Why Do You Think This Strategy Became Less Viable in the 1990’s?

Chapter 12 – The Strategy of International Business Key Points of the chapter Strategy – is the actions managers take to attain the goals of the business (usually to maximize value for the shareholders/stakeholders). Value Chain – The operations of the firm compose the value chain which are the series of value creating activities that occur to create value. These actions include sales, production, IT, accounting etc. These activities are divided into support and primary activities. Primary Activities – Design, creation and delivery of the product. They are: 1. R&D 2. Production 3. Marketing 4. Sales Support Activities – Inputs that allow the primary activities to occur 1. Information Systems 2. Logistics 3. Human Resources Global Expansion Practices 1. Expand the market for your domestic products by selling internationally (Export) †¢ Requires a company to tap into their core competencies 2. Move production to the most efficient countries to realize location economies †¢ Some countries have a comparative advantage of production †¢ Transportation costs and trade barriers must not be an issue †¢ Location Economies is the value created by finding the most competitive place to produce product, therefore adding value i. Competitive can mean cheapest or best †¢ Creates a global value web as opposed to a value chain 3. Serve expanded markets from a single location, while recovering experience effects †¢ Experience curve: Systematic reductions in production costs that occur over the life of a product i. A products production costs decline each time the cumulative output doubles †¢ Learning Effects – Costs savings through learning by doing †¢ Economies of Scale – Reduce costs by creating a large volume of product, the larger your market, the more opportunity for this you receive. 4. Learn from foreign operations to increase your value Mature multinationals who already have operations in foreign markets can learn from their operations in order to create value for those specific customers. Pressures for Cost Reduction Managers can be forced to create value by reducing costs. This can be done through: †¢ Mass-produce a standard product †¢ Outsource certain functions †¢ Tends to occur in highly commoditized products (Chemicals, sugar, gas, steel) Pressures for local Responsiveness Arise because of: †¢ Difference in consumer tastes and preferences †¢ Infrastructure †¢ Accepted Business practices Distribution channels – May require a change in marketing strategy †¢ Host government demands International Expansion Strategies Global Expansion Strategy Focus †¢ Reaping cost reduction benefits through: †¢ Economies of Scale †¢ Learning effects †¢ Locations economies †¢ Low Cost on a Global Scale Method †¢ R&D, Production and Marketing activities are concentrated in a few favorable locations †¢ Try not to customize their products/marketing strategy †¢ Use aggressive pricing When to use it †¢ Strong pressures for cost reductions †¢ Minimal demand for localization Localization Strategy Focus †¢ Increase profitability by customizing goods to match tastes and preferences in international markets Method †¢ Increase the value of the product in the local market †¢ Duplication of functions †¢ Smaller production runs †¢ Still need to be as efficient as possible When to use it †¢ When cost pressures are not high †¢ When local tastes differ dramatically †¢ When you have fewer competitors Transnational Strategy Focus †¢ Multidirectional transfer of core competencies and skills †¢ Leveraging subsidy skills Try to achieve low costs through location economies, economies of scale and learning effects while differentiating their products for the local market. †¢ Very difficult to accomplish Method †¢ Redesign products to use the same components and produce them in one location †¢ Use assembly plants in key markets to assemble the more market specific final product When to use it †¢ When cu stomization and cost reduction pressures are high †¢ When managers have to balance the divergent pressures International Strategy Focus †¢ Taking products from your local country and without much customization, selling them in other markets. Method †¢ Centralize product development functions †¢ Tend to establish manufacturing and marketing functions in each major country or geographic region in which they do business. †¢ Increases costs but there are no cost pressures so that isn’t an issue †¢ May decide to do some minor customization of the marketing strategy When to use it †¢ Low cost pressures †¢ Low need for local responsiveness †¢ Selling products that serve universal needs †¢ Do not have many competitors Chapter Questions Q2: What are the risks that Wal-Mart Faces when entering other retail markets? How can the risks be mitigated? Economic Risks/Exposure Likelihood that economic mismanagement will cause drastic changes in a country’s business environment that hurt the profit and other goals of a particular business enterprise. †¢ Increase in inflation can hurt profits †¢ Recession †¢ Loss of confidence in the market and loans Legal Risks If Wal-Mart decides to enter a market where the legal system fails to provide adequate safeguards in the case of contract violations or to protect property rights they are opening themselves up to legal risks. Could affect the ability to participate in long term contracts and joint ventures Cross Cultural Literacy Risk: As experienced in this case, Wal-Mart suffered from cross cultural illiteracy, where they were ill informed about the practices of another culture which caused them to make bad decisions. Mitigation Strategy: Wal-Mart needs an adaptation strategy, which allows them to negotiate properly for the market, know the appropriate pay systems, set up the right organization, etc. They can do this by hiring local citizens, or a consultant. Transaction Exposure Risk: Extent to which foreign exchange values affect the income from individual transactions. Translation Exposure Risk: Impact of currency exchange rates on the reported financial statements. Mitigation Strategy: Lead strategy where you collect the foreign receivables early. Lag strategy, involves delaying payables if the currency is expected to appreciate. Political Risks Depending on where Wal-Mart is choosing to expand to, political forces that ould cause a drastic change in the country’s business environment could adversely affect the profit and other goals of a business enterprise. †¢ Strikes †¢ Demonstrations †¢ Terrorism †¢ Violent Conflict †¢ Enactment of unfavorable business laws CT 5 – Reread the management focus on the evolution of strategy at Procter and Gamble, then answer these questions: a) What strategy was P&G pursuing when it first entered foreign markets in the period up until the early 1990s? b) Why do you think this strategy became less viable in 1990s. In the pre-1990’s era P&G found their international expansion through the use of a localization strategy. They did develop many of their products in Cincinnati, but they relied on their semi-autonomous subsidiaries to manufacture, market and customize many of their products for the local markets their served. This model started to show signs of strain when many of the trade barriers that existed, specifically between European countries were lifted. This created an increase in competition, and for P&G exposed their now unnecessary duplication of assets and processes. Also the creation of the â€Å"big box† retailers (such as Wal-Mart and Tesco) were causing the competitive factors driven by purchasing power to put pressures on lowering P&G’s prices even further. Due to the increase in competition and the changing market conditions P&G closed some of their local plants and asked their subsidiaries to exploit as much economies of scale as possible in their production lines. They also asked their local centers to create and use global brands whenever possible to try and reduce marketing costs. While these cost avings were effective, they were still not enough and P&G then reorganized the company to be a pure Transnational Strategy, with more control occurring in the regional centers than ever before and using as little local responsiveness as possible to reach their customers so they could compete on price as much as possible. The benefits of the transnational strategy include: †¢ Cost reduction †¢ Reducing duplication of ass ets †¢ Creating global brands †¢ Manufacturing in places that have a comparative advantage in the production of that product †¢ Increase market share by beating your competitors prices Risks †¢ Very difficult to implement & manage †¢ Organizational Structures have to be very complex and it can lead to o Performance ambiguity o Confusion over corporate goals o Culture issues †¢ High coordination needs that are both formal and informal Chapter 13 – The Organization of International Business Key Points of the Chapter Organizational Architecture: the totality of a firm’s organization, organizational culture and people. These three areas must be addressed for a company to be successful in the global market place. The architecture must match the strategy of the firm. Organizational structure: Formal division of the organization, the location of the decision making (centralize vs. decentralized) and the establishment of intergrating mechanisms to coordinate the activities of subunits. Control Systems are metrics used to measure the performance of subunits and make judgments about how well managers are running those subunits. Incentives are the divides used to reward appropriate managerial behavior. Incentrives are very closely tied to performance metrics. Processes are the manner in which decisions are made and work is performed within the organization. Organizational Culture refers to the norms and values systems that the employees of an organization share. Organizations are societies of individuals who come together to perform collective tasks. [pic] Organizational Structure 1) Vertical Differentiation – location of decision making a) Centralized – When the decisions are made by upper management Pros: †¢ Can facilitate coordination †¢ Ensure decisions are consistent with organizational objectives †¢ Give top level manager the means to bring about changes (authority) †¢ Avoid duplication of activities ) Decentralized – Local managers make the decisions †¢ Top management can become overburdened when decision making authority is centralized, which can result in poor decisions. †¢ Motivational research favors decentralization, people are more likely to give more to their jobs when they have a greater degree of individual freedom and control over their work. †¢ More rapid response †¢ Can result in better decisions because the people with the best information are the ones making the decisions. †¢ Can increase control, making the management more autonomous and therefore accountable. Frequently it makes sense to centralize some decisions and to decentralize others, depending on the type of decisions and the firm’s strategy. 2) Horizontal Differentiation – formal organization structure Decision is made on functions, type of business or geographical area. †¢ International Division – When a single division runs all the international activities. Facilitates the international strategy. †¢ Worldwide area structure – World is divided into geographic areas, each division has its own value creation activities. Facilitates local responsiveness. Difficult to transfer core competencies. Worldwide product divisional structure – Each division has its own value creation activities organized around the products they produce. Headquarters retain responsibility for the overall strategic development and financial control. Gives opportunities to consolidate the value chain creation of different subunits. Can require a lack of local respon siveness. †¢ Global Matrix Structure – Tries to solve the issue Bartlett and Ghoshal have argued where a company needs to be price competitive and locally responsive by creating a matrix where decisions are made by both product and regional managers. It is very difficult to pull off a global matrix structure as it creates conflict for the employees having two bosses with two different goals. In light of these problems many firms that pursue a transnational strategy have tried to build flexible matrix structures based on enterprisewide management knowledge networks and a shared dual culture. 3) Integrating Mechanism – mechanisms for coordinating subunits †¢ The need for integrating mechanisms changes with the strategy, the company is using: Lowest – Localization strategy Highest – Global and Transnational †¢ Very important in firms trying to transfer core competencies between units †¢ Very important in firms trying to recover economies of scale and learning experience with a web like value â€Å"chain† Questions CT2 – Discuss the statement â€Å"An understanding of the causes and consequences of performance ambiguity is central to issue of organizational design in multinational firms. † Performance Ambiguity exists when the causes of a subunit’s poor performance are not clear. This is not uncommon when a subunit’s performance is partly dependent on the performance of other subunits; when there is high interdependence between different subunits. In firms not pursuing a localization strategy, certain degrees of performance ambiguity are going to exist. In an international strategy, integration is required to facilitate the transfer of core competencies and skills. The success of a foreign operation is partly dependent on the quality of the competencies transferred from the home country, therefore these firms must design an organizational strategy with enough integrating mechanisms to achieve this. In firms pursuing a global standardization strategy they need to recover location and experience curve economies, making many of the firms processes interdependent. This will require even greater controls and integrating mechanisms and make the decisions more complex and the decision tradeoffs more substantial (i. e. save money on this product or spend money to make it easy to sell the product). Firms with the highest level of performance ambiguity are transnational firms. The multidirectional transfer of competencies requires significant interdependence and lots of join decision making, making the performance ambiguity very high. This means the control costs are going to be highest in transnational firms and that many of the costs recovered by the transnational strategy are lost to creating the expensive control systems that must exist to facilitate the strategy. Another byproduct of this strategy is that global and transnational firms need to do more than use only output controls of objective performance metrics such as profits, productivity and market share in order to control their subsidiaries. These firms must look into cultural controls, encouraging managers to want to assume he norms and value systems and use those values to solve problems between the interdependent units and avoid finger pointing based on the output results. CT5 – If a firm is changing its strategy from an international to a transnational strategy what are the most important challenges it is likely to face in implementing this change? How can the firm overcome these challenges? While becoming a multinational firm does not require a strategy change, in order to compete in the global economy and be the best at what you do, organizational change may become a requirement. First the company must decide their strategy and then they must develop an appropriate organizational structure to complement those goals. A transnational strategy focuses on the simultaneous attainment of location and experience curve economies, local responsiveness and global learning. This firm may want to look into a matrix structure where managers from regional and product areas come together to make decisions that will benefit both points of view. They need to implement control systems that will allow them to work with their globally dispersed value chain and to transfer core competencies and therefore will likely be more culturally driven then output driven. Decisions should be made at both a centralized and decentralized level depending on what the company needs to transfer between units and what specifically about the product needs to be locally responsive (e. . branding/marketing). There needs to be a mix of informal and formal integrating mechanisms which can be found in the decision matrix and via informal networking tools (e. g. Twitter). Finally there needs to be strong culture cultivation to keep all the units on the same page which can be accomplished by a strong leadership with good vision and a willingness to participate in the dissemination of that vision. According to the text the three basic principals for performing organizational change include: 1) Unfreeze the corporation through shock therapy Incremental changes are not necessarily enough †¢ People can easily reject or avoid incremental change †¢ In this case the announcement of a dramatically different structural organization to facilitate the new goals †¢ Senior managers must lead the way in the changes and the unfreezing process 2) Move the org to a new state through proactive change in the architecture †¢ Reassigning the responsibilities in the new organization †¢ Changing the control systems to be less output based and more culturally based †¢ Letting people go who are unwilling to change †¢ The changes must be done quickly Involving the employees from the beginning will get their buy in and will makes the changes better received. 3) Refreeze the org in its new state †¢ This step can take longer †¢ It requires culture es tablishment while the old one is dismantled †¢ Re-socialization of employee behaviors †¢ Hiring policies must change †¢ Control systems must be tested and be consistent with the new culture and ignore the old one †¢ The upper management must be diligent and not allow the old pressure to creep up Chapter 14 – Entry Strategy and Strategic Alliances Key Chapter Points Two Major Ideas: 1) The decision of which foreign markets to enter, when to enter them and on what scale 2) The choice of entry mode Which Market (Recap of chapter 2) The attractiveness of a country as a potential market depends on balancing the benefits, costs and risks associated with doing business in that country †¢ Long Run economic benefits of a function of size of the market, present wealth, likelihood of future wealth †¢ Future economic growth, which is a function of a free market system and the country’s capacity for wealth. †¢ Riskier in politically and economical ly unstable countries †¢ What kind of value the firm can create for consumers in that market Timing of Entry Early entry – when a firm enters a foreign market before others do First movers advantage †¢ Pre-empt rivals †¢ Gain market share †¢ Establish a strong brand Creating switching costs to tie your buyers to you †¢ Set the price so you can cut prices when competitors arrive First movers disadvantage †¢ Pioneering costs, from the foreign business system being so different that time and expense must be sacrificed to learn the ropes †¢ Business failure if the firm makes mistakes based on bad knowledge †¢ Promotion of a new product or idea Late Entry – When a firm enters a foreign market after other firms do †¢ Can watch what your competitors do, and learn from their mistakes †¢ Can ride the coattails of their marketing and promotion †¢ Don’t need to educate your customers Scale of entry †¢ Large scale Requires significant resource commitment which can lead to strategy commitments, where you can’t get out of the deal without suffering significant consequences o It does create a presence and instills belief that you are committed to your product and customers †¢ Small Scale o Allows a firm to learn the market without exposing the firm to risks o Way to gather information o Lack of commitment may make it harder to attract customers Entry Modes Exporting Advantages †¢ Avoids substantial costs of establish manufacturing operations in another country †¢ May help the firm achieve experience curve, location economies and economies of scale Disadvantages It may be cheaper to produce abroad †¢ High transportation costs on shipping could make it uneconomical to export †¢ Tariff barriers may prohibit your exporting, making it uneconomical, and the threat of tariff barriers can make it risky †¢ Delegates of the company that perform the sales, marketing, se rvice may work for other competitors and therefore will not have your best interests in mind Turnkey Projects – The contractor agrees to handle every detail of the project for a foreign clients, including the training of operational personnel. At the end the client is handed the â€Å"key† to a fully functional plant. Typically in complex production businesses. Advantages The know how is a valuable asset and you can earn returns on that knowledge †¢ Useful when FDI is limited †¢ Can be less risky than traditional FDI Disadvantages †¢ No long term interest in that country †¢ May create a competitor out of the creator of your factory †¢ Could be selling your comparative advantage Licensing – The licensor grants the rights to intangible property to another entity for a specified period, and in return, he licensor receives a royalty fee from the licensee. Advantages †¢ Licensee puts up most of the capital †¢ Good for firms lacking capital †¢ Prohibited from direct investment in a foreign market Disadvantages (3 serious ones) Does not give tight control over manufacturing, marketing, strategy, etc. that si required for realizing the experience curve and location economies. †¢ Limits a firms ability to share wealth amongst various divisions, and therefore limits a coordinated international strategy †¢ Giving away your comparative advantage Franchising – a specialized form of licensing in which the franchiser sells the IP, but also the franchisee needs to follow those specific rules the franchisor sets out. Advantages †¢ Firm is relieved of many of the costs and risks †¢ Good for firms lacking capital †¢ Good when you are prohibited from FDI in that country †¢ Allows you to build a global presence quickly Disadvantage Great for services, but perhaps not manufacturing †¢ Limits a firms ability to share wealth amongst various divisions, and therefore limits a coordina ted international strategy †¢ There are different definitions of quality, safety, etc. in different places making it difficult to maintain your image across other countries Joint Ventures – Establishing a firm that is jointly owned by two or more otherwise independent firms, it’s popular mode of entry into foreign markets. Advantages †¢ Get to benefit from the local firm’s knowledge of the host country culture, norms, language, political situation, etc. †¢ Provide the local knowhow to a new country †¢ Share the risks with another company Sometime political factors make it impossible not to partner with a local firm Disadvantages †¢ Risking giving away your comparative advantage to a potential competitor †¢ The firm doesn’t have tight control over local operations, making it difficult for companies needing to transfer a culture †¢ Shared ownership can lead to conflicts between the two corporations, which can be exacerbate d by the fact that the two firms are from different nations. Wholly Owned Subsidiary – The firm owns 100% of the stock in the project. Can be done through a Greenfield venture, where you build a factory from scratch or via acquisition of an existing enterprise. Advantages †¢ Protect your knowledge Tight control †¢ Required to gain experience and locations economies †¢ Can engage in global strategic behaviors Disadvantages †¢ High costs and risks †¢ Culture transfer can be difficult, especially in terms of an acquisition Chapter Questions Tesco Q2 – How does Tesco create value in its international operations? Tesco creates value by offering something that the market is lacking: a well run competitive grocery store. They enter emerging markets with growth potential and few competitors. They then acquire or partner with current enterprises in that country in order to ensure that the value they are creating will work for that particular consumer. Tesco researches their potential partners carefully, and they pick a solid chain with some stores and they build off of that known base. They bring to the table their core competencies, but they don’t remove the local managers who have the knowledge of the customer. Finally they have the capital and the retailing know-how to bring their moderately successful firms into a globally back force. This value is created out of successfully leveraging the joint venture strategy, where both firms bring something useful to the table and both are given the opportunity to be successful with their knowledge. Grocery stores are part service and part goods firms. Tesco’s strengths exist in both, but they are leveraging their service and management know-how transfer through the use of the joint venture. We know that value creation is measured by the difference between the converted inputs that create the cost of a product and how much the consumer is willing to pay for that product. More specifically in this case it is the amount consumers are willing to pay for the goods inside of the Tesco subsidiary. Porter states that it is important for the firm to decide where it wants to be strategically positioned in terms of cost effectiveness, and differentiation. Tesco wants to be a low cost provider of all the goods a consumer would purchase at a grocery store. They compete through their value chain by gaining purchasing power through expansion, and by leveraging their values skills in foreign markets. CT 5 – A small Canadian firm that has developed some valuable new medical products using its unique biotechnology know-how is trying to decide how best to serve the EU. Establishing a manufacturing firm outside of Canada is not outside of the firm’s reach, but it will be a stretch. Which of the following options would you recommend and why? a) Manufacture the product at home and let foreign sales agents handle the marketing. b) Manufacture the product at home and set up wholly own subsidiaries in Europe to handle marketing c) Enter into an alliance with a large European pharmaceutical firm. The product would be manuf in Europe y the 50/50 joint venture and marketed by the European firm. As stated in the text, if the firm’s core competency is the based on control over proprietary technological know-how, it should avoid licensing and joint-venture arrangements if possible to minimize the risks of losing control over that technology (option C). While the strategic alliance will allow for entry into the foreign market, I don’t feel that the EU is such a different type of market that it would be impossible to find someone in the US who they could hire to help them understand that market. The partnership can give competitors low cost access to the new technology and markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries for marketing would allow for the marketing to be owned by the firm and therefore reduce the risks associated with using the local sales agents that may serve their own interests in lieu of the firm’s. However, I suggest that the core competency of the firm is not their marketing skills, but rather their technological know-how. This means that they would be choosing to take on major risks and expenses in order to transfer a non core competency and therefore find themselves at risk of failure. Going back to the Lincoln electric case, we saw how selecting a mode of entry strategy on something other than your comparative can lead to significant issues. Exporting (option a) allows for the firm to realize location economies, experience curve economies while suffering from high transport costs, trade barriers and problems with local marketing agents. In this instance, the cost of shipping medical instruments is typically quite low, and the trade barriers between Canada and EU are nonexistent. However, they may find the local sales agents to be at odds with other competitors making it difficult to distribute the product. Despite this drawback however, I feel that the financial risks associated with option b and the dangers of losing their core competency in option c I would use the less risky option a. Chapter 15 – Exporting, Importing and Counter Trade Key Chapter Points Chapter Questions CT3 – An alternative to using letter of credit is export credit insurance. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the credit insurance rather than a letter of credit for exporting: a) A luxury yacht from California to Canada b) Machine tools from New York to the Ukraine A letter of credit, abbreviated as L/C is: †¢ Issued by the bank at the request of the importer †¢ States the bank will pay a specified sum of money to a beneficiary, normally the exporter, on presentation of particular, specified documents †¢ Charge a percentage to the importer as a fee for the service †¢ May require the importer to do some type of deposit †¢ It is a financial contract †¢ Allows for the banks to determine the creditworthiness of your trade partner, so no relationship must exist for the trade to take place Export Credit Insurance: Sometimes exporters who require a letter of credit from an importer will lose their business to another exporter who doesn’t require all the additional work †¢ Thus when the importer is in a str ong bargaining position and able to play competing suppliers against each other, an exporter may have to forgo a letter of credit. †¢ This exposes the exporter to risk †¢ The exporter can protect themselves against that risk through the us of exporter insurance †¢ The FCIA provides coverage against commercial and political risks. Losses due to commercial risk result from the buyers insolvency or payment default. a) Because the competition for selling this product is somewhat high I would expect the buyer to have more power than the seller and therefore I could see them asking the seller to forgo the letter of credit. If that is the case export credit insurance will be the likely route to manage the trade. However, if the seller can get the buyer to comply the letter of credit between the reputable Canadian bank and the US bank will be a good asset to leverage if possible. b) Because of the nature of the transaction, the letter of credit may be the best solution. This way the seller can insure that the buyer is credit worthy and the bank will take care of the relationship needs so the buyer and seller do not have to create a relationship. My only concern would be that of the Ukrainian bank and whether you can trust their banking system. It may be more prudent to use the exporter insurance again to guard against the ever present political and economic risks in that country. ———————– Structure Incentives & controls Processes Culture People

Case Studies Abstract

Case Studies Abstract Alfredo Cano Abstract Innovative methods in language teaching may sometimes be slightly difficult for less experienced teachers. Case studies are a relatively new type of task-based activities for business English students. They have been used in language courses for some time now. It seems, however, that their full teaching potential has not been used yet. Teachers seem to be uncertain of how to use cases in class.The paper presents the main pedagogical aspects of using case studies in business English courses. It gives a short description of the structure of typical mini-cases included in recently published course-books of business English. It discusses the basic principles and techniques of using the case study method in class. The main aim of the paper is to present the advantages of the case study method as a new tool of developing learners’ linguistic and non-linguistic competence.Cases offer valuable teaching material that needs to be fully exploit ed. Suggestions given in teacher’s books can be supplemented by various innovative tasks aimed at developing the productive skills of speaking and writing. Cases are motivating for business English learners since they give them the authority to decide what to do to solve a real-life business problem (learners are in the role of managers). Learners can present their point of view, discuss its advantages and suggest a course of action.They have a chance to compete and to demonstrate their analytical and managerial skills. Doing the cases learners use language naturally. In the case study method language is a tool to solving a problem, it is a means of communicating in typical business situations. If teachers learn how to use cases more extensively in the future, they will certainly make the teaching process more effective and studentcentered. 1. Introduction The effectiveness of language teaching depends, among others, on teaching materials.Students and teachers need materials that can improve the language acquisition process and offer more opportunities to develop the productive language skills of speaking and writing. These skills, as opposed to the receptive skills of reading and listening comprehension, are more difficult to acquire and require much more practice and time. In her book on business English teaching Donna (2000) stresses the fact that if students believe that in a language course they do tasks relevant for their future professional communication, they are more motivated to learn.Case studies were first used in law to evidence verdicts given by judges and to teach law students. In the 30s of the 20th century cases were introduced in psychiatry. Case reports were written to document diseases and to consult the cases with other specialists. Today, all medical specialties use case reports for didactic and research purposes. Case studies started to be used in business in 1967 when Strauss and Glazer created their ‘grounded theoryâ€℠¢. In the mid-70s of the 20th century they were introduced in business schools.Harvard Business School has been using this method intensively to teach future managers how to solve real-life problems. Today, the case study method is widely used as a teaching and researching tool in medicine, psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics, management, finance and other sciences where the presentation and analysis of a real problem is of relevance in teaching and researching. The paper presents the case study method as an interesting and motivating teaching material that can be widely used in teaching business English to adult learners. 2.

Learning Experience Paper Essay

In this paper I will discuss my learning experiences and analyze them with the perspective of learning theories. I will analyze my learning experiences with regards to classical conditioning, operant conditioning and cognitive- social learning theory. First of all, I would begin by describing my experience of learning to fear lizards with regards to classical conditioning. To give some context to the situation, I was raised in India where lizards, usually in large numbers, are often found on walls particularly during the summer months. I strongly believe that my fear of lizards can be explained using Pavlov’s â€Å"classical conditioning†. Classical conditioning is the type of learning that occurs via making associations. In other words, Classical conditioning is a type of learning by which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response (Feist, 2008, p. 449). In addition, Clark (2004) in his article,† The Classical Origins of Pavlov’s Conditioning† gives a detailed insight at the origin of classical conditioning and the reasoning behind the change of Pavlov conditioning to classical conditioning (Clark, 2004). With regards to classical conditioning, I believe my fear of lizards can be traced back to my younger years. When I was in my childhood years, I heard my older sister always screaming every time she saw a lizard; the scream infusing a fear in me. The conditioning happened as follows: Initially when I saw the lizard, I always tried to stay away from them because I thought they were disgusting. But when I heard my sister screaming every time she saw the lizard, it scared me and eventually, I developed the fear of lizard. So, after hearing my sister screaming at the lizard multiple times, I realized that I myself have developed a fear of lizard. Since then, I had learned to associate loud scream with lizard and hence developed a fear of lizard. Therefore, I believe I have been conditioned to fear lizards. I believe the unconditioned stimulus is the lizard, the unconditioned response (fear), the conditioned stimulus (scream), and the conditioned response (fear of lizard). Also, I believe I have acquired behaviors through operant learning. My desire  to accomplish good grades and as a result, make my parents proud of my accomplishments can be traced back to my younger years. I strongly believe that my desire to get good grades and to make my parents proud can be explained by a learning called â€Å"operant conditioning†. Operant conditioning is a type of learning that occur when the reinforcement follows a particular behavior; hence increasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur again. In my case, when I was growing up I was always known to be a good student amongst my teachers and my family. Every time I had exams, I always did well and my parents always told me that if I get above a certain level grade, for instance being in the best three students in class, I will get a reward. The reward (reinforcement) meant that my parents threw a party as a result of being proud of my accomplishments. So, consequently I learned that every time I perform well in class, I got a reward (parents’ happiness). This in turn made my family proud of me and it reinforced me to do better next time; hence it increased the probability that the behavior would occur again. This is not to say that the reward caused me to behave in a certain way, instead the reward just increased the likelihood that the behavior will occur again. I believe my family approval acted as the positive reinforcement, as it strengthened my behavior. Interestingly, Research shows that operant conditioning can also be used in the treatment of chronic aphasia ( Sigurà °ardà ³ttir, 2006). Furthermore, I have also acquired learning experiences by using observation. In other words, I have learnt behaviors by observing what others do in a particular situation and then learned to perform the same behavior in that particular situation. For instance, when I first moved to Canada, I was not aware of how the supermarkets work in terms of the entire process of taking your own shopping cart to packing your own groceries. Also, I was not aware that most of the grocery stores require customers to bag their own groceries. But when I first experienced the western grocery market environment, I wasn’t sure how everything was supposed to work, so I observed how other people performed the task. When I went to the checkout I saw people unloading their groceries and afterwards, packing it as well. Therefore, I realized how the process worked and I found myself performing the task just as I saw other customers performing. In the end, I recognized  that I have acquired this task by looking at how other people are behaving and hence by observing them, I learnt to perform in the same manner. I strongly believe that media plays an important part in the learning process. As younger kids spend plenty of time in front of their TV’s and computers ( internet, video games), they are more likely to experience adult material such as foul language, violence, kissing amongst other things sooner than their parents generation. Also, if they encounter these adult material sooner in their lives, it also has implications on their social behavior, desensitization of violence, rape, shootings and so on. Moreover, prejudice also plays an important role in learning. For instance, teenagers are stereotyped as misbehaving, violent, and arrogant group and if the society sees them stereotypically, the teenagers are going to learn that such an egotistical behavior is probably how they should be, even if they are not. Hence they would learn to behave in such arrogant ways so that they can fit into the stereotypical picture that has been made by the media and the society. In conclusion, classical conditioning is a type of learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus (NS) becomes paired (associated) with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) to elicit a conditioned response (CR) ( Feist, 2008, 449).This type of conditioning was introduced by Ivan Pavlov and hence also called Pavlovian conditioning. Some of the main components of Classical conditioning are: neutral stimulus (NS), unconditioned stimulus (UCS), unconditioned response (UCR), conditioned stimulus (CS), and conditioned response (CR).Operant Conditioning, on the other hand, is a type of learning in which voluntary responses are controlled by their consequences. If a behavior is reinforced, it increases the probability that the behavior will occur again. Some of the basic principles of operant conditioning are: Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Shaping, Positive Punishment, and Negative Punishment. Interestingly, Research shows that human infants are also capable of learning â€Å"operant discrimination† (Simmons, 1964). Lastly, Cognitive-Social learning theory emphasizes the roles of thinking and social learning in behavior (Carpenter, 2008). There are different types of learning that takes place: insight learning, latent  learning, and observational Learning. A perspective that emphasizes the roles of thinking and social learning is behavior. Therefore, classical conditioning, operant conditioning and cognitive social learning are all forms of learning’ hence called learning theories. Also, Classical and operant conditioning share many of the same basic principles and procedures. Some of those basic principles are: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, and stimulus generalization. References. Carpenter, S. & Huffman, K. (2008). Visualizing Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Clark, R. (2004). The Classical Origins of Pavlov’s conditioning. Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science, Oct-Dec2004, Vol. 39 Issue 4, p279-294. Retrieved on April 2, 2009 from EBSCO host database. Feist, J., & Feist, G. J. (2008) Theories of Personality (7th edition). New York: McGraw-HillSigurà °ardà ³ttir, G; Sighvatsson, B (2006). Operant conditioning and errorless learning procedures in the treatment of chronic aphasia. International Journal of Psychology, Vol. 41 Issue 6, p527-540, 14p.Retrieved on April 2, 2009 from EBSCO host database. Simmons, W (1964). Operant Discrimination Learning in Human Infants, Child Development Vol. 35 Issue 3, p737. Retrieved on April 2, 2009 from EBSCO host database

International transport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International transport - Essay Example So, International transport compliments the human activity of producing products perfectly, and this paper will look at their role in sending garments from manufacturing plants in India to the destinations in Netherlands. Garments, important necessity of people all over the world, are being manufactured from time immemorial as form of cover, protection, style, comfort etc. From casuals to formals, many garments have been manufactured in different parts of the world and one of the best known places for garments manufacturing especially knitted T-shirts is Tiruppur in India. T-shirts manufactured in Tiruppur are marketed throughout the world. â€Å"It is called the Knits Capital of India as it caters to famous brands and retailers from all over the world. Nearly every buyer of knitting in the world comes to Tiruppur†¦ Walmart, Switcher, Diesel, ARMY, Tommy Hilfiger, M&S, FILA, H&M, Pink Lemonade, HTHP, Whale, Reebok† (Wikipedia). After the garments or T-shirts comes out of the manufacturing plants in packed boxes, Tiruppur based logistics companies will take over it, for the shipment process. Logistics companies, contracted by the manufacturers, will have a fleet of vehicles or containers using which only, the packed T-shirts will be transported to the nearest port. Even though India is dotted with many ports on both its coasts, Port Cochin on the western coast is the preferable port for the Tiruppur garment manufacturers. As Cochin is in another Indian state of Kerala, the vehicles from Tiruppur (which is in Tamil Nadu) have to face some practical problems, which can prolong the normal duration of 6 hours. That is, the distance of 109 miles can be covered in 6 hours by the vehicles like the Lorries and vans, but it can get prolonged due to government check posts, other natural and artificial eventualities. As trans-state crossing needs some government

Personality in Human Beings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personality in Human Beings - Essay Example In this essay I shall shortly describe my own views on personality and then discuss some theories that are popular in their descriptions of the human personality. The theories of three theorists namely, Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939), Carl Gustav Jung (1875 - 1961), Albert Bandura (1925- ), and their work on human personality shall be discussed here. In the process I shall envisage to understand the differences and similarities in the theories of psychoanalysis. In my perspective human personality is complex, and is constituted of many factors such as 1) physical attributes and genetic make-up, 2) cultural and ethnical background, 3) personal aptitudes and beliefs. The first two factors are largely inherited with little scope for alteration; like for example, skin color, height, propensity towards some inherited diseases, are inherited and do have a bearing on one's personality. The second two factors are socially constructed, partially inherited and partially changeable, but, nevertheless have great influence on the human personality. For example, the work-culture and perception of opportunities by a Chinese is more likely to be typically inherited from his/her parents and very specific to that ethnic and cultural background. I call it partially changeable because, the same Chinese immigrated to the U.S. ... The third set of factor is important and is mostly responsible for making a qualitative difference in one's personality. For example, physicist Stephen Hawking suffered from the degenerative Lou Gherig's Disease (www.hawking.org), but never allowed it to come in the way of his scientific quest. Battling with pneumonia, he lost his voice; but his sheer love for science and integrity made him to overcome all his set-backs. He is a good example of the power of personal beliefs and aptitudes, and what it can achieve, despite handicaps. Theories of Psychoanalysis Consciously or unconsciously, my concept of personality is derived from three theorists: Freud, Jung and Bandura. Importantly, the 'structure of personality' (Ewen 6) as per each construct shall be delineated here, with a further discussion of how they have helped in my understanding of the human personality. 'Construct' refers to "a set of terms and principles constructed or applied by the theorist" that constitutes a theory and they are useful in explaining the particular theory of personality and comparisons between them (Ewen 4); like for example Jung's theory of psyche and the human personality is marked by the terms and descriptions like the 'collective unconscious' and archetypes (Ewen 6). First in the discussion shall be Sigmund Freud. Von Schubert, Carus, and Schopenhauer, had already done some research in the field of 'unconscious' (Ewen 7-8). Freud's concept consists of the constructs - id, ego, and superego (Freud 1923 p.8). He holds that the human being is driven by powerful instincts which get activated when the body is mature. Human beings are born with an Id which may be understood as basic instincts like hunger, sleep and so on.

Econometric Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Econometric Analysis - Essay Example Its analysis has two principal purposes - to promote empirical content within particular economic theories and to subject such theories to potentially falsifying tests (Econometrics, Wikipedia, 2006). Taking the first, with the French data as example, it can be said that economic theory holds that consumption should be directly proportion to income while it should be inversely so to interest and unemployment rates. The available data should reflect this and thus provide empirical evidence of the theory's validity. The tests that the data will be subjected to will assist in this quest for empiric authenticity. Such tests should not only provide broad evidence of empiricism but should also assist in determining how much current variance there may be from theoretical reckoning and should thus provide reliable pointers as to why such variance is evident. It is, of course, incumbent upon theorists to interpret why there is variance, if evident after analysis, and this is done at the end o f the paper. To find empiric elements within the variables the first strategy adopted is to assume that a certain relation exists among the variables such that LCF (natural logarithm of real per capita consumption) is taken to be an endogenous variable series that is functionally dependent upon the other variable time series' - LYF (Natural logarithm of real per capita income), RF (real interest rate) and UF (unemployment rate). The following equation expresses a 'Population Linear Function' that is linear both in variables and parameters. The equation is as follows: LCFt = + LYFt + RFt + UFt + ut Here, , , and are the unknown parameters that are assumed to be linear, just as the variables LCF, LYF, RF and UF but this is still an assumption. This, together with the fact that the data has been acquired eccentrically, without due consideration for true series function, does not automatically relate parameters, also called estimators, statistically to their true corresponding values. Therefore, it is necessary to find certain other properties within the variables to enable this. This, however is not evident. Again, thus, some more assumptions have to be made such that, based on these second set of assumptions, certain statistical properties between the estimators and their true corresponding values can be assigned (OLS, Wikipedia, 2006; Estimators and Properties, 2006). This second set of assumptions is as follows. 1. The explanatory set of variables - LYF, RF and UF - is fixed. 2. For all n > 1, >0. Where, x stands for the variable and the mean of the series. This is true for all the variables. 3. =m>0. 4. Zero mean disturbance, E(u)=0. 5. Homoscedasticity: Var() = , is constant for all values of i. 6. Nonautocorrelation, Cov() = 0, where . 7. The error term 'u' has a Gaussian distribution such that, . (Assumptions based on: Estimators and Properties, 2006) A second equation, derived from the same data set and based linearly on the same set of assumption

Human Cloning is Immoral Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Cloning is Immoral - Personal Statement Example This Dolly was produced by a cell picked from the udder of an adult sheep. This could also have applied to cells picked from the nose, lungs, skin or elsewhere else. Cloning is not a new invention. There are instances of cloning that occur naturally, for example, some instances the reproduction of aphids and the use of runners in the propagation of some plants like strawberries. In human beings, identical twins are natural clones (Cernaj and Cernaj, 207). Despite the existence of natural clones even among the human race, artificial production of such persons is immoral and a threat to the human society. First, it should be noted that for the technique to be more efficient, it will require a lot of experimentation and the achievement of more refined human products will only be possible at the expense of having deformed babies. This is so inhuman. Who will be ready to own these deformed individuals? In any case, extreme cases of deformities could prompt the killing of such persons. Although the cloning of beautiful women, geniuses, and people of high integrity could be a very nice idea, no one can block the inclusion of bloodthirsty tyrants like Lenin and the likes of Hitler. This means that cloning puts the human society at risk of having a pool of such dreadful men. If many people were cloned from one person, it would pose such a great task for criminologists because it would be difficult to trace the exact criminal among them all. The above is true especially if there was no proof of fingerprints left at the scene of a crime. This will mean that all the clones have to be arrested and investigated thoroughly. If cloning was done basically to reproduce geniuses, this would threaten the survival of other people in the society. This is because such people will take up the top jobs in the society as the rest scramble for the low positions. It will also make the existence of those persons with lower mental abilities to be nearly impossible.

Environmental problems report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental problems report - Essay Example Due to the very nature of the tropical rainforests, these places not only experience higher level of temperature but also witness higher level of rain. What is more important about tropical rainforests is the biodiversity which they encourage and possess. Over 10% of the earth’s surface is covered by the tropical rainforests therefore they play an important role in balancing the overall environment of the earth. However, deforestation of tropical forests and its persistent occurrence has created stronger consequences for the biodiversity as well as environment of the earth. The systematic removal of the forest area so that they can be used for other purposes is what is called tropical deforestation. This report will discuss the ecological reasons for tropical deforestation and will also discuss some of the possible solutions which can be implemented to reduce the occurrence. Ecological Reasons of Tropical Deforestation One of the key and most documented reasons for the tropica l deforestation is the agriculture. It has been suggested that subsistence farming has been one of the real cause as to why tropical rainforests are being destroyed. ... s therefore in order to sustain higher level of population growth and to accommodate humans within the overall eco-system, tropical deforestation quickened during last 100 years. (Simon, Dickey , & Reece, 163) It has been argued that though tropical deforestation may provide advantage to human life however, it can have also devastating effects on other species and the environment as a whole. What is also critical to understand that overall devastation caused by tropical deforestation is not just limited to the local environment but to the global environment too. The interaction of humans with the environment and how they actually use the environment to fulfill their needs however many species actually are microhabitats in these forests. Due to this dependence of other biological species on the survival of forests, it becomes critically important the overall pace of deforestation is slowed down. The overall changes in the trees as well as the insects and other biological organisms red uce the ability of the forests to actually sustain the environment over the longer period of time. (Lindsey, 2007) Ecological reasons also indicate that in certain areas, especially in Asia, the overall intensity of the climate is on the rise. This intense climate changes create droughts and precipitation. This increase in precipitation and intensity in the temperature is also seen as one of the key reasons as to why tropical forests are decreasing in their overall size. Another important ecological reason for tropical deforestation is the increasing demand from developed countries of the material found in the tropical forests. Tropical forests are rich in producing rubbers, lumber and other active ingredients which are used by the pharmaceutical companies. The higher and sustained rise in

Final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Final paper - Essay Example In our own argument we thought that was not well since beef is a delicious meal. However, after a reading in class, we realized the concept and notion of cultural relativism which stipulates that each and every culture is unique in its own way and there is no absolute or universal culture in the world.in brief the conversation in rhetoric form was as follows. The next day, we resumed the discussion about other cultures in other countries and realized that somewhat our culture was superior in way. This was so because the things that we do in our cultures we perceive them to be the best and highest in the society. However, the reading we did in class that previous week dispelled our notion and opinion which stipulated that we were ethnocentric. The term ethnocentrism in the simplest and most basic sense refers to the instance and situation whereby an individual elevates his or her own culture over and above the cultures of other people (Perne 23). For instance, when a person believes that the things that happen in his or her life are the best and others are inferior constitutes ethnocentrism. In rhetoric

Z302-summary 4 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Z302-summary 4 - Article Example For example previous research lacks emphasis on approach of terminal integration and different diversity values. Their research even shows that similar methods of diversity can not be implemented in different contexts and diversity management needs to be conducted in accordance to the context of the organization. They state that different organization has different cultures and operations and diversity management should be conducted while given emphasis to these elements. Their research even proposes that the approach of diversity management can help in identifying the nature of the effect of diversity on performance of different organizations. The research states that an organization can adopt a diversity management approach but they need to change their approach with changes in the environment and when organizations experience change they need to change their approach of diversity management. Lastly the research even provides insight to different stake holders such as researchers o n how organization can alter their diversity management approach to attain effective and efficient programs of diversity management. Olsen, J.E, and L.L Martins. "Understanding Organizational Diversity Management Programs: a Theoretical Framework and Directions for Future Research." Journal of Organizational Behavior. 33.8 (2012): 1168-1187.

Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Evaluation - Essay Example While observing the speeches of Obama, we see him as possessing the first and foremost quality of an eloquent orator as mentioned earlier. Another notable feature of Obama is that he is always energetic and confident during his speeches that the long schedules or programs never did tire him. One dominant feature found in Obama’s speech is his ability to pause wherever necessary and resume the speech after observing or studying the audience. His style is identifiable when he began his Democrat Primary Victory Speech on 3rd June, 2008. The beginning, â€Å"Tonight, after 54 hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end† (Democrat Primary Victory Speech, 2008) justifies the former statement. Obama could also begin the speeches with striking words, though not often with quotations, and maintain the flow of words tinted with poetical lines. He has enough voice projection and voice modulation that can enchant people to him. To conclude, one can infer tha t Obama possesses the notable features of a good public speaker. An evaluation of McCain’ as a public speaker reveals that he is no less than Obama as a talented orator. He could also raise number of people, though he could not win American Presidency Elections against Obama. The outstanding feature of McCain’s speech is that he was motivational that he tried his best to motivate the audience. His words â€Å"Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. Stand up with our President and fight. Were Americans. Were Americans, and well never surrender. They will† (McCain, 2004) are capable of stirring the minds of the people. Like, Obama, he also would acknowledge that his knowledge was limited, if he was not proficient in a particular topic. During his speeches, he tried to present the root cause of the existing problems in American Society as well as in economy. This is very clear when he said, â€Å"Americas most vital

US Supreme Court Decision Essay Example for Free

US Supreme Court Decision Essay An examination of the United States Supreme Court case Romer v. Evans, which was decided on May 20, 1996, is to be put forth in this paper. The case was argued on October 10, 1995. At issue was Amendment 2 to the State Constitution of Colorado â€Å"which precludes all legislative, executive, or judicial action at any level of state or local government designed to protect the status of persons based on their homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). The U. S. Supreme court held it violates the Equal Protection Clause. The opinion in favor was filed by Justice Kennedy, while the dissenting opinion was filed by Justice Scalia. The referendum, Article II sec 30b of the Colorado Constitution, read as follows: NO PROTECTED STATUS BASED ON HOMOSEXUAL, LESBIAN, OR BISEXUAL ORIENTATION. Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or departments, nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions, municipalities or school districts, shall enact, adopt or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices, or relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of, or entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination. This Section of the Constitution shall be in all respects self-executing (Romer v. Evans, 1996). While many believed the law would prevent non-federal discrimination lawsuits based on sexual orientation as well as prevent the passage or the enforcing of existing laws prohibiting such discrimination, Amendment 2’s purpose was â€Å"generally inconsistent with mainstream American values† (Debbage Alexander, pg. 264). The State of Colorado argued the â€Å"measure does no more than deny homosexuals special rights† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). This is a decades old argument that right-wing Christian groups have used â€Å"to appeal to a wider, more secular audience by characterizing the gay rights movement as one aimed at getting special rights and protected status for gays and lesbians incorporated into civil rights law† (Debbage Alexander, pg. 273). Justice Kennedy writes in the opinion in favor, â€Å"The States principal argument that Amendment 2 puts gays and lesbians in the same position as all other persons by denying them special rights is rejected as implausible† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). Justice Kennedy further states how â€Å"Amendment 2 confounds this normal process of judicial review. It is at once too narrow and too broad. It identifies persons by a single trait and then denies them protection across the board† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). The final paragraph of Justice Kennedy’s opinion declares: â€Å"We must conclude that Amendment 2 classifies homosexuals not to further a proper legislative end but to make them unequal to everyone else. This Colorado cannot do. A State cannot so deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws. Amendment 2 violates the Equal Protection Clause, and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Colorado is affirmed† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). While Justice Scalia writes in his dissenting opinion, Amendment 2 is a â€Å"modest attempt by seemingly tolerant Coloradans to preserve traditional sexual mores against the efforts of a politically powerful minority to revise those mores through the use of the laws† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). While Justice Scalia has the right to his own personal beliefs regarding homosexuality and its validity as a protected class, many others do not share them. As Richard Mohr observes in Romer v. Evans: A Blow for Justice, â€Å"All or nearly all legal burdens on gays appeal directly or indirectly to prejudice†. His article goes on to describe how in 1996 this ruling should affect two major gay issues: gays in the military and gay marriage. When opponents cannot give logical reasons for their opposition it presupposes â€Å"strongly held beliefs for which one can offer no reasons or explanations are by definition prejudicial ones† (Mohr, para. 5). With the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, Romer v. Evans â€Å"marked an immensely important day for the gay rights movement and a major setback for anti-gay rights activists of all persuasions† according to Sharon Debbage Alexander’s article in the Winter 2002 issue of Texas Forum on Civil Liberties Civil Rights. Furthermore, this case has become one of the most significant decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in regards to gay rights. The majority of those who have analyzed Romer v. Evans purport the â€Å"fact that the case was won using a rational basis test adds to the strength of the decision for gay rights† (Debbage Alexander, pg. 297). Since the decision of Romer v. Evans, President Barack Obama has overturned the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy within our Armed Forces and gay marriage is currently under consideration in two cases that have been heard at the U.S. Supreme Court. After winning Boy Scouts of America v. Dale in 2000 protecting the groups First Amendment expressive association rights, recently the governing body of the Boy Scouts of America voted to allow openly gay scouts within its membership, but not as Scout Leaders. The important issue of gay rights in America has finally reached the forefront of public policy and debate. As in Romer v. Evans, I hope that the United States Supreme Court will rule against the State of California’s Proposition 8 and DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, to find both laws unconstitutional. In so far as to bring equality for all to these United States of America.

Strengths To The Tourism Industry In Greece Tourism Essay

Strengths To The Tourism Industry In Greece Tourism Essay Secondly, Greece has a family-friendly environment, making it ideal for tourists of all nationalities and creeds. One of the factors that contribute to this is its hot, dry Mediterranean climate, with an average of 290 days of sunshine a year. The capital city, Athens, has an average of only seven days of rain during summer and daytime temperatures in the low thirties  [4]  . These ideal climate conditions make it more accessible for tourists to experience the plethora of outdoor activities that are available, from swimming at Greeces picturesque beaches and yachting, to more rigorous activities such as mountain climbing and long-distance trekking to see some of the countrys most ancient landmarks and artefacts in the most inconspicuous locations. Finally, Greece has a sense of individuality and uniqueness to it. In comparison with other European countries that may claim to have a long history, Greece has one of the oldest civilisations and cultures outside of the Middle East. Infact, many historians perceive Greece as the cradle of Western civilisation, as well as the origin of democracy, the Olympic games, Western literature, political science, Western philosophy, and major scientific and mathematical principles  [5]  . This is validated by the fact that 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites  [6]  can be found around the country. Therefore, many foreigners see the countrys rich culture and history as a major attraction that intrigues them and inspires them to visit Greece. However, amidst the current strengths in tourism industry are some weaknesses and barriers to the tourism industry development. One of the strengths mentioned earlier has also proven to be a weakness: climate, or more precisely, seasonality problems. Mediterranean climates are characterised by hot and dry summers, and also have mild and wet winters. The peak season for travel to Greece is May-September, which is further supported by the fact that an overwhelming 75% of all tourists who travel to Greece travel during this period  [7]  . That means only a paltry 25% of the tourists travel between October-April. Although the cooler months in Greece dont have sub-zero temperatures like its other Eastern European neighbours, the large amount of rain the country receives during this period serves as a deterrent for people who enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing. Therefore, the revenue levels of a lot of local businesses that rely heavily on tourism decrease substantially during th is period of time. Another major weakness is the lack of public transport infrastructure and accessibility. While countries such as Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom and Germany have reputable public transport systems; it is a hassle to travel to some of the most majestic and beautiful parts of Greece. This is because the country as very spread out and the population density, when compared to its European counterparts, are very low, ranked 115th in the world with 85.7 people per square kilometre  [8]  . A lot of people may see the public transport infrastructure as a negative, because they want to travel between locations with minimal complications. Other major weaknesses and barriers include marketing and management. Although countries like France and Germany have managed to modernise themselves despite their long histories and have made themselves more cosmopolitan and attractive to younger people, Greece has, to a large extent, chosen to remain stuck in the past and relied heavily on its 3500+ year history to promote its tourism industry. This is an obstacle when it comes to targeting potential tourists who may not have the same level of appreciation for things related to historical matters. In other words, Greece tourism promotion and marketing hasnt evolved with the times, leaving potential tourists with a fixed stereotype of the country and hence little opportunity for surprise. The weaknesses and barriers to the tourism industry development lead to an issue that may benefit the Greek tourism industry as a whole: what are the opportunities to enhance the tourisms economic contribution? Well, as one of the weaknesses mentioned earlier, there is an opportunity to improve the public transportation. An improvement in this area could lead to a vast increase in tourism for the Greek Islands off the mainland of Greece, and overall, an increase in tourism for Greece. Places such as Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes and Kassos could all experience a large inflation in tourist numbers, hence leading to increased revenues and profits for the local businesses in those respective areas. Continued improvement in infrastructure and technology will also go a long way towards enhancing the tourisms economic contribution. Giving the country a modern appeal will help to counteract the weakness mentioned earlier about Greeces outdated marketing techniques in the area of tourism promotion. Finally, a decrease in accommodation prices may lead to an influx of tourists. As we know, not everyone can afford to stay in four or five-star accommodation. In 2009, Athens was named the city with the 10th most expensive hotel prices in the world, with the average hotel in Athens costing AUD $321 a night  [9]  . This price is deemed to be very expensive for people in the middle and lower-class income brackets and may deter them from visiting Greece in the first place. Affordable accommodation may be able to break the mindset that Greece is an expensive place to travel. There are various threats that need to be overcome, in order to enhance Greeces reputation as a safe and hospitable tourist destination. The first issue is riots. Major riots occurring in December 2008  [10]  and more recently, May 2010  [11]  , have tarnished Greeces reputation as a safe destination. This has had adverse effect on the tourism industry, with pre-bookings being down 8% for the peak-season in comparison to last year. With tourism being absolutely pivotal to Greeces economy, equating to 17% of its Gross Domestic Product, any sharp decline in this amount could be detrimental to the Greek economy on a whole. Also related to the issue of safety are two terrorist attacks that occurred last year  [12]  13. Environmental pollution is another threat to the tourism industry that needs to be confronted. This problem emanates back to the 1970s  [14]  , when rapid industrialisation began to take place in Greece. This industrialisation culminated in serious air pollution in Athens during the 1980s. Smog (carbon monoxide) and exhaust fumes from cars became prevalent in Athens and even resulted in 87 industries and 73 factories being order to cease production  [15]  , due to the governments concerns over the effects the pollution was having on peoples respiratory systems. The widespread ramifications of this problem dont stop there. Various species of mammals, reptiles, birds and freshwater fish are on the brink of extinction because of failure to minimise the pollution5  [16]  . The issue of political intervention appears as a threat to the tourist industry. The recent riots in May 2010 were the result of protests against the governments austerity decisions to combat the countrys large sovereign debt levels  [17]  18. Countries with political instability and countries that impose austere decisions, which are likely to lead to civil unrest, make the country less attractive to foreigners and hence will find it very difficult to attract potential tourists. So far, we have discussed the current strengths, weakness and barriers of the Greek tourism industry, as well as potential benefits and threats that could either enhance or decimate the industry. Combining the main points discussed in this research, we can extrapolate implications for specific strategies of industry, government and the community to enhance the economic impacts of tourism in Greece. In our opinion, we believe there are three main implications. Firstly, there should be a strategy to consolidate on the profitable and competitive Greek tourism industry, both in the short-term and more importantly, long-term future. Possible techniques to achieve this objective include improving the marketing and promotion, aim to increase levels of tourism and try to promote different types of tourism to appeal to a wider variety of people. Improvements in these areas should lead to a considerable increase in revenues and profits for businesses in Greece that rely on tourism and will allow Greece to maintain strong percentages of tourism in its GDP (as mentioned earlier, 17% of GDP in the Greek economy is derived from the tourism industry). Secondly, there should be an increasing need to cultivate and maintain Greek tourist destinations and attractions, which thereby will lead to economic prosperity in the future. This strategy is concerned with improving the environment, public transportation infrastructure, general infrastructure and decreasing pollution. By improving the standard of public facilities, making transport more accessible for tourists and improving legislation to decrease pollution, not only will it appeal to more potential tourists, but furthermore, Greece will develop a reputation as a nation that cares for the general wellbeing of people and will take the respective measures to make a tourists experience as enjoyable and pleasant as possible. Finally, there should be a strategy for improving the general satisfaction of tourists. This may be achieved through improving general services and also promoting different types of tourism for the people of varying economic backgrounds. For example, the Greek tourism industry should promote certain holiday packages for the higher-income earners who may want to experience a bit more extravagance and luxury, packages for families with small children, packages for those who are on a budget and so on. Certain types of lifestyles (attributed to the amount of money the tourist is willing to spend) should be targeted to achieve this objective.

Main Features Of The Indian Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Main Features Of The Indian Hotel Industry Tourism Essay The major players in the Indian hotel industry can be broadly classified into private players and public players. The major private players include Indian Hotels Company limited, East India Hotels Limited (The Oberoi group), Asian Hotels and ITC Hotels. ITDC and Hotel Corporation of India are the major public sector players.   Sector Outlook Hotel industry depends largely upon the foreign tourist arrivals further classified into business travelers (around 65% of the total foreign tourists) and leisure travelers. The following figures show that business as well as the leisure travelers (both domestic and international) formed major clientele for hotels in 2004. Over the last two years, the hotel industry has seen higher growth rates due to greater number of tourist arrivals, higher occupancy rate (being around 75% in FY06) and significant increase in average room rate (ARR). The major factors contributing to this growth include stable economic and political conditions, booming service industry, FDI inflow, infrastructure development, emphasis on tourism by the central as well as state governments and tax rationalization initiatives to bring down the tax rates in line with the international levels. Some of the main features of the Indian hotel industry include the following:  · The industry is more dependent on metropolitan cities as they account for 75% to 80% of the revenues, with Delhi and Mumbai being on top.    · The average room rate (ARR) and occupancy rate (OC) are the two most critical factors that determine profitability. ARR depends on location, brand image, star rating, quality of facilities and services offered. The occupancy rate depends on other seasonal factors.    · India is an ideal destination for tourists. Approximately 4.4 million tourists visit India every year. Thus the growth prospects are very high.    · In the hotel sector, a number of multinationals have strengthened their presence. Players like Four Seasons are also likely to enter the Indian market in the near future. Moreover, Indian hotel chains are also expanding internationally. A combination of all these factors could result in a strong emergence of budget hotels, which could potentially lower the cost of travel and related costs. The industry can be classified into four segments:  · 5 Star and 5 Star Deluxe. These are mainly situated in the business districts of metro cities and cater to business travelers and foreign tourists. These are considered to be very expensive. These account for about 30% of the industry.    · Heritage Hotels. These are characterized by less capital expenditure and greater affordability and include running hotels in palaces, castles, forts, hunting lodges, etc.    · Budget Hotels:  Budget hotels cater mainly to domestic travelers who favor reasonably priced accommodations with limited luxury. These are characterized by special seasonal offers and good services.    · Unclassified:  These are low-priced motels spread throughout the country. A low-pricing policy is their only selling point. This segment accounts for about 19 % of the industry. Trends In Hospitality Sector Trends that will shape the future of hospitality sector are: 1. Low Cost Carriers 2. Budget Hotels 3. Service Apartments 4. Technology 5. Loyalty Travel 1. Low cost carriers:  Travelers in general are more price sensitive to airfare than they are to hotel room rates. Often a low airfare will stimulate demand for travel even if hotel prices are increasing. LCCs are a good option for business travelers, as they have advantages like low costs, more options and connectivity. 2. Budget hotels:  More than 50 per cent of occupancy of a majority of hotels comes from the business travel segment. The average room rate (ARR) realized from business travelers is normally higher than from leisure travelers. Heightened demand and the healthy occupancy rates have resulted in an increase in the number of budget hotels. Some of the new players entering into this category of hotels include Hometel, Kamfotel, Courtyard by Marriott, Country Inns Suites, Ibis and Fairfield Inn.   3. Service apartments:  The concept of service apartments, though a recent phenomenon in India, is an established global concept. Villas in Spain, flats in the UK and apartment complexes in the US have all created a viable market for those who want more than just a room in a hotel. Service apartments are the latest trend in accommodation, offering the comfort and convenience of a home without the hassles of having to maintain or look after it. Ideally suited for medium-to-long staying guests, service apartments are a natural choice for corporate employees or expatriates relocating to a particular city, non-resident Indians visiting the country for long spells and foreigners visiting the city for long durations.   4. Technology:  Travel and technology have become inseparable. Technology is making its own advances with high-tech video conferencing facilities, web cameras and virtual reality mode of conferencing. On-line bookings, e-ticketing, Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, easy access to information, etc. are just a few areas where technology has completely changed the the way we travel.   5. Loyalty travel:Today, airline-credit card company tie-ups have brought a whole range of benefits to the travelers. These include insurance cover, upgrades, free tickets, access to executive lounges, and a host of other goodies. ITC Hotels Limited ITC Hotels:  · ITC Hotel Maurya Sheraton Towers, New Delhi  · ITC Hotel Grand Maratha Sheraton Towers, Mumbai  · ITC Hotel Sonar Bangla Sheraton Towers,Kolkata  · WelcomHotel Mughal Sheraton, Agra  · WelcomHeritage ( These hotels are spread over all over india and are currently operating in Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu Kashmir, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Karnataka.) MARKET CAPITALIZATION   Month High Low Average July 2006 69470.81 61622.49 65132.68 August 2006 71935.59 63162.11 66907.27 September 2006 71616.29 68235.51 69865.82 October 2006 73136.79 69172.79 70595.60 November 2006 71870.11 66984.82 69353.40 December 2006 71557.75 63306.15 67001.52 Key Stats Ratios Quarterly Annual   (2006) Annual   (TTM) Net Profit Margin 21.70% Operating Margin 31.32% EBITD Margin 34.70% Return on Average Assets 18.35% Return on Average Equity 26.75% RECRUITMENT POLICY: The potential candidates who are looking forward to build their career in ITC Hotels should possess several qualities like integrity, intellectual rigor, a will do attitude, team skills, ability to think strategically, high energy, creativity and leadership. For  entry level, ITC relies on campus recruitments and visits various management and engineering institutes. Some of the institutes include IITs, IIMs, FMS, XLRI, etc. ITC also provides  summer internships.  The internships are for a total of 8 weeks during April July every year. For middle level opportunities, advertisements are placed on the company website and the interested and eligible candidates are invited to apply on-line. The middle management level provides opportunities in Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Logistics and many more. Indian Hotels Company The Indian Hotels Company (IHC) is the parent company of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. It was founded by Jamsetji N. Tata on December16, 1903. Currently the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises 57 hotels at 40 locations across India. Additional 18 hotels are also being operated around the globe. During fiscal year 2006, the total number of hotels owned or managed by the Company was 75. The Taj hotels are categorized as luxury, leisure and business hotels. The Taj Luxury Hotels offer a wide range of luxurious suites with modern fitness centres, rejuvenating spas, and well-equipped banquet and meeting facilities. The Taj Leisure Hotels offer a complete holiday package that can be enjoyed with the whole family. It provides exciting activities ranging from sports, culture, environment, adventure, music, and entertainment. The Taj Business Hotels provide the finest standards of hospitality, which helps the business trips to be productive. They offer well-appointed rooms, telecommunication facilities, efficient service, specialty restaurants and lively bars, well-equipped business centres, and other conference facilities. Management: Chairman: Mr. Ratan N Tata Managing Director CEO: Mr. Raymond Bickson Chief Operating Officer, Leisure Hotels: Ms. Jyoti Narang Chief Operating Officer, Luxury Hotels: Mr. Abhijit Mukerji Chief Operating Officer, Business Hotels: Mr. Jamshed S. Daboo Vice President-Legal Company secretary: Dev Bajpai Chief Financial Officer: Mr. Anil P Goel   Financial Data   Key Stats Ratios Quarterly   (Mar 04) Annual   (2006) Annual   (TTM) Net Profit Margin 4.86% 11.93% 5.03% Operating Margin 8.24% 16.75% 7.77% EBITD Margin 29.11% 23.33% Return on Average Assets 5.32% Return on Average Equity 15.48% Market Capitalization in last 6 months (Rs.crores) Month High Low Average July 2006 6983.18 5883.71 6640.63 August 2006 7536.56 6745.18 7229.90 September 2006 8093.45 7482.83 7835.64 October 2006 8576.75 7911.81 8146.62 November 2006 9046.91 8080.31 8681.29 December 2006 9444.76 8400.55 9001.56 Four new hotels in Bangalore: Taj Group invests Rs.1,000 crore The Taj Group of Hotels will invest about Rs 1,000 crore for constructing four new hotels in Bangalore. It has submitted an Expression of Interest to Delhi Airport International Limited (DAIL). The company has also submitted an Expression of Interest for building a top-class hotel in the airport vicinity. Besides the company has been allocated a site at Greater Noida for building a hotel, while it is keen on entering into a management contract for a hotel in Gurgaon. The Group was also eyeing to enter hotel business overseas like Maldives, Mauritius, Colombo, Boston and Sydney. The Group is also planning to explore seven more locations in Mumbai and increase its total room capacity to 2,000 in the commercial capital in the next five years. This expansion of its budget hotels will generate numerous jobs in the industry. The group has also taken up the renovation and management of Rail Yatri Niwas, the well-known Delhi budget hotel owned by the railways, on a 15-year lease. As part of the deal with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which currently runs it, the Taj group will renovate the Yatri Niwas and add food courts within the complex. The makeover will be done on a redesign-operate-manage-transfer basis. The hotel will be run under the Taj groups budget hotel brand, Ginger, which has hotels in Mysore, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Haridwar and Bhubaneshwar. Taj group of hotels will upgrade all four Rail Yatri Niwas hotels located in Delhi, Howrah, Ranchi and Puri.   The Oberoi Group (EIH) The Oberoi Group was founded in 1934 by Late Rai Bahadur M S Oberoi. The group owns and/or manages 32 hotels with 3,193 rooms under names of Oberoi Hotels Resorts and Trident Hilton, a luxury backwater cruiser in Kerala and Oberoi Flight Services, a division of EIH that provides commercial in-flight catering and operates airport lounges and restaurants. It has branches in five countries, situated in two continents (Asia and Africa). The chain operates the following hotels and resorts in India: The Oberoi, New Delhi Oberoi, Mumbai, Maharashtra The Oberoi, Banglore, Karnataka The Oberoi Amarvilas, Uttar Pradesh The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, West Bengal The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, Rajasthan The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Rajasthan Wildflower Hall, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh The Oberoi Motor Vessel Vrinda, Kerela. The other businesses of EIH include:  · Mercury Car Rentals  · Corporate Air Charters  · EIH Press  · Mercury Travels  · Flight Catering   MARKET CAPITALIZATION   Key Stats Ratios Annual   (2006) Net Profit Margin 22.32% Operating Margin 30.45% EBITD Margin 48.13% Return on Average Assets 8.81% Return on Average Equity 21.09% The market capitalization of EIH as on march 21, 2007 was Rs. 3,748.74 cr. Oberoi Group ventures into Middle East hospitality industry Oberoi Group will run two hotels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to tap the growing Middle East tourism market. Oberoi will manage a city hotel as well as one resort property in the UAE capital. The company has also signed an agreement for a hotel in Dubai, which is part of a 800- million-dirham property project being developed by Rani International. The companys development plans are focused on the Middle East and Asia. It has 32 hotels in five countries and is planning to open new properties in several locations, including Marrakesh, Muscat, Maldives, Cambodia and Thailand. It is also planning to launch its luxury cruiser on the Nile, The Oberoi Zahra, in October this year with an idea to redefine the paradigm of luxury on Nile. The Oberoi Zahra, Luxury Nile Cruiser comes with 25 luxury suites and two Grand suites. The Grand suites have their own private decks and outdoor Jacuzzis. With the Indian economy growing fast, Oberoi is also looking at a number of new sites in India cities, including Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai. It currently has 11 brand hotels in India. Oberoi was also ranked ninth among the top 10 leading chains, hotels, resorts and spas across the world, according to the 2007/2008 Worlds Top Hotels, Resorts and Spas survey report released by Zagat Surveys.   Radisson Hotels Resorts Radisson Hotels Resorts: Radisson hotels are a worldwide chain of 435 hotels with a total of 102,000 guest rooms, in 61 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in 1909 and was purchased by Curt Carlson in 1962 and is still owned by his Carlson Companies. Radisson Hotels International is a fully owned subsidiary of the Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, which is one of the major operating groups of Carlson Companies Inc.Carlson Hospitality brands include Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels Worldwide, Country Inns and Suites by Carlson, Park Hospitality, Carlson Vacation Ownership, and Carlson Lifestyle Living. Carlson companies also include the Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson Leisure Group, Carlson Marketing Group and a worldwide marketing services company. With more than 1520 hotel, resort, restaurant and cruise ship operations in 79 countries, Carlson Companies provide employment to 190,000 people in more than 140 countries.   Scope Of Hospitality Sector In 2003-04 the hospitality industry contributed only 2% of the GDP. However, it is projected to grow at a rate of 8.8% between 2007-16, which would place India as the second-fastest growing tourism market in the world. This year the number of tourists visiting India is estimated to have touched the figure of 4.4 million. With this huge figure, India is becoming the hottest tourist destination. The arrival of foreign tourists has shown a compounded annual growth of 6 per cent over the past 10 years. Besides, travel and tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner for India. Moreover, it is also estimated that the tourism sector will account for nearly 5.3 per cent of GDP and 5.4 per cent of total employment. GDP Employment Visitor Export Personal TT Capital Investment Govt. Expenditure Outlook for 2006 7.80% 1.40% 10.90% 6.90 % 8.30% 7.70% Outlook for 2007-2016 6.60% 1.00% 7.80% 6.70% 7.80% 6.60% Future of hospitality sector: To boost up the growth of tourism in India, the government has proposed to invest Rs. 520 crore in 2007-2008. Tourism in expected to grow further over the next few years due to the changes taking place on the demand and supply sides. The factors that will account for the further growth of tourism will include the following:  · Change in standards of living  · More disposable income  · Better education  · Long leisure time  · Aging population   Owing to growth of tourism sector, infrastructure will improve, competition will increase, new products will come into markets and better services will be provided. Due to the rapid growth in tourism, the hotel industry is also booming. Many international players like Le Meridien and Accor are heading towards Indian markets to expand their business. With governments full support in developing infrastructure, increase in demand, open sky policies and increased competition, the hospitality industry is getting consolidated and has many more opportunities to grow further. Challenges For Hospitality Industry 1.Shortage of skilled employees:One of the greatest challenges plaguing the hospitality industry is the unavailability of quality workforce in different skill levels. The hospitality industry has failed to retain good professionals. 2.Retaining quality workforce:Retention of the workforce through training and development in the hotel industry is a problem and attrition levels are too high. One of the reasons for this is unattractive wage packages. Though there is boom in the service sector, most of the hotel management graduates are joining other sectors like retail and aviation. 3. Shortage of rooms:  The hotel industry is facing heavy shortage of rooms. It is estimated that the current requirement is of 1,50,000 rooms. Though the new investment plan would add 53,000 rooms by 2011, the shortage will still persist.   4. Intense competition and image of India:  The industry is witnessing heightened competition with the arrival of new players, new products and new systems. The competition from neighboring countries and negative perceptions about Indian tourism product constrains the growth of tourism. The image of India as a country overrun by poverty, political instability, safety concerns and diseases also harms the tourism industry.   5. Customer expectations:  As India is emerging as a destination on the global travel map, expectations of customers are rising. The companies have to focus on customer loyalty and repeat purchases.   6. Manual back-end:  Though most reputed chains have IT enabled systems for property management, reservations, etc., almost all the data which actually make the company work are filled in manual log books or are simply not tracked.   7. Human resource development:  Some of the services required in the tourism and hotel industries are highly personalized, and no amount of automation can substitute for personal service providers. India is focusing more on white collar jobs than blue collar jobs. The shortage of blue collar employees will pose various threats to the industry.

Claude and the Classical Dream :: essays papers

Claude and the Classical Dream In Kathleen Nicholson's book, Turner's Classical Landscapes, is an interpretation of Turner's concepts and ability of landscape painting in contrast to Claude. In particular, chapter six, Nicholson discusses Turner's artistic career and how it models Claudean classical landscape. Nicholson conveys her opinion on how Turner re-created Claude's a realm to maintain a balance between homage and revision, between landscape as a tradition and landscape as a modern form of expression. Kathleen Nicholson, in this chapter, takes the reader through many aspects of Turner's re-creation of Claude's classical landscape into his own modern form. Turner understood Claude's qualities as an artist. He clearly knew the extent to which Claude's art came from, with extensive study of nature, part by part, and a realization that informed his own process of idealization. Nicholson states, " Allow he showed proper respect to Poussin, his heart went out to Claude (222)" because Turner saw Claude's work as the realm of the classical landscape. Many other artists, such as Constable, looked at Claude's works for inspiration in aspects ranging from the design of rivers to the finish. Other artists continuously copied Claude's landscape paintings as a basis for representation of their own landscape. Turner instilled Claude's work into two compositional formats, a seaport and an inland setting, which he would personalize and update while at the same time leaving no doubt about their source. However, at the beginning of Turner's career, he believed that Claude's work was beyond the power of imitation. At first, he followed Poussin's order and rationality in his 1800 and 1802 Plague pictures. Poussin may have seemed more comprehensible to Turner before being exposed to more of Claude's paintings. After a visit to the Lourve, Turner's paintings appeared more and more like Claude's, especially in the Thames River paintings, where Turner used an air of eternal beauty to counterbalance the changeable effects of English weather. Nicholson finds Turner's sketchbook as the example of how Turner's idealization derives from the kind of exchange between the natural and the imaginary. She states,"His projection of a harmoniously arranged natural environment never subjects to the ravages of time imparted an elegance and breadth to his observation of the real world (223)". Nicholson finds his sketchbook to be a journey that embarks through imagination and the sensual. The first pages of the book depict a little ship ready for departure.

Republiacns! Unfavorable Acts Caused The Rise Of The Kkk :: essays research papers

Republiacns! Unfavorable Acts Caused The Rise of The KKK The years after the civil war were frustrating times for the Americans. New laws and rules were posted for which to abide by and due to the outcome of the civil war, the people from the south had now to accept the new slavery laws issued by the political parties and congress. This created turmoil amongst both northerners, who mostly were against slavery, and southerners. This was also true for both political parties that consisted of the Republicans and the Democratics. Again the issue was always on the rights of blacks. The battles with certain individuals who felt it their duty to stand up for their idea of what the American way was. In 1866, just a year after the civil war, six confederate veterans formed a social club in the small town of Pulaski Tennessee. These men were set out to perpetuate white supremacy through out the south. The social club became official. The members came up with the name of Ku Klux Klan. It was a name taken from the Greek word "Kuklos" which means circle. They came up with rituals copied from college fraternities. They also assigned positions to special members. They were composed of the Grand Cyclop, The President, the Grand Magi, the vice-president, and the Grand Exchequer, the treasurer. The Klansmen adopt a uniform. The uniforms were white, long robes, White masks, And high pointed hats. ( Ingalls, Hoods 3 ) Adopted during 1866-67, the Republican party's Reconstruction program threatened to turn southern society upside down. The promise of equal rights for blacks flew in the face of the widely held opinion of the white Southerners that the black race was innately inferior. This deep-seated racist belief had served to justify slavery, and it remained a major obstacle to uplifting blacks after the civil war. Indeed, Antiblack hatred drove some whites to extreme measures to resist Reconstruction. ( Ingalls, Hoods 6 ) The Republicans feared that barrings the blacks from politics would make the Democratics Party dominant again in the south and in congress. Congress divided the south into five military districts controlled by martial law. It took the vote away from large numbers of rebel whites. It declared that all black men could vote and hold office. And it ordered the rebel states to write new and democratic constitutions. Since Tennessee had become the first southern state to give black men and freed slaves the right to vote, it became most affected. ( Meltzer, 23 ) With the republican party controlling state government, exconfederates began to take up arms to oppose Reconstruction.