Article analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article analysis - Essay Example During that period of First World War, some German military men were against the Nazism and some central and eastern parts of Europe were still against Nazism and this was the reason why there was need to eliminate the Jews. The emergence of radical activists Fredrich Meinecke and Gerhard Ritter, politicians who came unopposed since the First World War had blown completely and the need to rebuild German through the leadership of Hitler opened the way for the type of demagogic politics that led Hitler into power. After Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany by the president of Weimar Republic, the European problem of the degradation of politics started. 1933 to 1945 was the period when Nazi government came to power under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and his party National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). During this period, Germany was transformed into a fascist totalitarian state and it had the right to control nearly all aspects of life. In the eyes of non specialists, Nazism was termed as war and genocide, with war one means that this was unparalleled barbarity that the Nazi launched to the citizens and this was especially to those who were from central and Eastern Europe. By genocide one thinks of mass destruction of the European Jews who were murdered and the killings associated with Hitler. Nazism’s uniqueness was Hitler and this was pure and simple since of atrocities the Jews passed on (Moshe 36). The Nazi party was the only political party that was allowed and others were eliminated and consolidated their power. All the power was under Hitler’s power and his word was above all laws. All the people wh o deemed undesirable were persecuted or even murdered and any opposition to Hitler’s rule was suppressed by any means. All the liberals and those who opposed communism were killed, imprisoned and this made the citizens to move to exile. Christian churches were

Transgender Response Essay Example for Free

Transgender Response Essay Watching these videos, I feel very sorry for Jazz. It must be very hard especially around age eleven when boys start coming into your life and you want to date. I would never guess that she is a boy, she looks nothing like one and she acts nothing like a boy. That has to be a lot of stress on Jazz and her family. Her family wants her to be happy and love herself and Jazz seems to be dealing with it well. It makes sense that Jazz is obsessed with mermaids, because mermaids have tails and not boy or girl genitals. Jazz is very strong! She has told her friends her situation and is not ashamed of it. I do not know why other kids would want to kill Jazz for being transgender, what does it make a difference for them. Jazz’s parents deal with the situation so great; it is unbelievable how strong Jazz is even though she is half boy half girl and that could cause a lot of psychological problems within her. It seems to me it does not bother her at all, and she does not need help overcoming the fact that she looks and acts like a girl, but has boy genitals. I would assume that many people with this gender identity problem could be depressed and feel like they are a reject and do not belong in the world. In my high school there was a girl who was very short and very overweight who looked like a boy but was a girl. She was not in my grade so I never spoke to her, but in the halls she was always very mean. She had a gender identity problem we found out and I guess that was why she was such an angry person. She was mad at the world because everyone around her was normal while she had a problem going on inside of her. I completely understand why she was like that, yet other kids I do not think did and made fun of her. Her being so mean though, made kids mean back. I never understood why people who were loners in school always were so mean when you tried to talk to them and make them feel welcomed. I guess they thought we were talking to them out of sympathy but still, they should not be mean for no reason. Jazz will soon have to make a decision whether she wants to keep her male genitals or change them to women genitals. I would assume she is going to get women genitals since she did turn into a girl with the hormones and mental part of it already. She is a beautiful little girl who will have no problems finding a boyfriend when the time comes. It is very surprising that even at age eleven, she tells the boys she talks to that she is transgender! I feel like if I had this happen to me, I would not be that upfront about it and would only tell the boy when I thought things were getting serious enough to have to tell them. It is very sad that people make fun of her about the YouTube video she posted. There is no reason for kids to dislike her because she is transgender. She still has the same heart and soul and same qualities. If I was the parent, I would be torn that my child has to go through all of this but you must stay strong for your child. That is what Jazz’s parents are doing. They are staying positive and have no doubts that everything will work out great for Jazz in her future. I envy Jazz’s strength and hope for the future because just watching the short videos showed me how good I have it!

Essay --

â€Å"Minister’s Black Veil† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† both written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, are representations of sin that linger in our world. Mr. Hooper, the minister, has secret sin and wears a black veil over his face until the moment he dies, while Young Goodman Brown walks alongside the devil himself. Through these two dark and somewhat uncomfortable story lines, we can see how evil affects these two men and how their view of the world changed after their encounter with sin. Hawthorne uses dark and mysterious settings to explain how evil lingers everywhere and any man could be a victim of its psychological effects, which could dramatically change his character. In both short stories, Hawthorne uses tone and characters to show the nature of evil. In â€Å"Minister’s Black Veil,† Hawthorne creates a scene where the minister shows up to a wedding with the black veil. The presence of sin symbolized by a simple object â€Å"portends nothing but evil to the wedding.† A ceremony so sacred and pure, and blessed by God, can be contaminated with the dark existence of evil. Similarly, words such as â€Å"dark,† â€Å"awful,† â€Å"evil,† â€Å"shudder,† and â€Å"wicked† are used throughout both stories and show how evil lingers everywhere we go. Along with tone, Hawthorne uses characters to show how evil works within us. The old man with the staff in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† can be interpreted as the devil. Like all evil, the devil tempts and torments us. The old man uses his staff, frequently referred to as a serpent, to tempt Young Goodman Brown, in the same way that the ser pent tempted Adam and Eve in to eating the apple of good and bad, as told in the Bible. Evil not only lingers in all places, but also works its way into everyone. The victims of evil in b... ...at the minister and young man experience ins the two short stories causes psychological discomfort and change in character. Hawthorne wrote the â€Å"Minister’s Black Veil† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† to display the nature of evil. He uses dark words and mysterious and uncomfortable settings to show the presence of evil lingering everywhere. The two stories display how evil is capable of attacking anyone, no matter how righteous and innocent he/she seems to be. Knowledge of evil and people’s sins can have a significant psychological effect on an individual, which can change his/her character entirely. In our world today, we encounter many trials concerning evil and sin each day. Even the people we love so dearly could be a victim, without us knowing, like Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith. The nature of evil works its way into every human being; it is inevitable.

Symbols and Abstractions in Kafka’s “the Metamorphosis”

Symbols and Abstractions in Kafka's â€Å"The Metamorphosis† â€Å"The Metamorphosis† is a unique and intricate novella by Franz Kafka. It is peculiar in any work for the main character to wake up as an insect in the first line of the story. Kafka's symbolism is unlike most authors who use symbolism to relate to the theme of the story; Kafka tends to focus the reader's attention on a single character which symbolizes his life. His uses of bizarre symbols make the reader question, â€Å"What does Kafka mean through this symbol? The interpretations of these symbols differ between readers yet all seem to represent how life is destroyed when people focus is on existence alone. To fully appreciate the symbols and abstractions in his works, it is important for the reader to have knowledge of the author's history to understand the reasoning behind the story. As observed in â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† there are many similarities between Frank Kafka and his protagonist, Gr egor Samsa. Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of Bohemia. His father, Hermann Kafka, was described by Kafka himself as â€Å"a true Kafka in strength, health, appetite, loudness of voice, eloquence, self-satisfaction, worldly dominance, endurance, presence of mind, [and] knowledge of human nature †¦ â€Å". (Nervi) Admitted to the Charles University of Prague, Kafka first studied chemistry, but switched after two weeks to law. This offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. He later was hired at an Italian insurance company, where he worked for nearly a year. His correspondence, during that period, witnesses that he was unhappy with his late shift working schedule as it made it extremely difficult for him to concentrate on his writing. Later, he resigned, and two weeks later found more congenial employment with the Worker's Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia. However, he did not show any signs of indifference towards his job, as the several promotions that he received during his career prove that he was a hard working employee. In parallel, Kafka was also committed to his literary work. (Nervi) Gregor Samsa, the insect, and Kafka share many similarities. It is known that Kafka and the insect share professions as a traveling salesman, with Gregor working to pay off his father's debt to the company. Gregor is impeded by his physical attributes, while Kafka is likewise impeded by his career, unable to pursue his will to be a fulltime writer. Kafka took his profession to the satisfaction of his father, and he remained employed there for several years against his will. Likewise, Gregor hates his work as a salesman; however his motivation to return following his transformation can be attributed to the fact that he is his family's only source of income, and he is proud to be able to provide for his mother, father, and sister, Grete. He aspires to one day send his sister to the conservatory to study violin. Gregor is put under heavy weight by his family, especially by his father. He feels the burden he places on the family and tries to disappear by hiding under the sofa. As the story continues, Gregor is confined to his room under his family command to prevent the family from embarrassment. He is hidden and devoid of human contact. The relation between Kafka's isolation from his family can be related to Gregor, who leads his life under his father's will, leading to the emotional rift between Kafka and his father. This becomes obvious during a passage in the story where Gregor emerges from the confinement of his room, only to be chased around the kitchen and pelted with apples by his father, leaving Gregor wounded and eventually infected. This pain and anguish experienced by Gregor can be abstracted as the grief Kafka underwent in dealing with his father and his father cannot recognize or understand Gregor his son in this state. Though remorse follows the incident, the damage has been done and it will only be a matter of time until his death. For the remainder of his life, Gregor realizes he no longer has worth or serves purpose. In death, the burden of Gregor on the family has been lifted, and in a strange, twisted way, his family is relieved and moves forward happily and comfortably. Like his character, Kafka dies at a young age, alone. Even the title, â€Å"The Metamorphosis† can be abstracted metaphorically, not only through the main character's physical changes, but between different characters. For Gregor, it is conveyed in the first sentence that Gregor has been transformed from a human to a roach-like insect, yet the internal metamorphosis Gregor experiences is a progression from the beginning to the end of the story. The metamorphosis is gradual. As Gregor's condition worsens, he is unable to support his family, is unable to communicate with them, and his speech becomes completely unintelligible. The theme, similar to Kafka's life, is of the suffering protagonist. Grete, too, changes. Early in the novella she seeks guidance and support from Gregor. However, by the conclusion of the story she has â€Å"blossomed† into â€Å"a beautiful and voluptuous young woman,† completing her metamorphosis. Throughout this writing, the theme of oneness between the main character and Kafka is obvious. Kafka uses symbolic metaphors and abstractions in â€Å"The Metamorphosis† to represent himself and his life. Similarities between the family, occupation, alienation, and death are shared nearly identically between Kafka and Gregor. In conclusion, there are too many parallelisms in Kafka's â€Å"The Metamorphosis† to dismiss as coincidence, and the character and life of Gregor Samsa are surely a representation of the author, Kafka, and his life. Works Cited Nervi, Mauro; Kafka's Life (1883-1921). 12 March 2006. The Kafka Project. 18 May 2009. .

Portfolio Analysis of Square

Case Study: Portfolio Analysis of Square Toiletries LimitedPrepared by: Fatin Khandoker Ashraful Hassan Ashik Towhida Tasnim Rukhsar Sanjaree Nawaz Jafrin Ahmed Adiba Square is a well-renowned brand in Bangladesh. It provides a wide range of markets with various products and services. It operates various sectors and one of them being Square Toiletries Limited. The Boston Consulting Group Approach (BCG Matrix) is the method by which a company identifies what makes up their portfolio. BCG Matrix helps to process the portfolio and analyze its product’s attractiveness. The company can then decide whether to refrain from or invest into the product or brand. In this case, Square Toiletries Limited is represented by four brands in four different markets. They are Meril Splash in the beauty soap market, Chaka in the washing powder market, Freshgel in the toothpaste market and finally Senora in the sanitary napkin market. As assigned by the Square Toiletries Limited, our analysis of the given products in relation to the BCG Matrix is given below: On the vertical axis, the market growth rate provides a measure of attractiveness. On the horizontal axis, the relative market share serves as a measure of company strength in the market. STAR: Square Toiletries Limited has a sanitary napkin under which comes the brand ‘Senora’. Senora holds 60% of the market share in terms of volume, which is much higher than any other competitive sanitary napkin brands in the market. It also has a high market growth. Senora can be considered as a star product of Square Toiletries Limited as it has both a high market growth as well as a high share in the market. Thus Senora requires a high amount of investment to ustain their attractiveness in the market as its competitors are international brands. CASH-COWS: In the matrix shown on the previous page, Chaka washing-powder can be considered the cash-cows of Square Toiletries Limited. Cash-cows are low-growth, high-share businesses or products. Chaka comprises 9% of the total market share in Bangladesh. It cannot compete with the likes of Wheel which controls a whopping 40% of the market share. Chaka however can compete with its local rivals such as Keya (6% market share), Tibet (9% market share) among others. It is an established and successful SBU which doesn’t require much investment. Chaka earns a lot of cash which can be used to pay for the expenses of the business and support other SBUs needing investment. QUESTION MARKS: Meril Splash, a product of Square Toiletries Limited has a market share of 6% in the highly growing beauty-soap market. Compared to other brands like Lux, which has the most customers and an extremely high market share of 60%, Meril Splash has a very low market share. As a matter of fact, Meril Splash can be considered under the ‘Question Marks’ category since they are low-share business units in high-growth market. This brand will require a lot of investment to hold its share in the market. So the management needs to make a very wise decision about investing further in this product and take the risk to turn it into a ‘star’ or should it be phased out. DOGS: Unlike its business compatriots, Freshgel, a toothpaste brand from Square Toiletries Limited has a very low market share of just 2%. This category of product has low market growth. Hence in the BCG matrix, it can be considered a ‘dog’. It is categorized as such because it has both a low market share and a low market growth rate. Therefore Square Toiletries Limited should stop investing in Freshgel as it does not promise to produce a large source of cash. Eventually Freshgel should be closed down. By focusing and working properly on such aspects of the business, Square Toiletries can become a money-making machine.

How to Use the French Expression Jen Ai Ras le Bol

How to Use the French Expression Jen Ai Ras le Bol If youre a French speaker and youre frustrated, you might find yourself exclaiming, Jen ai ras le  bol! This informal phrase can be used to express everything from general discontent to extreme frustration, depending on how its used in conversation.   Expression: Jen ai ras le bol!Pronunciation: [zha(n) nay ra l(eu) buhl]Meaning: Im sick of it! Im fed up! Ive had it up to here!Literal translation: I have a bowl full of it.Register: informalNotes: The French expression jen ai ras le bol doesnt specify what your bowl is full of, but its probably safe to assume that its aggravation, frustration, or one of their close cousins.   Ras-le-bol can also serve as an exclamation indicating that enough is enough, or as a noun referring to general dissatisfaction. Examples   Ã‚  Ã‚  Il pleut depuis deux semaines, et jen ai ras le bol  !  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its been raining for two weeks, and Im sick of it!  Ã‚  Ã‚  Le ras-le-bol à ©tudiant augmente depuis des annà ©es.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Student unrest has been on the rise for years. Synonymous Expressions (informal): Jen ai marre, Jen ai assez, Jen ai ma claque, Jai ma dose, Jen ai plein le dos, Jen ai plein les bottes, Jen ai ras la casquette(normal register): Je ne peux plus le supporter, La coupe est pleine More Expressions with avoirExpressions with enMost common French phrases

How Banksys graffiti art has been received by critics and art reporters

How Banksys graffiti art has been received by critics and art reporters Banksy the self styled British graffiti artist has produced works that have over the past few years been the subject of critical acclaim. His politically inspired artwork has gone ahead to attract millions of dollars at auctions and his pseudonymous character has made him a modern legend.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How Banksy’s graffiti art has been received by critics and art reporters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More His work has attracted more attention from critics and art reporters than all other graffiti artists in history. Various articles and books have been written about his work and published all around the world. This essay seeks to illustrate some of the responses that Banksy’s work has received from critics and reporters alike. To this end, various articles will be analyzed and the opinions of the authors extracted. Jonathan Jones hails Banksy as the artist of our time1. He de scribes his following as cult like encompassing people from all walks of life ranging from millionaire bankers to young book buyers. From the way he carries out his work, Jones labels Banksy a guerilla conceptualist whose humor works effectively both in the streets and in galleries. He however sees Banksy’s humor as too one dimensional and dark-sided to last long in a museum gallery and attributes this to the fact that Banksy did not go to college. In his review, Jones analyzes the features that make Banksy’s work appeal to a wide audience. First is the fact that Banksy is talented and not merely someone who got into the trade as a matter of necessity. His stencil method also makes his work clearly distinct from the works of other graffiti artists and he is able to work on a variety of themes. In the same article, the critic also attributes Banksy’s success to the fact that he is a comic artist as compared to fellow graffiti artists most of whom happen to be tra gedists. According to Jones, the use of humor in Banksy’s work has helped catapult him to the level of a modern day radical with an impressive following by people who are against the state1. While analyzing Banksy’s work, he compares it with the work of Cartrain. He claims that Banksy’s work has a certain level of insincerity that can be mistaken for sophistication unlike Cartrain who spends time to give his work meaning. He (Jones) thinks that Banksy does not put much thought into his work and just speaks out his mind on impulse to the extent that his work loses the darkness associated with the underground culture1. Banksy’s work is seen by Jones to be mild with a welcoming familiarity. Jones also claims that the conservationist style used by Banksy is a display of laziness and that his work does not deserve the incredible attention it has been receiving from the public. In concluding the review, the critic denounces Banksy’s creations as works of art and generally sees the rise of Banksy as the fall of art1.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Joanne Phillips in her article What we can learn from Banksy describes Banksy’s work as witty2. She sees this in how he uses opportunities that present in the form of the physicality of a site. For instance, she supports her claim â€Å"that the idea behind making good work is in composition† by explaining how Banksy used a fire extinguisher filled with paint to create a commentary on the wall of a modernist building2. She goes ahead to claim that Banksy’s graffiti artwork makes an uninspiring place interesting. According to Joanne, it is easy for a viewer to decipher the underlying meaning in Banksy’s work. She cites his ‘Rats’ sequence and proceeds to explain the symbolism behind the art work. Joanne sees Banksy and other gr affiti artists as individuals who are committed to speaking on behalf of the voiceless public. â€Å"The graffiti writer aims to claim some space to give voice to those who they would see as the disenfranchised† 2. She sees the work of graffiti artists such as Banksy as being a direct response from the public to oppression coming from the system. She gives an example of his piece titled ‘Boring’ and describes it as Banksy’s review of the building on which it is painted. Joanne sees this as an impressive interaction of written text and landscape text resulting in a clear representation of the artist’s opinion. She regards Banksy’s artwork as one that communicates the opinion of the oppressed masses. Citing the rats that Banksy uses in most of his work, Joanne explains how this is definitely the representation of a social underclass2. Katherine Satorius sees the message behind Banksy’s artwork as very incisive but at the same time expres sionless3. She describes the function of Banksy’s work as brilliant and that it provides city inhabitants with an alternative to conventional artwork. She proceeds to detail his Los Angeles exhibition and according to her, the paintings could have had more impact in their original location; on billboards and walls3. She suggests that Banksy’s paintings have power on location and generally tend to lose their appeal when transferred onto canvas. She also reviews the artist’s character and points out the weaknesses that come with Banksy’s insistence on anonymity3. She only sees this as a way to avoid artistic responsibility and concludes that this will only limit his success and keep him always trying to defend himself. She however sees Banksy as a success in the sense that he has managed to pit himself against the conventional art world and somehow managed to come out on top3.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How Banksyâ₠¬â„¢s graffiti art has been received by critics and art reporters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More She also has no issue with Banksy selling his artwork to the very people it was created to satirize because she believes that even artists deserve to earn a decent living. Towards the end of the article, Katherine highlights how Banksy’s anonymity comes back to haunt him when one of his admirers sneaks into one of his exhibitions and displays an antiestablishment painting in the midst of Banksy’s paintings3. Hellen Weaver in her review sees the strength of Banksy’s artwork as laying in the fact that he portrays his messages in a way that would easily be understandable to an average individual4. This strength is constant whether the paintings are on a wall in the street or are installations in a museum environment. She also describes most of Banksy’s work as drawing inspiration from the political arena4. She supports this conclusion by citing the optical illusion that Banksy created on the Palestinian side of the Israel separation wall in West Bank alongside the life sized sculpture he planted in a Disneyland ride. She also declares his inspiration as â€Å"anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment obsessions† 4. Brian Sewell is probably the most radical and the harshest of Banksy critics5. He is on record having said that Banksy should have been gotten rid off at birth. He is against the policy by the Bristol City council to retain some of Banksy’s graffiti work when some were taken down and regards the popularity of Banksy as a loss of standards in the art world5. He regards him as a clown who has nothing to do with art and believes that the public has been coerced into appreciating his graffiti work through his anonymity antics5. Charlie Booker joins the likes of Brian Sewell and Jonathan Jones in dismissing Banksy’s work as rubbish6. He describes Banksy’s w ork as ‘imbecilic daublings’, and regards his efforts as an easy way to get famous. He cites the way Banksy prominently signs off his work and claims that the only message that the artist wants to convey is that he is the one responsible for the ‘vandalism’6. Aside from offering criticism on the artists work, Booker also goes ahead to dismiss Banksy’s character describing him as a show-off. He picks statements from Banksy’s website and uses them to support his argument that Banksy is embarrassing, tenuous and pseudo-subversive6.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Barnard also has an issue with the social meaning that Banksy tries to attach to his work. He cites the painted elephant terming it as a useless display in the sense that it does not address a particular issue6. Adam Barnard in his article the anger management is not working declares Banksy a situationist7. He sees is work as capitalizing on the absolute lack of enlightening politics in the United Kingdom. He describes Banksy’s graffiti on city walls as beautifying and at the same time providing for critical inspiration. To him (Barnard), Banksy’s work adds color to both physical and political landscapes. He claims that Banksy’s stencils are more exciting art experiences to common citizens than the estranged experiences of London’s new art institution7. He sees Banksy’s work as a satiric criticism of figures in authority and applauds him for opening the way for contemporary artists through abolition and realization7. He sees this artwork as followi ng on the works of Duchamp and James Reid. Barnard like other art reporters and critics is optimistic that more Banksy art work is on the way7. According to James Gaddy, Banksy is the most recognized street artist alive and he even proclaims him a mythic hero8. He agrees that Banksy’s early work displayed great talent both in drawing and stencil cutting8. He however feels disappointed by Banksy’s move to sell his artwork to the same people he has spent his life criticizing and hopes that the money made from the Los Angeles exhibition goes into more street art8. Gaddy sees the move as Banksy arriving at a point of irresolution, where he finds it hard to decide whether to continue the thought provoking street art or to create the commercial artwork that fetches him impressive money8. He concludes that Banksy’s move to the galleries greatly reduces the influence of his work as compared to the power it has on the streets. He also sees Banksy’s career on the s treet coming to an end as his artwork continues to appreciate in value and his growing fame making it hard for him to pull off more street work8. He (Gaddy) looks forward to Banksy’s new work and like most people does not mind the anticipation of finding out where he will strike next8. Miranda Sawyer describes Banksy’s work as antiestablishment in the sense that he criticizes many contemporary icons9. She sees his work as a more direct form of expression as compared to fine art9. She considers his work as an approach used by his generation to communicate their deep seated feelings9. She describes his exhibition at the Bristol City Museum as a celebration of the ‘stuffiness of the institution’ while at the same time teasing it9. In the book Pauline Frommer’s London, Banksy’s work has been described as an attack on corporate greed and government surveillance10. His work is also portrayed as a way of venting anger against war. Cochra and Frommer admit that Banksy is not a superhero and they claim that he gets the inspiration for his work in the same way that a political cartoonist does10. According to the authors, Banksy’s work has received so much acclaim that many people would not want to prosecute him for vandalism but would instead want to shake his hand and congratulate him for the messages he passes across10. Louise Amoore and Marieke de Goede have published a risk and war on terror in which Banksy’s work is described as an interruption of traditional urban or art places11. The authors go ahead to cite his introduction of a hooded inflatable Guantanamo detainee in Disneyland as a political operation. This act, they claim is viewed as an illustration of what society can turn to if culture is always presented without factoring in the aspect of politics11. Summary This essay has studied and analyzed various written works by both art critics and art reporters on the graffiti art of Banksy. The varied opinio ns by the said groups of people regarding the impact of the artist’s work and sometimes the artist himself have been reviewed in the paper. A number of issues have arisen from the discussion above including: Whether Banksy’s stencil works should be referred to as art or are they simply acts of vandalism. Whether the pseudonymous character that Banksy has tried to maintain for such a long time is serving him justice. Whether the newly acquired celebrity status and money will affect Banksy’s street art career. In their arguments and criticism of the work however, the individuals included in the report have come to a few agreements regarding Banksy’s work. These include: Banksy is a modern day phenomena judging from the number of people that attend his exhibitions and the incredible figures that his art-work fetches. Banksy’s work is generally inspired by politics and that his art tends to support the message of the greater populace which is under oppression by the ruling class. Conclusion In conclusion, it is worth noting that Banksy has come a long way from the days he started as a common street vandal to an artist with a cult following. His impeccable skills and daring antics accompanied by his anonymity have transformed him into a modern day Houdini. As an artist, his work will continue to receive criticism from all sectors of society and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future if he continues to do more daring street-work and manages to evade the authorities. Endnotes 1Jonathan Jones, â€Å"Best of British?,† The Guardian, July 2007. 2Joanne Phillips, â€Å"What can we learn from Banksy,† Green places, October 2009. 3Katherine Satorius, â€Å"Viewpoint,† Artweek, February 2007. 4Hellen Weaver, â€Å"Banksy: Bristol city museum and gallery,† Art American Magazine, September 2009. 5 â€Å"Newsmaker: Banksy.† CNN.com. 2 November 2007. 6Charlie Brooker, â€Å"Supposing Subversiv e genius Banksy is actually rubbish,† The Guardian, September 2006. 7Adam Barnard, â€Å"The anger management is not working,† Capital and Class, 2004. 8James Gaddy, â€Å"Nowhere man,† Print Mag, January/February, 2007. 9Miranda Sawyer, â€Å"In pictures: Bansky versus Bristol City Museum,† The Guardian, June 2009. 10James Cochra and Pauline Frommer, Pauline Frommer’s London. (Chichester: Wiley, John Sons, Incorporated, 2007), 185. 11Louise Amoore and Marieke de Goede, Risk and war on terror. (London: Routledge, 2008), 245. Bibliography Amoore, Louise and Marieke de Goede, Risk and war on terror. London: Routledge, 2008. Barnard, Adam. â€Å"The anger management is not working.† Capital and Class, 2004. Brooker Charlie. â€Å"Supposing Subversive genius Banksy is actually rubbish.† The Guardian, September 2006. Cochra, James and Pauline Frommer, Pauline Frommer’s London. Chichester: Wiley, John Sons, Incorporated, 2007. Gadd y, James. â€Å"Nowhere man.† Print Mag, January/February 2007. Jones, Jonathan. â€Å"Best of British?.† The Guardian, July 2007. â€Å"Newsmaker: Banksy.† CNN.com. 2 November 2007.  http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/02/ww.banksy/index.html Phillips, Joanne. â€Å"What can we learn from Banksy.† Green places, October 2009. Satorius, Katherine. â€Å"Viewpoint.† Artweek, February 2007. Sawyer, Miranda. â€Å"In pictures: Bansky versus Bristol City Museum.† The Guardian, June 2009. Weaver, Hellen. â€Å"Banksy: Bristol city museum and gallery.† Art American Magazine, September 2009.

Without Cease

Without Cease Without Cease Without Cease By Maeve Maddox One of my illustrations in a recent post, The wind has blown without cease for three days. struck some readers as odd. This from Brad K. I would have used â€Å"ceasing† for the wind, an action verb that conveys more of a sense of continuing over time. If Id been writing a descriptive passage, I might have gone with ceasing and not cease. As it was, I was simply reaching for a sentence and the idiom without cease is what sprang to mind. According to the OED, cease used as a noun is obsolete, except in the still occasional without cease, without end, incessantly. (Cf. F. sans cesse.) Dictionary.com gives this for cease as a noun: n.  Ã‚  Cessation; pause: We worked without cease to get the project finished on time. From Merriam-Webster: CESSATION usually used with without I kept an eye upon her without cease R.L.Stevenson> Ill have to concede that the expression without cease is a little old-fashioned, but then my diction tends to be so. Here are some fairly current examples of the idiom that I found with a little web browsing: Poverty†, the Pope said, â€Å"is a plague against which humanity must fight without cease†¦ (2005) ï ¿ ¼Most of the early civilisations had similar stories: images from China three millennia ago tell of a land under the wheeling stars, beyond endless untravelled wastes, where gales blew without cease, and furry creatures, half animal and half human devoured one another. p. xix of the Foreword to The Arctic:Environment, People, Policy (2000) Ed. by Terry V. Callaghan Book title: Without Cease The Earth Faintly Trembles By Amanda Marchand (2003) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1Difference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"20 Ways to Cry

The Trade-Off Theory of Capital Structure Coursework

The Trade-Off Theory of Capital Structure - Coursework Example According to Pacific Daily News (2014), the recent GPA successfully sold $76.47 million of revenue bonds The concept of dividend signaling asserts that the announcement of dividend payments by a company contributes positively to the future prospects of the company. The announcement of a rise in dividend payout helps to solidify the prospects in the market and improves the image of the company in lieu of growth prospects and stability in the future. How much will a firm receive in net funding from a firm commitment underwriting of 250, 000 shares priced to the public at $40 if a 10% underwriting spread has been added to the price paid by the underwriter? Additionally, the firm pays $600, 000 in legal fees According to Baker (2005), underwriter spread fall in the category of direct expenses whilst management fees such as legal feels falls with the indirect issuance expenses. Hence, $1.9 million becomes the direct expenses and $1.65 million become the indirect expense for the issuer. In economics, the value of the firm is linked to profit maximization; as a result, the value of the firm is the present value of the firm’s current and future profits. In finance to determine the present value of a firm, the present income is multiplied by five. Hence, the present value of ABC is operating incomeX5.

George Washington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

George Washington - Essay Example form of advice to them, to make them aware of political threats the nation might face and to make them understand the political scenario of that time. Analyzed below are the major points of his farewell address. Washington started his address by informing the public that he had declined the presidency for a third term and had decided, according to him, â€Å"to return to that retirement from which I have been reluctantly drawn† (Washington, as cited in Schmitt, 2004, para. 3). He stated how he had decided not to run the second term and how concern about the survival of the nation and his confidants had convinced him to run for the third term. At the same time, he thanked the People for the support, confidence and honor they had him entitled to. Washington urged upon the fact that the survival of the nation depended very much on the unity of people belonging to all the states. This was important to save their liberty, prosperity and independence both at home and abroad. He warned them of threats posed to their unity from internal and external enemies who wanted to destabilize the nation by alienating one state from another. He told the nation to have pride in being Americans and insisted that they should look down upon â€Å"any appellation derived from local discriminations† (as cited in Schmitt, para. 10) because all of them had to fight for the same cause with negligible discriminations of religion, color and race. He insisted that the North, South, East and West of the United States, all complemented one another in order to ensure the security against foreign attacks and sectionalists. He further suggested that only alliances could not serve the purpose as they were always subject to threats. There was the need of a government as a whole. Though the People had the authority to change the government and its constitutions, but once it was established, then it was the firm duty of the nation to obey it and respect its laws. It was their responsibility to fight

Personal Development through Reflective Practice Essay

Personal Development through Reflective Practice - Essay Example The organisational structure for Outcomes UK Ltd is mainly controlled by the strategic director along with a number of secondary employees working under him. In the executive management group, officers have been assigned with the task of corporate management of the council, ensuring timely and regular meetings for discussion of current issues perceived to have a significant impact on the council and its services. The executive management has the responsibility of managing projects and other day-to-day activities in order to establish an entity that holds consistent values and views (NRC 2002). Their fixed responsibility lies in a number of tasks such as providing tactical advice and skillful plans to the council; making sure that policy objectives are effectively integrated within their services; managing the development of all strategies; providing information and establishing strong communication with councilors, managers, and staff members; supervising the working relationships between councilors and staff members; keeping watch over organisational values, attitudes, and structure; bringing together the council’s work with other organisations and establishing working relations; and handling resolution of conflicts. All these duties reflect Devlin’s (2006) assertion that executive management plays a major role in every action that the organisation takes. Often times, the members of the executive management group are handpicked by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) based on their individual strengths and the values that they have displayed. Those who can liv e up to the specific tasks assigned to executive management are selected. On the other hand, though much of the organisation’s responsibility lies upon this high ranking group, there is still a need for every member of the council to be involved in daily tasks for organisational goals to be successfully

Case study Internal Control, LJB Company Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internal Control, LJB Company - Case Study Example The report must explain the effectiveness of the internal control procedures and mechanisms of the company during the most current fiscal year. Some of controls areas that the SEC expects companies to cover include fraud prevention, risk assessment, and accounting procedures. SOX also includes a clause that stipulates that major executive managers of public companies, including the CEO, must sign the quarterly and annual financial statements assuring they are free of material error and fraud. If fraud is detected in the financial information, the CEO could be liable up to 25 years in prison (Whitecollarfirm, 2011). LBJ Company is doing some things well. The controller is a valuable asset to the business. The company uses multiple processes that are needed to have good internal controls such as bank reconciliations and asking for a written explanation if an employee uses the petty cash account. The petty cash process can be improved by asking the employees for a receipt of the purchase. Further recommendations to the petty cash process will be mentioned in the next paragraph. In terms of fostering a good corporate culture, the managerial staff is showing loyalty, empowerment, and a belief in the employees. There are many internal control issues at LBJ Company. First, the accounting department is understaffed, which has the controller serving too many functions. This creates internal control deficiencies in the entire system. The controller should not be making purchases, receiving checks, or making bank deposits. Nobody is overseeing the work performed by the controller. I recommend the company hire two additional accountants for the department. The company also needs to raise the level of accountability and to verify the work of the department. This can be done by implementing two company audits twice a year to be performed by an independent auditor with CPA credentials. The

Top business management teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Top business management teams - Essay Example Wrong approach on these issues has seen different companies; organizations and firms topple while as correct measures have seen their excellence and succession. Recently, each and every firm has its human resource management department on the spotlight. Even though the situation is so, critics and analysts point out that it the high time line managers and human resource professionals rethought and redefined the exact meaning of human resource (Bowen and Ostroff, 2004). As a result, human resource managers are responding to scrutiny by applying new thinking and approach. They are trying to transform from the earlier concept of do-ables to focusing on more proactive measures, the deliverables. While the do-ables usually dwell on improving HR practices, upgrading HR professionals, and re-instituting or re- engineering of human resource departments. Activities involved here are emphasizing on taken actions, activities and an organizations happenings, occurrences and events. Deliverables deal mainly in outcomes, values and results that emerge from carrying out or under taking human resource upgrading or practice. Survey done on aspects towards managing performance and development of workers: shows a variety of differences depending on the nature of business. Some of the strategies applied included strategies, policies and employee recruitment, promotion, appraisals, pension payment and compensation: job design, complains handling and labor management. Managers must take competence of their workers into account very serious, technically/functionally that is individual achievements in finance, marketing and customer care, core basically in organization, crisis management, logistics and manufacturing. Social capabilities like leadership, setting directives, diversity, commitment, teamwork and credibility among other reasons. They should also consider organizational merits such as long distance work, time, speed and intellectual capital. Competencies result to correct total income and balance sheet reflection. Incase of errors or omissions, reports annual reports published would reflect a lie, even from a slight discrepancy. Competence also ensures that final products or services are of high standards thus increasing customer in flow and a growth in demand (Bowen and Ostroff, 2004). Managers should make change happen by being the change agent: In an environment that is unpredictable or even unforeseeable, they should emphasize on the ability to quickly change rather than investing on policies that might not work in such cases. They ought to prepare their workers for anything anytime. Change in the sense of perceptions and euphoria about the company is also worth consideration in efforts towards HR management. They should create an intellectual capital and play employee champions: the challenge lies in what they have and how to increase it. With keen interest on workers progress, managers can encourage and campaign for even better working conditions. By championing for their welfare in turn morale can be boosted among employees. Human resource managers need also to improve on their employee relations in order to create that friendly atmosphere. This involves understanding of their pros and cons, practicing empathy and creating a close relationship between them and the working team in their company. By showing that they really care, the workers will feel

Case study Internal Control, LJB Company Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internal Control, LJB Company - Case Study Example The report must explain the effectiveness of the internal control procedures and mechanisms of the company during the most current fiscal year. Some of controls areas that the SEC expects companies to cover include fraud prevention, risk assessment, and accounting procedures. SOX also includes a clause that stipulates that major executive managers of public companies, including the CEO, must sign the quarterly and annual financial statements assuring they are free of material error and fraud. If fraud is detected in the financial information, the CEO could be liable up to 25 years in prison (Whitecollarfirm, 2011). LBJ Company is doing some things well. The controller is a valuable asset to the business. The company uses multiple processes that are needed to have good internal controls such as bank reconciliations and asking for a written explanation if an employee uses the petty cash account. The petty cash process can be improved by asking the employees for a receipt of the purchase. Further recommendations to the petty cash process will be mentioned in the next paragraph. In terms of fostering a good corporate culture, the managerial staff is showing loyalty, empowerment, and a belief in the employees. There are many internal control issues at LBJ Company. First, the accounting department is understaffed, which has the controller serving too many functions. This creates internal control deficiencies in the entire system. The controller should not be making purchases, receiving checks, or making bank deposits. Nobody is overseeing the work performed by the controller. I recommend the company hire two additional accountants for the department. The company also needs to raise the level of accountability and to verify the work of the department. This can be done by implementing two company audits twice a year to be performed by an independent auditor with CPA credentials. The

College Binge Drinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

College Binge Drinking - Research Paper Example Studies reveal that depending on alcohol is a cause that is not directly or genetically transferred from generation to generation. However, it can be said that it is an outcome of a complex combination of psychological, genetic and environmental factors. People might drink to run away from problems, they might drink alone because of its short-term soothing effects, they might even drink on an excessive scale while attending parties or in bars for the sole purpose of entertainment and getting drunk, but as they carry on with their drinking practice, they forget that their drinking habit is accompanied by a long term chain of adverse side effects. This is because drinking itself highly disturbs the organ systems of a human body and slowly poisons the entire human system (Dryden-Edwards n.d.). Binge drinking, therefore is a common known terminology that is normally used to describe excessive intake or abusive intake of alcohol in the United States. Students attending their college are more likely to be involved in this practice. It is a pattern of getting drunk or in-taking alcohol in such a way that it brings an individual’s BAC (blood alcohol concentration) to 0.08 grams percent or at times even higher. Usually, this is more likely to happen when a male dinks five and more drinks. A woman, on the other hand, is projected to fall into the same state when she consumes up to 4 drinks in almost 2 hours. There are almost 79,000 deaths that occur each year and fall in the category of deaths due to excessive alcohol usage in the United States. Â  This means that excessive use of alcohol is the third greatest cause of death in the United States of America. Â  Moreover, excessive usage of alcohol can also be subjected to cause a massive, 2.3 million potential life losse s, per year. In addition, the statistics for the year 2005 show that up to 1.6 million people have to be admitted to the hospital and about 4 million have to be taken in the

Cirque du soleil Essay Example for Free

Cirque du soleil Essay A: Strengths: Every show in 20 years has produced a profit, encourages creativity, niche, financially strong, well known, great marketing, technology, database of 20,000 potential employees, shows have a long run (10 to 12 years), talent scouts recruit from all over the world, creative, leadership. Creative production staff. Great locations. Excellent leadership. B: Weaknesses: High turnover (people get older, can no longer perform), High production costs equals high ticket prices C: Opportunities: New World tours and new permanent facilities in prime locations, D: Threats: Competition, someone could create a show very similar. Partners may want to buy out. 2. Explain how Cirque du Soleil implements, evaluates, and controls the elements of its marketing plan. Implements: Cirque du Soleil builds the market share and the profits follow. Cirque du Soleil has a great deal invested in training, talent, staff etc. Targets adults, lets creative people run it, Lamarre states he guides the company with an invisible hand making sure business policies do not interfere with the creative process. It is Dragone and his team of creative and production personnel not a predetermined budget that defines the content, style and material requirement for each project. Evaluates and controls: Every show makes a profit 3. List and describe at least three keys to Cirque Du Soleil’s competitive advantage. 1. It provides a product/service differentiation competitive advantage. Through production innovations, shows evoke awe, wonder, inspiration and reflection. 2. A niche competitive advantage. It’s unique, productions have distinct personalities, and shows have a language, a conversation with the audience. 3. Built a sustainable competitive advantage, example Mystere costs $45 million to produce and returned over $430 million

Shareholder Theory vs Stakeholder Theory

Shareholder Theory vs Stakeholder Theory

Essay --

April Greiman is a contemporary designer who is recognized all across the world. Through her life she is known as the first designer to use computer technology. Her work is signature for her use of different materials, texture, and color. She has also inspired many people, and has been inspired by many professors and artist in her lifetime. She continues today to impress people with her knowledge of graphics, architecture, and environment. April Grieman was born in New York City in 1948. She studied art in Switzerland at Basel School of Design. She then studied at the Kansas City Art Institute. After graduating, she moved back to New York City to work as a freelance artist until 1976. This same year, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she opened â€Å"Made in Space, Inc.† This became a well-known graphic design studio. In 1980, April Greiman was among the very first graphic designers to fully realize the design potential in the Macintosh Apple computer. She also picked up on Quantel Painbox digital technology. She is one of the most influential graphic designers using the digital media. In 1982, Greiman became the head of the design department at the California Institute of the Arts. In the 1990’s, she wrote and published a book called â€Å"Hybrid Imagery: The Fusion of Technology and Graphic Design.† April Greiman has worked as a designer for the MAK Center for Arts and Architecture in L os Angeles. Since then, April continues to work today for companies such as Espirit, Benetton, Sears, and AOL/ Time- Warner, Microsoft, the US Postal Services, and the architects Frank O. Gehry, RoTo Architects, and others. April Greiman has received numerous awards and distinctions for her work. April works at the border some of the discipli... ...itional photographic images and cutting- edge digital images, including a life-sized self-portrait. These images were various personal images with personal significance. She told her audience to â€Å"think with the heart† and reach her audience emotionally. This was one of the first major commissions that started her successful on going career. Another successful commission was the design for Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts as seen in Figure 2. This was commissioned in 1993 in Southern California. In this project, she worked closely with RoTo Architects. German had been sought- after for her expertise in color, surfaces and materials. She is known for this piece for the materials and color applied to the buildings interiors, exteriors, and campus. With this building she included the design of exterior tiles and other architectural elements and printed pieces.

Crito Analysis Essay

Rhetorical Question: â€Å"But my dear Crito, why should we pay so much attention to what ‘most people’ think? The reasonable people, who have more claim to be considered, will believe that the facts are exactly as they are† (906). Personification: â€Å"’Consider then, Socrates,’ the Laws would probably continue, ‘whether it is also true for us to say that what you are trying to do to us is not right†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (913). Plato’s â€Å"Crito† is one of the many tremendously influential pieces of literature produced in ancient Greece. It is a thought-provoking, philosophical discussion regarding the role of the individual within society, and how to treat injustice. As part of a series of imaginary dialogues between Socrates and other characters, â€Å"Crito† deals with the conflict Socrates is presented with, as he awaits execution. Crito, one of Socrates’ close friends, urges Socrates to escape prison while he still can. Crito offers several arguments to justify his escape, including the shame he would endure from the public for letting his friend die, and the poor example it would set for the children of Athens. However, Socrates carefully analyzes each of Crito’s arguments for escaping, and proves them invalid through logic and deductive reasoning. The passage, â€Å"But my dear Crito, why should we pay so much attention to what ‘most people’ think? T he reasonable people, who have more claim to be considered, will believe that the facts are exactly as they are† (906), demonstrates the method that Socrates uses to persuade. Socrates asks a rhetorical question to expose the silliness of the Crito’s worries. It represents the wisdom and morals of Socrates. Crito’s strongest argument is that Socrates would be promoting injustice by accepting his unfair sentence. However, Socrates disproves this point as well, by reasoning that he would be harming the Law by escaping death. Socrates, who has tried to live his life as justly and peacefully as possible, would be breaking every moral he ever lived by if he chose to turn against the law. He regards the Law higher than his own life. He sees the Law as a father to him; it has raised him, educated him, and allowed him to live a comfortable life. No matter how much he disagrees with its ways, he cannot bring himself to disobey it. Throughout Socrates’ discussions, he often has conversations with himself and the â€Å"Law†. Plato personifies the â€Å"Law† by giving it human-like qualities and speech; it is suggested that the Law can be hurt, and angry. He does this to distinguish it as a character that has feelings. For example, â€Å"’†¦you will leave this place, when you do, as the victim of a wrong done not by us, the Laws, but by your fellow men. But if you leave in that dishonorable way, returning wrong from wrong, and evil for evil, breaking your agreements with us, and injuring those whom you least ought to injure – yourself, your country, and us ,- then you will face our anger†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (916), demonstrates the authority of the Law. Socrates suggests it is better to die a victim who has lived justly and killed unjustly, than to return the injustice and hurt the Laws. He states, â€Å"†¦it is never right to do a wrong or return a wrong or defend one†™s self against injury by retaliation† (911), which exemplifies the belief that injustice cannot be treated with injustice. Socrates mentions an agreement being broken in this passage; this alludes to the belief that there is a social contract between the individual and government. Socrates reasons that when a citizen lives in Athens, he is indirectly supporting the laws and abiding them. The individual has a moral obligation to the government. While it is beneficial to challenge the government under some circumstances, one threatens the foundation of a stable society by breaking its laws. Socrates, who has lived 70 years of Athenian life, is content by living in accordance with this contract. He feels a state simply cannot exist if laws have no power. He firmly believes in the importance of strict laws, as he calls them the most precious achievement of human history. Besides, he reasons that a man of his age, with little life left to live, would lose his reputation by †Å"clinging so greedily to life, at the price of violating the most stringent laws† (915). For all these reasons, â€Å"Crito† remains an influential piece that poses big questions and promotes critical thinking.

Bail to Jail

Richard Singer covers in his book â€Å"Examples & Explanations: Criminal Procedure II: From Bail to Jail† almost everything that can be legally relevant in the judicial process following the arrest of the possible suspect or future convict. Exhaustive and extremely well-documented, the book covers important aspects in the mechanism ranging from bargained pleas and charging decisions to sentencing and appeals that may follow the jury decision.One of the most important positive aspect we may point out in this book is the courage the author has to include deeply debated legal subjects we are dealing with nowadays. Certainly, in a time of global war with terrorism, new and out of place measures for the democratic civilizations may seem out of place. We are not referring only to the increased measures of national security, but also to controversial issues such as Guantanamo Bay.Given the fact that, on one hand, in the global war against terror, we may consider that almost anything goes and that, on the other hand, significant abuse on human rights were marked by numerous party there, we may consider that deciding to deal with these cases and to explain them is actually a tough and courageous decision on the part of any author. However, Richard Singer does just that. He is not afraid to approach such subjects and his book is very present in today’s reality. From enemy combatant cases to Guantanamo Bay, everything is approached here.In many ways, we feel that this book covers every relevant detail in traditional topics related to post-arrest procedures, including relevant post-trial actions. Further more, as a student, one can only find that the book is written so as to fit the needs of a student. In this sense, we see, for example, that the general approaches to different legal actions and concepts are always followed up by different sets of exercises, each completed with explanations and answers. As a student, one always finds this helpful as it pract ically prolongs the explanations in the book, applying them to learned theory.Relating to the different chapters, this book includes opinions on â€Å"early decisions about the defendant, charging decisions, the grand jury and alternatives, evidence disclosure, pleas of guilt and bargained pleas, the jury, double jeopardy, assistance of counsel, sentencing, and appeals and collateral attack† , only to mention some of them. It is difficult to select the most useful or interesting aspect in this book. The main quality we may find is that it is professionally written and that the approach of a professional is felt throughout the book.Additionally, even if the background is scientific, the approach is often close to the reader, with useful testing features and the capacity to involve the reader in study. Given the difficulty of the subject, this is often something to appreciate: an approach that is likely to reach better the reader is often preferred. Bibliography 1. Barnes and N obles Review. On the Internet at http://btobsearch. barnesandnoble. com/booksearch/isbnInquiry. asp? z=y&btob=Y&isbn=0735550638&TXT=Y&itm=2

Haier, an international icon: Success Factors and Market Challenges Essay

Born out of Qingdao Refrigerator Factory in 1984, the Haier (pronounced â€Å"high-er†) Group is China’s largest home appliance manufacturer (Wang and Ong 2007), and the world’s fourth largest white goods manufacturer (Chen 2008). Haier was ranked first among China’s Top 10 Global Brands by the Financial Times in 2005 (Haier’s company facts 2008). It was also ranked 86th among the world’s 500 Most Influential Brands by World Brand Lab in 2006 and is the only Chinese brand to be among the top 100 for three consecutive years. (Haier’s company facts 2008). Its Chairman and CEO, Zhang Ruimin who was appointed in 1984 as the director has been credited for pulling Haier out of bankruptcy to become a global corporation (Zhang Ruimin 2006) with annual turnover of USD16.2 billion in 2006 (Haier’s company facts 2008). Zhang was ranked 26th among World’s Most Respected Business Leaders by the Financial Times in 2005 and 6th among Asia’s 25 Most Powerful People in Business by Fortune magazine in 2004Haier’s key markets are China, Europe, USA, Japan (Beebe et al 2006) and India (Mumbai 2007). It has over 240 subsidiaries and 87 trading companies, design centers and industrial parks and over 50,000 employees worldwide (Haier’s company facts 2008). HAIER’S PATH TO SUCCESSIn 1984, CEO Zhang Ruimin took over the nearly bankrupt refrigerator factory (Lin 2005, 1). Today, Haier is known as a global brand. How did it become such as a success (Lin 2005, 1)?Strong leadership, customer service, product quality, innovation, speed, pricing, positioning, localisation of design, production and sales, latecomer advantages and market entry strategy are among the top ten factors for Haier’s success. Strong LeadershipZhang Ruimin (Zhang), Chairman and CEO of Haier is described as down-to-earth and a charismatic leader who has worked his way up (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003). Zhang demonstrated out-of-the-box thinking and risk-taking when he combined traditional Chinese philosophy with modern Western management style (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003) and avoided following norms of the industry (Wu 2003). â€Å"From the OEC management model of â€Å"Never Leave Today’s Work Till Tomorrow† and â€Å"Daily Settlement Leads to Daily Improvement† to the market chain management†, Zhang’s unique management ideas have won praises and is much of a discussion topic among management specialists and top universities around the world (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003). Zhang’s aspiration for Haier to become a global brand began during the early stage he took on the factory (Liu and Li 2002, 701) With this ambition, Zhang set clear objectives and focuses in building the brand, diversifying product lines, going international and now building a global brand name in different phases (Haier’s development strategy 2008). In 2006, for the fourth consecutive year (Haier introduction 2008), Haier was ranked first for overall leadership among Chinese companies in the Wall Street Journal Asia’s annual survey of Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies (Areddy 2006). Customer ServiceHaier aims to provide excellent customer service to gain an advantage over Western rivals who can be more complacent (Business in China: Double Star Group and Haier Group succeed without the consultants 2003, 14). To achieve this, Haier developed a customer-focused culture by reducing the distance between employees and customers requiring all employees to sell products, listen to customers and understand rivals’ products on a regular basis (Denison 2001, 222). Haier also set up more than 11,000 customer service centres in 160 countries (Yi and Ye 2003, 204) hiring and training locals to provide after-sale service to local customers (Li and Chen 2007). Haier’s dedication to customer service has won the â€Å"Five Star Diamond Award† presented by the American Quality and Service Society (Haier 1996). Product QualityZhang knows that the key to survival and future development is to establish and continue to improve product quality. To drive the  importance of quality, Zhang ordered responsible workers to destroy 76 defective refrigerators (Xu et al 2006, 30-31). As a result, Haier received the first ever National Gold Medal Award in China’s refrigerator industry (Haier 1988) and ranked first in China’s Top 15 Brands by Forbes (Kim 2003). InnovationTo improve its technology knowledge and create innovative products, Haier has been increasing investment in research and development (R&D) (Duysters et al 2008, 16) establishing an extensive global R&D and design network (DiPaolo and Li 2007). Its R&D investment is significantly higher than the market average – RMB6.7 billion in 2006, equivalent to 6.2 percent of its sales (DiPaolo and Li 2007). Haier also formed alliances with leading companies such as Liebherr, Philips, Mitsubishi and Toshiba to acquire manufacturing and technological know-hows, expand product lines as well as enter foreign markets (Duysters et al 2008, 11-12). The basis of China’s advantage is low-cost labour (Zeng and Williamson 2007, 27). Haier is take advantage of the cost advantage to provide high technology, choice and customised and specialty products at low price (Zeng and Williamson 2007, 55). Using cost innovation, Haier gained brand awareness in the US by making compact refrigerators and wine chillers to the mass market (Jain, Malik and Cruickshank 2006, 21). SpeedHaier understands that the speed in bringing products to customers to satisfy their needs before rivals is important to win them over (Wu 2003). Since entering US markets, Haier has gained one-third (Lin 2005, 2) of market share in the compact refrigerators for dormitories and offices and created the market for stand-alone wine coolers (Haley and Haley 2006, 46). PricingChinese products are often viewed as low quality (Xin and Yeung 2007). Aware of the poor image of Chinese products, Haier price its products at a five per cent premium over its Korean rivals, LG and Samsung (Chinese consumer durable firms eye a bigger piece of action 2008) so that its products will be perceived as â€Å"top-of-the-line† (Gupta 2006). PositioningHaier positions itself as a premium brand and aims to develop Haier as a dependable, high-technology global leader (Gupta 2003). Haier is not targeting at different classes of consumers instead â€Å"it wants consumers to feel that Haier is closest to satisfying their needs† (Haier’s Aim: â€Å"Develop Our Brand Overseas† 2003). Localisation of Design, Production and SalesHaier set up local design, production and sales facilities, and industrial parks in US, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and employs mainly local people (Haier Press Room 2008). With localised operations, Haier is able to respond more quickly to changing customers’ needs (Young and Nie 1996, 12) and to be accepted by the local community (Haier Press Room 2008). Latecomer AdvantagesInstead of creating a new business model from scratch (Duysters et al 2008, 8), Haier, as a latecomer, has the advantage of comparing and modifying its business models against those of established rivals identifying niches, for example compact refrigerators in the US (Wu 2003) that larger rivals have overlooked (Duysters et al 2008, 8) or do not have the flexibility to adopt (Bartlett and Ghoshal 2000, 139). Market Entry StrategyHaier started exporting to tough markets such as United States (US) and Germany as Zhang (Wu 2003) believes that once it gained brand recognition in these markets, it will be easier for Haier to enter neighbouring developing countries (Liu and Li 2002, 702-703). When entering a new market, Haier introduced one product at a time. It first introduced refrigerators in the US market. Once the product becomes successful, Haier began introducing washing machines lines and other products capitalising on the brand awareness (Liu and Li 2002, 703). CHALLENGES AHEADChinese manufacturers including Haier now face increasing challenges posed by â€Å"decrease in orders from overseas markets† (Global recession hits China 2008), lack of resources, negative Chinese brand image, further margin squeeze and rising costs. Lack of R&D InfrastructureAlthough Haier increased investment in R&D, it can take years to catch up on the standard of the research in the West (Isaksen 2006). One big obstacle that marketing research firms face in China is the lack of infrastructure to carry out surveys (Isaksen 2006). Lack of Qualified Human ResourcesManagers with experience managing an international operation are scarce (Beebe et al 2006, 7). This shortage can negatively influence Haier’s global expansion (Liu and Li 2002, 703). For example, managers from the Chinese and American operations find it difficult to have productive discussions due to language barrier (Liu and Li 2002, 703). Global Brand Awareness and ImageChinese companies including Haier lack global brand awareness in developed markets in the US and Europe (Xin and Yeung 2007, 3) and suffer negative brand image of cheap, poor quality and unreliable (Swystun, Burt and Ly 2005, 3). This negative image is further weakened with the recent milk scandal (Made in China 2008: The Challenge for Chinese Brands Going Global 2008). Changing Western consumers’ perception requires years of marketing efforts (Liu and Li 2002, 704). Dominant Bargaining Power of BuyersHaier distributes its products with retail giants like Wal-Mart who have large buying power (Rosenbloom and Diane 1993, 78). These retail giants pursue mass merchandising strategies that emphasize low prices and low margins (Rosenbloom and Diane 1993, 80). With the global recession of 2008, retailers are likely to further squeeze Haier’s margins (Bhaskaran 2008, 2). Rising CostsThe increasing cost of labour, raw materials especially steel (Industry analysts forecast price rise for white goods 2008), oil as well as the strengthening of the yuan has greatly affected Haier’s margins (Roberts 2008). REFERENCES Areddy, J.T. 2006. 2006 Asia 200 Report: Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies. Wall Street Journal. http://www.wsj-asia.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Bartlett, C.A. and Ghoshal, S. 2000. Going global: Lessons from later movers. Harvard Business Review 78 (2): 132-142. EBSCOhost. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Beebe, A., Chee, H., Feng, Y.Q. and Dr Shi, D.L. 2006. Going global: Prospects and challenges for Chinese companies on the world stage. IBM Business Consulting Service. http://www-935.ibm.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Bhaskaran, M. 2008. The world in 2009: Expect both downside and upside surprises. The Edge Singapore, December 29 – January 11. Business in China: Double Star Group and Haier Group succeed without the consultants. 2003. Strategic Direction 19 (8): 12-15. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 18, 2008). Chen, S.C. 2008. Haier Forced To Raise Domestic White Goods Prices. Forbes, February 21. http://www.forbes.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin. 2003. Xinhua News Agency. Xinhua News Agency http://news.xinhuanet.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Chinese consumer durable firms eye a bigger piece of action. 2008. Indian Brand Equity Foundation, April 09. Indian Brand Equity Foundation. http://www.ibef.org/ (accessed December 17, 2008). Denison, D.R. 2001. Managing Organizational Change in Transition Economies. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed December 28, 2008). DiPaolo, P. and Li, J. 2007. A Chinese company’s route to successful innovation: Stay true to it’s strategy. Bain. http://www.bain.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Duysters, G., Jacob, J., Lemmens, C. and Hu, J.T. 2008. Internationalization and technological catching up of emerging multinationals: A case study of China’s Haier Group. Working paper, UNU-MERIT. http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Global recession hits China. 2008. China Knowledge, November 11. China Knowledge. http://www.chinaknowledge.com/ (accessed December 17, 2008)Gupta, S.D. 2003. The lowdown on Haier. Rediff.com, August 23. http://www.rediff.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Gupta, S.D. 2006. Chinese firms aim big in India. Rediff.com, April 29. Rediff.com http://www.rediff.com///money/2006/apr/29spec.htm (accessed December 16, 2008)Haier introduction. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s Achievements. 2006. Haier http://www.haier.com.pk/abouthaierAch.asp (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s Aim: â€Å"Develop Our Brand Overseas†. 2003. BusinessWeek, March 31. BusinessWeek. http://www.businessweek.com/ (accessed December 20, 2008). Haier’s company facts. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s development strategy. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haley. U.C.V. and Haley, G.T. 2006. The logic of Chinese business strategy: East versus West: part II. The Journal of Business Strategy 27 (2): 43-53. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Industry analysts forecast price rise for white goods. 2008. Xinhua News Agency, February 25. China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ (accessed December 18, 2008). Isaksen, J.E. 2006. China’s brand disadvantage. Thesis, Norges Handelshà ¸yskole. http://www.nhh.no/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Jain, V., Malik, S. and Cruickshank, J. 2006. The emerging threat of Asia’s corporate tigers Strategy & Leadership 34 (4): 19-24. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Kim. J.M. 2003. China’s Brands: China’s Best Prospects. Forbes, October 20. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/ (accessed January 2, 2009). Li, N.X. and Chen, X.Q.D. 2007. Tips for Doing Business in Third Tier Markets. China Business Feature, Jun 27. China Business Feature. http://www.cbfeature.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Lin, T.W. 2005. OEC management control system helps China Haier group achieve competitive advantage. Management Accounting Quarterly 6 (3): 1-11. EBSCOhost. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Liu, H. and Li, K.Q., 2002. Strategic implications of emerging Chinese multinationals: The Haier case study. European Management Journal, 20 (6): 699-706. Elsevier ScienceDirect. http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Made in China 2008: The Challenge for Chinese Brands Going Global. 2008. Interbrand. http://www.interbrand.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Mumbai, M. 2007. Haier Launches First Refrigerator Manufacturing and R&D Facility in India. IndiaPRwire.com, August 9. IndiaPRwire.com http://www.indiaprwire.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Pocha, J. n.d. Enter the Chinese brands. Businessworld. http://www.businessworld.in/ (accessed December 17, 2008). Roberts, D. 2008. Haier Struggles to Overcome the China Slowdown. BusinessWeek, September 5. BusinessWeek http://www.businessweek.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Rosenbloom, B. and Diane, M. 1993. Dominant buyers: Are they changing the wholesaler’s role in marketing channels. Journal of Marketing Channels 3 (1): 73-90. Informaworld. http://www.informaworld.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Swystun, J., Burt, F. and Ly, A. 2005. The Strategy for Chinese Brands: Part 1 – The Perception Challenge. Interbrand, October. Interbrand. http://www.brandchannel.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Wang, Y. and Ong, J. 2007. Overseas sales bright for Chinese appliance maker Haier. Bloomberg News, August 14. International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Wu, Y.B., 2003. China’s refrigerator magnate. McKinsey Quarterly, August. McKinsey Quarterly http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Xin, K. and Yeung, A. 2007. Go Global: The Next Challenge For Corporate China. International Institute for Management Development, November. Institute for Management Development http://www.imd.ch/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Xu, Q.R., Zhu, L., Zheng, G. and Wang. F.R. 2006. Haier’s Tao of innovation-a case study of the emerging Total Innovation Management model. The Journal of Technology Transfer 32 (1-2): 27-47. SpringerLink. http://www.springerlink.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Yi, J.J. and Ye, S.X. 2003. The Haier Way: The Making of a Chinese Business Leader and a Global Brand. Homa & Sekey Books. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Young, S.T. and Nie, W. 1996. Managing Global Operations: Cultural and Technical Success Factors. Greenwood Publishing Group. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed January 2, 2009). Zeng, M. and Williamson, P.J. 2007. Dragons at your door: How Chinese cost innovation is disrupting global competition. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing. Zhang Ruimin. 2006. China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ (accessed December 15, 2008).

Critically Thinking about Your Morning Products Research Paper

Critically Thinking about Your Morning Products - Research Paper Example 1). The aim of the current research is to determine if any of the identified ingredients in Vital Care Sport Gel is potentially harmful to one’s health. Upon closer examination of the ingredients, the following are hereby detailed: Water, Sorbitol, Carbomer, Pvp, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Panthenol, Fragrance, Keratin Amino Acids, Polysorbate-20, Isosteareth-20, PEG-75 Lanolin, Triethanolamine, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Benzophenone-4, Blue 1, Red 33. From the research that was conducted, it was revealed that propylene glycol was moderately harmful, and thereby, a medium health concern. Potential Harm Ingredients Through utilization of skills in research, one has encountered a site: GoodGuide, an organization founded in 2007 that is instrumental in providing accurate information about consumer products. As disclosed, Goodguide â€Å"is in business to provide authoritative information about the health, environmental and social perfor mance of products and companies. Our mission is to help consumers make purchasing decisions that reflect their preferences and values† (GoodGuide 1). ... For Vital Care Styling Gel (Mega Mega Hold) products, the ratings generated were: 4.0 (below average) for their health category; 4.7 (below average) for the environment; and 3.2 (significantly below average) for society. As disclosed, the ingredient specifically identified to be harmful are: Propylene Glycol that poses medium health concern. Accordingly, this ingredient was specifically indicated to be harmful according to sources compiled by Scorecard (www.scorecard.org) from suspected abilities â€Å"of causing immunotoxicity; suspected of causing respiratory toxicity; and suspected of causing skin or sense organ toxicity† (GoodGuide: Propylene Glycol in Hair Care Guide 1). Likewise, for Vital Care Styling Gel (Professional Shine), the ingredients that were identified as potentially harmful include: Triethanolamine, Benzophenone, and DMDM Hydantoin (GoodGuide). As such, the overall health rating generated was zero, which was indicative of containing more than one ingredients which raise a medium health concern. Sources of Ingredients and Potential Environmental or Human Damage The dangers of this identified ingredient were further verified through another research. As disclosed from the Natural Health Information Center website (2012), the source and effects of of propylene glycol are hereby cited: â€Å"A cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin

English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English - Research Paper Example Seeking happiness means setting achievable standards mentally and striving to reach such position regardless of the situation one is. Therefore, I believe that the achievement of happiness is independent of one’s health or wealth, but these can act to impede or make it hard for one to achieve happiness. At the point of starting to be happy, a decision has to be made albeit mentally that the person wishes to achieve happiness. The happiness to be achieved can be attached to the achievement of something else such as a degree or it can be attached to nothing. At times when the happiness is attached to something, the thing that happiness is attached is usually something that a person seeking happiness knows or feels that it will give him contentment. When the achievement of happiness is not attached to the achievement of something else, the person still has to fight emotional battles in order to reach a position of happiness. The standard that one has set to cause happiness depends on the upbringing of the person and also the experiences that a person has to pass through to where he is. Inexperienced persons, and those who did not lack anything in life have a high expectation on happiness and are usually unhappy and discouraged when they do not achieve the standards they have set. Thos e people who have had stricter experiences in life, or those who have had a chance to interact with challenged people in society usually have lesser standards of happiness, and value those things which cannot be bought in life such as good health. A person who has ever been admitted or who has fallen sick because of chronic conditions will appreciate the concept of good health and will be happier when in good health than other people at similar health. It is entirely upon someone to decide that they want to be happy, and happiness is a very subjective matter, and what