P.management long Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

P.management long - Essay Example There will also be a discussion on some of the key challenges and difficulties that companies may face while using management control systems as packages. What are Management Control Systems? As Lawson states, â€Å"management control systems are methods of collecting information that are used to guide and direct the behavior of staff members and management in order to achieve a company's goals† (1). Management control system is basically a mechanism companies use to collect information required to manage and control the activities regarding accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Management control systems include a set of guidelines and techniques for companies that can be used to operate business processes and activities effectively and efficiently. Both managers and employees make use of those directions or methods to bring improvement in their individual and departmental performances, as well as to achieve organizational goals. In today’s world of co mpetition, companies need to adapt quickly to the use of technology in order to come in line for competition with other companies. In this regard, it is the need of today for the companies to adopt the use of management control systems to benefit from ongoing changes instead of leaving behind in the race of competition. Employees and managers need to use their knowledge regarding change to react positively to the changes in the internal and external business environment to improve organizational level of productivity and profitability. They need to link strategic planning and organizational processes by using the operational guidelines of management control systems. The focus of management control systems is not just on a single form of control, such as, performance measures, rather it covers multiple control systems that work together to achieve organizational goals. Therefore, management control systems can be used to direct all administrative matters, as well as to manage the iss ues of employees. Management Control Systems as Packages As Sandelin states, â€Å"the functionality of a control package depends on internal consistency, specifically on the reciprocal linkages of design and use between a primary mode of control and other control elements† (324). In today’s world, the needs of every company regarding internal controls and functionality of different departments are different from every other company. This shows that proper functionality of a management control package is highly dependent on a company’s internal level of operational consistency, as well as on links between different internal controls and systems. The need to use management control systems as packages can be understood by the fact that using such systems in isolation can lead to various administrative issues and organizational problems because all organizational systems and processes are interrelated. Therefore, it is the need of companies to use management contro l systems as packages not only to make an efficient use of organizational systems but also to ensure consistency of processes. According to Sandelin, the variety and operational efficiency of a control package is totally dependent on the way employees and managers of a company takes care of its functional requirements and demands (324). This statement shows that use of control package is

Red Bull Marketing Essay Example for Free

Red Bull Marketing Essay From 1987, Red Bull was launched in Austria with the tag line â€Å"Red Bull verleiht Fluuugel† (Red Bull Gives You Wiiings). It wasn’t until 1992 that Red Bull began to roll out in other European countries. â€Å"Part of the growth strategy was to enter new markets slowly and methodically in order to maximise buzz and build anticipation† Keller, K. L (2008 *A) By 1997, Red Bull was available in 25 markets globally, including Western and Eastern Europe, New Zealand and South Africa. Over the decade since its inception Red Bulls sales by 200%, from 1. million units to over 200 million units, and by 2004 the company had worldwide annual sales of nearly 2 billion cans in 120 countries. The Marketing Strategy used by Red Bull was not to pound the market with their presence but to be seen as an exclusivity, and to be perceived as the drink for all occasions when needed. In this way, marketers left empty cans in nightclubs, placed samples and dispensers in universities and allowed the value of Red Bull to spread via word of mouth. Red Bull marketed the following properties: * Improves Physical Endurance Stimulates Metabolism and Eliminates Waste Substances * Improves Overall Feeling of Well-being * Improves Reaction Speed and Concentration * Increases Mental Alertness These characteristics of the Red Bull product opened itself up to a whole range of potential consumers and marketing situations. Because of its properties, Red Bull used the slogan â€Å"Revitalizes Mind and Body†, and positioned the drink using a premium pricing strategy, marking the price up by at least 10% on the most expensive competitors product. Norbert Krailhamer explains: We are much more expensive that [cola]. This is OK because ours is an efficiency product, so we can charge this price premium, which is the secret of its success†¦ Due to the respect for a price premium brand†¦ we can charge what is fair for the benefit† Keller, K. L (2008 *A) A large portion of Red Bull’s success has to do with the use of the distinctive Red Bulls and Rising Sun logo and slender 250mL can as seen on their sponsorship sign writing and general advertising. It is debatable whether or not Red Bull would be as popular and successful without this insignia. Evidence of this can be traced to the introduction of Red Bull in Germany , where the demand was so great that they sold out of canned stock and had to switch to glass bottles to keep up with the demand. As soon as the bottles were introduced the demand dropped. The success of Red Bulls marketing strategy can be highlighted with the bungled entry of Red Bull into the United Kingdom in 1995. The marketers believed that the United Kingdom was too different from the Austrian market, so altered the marketing plan. The changes occurred in three distinct ways: â€Å"Extract: 1) the company marketed Red Bull as a sports drink, not a stimulation drink; 2) it did not pursue a word-of-mouth strategy, choosing instead to sell via the largest beverage channels; and 3) it created new advertising and focused on billboards rather than electronic media. As a result, Red Bull was considered a failure in the United Kingdomafter losing more than $10 million during the first 18 months in that market. † Keller, K. L (2008 *A) 1. Introduction: Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian based energy drink manufacturer is a remarkable brand that has grown to surpass some of the worlds most established brands. After founder Dietrich Mateschitz returned from Asia with the rights to patent Red Bull and alter it to suit the Western market, he had a defined idea in his mind as to what he wanted to achieve with the energy drink. After trialing more than 200 designs and finally cementing the right combination of caffeine, taurine, carbonation and flavoring the â€Å"original† Red Bull flavor was established. What follows is the amazing story of how Red Bull was marketed in Austria and then from 1992 onwards into the rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the United Kingdom. Some of the key stones in the Red Bull brand marketing triumph has been the simplicity of their marketing approach through application, the positioning of the product and the clever ways in which they have side stepped traditional channels when bringing the product to the market and building the buzz and anticipation of Red Bull rather than just solely relying on the decision making derived from traditional advertising methods. The diversity of the Red Bull brand has allowed itself to move with the market and remain the worlds most popular energy drink. Looking at the brands tangible flexibility can even be posed at the move in the market to sugar free beverages and the quick and succinct way that Red Bull acted in order to uphold its position and remain creditable at the same time. As of the 2009 financial year, Red Bull GmbH had net sales report of 3. 3billion dollars and now has 3900 employees worldwide. Source: BNET Resources 2. Brand Positioning and Values From the day of inception, Dietrich Mateschitz had a clear plan for how he wanted to establish Red Bull. The current positioning has left Red Bull in a very strong position among the market place and the values that it represents are continually being lived up to through its corporate presence in our daily lives. The position of Red Bull is: â€Å"Revitalizes Mind and Body† this tangible benefit, direct from Red Bull endorses the product to satisfy consumer needs before they have even made a purchase. Red Bull has also positioned themselves as the â€Å"Premium Energy Drink† above all other energy drinks in the market. The key word in this phrase being ‘premium’ as Red Bull has an exclusive appeal and a higher market price than its competitors; factors that have been thought through very thoroughly by the Red Bull marketing team. The â€Å"Premium Pricing Strategy† that Red Bull has incorporated, dictates that Red Bull will be priced at a rate 10% higher than the most expensive competitors price to ensure the class standard of the Red Bull name and set the standard for all of the rest of the competitors. In addition to the Premium Pricing Strategy, Red Bull introduced the Seeding Program, whereby initially Red Bull would only be stocked in the best and most classy establishments, whether this be exclusive clubs, nightclubs, bars, sporting events and related events to build the necessary hype or buzz about Red Bull, and to enable the word of mouth from the social elite to filter down into the working class. Once the market place was saturated with Red Bull buzz, the general market received the product too. In addition to the Word of Mouth strategy, Red Bull would supplement this with event sponsorship, athlete endorsements, sampling, point of purchase marketing and select electronic advertising. This allowed Red Bull to cover the necessary avenues which potential consumers were likely to come into contact with the brand and go on to purchase the drink. The values of the Red Bull brand are derived from the benefits of the drink itself: * Improves Physical Endurance * Stimulates Metabolism and Eliminates Waste Substances. Improves Overall Feeling of Well-being Improves Reaction Speed and Concentration * Increases Mental Alertness The Red Bull brand encourages the consumer to go to their potential and offers an aid in doing so. But offering these benefits in their product, Red Bull values the extension of horizons and energetic approaches to life. This can be summed up through their corporate sponsorship of Extreme Sporting events, individual athletes, the creation of events or the sponsorship of teams. The reasoning behind this is that these events are fast paced, high energy, thrilling and require exactly what Red Bull has to offer. By encouraging these types of events and endorsing the elimination of comfort zones, Red Bull is positioning itself as a goal, a motivation and a stimulant that can be harnessed to achieve any goal. Red Bulls success can be likened to the single-minded approach they have used n order to connect with their target market; 14 – 19yr olds and then the next highest penetration 20 – 29yr olds. Red Bull is an active product in today’s trendy lifestyle habits and is being reflected through their values and displays encouragement of abnormal sporting activities. . The Red Bull Air Races† in Perth Australia; and sponsorship of Mark Webber and Formula One. From a nationality point of view, Red Bull chooses the idols of sport and eye catching events to promote itself as well as support the people in question. This is seen all around the world and has been a strong driver in the popularity of Red Bull in certain areas of the world. Because Red Bull is a stimulant drink, it makes sense to market to the whole variety of consumers in the market place. In its 23 years of operations, the initial people who would have used Red Bull for â€Å"party energy† at nightclubs and parties will now be moving through to the quieter portion of their lives, however this does not mean they will no longer need Red Bull. Working long or irregular hours, studying and going the added distance is still important; therefore Red Bull has applied its benefit across several generations and the cycle continues. 3. Brand Characteristics Red Bull is now a very distinctive product in the market place and can be recognized based on some key points. Two Red Bulls and Rising Sun Logo * Slender Silver 250mL can (with silver and blue pattern) The name Red Bull * Endorsed Events or Persons i. e. Mark Webber As opposed to other energy drinks on the market it is the most represented and advertised product on supermarket shelving in Australia, (per unit) and is represented by an 80:20 spread of cans to bottles in the standard 250mL variety(1). Dominant characteristics of Red Bull include its involvement in Extreme Sports, high-energy events and the encouragement of athletes and the involvement within comfort breaking activities. It is important to note that the Red Bull marketing strategy encourages the promotion of the brand through non-traditional channels and is not seen in the same context as traditional carbonated drinks, or energy drinks. This fact makes adds to the characteristics of the brand. People recognize Red Bull based on its involvement and support in events and occasions. Rather than times, controversies or lengthy advertising campaigns which try to deliver a message over a long period of time. The marketing message for Red Bull has remained consistent throughout the 23-year reign it has had in the marketplace; adding to the resilience of Red Bulls brand characteristics. The Red Bull Australia website promotes Red Bull as: â€Å"Red Bull  ® Energy Drink has always been and always will be more than just a hot secret for the night owl and the non-stop party-animal. It is appreciated by a wide range of people, such as the overworked taxi driver, the stressed manager, the exam-anxious student and the pressured journalist†¦. It is used by surfers in the summer and snowboarders in the winter. For day or night, for job or fun. People who need more energy learn to value Red Bull ® Energy Drink. And the number of people who do is increasing all the time. † Red Bull Australia 2010 The Red Bull Australia website explains, through a marketing set spiel the characteristics of the brand and the direct benefiters. The exert highlights very clearly the intentions of the brand and the way in which it is appreciated. 4. Product Benefits and Consumer Satisfaction Red Bull markets itself on the two phrases â€Å"Gives You Wings† and â€Å"Revitalizes Mind and Body†. This can be demonstrated through its ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Sucrose Glucuronolactone, Glucose and B-Group Vitamins. These six ingredients all combine to give Red Bull the kick that consumers need. * Improves Physical Endurance * Stimulates Metabolism and Eliminates Waste Substances * Improves Overall Feeling of Well-being * Improves Reaction Speed and Concentration * Increases Mental Alertness As stated earlier the benefits listed by Red Bull allow themselves to be focused on a wide variety of people, whether they be office workers, truck drivers, athletes, students or partying. The given benefits of Red Bull provide the reasoning to buy and continue re-buying. Consumer satisfaction based on the product benefits is evident through the sales figures that Red Bull has been generating, with positive growth of 10% or more per annum. Performance the American Market shows the Market share of Red Bull compared to its competitors: Based on its 42. 6% share of the energy drink market sales in 2006, it is evident that Red Bull is a satisfying and enticing product. A large portion of Red Bulls ability to satisfy both physically and mentally comes from the consumption of the drink and seeing the performance of those around the consumer who are either consuming Red Bull or endorsed by Red Bull. This positive reinforcement from the elements encourages the consumer to drink more and to be brand loyal to Red Bull. 5. Brand Communities Red Bull’s mass sponsorship and consumer loyalty would work considerably well with a network of dedicated Red Bull Communities, rather than just the Red Bull sponsored, run and presented events. The basic criteria for the Red Bull Brand Community have already been met with the purchase of a Red Bull Product, as they have features and needs that are common to the other consumers who had purchased Red Bull previously. Ways that Red Bull could maximize on this could be through loyalty reward schemes, groups, emailing lists, gatherings, committees or clubs. While the idea of a Red Bull Brand community is appealing the practical application of one of these communities would be an expensive and difficult task to manage. The on paper, and metaphorical idea of a Brand community is a safer, more cost effective and ultimately simple Utopia when thought through. The Brand Community idea is one that should have been conceived during the introduction to the market or while the market was considerably smaller and more manageable. Red Bull uses the basic premise of Brand Communities already with their Red Bull Events and Sponsorships, in which it is then upon the individual to become a consumer and subscribe to these communities. The stress between the brand, the individual and the culture in which both exist is not under any amount of tension in the current marketplace and does not need to be altered at any point in the near future. The Brand Community, which Red Bull could potentially highlight, contains around 1 Billion people globally and would require large amounts of money to communicate to all of these people, let alone bring attention to it and get consumers to act upon it. 6. Brand Equities Red Bull has at its disposal a large set of Brand Equity that it uses to distinguish itself from other energy drinks and its competitors. These include its logo, its amber coloring, its taste, advertising, packaging, pricing and its reputation as a reliable and beneficial product for onsumers. In comparison to its competitors, Red Bull prides itself on being an al rounder energy drink that can be consumed anytime, in the right conditions, at the right place and the right time. Which has worked well for Red Bull as they have positioned the brand specifically to suit any occasion and to answer â€Å"Yes† to any of the Three Right questions. The development of these brand equities has been a continuous run through the development of Red Bull as a brand and its establishment in all the countries it now occupies space in. The Red Bull logo is a key device in the success of Red Bull and is possibly the strongest asset that they have in terms of Brand Equity. Many comparisons of competitor energy drinks such as Rockstar, Monster and Sobe No Fear yielded results that consumers could not differentiate between the Red Bull and its competitors while using unmarked cups and blindfold tests according to Helium Comparison Tests. In a real market perspective this fact is worrying that competitors are fabricating similar tasting products and that they are indistinguishable from one another. However this instance is found across all products in any category when basing comparisons without brand equities such as packaging, logos and distinctive colorings. Red Bulls marketing strategy has ensured that the strength on the product based on its merits receives the credit it deserves. The initial slow entry into markets, creating buzz and desired anticipation of the products has proven valuable for Red Bulls long term existence and has given merit to them too, in that they did ot let down the people who had tried the product based on hype and anticipation, creating return buyers and brand loyalties. Red Bull’s price premium is considered a winner with the market place as people believe that paying for benefit is better than paying for volume, as can be seen with competitors such as Rockstar who sell only the 500mL cans of energy drink and who deliver solely on their marketability rather than on product benefit such as Red Bull has done. The pricing premium has ensured that Red Bull be taken on its quality rather than on a commodity measurement ike quantity. This perceived value given to it and received by consumers tightens the consumer’s loyalty to the brand. Red Bull has seen a long run of marketing in sporting events and endorsing athletes to create awareness to potential consumers of its benefits in sporting activities, on and off the field. This spending on endorsements and events is evidence to the wider community that Red Bull is not just about profiteering, but supports the sporting world and provides entertainment and encouragement to those people who would like to strive to this level. However know where does Red Bull market itself to state that it will put you in this position. The clever marketing strategies which Red Bull have used remain honest and aim solely to promote Red Bull in a positive light whilst involving the consumers it is reaching out to. The Brand Equity that Red Bull keeps is a well-earned set of criteria that has been nursed from the beginning of the brand back in 1987 in Austria. The expansion of Red Bull into more than 120 countries is a sign of strength and highlights the diverse regions of differing brand equities among varying cultures. The underlying success of Red Bull remains in the marketing strategy that put it ahead of the competition in the first place. Without this, the basics of brand equities would not exist and Red Bull would follow the same course of one of its competitors. Because of this I believe that Red Bulls greatest brand equity is the brand itself and its history among the market over the past 23 years. Combining all of the elements discussed previously and essential make up of campaigns, strategies, advertising, targeted markets, successes and failures. This long history will benefit Red Bull in the long term, as it will become even more cemented into the grain of society and stay as the go to energy drink, rather than the fad competition products which have entered into the market in order to unseat the firmly held Red Bull. As for the continuing growth of Red Bulls Brand equity listings that is to be foreseen in the future, but there is little doubt that it will continue to build positively as the Red Bull product range changes to suit the coming changes to the current market. When it does I have no doubt that Red Bull GmbH will be ready for it. . Conclusion The Red Bull Branding Story follows a long timeline of success and obstacles that Red Bull GmbH has turned into triumphs. Red Bull have managed to turn a small Austrian drinks company into a global giant as one of the fastest growing brands and now staying true to one of the most popular of the 21st Century. Over the course of the 23 years that Red Bull has been manufactured, we can see a growing trend and the synthetic need created by Red Bull for energy stimulation drinks; and now the popularity of them to a point where we could no longer exist without them. Red Bull has become part of pop culture and every day slang and jargon, which intensifies its impact on the market and its sustainability in the consumers mind. As far as brands go, Red Bull has remained faithful to its consumers and to its own marketing goals, with little to no changes to the marketing strategy, the product packaging and flavoring, besides of course the Sugar Free Red Bull. This steadfast approach to marketing has clearly worked and a comparison of Red Bull and other Energy drinks shows that these brands lack the same commitment that Red Bull has.

Comparing Science and the Judicial System :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Comparing Science and the Judicial System Science and the Judicial System are two concepts that at face value seem to be very distinct and unique in their own nature, but their cores share interesting parallels. They each propose a different way of understanding how we comprehend and organize order and structure within institutions, yet they do so with similar strategies. In this paper I'll address my understanding of both, what characteristics they share and how these similarities prove them to be inextricably connected by what we call life and its connection to the human experience. Although Science is largely composed of observation, experiments and their results, it is often controversial because perspective and experience play a key role in how data is interpreted. And because perspective and experience undoubtedly vary with each person due to various reasons; how is it possible that we can assign concrete truths to such a varied conceptualization? Scientists fuse logic and philosophy. Traditional science often fails to provide theories and explanations for phenomenons that hold truth and validation in both a scientific context and the context of the human mind. I feel that Science often caters to only a "black and white" way of formulating answers; failing to recognize the gray areas. Often times people try to find the most common and accepted ways to support their theories and in doing so they adapt to the standard and more traditional ways of viewing the world. This leaves less room for creativity and exploration of the mind when trying to formulate "truth". "A body of assertions is true if it forms a coherent whole and works both in the external world and in our minds." Roger Newton (1) Much like science, the justice system in this country is very much based on experience. Although the understanding of these laws is largely composed of formal education, logic and reasoning, there is more to law then these solid and concrete aspects. Experience plays a key role because before obtaining any form of judicial authority one must practice and "get a feel" for what the position entails. Through these experiences one acquires a very personal and first hand knowledge and experience that is necessary before venturing out into his or her field. The judicial system poses a similar problem to that of traditional science. I believe the laws in our justice system are far too clear cut.

Only Yesterday Essay

The â€Å"Roaring Twenties† as they’re called, was the period of ten years in the Untied States, which saw the biggest change in society, the boom in the economy, and later the downfall of the nation. This time in America was a time of economic prosperity for the most part; a great social revolution took place and saw the formation of a modern America. All this is the subject, Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the Nineteen-Twenties, written by Fredrick Lewis Allen. Allen writes a very informative book of what happened throughout this great decade, but from the aspect of an ordinary individual. He writes of the social history of the 1920s, with little to mention of major politics and economics. From presidents to fashion, Allen covers it all. It’s an effective look at people in the 1920s, and what life was like. Only Yesterday begins in May 1919, and ends with a brief look at 1930 and 1931. The book begins out with a prologue more or less, in which Allen writes of a fictitious couple, the Smith’s, in the year 1919. Allen, through this prelude, tells the reader of the accomplishments up until 1919, and what is to come in the coming decade. This 14-page introduction lets reader get an idea of what is to come, within the book. It begins with a look at the wartime economy and slow down from it. The period of the so-called â€Å"Red Scare† is written in detail in this book. Allen writes of the terror during this time, from everything like Attorney-General Mitchell Palmer’s raids on radicals, labor strikes and anarchism, and the intolerance of the early 1920s. The Ku Klux Klan also played a major part in this period. The early 1920s was a great time of mass hysteria, and intolerance for anything â€Å"un-American†. In one such story Allen writes about, how a black boy is stoned to death in a lake by whites on the shore, in the summer of 1919. Even though this existed, the 1920s brought great change. The first radio broadcast was in November 2, 1920. Allen talks about the social times changing during this time as well. Everything from sports to makeup was becoming an obsession, like baseball and tennis for the guys, and bathing suits and makeup for the women. During this time new games such as Mah Jong from China and crossword puzzles, and new songs, all which captured the  American spirit, as well as many other things, which thrilled Americans. As Allen writes, â€Å"A few weeks later there was new national thrill as the news of the finding of the tomb of King Tut-Ankh-Amen, cabled all the way from Egypt, overshadowed the news of Radical trials and the K.K.K.† This new time was the social revolution for the people. Ladies began smoking and drinking in public, skirts became shorter, the use of makeup, and the quest for slenderness began. The twenties was also a time of relaxed spirituality. Many looked at society as more important than religion. Celebrities replaced religion in some cases. The younger gernartion searched for things such as passion and thrills, and were much more open with their sexuality. Charles Lindbergh and his trans-Atlantic flight threw him to stardom. Impressing others became the â€Å"thing to do†, and sexual appeal was big. Also during this time of social revolution, prohibition was in full swing, while the 18th amendment was passed, and did reduce drinking in the country, it wasn’t very effective for a number of reasons. The mob and Al Capone ran â€Å"bootlegging† of alcohol. Racketeering was introduced during this time, many people looking for the get rich quick schemes, brought them into illegal activities such as bootlegging and such. People were just discovering themselves during this time and speak-easies and social clubs became the rage. Women would openly drink and smoke to show their independence. Allen talks of the Harding Presidency and the scandals that surrounded it. The return to normalcy as it was called; he returned the presidency to the people. His scandals, which range from sneaking to secret bars in this time of prohibition, to appointing friends and family to the cabinet, and many others. Allen also writes of the Coolidge presidency and the prosperity along with it. The stock market was in a boom, and the economy pumping. The automobile industry fueled the economy and radios brought the people closer to each other. Under the Coolidge prosperity the â€Å"Big Bull Market† was formed. The stock market grew and grew. The economy grew and couldn’t be stopped, the stocks grew dangerously high, but like all good things, it came to an end. The end of an era came about in 1929 on September 3, after that prices crashed and continued to fall until October 24, when the market began to steady again. Yet, the market fell even more, after that and into 1930  the m arket would be at an all time low. Allen attributes this to a list of seven things ranging from overproduction to the psyche of the American public, all which led to the Great Depression. This is the last thing Allen writes, and he asks the question, â€Å"What was to come in the nineteen-thirties?† With the fall of the market, came the fall of individualism, as Allen writes, â€Å"As the stock prices fell so did the lengths of the dresses†Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  These are the things, which defined the decade of the 1920s: oily scandals, non-spirituality, the â€Å"good old days†, and the revolution, which, fell just as soon as was started. The 1920s was nothing like America had seen before. It was returned to the people, people weren’t afraid to speak out, or try something new. What was to come in the 1930s? A new decade, which people needed to survive the depression rather than socialize, and it would dismantle everything, which was made in the 1920s. Only Yesterday, was a very good look at the 1920s. It effectively shows what people went through in this crazy time. This book focuses around the social history of the â€Å"ËÅ"20s, from women’s skirts to the economy of 1929. Allen balances this with the politics of the three presidents, which defined this era. The book is very easy to read, and spares the reader with his simple clear and simplistic style of writing. The book was immensely enjoying, and grabs the attention of the reader immediately. He refers back to the New York Times, on numerous occasions, which seems to be one of his primary sources. He uses many details to back up the stories in which he writes about. While he is not very specific in his writing, he incorporates a lot of information in the book. He told everything from the good, to the bad and even to the ugly, which exposed America’s true sense. Only Yesterday: a great book for anyone looking at the social history of the 1920s: where individuali sm ran wild and â€Å"normalcy† had returned.

Critical Theory and the Middle East Essay

Critical theory is actually tackled by two different intellectual traditions from which the term is derived – critical theory in literary studies and critical social theory. The former is primarily a form of hermeneutics, or knowledge that is gained through the interpretation in the understanding of the meanings presented through human texts and symbolic expressions. On the other hand, the latter is a form of knowledge that is self-reflective which involves both understanding and theoretical explanation which intend reduction of entrapment within systems like domination and dependence, in the advancement of emancipator interest to expand autonomy and reduce domination. Critical theory from a sociological perspective, is best defined as that social theory that is in contrast to some of the principles of the 20th century positivism, and is, in fact, sometimes referred to as negative philosophy. Contrary to the general idea that knowledge comes from people’s sense-experience, critical theory proposes rationalism which posits that the source of knowledge and the source of common humanity is the fact that humans are rational beings. This paper adopts the sociological perspective of critical theory, and relates it with the Middle East scenario, taking Qatar into particular focus, as an example of the Middle East countries. Historical Background The concept of critical theory dates as early as 1937, with Max Horkheimer of Frankfurt School giving meaning to it as a social theory that is oriented toward critiquing and changing the society in general, contrary to the traditional theory that is oriented merely in the understanding or explaining the society. Most accounts of the theory closely link it with the Frankfurt School of Social Research (or Frankfurt School which later became the International Institute for Research at Columbia University, New York in 1933), while some trace its origins to as far back through Hegelianism and Western Marxism. Most of the key contributors to the theory are employed at the Frankfurt Institute, like Theodore W. Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, along with Hokheimer who was the Institute’s Director at that time. The other contributors who were not employed at the Institute were Walter Benjamin and Ernst Bloch, both published their materials in the Institute’s journal as well as engaged in other activities of the Institute. Later on, in 1945, a certain Hannah Arendt also helped by extending the concern for liberation as developed in the works of the Institute. After 1945, in Germany, Jurgen Habermas and Axel Honeth continued the advancement of critical social theory. Marx’s Influence on the Critical Theory It has been said by analysts of today that the common thread between and among the German critical theory and the French post-structuralism is that they are both anchored on Karl Marx’s theory of social change, which generally proposes for philosophers and thinkers to not just interpret the world, but rather change it. Such Marxian theory has been revised by critical theorists to posit that the critical theory rests on the concept of intervention which comes from appropriate understanding of the past and present conditions which provides adequate insight towards change, or possibilities of it. Further down the history of critical theory, Marx’s great influence can be traced with the Praxis School, which was a Marxist humanist philosophical movement originating from Zagreb and Belgrade in Yugoslavia in the 1960s. This Praxis School was closely linked with the Frankfurt School and the Critical Theory. In fact, the term critical theory is derived from Marx’s concept about his work Capital as a form of critique of political economy. Middle East in Context The Middle East or the Muslim world in particular, has been perceived by the rest of the world as an oppressive society where only men have the freedom to live the way they want to live, while women are repressed and stay in the shadows of their men. It is anchored basically on the Islamic teachings which have shaped the Muslim people’s beliefs, culture and traditions. In a traditional Muslim society, the women are raised and trained to obey and serve men without questions or opinions. Muslim women are not allowed to decide on anything, even for their own personal concerns, since it is the men who have the right to decide – this comes from the practice of betrothing the women, and the men paying dowry for the women they marry. This technically makes the women possessions of men. Through the years, the plight of Muslim women who also want to pursue careers, who also want to live freely and have more options than to be betrothed and raise a family, have been slowly heard by the world. Through the years, things have changed dramatically and drastically in the Muslim World. Contemporary Muslim societies have successful Muslim women on boob tube talking about pleasurable sex, albeit maintaining that it be in the context of marriage, but still, such freedom to speak about sex in public was a big taboo in years past. Qatar’s Shiekah Muzah Bint Nasser Al Misned, is another example of an emancipated lot of Muslim women now successfully treading career paths that were never trodden before. How did it all happen? What brought about such changes in the society that was once repressive but now tolerate and allow women to have choices? Critical Theory in the Middle East (Qatar) The Middle East, particularly Qatar, has gone through a lot of upheavals, significantly changing the social, political and cultural landscape of the nation. Applying the critical social theory, which seeks to critically study the interrelated facets of society – political, economic and social – with interventions appropriately based on understanding, Qatari society has been led by its leaders into a more tolerant society in the interest of further development and advancement. Looking back to the socio-political and economic landscape that gave birth to the Marxian theory and the critical theory, it was a repressive society and constrictive governmental policies that were sought to change by the proponents. Mere analysis and understanding of such society and government were not enough, and thus interventions based on appropriate understanding was proposed. The Qatari situation is no different. Awakening to the real situation, deep understanding of them, led the people and the leaders to create changes which now manifest in its media, which is rich in stories of women achievers. One of the leading women figures in Qatar is none other Her Highness Shiekah Muzah Bint Nasser Al Misned, who heads the nation’s Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Summary The sociological definition of critical theory generally posits that it is necessary that matters be tackled in a multi-dimensional perspective, and that rationalism is as a key to understanding situations need to be coupled with interventions. In societies where societal norms tend to repress some sectors’ freedom, it is a necessity to pursue a critical outlook of the situation and provide measures to address the issues. In Qatar, for instance, the nation underwent various upheavals which significantly changed its social, political, cultural and economic scenarios, giving freedom to women as they have never experienced before. Personal Opinion Oppression or repression of any kind is always an unpleasant situation, much less to a more vulnerable group in the society, the women. History is replete with situations of oppression and repression, and almost all those situations ended up wrecking nations, which means that ultimately, the people are wrecked as the ultimate victims. The proponents of critical social theory emphasizes the rational nature of people which, if given deeper interpretation, only emphasizes that as rational beings, people must be treated as such, rational. Further, the argument of Marx that it is not enough for people or philosophers to merely interpret society, but rather must change it, rings a bell of truth in the contemporary times. For instance, in the Middle East, much have been written about the societal repression, but only recently have changes been felt and manifest. Only when some things have been done to change the situation. References Ahmed, L. , 1993, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate Edition: reissue, illustrated, Published by Yale University Press, 1993. Calhoun, C. J. , 1995, Critical social theory: culture, history, and the challenge of difference, Edition: reprint, Published by Wiley-Blackwell, 1995. Held, D. , 1980, Introduction to critical theory: Horkheimer to Habermas,Published by University of California Press, 1980. Swank, A. ,2007, Sexual healing: How big is kalaam kibeer? , Arab Media and Society. Issue 2, Summer 2007, Published by The American University in Cairo. UNDP-POGAR, 2007, Women in public life, gender and women, Gender and Citizenship Initiative, 2007.

What Do Ivy League Schools Think of the ACT

What Do Ivy League Schools Think of the ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As an ACT tutor, I often fielded questions about whether the test would be looked down on by admissions officers, especially those at Ivy League schools. Because the SAT was the dominant college admissions test for so long, many students and parents worry that- at least in the Northeast- schools still prefer the SAT over the ACT. However, that time has definitely passed, and schools will now accept either test equally. Read on for a more in-depth explanation of how Ivy League schools view the ACT today, and learn the differences in testing policies that might affect your decision to take the ACT or SAT. Ivy League Schools' Official Policies on the ACT Officially, all of the Ivy League schools accept both the ACT and SAT,as does every other school in the US.Harvey Mudd was the last no-ACT holdout,but it began accepting the test in 2007. â€Å"Since it’s a choice you can make, it has the feeling of being a significant choice, fraught with implication, but I don’t think it does matter,† Marlyn McGrath-Lewis, director of admissions at Harvard College, told the New York Times. â€Å"Either is fine with us, and we don’t have a feeling that either favors students with any particular profile.† According to ACT, Inc., "The ACT test is the nation’s most popular college entrance exam accepted and valued by all universities and colleges in the United States."The "most popular" comment is just marketing spin, but the basic point stands: every school in the US accepts the ACT and SAT equally. How These ACT Policies Actually Work As you now know, the Ivy League schools claim to view the ACT as equivalent to the SAT, but does that mean they actually do? It's impossible to be 100% sure, but I strongly believe the Ivy League schools treat the two tests equally. For one, I was unable to find any evidence that admissions officers have a preference for one test over the other. Moreover, there is no logical reason for admissions counselors to discriminate against students who take the ACT,especially since doing so is likely to cost them some exceptional students who happened not to take the SAT. If you examine the statistics on ACT and SAT scores among admitted students, some differences in how schools treat scores from the two tests do appear, but they're mostly meaningless. It's been said that there is a slight SAT advantage for students scoring on the low end of schools' accepted score ranges. So if you have the same percentile score on both tests (i.e., you do better than the same percentage of students who took the test), your SAT score will be more likely to get you into a college than your ACT score will be. However, this analysis is somewhat misleading because it doesn't take into account the fact that many students who don't plan ongoing to college take the ACT as part of statewide assessments, increasing the number of low-scoring students and slightly skewing the percentiles. Looking at the data for Ivy League schools, you'll also see that more admitted applicants submit SAT scores than they do ACT scores.However, this trend seems to be evening out. For example, when it comes toCornell's class of 2018, 79.7% submitted SAT scores while only 41.4% submitted ACT scores. Yet for the class of 2021, 63.7% submitted SAT scores and 55.9% submitted ACT scores. As you can see, even with these slight changes in percentages, the SAT is still a little more popular than the ACT is among Ivy League applicants. Although this might seem like evidence of bias, this difference is easily explained by regional preference:more than 50% of both the 2018 and 2021 Cornell classes hailed from the Northeast, where the SAT is much more common than the ACT. Yale University (in the winter, obviously) Ultimately, there's no compelling evidence that any schools, including members of the Ivy League, judge the ACT more harshly than they do the SAT.As such, you should ignore this perceived bias when deciding between the two tests. Instead, focus on determining which test is better for you. Since most students score similarly on the two, it's usually just a question of which test you feel more comfortable with. Alternatively, you might want totake both the ACT and SAT. Next up, let's go over the two differences in testing policies that might affect your decision of which test to take! Schools' Testing Policies: Superscoring and SAT Subject Tests Though colleges accept the ACT and SAT equally, schools can still have slight differences in what supplementary tests they require and in how they calculate your final score depending on which test you took. SAT Subject Tests Rarely, at some schools, if you submit ACT with Writing scores, you don’t have to submit SAT Subject Test scores. However, since many top-ranked schools no longer require SAT Subject Test scores, this policy has begun to disappear. At present, no Ivy League schools have this policy in place. That said,Duke is one selective schoolthat does allow applicants to submit an ACT with Writing score in lieu of SAT + two SAT Subject Test scores. For many students, SAT Subject Tests offer the opportunity to exhibit deep knowledge of a topic. Especially for the extremely competitive Ivy League schools, these tests can be a valuable part of your application (assuming you do well on them). Superscoring Superscoring- the process by which your highest component scores among multiple test dates are combined to create a new composite score- is a common practice for SAT scores. Generally speaking, though, admission committees don't superscorethe ACT.(This rule holds among all schools and not just the Ivy League ones.) While schools will still look at your highest ACT scores and some will consider individual section scores, few will combine ACT section scores from multiple test dates into a single superscoredcomposite. Though this policy might seem like a huge disadvantage to the ACT, it doesn't actually make that much of a difference. Policy by School This table breaks down the Ivy League schools' policies on SAT Subject Tests and superscoring. The second column indicates how many SAT Subject Tests the school requires/recommends. The third column explains the school's superscoringpolicy, which can be one of three options: Doesn't superscore at all Superscores the SAT but only looks at yourhighest composite ACT score Superscores the SAT and looks at your highestACT section scores Note that even schools that claim to superscore the ACT usually look at your highest ACT section scores withoutactually combining them to create a composite superscore (as they do with the SAT). School # of SAT Subject Tests Recommended/Required Superscoring Policy Brown 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest ACT section scores but does not calculate superscore Columbia None Superscores SAT and ACT Cornell Varies by program (usually 0 or 2 required) Superscores SAT but not ACT Dartmouth 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score Harvard 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score Princeton 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score UPenn 2 recommended Superscores SAT and ACT Yale Recommended (no # specified) Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score What You Need to Know About the Ivy League and the ACT No matter what you might've heard, Ivy League schools have no preference between the ACT and SAT.You can submit scores from either test or from both of them withoutworrying that your application will be dinged. Ultimately, choosing between the SAT and the ACT comes down to personal preference.There will occasionally be a large difference between how a student scores on the SAT and the ACT(a difference of more than 100 points once the ACT is converted to its SAT equivalent). Most students, however, score similarly on both tests. Nonetheless, the styles of the two tests are different enough that you may find the ACT easier than the SAT, or vice versa. Perhaps you struggle with the ACT's less generous time limits, or maybe you think the SAT's evidencequestionsare particularly confusing. What's Next? Planning on applying to Ivy League schools? Get a handle on what kind of SAT score you really need, and check out this in-depth guide tohow to get into the Ivy League, written by a real Harvard grad! Trying to decide whether to take the SAT or ACT? Read our guide to learnthe 11 key differences between the two teststo help you decide which is better suited to your strengths. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Evidence Against Oswald Essays - Lee Harvey Oswald, Free Essays

Evidence Against Oswald Essays - Lee Harvey Oswald, Free Essays Evidence Against Oswald Evidence Against Oswald Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin or wrongfully accused? Even though many people believe Oswald was not guilty or that he was not the only assassin, important evidence points all fingers directly at Lee Harvey Oswald. There are many key factors involved in the Warren Commissions investigation that helps convict Lee Harvey Oswald. Though there are many skeptics of the Warren Commission Report, any theories supported by such people who believe that Oswald was not guilty are clearly missing all the facts and are overlooking evidence that shows Oswald to be guilty. The primary evidence, as well as secondary and circumstantial evidence make it clear that Lee Harvey Oswald had motive, means and opportunity to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. To understand why Oswald was arrested for the murder of J.F.K., you need to know of Oswalds whereabouts during and after the time of the shooting and why the police knew where to find him. At approximately 1:16 p.m. on November 22, 1963, a Dallas police officer by the name of J.D. Tippit was shot and killed. Oswald was seen on Jefferson Boulevard less than one mile from the shooting of the officer and was seen by Johnny Calvin Brewer, a manager of a shoe store a few blocks from the Texas Theater. Brewer described Oswald as acting suspicious, he stated, When he heard the police sirens, he looked upand turned around and walked up West Jefferson avenue towards the theater after the police car turned around (Warren Commission Report, pg. 177-178). Mr. Brewer followed Oswald to the Texas Theater because of his suspicions after hearing on the radio announcements of Kennedy being shot. When Mr. Brewer reached the theater he noticed that the man he was following (Oswald) had entered the thea ter without paying. Mr. Brewer informed Mrs. Postal, the ticket office sales person, and she then phoned the police. At 1:45 p.m., police officers appeared at the Texas Theater where Brewer pointed out Oswald to them. Officer McDonald then approached Oswald and while attempting to reach for the gun on Oswalds waist, Oswald struck McDonald (Warren Commission Report, pg. 178). McDonald seized the gun from Oswald and Oswald was arrested as a suspect in the murder of J.D. Tippit. This is very important because if not for Oswald entering the theater without paying, he may not have been arrested and then later be singled out in several police lineups. Howard L. Brennan was an eyewitness to the shooting of John F. Kennedy. Brennan testified that he saw a man fire shots from the sixth floor window of the Texas Schoolbook Depository. The window was approximately one hundred and twenty feet away from Brennan, (Warren Commission Report pg.44), putting him in an excellent position to observe anyone in the window. The night of the assassination, Brennan identified Oswald in a police lineup as the man who most clearly fit the description of the person he saw firing shots from the Depository window. With an eyewitness to the murder of J.F.K, the police now had someone under the arrest for the murder of the President. Brennan had testified that it was the sixth floor window from which he had seen Oswald firing shots and it was there that the police recovered a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle. This rifle had the markings including MADE ITALY, CAL.6.5, 1940 and the serial number C2766 (Warren Commission report pg. 81). Joseph D. Nicol, who at the time was the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation for the state of Illinois, and Robert A. Frazier, a special agent of the FBI (Warren Commission Report pg.84), testified to the Warren Commission. They positively stated that the bullet found on the stretcher at Parkland hospital and bullet fragments found with in the presidential limousine were fired from the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle with the serial number C2766 to the exclusion of all other rifles. Now that the gun that killed Kennedy had been identified, the next step was to positively identify the owner of the gun. The FBI learned that the rifle was distributed from Crescent Firearms Inc, which shipped the rifle with the serial number of C2766 to Kleins Sporting Goods Co. The store searched its records and

Lorna Dee Cervantes - Feminist Chicana Voice

Lorna Dee Cervantes - Feminist Chicana Voice article edited with additions by  Jone Johnson Lewis Born: 1954 in San FranciscoKnown For: Chicana poetry, feminism, writing that bridges cultures Lorna Dee Cervantes is recognized as a significant voice in feminist and Chicana poetry. In fact, she has referred to her adoption of the label Chicana as a feminist identification within the Chicano movement.   She is critically acclaimed for writing poetry that bridges cultures and explores gender and various points of view. Background Born in San Francisco and raised in San Jose, California, Lorna Dee Cervantes has Mexican and Chumash heritage on her mothers side and Tarascan Indian heritage on her fathers side. When she was born, her family had been in California for several generations; she has called herself indigenous Californian.   She was raised in her maternal grandmothers home, where she discovered books in homes where her mother worked as a domestic worker. Lorna Dee Cervantes became an activist when she was a teenager. She was involved with the Womens Liberation Movement, NOW, the Farm Workers Movement, and the American Indian Movement (AIM), among other causes. Poetry Debut Lorna Dee Cervantes began writing poetry as a teenager and compiled a collection of her poems at age 15. Although her debut poetry collection, Emplumada, was published in 1981, she was a recognized poet before that publication. She participated in the San Jose poetry scene, and in 1974 she read one of her poems at a theater festival performance in Mexico City, which brought her accolades and attention in Mexico. A Rising Chicana Star It was not unusual to hear Chicano/a poetry performed as spoken word, not just consumed as a written medium. Lorna Dee Cervantes was a prominent voice of the rising generation of Chicana writers during the 1970s. In addition to writing and performing poetry, she founded Mango Publications in 1976. She also published a journal called Mango. The heady days of running a small press from the kitchen table led to further involvement with Chicano writers such as Sandra Cisneros, Alberto Rios, and Jimmy Santiago Baca. Womens Experiences Early in her poetry career, Lorna Dee Cervantes reflected on her mother and grandmother in her writing. She contemplated their place in society as women and as Chicana women. Chicana feminists often wrote of the struggles they faced fitting into white society, paralleled with the struggles of gender in society. Lorna Dee Cervantes described Emplumada as a womans coming-of-age and as a rebellion against the male-dominated Chicano movement. She resented being considered disloyal to Chicano social justice ideals when she pointed out sexism in the movement. Poems such as You Cramp My Style Baby directly confront the sexism in Chicano men and how Chicana women were treated as second class. When her mother was killed brutally after Emplumada had been published, she integrated grief and and a strong sense of injustice in her 1991 work. From the Cables of Genocide: Poems of Love and Hunger. Themes of love, hunger, genocide, grief, interweave with her understandings of culture and women, and with a vision of what affirms life. Other Work Lorna Dee Cervantes attended Cal State San Jose and UC Santa Cruz. She was a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1989-2007 and briefly directed the Creative Writing program there. She received multiple prizes and fellowships, including the Lila Wallace Readers Digest Award, the Pushcart Prize, NEA fellowship grants, and the American Book Award for Emplumada. Other books by Lorna Dee Cervantes include   and Drive: The First Quartet (2005). Her work continues to reflect her ideals of social justice, eco-consciousness, and peace.

Mini-Project Assignment 1 Short Report on Current Information Essay

Mini-Project Assignment 1 Short Report on Current Information Technology - Essay Example Analyzing Italy’s market is imperative and the manner through which this is done is by looking at the P.E.S.T situation of the country alongside the seven P’s of marketing. Italy has been a democratic nation for 46 years now; thus, the political environment is reputable for the marketing of the product. This is from the fact that with the democracy, the government does not inhibit the citizens from purchasing products at will. Moreover, the democracy also allows the United States, the producer of the ipad, to venture into the Italian market easily and consequently have increased sales of the ipad (Fleisher, 2008, 169). The fact that the country has a well laid out judicial system is also important for the marketing of the new ipad. This is from the fact that there is control on the decisions that powerful politicians make. An example is a politician who may talk ill of the ipad and tell people not to purchase it. Such cases are few - the concept of freedom and independe nce is incorporated in the Italian market. One factor that may come as a disadvantage in the marketing of the ipad is with regards to the tax tariffs that the country has. Lately, Italy has set its tariffs very high in an effort to boost its economy. With the increased tariffs, the country will have reduced imports and – consequently – the goods within the country will increase in sales. With this the standards ought to increase and make the economy of the country boost. The issue of tariffs was induced by the executive arm of the government and has been a major hindrance to the sale of products. This factor is bound to affect the marketing of the product in the country (Henry, 2009, 48). Shifting focus to the economic aspect of the country, Italy’s economy is rated eighth largest in the world. This has been effective in ensuring that the circulation of products in the country is well above average. Moreover, this means that most citizens in the country are stab le thus being in a position to market the ipad. This brings down the fears that one may have when introducing the ipad into the Italian market. It is also important to understand the fact that country’s economy is not stagnant but rather on the rise from the various measures taken by the government such as increased taxation (Cohen, 2011, 68). This ensures that the citizens of the country are always up and busy to ensure that they achieve their goals while living a comfortable life. Introduction of the ipad into the market would work great to ensure that these people are always informed on the changing market trends by using the device. This acts as a positive impact on the sale of the ipad, and so there is the need to introduce it into the Italian market. The transport sector is one other factor to consider with regards to the marketing of the ipad in Italy. Italy’s economy has been stable, and ensuring infrastructure development is a key aspect in the country. Italy has well established roads that generate a huge income for the government. The fact that these roads are in great conditions ensures the sale of the ipad is in huge amounts due to accessibility of even the remote areas in the country. This would mean that the incorporation of the ipad into the Italian market would fetch the company a lot of money from many users that would get to know about it. Italy also has rating as one of the wealthiest countries in the world. This

The Image of Chinese and Japan Dragons Term Paper

The Image of Chinese and Japan Dragons - Term Paper Example The extent of the power of this mysterious creature was such that it was considered as the god of rain, thunder, rainbow, and stars. China being an agro-based society, entirely dependent upon the environment and climate for communal wellbeing, it was the dragon that was worshipped so that sufficient food would be provided. For thousands of years, this custom sustained. The dragon was worshipped and more and more deification was bestowed upon it from being the bringer of joy to bringing prophecies and miracles. The dragon was made into an exclusive symbol of imperial majesty by the emperors. They also compared themselves with the dragons. There was a robust punishment for those who used the dragon as a symbol intentionally or unintentionally. This meant that the ruler was being offended hence the punishment for the offender was death (Dragon). A series of changes have transformed the image of a dragon and it is now more mighty and beautiful. Initially, its illustration on primitive br onze ware was portrayed as ferocious and mysterious. However, during the Han Dynasty, it became magnificent and unrestrained. Moreover, the image of the dragon was personalized as gentle, tame and graceful during the reign of Tang. Nevertheless, it was after the Song Dynasty onwards that it was portrayed as more flowery and delicate. These dragons are found in various different colors. They range from yellow to black, blue, white or red. The most revered was the yellow one because of which each emperor wore a gown that was decorated with a yellow patterned dragon. The basics behind these dragons remain the same despite the differences. This is because people are familiar with the combination of the features of animals. The protruding head of a dragon signifies wisdom, however, longevity is shown by the antlers. According to the imperial examination, the ox’s ears denote success. The tiger’s eyes indicate power, bravery is conveyed by the eagle’s claws, flexibili ty is implied by the fish’ tail and diligence is shown by the horse’s teeth.  

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

Performance Measurement and Analysis - Essay Example Coors’s six planks also suggest their closer proximity with it vision statements when they declare that they will continue to improve the quality of their human resource by contiously upgrading their skill levels in order to improve their performance. However there is another gap between the statements where vision statement mentions for bringing in new and innovative change in the industry in order to help them evolve and thrive however the Six Planks do not seems to suggest any effort on the part of the company to initiate any change which can affect the whole industry recipe. A close analysis of the vision statement of the Coors’ Operations and Technology department suggest that they consider their internal business as their own stakeholders with the responsibility to deliver the best and freshest beer while ensuring everything to deliver it in superior packaging at competitive cost. Further the department considers itself an innovative place to deliver quality beer to its drinkers. The department also set learning as one of their vision objectives as each individual within the department seems to be well versed with his work. Further the department also believes in bring in more value to their brands so that they can gain consumer trust. A close analysis of the Supply Chain guiding principles suggests a very closer link with the vision statement of the department and there are very subtle gaps between the two. The only gap which seems to me a major gap is again less emphasis on the social responsibility. The department has probably failed to translate its responsibility to external stakeholders as its guiding principals are silent as to how they are going to effectively play its part in showing responsiveness to its external customers by translating its department which is just not focused on cutting costs and reducing the waste. The gaps in

PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE - CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE - CASE STUDY - Essay Example This strategic plan yielded the desired results and the company turned around its operations in four years to register a profit of  £15 million. The formulation of turnaround plan of the company followed the gamut of strategic planning. It began with the formulation of mission and vision followed by environmental scanning and assessment, setting objectives and formulation of strategies. The company followed the differentiation strategy with customer orientation as its main theme. The implementation was done through a Management Information System with focus on outcomes and performance drivers similar to the Balanced Scorecard. Parcelforce Worldwide is a part of the Royal Mail Group Ltd. Royal Mail Group has three main operating brands; The Post Office Ltd, which provides counter services to the high street customer, Royal Mail, which manages the delivery of letters and packets and Parcelforce Worldwide, which provides express parcel delivery services for businesses and consumers. It has 23 partners across 30 European countries and access to Postal Administrations through the Universal Postal Union. It operates: The Company registered a loss of  £200 million in the year 2001 and then launched a strategic plan hinging on customer oriented strategies. This strategic plan yielded the desired results and the company turned around its operations in four years to register a profit of  £15 million. The strategy that emerged from their turnaround deliberations was differentiation with Customer Service as an important theme. The entire gamut of planning for turnaround began with the statement of vision and mission followed by Environmental Scanning and assessment, formulation of objectives and strategy evolution. The Corporate Vision is a compelling story about the story of the company. It is figurative rather than literal. It should be dramatic, enduring and compelling. The vision should make

Case Analysis.Sustainable Development Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis.Sustainable Development - Case Study Example It also helps in suggesting best business practices on various issues on variety of platforms like government, non government and inter-governmental organizations (WBSCD, 2013c). The main objectives of the association are as follows: To be one of the leading business that advocate on matters like sustainable development To actively participate in policy development and in development of the right kind of framework that helps in making an effective contribution in sustainable human progress To develop and promote the business case for sustainable development To demonstrate the business contributions to the development of sustainable business solutions and sharing the knowledge among the members (WBSCD, 2013d). To contribute towards a sustainable future for developing nations The association helps in bringing the forward thinking companies together that help in reshaping the global business community and in creating a sustainable future for society, business and environment. ... It helps the management of various companies to lay emphasis on the societal and environmental concerns in the business interactions and decisions taken by the stakeholders. CSR is in response to the various kinds of civil society and consumer pressure. The main focus of WBCSD is to ensure that the CSR model has been implemented by various organizations that will help in taking managerial decisions ethically (WBSCD, 2013e). The main focus of the organization is to ensure that the companies are aware about the benefits, applications and awareness of the CSR model. WBCSD ensures that the CSR assists the small and medium enterprises in developing countries in promoting environmental awareness and also achieve their organizational goals. Promotion of CSR concept among small and medium enterprise requires several approaches that complements the business capacity and needs and do not have an adverse impact of the business decisions taken by the management. Various techniques like Triple Bo ttom Line theory and other CSR based programme have proven to be instrumental in meeting social and environmental needs without compromising their competiveness. Company Profile: Saipem Saipem is regarded as one of the largest oil and gas companies in the entire oil and gas industry. It is one of the leading companies in engineering, construction and drilling. The company enjoys a superior position in the offshore and onshore oil industry by completion of successful technological projects. Saipem is regarded as one of the global contractor companies with a strong presence in Middle East, Asia, West Africa, North Africa, FSU and Central Asia. It has a strong presence in the European region and the major part

PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE - CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE - CASE STUDY - Essay Example This strategic plan yielded the desired results and the company turned around its operations in four years to register a profit of  £15 million. The formulation of turnaround plan of the company followed the gamut of strategic planning. It began with the formulation of mission and vision followed by environmental scanning and assessment, setting objectives and formulation of strategies. The company followed the differentiation strategy with customer orientation as its main theme. The implementation was done through a Management Information System with focus on outcomes and performance drivers similar to the Balanced Scorecard. Parcelforce Worldwide is a part of the Royal Mail Group Ltd. Royal Mail Group has three main operating brands; The Post Office Ltd, which provides counter services to the high street customer, Royal Mail, which manages the delivery of letters and packets and Parcelforce Worldwide, which provides express parcel delivery services for businesses and consumers. It has 23 partners across 30 European countries and access to Postal Administrations through the Universal Postal Union. It operates: The Company registered a loss of  £200 million in the year 2001 and then launched a strategic plan hinging on customer oriented strategies. This strategic plan yielded the desired results and the company turned around its operations in four years to register a profit of  £15 million. The strategy that emerged from their turnaround deliberations was differentiation with Customer Service as an important theme. The entire gamut of planning for turnaround began with the statement of vision and mission followed by Environmental Scanning and assessment, formulation of objectives and strategy evolution. The Corporate Vision is a compelling story about the story of the company. It is figurative rather than literal. It should be dramatic, enduring and compelling. The vision should make

Analysis Techniques. This is for my Art of Modeling with Spreedsheet Essay

Analysis Techniques. This is for my Art of Modeling with Spreedsheet Class - Essay Example Among the several techniques we do have, I would recommend action oriented techniques to an employee working on their first major project. This is because it gives the ability to weigh whether the project will be successful or not even before he/she takes up the task. Hierarchical Analysis Technique according to David Embrey (2000) is a systematic method of describing how work is organized in order to meet the overall objective of the job. The planning steps are organized and represented from the first to the last step, in an attempt to establish the order with which they are to be carried out, to produce good results. The strengths and weaknesses of each step in the hierarchy are then determined, to find amicable ways of minimizing or dealing with the challenges before they interfere with the whole process. For one to achieve his goal when working on project, he/she must be careful to the small factors that can end up bringing the whole process into a stand still even at the introductory stages. This technique provides for the ability to assess and therefore work on these shortcomings early. This technique can either presented diagrammatically; this is by drawing a diagram to show the stages of the project from the first to the last or in a tabular format where detailed notes on each step are included. This particular analysis technique is the most advisable since it has more advantages compared to the disadvantages. This analysis technique is economical. The Hierarchical description steps developed to the level only required for purposes of the analysis, and not necessarily the whole plan of the project. This therefore relieves the parties involved of the cost which otherwise could have been incurred in developing the whole process. The second advantage of this technique is that the method is often used in the introductory stages to establish whether a project is

Problems on the KTM Trains and KRT Buses in Malaysia Essay Example for Free

Problems on the KTM Trains and KRT Buses in Malaysia Essay This is our recommendation report on the problems that frequently face by passengers on the KTM Trains and KRT Buses. Our company is experiencing declining number of passengers for the past six months since February. The unit of tickets sold drops dramatically from month to month since February. Investigations had been conducted and the problems are found out and recommended solution should be carried out to avoid the declining numbers of passengers in the coming days. The problems are identified based on our observations as well as the questionnaire’s results from our loyal customers of both of the transportation vehicles. Procedure In order to investigate the reason of this declining in numbers of users on both transportation, we have created a few questions that may be the reason of declining numbers of user on trains and buses. Next, our group is organized into 2 small group which one group consist of three members to distribute the questionnaires and questionnaires are collect back after the individuals have finished the questionnaires. After the questionnaires are collect back, the result are interpreted and analyzed. Then the findings will be present in term of charts and percentages. Moreover, our group members will also experience the services that provided by both of the transports. First and foremost, one of our group members will pretend as an ordinary passenger in order to observe the behaviors and attitudes of the staffs and workers on duty. We will also check on the punctuality of the transportation by matching the standard time and the actual time of the transports depart and arrive at most of the locations. Findings After all our questionnaires are collect back and we have conduct observation on the behaviors and attitudes of the staffs and workers, we would like to present the reason and factor that causes the decline in term of sales unit of both trains and buses First and foremost, the seats inside of the train are old, dirty and dusty. The seats are badly damaged by the vandalism of irresponsible passengers. Through our observation, we could noticed that some of the seat are drawn by some irresponsible passengers and some of the cushions of the seats have been torn off using sharp equipment. Some of the windows are also full with cracks that probably damage that cause by accident or passengers unmoral action. Secondly, the train-stewards and stewardess did not serve each and every passengers on the train. Only the first and second coaches which is classified as first class coaches of the train’s customers are being served. Although services are provided, we found that the services provided by them are bad. The passengers needs are not fulfilled and most of the first class passengers also claimed that they were ignored most of the time. We also witness that one of the workers is very rude towards an old man and vulgar words are scolded by the workers. Thirdly, most of the passengers at the bus terminal claimed that the buses are not punctual and the buses tends to delay most of the time. We also interview some of the passengers at the bus terminal, they said that the buses delay frequently, and the time period that buses delay are within half an hour to more than one hour. We also interview the worker on duty and found out that some of the reason that cause the buses to delay are technical problem on the buses and traffic jam that happened frequently. Some of the passengers also claimed that although they have sent complain letter to the headquarter of buses terminal, but no improvement or action taken by the upper management. Fourthly, as we also get some information from the regular passengers for the bus, they claimed that bus drivers tends to drive recklessly on the road especially during night time. One of the regular customers added that majority of the drivers’ always exceed the speed limit allowed especially on the hill near Malim Nawar. They increase their speed even though the road is narrow and full of dangerous turn. Besides, some of the driver tends to neglect the safety of the passengers on whether the passenger has safely get off the bus before continue driving the bus. Moreover, there are also some regular passengers of trains claiming that foods are sold only on gold class trains. However, most of the passengers of the gold class trains told us that although foods are sold on the trains, the taste of the food is bad and some of it said that the food is sometime too oily, salty and spicy. They also added that the taste of the food is not only bad, the price of the food are also costly and expensive, they also provide us with some true example, which is a packet of Nasi Lemak usually cost around RM1.50 per packets, however the Nasi Lemak on trains are sold around RM5.00 per packets. There are also some other religions passengers saying that it is inconvenient as the train management restrict that passengers are not allowed to bring any non Halal foods or beverages into the trains as some of them wanted to prepare their own meals in order to enjoyed during the trip. There are also platinum class passenger complaining that it is unfair to platinum cla ss passenger as they pay a high price and extra amount are to be paid if they need food on the trains. Next, there are also trains passengers complaining to us that the prices of the trains are costly and expensive. As it is cost around RM16-RM25 for silver class trains, RM30-RM40 for gold class trains and RM37-RM60 for platinum trains. As the prices of the trains are expensive, most of the citizen of Malaysia claim that they unable to afford to buy the trains ticket. We also aware that there is no extra accommodation are provided for the second class passengers, the accommodation only are provided for first class passenger and platinum class passengers. In addition, there are also some bus passengers complaining that the air-conditioner in the bus are often not working and some of them describe that the buses without a well-function air-conditioner are similar as the passengers are locked in an oven. The passengers said that complained has been made however the bus services still disappoint them all the time. Majority of the bus passengers claimed that they are poor and given no choice to take buses to work and to school. Besides, greater part of the passengers also complaining to us that the coaches provided by the trains are very limited. Most of the passengers need to pack into a coaches although it is full in order not to be late for work or school during the peak hours. Most of the old passengers also complained that the teenagers and adults nowadays do not offer seats to them as they are senior citizen. As part of our interview, most of the female individuals also complained that they are sexually harassed when packing in the trains during peak hours. There are also some of the passengers claiming that the passengers does not give ways to some passengers when they reached their destination and causes them to miss their stations and terminal. This caused them to waste a lot of time and also cause them to waste money to buy another train ticket and at the meantime they also need to pay a total of RM50.00 as it is remedy claim by the train management for some passengers who lost their ticket or did not went down from train when they reached their destination. Recommendations Based on the customers’ questionnaires result as well as the observation from our own staff, we strongly agree that the following steps should be implementing in order to improve the numbers of users on our transportations. We need to: a) Renew the seats of the train and try to motivate customers through posters that it is their responsibility as well to keep the seats’ cushion in good conditions. b) Give a better training to the stewards and stewardess so they have a better performance in servicing the customers on the whole train. c) The company should have more strict regulations on the bus drivers. The drivers who are always late to pick up the customers should be punished by reducing their pay. d) The company should offer talks about the road safety and force all the bus drivers to attend them. It is for the benefits of both passenger and driver himself. Conclusion The survey that had been done by our group as well as observations has proven that the problems stated above reduce the number of passenger to take our transportation. The reason is because of bad customer services and safety not assured.

Analysis Of The Movie Fast Five

Analysis Of The Movie Fast Five Fast Five is also known as Fast Furious 5 or Fast Furious 5: Rio Heist which was written by Chris Morgan and directed by Justin Lin. It is the fifth instalment in the Fast and the Furious movie series. It was released in Malaysia on 5th May 2011. The characters in the movie are Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian OConner (Paul Walker), Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), Gisele Harabo (Gal Gadot), Han Lue (Sung Kang), Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky), Monica Fuentes, Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Luke Hobbs (Dwanyne Johnson), Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), Tej Parker (Ludacris), Zizi (Michael Irby), Tego Leo (Tego Calderon), Vince (Matt Schulze) , Rico Santos (Don Omar). Fast five was the fifth highest grossing movie in Malaysia movie industry for the year 2011 that made RM 16,535,815. Basically, this movie was on a budget of $125 million and the shooting of Fast Five had started by July 14, 2010. Basically the main location of shooting was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The reasons we choose this movie is to review the good values that contained in the movie. We watched that movie before and we find it very interesting as the movie involved in situations that relate to our reality life for example, case of bribery and gambling. Furthermore, this movie valued a good relationship between siblings; between brother and sister (Dominic Toretto and Mia Toretto) and among their friends as well. Other than that, most values in this movie are related to this course, organizational behaviour. For example, they are using decision making to make decision. Besides, they applied team work to complete their mission. Each of the team members has their own role to make their mission success. ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE FAST FIVE Main Storyline The story starts when Dominic Toretto is confirmed to be in jail for his previous wrong doings. When he is being transported to Lompoc Maximum Security Prison by bus, his sister Mia Toretto and friend Brian OConner lead an assault on the bus and causing the bas to crash with their cars hence freeing Dom. After the incidence, the authorities search for them and the trio escapes to Rio de Janeiro. In a meanwhile, Mia and Brian look for their friend, Vince on a job to steal three cars from a train. At the Vinces house, Mia found out that she is pregnant Brians child. The next day, Brian and Mia discover that agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are also on the train and that the cars are seized property. When Dom arrives with the rest of the participants, they start to steal the car. The conflict begins when Dominic realizes that one of the participants, Zizi, is only interested in stealing one car, a Ford GT40. Dom quickly made a decision as he orders Mia to drive the car and change their plan. After Mia has driven the car, Dominic and Brian fight with Zizi and Zizis friend. Later, Zizi kills the DEA agents assigned to the vehicles and Dominic take this opportunity to escape and he is succeed; however Dom and Brian are captured and brought to crime lord Hernan Reyes, the owner of the cars and Zizis boss. Reyes orders his men to interrogate them to discove r the location of the car, but they manage to escape and return to their safe house. Dom found out that the car Ford GT40 is very important to Reyes and they try to discover its importance. At the same time, Vince arrives to their safe house and later he is caught trying to remove a computer chip from the car and Dom saw it. Vince said he will sell the chip to Reyes on his own and get things clear with Reyes but Dom forces him to leave. Brian investigates the chip and he discovers that the chip contains details of Reyes criminal empire, including the locations of US$100 million in cash. Next, the murder of the DEA agents aboard the train is been blamed on Dom and his team. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), agent Luke Hobbs Chief of Police and his team arrive in Rio and want to arrest Dom and Brian. With the help of local officer, Elena Neves, they travel to Doms safe house. At the same time, Reyes men also attack them. Brian, Dom and Mia escape successfully. Dom suggests they split up and leave Rio, but Mia announces she is pregnant Brians child. Dom agrees to stick together and suggests they steal Reyes money to start a new life. Later, Dom, Brian and Mia organize a team to perform the heist, recruiting Han Seoul-Oh, Roman Pearce, Tej Parker, Gisele Yashar, Leo and Santos. Vince later joins the team after saving Mia from being captured by Reyes men and earning Doms trust once more. Agent Hobbs and his team eventually find and arrest Dom, Mia, Brian and Vince. While transporting them to the airport for extradition to the United States, the convoy is attacked by Reyes men, who kill Hobbs team. Hobbs and Elena are saved by Dom, Brian, Mia and Vince as they fight back against Reyes men and escape, but Vince is shot in the process and he dies. Wanting to avenge his murdered team, agent Hobbs and Elena agree to help them with the heist. The gang plans how to break into the police station where Reyes money is kept and tear the vault from the building using their cars. On the day planned, they manage to tear the vault and dragging it. As expected, the police pursuit them trough the city. Believing they cannot outrun the police, Dom makes Brian continue without him while he attacks the police and using the vault attached to his car to smash their vehicles. Reyes is dead by the smash of the vault. However, Zizi is still alive and a quick action by Brian, he manages to shoot Zizi. Agent Hobbs arrives on the scene. Agent Hobbs refuses to let Dom and Brian go free but, unwilling to arrest them, agrees to give them a 24-hour head start to escape. The gang splits Reyes money. Some of the amount is given to Vinces family as reward and as compensation of Vinces dead. Lastly, all the members go their separate ways and live with their own life freely. Main Characters Dominic Toretto Vin Diesel Character Dominic Toretto is portrayed by Vin Diesel. He is an elite street racer, auto mechanic, ex-convict and brother to Mia Toretto. Even though he is very rough but he loves his sister and gives her protection. In the movie, he is the leader of the gang which planned to reveal the corruption by Hernen Reyes and also plan how to break into the police station where Reyess corruption money is kept. Brian OConner Paul Walker Brian OConner is played by Paul Walker. Brian OConner leads an assault on the bus and causing the bas to crash with their cars hence freeing Dom. He is the fastest racer and during the heist of the vault, he is helping Dominic to tear the vault from the police station by his car and dragging the vault. He is a brave man. This shows when he bravely shoots Reyess men, Zizi. He is a loving man as well as he loves Mia so much and later at the end of the movie he lives happily with Mia is pregnant his child. Mia Toretto Jordana Brewster She is Dominics sister and Brians love interest. In this movie, she assists Dominics team in the heist by staying back at the base and monitors the traffic for them to avoid the police. Character Mia Toretto is portrayed by Jordana Brewster. Roman Pearce Tyrese Gibson Roman Pearce is portrayed by Tyrese Gibson. He is a childhood friend of Brian OConner. In Fast Five, Roman appears as part of Dominic and Brians in their attempt to steal a vault from a corrupt Brazilian businessman. He is reluctant at first, thinking the mission is personal and not being good business until Dominic utters the vault is full one hundred million dollars in cash which is enough to change his mind. In this movie, he is the most talkative and he went to the police station to send a robot as camera on how to steal the vault. Ludacris Tej Parker He is one of the Dominics team in stealing the vault. He is brilliant as he can solve the security code of the vault. Sung Kang Han Seoul-Oh He is one of the members of Dominics heist team to steal the vault. In Fast Five, he act as a precision driver and a chameleon. Gisele Harabo Gal Gadot. He is also one the members in Dominics heist team. Her role in this movie is she used to seduce the criminal corruptor, Hernan Reyes to get his hands print to open the vault later on. Luke Hobbs Dwayne Johnson He acts as an agent from DSS. His mission is to caught Dominic and his friends because they are suspecting of killing the DEA officer when they steal a luxurys car on the train. Later he realizes that Reyes is a corruptor only then help Dominic and the gang. Elena Neves Elsa Pataky She is helping agent Hobbs to catch Dominic and his friends. Later, she also help Dominics team to steal the vault. Diversity The main characters in this movie are different from one another. The diversity in the characters can be seen in various aspects like genders, age, ethnicity and skill. Two of them are women while the others is men. In the team of Dominic Toretto, consists of two women and the rest is men. Although Mia and Gisela are women, they are welcomed to the group just like the men. They are not underestimating by the group and are given the tasks just like the men. There are also different stages of age. The characters are of the age between 20 to 40 years old. Dominic Toretto is the eldest among all members in the group. The characters also come from different background, race and ethnicity. Furthermore, they come from the various nations around the world for instance, United State of America, London and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In Fast Furious 5, the members are calling back from the place they belong to by Dom and OConner to accomplish a task. In addition, the characters in this movie have their own skill and talent. Dominic Toretto and Brian OConner is a street racer. They are very precision driver, do not crack under pressure and never lose. Han is someone who can blend in anywhere. Roman is a fast talker. He can do anything just according his way. The expert person in circuit goes to Tej. A woman with the expertise in dealing with utilities and weapons is Gisele who also someone who are not afraid to throw down her target. However, they are all same in talent and professionalism in driving. Besides that, Hobbs is acknowledged as the governments version of the best bounty hunter on the planet. Attitudes According the research in Organisation Behaviour, there are three major attitudes which are job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. In the movie, the characters are having job satisfaction as they hold positive feelings about their job. Just like Hobbs, he is very exciting to do the job as he like his job so much. Although all of the case he faced is very challenging, he always committed to do it as he takes the difficulties positively. Job involvement can be seen in all the characters. Dom and friends are involved in the robbery of Reyess money because they feel that they are worth it if they do steal the money. They will get a lot of benefits compared to the degree of consequences that they may face if they are caught. Dom is a good leader which he involve all the members in decision making thus they feel that they are part of the task and team. In organisational commitment, the Doms friends are the good example. They have identified a particular team and its goal, so they decide to remain as a member and willingly to give a full effort to achieve the goal. It is where someone feels like he is belong to the organisation, he tend to stay longer in it. Similarly, Reyess followers also do the same thing. Emotions and Moods This action movie portrayed a lot of emotions and moods. The emotions that can be identified through the characters facial expression are anger, fear, happiness, hate, hope, joy and love. On the other hand, the basic moods consist of high positive affect and high negative effect. The scenes where Vince wants to steal the chip create anger and hate emotion in Dom. He feels very mad as he thinks Vince want to betray him. Fear of the money would be steal by Doms, Reyes try his best to put his box money in the safest place that is Police Station to make sure Doms cannot have it. Love is blossoms in three partners; Dom with Elina, OConner with Mia and Han with Gisela. This movie has a happy ending scene. Therefore, all characters are happy and enjoy their life meaningfully. In high positive effect, all characters are excited and alert to do their job. They are committed to finish the job until the end. The moods for high negative affect is when the situation are getting worst and tense at time the police ambush the place where Dom are hiding just after they has work on their first plan. Dom, Mia, OConner and Vince have been arrested at the moment. vi) Personality Types Four of main characters in this movie are Dominic, Brian OConner, Hernan Reyes and Agent L. Hobbs. Therefore, there is few personality types can be identified in those characters. The first one is Dominic, from MBTI concept, he can be classified as sensing as he prefers order and focus on details. This can be seen on how he made the strategy and choose who he needs to do the job before he started the robbery. Plus, it can be proved on how he collects the data in details. For example, to break into the police station, he made research how the police station looks like and where the vault is stored. Next, according to Big Five Personality Model (BFPM), he scores high on conscientiousness which he is shown as a very responsible, organized, dependable and persistent. As a leader, he leads the job very well and able to assign which person to their ability are. Most of the other members depend on him as the job is too risky, yet he is still able to gain trust from his members. Besides, he has a positive core self-evaluation. He knows he is effective, capable and he believes he can do the job very well despite the risk he is taking which is can be said as an ambitious goal, to rob $100 million from a very powerful man in Rio who is known to have lots of supporters. Moreover, he is willing to take risks and never fear of anything even when most of the members start to withdraw from the job, he is still standing firm with his decision to finish the job started. Second character is Brian OConner. From BFPM, he is considered as high on agreeableness that refers to an individuals propensity to defer to others. He is very cooperative and trusting. In whatever Dominics decision, he will always believe in him as if right-hand man of Dominic. Plus, just like Dom, he is also risk taking person. He grabs any chance to make sure the job done smoothly, he even risks his life to rob the vault and drive it on the street while followed by many police cars behind. Third character is Agent L. Hobbs, based on MBTI, he may fall into thinking person. While investigating of Dominic and the gang, he mostly uses reasons and logic to handle. In that movie, when he wants to know where is Dom, he asked his teammates to rebuild the car again as in logic, why would Dom break the cars as if Dom is searching something from that car and right as he guessed, Dom did take something from the car which is the chip. Besides, he can be classified as Machiavellianism as he said that he will use anything to get what he wants no matter at what costs. He is so determined to find Dom and asks his colleagues to search for any clues until he found Dom. Next, last character is Hernan Reyes. Based on BFPM, he scores low in emotional stability that he tends to be nervous, anxious, depressed and insecure. It can be proved when he asks his people to move all his money to be stored at one place after one of his ten houses has been robbed by Dom and the gang. Followed by emotions, he didnt think it carefully as what he did is already expected by Dom except the part that Reyes stores the money at police station. He is also can be categorized as Machiavellianism. In order to be very rich and has a lot of wealth, he will use any mean to meet the end. He will kill those who on his way and he even do illegal business such as drugs. Plus, in order to use the locals helps, he pretends to help them by giving what the local wants but then, he asks them to do many illegal works or threat to take back the facilities given. vii) Perceptual Biases Based on the movie, there are three biases that can be identified. The first one is overconfidence bias, it can be explained as someone who is too confident based on past success and believe that nothing will go wrong in their ways. From the movie, Dominic can be seen as someone who has the bias as he truly believes that everything is planned correctly and no problems will appear. Yet, when he started to do the job, before he could make it, Agent Hobbs come to his place and they start to fight. Though he already put the tracker on Agent L. Hobbs car, he didnt give a thought that what if Agent Hobbs realises there is a tracker on his car. So, thats when the only mistake occurs. Next bias identified is availability bias which has been done by Hernan Reyes. He thought that if he moves all the money to police station, the money will be secured because as people said, the last place criminals would be willing to go is police station. Therefore, based on that thought, he made that decision without thinking further that Dominic and the gang may be very determined which they are willing to take the risk to break into police station. The last bias is risk aversion. After being robbed at one of his cash houses and being told that he will come for more, Reyes without considering more, he decides to store all the money at the safest place he can think about which is at police station. This is because he does not want to take the risk to just let the money be without realizing his action is expected by Dominic. viii) Decision Making Process There are many decisions made in this movie. The first one is when Dom and Brian discussed and decides to rob Hernan Reyes. This is a big decision because this is a big job, to Rob the most powerful guy in Rio, Brazil. The decision is taken after they realize they have been chased by polices and they are in top list of wanted people. Therefore, for them to get out of that life and start a new one, they decide to do one last job but a very big one. Considering all the complexities to make the job done, they started to gather a team and call all the capable people from around the world. With a team of 9 people, each of them has expertise in own area. Dom is using rational model as he gathers a great deal of information about all the options and abilities they have. After identifying them, he started to get cars, mock-up the routes to the vault stored in police station. The second decision is made by Agent L. Hobbs when he decides to help the gang to get back at Hernan Reyes as he has killed many of his men. So, he wants to get revenge for that. But he should be thinking carefully about that as his main objective is to catch Dominic yet later he is on Dominics side. Plus, as a cop, to help criminal is against his oath. Therefore, the decision made can be classified as intuitive decision-making which is an unconscious process created out of distilled experience. To see his men died in front of his eyes, he may be unconsciously made that decision and it made that the decision is not rational. ix) Motivational Theories Motivation refers to the process by which a persons efforts are energized, directed, and sustained toward attaining goal. There are three elements on this definition which are energy, direction, and persistence. Among the motivational theories that were applied in this movie is reinforcement theory which says that the behaviour is a function of its consequences. The consequences that immediately follow behaviour and increase the probability that the behaviour will be repeated are called as reinforces. In Fast Five, it shows when Elena works as a translator in police station in Rio, Luke Hobbs chooses her as translator since she is one of the few incorruptible cops in Rio. In addition, she is motivated by the death of her beloved husband in previous movie, who was also a policeman before he was killed on her doorstep. Thus, the fact that the death of her husband is actually becomes a positive reinforcer for her to work as policeman in Rio. x) Teamwork There was a teamwork applied in this movie and I think the teamwork applied was an effective team. Teamwork is a group whose individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs which able to generate positive synergy through coordinated effort. The effectiveness of the team can be seen through Team Effectiveness Model. It encompasses three elements which are context, team composition and team processes. The first contextual factor related to Fast Five is a climate of trust. Members of effective teams should trust each other. They also must exhibit trust in their leaders. Dominic Toretto who is a leader receives high degree of trust from his members including Brian OConner, Roman Pearce and other members. Interpersonal trust among team members facilitates cooperation and reduces the need to monitor each others behaviour. When team members believe they can trust each others in any kind of situation, they are more likely to take risks and expose vulnerabilities. For instance, there is a scene in Fast Five when Brian OConner needs to jump off from the train towards the car driven by Dominic Toretto in order to avoid bridge from being crashed. This kind of crisis does need a high degree of trust from Brian OConner to Dominic Toretto as it is quite risky. If there is less or no trust between each other, the possibility of Brian OConner to die is very high. Thus, the teamwork is less effec tive. The second contextual factor related to Fast Five is leadership and structure. If the team members cannot agree on who is to do what and ensure all members share the workload, team is dysfunctional. For instance, Domino Toretto has assigned specifics of work to each member and fits them all together to integrate individual skills required by leadership and structure. Since each of the members has variety of skills and capabilities to make the work done, Dominic Toretto plays a vital role to delegate responsibility to them, and plays a role as facilitator as well. This complies with multiteam systems which mean different teams need to coordinate their efforts to produce a desired outcome. The desired outcome in the movie is destroying the corruption made by a politician named Hermen Reyes. The first variable in team composition related to Fast Five is abilities of members. In this movie, each of the members has different abilities, knowledge and skills to perform their respective tasks. For example, Roman Pearce is a fast talker. In fact, he has skills to divert people when talking from revealing the real intention. It can be seen in the movie when he enters the police station to put the evidence box which is actually a controlled car. He is successful to divert the policeman to put the evidence box in the vault. The second variable in team composition related in Fast Five is diversity of members. The diversity is actually should be a good thing. It should benefit from differing perspectives. In Fast 5, there is team diversity which affects the team performance to make job done. The team shares a different demographic attribute such as sex, race and age. For instance, Han Seoul-Oh is a Korean guy comes all the way from Korea to join team with Dominic Toretto in Brazil which shows different race with other members. Proper leadership can improve the performance of diverse teams. Dominic Toretto provides an inspirational common goal for members with varying types of skills and knowledge making team more creative and able to achieve desired goal. The first process variable related to Fast Five is common plan and purpose. Effective teams begin by analyzing the teams mission, developing goals to achieve that mission, and creating strategies for achieving the goals. Dominic Toretto, Brian OConner and Mia Toretto have initially analyzing the plan and purpose of the mission before gathering the team members. They even create strategies so that the others members ready to understand the common plan and purpose as well as ready to take risk. They put a tremendous amount of time and effort to discuss, shape and agree on a purpose that belongs to them collectively and individually. The second process variable related to Fast Five is specific goals. The teamwork in this movie can be said as effective as the team is able to translate its common purpose into specific, measureable, and realistic performance goals. The goal of the team delegated by Dominic Toretto is to eliminate the corruption made by a politician named Hermen Reyes and reveal the hidden and illegal activity of distribution of drugs made by him. The goal is quite challenging as the team has to face the politician who has a strong position in the country. xi) Leadership Style Leadership can be defined as an ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals. The leaders that can be found in this movie are Dominic Toretto and Luke Hobbs. Dominic Toretto is a professional criminal and a leader of the team with Brian OConner, Mia Toretto and other members. He uses a transformational leadership style. In organizational term, transformational leaders inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests and who are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on their followers. Dominic Toretto uses this kind of leadership style as he pays attention to the concern and needs of his team members, change members awareness of problems by helping them look at old problems in new ways, and inspire team members to put out extra effort to achieve their goals. On top of that, this kind of leadership style is more effective compared to others and also it encourages other team members to follow them by being creative. Besides, Luke Hobbs can be considered as a leader among the cops. He leads other policemen to catch the most wanted professional criminals like Dominic Toretto and Brian OConner. It can be seen that he brings out a character of charismatic leadership style in the movie. In the point of organizational term, charismatic leadership theory can defined as followers make attributions of heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviours. Among the key characteristics of a charismatic leader are vision and articulation, personal risk, and unconventional behaviour. xii) Power and Influential Tactics Power or influential tactics that could be identified from this movie is that consultation. It happens when Dominic is giving an idea to his friends and how they are going to do it together in order to make the plan successful. All of them will have their own part in order to accomplish the job that they already to do it at the first stage. They all are given task based on their expertise such as good in circuit, fast talker, an expert driver and many more. Dominic get all of his teammates support by encouraging them that they are going to get US$ 100 million if the plan successful and every each one of them will get same amount from US$ 1oo million. This can be classified as exchange influential tactics, means rewarding the target with benefits or favors in exchange for following a request. Another one of power or influential tactics that applied in this movie is pressure. Hernen Reyes uses this tactics so that his worker will listen and obey to him. He likes to use harsh way in order to get what he wanted, thus make his follower afraid of him because he has power and money. He also will kill anybody that is not finishing what he asked for and when the task is not accomplished so that it will be a lesson to his follower. xiii) Conflicts Yes. The conflicts begin when one of the members, Roman Pearce does not want to get involved in the plan because he said it was a business but actually it was a plan to rob one of the richest men in the country that conduct a drug business but never get caught. The conflict resolution techniques that Dominic, Brian and Mia apply based on the movie is problem solving and also superordinate goals techniques. First, they invite and gather all of their friends that they feel reliable and suitable for the task and then face-to-face meeting of the conflicting parties for the purpose of identifying the problem and resolving it through open discussion. Next, after knew that the goal is to rob US$ 100 million in cash, the superordinate goals conflict resolution techniques take place when they are creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the cooperation of each of the conflicting parties. It shows that everything can be done through negotiate if we do have skills about it. xiv) Organizational Change and Stress Management Yes. Dominic and the gang try to reveal the corruption by Hernen Reyes and they try to make changes in Rio. They also want to get a freedom for themselves. The tactics that they are used is to steal the vault from the corruptor Hernen Reyes placed at the police station. Even though the mission is totally wrong and against the principle of Islamic practice but they are still doing it to gain self satisfaction. The opposing party do not making any tactics as they do not expect Dominics team will steal his vault as the vault is placed in the police station. So the possibility for them to steal is very low. At the end, when the team is successfully steal the vault, Reyes and his men are chasing them as they expect they will get the vault back. At first, the team is giving up continuing their mission because they see their chances to success is very low but because of the external factor which they will get a big amount of money so they are courage to finish off their mission. The well-planned strategy makes them success in the end and the victory is by their side (Dominics team). LESSON LEARNT FROM THE MOVIE FAST FIVE Teamwork Based on the movie Fast Five, the gang was cooperating to achieve their objective which is to steal the corrupted money from the Hernen Reyes, the criminal empire, of US$100 million in cash. The gang breaks into the police station where Reyes money is kept and tears the vault from the building using their cars. They assigned each of one to do certain job. For example, Brian and Dom are assigned to tear the vault from the building and Mia is assigned to observe the traffic during the vault is being dragging along the stress to avoid police and Hernan Reyess team. Friendship In terms of friendship, there is a quote tells that, no matter how crazy things get among friends, they should stick together till the end of the time. In Fast Five, although there are a number of situations and things attack Dominic Toretto and Brian OConner, they still stick together in whatever kind of situations. In fact, it is because both of them stay side by side that they able to pull off such a big heist involved by a politicia