal immigrants and places them in Detention Centres which in most cases results in the emotional and psychological damage to a refugee. In 2002, the Medical Journal of Australia described the extreme psychological and emotional damage done to people detained in immigration detention in Australia. The pattern they describe includes â€Å"the development of a psychological state characterised by severe depression, despair, hopelessness, paranoia, chronic rage, persecutory delusions, sub-syndromal psychosis, characterological change and persistent self harming behaviour†. In their sample, â€Å"all but one of the detained asylum seekers displayed symptoms of psychological distress at some time during their period of detention†. Eighty-five per cent had â€Å"chronic depressive symptoms† and sixty-five per cent had â€Å"pronounced ongoing suicidal ideation†. Refugees should not have to stay in conditions conducive to mental disorders and suicidal tendencies. If the Australian government wishes to fix the problem they should fix detention centres, make the facilities more humane and turn off the electric fence,( The electric fences around such centres are more harmful than that of Auschwitz concentration camp). The government should also provide faster processing of refugees so these people are not subjected to what is incarceration with committing a crime. In 2002 protesters tore down the fences of Woomera Detention Centre, assisting people inside to make a courageous and inspiring breakout. They would not hesitate to do it again. Asylum seeking is an issue that cuts right to the heart of everything that’s rotten and inhumane about capitalism – its racism, its hypocrisy, its brutality and its utter contempt for humanity. We should all stand firmly for the rights of asylum seekers. Asylum Seekers They are fleeing a situation where the Sri Lankan government is killing 1400 a week of the 300,000 detained in concentration camps. This is a horror that drives people to flee with nothing other than the clothes on their back, is what politicians and media have taken to calling a â€Å"push factor. There is absolutely nothing illegal about seeking asylum, about arriving without authorisation or papers, or about coming by unregistered boats as long as there is a legitimate reason states the United Nations. However the Australian Government still labels them illegal immigrants and places them in Detention Centres which in most cases results in the emotional and psychological damage to a refugee. In 2002, the Medical Journal of Australia described the extreme psychological and emotional damage done to people detained in immigration detention in Australia. The pattern they describe includes â€Å"the development of a psychological state characterised by severe depression, despair, hopelessness, paranoia, chronic rage, persecutory delusions, sub-syndromal psychosis, characterological change and persistent self harming behaviour†. In their sample, â€Å"all but one of the detained asylum seekers displayed symptoms of psychological distress at some time during their period of detention†. Eighty-five per cent had â€Å"chronic depressive symptoms† and sixty-five per cent had â€Å"pronounced ongoing suicidal ideation†. Refugees should not have to stay in conditions conducive to mental disorders and suicidal tendencies. If the Australian government wishes to fix the problem they should fix detention centres, make the facilities more humane and turn off the electric fence,( The electric fences around such centres are more harmful than that of Auschwitz concentration camp). The government should also provide faster processing of refugees so these people are not subjected to what is incarceration with committing a crime. In 2002 protesters tore down the fences of Woomera Detention Centre, assisting people inside to make a courageous and inspiring breakout. They would not hesitate to do it again. Asylum seeking is an issue that cuts right to the heart of everything that’s rotten and inhumane about capitalism – its racism, its hypocrisy, its brutality and its utter contempt for humanity. We should all stand firmly for the rights of asylum seekers.

The impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth of less Essay

The impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth of less developed countries - Essay Example However, in open economy investment is funded both through household savings and foreign capital flows, incorporating FDI. FDI facilitates investment-receiving (host) nations to attain investment levels ahead of their capability to save (Atique, Ahmad and Azhar, 2004, p. 1). The study aims to discuss about the underlying effect of foreign direct investment on economic growth of the less developed or the developing nations. The study seeks to analyze whether the inflow of foreign direct investment is really leading to economic growth and capital formation within the less developed countries. The topic â€Å"The impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth of less developed countries† seems to be interesting and relevant. Through this topic, the study seeks to find whether these inflows of foreign capital can be sustained within the less developed economies. Whether the transnational players in the international economy could contribute to the modernization of the economies of developing countries is also the point of concern in this study. Development Economics is a topic that studies the economics of the developing nations. It has made exceptional use of economic hypothesis, econometric methods, sociology, anthropology, political science, ecology and demography and has mushroomed into one of the liveliest parts of study in all the social sciences. It is reasonable to say that the model of economic growth initiated by Robert Solow in 1956 has had an elementary impact on development economics. An addition to the capital stock will have a larger effect on per-capita income. It implies that by means of controlling parameters (for example, savings rates and population growth rates), poorer nations will tend to develop faster and hence will come up to reach the levels of comfort enjoyed by their affluent counterparts (Ray, 2007, pp.

Starbucks Canada Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Starbucks Canada - Case Study Example There are several important criteria that should be taken into account while assessing various mobile payment options. To begin with, it is the compatibility with the devices that the company and the clients have. It has been mentioned before that a significant number of clients use iPhones, but they will be useless in case Starbucks Canada engages NFC technology. On the other hand, an introduction of the Bluetooth beacons it difficult as well since the company in question does not have them and will have to order them.The second criteria are the amount of money that introduction of technology will cost. For example, should Starbucks Canada rely on the software which was developed in house, it will require the minimum cost for upgrade of the equipment and this will not result in significant expenses? On the other hand, installation of BLE beacons will require the assistance of a professional who is paid $50 per hour. If one multiplies this amount of money by the number of stores that will have to be equipped with beacons, one will realize that it will result in significant expenditures.The cost training of the personnel should also be taken into account. While some options provide an outstanding experience for the customers (they will be able to pay for their coffee without even taking their smartphone out of their pocket), the same option might cause so difficulties for the employees of Starbucks. In order to be able to avoid them, they will have to be trained and this will require both time and money.

Different strategies Essay Example for Free

Different strategies Essay Using guidelines on viewing, interpreting, and evaluating visual imagery, examine a visual image for its meaning. Develop a written analysis and evaluation of the image. The image viewed is that of a building plan of the library. The image contains lines and boxes and labels of the different sections of the building. The image is presented as a whole and viewing it as separate sections would likely destroy the meaning of the image. The image also communicates to the viewer the whole structure of the building and one viewing it can identify his/her spatial location in the building. The image is able to tell the viewer that the building is large, has several entrances and exits, it also tells one the nearest comfort room, librarian’s desk and where a specific book, journal or material is located. Generally, the image is simple and straightforward and is able to communicate to the viewer important information about the library. Explore how different texts require different reading strategies. Select a novel chapter, a textbook chapter, a magazine article and a web page, and engage each text and take appropriate notes. Then, reflect on how the different texts call for similar and different strategies. Taking notes when reading a chapter from a novel is difficult to do, it’s that we have been trained to read a novel as a complete story, and the notes I had were incomplete and did not really tell me what the story is about, it was just a set of conversations I found interesting. Reading a textbook chapter is different because it contains a lot of information and the text is arranged to focus on one topic, hence my notes were many and upon reading it, it was actually a summary of the textbook chapter. A magazine article calls for light reading, and unless one is really looking for specific information, nothing is there for me to take notes. Most of the information in magazine articles is commonsense and opinionated and one is moved to argue against the article or agree with it. Reading a web page is similar to the magazine article, however, one notices that the message is incomplete or there are more articles related to it that taking notes is impossible but one web page leads to another. Reread one of your recent essays. How does the writing show that you thoroughly understood your subject, met the needs of your audience, and achieved your writing purpose? I believe that my essay was able to communicate that I had a good understanding of my topic because the thesis statement was focused and enabled the reader to identify the direction of the essay. Moreover, the essay provided a brief but information-rich discussion of the topic and its background. Then it proceeded to present my arguments and it was backed by existing information from reliable sources. I also was able to provide an alternative argument so that the reader would be given the opportunity to agree or disagree with my arguments. I then finished it with a short summary and conclusion and an invitation to the reader to engage in the same. Review the wording of a recent writing assignment. What are the key words, restrictions, and options? What does the description tell you about the purpose, audience, form, and assessment of the writing? What strategies from this chapter would you use to get started? A recent writing assignment I completed was the personal essay about the most influential person in my life. The key words for the assignment were influential person, inspiration and learning. Since it was a personal essay the only restrictions was that names should not be used, although one could identify the relationship of the person to the writer. The option given was that in the event that one could not identify a person, then it could be a personal experience. The writing assignment implied that it was going to be a personal essay that the use of first person is allowed and that it was casual and emotional and the purpose is to share with readers a very personal part of my life. I would be able to use the brainstorming exercise, as well as the dialogue writing and how to convey emotions in what we write.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Lines 928-994) :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Lines 928-994) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale that was written in the fourteenth century. It is an intriguing tale including romance, magic, action, and betrayal. The story opens with a Christmas celebration in which King Arthur refuses to eat until he hears a knightly tale or receives a challenge. The Green Knight enters the scene, and King Arthur receives his challenge. The challenge is a strike for a strike, and the prize is the Green Knight's axe. Sir Gawain is the noble knight who accepts the challenge, so at the same time the following year, he must find the Green Knight and keep his word. Throughout the tale, there are a number of mystical references that foreshadow the ending of the poem. The mystical aura of the Green Knight is the first hint of magic in the poem, but there are also other events suggesting that there is more to this tale than meets the eye. After a year, Sir Gawain begins his quest for the Green Knight. It is not an easy task, and he runs into a number of obstacles on his way. As Christmas Day nears, Sir Gawain "fear[s] for his default" (Norton 750) and prays that he can just hear mass on Christmas day. Almost instantaneously, he stumbles upon "a castle as comely as a knight could own, on grounds fair and green" (767-768), where he is welcomed kindly. The reader is given the impression that this is a magical castle because of its description and the fact that it appears out of nowhere. Furthermore, everyone in the castle appears to know that Sir Gawain is a great Knight of the Round Table, and he is welcomed heartily. Through these insignificant details, the author arouses suspicions within the reader, subtly hinting that this is not a normal castle. Sir Gawain's prayers are answered in the passage beginning at line 928. It is Christmas Eve, and the chaplains are ringing the church bells as the humble knight attends mass with the lord of the castle.

Ethical Decisions in the Ford Pinto Case Essay

In 1972 the national highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) put a price on life – $200 725 (adjusted for inflation). The Ford Motor Company used this data along with other statistical studies to determine the cost benefit of improving the safety of the Ford Pinto compared to the cost of loss of life. It was determined that the cost of the suggested improvements outweighed their benefits. This essay aims to address whether cost-benefit analysis is a legitimate tool and what role, if any, it should play in moral deliberation, especially when placing a monetary value on a human life. It also questions what responsibilities Ford had to its customers and what moral rights were in operation, as well as whether it would have made a difference if Ford customers knew about the decision. Discussion Cost-Benefit Analysis, is a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project for two purposes; firstly to determine if it is a sound investment (justification/feasibility and secondly, to see how it compares with alternate projects (ranking/priority assignment). It works by first defining the project and any alternatives; then identifying, measuring, and valuing the benefits and costs of each. (Benefit-cost analysis, 2007) The variables employed in Fords cost-benefit analysis were; the cost of making the safety changes to millions of vehicles, the statistics quoting quantity of deaths, injuries and vehicle damage , and lastly and most controversially, the total per fatality quoted by the NHTSA, being $200,275. The latter value is what is being questioned. What is the cost of a life? Can one even put a cost on a life? The Ford motor company factored the cost of life into the decision that safety improvements outweighed their benefits. Based on the above definition, however, cost benefit analysis was a legitimate tool, but for financial decisions only. If Ford had taken a utilitarian approach to the cost benefit analysis a better moral decision might have been made. Utilitarianism is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions (Shaw, 2009). The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few† – Spock It has also been defined as; firstly, the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority, and secondly, the doctrine that an action is right insofar as it promotes happiness, and that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct. (dictionary. com) Fords actions could be viewed as morally correct if argued that they benefited more people by offering cheap vehicle and increasing shareholders profits, than the few people that were killed or injured. But arguing that producing the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions(Shaw, 2009) Fords decision was morally wrong because the benefits and resulting happiness of people benefitting by their decision to sell precariously unsafe vehicles would pale in comparison to the unhappiness caused by a death. As was the case, many shareholders benefitted to the detriment of a few people. So the central question is; what is the value of a human life and can it be measured extrinsically as used in the analysis. Ford met their obligation to shareholders by focussing only on financial variables, but failed in its responsibility to customers in two ways; they neglected to factor in to their analysis the intrinsic value of human life and the impact to the many of their decisions, they also failed to inform customers of the nature of the defect which would most certainly have impacted consumer behaviour. The consumer’s right to life as well as their right to making informed decisions were undermined. If Ford had not neglected to inform their customers of the defect and thus allowed the customers to make informed decisions with regards to their products, the risk associated with the defect would have passed from Ford to the customer. Had the consumer been correctly informed, they would become responsible for any results stemming from the decision to purchase the vehicle, regardless of whether the cost savings had been passed on to them or not. Conclusion Cost-benefit analysis is a legitimate financial tool. As a tool for morality it is useful but flawed as a measure of assigning a value to human life and suffering. Ford had a responsibility to it customers to protect their interests or share information with them to protect their own (the consumers) interests, particularly the most important interest; their right to life. It would not have made a moral difference if Ford had passed the savings onto their consumers, as they would have encroached on their customer right to life and their right to make an informed decision.

Knowledge Management Essay

The purpose of this essay is to answer the questions from the â€Å"Tata Consultancy Services (India)† case study on pages 253-255 of Jashapara (2011) The discussion includes advice regarding a strategic alliance with Cisco. Two of the key elements of this case study which are discussed are describing the current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services with an approach to knowledge management and the improvements that are made to eliminate these weaknesses. In the discussion, strategic alliance is explained by definition and examples are provided as well to justify. The advice to knowledge management issues has been discussed. The planning and concepts are communicated and a detailed answer is written to discuss facts with the use of external sources and these have been referenced. Towards the end after all the points been considered, improvements with the linking to knowledge management have been advised. Contents Introduction3 Background3 Objectives3 Scope4 Strategic alliances with Cisco4 Current weaknesses in TATA services5 Improvement on the weaknesses6 Conclusion8 References9 Introduction Background Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, business solutions and outsourcing organization that delivers real results to global businesses, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. Tata Consultancy Services is a leading global IT services, business solutions, and outsourcing company with offices in 35 countries and growing at over 30 percent in revenue terms for the last couple of years. One key challenge arising out of the rapid growth in people intensive business such as TCS has been ever-increasing demands on the IT infrastructure. (www.tcs.com) Cisco Systems is a large corporation that produces computer networking products and services. The Linksys brand of consumer networking products is also an owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems. (http://compnetworking.about.com) Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. It was decided by TCS that to expand their allegiances, they were to make a strategic alliance with Cisco without harming the long-term and short-term goals of each company. The aim of this essay is to provide a practical approach with clear guidance for TCS and decision makers in TCS. It shows how KM can enable an organization to respond effectively to the changing business background and achieve its strategic goals. Objectives The TCS-Cisco partnership has been active since 2003. This partnership focuses on go-to-market activities for a range of Cisco technologies, including the next generation datacenters (Cisco Unified Computing Systems), advanced networking, security and collaboration. It also focuses on  developing replicable go-to-market business solutions leveraging cutting-edge Cisco technologies like UCS, and TCS strengths in IT application services, IT infrastructure services and domain expertise in key industry verticals. (http://www.tcs.com) Scope Includes discussion of advice regarding a strategic alliance with Cisco Discussion includes explanation of strategic alliance and points are raised in relation to knowledge management. Continues to talk about the current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services approach to knowledge management. This section is helped by many examples from external resources. Finally solutions on how these weaknesses can be improved are been mentioned. Furthermore this section is supported by many examples and the examples have been referenced. Strategic alliances with Cisco Strategic alliance is an agreement for cooperation among two or more independent firms to work together toward common objectives. (http://www.businessdictionary.com) It is a preparation between two companies that have decided to share resources to undertake a specific, mutually beneficial project. A strategic alliance is less involved and less permanent than a joint venture, in which two companies typically pool resources to create a separate business entity. In a strategic alliance, each company maintains its autonomy while gaining a new opportunity. A strategic alliance could help a company develop a more effective process, expand into a new market or develop an advantage over a competitor, among other possibilities. (http://www.investopedia.com) Investopedia explains ‘Strategic Alliance’ For example, an oil and natural gas company might form a strategic alliance with a research laboratory to develop more commercially viable recovery processes. A clothing retailer might form a strategic alliance with a single clothing manufacturer to ensure consistent quality and sizing. A major website could form a strategic alliance with an analytics company to improve  its marketing efforts. (http://www.investopedia.com) Knowledge Management can make a significant difference between ongoing or successful ventures of any organization in a world of accelerating change. Knowledge Management provides the ability to connect and cooperate complex ideas efficiently and can be beneficial even to expand when using strategic alliances. To make Knowledge Management work in an organization it must be grounded in the realities of the business needs and drivers, and aligned to the delivery of organizational objectives, which this case TCS requires for the expansion of their organization. It should not be seen as an optional or marginal activity but as part of the organizational essential need, embedded in their business process, which is highly relevant in their solutions. Current weaknesses in TATA services Strategic alliance can cause major problems if not handled properly. As part of the start of the alliance, TCS have to incorporate Cisco’s Data Centre technologies, with TCS’ industry-leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing. The practice will focus on helping customers develop next-generation virtualized data centers and achieve greater operational and energy efficiency. The companies will also explore new networking innovations to address the needs of large and small businesses for IT services. One of the main concerns was over the alignment of short term and long term goals of both organizations and the value of strategic alliance in the current downturn in global markets. Most staff will need training to adjust to the new systems. The two companies want to cooperatively come up with and supply information technology service solutions to clients that will help their businesses build next-generation data centers by taking advantage of the network as a platform. The two companies are spread out in a wide range of countries and due to this there are a lot of communication issues. Tata Consultancy plans to build a new technology practice focused on Cisco’s industry-leading data center networking and security solutions. The companies also announced the formation of a Cisco Technology Lab at the TCS campus in Chennai, India. These all add up to additional costs but have to be done to train staff into  the new systems Cisco and TCS have to develop solutions that meet the infrastructure and network requirements of global corporations. Both companies have to invest in skills development and training labs to provide an end-to-end solution to meet customer requirements. As part of the new practice, TCS will incorporate Cisco’s Data Centre 3.0 technologies, with TCS’ industry-leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing. The practice will focus on helping customers develop next-generation virtualized data centers and achieve greater operational and energy efficiency. The companies will also explore new networking innovations to address the needs of large and small businesses for IT services. â€Å"Customers are demanding greater dynamism from their IT infrastructure and application environment to address current challenges and to capitalize on opportunities whenever and wherever they emerge,† said Mr. N Chandrasekaran, chief operating officer and executive director of TCS. â€Å"This strategic alliance will take advantage of Cisco’s industry-leading data center networking soluti ons and TCS’ global network delivery model to help our customers increase the efficiency and agility of their IT operations.† (http://blog.topitconsultant.com) Also some concerns were about improving operational efficiency and productivity, enable business agility, and improve enterprise knowledge. Improvement on the weaknesses The two organizations came up with a lot of strategies, that is plan of action that channels the two organization’s resources so that it can effectively differentiate itself from competitors, accomplish distinctive goals, and achieve higher performance. Managers develop strategies based on the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and evaluation of opportunities and threats. The Managers primarily make decisions about the firm’s activities, and the development and allocation of resources devoted to these. The TCS-Cisco strategic alliance enables end-to-end IT infrastructure services, united with assurance services, and IT application services enabling seamless system integration of Cisco products. Cisco and TCS plan  to develop go-to-market solutions that meet the infrastructure and network requirements of global corporations. Both companies will invest in skills development and training labs to provide an end-to-end solution to meet customer requirements. Cisco has recognized the low-cost advantage of operating in India as well as high pool technology talent and expertise. Tata consultancy services already provide IT consultancy services to a large amount of countries. The company offers some of the most complex applications and next generation IT infrastructures in the world. Tata consultancy services’ in-depth knowledge of different business domains combined with its technological skills makes it a a very competent organization. One major improvement is that they use various strategies to improve knowledge management they use three main strategies or as they call it â€Å"the three pillars of knowledge management†, which are people, process and technology. In terms of people one of the key values is learning and sharing. The company has introduced three initiatives to promote a greater learning culture. First is the proactive employee engagement program which allows senior managers to have face to face meetings with employees across various functions and grades. The other initiative has promoted a share care grow culture and and encouraged individuals to advance their own ideas and resolve ideas at local level. Finally the last initiative was professional excellence role enhancement ownership culture personal growth employee and learning. Tata consultancy services has another training hub in addition to others as well to further train new recruits in different aspects of software engineering, quality systems and different technologies which is a major improvement. The training included soft-skills development such as leadership and teamwork. The trainers were drawn from different parts of the business with significant subject expertise and experience. Tata consultancy services have also made training centers overseas in line with its global expansion. Also Tata consultancy services have developed a number of ICT interventions to increase knowledge sharing. Some of the main improvements to help with the strategic alliance are to advance knowledge, learning, and skills development. Conclusion The purpose of this essay was to answer the questions from the â€Å"Tata Consultancy Services (India)† case study. The essay started by mentioning a short description of the history of the two companies. The discussion included advice regarding a strategic alliance with Cisco. Two of the key elements of this case study which were discussed. The current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services with an approach to knowledge management and the improvements that are made to eliminate these weaknesses have been mentioned In the discussion, strategic alliance was explained by definition and examples provided as well to justify. The advice to knowledge management issues has been discussed. The planning and concepts are communicated and a detailed answer is written to discuss facts with the use of external sources and these have been referenced. Towards the end after all the points been considered, improvements with the linking to knowledge management have been advised. As per the objectives of this essay, the current weaknesses in Tata Consultancy Services with an approach to knowledge management and the improvements that are made to eliminate these weaknesses are discussed. References . 2013. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.tcs.com/resources/Pages/filterResults.aspx?topic=Services_Consulting&type=Case%20Study. [Accessed 16 April 2013]. Cisco Systems – About Cisco Systems Networking. 2013. Cisco Systems – About Cisco Systems Networking. [ONLINE] Available at:http://compnetworking.about.com/od/cisconetworking/p/cisco-systems.htm. [Accessed 16 April 2013]. IT Consultants’ Blog at TopITconsultant.com . 2013. IT Consultants’ Blog at TopITconsultant.com . [ONLINE] Available at:http://blog.topitconsultant.com/category/TATA-Consultancy-Services.aspx. [Accessed 09 May 2013]. Mohammad Masrurul, M 2012, ‘An Overview of Strategic Alliance: Competitive Advantages in Alliance Constellations’, Advances In Management, 5, 12, pp. 22-31, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 9

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems Biologists have a system for not only distinguishing the animals, plants, and environments (habitats, communities) that make up the natural world but also for describing the complex interactions and relationships between them. The classification is hierarchical: Individuals belong to populations, which together form species, which exist within communities, which in turn thrive within specific ecosystems. Energy flows from one organism to another through these relationships, and the presence of one population influences the environment of another population. All in the Family A community is defined biologically as a set of interacting populations. It is often used to describe the dominant species within a certain area, say, the community of salamanders that lives along the banks of a mountain stream. A community is also the physical environment in which those salamanders thrive- commonly known as a habitat- in this case, a riparian community. Additional examples would be a desert community, a pond community, or a deciduous forest community. Just as organisms have specific properties that make them unique, such as size, weight, age, sex, and so forth, so too do communities. When conducting their studies, biologists and other scientists make note of the following characteristics: Diversity, or the number of species in the community. A community can also be described as being either densely or sparsely populated as a whole.Relative abundance, which refers to the abundance- or lack thereof- of a species within a community with respect to the abundance of all the other species living in that community.Stability, or how much a community changes or remains static over time. These changes can occur because of internal or external factors, or a combination of both. The members of the community can remain stable and thrive in spite of the changes impacting their environment, or they can be ultra-sensitive to even the slightest changes. Community Relations The relationships between populations in a community are varied and may include both positive, negative, and mutually beneficial interactions. Examples of community-level relationships include competition (for food, nesting habitat, or environmental resources), parasitism (organisms that survive by feeding off a host organism), and herbivory (species who depend upon consuming local plant life to survive). These relationships often lead to changes in the genetic makeup of the population. For example, one or another genotype may be more successful due to certain community processes. The System as a Whole An ecosystem can be defined as all the interacting components of the physical and biological world. Thus, an ecosystem can encompass multiple communities. Keep in mind that drawing a line around a community or an ecosystem is not a clear matter either. Communities blend together, and there are gradients throughout nature, from one habitat to another- for instance, the oases that exist within desert environments, or the forests that line ocean shorelines in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Scandinavia. We can at best use the concepts of communities and ecosystems to organize our study and understanding of the natural world but are far from being able to assign exact boundaries to these concepts.

The Effects of Disasters on Turkeys Economic Development Term Paper

The Effects of Disasters on Turkeys Economic Development - Term Paper Example The country has an approximate population of 63million people, which is largely young and expanding. It is the largest in terms of landmass in the entire Western Europe region with its economy ranked as one of the largest emerging in the world at number sixteen. The World Bank recently rated the country’s economy among the ten promising ones that may join the top economies category of the world (World Bank 27). The country follows a liberal economic policy based on free market and international orientation principled and has maintained an average economic growth of more than 5% over the last two decades. The various sectors of the economy include industry, which is highly developed and the top driver of the economy with world –wide standards of production. It has several subsectors that include; iron and steel, glass and cement manufacture, sugar production, electronics and defence, agriculture machinery and inputs and textiles processing. The agriculture sector is also a leading foreign exchange earner besides making the country food reliant. It approximately accounts for up to 20% of the country’s GNP besides being one of the leading employers especially for the rural society. It was one of the hardest hit by the 1999 earthquakes leading to sharp decline in its contribution to the GDP, losing to the industrial sector.

Slavery by Another Name Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slavery by Another Name - Essay Example He uses real letters, and photos to pass the message to viewers of the film. It is evident that the film bases its topics on scholarly heritage, long-term experiences, and contributions of African. The documentary highlights that slavery was effectively considered only after the World War 2. The documentary also depicts themes such as forced labor that can be used by tutors’ in teaching students in the class. Slavery by Another Name is better since forced labor is a common topic practiced in the contemporary society; hence, still significant as subject to teach students (DeFore, 2012). The film is better than others to be added in the course since it has a unique and exceptional topic that analyses the historical events in America. It talks about new findings in American history since an individual has to involve in a thorough research to generate the topic. It is a summary and critique of the events that occurred amid the emancipation period and the end of the World War 2; therefore, making the documentary an outstanding one. Students learn that constitutions are not perfect, and some have mistakes since they are written by a human being. For example, the 13th Amendment of the constitution did not fully eliminate slavery; it had a clause that read ‘except as a punishment for a crime’ that gave room for the whites to arrest the blacks for petty mistakes made. Africans who escaped being arrested faced the wrath of paying debts (DeFore, 2012). Learners learn that racism is a negative factor in society and should not be practiced. Students learn that racism was the core reason for slavery. This knowledge will make them avoid practicing bigotry and advocate against it in the community.

Tibet Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tibet Civilization - Essay Example It was fused with imperialism and became the religion of the kings during the reign of Song Tsen Gampo who ruled from 617 AD to 650 AD. He married two Chinese princesses who were Buddhists. He had the holy book of Sutras translated into the Tibetan language and thus the common people were able to read and understand the Buddhist scriptures. In the 8th century, King Trisong Detsen brought in the great Buddhist scholars from India, Pandit Shantarakshita, Kamalasila and Padmasambhava to spread the word of Lord Buddha. The first spiritual community was set up as a Buddhist monastery in Samye. This helped the Indian version of Buddhism to be established in Tibet and not the Chinese version. In 842 AD, King Lang Dharma persecuted Buddhists and tried to uproot the religion as he tried to bring back the original Bon religion. By 978, during the reign of King Yeshe, Buddhism was revived and with the help of Indian pundits, Buddhism was brought back as the official religion. According to Smith (2001, p. 45-49), final product of Buddhism was a combination of Mahayana Buddhism and the Tantric movement. Mahayana actually began as a splinter group from the Buddhist Mahasangha and it prescribed a more liberal monastic tradition and attitude for the followers. The followers of Buddhism were used to the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and they had notions of heroes, evil sprits, good, bad and other folklore. Accordingly, Lord Buddha was represented as different godlike Buddha images in different stages. With this belief came the adherence to sutras that are holy utterances and scriptures. Tantras are holy scriptures and writings that explain the process of enlightenment through rebirths and the endless wheel of life. Tantra was practiced by the Siddhi, the expert who knows the secrets of Buddhism. The most important of the sutras are Prajà ±aparamita also called as the Perfection of Wisdom; Suddharma-pundarika or the true Dharma; Vimalakirti-nirdesha or

Implement capital investment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Implement capital investment - Assignment Example The 20% that remains is the known as the reserve and is held by the factor. The face value of the borrower and reserve difference is the amount that the borrower gets. Factoring is quick and has been adopted by many companies to help them meet their capital investment plans (Alternatives to Loans, n.d.). Mostly referred to as new corporate ATMs, Hedge fund lenders have been the choice for many companies especially the high-risk firms. The size of the loan offered depends on the quality of the pitch that the borrower will make. Due diligence is used to determine whether or not to lend. With Hedge fund, lenders access to money is quick. Companies have turned to merchant cash advance to get money so as to implement their capital investment plans. Merchant cash advance give companies’ cash advanced based on the corporation’s monthly credit card transactions. It best suits companies with high monthly credit card transactions (Alternatives to Loans, n.d.). In some cases, a company may require selling some of the assets that are less useful to the company. In other instances, it may lease out some of its assets at a favorable price. The income obtained will help in the implementation of the capital investment

Leadership Within Pixar Animation Studios

Leadership Within Pixar Animation Studios Pixar(2010) Pixar is an American animation production company based in California, United States. The company was started in the year 1979 as the part of the computer division of Lucasfilm and was bought by The Walt Disney Company in the year 2006. The company during its 17 years of existence has delivered several movies that has redefined the world of visual technology and animation. Pixar is known for its some of the basic values that form the foundation of its unbeatable success. People at Pixar are extremely talented and there exists an open collaboration among people coming from multiple disciplines. However, a formal structure is followed at the company where it is necessary for every member to ensure enhancement of three inter-related facets of the business, namely, leadership, process and accountability. Leadership is taken very seriously at Pixar and it is ensured that leaders are able to tune their communications, and value the vision of the organization and come up with the ability to provide lots of ideas (Jeremy, 2010) Managers as well as workers of the enterprise have the freedom of expression so that their vision and ideas can be communicated freely that helps the organization to come up with innovative ideas ensuring a sustainable position in the market (Morris, Jeremy, 2010). Another important element of Pixars environment refers to its collaborative approach towards work. It is fine to have talented people hired in the company, but it is equally important to make these people work in a motivated manner towards achievement of organizational goals (Milter and Matveev, 2004). At Pixar, everyone is made to understand that his/her success lies in the success of all other members. This helps in moving in a collaborative manner to ensure that everyone working in the company succee ds. The team spirit at Pixar helps in development o fold hires and new hands in a similar fashion with a healthy respect for each other resulting in an environment of credibility and trust prevailing throughout the organization. Apart, from these two elements, accountability forms the foundation of the working environment at Pixar. Leaders and managers at Pixar follow a clear line of accountability that helps them in seeking ways to improve themselves. Every project is headed by a Director/Producer duo, to whom all members of the project are accountable. These directors and producers are in turn accountable to leaders of the company and have the opportunity to utilize the experience and knowledge of senior filmmakers who are the part of top management of the company. In short, Pixar follows a highly structured process aims at fostering a meaningful collaboration resulting in a culture that comprise of value for ability and contribution of others. Cultural Analysis Before going for a discussion on cultural analysis, we need to understand the meaning of culture in a proper manner. Various scholars and academicians have given several definitions for culture. Formally, culture has been defined as a pattern of shared beliefs that were developed by a group during the process of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. Martin (2002) explained that everyone knows about the groups, organizations, and societies in which certain beliefs and values prevail at cross purposes with the beliefs of others, resulting in a condition where conflicts and ambiguity prevails in a high degree. This is often the result of insufficient stability prevailing among members, insufficient shared history of experience, or the presence of several subgroups with difference in their personal experience s (Thorngate, 2004). Many a times conflicts and ambiguity also results because of the fact that an individual is not a part of a single groups but belongs to several different groups and this has an impact on the assumptions and beliefs that one brings to a particular group and is influences by the assumptions that re appropriate to some other groups to which an individual belong. Khan (2005) argued that it is necessary that people are matched with the organization in order to ensure success of the company. There is a set of collective rules through which a company operates, which is termed as the culture of the organization. (Conolly, 2008) explained that employees of the enterprise should be well aware of their workplace that will clearly define appropriate and inappropriate behavior. In the present paper, an analysis of cross-cultural issues arising out of the merger of The Walt Disney and Pixar will be undertaken. It makes it necessary to understand the meaning of cross-cultural analysis. Under a cross-cultural analysis, an investigation is made into the ways through which people coming from different backgrounds communicate with each other. Whenever any merger takes place there is an amalgamation of the culture of the two organizations participating in the merger (Stening, 2002). Here several cross-cultural issues may arise because of the interaction of people coming from two different groups with different background, beliefs, values and functions. Cross-cultural analysis thrives to harness the utilitarian function of culture in order to use it as a mode of increasing the adaptation of people and bringing an improvement in patterns of communication (Nigel, 2001). It is one of the discipline of international management that focus on cultural encounters, aiming at discovery of methods that can be adopted to handle cultural differences that often give rise to conflicts, ambiguity and miscommunication. There are several different models that can be used to conduct a cross-cultural analysis. Various models includes those suggested by Hawkins (1992), Terpstra and Sarathy (2000), Hofstede (1994), and Wills (1991). The framework suggested by Hawkins and Terpstra are similar in nature and explains some of the common elements such as values, education and learning, social status and organization. Hawkins has tried to approach culture from the perspective of a consumer lifestyle, while Terpstra approaches culture in somewhat wider contexts. Thus, it is much more easy to use the model suggested by Terpstra and Sarathy. In addition, Hofstedes model will be used to understand the various dimensions of culture that are based upon individualism, power distance, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. Wills (1991) considered learning as the key element of their model of culture. This will explain the basic idea of culture at Pixar as after the merger with The Walt Disney, the major aim of the co mpany was to establish Pixar as a learning organization. The dimensions of learning are used to consider a model of cross-cultural analysis suggesting a relationship between high/low context of a culture and the rate at which new products are adapted. In addition, it is to be noted that culture and leadership are interconnected. These are viewed as the two sides of the same coin, in that leaders first create cultures when they create groups and organizations (Edgar, 2004). Once cultures exists they determine the criteria for leadership and thus determine who will or will not be a leader. The unique function of leadership helps in managing the existing culture in case the elements of a culture becomes dysfunctional. Leadership also manages evolution of culture and change in such a way that the group is able to thrive in a changed environment also (Bal, 1999). Thus, it is right to say that it is necessary to understand the culture both for group members as well as for their leaders. The cultural analysis in relation to leadership roles will also be discussed and analyzed for Pixar. Cross Cultural Issues at Pixar The Walt Disney acquired Pixar with the view that Pixar would be able to bring some creativity to Disney, which had lost the luster in its animation. However, various major factors of the success of a merger were recognized by both the parties and they emphasized on The concept of transformational leadership and the importance of its existence for the success of the merger Creating a new strategic vision and mission for the new organization that is shared by both the parties to the merger Developing and maintaining learning teams resulting in fostering a learning environment throughout the organization. Creating and maintain a learning culture throughout the merged organization. Pixar is well known for its culture of collective creativity. Management think in a way to build capability to recover when some failures occur and not in the direction of preventing the risk. It is believed that smart people are more important as compared to good ideas (Catmull, 2008). The company aims at enhancing the power of creative people and builds a creative culture on the foundation of active feedback among peers. An open culture and communication prevails in the organization where people at all levels support each other and help each other to turn out their best (Catmull, 2008). All members of the organization respect each other and there are very rare cases of any unhealthy conflicts with groups having considerable problem-solving powers that act as an inspiration to be creative and innovative. However, with the merger of Pixar with The Walt Disney, the culture of the two organizations also merged and then arouse several cross-cultural issues that could have resulted in a failure of the merger if not managed properly (Haspeslagh, 2006). The Walt Disney is characterized with a highly regimented culture while Pixar is known for its unique, free-spirited, independent work dynamic culture (Lam; Chi and Lee, 2007). The successful combination of these two totally different cultures was the hallmark for the success of the merger. In case Disney would have made any attempt to get the people of Pixar work under pressure to generate efficiencies, even though the way of increasing its productivity or bringing about an elimination of the overlapping support positions, would have resulted in high rates of turnover with skilled employees leaving the Disney Pixar (Lam and Lee). It is to be noted that many a time sin such highly skilled industries such as animation and communication, people are allowed to let go because of skill gap. However, it is the issue of cultural gap that makes most of the skilled people switch companies frequently in animation and communicat ion industry (Keating, 2006). It is the clear understanding of magnitude of synergies that makes the mergers successful. Analysis of the cross-cultural issues at Disney Pixar As discussed in the previous section, to manage cross-cultural issues at Disney Pixar, management concentrated on four important elements of transformational leadership, shared vision, learning team and learning culture. These elements and Disney Pixars approach to these are discussed as follows: Transformational Leadership at Disney Pixar It is necessary that an organization have transformational leaders in order to develop creative thinking and problem solving to foster organizational growth. Transformational leaders are those who lead through social exchange. They help their followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group and the larger organization (Riggo and Bernard, 2008). It is the elements that can encourage organizations to develop and change more rapidly so as to be able to meet challenges of dynamic and competitive environments. Disney Pixar followed the approach of defining and developing the transformational leadership. The company decided to follow the approach in order to make employees easily adapt the new culture, which is a mix of the cultures of two organizations. It is believed that creative powers come from creative leadership (Riggo, 2008). It is so because effective leadership helps in effective development of support structures, the necessary resources and access to the experience and knowledge of the top management of the organization. At Pixar, access to the brain trust of the organization was easy for all individuals because of its independent and free-spirit culture. However, it was for Disneys culture to adopt this key feature in order to be successful in the competitive environment. Transformational leadership was chosen as a route to achieve this objective and make Disney Pixar a learning organization. Shared Strategic Vision Another key element ensuring the success of a merger is the sharing of a shared vision of goals and objectives by the merging organization. This helps in providing proper guidance and reducing the anxieties and uncertainties associated with the process of merger. It is necessary in case of a merger to develop an environment of learning throughout the organization. This is possible only if there is an availability of diverse learning teams that are led by leaders who are sharing a common strategic vision. An organization is able to create a sustainable competitive advantage through such a process (Jemison, 2006). This further makes it easy to manage the increasing complexities associated with economies of scale and then competitors find it more difficult to copy a companys operational methods (Janik, 2006). As explained by Gill (2010), managing through a shared vision proves to be much more productive as compared to the management done through coercion or control. Creation of a shared vision refers to the process where a consensus has to be achieved on the direction of the group and on the desired results. The basic aim is to make the members of a team approach their work with aim of achieving same goals for the future and being guided by same principles. A shared vision is also necessary for developing and fostering learning and change in an organization. In the case of Disney Pixar, a formal team of leaders was created in order to integrate the two companies. Among these steps, the Vice President of Pixar was appointed as the chief creative officer of Disneys and Pixars animation studios. Despite of his having the authority to green light films for both the studios, the ultimate authority to approve rested in the hands of Disneys CEO. The main aim was to maintain the Pixars culture. However, it is not enough to develop teams of leaders. It is necessary that leading teams emerge throughout the organization and leaders try to develop learning of each and every individual about the new cultural values, mission and vision of the organization and the objectives for which the various operations are being carried out in the organization (Gancel and Rodgers, 2002). Every individual is required to have a commitment towards the strategic vision of the merger. There is a need of combining the best skills as two organizations to enhance the shar ing of the strategic vision and avoid any cultural issues. Developing Team Learning At Pixar, it is believed that providing freedom to take decisions helps in development of teams. People are given full chance to be creative and use their ideas in order to learn from their success or failures. The cofounder of Pixar and his executives gives tremendous authority to their directors. All decision-making authority rests in the hands of teams and no single individual is considered as a decisions making authority. The rule is that the opinions and advice received from the brain trusts of directors will be used only as an advice and directors have full authority to refuse their suggestions if it does not fit their plans. However, Disney having a tight control culture, followed an approach where corporate executives micromanage by keeping tight control over budgets and entering in the departments to take final creative decisions. These two different approaches resulted in several cultural issues after the merger. Many of the key employees left the company because of Disneys dominating cultural values. Ed Catmull, the cofounder of Pixar had recently changed his vision to build the organization where everyone work in the direction of creating a magic even when the directors and cofounders are gone (Prokesh, 2008). This called for a strong transition in the culture of the organization where executives were expected to do something of themselves even when people carrying out the organization were not there. Same was expected out of Disney, and unfortunately Disneys staff lacked the spirit and failed to develop a strong learning approach towards their work. Creating a Learning Culture Traditionally, organizations used to follow a top to down bureaucratic, controlled and narrow approach to management. This approach used to limit the learning process in the organization. In case of a learning organization, new directions of growth and development can be identified and recognized that makes it possible to handle challenges and problems. In todays competitive global era, diversity and cross-cultural complexities have become the synonymous to the challenges that a business organization face while improving their operational efficiency. Disney Pixar failed to recognize the method through which an organization can turn into a learning organization (Keating, 2006). The process is being undertaken successfully at Pixar through developing relationships and recognizing the fact that talent is rare and thus its retention is essential. Ed Catmull believes that the assumptions of the organization must be constantly challenged and the search for flaws that can destroy the culture of the organization should not stop throughout the operations of the organization. However, the process could not be undertaken successfully at Disney Pixar and resulted in several cultural issues. The new company was unable to keep Pixars talent together as there were vast differences between the cultural values and working styles of the two companies (Haspeslagh, 2006). Management was not successful in creating a learning culture throughout the organization and the unionized culture of Disney may not successfully coexist with non-unionized culture of Pixar. Recommendations Disney Pixar has failed at many levels while making the merger successful. The company has taken strong steps to initiate learning in the organization but it is doubtful whether such learning will be institutionalized throughout the organization. Some recommendations to foster learning and avoid any cultural clashes are discussed as follows: A utilization of differences can be made through the use of matrix strategy. This will help in finding a perfect balance between the competencies of managers of both the companies. In addition communication plays an important role in managing cultural differences (Lodorfos, 2006). Leaders should allow open communication and integration between team members as well as between teams to ensure smooth flow of knowledge and information. This will help in people from both the organization understand each others values, beliefs and working style resulting in more respect for each others culture (Harding and Rouse, 2006). Treating the partner company members with respect is the key to the success of a merger. Additionally, formal as well as informal training should be provided to the employees of Disney in order to adjust themselves with the open and free culture of Pixar. The decision making authority should not rest in the hands of few authorities and managers must be delegated more and mo re decision making power as in case of Pixar. Furthermore, Disney and Pixar studios are kept separate in order to reduce the complications. However, it is advised to design a single studio where a combined set of values coming from the combination of the ideas of both the companies should be fostered to ensure success of the merger. This is so because keeping the two parts of the Disney-Pixar merger as separate organizations can create the conditions for separation in future. Such a separation will result in more differences on account of cultural values and style of leading to more clashes and conflicts among the individuals of two companies. Disney-Pixar should aim at developing a learning organization through efficient flow of information and knowledge throughout the organization in order to be successful in future. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that proper management of cultural differences is one of the key factors in success of a merger. Todays business environment is characterized with an increasing number of organizations desiring to avail the advantage of globalization. Many of the companies take the route of mergers and acquisitions to achieve the objective. Many of such mergers fail due to cultural clashes among people of different organizations. Each of the merged company is required to integrate the corporate cultures of their organizations. It is the leadership style, management styles and communication lines that are necessary to be developed and managed in order to be successful in managing cross-cultural issues. It is evident that there is always a possibility of cross-cultural issues in case of a merger that cannot be avoided at any cost. However, it is possible to manage these issues through developing the organizations into a learning organization in order to fo ster knowledge sharing throughput the organization resulting a in a successful merger.