Explain the Relationship Between, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development Essay

Joseph Schumpeter formally regarded the understanding that entrepreneurs are often innovators, bringing new, improved goods and technologies to markets, creating new niche upcoming solutions and delivering them into new markets. Entrepreneurship focuses on the creativity, moment of inspiration, the why when and how of certain opportunity recognition. According to Schumpeter â€Å"the role of entrepreneurship is implicit as an underlying cause of innovation. However, innovation is not solely the domain of entrepreneurs† – The idea of Entrepreneurship somewhat relies on the effective means of innovation. The concept of innovation allows the development of new ideas, inventions and their making come to pass. Economic development undertakes the adoption of new market technologies and industry based economies to see and improvement in economic standards as well as an increase in the net gain of money flow. In regards to the three ideas of entrepreneurship, innovation and eco nomic development I will discuss why I believe they co-exist. Where sustainability fits in is that increasingly our society is becoming more aware of its day-to-day actions with respect to the environment around it. It is becoming increasingly important topic on businesses agendas as without a scope for future revenue streams, the very nature of what they do will not be feasible. Increasingly these days if a business is to be economically viable then sustainability has to be engrained in its model. Schumpeter progressively demonstrates the fundamental view of behaviour from an entrepreneurial point of view and how it must coincide with that of the innovative. In the book ‘The Entrepreneurial Mind’, Jeffry Timmons defined entrepreneurship as â€Å"the ability to create and build something from practically nothing.† This shows that without innovation and ideas entrepreneurship cannot come to pass. Innovation is taking an idea and bringing it to market, however market attractiveness, size and dynamics are all important components and thus theory of entrepreneurial understanding plays a vital role in success The view that (radical) innovation is helpful in the promotion of growth through economic development links to the Schumpeterian understanding of ‘creative destruction’ – presupposed that it is the forceful differential that imposes a separate angle of economical structure, commonly replacing the old and imposing the new. The theory of radical innovation ties in consistently with this theory, however to fully understand the ideology behind innovation we must look at the various types. The two main types of innovation are incremental and as mentioned radical. Incremental innovation consists whereby the improvement of products, ideas, and strategies are put in place –often seen through the use of extension strategies. Positively speaking, incremental innovation helps to increase efficiency of products or services, by maximising the lifetime within their life cycle (short term innovation) and focusing on exploitation competencies. However in terms of long run economic value for development it may struggle to coincide with increases or dramatic changes in population and improvements of technology as two examples; especially in less economically development countries, thus limiting the innovative nature of an idea or action. On the other hand and more understandably tied in with entrepreneurship, we must look at radical innovation. â€Å"Radical innovation creates such a dramatic change in products, processes or services, that they transform existing market or industries, or create new ones.† Radical innovation looks to provide something new, accompanied by a disruptive or discontinuous quality that uproots markets and creates significant change within industries. This ties in coherently with entrepreneurship due to the fact that it is often these creations and innovative ideas that entrepreneurs use to bring good and services to the market place. Innovation encourages the go-forward, propelling economic development. New creative industries, as well as new firms originate from the entrepreneur causing old companies providing goods and services to react and adapt to market change, in turn leading to a development economically in both the short and long term. The drive to compete and push costs down is what compels market breakthroughs, changing market tastes, fashions and demands which play a role in the success of entrepreneurs. This change is what helps to bring about economic development and through demand and supply problems/wants being solved. It is not only innovation that an entrepreneur provides, yet everyday management and corporate social responsibility that eventually drives success and helps to maintain the sustainable goal. Peter f. Drucker define entrepreneurship as a ‘systematic, professional discipline available to anyone in an organisation’ – Drucker believed that entrepreneurship wasn’t just from an individual, yet it could be introduced systematically by firms and businesses i.e. Corporate Entrepreneurship. Drucker understood that entrepreneurship did not just have to be from initial start-up business but could occur within established organisations as well through management styles and development strategies. In relation to Schumpeter, he regarded development economically as the carrying out of different or new combinations. He developed this concept creating five cases saying that ‘ The introduction of a new good; The introduction of a new method of production; The opening of a new market; The conquest of a new source of supply or raw materials; The carrying out of the new organisation of any industry.’ All of these cases regard the process of economic development and through the structure that Schumpeter has developed we are able to denote the cyclical relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economical development throughout each stage with the ultimate goal of progression in the market place to eventually maintain a sustainable position. I will now explain the importance of innovation with respect to its significance and enhancement of economic development. For the ongoing push to encourage and create economic development, innovation plays a key role as the appearance of new ideas to smaller less mature companies, especially in less economically developed countries. This is due to the fact it helps to promote the gap between a less economic developed countries and more economic developed countries. In their book ‘Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Development’, Adam Szirmai and Wim Nadue view innovation as ‘intimately tied in with changes in structure of the economy, technological increases in production and eventually more added value for global gain’ Common components such as product and process advancements through technology, as well as lowering cost barriers, innovations have become an important asset to firm success and competitiveness. Innovation through technological change proves to be embodied within machinery, equipment, and more specialised work forces. Other advances in research and development, and improved efficiency working environments have also helped to improve total economical productivity, ultimately leading to increases in development. Increases and development in the above not only improves the quantity of output within an economy, it also helps to advance the quality, delivery, and nature of a good or service. The continued increase of economic development creates higher output abilities for business that is ultimately fed back into the economy starting from the bottom and working its way to the top. An example of how entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development are linked can be shown from the internet site/service, Amazon created by the American Entrepreneur Jeff Bezos – offering an internet based approach, allowing customers to purchase books online. The radically innovative idea led to many traditional bookshops being put out of business, and its ability to hold a larger amount of books to a high street store, decreasing book store sales by 40%. Jeff Bezos saw the growing use and development of the internet, and decided to use this as a platform to launch his risky yet transformational idea of Amazon. The fact that Bezos saw this gap in the market and took the risk to launch his innovation makes him and the business entrepreneurial. The core competencies of Amazon allowed it to contribute it to economic development. One reason is due to the fact that it allows business and consumers to save time by being able to look and purchase for products on Amazon quickly and efficiently without having to go to stores or spend time search for them. It also contributes to economic efficiency due to the fact it allows companies to find goods at the most competitive prices and hence drives out firms that are uncompetitive. Going back to my emphasis on the increasing importance of sustainability, the ‘World Commission on Environment and Development’ say that ‘Sustainable Development meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ – A vital consideration in this link is the goal or guide at which business as well as whole industry produce a good or service to a sustainable degree. Sustainability in this sense ties in with two concepts; meeting the needs of the poorer countries economically, and secondly the thought of limitation created by new technology and social footprint within the environment and its ability in the future. The obvious link between the former subject topics of this essay relate significantly to the topic of sustainability in the sense that each rely on future generation for further development, and also must maintain sustainability one way or another. Within his book ‘Beyond growth: Economics of Sustainable Development’ – Herman E. Daly saw sustainable development as ‘development without growth, that is without throughput growth beyond the regeneration and absorption capacities of the environment’ (pg13, 1997) – this view of sustainability sees economic development in a different category to that of growth. Therefore, the initial entrepreneurial idea that may have been developed through either increm ental or radical innovation will need to maintain being sustainable in order to create development economically in both the short, but more-so the long run. In conclusion it seems evident that without the inherent relationship that exists between the three main ideas of entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development none of them would completely flourish. The involvement of sustainability also plays a key role in this tightly knit relationship – the direct influence that sustainability has it extremely important as business in today’s world have a focus point on developing economically whilst being sustainable for themselves, and investors. I feel that in the future especially in the near future firms that do not involve themselves sustainably will find it difficult to compete within the market not having prejudged future needs and wants from consumers. This will evidentially create a firm to be less competitive in the long-run. Schumpeter stated ‘A firm can never be perfect in any sense, yet it in time approaches a relative perfection having regard to the surrounding world and social conditions’  œ The ability of entrepreneurs and business’ to understand that sustainability is vital at an early stage will enable them to source information and models to follow. I feel that even though the symbiotic relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development must tie in subsequently with sustainability it is a process that can be adapted throughout the innovation stage, and well as during economic development, and that entrepreneurs must not take away wholly from the prospect of growth and profit in such a way that may eventually negatively impact an idea, or a firm in the long-run. This fundamental relationship demonstrates the need of positive conductivity between each other, and I think that unless this is not achieved then economic development and market retention will not be held. Thus evidently I feel the focal communication between each stage must remain if an ultimate goal is to be reached economically and in terms of sustainability. References: Adam Szirmai and Wim Nadue (2011). Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Development. USA: Oxford University Press. p8. Advameg, Inc. (N/A). ENTREPRENEURSHIP. Available: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Di-Eq/Entrepreneurship.html#b. Last accessed 18/11/2012. Gina Colarello O’Connor (2000). Radical Innovation: How Mature Companies Can Outsmart Upstarts. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press. p5. Herman E. Daly (1997). Beyond growth: Economics of Sustainable Development. N/A: Beacon Press; New edition. p13. Jeffry Timmons (1989). The Entrepreneurial Mind. Andover, Mass: Brick House Pub. Co., p1. Joseph Schumpeter (1989). The Theory Of Economic Development. Harvard University: New Brunswick and London. p67. Joseph Schumpeter (1989). The Theory Of Economic Development. Harvard University: New Brunswick and London. p79. Poh Kam Wong, Yuen Ping Ho, Erkko Autio. (2005). Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Growth. Evidence from GEM data. 24 (3), p339. UN. (1987). World Commission on Environment and Development. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. 96th (42/187), 43.

Related Literature of Computer Essay

Based on the previous research, the computer has also disadvantages aside from the fact that it provides the students information’s and other features. In that research they conclude many students spent more time playing rather than researching and doing other academic works. This is result to computer addiction. From these students, huge percentage of them is male. This shows that male students are more prone to be affected by computer disadvantages. The research goal is to inform the students about what computer can really do to them, how can it affects them and what it is that affects them. The researchers proved that the research made is really true and precise because they are also once addicted in using these so called computers (Justin Vista, Hienson Tan and Bryan Yaranon, 2009). Foreign Studies It is said in this article that computer nowadays has become an important household item. There are tools like spelling and grammar checker, thesaurus and dictionary installed in the computer that will be helpful for students in doing their assignments and researches. Thus, it will takes less time to make written documents and there is no need to open up the dictionary book to look for the meaning of words. Typing is much faster than writing on paper. If there is a need of reorganizing the sentence and paragraphs, one can cut and paste and make necessary changes. Thus, overall a computer allows the user to create documents, edit, and print and store them so that they can be retrieved later. Using computer, a user remain connected to the world through internet. The internet allows people from around the world to share knowledge, ideas, and experience in any field. Another application you can find in the internet is the email. This is a method of communication used globally and is provided with a system of creating, storing, and forwarding mails. It may consist of text messages with attachments of audio and visual clips. The user can also download and upload files using the internet. There are also facilities like online chatting available in the internet. In addition, it can read current news, check weather conditions, conduct transactions, and learn about specific countries and their culture, seek jobs, buy products via internet. It is also said that computer nowadays, are widely used for education and training purposes. In schools, computer education has been made compulsory to spend awareness about computer. That’s why computer become a learning tool for children. Computers are also used for training purposes. Many companies use them to train their staffs (Judy M Parr, Irene Fung, November 2000). Another article say that there are many benefits that computer can provide to a students. The following are the benefits computer provides: A. Students gain word processing skills when learning to write on the computer. B. Working on computers fosters collaboration between students and between student and teacher. C. Often leaders emerge who really enjoy computers and can help others. D. Computer time promotes problem solving skills.

Conan Doyle and Graham Greene Essay

Compare how Conan Doyle and Graham Greene use the detective fiction genre to deceive the reader in â€Å"The Man with the Twisted Lip† and â€Å"The Third Man†.  The Detective story is written to deceive the reader this is true of both â€Å"The Third Man† by Graham Greene and Conan Doyle’s â€Å"the Man with the Twisted Lip†. Both writers use your knowledge of other detective stories to ‘lure’ you into a false understanding that this is one of them. We expect that the stories are another ‘Whodunit’ murder mystery but really, it is the writer fooling us, as it is the mystery of the murdered being alive. Conan Doyle sets up expectations in the reader by setting the story around an opium den, which was greatly feared at the time of being written. The setting of an opium den would conjure up many dark images and so makes us jump to conclusions about the ‘murder’ we, the reader, assume that anyone associated with an opium den could be a murderer.  Doyle makes the main suspect a beggar who many people look down on, adding more to the assumption that he is the murderer of Neville St Clair.  Ã¢â‚¬  In fact, in the whole of that floor there was no one to be found, save a crippled wretch of hideous aspect, who, it seems, made his home there.† Doyle describes Hugh Boone, the beggar, as † the creature† and uses such descriptions as â€Å"greasy† â€Å"disfigured horrible scar† and â€Å"a bull dog chin† to build up a mental image in our heads of a rather revolting man, atypical ‘baddie’ of a detective story.  Graham Greene sets â€Å"The Third Man† in post-war Vienna, during which Austria is still occupied territory and is spilt into four zones. The breakdown in communication between the zones has resulted in poor law and order in the city. Greene mentions early on that Harry is a racketeer † A very long spell’ (in prison)’if it hadn’t been for the accident.†Ã‚  And  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He was about the worst racketeer who ever made a dirty living in this city†.  We are told what he does for a living but not how he does it until further into the book. During the time that we find out what his profession is, to what he sells the story of Harry’s death change with each person Martin questions. This makes us realise quite soon that Harry did not die in an accident but under suspicious circumstances.  Graham Greene uses a police officer to narrate the story. The figure of authority makes us belive what he is telling us and our natural response is not to doubt him. Greene throughout the story never mentions Martins current status and refers to him in the past † he always tried† instead of â€Å"he always tries† for example, this makes us wonder if Martins is still alive. Rollo Martins protested lime’s innocence until he found concrete evidence to prove otherwise. We feel sorry for him and want to belive Lime’s innocence to, this leads us further away from the truth. The romance between Martins and Anna is a side plot put in to add another aspect to the detective story, but also to distract our attention away from the reality, that Harry faked his own death leaving a devoted friend and his lover behind in order to escape police capture. However with Anna’s genuine grief over Harry’s ‘death’ is the same as Rollo protesting Harry’s innocence, we want to belive them. Conan Doyle uses Doctor Watson as the narrator, as he has in the other Sherlock homes stories. In â€Å"The Man with the Twisted Lip† Watson joins Homes after collecting a man from an opium den, setting the scene immediately in a sinister atmosphere. The problem is told to the reader at the same time as Watson. This means there is a character in the story that we can identify with, as they know just as much as we do. The mysteries leaves us with no explanation as to how a man can be seen in a room then appear to have vanished. Because we, the reader, have no idea of how the disappearance happened, we are given an explanation that, as we have no other theory, chooses to accept. Graham Greene uses the crimes of Harry Lime to distract us from any real clues that there are. There are two men at the funeral, one of which forgets to drop a wreath onto the coffin- a sign of grief of or knowing that the body being buried is not of Harry Lime.  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"There must be something phoney about a man who won’t take baldness gracefully†Ã‚  This takes suspicion away from the fake death of Harry’s and puts it on those who were with him when he ‘died’.  Over all both writers, use our expectations of a ‘typical’ detective story against us. They ‘pull the wool over our eyes’ in what are enjoyable story is to read.

Cooperative learning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cooperative learning - Assignment Example The Teaching and Evaluating the Collaborative Process step is the most important that requires more time to plan and execute. The result of a cooperative learning process is determined by how well the group can communicate to each other effectively without misunderstanding. Moreover, learning how to communicate individuals ideas and feelings give confidence to individuals and enable a successful goal achievement. Tutors and another teaching staff can effectively choose the members of groups in monitoring performance stage (Borich). During this state, members have already conceptualized what is supposed to be done and played their part. Thus, it prudent to separate individuals according to their capabilities to ensure the achievement of goals. Moreover, it is important to use different ways of monitoring to ensure keeping track on each group activities. Moreover, it is important to establish problems and rectify them as the group progresses. Active un-involvement can be incorporated in a cooperating learning tasks by assigning tasks that require division of labor (Borich). In addition, un-involvement in a group can be minimized by integrating members of the group’s role to correct each other when they err in their roles (Borich). Furthermore, passive and active un-involvement can be solved by encouraging the poor and slow learners to work hard to achieve the group goal (Borich). However, the best way to deal with non-engaged performers in a group is by assigning individual roles to group members (Borich). Through this, each member will have to engage other when he or she is in a difficult

ROLES OF THE ARNP AND THE NEED FOR EVIDENCE BASE NURSING RESEARCH Paper

ROLES OF THE ARNP AND THE NEED FOR EVIDENCE BASE NURSING - Research Paper Example Their knowledge and expertise are critical in many areas of practice. They operate as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anaesthetist and certified nurse-midwife (Statements, 2013). Evidence-based nursing research is important as a tool for practice and professional development. It has been found to be important in assisting nursing care achieve the best quality and positive patients outcomes such as in a reduction of catheter-related urinary tract infections (Howie & Dutton, 2012). The use of research evidence in practice has also been associated to a reduction in healthcare costs as those practices that are found not to be beneficial to health care. Research evidence has also been associated through research to an increase in the healthcare provider empowerment and the feeling of confidence and autonomy on the side of the practitioner (Soong et al., 2013). Further, when this happens, the nurse practitioners are more satisfied in their work, there is less healthcare provider turnover. In addition, research-based practice increases the availability of knowledge and development of the nursing profession. This is important in reducing geographical variations in care delivery as the evidence can be replicated in multiple (Rincon, 2012). Soong, C., Daub, S., Lee, J., Majewski, C., Musing, E., Nord, P., †¦ Bell, C. M. (2013). Development of a checklist of safe discharge practices for hospital patients. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 8, 444–449. doi:10.1002/jhm.2032 Statements, P. (2013). Guidelines about the role of physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses in the emergency department. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 62, 442–3.

Topics Discussed in Class - My Participation in Class Assignment - 4

Topics Discussed in Class - My Participation in Class - Assignment Example Physical global marketing environment topic has given a concept and understanding of how to understand the physical environment while making global marketing decisions. After understanding the physical environment the lecturer moved us towards the understanding of PEST environment. This environment teaches us that how to conduct the analysis of overall environment when making an investment or starting a business. It gives the complete understanding of absorbing all these factors of business environment (Hewett & Bearden, 2001). From week 3 of the semester lecturer move us to give the real understanding of the global marketing and advertising. The topic we had covered was values and paradoxes in global marketing and advertisement. By this topic lecturer has developed a new frame of global marketing and advertising in the mind of all the students of the class. This topic teaches us the merits and demerits of globalizing the business along with the bright side and dark side of advertise ment in the international market. It found difficult to advertise the product in the global market because it needs to understand and analyze the environments of different countries, but this topic by lecturer helps us at a great extent in understanding global marketing and advertising. The complexity of understanding different environments of different countries has made uncomplicated by the lecturer in the week 4 by discussing the topic of dimensions of culture. This topic gave us an understanding of how to understand the characteristics of culture while understanding the culture to target with the purpose of business. This topic tells us the importance of understanding the characteristics of targeted people of different cultures. After giving the understanding of dimensions of culture lecturer contained us specifically towards the understanding of consumer behavior (Keegan and Green, 2012). Consumer behavior is changing with a fast pace with the advancement of technology and adap tation of technology by consumers. Consumers are now getting aware with the changing trends so marketer needs to be very active in understanding the changing trends of the market and importantly the changing taste and preferences of consumers. Consumer behavior study taught us the factors of understanding the changing tastes and preferences of consumer with the changing trend (Terpstra, 2000). After learning the topic of consumer behavior the lecturer gave the in-depth knowledge of consumer behavior for global market by discussing the topic of consumer ethnocentrism and disidentification. This topic gave the understanding of why consumer prefers international products over the domestic products or why consumer prefer domestic product over international brands. Many factors have been discussed in this topic which can affect the consumer preferences. This study is very important for the global marketers and we have learned a lot of techniques in this study. This study will help us in creating a brand in the presence of the needs and preferences of customers of the target market. Market is smart now so marketer needs to be smart as well in understanding the market moves. In the 9th week the lecturer moves us towards the basic

Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane Essay

Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane - Essay Example Berkeley Rep offers an advisory about any stage effect of potential concern to patrons’ health. This show has none. We don’t offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any concerns about content, please contact the box office. Mona Golabek doesn't just tell a great story. Seated at a concert grand, she accompanies her tale with music that infuses, illustrates, amplifies and elevates "The Pianist of Willesden Lane" to make the personal universal and another generation so personal that you can't help but feel your heart swell in response. Great music can do that. Skillfully blended with an affecting tale, it can do even more. If there was a dry eye in the house at Wednesday's Berkeley Repertory Theatre opening, my own were too filled with tears to see it.Each piece of music tells a story, Golabek's mother told her. She learned her mother's story along with keyboard technique in her piano lessons. Director Hershey Felder , who adapted Golabek's book for stage - and whose Eighty-Eight Entertainment is a co-producer - builds on that connection to shape the play and intensify particular scenes. Then he adds well-selected visuals to the sensory package.  package. From the beginning, Jura's dream is to make her concert debut with Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor. Felder, best-known for his popular solo shows about composers (he performed "George Gershwin Alone" at the Rep last summer), uses the concerto to frame "Pianist" from beginning to  end (Cohen and Mona, 45-49). The first movement - brilliantly, probingly performed by Golabek - sets up the fraught conditions in 1938 Vienna. The second intensifies the dramatic perils of the Blitz. The third brings the piece to its passionate  resolution. In between, Golabek's beautifully rendered pieces by Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin enhance the families and Vienna's Jews worsening fortunes - as told by Golabek as the young Jura - and her escape through th e Kindertransport program. Felder heightens the impact with archival photos and newsreel footage, projected in the large, antique gilt picture frames hanging about the midnight blue  stage. Golabek doesn't convey the comfort of an actor, but she grows more assured and riveting as she traces Jura's life in London, assuming the voices of the

Article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article - Assignment Example a. Selection: Depending on the two classes chosen, the demographics of the school itself can greatly influence the outcome of the experiment due to goals. Both classes belonged to a small public secondary school. Depending on who the subjects are, the outcome could be seen as different. c. Mortality: The dropping out of subjects can lead to an overall attrition but should not have an impact on the internal validity of the experiment. As long as the control group is consistent within the rest of the experiment, people dropping out only lessons the subject amount and not the quality of the subjects. d. Regression: This has to do with aiming towards to average. The people with the lowest score aim to get a higher mark because they can only â€Å"get better†. Instead of looking at it from and â€Å"improvement† standpoint, it is important to view the subjects as making gradual strides to improve instead of an obvious jump. e. Testing: If you repeatedly test a student, this could easily lead to a bias that causes change within the experiment. Subjects may remember the correct answer from previous questions and therefore, they are not coming from an unbiased perspective but instead, using memory to help them get through. Also, sometimes too much testing does not give enough room for actual growth. f. Instrumentation: Depending on what instruments or manipulatives is used during the experiment, the outcome can be different. The Partial experiment is different from the full experiment due to its implementations. g. History: History can affect the outcome because students are affected every day by their environment and therefore, without the control of the variables, nothing is consistent. This can greatly affect the experiment as history changes perspective. The findings of the study are that the pupils involved in the â€Å"full experiment† and the partial experiment scored differently due to exposure of manipulatives and

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Flanagan was the firm’s vice chairman in the corporate offices of Chicago (Blitstein 2008). According to the article, Flanagan, ‘repeatedly lied about his trading in annual written certifications’ (Blitstein 2008). I’ve made a research on the literature related to business ethics and came to the conclusion that employees in all firms need to follow the ethical rules set by their organization, as these rules are aligned with the laws regulating trade and commerce. In the specific case, Deloitte had failed in identifying early the violation of business ethics by its vice president; moreover, it seems that this failure has been a common phenomenon for the specific organization, meaning especially the problems in the firm’s audits in 2009 and 2010, as identified by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) (Lynch and Byrnes 2011). In accordance with Tittle (2000, p.67) ‘employees need to be loyal to their company’; however, this loyalty has limits. ... It is implied that the activities of employees within organizations need to be lawful and that no violation of law in the context of business activity is permitted. In accordance with a survey developed in 1990, a high percentage of organizations, about 90%, tend to develop a corporate code of ethics (Trevino and Weaver 2003). In this context it would be expected that the phenomena of corporate fraud would be limited worldwide. The case of Deloitte, as of other well-known firms, such as Enron, revealed that the rules of corporate code of ethics are often ignored within modern organizations. I decided to explore all aspects of the Deloitte’s case, meaning its problems related to business ethics, in order to identify the failure of the organization to promote business ethics among its employees: was these failure related to specific employees or to the organization’s strategic framework? Log Entry 2 February 15, 2012 At a first point, Deloitte’s practices in regard to the control of fraud in the internal organizational environment can be considered as quite ineffective. In accordance with the firm’s website, the Board has a key role in ‘overseeing the organization and ensuring that it operates in the best interests of its shareholders’ (Deloitte, The role of the board, 2012). It is further explained, that the Board has the power to develop a regular control on the firm’s value drivers and set the firm’s targets, including the systems required for ‘monitoring managers’ accountability’ (Deloitte, The role of the board, 2012); the above powers are part of the Board’s responsibility to check the level at which the corporate governance rule are applied (Deloitte, The role of the board, 2012). In other words, the firm’s Board is primarily

Oppositional Defiance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oppositional Defiance - Essay Example This is exactly what transpired with the counselor who was handling Paul. She expected the good behavior presented during their initial week of interaction would continue, which prospectively will allow the child to interact with other children in a normal manner. However, this has not been the case and she became more concerned as the child’s behavior became more violent and disrupted over the next few weeks (McKurdy, 2009). Upon analysis of the case scenario, there were some plausible approaches which the counselor may have carried out in order to effectually deal with the child’s behavior. Moreover, the following pages will discuss some legal and ethical issues when the counselor agreed to isolate the child when he displayed disruptive behavior (McKurdy, 2009). First, there were some questions posed by the author at the end of the case study. The first question was if the educational needs of the child were met by the behavioral treatments given by the school administrators and the special education teachers. From my perspective, the educational needs were definitely not addressed adequately to meet the individual needs of the child. There was an excerpt where the counselor, upon the recommendation of her supervisor, placed the child on timeouts or isolation whenever he turned violent or disruptive. The child even had to spend a whole day in isolation, not being able to learn or participate in class. This punishment has even more damaging implications because the child over the next few weeks spent more time in the isolation room rather than in class (Mckurdy, 2009; Knoster, Wells, & McDowell, 2007). The second question pertained to her referral to her supervisor regarding the abrupt behavior change of Paul. The current system employed by her organization and her supervisor strictly adhered to a behavioral modification approach. As a fresh graduate who may be

Weigh on Societal Realities Essay Example for Free

Weigh on Societal Realities Essay The movie V for Vendetta gives its viewers an intimate look into the mind of a very creative and ultimately very patient political â€Å"terrorist. † But the question remains, how far-fetched is an idea like this? Could the United States be on its way to such a revolution and if so, is such a revolution really necessary? After having seen this movie a number of times and taking into consideration the current state of our country, I would have to say the answer is yes on both counts. With the recent rash of corporate bailouts and evidence of our government’s involvement in wire tapping, I feel it would be naive and even a bit irresponsible to think our government incapable of causing such an emotional response to take place. While our own media may not completely be controlled by our government, as seemed so obvious in V for Vendetta, a person cannot tune to a news program these days without knowing almost instantly which political party that station sides with. Our foreign enemies have already done a good job of forcing Americans to question their own loyalties, how long before an individual or group takes a broad step to alter our governmental policy? V realized then what so few of us seem to accept now, that a constitution does not necessarily protect us from a government gone awry. Our own history, especially that most recent, has taught us that with enough money and power you can practically get away with murder. Not only can you hold political office, but apparently your means give you the authority to do with it what you will. Of course while vying for this office you’ll stoop to almost any level, tell the most outrageous lies. For example in V for Vendetta, wasn’t it convenient how a cure for this uncontrollable â€Å"plague† was suddenly discovered soon after Sutler took office? And isn’t convenient how all wars will end and all taxes will be eliminated when said favored politician takes control? But nothing really ever seems to work out for the common man; they only seem to work out for those who have the control and the power. Minimum wage may increase, but so does the price of everything else. Those with means, motive and opportunity need only wave their hand or put their signature to paper and their will be done. The average citizen does not have that luxury. The average citizen has but two things to be concerned with, death and taxes, when isn’t their concern supposed to lie with Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? While it may be true that not everyone has sacrificed freedom and liberty for sanctity of life, there are many that have and this is just the beginning. Everyday people have to give up on their once noble hopes and dreams merely to make ends meet and give Uncle Sam his fair share. While Congress helps itself to more money and the oil companies are reaping record profits, average hard-working Americans are forced to sell their homes and work two jobs. And it is true that America is the land of dreams, but at what price? The so-called dreams that America stands for are now all but unreachable to the large majority. But the hardship for many Americans does not end with the job or housing market, our own ability to choose and decide for ourselves is also in question. Gay marriage, for example is not recognized in most states, and if politicians had their way the concept would be outlawed altogether. This idea is reflected on a larger scale in V for Vendetta when Valerie recounts the hardships of homosexuals in the intolerant society in which she lived. Gay relationships are not only frowned upon in this society, but having been found to be involved in such a relationship is punishable by death. The United States government may not be acting so rashly now, but who’s to say what the reaction will be when a decision about gay marriage is reached on a national level. Part 2: After seeing V for Vendetta, some may view the character V as nothing more than a terrorist out for blood; a criminal no better than the men who crashed airplanes into our beloved landmarks. However, V represented so much more to so many people; he represented change for the better and a fresh start. What V does in this movie is more than justified, it is necessary. Although he may have been forced to murder some seemingly innocent people, his purpose was always clear; he never faltered. V’s life, his entire existence was a product of a corrupt government, and everyone he crossed paths with was directly involved. He had no name, no history and no identity other than â€Å"patient number five. † It is not until he meets Evey that his life becomes about something more. Evey is connected to V in more ways than he could have at first imagined. Her own parents were â€Å"black-bagged† for being political activists and her brother was a patient at the notorious St. Mary’s. V gains respect for Evey almost instantly and begins to fall in love with her within days of keeping her with him. But even his love for Evey does not transform his ultimate desire to transform a corrupt world. He realizes that it is for people like Evey and he that he put these plans into motion to begin with. By the end of the film V has made an impact on everyone, from average citizen to Sutler himself. He convinces people, as he convinced Evey that a change is inevitable but it could not wait any longer. He called upon people to stand with him and recognize the need for change and bear witness to his revolution. V is not a terrorist because his goal was not to harm innocents and bring about hardship, it is quite the opposite. He is indeed a freedom fighter because freedom is precisely what he was fighting for. He wanted to bring about a better life for his nation’s citizens, much like Robin Hood in a way. He was merely putting the power in the hands of those who should’ve had it all along, hoping in the end they’d know how to use it. I suppose V could be viewed as a martyr because he sacrificed himself for a chance at a new and better age, but I don’t believe martyrdom was his intent at all. Nobody knew his name, where he was from or had ever even seen his face. His actions were for the greater good, not for the purpose of having a monument erected in his visage. While violence may not be the answer, an attitude and a desire like that of V’s is exactly what this country needs. And who knows, it very well may be happening now. V had the wherewithal to wait years for his plans to come to fruition, with only the hope in his heart that they would be fulfilled. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that such a soul could be living among us, with such courage of conviction and a will to see change? It is just as V declares to Evey, â€Å"there is no certainty, only the opportunity. † References Wachowski, Andy Larry. (Producers). (2006). V for Vendetta[Motion Picture].

Production Criticism of Oedipus the King Essay Example for Free

Production Criticism of Oedipus the King Essay The directorial concept of the play started with an overall picture of melancholy and a suggestion that the story is indeed a tragedy. The stage, as the foundation of the entire scene, has been designed to differentiate the levels of society, thus, it has different levels of platforms and steps, but leaving the center of the stage flattest, where most of the characters will be performing. The materials used for the platforms are of different types. The higher steps leading to the outskirts of the stage look like they were made with ordinary flat rocks, much like the ones we see in the old Jerusalem. The steps were made simply for the purpose of being pathways men can walk on. Nothing fashionable. The center of the stage has a different design, because I noticed that the flooring is much more modern than the flat rocks around it. The material of the floor of the center stage has a much smoother quality, although it was carved like bricks, like the ones on the streets of Paris, France. The floor carvings are designed like segmented rings that all leads to one focal point, much like the bytes in a compact disc. The most prominent part of the stage is the palace of Oedipus, the King. It stands so proud with its walls extending all the way to the top that it scares you of its command of authority and power. It stood so high and proud that it looked like it reached the heavens and looks infinite. The material of it was the smoothest of all. It has the most modern design in the stage. The cement has a slate gray color mixed with white streaks that suggested it must be made of marble†¦the strongest among the rocks on stage. That’s how powerful Oedipus, as a king, is. He is believed to be the savior of Thebes when he defeated the Sphinx by answering the most difficult riddle. The play is an obvious â€Å"non-dramatic pageantry,† because the elements of it were present and done in the stage. There is an â€Å"icon† or focal point, which usually is a â€Å"religious artifact or a saint. † (Theatrical Production, Encyclop? dia Britannica. ). There was a huge cross with a white cloth resting on its arm at the middle of the highest outstkirt platform. This is its focal point because it looks religious enough to suggest it’s the cross of Jesus Christ. Overall, the environment of the stage is melancholic. The color of the stage’s floor to the very tall palace is in the neutral shade. Again, nothing special. This just suggests the hue of sorrow, which is the shade of gray. The sorrowful environment was coupled with the stage lights, which made the scene look softer and mellower. The lights come from under the outskirts’ platforms, which gave a lot of shadow on the stage. The second light will be coming from directly above the stage, which gives all little bit of glow on the heads of the characters, but not enough light to brighten the faces of every actor. The poor lighting made it felt like the characters are speaking to me personally, in my deepest thoughts. It dawned to me that whenever I am depressed or whenever I wanted to be alone, I tend to hate bright lights. Such is the feeling of someone in wakes, especially those wakes inside chapels. The serene, soothing look of a funeral scene in a chapel is the aimed environment here. The background lights on the outskirts of the stage changes as the mood of the scene changes too. Even though the shadow was effective enough to suggest sorrow, the light blue hue of the background defined the mood. When the ugly truth of Oedipus’ character was nearly revealed, the background light turned into a reddish hue, as if the sun was setting. It gave a red glow that suggested the horrible feeling of the moment. It also made the blood coming out from Oedipus’ eyes look thick and black, which made the suffering grievous enough to die. Sounds make the hearts beat rapidly and loses one’s breath. From beginning until the end, the background music created the feeling that it is tragic. When Tiresius, the seer, showed up, there was annoying background music created by a type of violin, which made it felt like there was great irony and perversity in the scene. The horting sound of the violin made my heart twist and my throat a bit choked because I felt the tension due to the sound. It is interesting though, how the director was able to coordinate all aspects of production to make the playscript fit his directorial concept. Of course, the playscript was changed to make it more dramatic and the words appealing to the audience. The playscript was â€Å"Bowdlerized,† or words were changed to fit the lingo of the modern audience. (Dr. Eric W. Trumbull. ). Although there weren’t any fancy or colorful props on the stage, the characters are the ones that still mattered the most. Though the faces of the characters generally remained stiff throughout, their voices are full of color. Loudness and softness of the voices stated the mood. There was also a striking difference on the characters’ costumes, each has it’s own different era to represent; a group will be wearing costumes of Sophocle’s generation, another wearing the fashion of the early twentieth century, while another wearing the fashion of the latest trend. Still, the colors of the costumes were nothing fancier than red, white and gold. The colors of the cloths are in plain solid colors too. The characters’ spotlight are their white costumes, or something white in their costumes. For example, the choruses were all dressed in black except the ribbon on the neck, which is pure white. This gives the picture that their heads are floating and the rest of the body is invisible. The director’s aim to present a non-dramatical pageant play that won’t bore the modern audience so far caught my attention. He may have aimed to make the production profit a lot more by involving â€Å"famous† actors to play the role, as part of his marketing strategy. (Dr. Eric W. Trumbull. ). The production is an art in itself, and Don Taylor would’ve still passed as very good theatrical director. The play is directed gearing away from the Shakespearean concept of production, which made it quite different to the taste of theatrical fans, and thus, worth watching and recommending.

Quality Of Service At The Zappos Company

Quality Of Service At The Zappos Company The proceeding paper investigates Zappos.com (Zappos), originally an e-tailing shoe company, which later adopted further merchandise lines. The company was founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn with its headquarters currently based in Henderson, Nevada, USA. With a revenue of $840 million in 2007 and a 1500+ employee staff Zappos.com has grown to the largest online shoe store in the world. In July 2009 Amazon.com acquired Zappos.com for the reported amount of $1.2 billion. Currently, the CEO is Tony Hsieh. The company is known for its customer centric business model and its unique corporate culture. In this paper Zappos.com is analyzed via papers and published articles with which various problems addressed are answered. The intention of this paper is to analyze how Zappos.com has leveraged its HR practices to build strategic effectiveness in the past and how can it build its future competitive strength on it. First, Zappos.coms business model is analyzed, second the companies supportive HR practices, third the role of leadership on the development of HR practices, fourth the implications for HR practices caused by the takeover of Amazon.com are addressed and finally challenges and recommendations to support the future business functioning at Zappos.com are addressed. A framework is developed to which parts of the analysis can be linked in order to say to which extent findings influence committed HR practices, the corporate culture and the loyalty business model of Zappos.com. The purpose of this paper is just to analyze the company and to accumulate knowledge. Zappos Business Model A good initial business model starts off with an idea of a good customer value proposition. When in 1999, Nick Swinmurn, walked through a mall in San Francisco, looking for a pair of shoes in his size, his preferred color and style, his unsuccessful search proposed an opportunity to satisfy currently unmet customer needs. When starting to analyze what features have enabled Zappos to build its strong brand position as well as its impressive growth through the past few years (from 2003 to 2007 annual revenue increases 623.7 percent) its good customer value proposition is essentially only a small part in its effective business model. A comprehensive study of Zappos business model will be composed of 4 integral parts (Figure 1). Following the (1) customer value proposition (CVP), the structure of Zappos business model, consisting of (2) the profit formula and the importance of (3) key processes and (4) key resources will be linked to Michael Porters (1985) value chain model in order to enable a detailed analysis on how the e-retailer has become so successful. Figure 1 Business Model One evident potential customer value proposition of Zappos is the offering of an extensive online selection of mainly footwear and a few other extended product lines. Surprisingly this is not how the company defines itself. Calling itself a service company that just happens to sell shoes, handbags and related items (Morris, 2008) more value is placed on providing a high-touch customer service aimed at engendering a customer long-term relationship (OReiley, 2009). Zappos has been a customer centric company since its startup in 1999. The retailer focuses on providing highest service quality, leading to customer satisfaction and consequent customer retention, what essentially can be described as a loyalty business model (http://bx.businessweek.com/zapposcom/). Repeat customers represent 75% of any days gross sales and word of mouth advertising has brought growth to Zappos in overwhelming numbers (Morris, 2008). Zappos first of the ten core values puts the CVP in clear terms: Deliver [a] WOW [customer experience] through service (Zappos.com). How Zappos excels in delivering that CVP will be addressed in the subsequent analysis. Zappos CVP is supported by a profit formula, which establishes how the company wants to earn money. That formula is linked to the products value chain. The primary activities (key processes) have a direct impact on the formula while being supported by support activities (key resources), all driven by the customer value proposition with the objective to deliver value to the customer and be profitable. Nurturing a successful value creation and delivery, Zappos profit model is directly influenced by: Inbound logistics with its link to the supply chain of Zappos offered merchandise (wholesale prices, distribution etc.); Operations which correspond to the cost structure of Zappos vertically integrated warehouse and inventory operations in Kentucky; and Outbound logistics including free shipping both ways, surprise upgrades to overnight shipping (Whitehorn, 2009). Moving further through the primary activities of Zappos value chain, the subsequent function of marketing sales is declared to be comparatively tenuous as current CEO Tony Hsieh explains: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[we] put that money into the customer experience instead (Whitehorn, 2009). Key processes also include a firms metrics and measurements, which Zappos sets based on customer satisfaction indicators, rather than number of order taken (Morris, 2008). Service is a primary value chain activity that deserves some detailed inspection at this point. Being a significant contributor to the cost structure with items like 365-day return policy or a call center staff working 24/7, Service represents the most intense link between Zappos CVP and its profit model and most significantly enables the implementation of its loyalty business model. Service represents how Zappos creates value for its customers (CVP) and most importantly it defines how the company creates value for itself (profit formula); (Johnson, Christensen Kagermann, 2008). Identifying Service as the primary source of value and profit suggests the examination of how the support activities (key resources) are allocated to contribute to Zappos competitive strength. Not only the primary activities, but also Zappos support activities underpin deliver[ing] the Zappos experience to [its] customers (OReiley, 2009). Key resources like procurement channels, technology, equipment and people are illustrated in the value chain as support activities. While careful procurement activities ensure a certain standard of product quality to the customer, its technology, equipment and firm infrastructure are also aligned with Zappos delivery of great customer service (e.g. in-house developed information technology, fast storing and shipping system) (Masha, 2009). Nevertheless, the most essential and valuable key resource of Zappos customer service is its Human Resource Management (HRM). Strategic Human Resource Management, which is the HRMs role is supporting a certain business model and strategy (Wright et all., 2001) plays a crucial role in Zappos effectiveness in the past. How HRM as a key resource and support activity is employed by Zappos to foster its loyalty business model is the next level of analysis. Zappos Supportive HRM Practices Zappos customer centricity leads the company since its startup in 1999. This is embedded in its company culture. Zappos employees live, breathe and operate through ten core values. These particular values create a positive environment in which employees excel to the maximum of their abilities and still have the freedom to express and implement their own initiatives.The company culture creates an environment in which customers receive more than they expect. Nurturing this environment is done through committed human resource practices (article on ccomm hr practices. Zappos Human Resource Management plays a vital role in fostering the initial driver of the thriving environment: company culture. Committed HRM practices reach from recruiting the right employees to rewarding and helping to create an environment that allows for the company culture to continue and strive. HRM is strategically placed in Zappos (SHRM) and people related elements create the core competency of the firm (Wright et al.: Human resources and the resource based view of the firm (2001).) The people management practices are created around the core values and in this way make the most of the human, social and organizational capital. The environment in the company allows for easy creation, integration and transfer of ideas. All employees are constantly in a changing environment due to the type of products they sell and therefore they too become dynamic which leads to their core competency of providing excellent service (Wright et al.: Human resources and the resource based view of the firm (2001).) As a starting point the company only hires people who are both technically and culturally fit (A perfect organizational fit, Samantha Whitehorne.) This is such an important point that Zappos.com fires employees who although technically fit do not fit into their culture. A lot of time and money is invested in the recruitment process, the reason being that employees have a vital role in the success of the loyalty business model. Furthermore, every new employee, regardless of their position in the firm will go through a four week training period in which they learn about the company and how it functions. Normally this involves being part of the call centre to really understand what customers want and need. The underlining message throughout all human resource processes is that the company lives and breathes customer service and everyone is put into this way of thinking. Rewards too play a dominant role in establishing the company culture. They create a positive environment in which employees are encouraged to share ideas on all levels of the company; in addition employees are not afraid to take risks because they are encouraged to take these through the rewards. Rewards can be companywide, departmental and individually driven. A lot of time and money is put into the rewards, which vary from being very simple to big and elaborate. This however is seen as an investment because it improves employee satisfaction and motivation and increases the overall profits of the company. The different forms of celebrations create a positive and constructive environment without putting the employees in a stressful, competitive environment. Many of the rewards are created by the departments and individuals themselves. However Human Resources is still involved in the bigger picture. Ensuring that company goals and progress are shared amongst all employees, creating financing and merchandising rewards appropriate to the customer orientated business model and to ensure that employees feel free to try out new, innovative means of doing business and therefore being rewarded for results and not punished for mistakes. Both the resource based view and the transaction cost theory can be seen in how Zappos functions and remains competitive by heavily supporting there loyalty business model with human resource practices(Masters, JK. Miles, G.: Predicting the Use of External Labour Arrangements: A Test of the Transaction Cost Perspective (2002).) For example call centres are kept inhouse; it is a valuable asset which is frequently used by consumers and requires attentive and dedicated employees. There is continual development of the employee as the company is aware of dynamic capabilities. Every single individual is held accountable for the company culture, it is not only restricted to human resources or top management. Initiatives can be brought forward from any position in the company. The companys culture was established from day one but the human resources department along with all recruited employees is responsible to keep the inspiring, highly motivated, free spirited environment running with its main goal to provide the customer value proposition of exceptional service. With the emphasis of all individuals sustaining Zappos unique environment, an interesting question concerns the role of leadership and managerial influence at the e-retailer, which triggers the following discussion. Role of Leadership on Zappos HRM Zappos.com is one of the leading companies in its industry and since its startup it has seen an enormous amount of growth. From February 2010 on, Zappos.com is expected to grow 30% in the next 12 months. A challenge for Zappos.com is to be able to fulfill new positions that are the result of the growth of the company with skilled and suitable managers. This implicates that especially in this time of growth individual leaders have to be acquired which fit and understand Zappos.com unusual culture. The basis of this culture is founded by the initial owners and persons who joined the company from its early start. The characteristics and vision of the CEO and the manner he positions himself towards the employees still influences the committed HR practices and the corporate culture. Besides defining leadership as the guidance of individual managers and the characteristics of the CEO it can also be seen as the leading role of Zappos.com in its industry. Zappos.com has accounted on all thes e three levels of leadership throughout the company in the development of its HR practices. First, to attract individual leaders and to have a long-term relationship with them, different measurements are integrated into HR practices. Already in the recruitment phase the hiring is rather unconventional. Possible future employees are invited to events outside the office, for instance team building events and happy hours in order to hire them based on different events rather than one job interview. After acquiring an employee, regardless their position, an extensive 4 week customer training follows which contains various courses coordinated by the training, leadership and development department. Zappos.com recognizes leadership potential in every one of its employees, regardless their position. Employees are encouraged and taught to represent the companies culture in everything what they do and say and to be accountable for themselves, actually this one of the key fundamentals. To make sure a long term relationship is also expected from the employees side and that they are com mitted to the company and their work, 3000 dollar walk away money is offered to them after the training program. When looking at the framework (exhibit) acquiring individual leaders mostly influence committed HR practices, since recruitment has to make sure people are hired that fit into the culture. Second, the vision at the manner of working of Zappos.coms initial founders has a major influence on both the committed HR practices and the corporate culture. Todays CEO Tony Hsieh has agreed on an annual base salary of $36.000 in 2009 with which he signals a culture of motivation instead of extrinsic rewards. This stimulates employees to work from intrinsic motivation and HR practices concerning rewards might not be the most important asset for employees. How CEO Tony Hsieh influences the corporate culture of Zappos.com for instance is the way he wrote an open and honest letter to all the employees ensuring their perks would remain the same after Amazons takeover. The positioning of the companies leader towards the employees inspire the corporate culture because by showing honesty and transparency, an open corporate environment is stimulated. When looking at the framework one can say that the CEOs vision on the corporate culture influences HR practices committed. Third, to maintain the leading position of Zappos.com in a fast changing market due to technological and fashion market changes, more HR practices have been developed. Especially the core values are a tool to develop a culture and a mindset to maintain this position. Zappos.coms fourth core value is to be adventurous, creative and open-minded, which means risk taking does not have to be avoided. Herewith Zappos.com creates a mindset throughout the entire company. Zappos.com also recognizes the importance of creating a culture of continuous learning via their fifth core value pursue growth and learning in which is stated every employee should constantly challenge and stretch themselves. Due to the focus of Zappos.com on leadership on different levels and integrating this into different HR practices Zappos.com is able to acquire and keep appropriate employees which goal is to grow and learn every day. Also due to these acknowledgements and integrating them into the development of HR practices, Hay Group ranked Zappos.com number 16 at the Top 20 Best Companies For Leadership in 2009. Acquisition by Amazon.com Clash of Cultures? Amazon bought Zappos.com for 850 million dollars. Zappos.com is remaining a seperate entity within the company and has assured employees and the general public that their culture and workplace environment will not change (week in news). Although the companies are both customer centric, the approaches used towards satisfying customers differs significantly. Amazon strives for customer convenience, low prices and large vareity of goods for the customer to choose from. On the otherhand Zappos.com aims for customer loyalty by providing a unique experience with personal contact opportunities between customer and employee (A new lace on life, Tim O ´Reiley.) In addition Zappos.com was a privately owned company and Amazon a public limited company. The ownership structure creates differences in the way that the companies operate and more specifically how human resource practices are placed within each company. It is necessary to analyse the differences and identify to what extent these may lead to potential sources of conflict between the human resource practices. At Zappos.com human resource management can be classified as a strategic partner (chapter 2.) The use of committed human resource practices creates the companies core comptency. As previously mentioned it defines, maintains and help grow the corporate culture. The ten core values create an environment in which employees work to the best of their abilities to satisfy customers. Shortly said the business model is dependent on HR practices. At Amazon HRM is not as dominant, it can be seen as a business partner (Amazon, HR Spectrum eNews.) It is necessary in the sense that it provides the company with strong human capital and it provides assistance to other departments, however it does not define how the company runs the business. We can seperate the two further by looking at the different levels of integration that exist between HR practices and the strategy process of a comapny. Zappos.com has an integrative linkage , there is constant interaction throughout all phases of the strategy process. Communication flows freely from all levels of the business.Every employee has the ability to initiate actions or improve certain aspects of the business. Consistent with the business partner role, Amazon has a two-way linkage. It considers human resources issues during strategy formulation such as ensuring the recruitment of highly skilled employees that fit yith their company strategy. However it is a less dominant role than what HR plays in Zappos.com. (chapter 2 from the book.) From these differences it is apparent that their could be a clash between the two practices. They have different levels of authority, in Zappos.com employees are given the freedom to take risks which affect the entire company. Amazon appear to be more constrained in this.Amazon focuses on efficiency whearas Zappos puts alot of emphasis on giving employees the space to express their creativity in a productive environment. Although Tony Hsieh has promised no change in the company ´s structure it will definitly have to consider the differences and how Amazon could impact the HR practices. Zappos Future Challenges Although the strategic approach of managing human resources has been distinguished as a driving force of Zappos severe competitive position, the planned acquisition by e-retailer giant, Amazon, put forward some potential challenges. The reviewed threat of HRM clash, is only one of the possible challenges in the future business functioning of Zappos. Directional Strategies are strategic typologies for classifying the ways different organizations seek to compete within an industry (Noa, 2008, p.86). With the approved acquisition by Amazon, Zappos continues to strive for growth and decides to pursue an external growth strategy, strengthen its market position through entering new businesses (other merchandise) (Noa, 2008, p.87). While growing, Zappos need to sustain its valuable corporate culture by managing the trade-off between changing human resource knowledge, skills and behavior needs and the upkeep of its successful organizational environment. Zappos will need to constantly educate and motivate its employees to engage inself-directed learning to cope with the new challenges when growing with the company (Noa, 2008, p.295). Growth it not the only challenge encountered in Zappos future business functioning. There is a necessity of appropriate recruitment, training, development and promotion to meet the changing HRM needs in an increasingly dynamic environment. What can be defined as challenge of sustainability describes the current economic changes, changes in demographics and expectations of the workforce, the growing importance of corporate citizenship and legal and ethical issues, has a key influence on the management of HR. Special regard has to be given to manage HR changing needs in companies as Zappos, in which it represents the main source of competitive advantage. Other challenges include the global and technological challenge, which include the HR impact from expanding into international markets and the importance of sophisticated technology in the workplace. Zappos growth strategy has already reaches out into another North American country: Canada (zappos.com). Simply reconstructing similar values and HR practices will not easily reproduce the same valuable organizational environment that exists in the retailers home-country operations. Understanding cultural differences, diverse backgrounds and attitudes is needed to establish a HRM that truly enables international success. Technological challenges emerge when employing technological innovation to leverage knowledge creation and sharing through the firm, which Zappos need to support by adequate and committed HR recruitment, training and motivational rewards. Conclusion The examination of Zappos past effectiveness and successful implementation of the loyality business model has been linked to an ambitious customer value proposition of best service, a strong profit formula and a strategic alignment of key processes as well as key resources. Most emphasis has been given to one specific key resource, namely the committed human resource practices, which serve as a support activity and a strategic element in Zappos loyalty business model and yield final competitive strength. While defining Zappos people, environment and culture as a primary source of competitive advantage, the significant role of leadership in the development of HR practices has been indicated. Concluding on how Zappos has build up a successful business model based on excellent customer service, loyalty and retention and how it continuous to operate effectively, the prior analysis has comprehensively identified one major contribution: strategic human resource management. The aligning of human resources practices and activities to the strategic objectives of high customer service quality, demand a development of committed HR practices, which generate a unique corporate culture and environment and ultimately enable Zappos remarkable competitive strength.

FGF Signaling and Early Lung Development Essay -- Biology, Lung

Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions mediate organogenesis, which results from the activation of complex gene networks. Early respiratory development arises from the foregut endoderm and gives rise to tracheal and lung progenitor cells. Recent studies have linked fibroblast growth factor, Wnt, and other signaling pathways to the initial stages of lung development. Cells respond to signaling proteins mainly though transcription factors that ultimately determine cell fate and pattern formation. Gain and loss-of-function studies have facilitated the identification and functionality of molecular components as part of development. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling plays an important role in the regulatory network present in embryonic pulmonary development. FGF controls cell proliferation, differentiation and pattern formation; however, the interaction of FGF with other signaling pathways is still questioned by researchers. FGF-7 and FGF-10 are important for patterning and growth of the lung bud and are differentially regulated by FGF-1 and FGF-2. Research has shown FGF is an important factor in respiratory development as it regulates the expression of other signaling pathways. Said molecular events involving FGF signaling drive key phases of pulmonary development and thus the understanding of these key segmental mechanisms gives way to new knowledge of pathogenesis involving congenital anomalies, helping to develop innovative therapies to treat disease. Unless specifically mentioned, anything regarding expression patterns and developmental effects of morphogens, transcription and growth factors, or any other developmental factors effecting lung development are referenced from the murine lung. Accordingly, functional relevance... ...change, an extremely complicated process. The lung is an organ that contains a vast system of airways carefully constructed to achieve maximal surface area in a confined space. This helps to form an environment suitable for the bronchial and pulmonary vascular systems. These airways that grow out into the body, like a tree towards the sky, require careful guidance from many developmental factors such as transcriptional regulators, growth factors, morphogens and extra cellular matrix molecules. When mutations in the genes that control these factors occur, aberrations during lung development can arise and may lead to severe morbidity or mortality at birth due to respiratory failure. The FGF signaling pathway is one such signaling mechanism that is critical to proper lung formation, guiding branching morphogenesis and cellular proliferation of the developing lung.

Identifying Heroes: The Godfather and Pulp Fiction Essay -- essays res

Identifying Heroes: The Godfather and Pulp Fiction The form of Classical Hollywood films is, first and foremost, invisible. In a Classical Hollywood film, the narrative is foremost, and style serves the narrative. Camera angles, lighting and editing patterns such as the shot/reverse-shot pattern aim to give us the best possible perspective on the unfolding events(1). These events are arranged in a strongly causality-oriented linear narrative, with one event causing the next. This narrative is arranged around a central, active protagonist, whose decisions and actions are the key to the pattern of cause and effect that drives the story(2). This pattern seems so logical, so natural, that the audience of the classical Hollywood film is supposed to feel that they are receiving the material without the mediating intervention of the filmmaker. The link between heroes and the spectator under this model is therefore one of relatively unproblematic identification. Even films that featured anti-social heroes, such as the thirties gangster genre , modified the pattern only through imposing the strongly moral, tragic sequence of rise and fall; the audience's identification remained firmly with the central protagonist(3). Such a situation, under these assumptions, puts the audience in an apparently perverse situation, and it is therefore hardly surprising that the infamous Hays code of the thirties moved to ensure that "the sympathy of the audience shall never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin(4)." The assumption of audience identity with the hero was never unproblematic, and of course the classical Hollywood model of filmmaking partially outlined above never existed entirely without challenge. Nevertheless, it is clear that up to the fifties the classical Hollywood model was relatively applicable and that challenges to it were largely ineffective. However, beyond the fifties, the model became increasingly irrelevant. The reasons for the downfall of the classical paradigm are complex, and related to economic changes within the industry (the forced dismantling of the vertically integrated studio system that placed production, distribution and exhibition roles under the one organisation) as well as wider cultural shifts that occurred during the sixties (the widespread social upheaval and increasing prominence of counter-cultural challenges ... ...he coffee shop scene around the body of the film isolates one couple at the exact moment they make the wrong choice. The cleverness of Tarantino's approach is in isolating the artificiality of his heroes' persona, and using that as an approach with which to undermine the audience's admiration of that hero. Just as Coppola's attempts to alienate the viewer from Michael Corleone were only partially successful, so Tarantino's approach is flawed: Tarantino was accused of glorifying his criminal heroes, and audiences do still see Vincent Vega as a modern day Fonze, the embodiment of coolness. A subtext is still, after all, a subtext, and not everybody can be in the ironic audience. Perhaps, though, the real reason that both Coppola and Tarantino still have problems in avoiding the audience identification with their heroes is the astonishing persuasiveness of classical Hollywood forms. The learned patterns of classical Hollywood narratives and the associated identification with a strong central protagonist are likely to take over if given even the slightest chance. This is the price Coppola and Tarantino must pay if they wish to harness this form of filmmaking for commercial advantage.

MIS PROJECT :: essays research papers

CONFIDENTIAL MIchigan Supply Inc. Information Systems Initial Plan for Year 2005-20008 CONTEXT MIchigan Supply Inc. (MIS Inc.) is a privately-held automotive parts supplier of a variety of products such as electronics, solenoids, wiring and fuel components. The company is currently located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. INITIAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS MIS is currently separated into 5 departments: Manufacturing and Production with engineers, machine workers and production managers; Finance and Accounting with accounts; Human Resources with human resources staff; Sales and Marketing with salespeople, sales managers, customer service representatives; and Upper Management with secretaries and executives. Required systems and job Functions Each department has its required systems and different job functions which as listed below: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Manufacturing and Production information systems  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Machine control system to control the actions of machines and equipment  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Production planning system to decide when and how many products should be produced  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Facilities location system to decide where to locate new production facilities  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Graphic system for engineers to design or improve products o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finance and Accounting information systems  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accounts receivable system to track money owed the firm  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Budgeting system to prepare short-term budgets  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Profit planning system to plan long-term profits o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Human Resources information systems  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Training and development system to track employee training, skills, and performance appraisals  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compensation analysis system to monitors the range and distribution of employee wages, salaries, and benefits  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Human resources planning system to plan the long-term labor force needs of the organization o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sales and Marketing information systems  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Order processing system to enter, process, and track orders  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pricing analysis system to determine prices for products and services  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sales trend forecasting system to prepare 5-year sales forecasts o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upper Management information systems  §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Executive support systems to address non-routine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight; and to filter, compress, track display critical data of greatest importance to executives. Equipment and configuration Currently MIS has 12 machine workers so we need at least 35 workstations. Initially there should be a black and white printer for each of 5 departments and color printers available for engineers, executives and salespeople. Required server services include email, file storage, printing, backup functionality and battery backup system. In addition to the 4 laptops executives currently have, 5 more should be purchased for salespeople for mobility. Equipment to be purchased should be the latest models which are capable of providing the 3 years of services and growth. Fig. 1 shows the company infrastructure configuration. We expect to have 50k to spend on 35 workstations ordered from Dell, 10k on 8 printers from Hewlett-Packard, 200k on server equipment, which should cover the costs of battery backup network switches, servers, tape storage device, serve/workstation software licensing, and 10k on 5 Toshiba laptops for salespeople.

How the Nile Form Ancient Egypt

Throughout history, humans have interacted with their environments to meet their needs and to satisfy their wants. Water has always played an important role in a civilization’s ability to develop and thrive. People settled in the Nile River Valley to take advantage of the resources the water and land provided. The Nile River was an integral part in the development and growth of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and it was the foundation for Egyptian innovations and religion.Ancient Egyptians interacted with the Nile River through their gods and in addition to using the river as a means for travel and trade, the Egyptians used its gifts, or resources for farming, inventions and religious ceremonies. The Nile River was the key factor in the growth and development of the ancient Egyptian civilization. The Egyptians relied on the Nile River for many resources and used it as a means for travel and trade. (Doc. C) The Egyptians used the papyrus that grew along the river to make pap er, which scribes used to record daily activities.This helped to develop their civilization because they could use hieroglyphics to keep written records and document important economic, government or social events for the officials and pharaoh. Most Egyptians lived near the Nile. They mostly lived at the Nile Delta. The Nile Delta had the most vegetation so farmers/peasants live there to work in farms. (Doc. A) It was where they could actually get there crops growing. The most important resources the Nile River provided the ancient Egyptians were water and silt.Annual floods provided rich silt for which the Egyptians used to cultivate their crops. They learned that they could plant barley seeds in the same spot every year, and it would grow again if there was enough water. (Doc. D ) Having a surplus of food led to specialization in ancient Egypt. The division of labor was critical to the development of the ancient Egyptian civilization because it provided the Egyptians with time to master their crafts and then trade. Egyptians used sailboats to travel up and down the Nile River to barter for goods and share ideas.  (Doc. C)The local trade routes and longer expeditions that Egyptians often went on created interdependence between themselves and neighboring communities. The development and growth of the ancient Egyptian civilization was the direct result of the Nile River; its most precious resource. The Nile River was a source of innovation and religion for the ancient Egyptian civilization. The Egyptians used other inventions to help them manage and use the Nile’s gifts. They created a calendar which helped them predict the floods. (Doc.  B)Being able to predict floods helped the Egyptians prepare for and manage the annual surge of water. Ancient Egyptians were innovators in math, science, medicine and architecture. It was their belief, however, that their gods were directly responsible for everything they had and did. The Egyptians invented the shad oof, but they believed that their god-king Osiris taught them how to lead the waters to the barley. (Doc. D) The Egyptians believed that Osiris was the one who had given them the fields and the knowledge of planting seeds. (Doc.  D)Finally, the ancient Egyptians strongly believed in life after death or the afterlife. The Nile River played an important role in the transportation of mummified Egyptian pharaohs or kings. Since they were buried on the west side of the Nile River, a funeral barge was used to transport Egyptian royalty to their tombs. (Doc. C) Ancient Egyptians used the Nile River as a source for their religion and inventions which helped them to develop, grow and thrive as a civilization. When the Nile rises, the land is in exultation. (Doc. E) Without the Nile River there would not be life in Egypt.Ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile River greatly, and their interaction with the river was evident in all aspects of their lives. The Nile River was directly responsibl e for the growth and development of ancient Egypt. Without the river, the Egyptians would not have been able to farm and provide a constant food supply. The surplus of food made it possible for the Egyptians to make advancements in math, science and technology, and it provided them with the time and resources to barter. This helped them to develop and grow as a civilization. The Nile River was also directly connected to the Egyptians’ innovations and religion.The shadoof, nilometer and calendar are great examples of inventions the Egyptians developed to maximize their use of the Nile River which helped in their development. Finally, the ancient Egyptians believed that everything they had, including the Nile River, was connected to their gods. Therefore, the Nile River played an important role in religious ceremonies in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians’ interaction with the Nile River helped them to meet their needs and satisfy their wants, and it was directly respo nsible for their growth and development as a civilization.

For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifle Essay

In the article â€Å"For Environmental Balance, Pick up a Rifle† by Nicholas Kristof, the author informs the reader about the importance of hunting, arguing that hunting needs to be brought back in the United States to control the deer population. He talks about the negative impact deer have caused in death of people by car accidents and with the destruction of the ecosystem with their overpopulation. The majority of deer have had a profoundly unnatural effect in certain parts of New York and New Jersey. Kristof notes that these days many people view hunting as a cruel and brutal and are opting for other methods for deer control due to their sympathy for deer. He states that it is a waste of time and money for liberals and conservatives to be using birth control and condoms; to prevent pregnancy to the deer. With the decline in hunting practices in North America, further environmental imbalance continues, which makes hunting an ecological necessity. If hunting were to increase in the coming years, individuals would be able to participate in the outdoors and enjoy nature. However, Kristof is an unreliable source in the knowledge of animal control and uses ineffective persuasion on this controversial topic. When it comes to experts on animal control, environmentalists spend an excruciating amount of time examining animals that have had a habitat interference with the ecosystem. Nicholas Kristof is not a reliable source of information; he has based his article off of an outsider’s point of view. While a column piece points out issues associated within our society, Kristof has yet to have the appropriate background and information to support his claim. Growing up on a farm in Oregon, studying law, and working as a columnist in The New York Times, gives some insight as to why Kristof wrote the article in the first place. This is because his audience includes a wide range of people; from highly educated to hardly any education. He is  writing in a city where hunting is a foreign concept, which leads Kristof to writing a commentary piece that relates to other topics individuals know about rather than the information of the deer in general. For example, he states â€Å"It’s s till true that in a typical year, an American is less likely to be killed by Osama bin Laden than by Bambi† giving the reader irrelevant material that has nothing to do with the topic of deer control. The author often states statistics that are in his favor, so his point is substantiated. In an article, â€Å"Journal of Wildlife Management† by Clinton Faas talks about how people generalize all deer as something harmful without considering the different types of deer. Not many people know about the axis and white-tailed deer that have had a negative impact throughout the environment. While in the article Kristof’s states that â€Å"The New Jersey Audubon Society this year advocated deer hunting as an ecological necessity.† (Kristof, 13) Yet while researching the Audubon Society it states that the white-tail deer made resources scarce in the ecosystem and it shows no sign of resorting to the concept of hunting. Nicholas Kristof takes the word deer throughout his article and made an assumption that all deer are harmful to society. The idea that hunting deer should be encouraged for the benefit of society and that it connects people with nature is remarkably repugnant in Nicholas Kristof’s â€Å"For the Environmental Balance, Pick up a Rifle.à ¢â‚¬  Many animal activists, such as the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) would agree that animals are not ours to use for food, clothing, experimentation, or entertainment. The reason that it is important to treat other living things with dignity and respect is because they have the capacity to suffer as people do. We are told that it is wrong to hurt other people, physically and mentally. Although in the article Kristof becomes indulged in the fact that animals are the problem in society and should be put down for it. For instance he quotes â€Å"So it’s time to reestablish a balance in the natural world, by accepting the idea that hunting is as natural as bird watching.† (Kristof, 18) Yet the majority of the environments issues are caused by human actions. For example, misguided construction, irrigation and mining can deface the natural landscape and disrupt important ecological processes. Aggressive fishing and hunting can deplete entire stocks of species. Human migration can introduce alien competitors to native food chains. While reading Nicholas Kristof’s article,  I analyzed and exposed the unreliable information he provide d. He stated statics that were vague and unspecific, misguiding the reader with irrelevant facts on other topics, and did not have the appropriate background to be considered an expert on the problem of animal control. Overall, hunting is not the way to control the deer population nor has the author convinced his reader.

History of Cinema Essay

From the very beginning its existence the cinema has created works of art worthy to stand comparison with the masterpieces of painting, music, literature, and theatre. Even more than that, the cinema is irremovably embedded in the whole history of the twentieth century. It has not only shaped but also reflected the reality of the times. The cinema gave also form to the aspirations and dreams of people all over the world. This work will focus on the main historical factors and the conditions surrounding the history of film-making. However, it is also the case that it is simply impossible, in a work of this size, to do justice to all the many individuals, technologies and processes that have played noteworthy roles in the history of cinema. The history is not only interesting in its own right; it can also illuminate with particular clarity how the cinema works as a whole. This work consists of four main parts: the Early times, the Silent Cinema, the Sound Cinema, and the Modern Cinema from 1960 to the modern times. In each part the paper looks at history of the cinema in general. As far as possible this paper will cover each development from a broad international perspective. The Early Cinema From the beginning the cinema developed quickly. What in 1890 had been just a dream had by 1913 grown into a whole industry. First films were just moving snapshots. They were only one minute in length and nearly all consisted of just one shot. By 1905, the films were usually five to ten minutes in length and included changes of site and camera position to create a story or show a theme. Later, in the early 1910s, when the first ‘feature-length’ films appeared, there little by little emerged new techniques for handling complex stories. At this time the process of creating of films had itself grown into a large-scale business. Specialist offices had emerged, exceptionally intended to the making of films. During the 1910s the heart of supply became Los Angeles – Hollywood. The early cinema of from the mid- 1890s to the mid-1910s is often called ‘pre-Hollywood’ cinema. The cinema of this period has also been called pre-classical. Actually the styles of filmmaking common in the early years have never been completely shifted by Hollywood or classical modes, even in America. Many films continued to be pre- or at any rate non-Hollywood in their style for a long time. But it is right to say that much of the cinema development in the years from 1906 or 1907 can be considered as laying the ground for what later became the Hollywood industry. Silent Cinema On the contrary to popular belief, the history of animation did not begin with Walt Disney’s sound film Steamboat Willie in 1928. Before that film there was a popular tradition, a film industry, and a vast number of films – considering nearly 100 of Disney’s (Hayward 234). The general history of the animated film begins with the use of transient trick effects in films around the turn of the century. As several genres emerged (Westerns, chase films, etc. ). During 1906-10, there appeared at the same time films made all or mostly by the animation technique. Since most films were a single reel. There was little programmatic difference between the animated films and others. But the multi-reel film trend developed after around 1912. Animated films retained their one-reel-or-less length. Until the First World War, animation was a completely international phenomenon. However, after about 1915 the producers in the United States began to control the world market. In a quarter of a century, the silent cinema created a tradition of film comedy. The cinema arrived at the end of a century that had witnessed a rich development of popular comedy. Later, the new proletarian audiences of the great cities of Europe and America found their own theatre in music hall, variety, and musical comedy. With these popular audiences, comedy became constant demand. When life was bad, laughter was a comfort; when it was good, they wanted to enjoy themselves just the same. Famous comedy mime troupes of the music halls, like the Martinettis, the Ravels, the Hanlon- Lees, and Fred Karno’s Speechless Comedians, can be seen as direct predecessors of one-reel slapstick films. Karno, in fact, was to train two of the greatest film comedians, Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel (Hayward 56- 58). The term ‘documentary’ did not become popular use until the late 1920s and 1930s. In the beginning it was applied to various kinds of ‘creative’ non-fiction screen practice in the post-First World War, classical cinema era. Originating films in the category have typically comprised Robert Flah erty ‘s Nanook of the North ( 1922), various Soviet films of the 1920s such as Dziga Vertov’s The Man with the Movie Camera (Chelovek s kinoapparatom, 1929), Walter Ruttmann’s 11Berlin: Symphony of a City (Berlin: die Sinfonie der GroBstadt, 1927), and John Grierson’s Drifters ( 1929) (Cook 89). Early documentarians used the magic lantern to create complex and often sophisticated programs out of a succession of projected photographic images. The images were accompanied by a live narration, with an occasional use of music and sound effects. By the turn of the century, films were gradually replacing slides. This in turn gave rise to the new terminology. The documentary tradition preceded film and has continued into the era of television and video. In this way it was redefined in the light of technological innovations, as well as in the context of shifting social and cultural forces. British films of the period were often quite sophisticated, particularly in the comic and actuality fields. Narrative editing, too, was often innovative. Sound Cinema The development from silent to sound cinema marks a period of revolution in the history of cinema. The revolution 4can be easily dated from 6 October 1927, with the New York premiere of Warner Bros. ‘ The Jazz Singer in which Al Jolson pronounces the immortal line ‘You ain’t heard nothin’ yet’ with more or less perfect synchronization between his lips in the film and his voice recorded in parallel on a disc (Hjort 90). Filmmakers began to use innovative sound technology that produced panic in cinema industry. In the same time it encouraged experiments and hopes too. While it decreased popularity of Hollywood’s films for several years, it stimulated a rebirth of national film production all over the world. This period in the history of cinema has specific features that make it unique in comparison with the years before and after. The coming of sound itself, and its world-wide implications is the first look. Then the focus is on the world of the studios, how the system operated – particularly in Hollywood – and how different aspects of the cinema were combined together during the studio period. The studios were not entirely free to make films simply for the market. The system also encountered problems of how to regulate itself to take account of political, social, and moral concern. While other countries experienced political censorship of varying degrees of severity, the Hollywood cinema suffered relatively little interference from central government. The Hollywood was instead faced with carefully orchestrated demands for a moral clean-up and the risk of intervention by local censor boards (Neale 78-79). Along with spoken dialogue, the major innovation of the sound cinema was synchronized music. The art of musical illustration that was used during the silent period was changed by the synchronized music. A considerable difference was, certainly, that filmmakers began to use music as a part of the fictional world. For instance, music could now be introduced when the film showed an orchestra or an actor performing a song. Then, sound film would use music not only to the picture, but to dialogue as well. Music became pure background. Composition, performance, and recording were all subject to studio control, and the production of musical tracks of high quality can be counted one of the greatest achievements of the system. Outside Hollywood music tracks were often less polished. But directors were more often free to work with composers of their own choice, and Sergei Prokofiev’s music for Eisen stein ‘s Alexander Nevsky (1938) provides an interesting contrast to two classic Warner Bros. scores of the same period – Erich Korngold’s The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Max Steiner’s Casablanca (1943). Modern Cinema  The most significant change in world cinema since 1945 was that produced by the breakdown of the Hollywood studio system and of its competitors and imitators elsewhere. By the early 1960s the Hollywood system was in severe disarray. Declining audiences and a series of costly flops left the major studios on the verge of bankruptcy or open to hostile take-over. While the studios experienced difficulties, new enterprises such as American International Pictures emerged. These companied made low-budget movies that were intended for the new youth and drive-in markets. Many new genres came into being. One of such innovations was the road movie. It proved to be influential not only on more mainstream American films but throughout the world. The mainstream itself was forced to innovate, drawing inspiration both from the down-market competition and from the new cinemas emerging in Europe. In Europe the most important single event was the sudden explosion on to the scene of the French New Wave – the Nouvelle Vague – with first features by Claude Chabrol, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Alain Resnais following each other in quick succession in 1958 and 1959 (Hjort 123). The New Wave had been briefly preceded in Britain by the ‘Free Cinema’ movement, and was followed by the ‘Young German Cinema’ which announced its existence in the Oberhausen Manifesto of 1962 and went on to renovate the lackluster West German cinema later in the decade. In Italy the change was less sudden but none the less significant, with the creation of Federico Fellini’s La dolce vita and Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’avventura in 1960. It was beginning of a new art cinema. Changes in the 1960s were not confined to Europe. The Cuban Revolution in 1959 gave an impetus to the growth of new cinemas throughout Latin America, notably in Brazil (Cook 45). In Japan the studio system which had nurtured the work of the great masters such as Mizoguchi and Ozu was also in crisis, and in the changed situation allowed for the entry on to the world stage of directors like Nagisa Oshima, who was to play a role in Japanese cinema similar to that of Godard in France. The new cinemas greatly extended the boundaries of film art. They brought new audiences into the cinema, for whom films assumed an unprecedented cultural importance. Throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s the cinema spoke more directly to these mainly young audiences than did any of the more traditional art forms. But outside Italy, France and England the innovate cinema with the new realities was not popular. Because of the limits on the size of the audience, the new cinema had to be low-budget or propped up by subsidy (sometimes both) in order to survive (Guneratne 67). The ‘new’ period in Hollywood cinema begins from the 1975 release of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. The film signaled the birth of a new, younger generation of Hollywood directors. Born mainly in the 1940s, they both studied the films of classical Hollywood and were influenced by the filmmakers of world cinema. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made blockbusters with classic principles. One of the most famous filmmaker in the 1980s has been Woody Allen. Allen has made famous films, such as Interiors (1978) and Stardust Memories (1980). Conclusion There exists recognition of the fact that from the beginning the cinema has developed in remarkably similar ways all over the world. But it is also recognized that from the end of the First World War onwards, one film industry – the American – has played a main role in the creation of world’s cinema. However, many nations have created their own, culturally identifiable, genre films that proved extremely popular during the 1970s and 1980s. In India, for instance, a remarkable 250 film-making companies, using more than 60 studios, continued to produce 700 feature films a year throughout the 1980s (Kindem 23). The central government encouraged the making of Indian films by requiring all commercial cinemas to screen at least one Indian film per show. A star system, much like Hollywood’s of the 1930s and 1940s, is strong in all parts of the world. Indeed Indian stars working on several productions at the same time can become enormously wealthy. The nations survived mainly by learning from Hollywood cinema. At the same time Europe produced a product that corresponded to needs that Hollywood cinema could not supply. Asian countries have been strong producers of film. Hong Kong, a country of only 5 million people, produces more films than Hollywood. In the 1990s Hong Kong’s citizens watched Hollywood and native productions in about equal numbers. In the 1980s Hong Kong martial arts films were distributed world-wide in large numbers. With broadcasting systems combined with the rise of satellite-distributed services Hollywood penetrates even these markets. Hollywood produced the most famous icons in the world such as Steven Spielberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger. With its international control, the Hollywood corporations could and will define standards of film style, form, and content.