Movie Juxtaposition Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Juxtaposition - Movie Review Example The director of the film employed juxtaposing to emphasis on some themes that are presented in the film. For instance, we are aware that the colonizers interest in the island is due to their search for treasure such as gold. However, the film does present an unusual treasure in the form of a beautiful land and the people who we know as savage turn out to be social beings (Buescher and Ono 128). The ensuing theme of romance is captured well with a princess in the picture, and although Smith may not be a prince, he is a handsome guy fit to be a prince in the eyes of Pocahontas (133). Pocahontas, the protagonist in the movie, is a beautiful princess who is to be wedded off to a man she does not love. Already the movie presents the idea of a damsel in distress hoping for a rescue from a knight. The victory of love is supported by the possibility of a romance growing between the Smith a foreigner and Pocahontas. In winning the heart of Pocahontas, we have a contrasting image of the usual malevolent colonialism presented by john smith. According to Buescher and Ono, the colonial image presented by Smith is of a benevolent nature illustrated in the film through his accommodation feminism, environmentalism and multiculturalism. This nature of Smith juxtaposed with the nature of Governor Ratcliffe makes Smith a prince charming (135). Pocahontas represents a woman who dreams of an exciting life other than the provincial life. This representation of Pocahontas is juxtaposed with Smiths heroic figure; his colonizing experience makes him the perfect rescuer for Pocahontas. The director of the movie juxtaposes nature and Pocahontas in emphasising on the relationship between nature and women. However, we are aware of the beliefs the Indians have on powers present in nature. In this case, Pocahontas utilised the power of the wind eagle and other natural spirits to save smith from

Die fusion von hewlett-packard

Die fusion von hewlett-packard 1. Einleitung „Aus zwei Verlierern wird kein Gewinner, diese auf die Fusion von Hewlett-Packard und Compaq bezogene Aussage stammt von Bob Djurdjevic. (Schießel, 2001) Ist das wirklich wahr? Mà ¼ssen vermeintliche Verlierer auch immer solche bleiben? Resultiert daraus, dass aus zwei Gewinnern immer ein neuer wird? Fast tà ¤glich berichten die Medien à ¼ber Unternehmenszusammenschlà ¼sse, immer wieder ist die Rede von „Mergers and Acquisitions und jedes hat seine eigene Meinung darà ¼ber, ob die einzelnen Transaktionen erfolgreich waren oder nicht. Es muss sich niemand die Meinung eines Anderen aneignen, wenn er die Mittel dafà ¼r hat, sich seine eigene bilden zu kà ¶nnen. In unserer Seminararbeit geht es um Erfolgsfaktoren von „Mergers and Acquisitions. Wir mà ¶chten nicht nur die Erfolgsfaktoren vorstellen, sondern dem Leser ein Werkzeug in die Hand geben. Mit diesem Hilfsmittel sollte er in der Lage sein Unternehmenszusammenschlà ¼sse von einer neuen Perspektive, nà ¤mlich die des Kritikers, zu betrachten. Es wird ihm eine Checkliste als Grundschema vorgegeben, anhand dessen er seine persà ¶nliche Einstufung eines Zusammenschlusses in Erfolg bzw. Misserfolg vornehmen kann. Zum Schluss unserer Seminararbeit wenden wir unsere aus der Theorie abgeleitete Liste auf das Fallbeispiel Hewlett-Packard und Compaq an. Daher werden wir soweit es unsere Literatur erlaubt insbesondere auf „Mergers and Acquisitions in der IT-Branche eingehen. Eine detaillierte Erarbeitung von finanziellen Aspekten insbesondere Aktienkursen werden wir vernachlà ¤ssigen, weil wir davon ausgehen, dass diese Informationen fà ¼r jeden Interessenten leicht auffindbar sind. Auch das Thema der Unternehmenskultur wird nur erwà ¤hnt, aber nicht bearbeitet, da dieses Thema den Rahmen unserer Arbeit sprengen wà ¼rde. Jeder Leser unserer Seminararbeit soll im Nachhinein sein eigenes Werkzeug, d.h. seine eigene Checkliste zur Beurteilung von Unternehmenszusammenschlà ¼ssen erstellen und auch anwenden kà ¶nnen. Denn wir sind der Meinung dass Erfolg keine objektive sondern subjektive Einschà ¤tzung ist. Die Arbeit ist in die Kapitel Begriffliche Grundlagen, Motive fà ¼r Merger Acquisitions Transaktionen, Wandel der IT-Branche, Die drei Phasen der Fusionen, Kritische Erfolgsfaktoren von Mergers Acqusitions, Praxisbeispiel: Fusion von HP und Compaq sowie einem Fazit untergliedert. Im Kapitel Begriffliche Grundlagen werden die fà ¼r diese Arbeit notwendigen Begriffe definiert. Das Kapitel Motive fà ¼r Merger Acquisitions Transaktionen zeigt aus der Literatur, welche Motivationen Unternehmen haben eine Fusion oder Unternehmensà ¼bernahme zu tà ¤tigen. Im Kapitel Wandel der IT-Branche wird gezeigt wie sich der relevante Markt im laufe der Zeit verà ¤ndert. Im Kapitel Die drei Phasen der Fusionen wird detailliert der Ablauf einer Fusion aufgezeigt. Das Kapitel Kritische Erfolgsfaktoren von Mergers Acqusitions arbeitet aus der Literatur Erfolgsfaktoren heraus welche man bei einer Fusion wahrnehmen kann und arbeitet diese fà ¼r den IT-Markt aus. Im Praxisbeispiel Kapitel wird d ie herausgearbeitete Theorie an einem Vorgestellten Beispiel erprobt. Im Fazit wird der Wert und die Aussagekraft der Erfolgsfaktoren kritisch gewà ¼rdigt. 2. Begriffliche Grundlagen Das Kapitel Begriffliche Grundlagen ist der Grundstein der Arbeit. Es werden die Begriffe Mergers and Acquisitions und Erfolgsfaktoren definiert. Eine Eingrenzung und Definition der IT-Branche, wie sie in dieser Arbeit verwendet wird, erfolgt im dritten Unterpunkt. Alle nachfolgen Kapitel verwenden diese Begrifflichkeiten. 2.1 Mergers and Acquisitions Externe Wachstumsstrategien durch Unternehmenszusammenfà ¼hrungen in Form von Fusionen oder Erwerbe bieten Unternehmen eine Alternative zum internen Wachstum, die durch Aktivierung eigener Potenziale realisiert werden kà ¶nnten.[1] (Bea Haas, 2001: 171ff) Das fà ¼r Fusionen und Erwerbe stehende englische Begriffspaar Mergers and Acquisitions (MA) gehà ¶rt mittlerweile zum deutschen Sprachgebrauch (Picot, 2000: 15), wobei Merger auch als „Verschmelzung, „Vereinigung oder als „Zusammenschluss von Unternehmen à ¼bersetzt werden kann (Macharzina, 2003: 636). Acquistitions steht fà ¼r den „() Kauf ganzer Unternehmen bzw. einzelner Unternehmensteile oder strategischer Anteilspakete () (Mà ¼ller-Stewens, Spickers Deiss, 1999: 1). In einigen Bà ¼chern werden die beiden Wachstumsarten „Merger und „Acquisition nicht differenziert, sondern syonym verwendet (Schrà ¶der, 2007: 2). Falls doch eine Unterscheidung erfolgen soll, so kann diese durch die Bindungsintensità ¤t durch die Analyse rechtlicher und wirtschaftlicher Selbststà ¤ndigkeit vor und nach des Zusammenschlusses ausgearbeitet werden (Lucks Meckel, 2002: 23). „Nach der Richtung der Diversifikation kà ¶nnen horizontale, vertikale und konglomerate Zusammenschlà ¼sse unterschieden werden (Bà ¼hner, 1985: 28) Tà ¤tigen zwei Unternehmen der selben Branche eine MA so spricht man von einem horizontalen Zusammenschluss. Wenn die Unternehmen an einer Produktionskette liegen, so spricht von einem vertikalen Zusammenschluss. Um einen konglomeraten MA handelt es sich, wenn die Unternehmen weder auf Produkt- noch auf Marktebene Gemeinsamkeiten aufweisen.[2] (Bà ¼hner, 1990: 5f) Wir werden in unserer Arbeit die Begriffe „Merger und „Acquisition synonym verwenden. 2.2 Erfolgsfaktoren Nach (Daschmann, 1994: 1) versteht man unter Erfolgsfaktoren alle in einem Unternehmen vorkommenden Determinanten, Maßnahmen und Aktività ¤ten, die den zukà ¼nftigen Erfolg positiv beeinflussen kà ¶nnen. Um seine Wettbewerbsfà ¤higkeit zu erhà ¶hen muss ein Unternehmen seine Erfolgsfaktoren, d.h. seine eigenen Stà ¤rken und Mà ¶glichkeiten kennen und sie bei seinen strategischen Entscheidungen heranziehen. Auch seine Investition sollten gezielt in deren Richtung gelenkt werden um seinen wirtschaftlichen Erfolg verbessern zu kà ¶nnen. (Mandorf, 2008) Der Unternehmenserfolg hà ¤ngt zum grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ten Teil von sog. kritischen Erfolgsfaktoren ab, wà ¤hrend die meisten anderen Faktoren diesen untergeordnet sind. (Hoffmann, 1986: 832) 2.3 IT-Branche Bei der Definiton der IT-Branche treten methodische Probleme auf, denn es handelt sich um einen à ¼ber mehrere klassische Branchen verteilten Sektor. Selbst die offizielle Wirtschaftsstatistik weist keine allgemein gà ¼ltige Begriffsbestimmung auf, sondern zà ¤hlt einzelne IT-relevante Wirtschaftsbereiche zusammen. (Langenstein, 2006: 14f) Somit ist der IT-Sektor nur durch die Angabe der betroffenen Wirtschaftszweige definierbar. (Menez, Munder, , Tà ¶psch, 2001) In unserer Arbeit stellen wir nur eine Mà ¶glichkeit zur Abgrenzung des IT-Sektors vor: Nach dem Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) umfasst der IT-Sektor die folgenden allgemeinen drei Bereiche: Softwaretechnologie und Softwaredienstleistung, diese umfasst unter anderem Unternehmen, die Softwareentwicklung in verschiedenen Bereichen wie z.B. dem Internet und Datenbanken anbieten. Auch Beratungs- und Dienstleistungsunternehmen der Informationstechnologie gehà ¶ren in diese Kategorie. Hardware und Ausrà ¼stung, in diesen Bereich fallen die Hersteller und Vertreiber von elektornischen Gerà ¤ten und den zugehà ¶rigen Intsrumenten. Halbleiter und Halbleiterausrà ¼stungs Hersteller 3. Motive fà ¼r Merger Acquisitions Transaktionen Nachdem die begrifflichen Grundlagen im 2.Kapitel geschafft wurden sind, stellen wir nun die Antriebskrà ¤fte, die das Handeln der Unternehmen auf die Akquisitionsziele ausrichten, vor. (Bamberger, 1994: 59) In diesem Kapitel werden die wichtigsten und hà ¤ufigsten Motive fà ¼r MA dargestellt. Achleitner (2002) unterscheidet die Fusionsmotive in wertmaximierende Motive, die generell durch Ertrags- und Kostensynergien ergeben ist, und die nicht wertmaximierende Motive. (Kirchhoff, 2009: 20). Dem zu Folge kategorisiert der (Achleitner, 2002) die Fusionsmotive in Strategische, finanzielle und persà ¶nliche Motive. 3.1 Strategische Motive In diesem Unterpunkt werden die strategischen Motive von Unternehmen in die Punkte Synergieeffekte, Ausnutzung von Marktmacht und Markterweiterung unterteilt und dargestellt. Alle drei Punkt sind von gleicher Bedeutung. 3.1.1 Synergieeffekte Ein wichtiges Motiv fà ¼r MA stellt die Realisierung von Synergieeffekten dar. Es werden die bereits vorhandenen Ressourcen beider oder mehrer Kooperationsunternehmen gebà ¼ndelt. Damit wird auf verschiedenste Art und Weise das Ziel verfolgt, die Effizienz in Unternehmen zu erhà ¶hen und Kosten einzusparen. Aufgrund von Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸envorteilen ( Economie of scale ) kà ¶nnen produktionswirtschaftliche Synergieeffekte erzielt werden. Dabei sinken die Stà ¼ckkosten durch die Massenproduktion. Dies fà ¼hrt teilweise dazu, dass Rationalisierungsgewinne durch Personalabbau, erzielt werden. (Budzinski Kerber 2003: 42; Park 2004: 51f). Weiterhin treten aufgrund von Verbundvorteilen ( Economies of scope ) operationale Synergieeffekte auf. D.h. die Leistung, die jedes Unternehmen unabhà ¤ngig von einander erbracht hat, wird zusammengefasst. Auf dieser Weise kà ¶nnen hà ¶here Skalenertrà ¤ge erzielt werden. In vielen Branchen mit hohen Investitionskosten ist es von zentraler Bedeutung Forschungs- und Entwicklungs-Synergieeffekte zu erzielen, damit durch Unternehmenszusammenschà ¼sse sowohl die Kosten, als auch das Risiko gestreut werden kann (Budzinski Kerber 2003: 44; Park 2004: 52). Ist die Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸e eines Unternehmens gestiegen, so kann man von den finanzwirtschaftlichen Synergieeffekten profitieren, da das Unternehmen fà ¼r die potentiellen Anleger attraktiver erscheint. Dies erleichtert die Aufnahme in Bà ¶rsenindices und somit den Anstieg der Kreditlinie bei Banken (Kleinert Klodt, 2002: 43). 3.1.2 Ausnutzung von Marktmacht Bei einem Zusammenschließen erhoffen sich die Unternehmen zum einen Wettbewerber aus dem Markt genommen zu haben und zum anderen den Marktanteil des à ¼berlebenden Unternehmens zu steigern. Die dadurch gestiegene Marktmacht der Unternehmen ermà ¶glicht ihnen eine flexiblere Preisgestaltung gegenà ¼ber Kunden sowie Lieferanten. Somit kann die Marktmacht zu einem erheblichen Wettbewerbsvorteil auf dem Markt beitragen. Die Unternehmen kà ¶nnen durch MA Eintrittsbarrieren fà ¼r die zukà ¼nftigen Konkurrenten aufbauen. Durch den Nichteintritt weiterer Konkurrenten sichern sie sich eine stabilere Preismacht auf dem Markt. (Klopfer, 2008: 44) 3.1.3 Markterweiterung Ein weiteres klassisches Ziel der strategischen Unternehmensakquisition ist das Streben nach dem Marktwachstum. Damit verfolgen Unternehmen in erster Linie das Ziel der Umsatzsteigerung und der Stabilisierung ihrer Ertrà ¤ge. Die Umsatzsteigerung resultiert aus dem Eintritt in neue attraktive Mà ¤rkte und aus der Erhà ¶hung der Wertschà ¶pfungspotenziale. Bei der geographischen Expansion wird zwischen den grenzà ¼berschreitenden, so genannten „Cross- Border- Zusammenschlà ¼ssen und den nationalen MA differenziert. (Jansen Kà ¶rner, 2000: 18) (Jansen, 2000b: 388) Es ist beobachtbar, dass in den vergangenen Jahren die grenzà ¼berschreitenden Zusammenschlà ¼sse mehr an Bedeutung gewonnen haben. Die Unternehmen kà ¶nnen sich dadurch den langwierigen und risikoreichen Eigenaufbau in einem fremden Land ersparen. (Amihud Lev , 2002: 21). Allerdings sind dabei die kulturellen oder sprachlichen Unterschiede nicht zu unterschà ¤tzen. In diesem Zusammenhang bestà ¤tigt auch Wolfgang Wagner, Senior Partner und CEO der PricewaterhouseCoopers Eurofirms ( PWC ) die Relevanz dieses Motivs mit der Aussage: CEOs kleiner und großer Unternehmen aus der ganzen Welt sehen zunehmend Wachstumsmà ¶glichkeiten fà ¼r ihre Unternehmen. Sie nutzen die Globalisierung nicht mehr primà ¤r zum Outsourcing oder der Produktionsverlagerung in Niedriglohnlà ¤nder, sondern um neue Produkte, neue Absatzmà ¤rkte und neue Kunden zu finden (presseportal.de, 2009) 3.2 Persà ¶nliche Motive Als treibende Kraft fà ¼r Fusionen wird hà ¤ufig das Management genannt. Unterstellt man einen perfekten Kapitalmarkt, so ist nach Manne (1965) der Kapitalwert einer Unternehmung direkt von der Leistung des Managementteams der Unternehmung abhà ¤ngig. Er folgert, dass eine schlechter bewertete Unternehmung von einem ineffizienten Managementteam geleitet wird und bei einer à ¼bernahme von einem effizienteren Managementteam abgelà ¶st wird. Dieses kann durch einen besseren Fà ¼hrungsstil die Effizienzpotentiale als Gewinn realisieren. Bei einem intensiven Unternehmenskontrollen Wettbewerb der Managementteams wà ¤ren keine Freirà ¤ume fà ¼r deren eigenen Ziele oder Interessen vorhanden. Nach dieser Theorie sind die Interessen der Eigentà ¼mer und des Managementteams kongruent. Da die Prà ¤missen in der Globalisierten Welt von Heute nicht zutreffen und es keinen perfekten Kapitalmarkt gibt, entstehen Freirà ¤ume fà ¼r das Managementteam um seine von den Eigentà ¼mern abweichenden Ziele zu verfolgen. Es entsteht nach Bà ¼hner (1990, 19) eine Pricipal- Agenten Situation zwischen Eigentà ¼mer und Management. Das Hauptziel der Eigentà ¼mer ist eine Gewinnmaximierung. Das Hauptziel des Managements kann hiervon abweichen. Es kann nach persà ¶nlichen Motiven handeln, um sein eigenes Einkommen zu maximieren. Die Gehà ¤lter hà ¤ngen von vielen Faktoren ab wie z.B. der Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸e der Unternehmung, der Umsatzhà ¶he, der Mitarbeiterzahlen oder der Aktienkurse. Diese Faktoren kà ¶nnen vermeintlich durch eine Fusion oder à ¼bernahme herbeigefà ¼hrt werden. Das eigene Prestige und der Bekanntheitsgrad sind Eigenschaften des Managementteams, welche durch eine Fusion gesteigert werden kà ¶nnen und sich auf das eigene Einkommen in der Zukunft positiv auswirken kà ¶nnen, aber nicht der Gewinnmaximierung der Unternehmung dienen. Es besteht nun das Risiko von „unprofitablen Fusionen oder à ¼bernahmen von Managementteams, falls diese nicht von den Eigentà ¼mern kontrolliert werden. Eine Kontrolle von den Eigentà ¼mern kann durch ein Anreizsystem geschehen. Nach Faulli-Oller und Motta (1996) mà ¼ssen mit dem Managementteam Vertrà ¤ge geschlossen werden, die einen Anreiz fà ¼r die Entlohnung geben. Sie schlagen eine à ¼bernahmesteuer vor, diese wà ¼rde dem Management von dem Gehalt abgezogen werden. Die Entscheidung fà ¼r eine à ¼bernahme soll aber bei dem Managementteam bleiben, da diese sich mit dem Tagesgeschà ¤ft beschà ¤ftigen und sich besser mit der Materie auskennen. Fusionen dienen auch dem Management als Schutz vor der eigenen à ¼bernahme. Je grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸er ein Unternehmen ist, umso schwerer ist es sie zu à ¼bernehmen. Als Folge dieser Tatsache entsteht fà ¼r das Management ein Arbeitsplatz und dieser ist einer geringeren Bedrohung von Außen ausgesetzt. Als Zusammenfassung kann man bestà ¤tigen, dass es ein heterogenes Feld zwischen den Eigentà ¼mern und dem Management gibt. Neben den strategischen Motiven geben die Management Motive eine Erklà ¤rung dafà ¼r, warum es so viele und auch unprofitable Fusionen gibt. Das gelingen einer Fusion hà ¤ngt somit zum Teil auch von dem Management und dessen Interessen ab. 3.3 Branchenspezifische Motivationen In der Literatur lassen sich spezifische Motivationen feststellen, die insbesondere fà ¼r die IT-Branche gelten. Nach Fox (2002) ist die Motivation von Technologie Erwerb durch MAs in der IT-Branche sehr hoch. Das fà ¼hrt er auf den Wandel in der IT-Branche und dem damit entstehenden Druck sich Sektoren à ¼bergreifend zu positionieren und zu einem Anbieter von Produkten aller Sektoren zu werden. Die schnellste Là ¶sung eine Technologie zugà ¤nglich zu machen, ist der Zusammenschluss mit einem Unternehmen, welches diese Technologie besitzt. Wenn ein sektorenà ¼bergreifendes Angebot von Produkten geboten wird, haben die Unternehmen den Vorteil, dass sie sich nicht auf ein Segment fixieren und von den Wachstumsschwankungen abhà ¤ngig sind. Insbesondere ist dieses bei dem PC-Sektor so. Dieser Sektor ist sehr von der Performance der anderen Mà ¤rkte abhà ¤ngig und neigt zu starken Schwankungen. Die Motivation sich horizontal zu erweitern hà ¤ngt stark von dem Wandel in der IT-Br anche ab. Denn die Unternehmen mà ¼ssen sich den Nachfragen an diesem Markt anpassen. (Westerwelle, 2003: 41ff) 4. Wandel der IT-Branche In den Kapiteln vorhergehenden Kapiteln wurden die Begriffe dieser Arbeit definiert und die mà ¶glichen Motivationen fà ¼r MA insbesondere des IT-Sektors vorgestellt. Wir bleiben in diesem Kapitel in der IT-Branche und erlà ¤utern die anhaltenden Verà ¤nderungen der Branche. „Die IT-Branche ist im Fusionsfieber. Unternehmen versuchen, ihre Konkurrenten durch Expansion zu à ¼berrunden und sich neue Geschà ¤fte zu erschließen. Immer mehr Firmen setzten auf Dienstleistungen. (Berger, 2009) In Anlehnung von Westerwelle (2003: 37ff) kann man den Wandel wie folgt skizzieren. Mit dem Erfolg von Dell, welcher durch die Sà ¤ttigung des PC-Marktes und seinen sehr kostengà ¼nstigen direkt Vertrieb von PCs her kam, wurde der PC-Sektor Ende 2000 zu einem margenschwachen Sektor. Alle großen PC-Hersteller außer Dell machten in dem Jahr ab 2001 große Verluste von Marktanteil dieses Sektors. Der Sektor hatte kaum Wachstumspotential da eine Sà ¤ttigung am Markt bestand. Diese Sà ¤ttigung kam von den Leistungs-Level der PCs zu diesem Zeitpunkt, denn ihre Leistung war ausreichend und folglich waren die Unternehmen nicht mehr willig hohe Kosten fà ¼r die Herstellung von leistungsstà ¤rkerem PCs zu à ¼bernehmen. Die Kundenwà ¼nsche, insbesondere die der lukrativen Großkunden, à ¤nderten sich. Sie gingen zu einem Komplettangebot à ¼ber. Diese Kunden wollten eine ganze PC Infrastruktur kaufen und nicht mehr nur einen PC. Um das zu gewà ¤hrleisten mussten große Unternehmen wie IBM, HP oder Compaq ihre Angebotspalette stetig ausbauen. Da die Technologien im IT-Markt schnelllebig sind, behalfen sich diese Unternehmen einer schnellen Methode, die der MAs, um sich wichtige Technologien zugà ¤nglich zumachen. Der IT-Dienstleistungssektor welcher am margenreichsten ist wurde von IBM dominiert, da sich z.B. IBM auf die Integration von Netzwerkstrukturen verstand wurden von diesem Unternehmen nicht nur das Know-how sondern auch die spezifische Hardware bezogen. Dieses ist Resultat der Erkenntnis, dass eine effiziente und sehr gut abgestimmte Netzwerkstruktur nur mit abgestimmten Komponenten aus einer Hand preiswert realisiert werden kann. Diese gestiegene Nachfrage von effizienten Netzwerkstrukturen kam durch einen Wandel, die Einfà ¼hrung von Verteilung des Unternehmens à ¼ber das Internet. Die Nutzung des Internets von Kunden, hat einen Wandel im IT-Markt gebracht. Was die Spieler in diesem Markt noch immer zu massiven Verà ¤nderungen Ihrer Angebote zwingt. Mit diesem Kapitel werden die Branchenbedingungen von HP und Compaq wà ¤hrend unserer Untersuchungszeitspanne bis zum Jahr 2003 erà ¶rtert. 5. Die drei Phasen der Fusionen In dem folgenden Kapitel werden die Schritte eines Fusionsprozesses allgemein erklà ¤rt. Der Fusionsprozess là ¤sst sich grob in drei Phasen unterteilen, die chronologisch aufeinander bauen. Sie lauten Pre Merger- , Merger- und Post Mergerphase. Diesen Phasen werden wir, die von uns betrachteten, Erfolgsfaktoren zuordnen. 5.1 Pre Mergerphase Am Anfang des Prozesses steht die Pre Mergerphase. In dieser Phase wird zunà ¤chst eine allgemeine Grundstrategie formuliert. Bei dieser Formulierung geht es darum zuerst die Stà ¤rken und Schwà ¤chen des eigenen Unternehmens herauszuarbeiten und zu analysieren. Somit kann à ¼berprà ¼ft werden, ob das Unternehmen à ¼berhaupt eine Fusion benà ¶tigt. Als Abschluss des ersten Schrittes wird ein strategisches Konzept erstellt, welches die zusammenfassenden Erkenntnisse à ¼ber die Unternehmensanalyse sowie Motive und Ziele fà ¼r die bevorstehende Fusion beinhaltet. Ferner kà ¶nnte man aus dem erstellten Konzept erkennen, welche Bindungsintensità ¤t fà ¼r das Unternehmen besser geeignet wà ¤re. (Grube Tà ¶pfer, 2002: 44ff). Es ist wichtig, dass das Konzept sorgfà ¤ltig bearbeitet wird, da letztendlich der Erfolg oder Misserfolg einer Fusion bereits in dieser Phase bestimmt wird. (Middelmann, 2000: 113) „Diese Kenntnisse erleichtern in der anschließenden Phase die Suche nach dem optimalen Partner, das so genannte Screening (Stegmann, 2002: 32) Dementsprechend werden die mà ¶glichen Kooperationspartner auf einer Liste aufgefà ¼hrt und nach wichtigen Kriterien wie beispielweise potenziellen Synergieeffekten bewertet. (Rà ¶dl, 2002: 39) Fà ¼r die Kandidatenauswahl sollte das Unternehmen einen kontinuierlichen und systematischen Prozess einfà ¼hren, bis sie den optimalen Partner gefunden haben. (Wirtschaftswoche, 2008, Nr. 28) 5.2 Merger- Phase Die Merger- Phase beginnt nach der erfolgeichen Suche eines geeigneten Fusionspartners und verlà ¤uft à ¼ber Verhandlungsstrategien bis hin zum endgà ¼ltigen Vertragabschluss. Um eine endgà ¼ltige Entscheidung zu treffen, ob der potenzielle Fusionspartner wirklich geeignet ist, werden externe Spezialisten wie Unternehmensberater und Wirtschaftsprà ¼fer zur Hilfe gebeten, diese bilden das sog. Due Dilligence- Team. Um die in der Pre Merger- Phase formulierten Ziele der angestrebten Fusion erreichen zu kà ¶nnen, à ¼berprà ¼fen die Spezialisten, wo sich die Schwà ¤chen des eigenen Unternehmens und die Stà ¤rken des potenziellen Partners ausgleichen. Dieses Vorgehen wird in der Literatur als strategisches Fit bezeichnet. (Middelmann, 2000: 114) „ Due Dilligence bedeutet, dass die zu erstellenden Analysen mit hà ¶chster Sorgfalt durchzufà ¼hren sind. Dabei sollen Gefahren, aber auch Chancen des bevorstehenden Unternehmenszusammenschlusses erkannt werden. (Scott, 2002: 14) Kommt das betrachtete Zielunternehmen als Fusionspartner in Frage, so werden in einer weiteren Analyse seine Wirtschaftlichkeit, seine Geschichte und das finanzielle Risiko, das mit der angestrebten Fusion aufkommen wà ¼rde, unter die Lupe genommen. (Middelmann, 2000: 114f) Falls die Analyse ein positives Ergebnis liefert und das Zielunternehmen zu einem Zusammenschluss bereit ist, wird unter der Prà ¤misse die rechtlichen Kartellbedingungen nicht zu verletzen, Vertragsverhandlungen gefà ¼hrt und letztendlich ein Vertrag ausgearbeitet und abgeschlossen. 5.3 Post Merger- Phase Am Ende des Fusionsprozesses steht die Post Merger- Phase an, die sich sehr intensiv mit der Integration und deren Planung beschà ¤ftigt. Die Integrationsplanung orientiert sich an den, in den vergangenen Phasen ermittelten, Potenzialen vom Fusionspartner. Eine vorhergehende detaillierte Planung der Integration ist wichtig, um von den Synergien optimal gebrauch machen zu kà ¶nnen. (Grube Tà ¶pfer, 2002: 45ff) Die Aufgabe beider Unternehmensfà ¼hrungen ist es nun, trotz der gravierenden Unterschiede in den Bereichen wie Kultur und Organisation, ein neues einheitliches Unternehmen zu errichten. Des Weitern mà ¼ssen alle betrieblichen Ablà ¤ufe in der Fertigung und Steuerung, wie Controlling, Rechnungswesen und Personal, aufeinander abgestimmt sein. (Middelmann, 2000: 118f) Nicht zu vernachlà ¤ssigen ist die intensive Zusammenarbeit mit der Personalorganisation, damit Unsicherheit und eine eventuelle Demotivation bei den Mitarbeitern vermieden werden kann. Hier spricht man von der internen Kommunikation im Unternehmen, die gestà ¤rkt werden muss. Neben der internen Kommunikation spielt die externe Kommunikation auch eine sehr große Rolle. Das heißt, dass die Gesprà ¤che und Informationen à ¼ber den Ablauf der Fusion in den Veranstaltungen und Verà ¶ffentlichungen sehr gezielt und vertrauenerweckend sein mà ¼ssen, um die Skepsis von Kunden, Lieferanten und Wettbewerbern gegenà ¼ber dem neu entstandenen Unternehmen abzubauen. (Middelmann, 2000: 118f) Die besondere Schwierigkeit dieser Phase liegt bei dieser Integrationsaufgabe. Gelingt der reibungslose Zusammenschluss nicht oder nur unzureichend, so war die Fusion nicht erfolgreich. Darà ¼ber hinaus sollte das Unternehmen die Dauer des Integrationsprozesses genau festlegen, denn meistens treten die gewà ¼nschten Synergieeffekte der Fusion erst nach mehreren Jahren nach der Fusion ein. (Grube Tà ¶pfer, 2002: 45ff) Wird der Integrationsprozess zu kurz bemessen, so kà ¶nnte die Fusion als Misserfolg ausgelegt werden, was wiederum bà ¶se Konsequenzen, wie z.B. extreme Kursschwankungen in der Bà ¶rse und gar die Aufhebung der Fusion, mit sich bringen kà ¶nnte. Der letzte Schritt dieser Phase beinhaltet die Erfolgskontrolle. Es werden dabei die Ergebnisse der Fusion mit der Zielsetzung der Anfangsstrategie verglichen und eine Bilanz gezogen. Werden Abweichungen und Probleme bei der Umsetzung erkannt, wird versucht diesen entgegen zu steuern. 6. Kritische Erfolgsfaktoren von Mergers Acqusitions 6.1 Due Dilligence Due Dilligence hat eine sehr zentrale Bedeutung in allen Mergers und Akqusitionspozessen. Dieser Faktor kà ¶nnte sogar alleine den Erfolg oder Misserfolg einer Fusion bestimmen. „ Der Begriff „Due Diligence stammt aus den angelsà ¤chsischen Rechtswissenschaften und bedeutet unzureichend à ¼bersetzt „gebà ¼hrende Sorgfalt. Der Begriff hat à ¼ber die juristische Verwendung hinaus bei Mergers Acquisitions Anwendung gefunden und stellt bei heutigen Projekten die Grundlage zur Bewertung und Analyse einer Organisation dar. (Bischoff, Jà ¼rgen M.,2007 : 73 ) Im Wesentlichen verfolgt „ Due Dilligence drei Hauptziele: Endecken und beschreiben der wesentlichen Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Unternehmen und deren mà ¶gliche Auswirkungen Generierung von Integrationsrichtlinien sowie von Ansatzpunkten fà ¼r die erfolgreiche Gestaltung der Post-Merger-Phase Unterstà ¼tzung bei der Kaufentscheidung, der Preisfindung sowie zur Risikominimierung (Bischoff, Jà ¼rgen M., 2007 : 74) Die gewonnen Informationen von Due Dilligence bestimmen letztendlich den Umfang und den Schwerpunkt in der Post Merger Integration. Das Due Dilligence- Team besteht aus externen Spezialisten wie Wirtschaftsprà ¼fern, Anwà ¤lten und Unternehmensberatern und internen Mitarbeitern. Die Unternehmen arbeiten bewusst mit unternehmensexternen Spezialisten, weil die eigenen Mitarbeiter emotional und nicht neutral handeln kà ¶nnten. Das Due Dilligence- Team muss ein hohes Maß an Pflichtbewusstsein mitbringen, damit die Grà ¼ndlichkeit der Bewertung und die Interessen des Unternehmens nicht darunter leiden. Die Unternehmensbewertung sollte explizite Informationen à ¼ber den ausgewà ¤hlten Fusionspartner geben. Die zur Verfà ¼gung gestellten Informationen werden auf Finanzkraft, Unternehmenswert und Synergiepotenziale analysiert. Nach Abschluss der Prà ¼fung mà ¼sste der Auftraggeber der Due Dilligence in der Lage sein, zu entscheiden, ob es sich bei dem ausgewà ¤hlten Fusionspartner um ein geeignetes Unternehmen handelt. Ist dies der Fall so wird à ¼ber Due Dilligence eine Verhandlungsbasis fà ¼r die Entscheidung der weiteren Integrationsschritte zur Verfà ¼gung gestellt. (Blà ¶cher, 2002: 35ff) „ Die gewonnen Informationen werden dem Auftraggeber der Due Dilligence in so genannten Data Rooms zur Verfà ¼gung gestellt. Dabei kann es sich sowohl um elektronische Datenbanken als auch um Akten oder Dokumente handeln (Krà ¼ger, 2000: 157ff) 6.2 Personalmanagement Human Resources ist ein weiterer wichtiger Faktor, der zum Fusionserfolg beitrà ¤gt. Das gut ausgebildete Personal wie z.B. Entwickler , Fà ¼hrungskrà ¤fte und Fachleute gehà ¶ren zum „menschlichen Kapital eines Unternehmens. Da die Mitarbeiter ganz unterschiedlich auf die Verà ¤nderungen wà ¤hrend der Fusion reagieren, sollte das Unternehmen deren Auswirkung im Fusionsprozess nicht unterschà ¤tzen. (Klodt, H. , 2002:S. 106.) Das Humankapital beeinflusst eine Fusion positiv sowie negativ. Einerseits kann es als Motivation fà ¼r eine Motivation einer Fusion dienen, das ist dann der Fall, wenn ein Unternehmen auf der Suche nach qualifizierten Mitarbeitern im Zielunternehmen ist. Andererseits entsteht eine negative Beeinflussung, die ihren Ursprung in persà ¶nlichen Anliegen hat. Verlustà ¤ngste des Arbeitsplatzes oder Gehaltverschlechterung kà ¶nnen das qualitative Arbeiten erheblich mindern und fà ¼hren zu einer Skepsis gegenà ¼ber einer Fusion. Das kann sogar dazu fà ¼hren, dass kompetente Mitarbeiter das Unternehmen verlassen. Um das zu vermeiden, muss sich das Personalmanagement zur Aufgabe machen in direktem Kontakt zu den Mitarbeitern zu stehen. Die Organisation muss in der Integrationsphase Antworten auf offene Fragen haben und einen sicheren und ehrlichen Umgang mit den Mitarbeitern pflegen. Die Aufgaben des Personalmanagements kà ¶nnten folgendermaßen in den jeweiligen Fusionsphasen aussehen: In der Pre Merger Phase muss die Bedeutung des Human Kapitals geklà ¤rt werden, damit das Personal im Verlauf der Fusion ausreichend berà ¼cksichtigt wird. In der Merger- Phase werden sà ¤mtliche Mitarbeiterdaten, Lohnabrechnungen oder Arbeitzeiten ausgewertet und miteinander verglichen. So wird die Kombinierbarkeit der unterschiedlichen Strukturen und Systeme der Personalorganisationen auf eine Vereinheitlichung hin geprà ¼ft. In der Post Merger- Phase muss geklà ¤rt werden, zu welchem Zeitpunkt bestimmte Ziele erreicht werden sollen, ob und wann Umstrukturierungsmaßnahmen oder à ¼bergangsregelungen erfolgen und auf welche Art und Weise die Mitarbeiter zu informieren sind (Pribilla, P.: Personalmanagement bei Mergers Acquisitions, in: Picot, A./Nordmeyer, A./Pribilla, P. (Hrsg.), Stuttgart, 2000, S. 64-67.) Um all diese Maßnahmen durchfà ¼hren zu kà ¶nnen ist eine gezielte und gute Kommunikation unausweichlich. Dies kann à ¼ber verschiedene Wege erfolgen. Z.B. à ¼ber Mitarbeiterversammlungen, regelmà ¤ÃƒÅ¸ige Email und Newsletter oder Diskussionsforen. Ferner sollte dem Angestellten ermà ¶glicht werden, direkte Fragen an das Management zu stellen zu kà ¶nnen. . ( Grube, R./Tà ¶pfer, A., 2002, S. 152.) Schließlich erfolgt die eigentliche Integration durch die Integrationsteams, die nur die Aufgabe haben die Fusion zu koordinieren. Damit eine schnelle gegenseitige Akzeptanz unt

Business Analysis of IBM Essay -- Business Marketing IBM Companies Ess

Business Analysis of IBM 1. History of IBM: IBM is a multinational corporation that started its activities in 1911. But its origins can be traced back to 1890, during the height of the Industrial Revolution. It was first known as the Computing-Recording Company, and then in 1924, it took the name of International Business Machines. Nowadays, this multinational company is known as the  ¡Ã‚ §Big Blue ¡Ã‚ ¨ 2. Mission statement IBM main activity is to find solutions to its wide range of clients using advanced information technology. Its clients are individual users, specialized businesses, and institutions such as government, science, defense, and spatial and educational organizations. To meet and respond to its customers needs, IBM creates, develops and manufactures many of the worlds most advanced technologies, ranging from computer systems and software to networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. Indeed, IBM has various product lines and services a few of which are: the Personal Computer that was first created in 1981, AS/400 business system, RS/6000 family of workstations and server systems, S/390 enterprise server, groundbreaking ThinkPad notebook computer; the award-winning IBM Netfinity and finally, PC Servers. It is an important supplier of hard disks, random access memories, and liquid crystal monitors. IBM has created the image  ¡Ã‚ §Solutions for a Little World ¡Ã‚ ¨. Its products and components in other firm products are so widespread that people around the world associate the name IBM with computing functions. 3. Organization IBM is a global information system and computing company. It is organized in 5 worldwide regions, and the following business units: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Application Business Systems 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Application Solutions 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enterprise Systems 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Networking Systems 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pennant Systems Company 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal Systems 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Programming Systems 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Storage Products 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology Products 4. Past and current performance: For many years, IBM succeeded in holding a very good market position. In fact, the company achieved a very high market share and huge profits. However, this situation did not last forever. In 1990, IBM experienced its first quarterly loss of $2billion due to some unexpected accounting charges. However, revenues increased from $62.7 billion in the previous year to $96 billion. In 1991, the c... ...nies in the world were ranked: 1.IBM 2.Fujitsu 3.Hewlett-Packard 4.NEC, 5.Compaq. VI. IBM in Morocco: In 1939, IBM France launched in Morocco the first agency in Africa. Morocco was chosen because it represents an open door to Africa. IBM MAROC employs 85 employees and has almost 500 clients (ministries, banks, insurance companies, Al Akhawayn University, etc..). The main activities of IBM MAROC are to meet all customers' needs, to provide high quality tools, and to create a structure that will guarantee high quality maintenance services. IBM has two important strategies, which are: ïÆ'   direct marketing: it means selling directly to the consumer through the mail, by telephone, or door-to-door. By having direct contact with the customer, the company knows what are the needs, the preferences, and then can effectively choose the kind of products it will sell in the Moroccan market. ïÆ'   Commercial partnership: IBM has 22 commercial partners that sell its products in many different regions in Morocco. Thus, IBM MAROC is not obliged to create agencies in many cities, rather, its products are sold with other firms' articles, which increases the competition.

Charity: Begging and Old English Means Essay

The word â€Å"charity†, by derivation and in old English means love. But in ordinary modern English it means almsgiving, and in this short essay we must confine ourselves to the later and narrower meaning of the word. Charity in this sense is a virtue extensively practiced and highly esteemed in the East. In India, prior to Independence, it was a common practice for kings and rich men to weigh themselves against gold and silver and to distribute the proceeds among the poor. This was done by Shivaji, and many others before and after his time. We have in most of our large cities fine monuments of munificent charity in the university buildings, colleges, hospitals, convalescent homes and water-fountains, built wholly or partially at the expense of rich citizens, who chose this practical way of showing their love for their native city. But it must be remembered that it is net only the rich that have the power of being charitable. The Mahabharata tells us that: Just Heaven is not so pleased with costly gifts, Offered in hope of future recompense, As with the merest trifle set apart, From honest gains and sanctified by faith, and that the man â€Å"who is not rich but yet can give, will be exalted above the heavens.† Very often the munificent gifts of rich men are made for purposes of ostentation or as a means of gaining favour with Government. The best charity is that which is done in secret, so that, in the expressive words of the Gospel, the left hand does not know what the right hand does. It is very necessary to exercise discrimination in the giving of alms. The great object of charity is to relieve misery, and indiscriminate charity, by encouraging the trade of begging, actually adds to the misery of the world. If it were not for the reckless charity of well meaning men, who think it a duty to give a small alms to every beggar they come across, many who now lead a miserable existence as beggars would take to honest work, and become profitable members of society. As ‘Monier Williams’ Indian Wisdom. Things are, they prefer to live an idle life of degradation, and some of them, by begging and imposture, make more money than an honest poor man can earn by hard labour. Such being the case, it is no wonder that so many beggars infest the streets of Bombay and other rich cities. A rich man who is really determined to do good with his money, should either find out for himself what poor men really deserve help, or, if he has not time to do so, he should give his alms through some charitable society, that has officers appointed for the special purpose of distinguishing between the deserving poor and impudent impostors. There are also some who require to be reminded that charity begins at home, and that they must not deprive themselves of the means of supporting their own family by profuse charity to strangers who have less claims upon them. These, then, are the two principal limits to observe in the duty of almsgiving. We must recognize the prior obligation of providing for the necessities of our own family, and we must take care lest by ill-judged distribution of alms we encourage beggary and improvidence with its attendant miseries. Charity would seem to be least exposed to the second danger, when a subscription is made for unfortunate persons suddenly reduced to ruin by an earthquake, or a storm, or any other calamity against which no foresight could have defended them. For in such cases there is very great distress to be relieved in the present, and there is little fear of the help given leading in the future to ruinous improvidence or extravagance.

An analysis of the Heart of Darkness and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Essay

The â€Å"Heart of Darkness† by Joseph Conrad and â€Å"Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland† by Lewis Carroll tell a journey into a world which is a conflicting reflection of the protagonist’s â€Å"real† world. As the protagonists travel to new places, they are both presented with clashing views on prevailing themes in their lives. In the case of Marlow in the Heart of Darkness, he is faced with opposing ideas on the most vital components in imperialism – trade and slavery. As for Alice in Wonderland, the young girl is confronted with the challenge to accept the conflicting basis of maturity following both rational and irrational complexities in the society. In both of the novels, the relationship between the two worlds were portrayed as the struggles which people had to face in order to formulate their own personal ideologies based on their varying views presented by the society. Moreover, alienation (or the fact that each of the protagonists had to handle their struggles alone) was promoted as a necessary step towards the full appreciation of one’s social construction of reality. Clashing views on imperialism: Moral Responsibility vs. Pure Suppression In the Heart of Darkness, contrasting views of imperialism and slavery are challenged. Marlow, the protagonist of the story, comes from a world where the enslavement of the Africans is considered as essential and customary pieces of the colonial enterprise. The men who were working for the Company – upon which Marlow is also a part of – treats the blacks in an perverse, cruel, and often viciously violent manner. However, this harsh treatment is seemingly justifiable as Marlow’s world regards the slaves as uncivilized. Thus, the process of slavery is not seen as it is. Rather, it is often deemed as a vital part of the benevolent project of â€Å"civilizing† the natives. As such, prior to his journey upriver to see the fabled Kurtz, Marlow maintains his role of masking the slavery and violence by the socially accepted idea that the subjugation is based on legitimate backgrounds of moral responsibility. As Marlow meets Kurtz however, Marlow’s idea of the glamour of conquest and imperialism evolves into a struggle of morals. As he survives the river, meets the natives, and finally encounters the man that is reputed to be honorable and upright, his moral beliefs shatter. Technically, he is not faced with a world that’s entirely different from where he came from. Instead, what Marlow encounters is a setting where there is a whole new definition of conquest and trade – the main activities upon which he was engaged in. Basically, Kurtz was not the man Marlow and other people envisioned him to be. In conflict with the prevailing social definition of conquest for the Company, Kurtz saw the truth in imperialism. The presumed praiseworthy man was in fact a tyrant among the natives. He realized the fact that he was not trading but rather forcing the natives to find ivory for him. Moreover, Kurtz was open to the idea that he was – in no positive way – civilizing the natives. Rather, he was suppressing them, controlling them through intimidation and extreme brutality, and using them to his advantage, and the Company’s benefit. As a result, Marlow’s encounter with Kurtz only served as a perplexing experience where he had to question what the real purpose was behind acts of conquest and slavery: Are his actions just a tool for injustice and intimidation? Is there really no justifiable cause for intimidating the natives? To a certain degree, Marlow’s experience with the â€Å"other† world puts him in a crisis of whether he should continue believing that his world’s obviously unjust practices had a good and tolerable cause or not. Growing up: Tolerating the illogical and irrational In the story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, conflicting views of maturity and growing up is presented. On one hand, the real world equates maturity as the state where logic and rationality is used in reasoning, interpreting, and in maintaining harmony in the society. In contrast however, the young Alice equates adulthood as to what she sees in Wonderland – a place where silly and illogical regulations are created on the basis of egoistic goals and ambitions, propelled by bad habits and wrong ideals that people willingly developed throughout the course of history. In Wonderland, Alice faces a new world – one wherein the ways of reasoning are every much in contrast of hers. To a certain sense, her new world is similar to the â€Å"real† world of adults because both are comprised of rules which are, most of the time, very confusing. A typical example is the character of the Duchess who always tries to find a moral in almost every thing that is happening around her. In the real world, adults are akin to the Duchess as they always try to live by the social norms which they created from their own interpretation of their society. Another complex idea is the tolerance of the senseless orders of beheading given by the Queen of Hearts. Such scenario can be equated to the devastating wars often prompted by political leaders who are supposed to propagate world peace and progress. Also in Wonderland, trials seem to be very irrational and unjust; in the same way, justice is as confusing in the real world where fairness and integrity are supposedly practiced and promoted. As Alice struggles to understand the complexity of what is happening in Wonderland, she challenges her own idea of what is rational and supposedly mature. Confronted with what’s hypothetically mature, Alice gradually evolves into a mature person who is able to formulate reasonable and valid interpretations of history and her present experiences. While Alice is confronted with odd events and curious beings in Wonderland, she tries to formulate reasons based on her social interactions with the creature and adjusts to the demands of the magical world. Through the interpretations that Alice forms from wonderland, she fulfills what is expected from a mature individual – the ability to tolerate the complexities of life. As she forms a basis of reasoning and logic, she then forms her own subjective norms which are, to a certain extent, still confined within the prevalent ideas in Wonderland. These norms allow her to define her identity and at the same time, give her the chance to adjust and adapt to the situations that she faces in a place where â€Å"everyone is mad†. Through her adventures, Alice ultimately grows up and matures. CONCLUSIONS Two worlds as struggles towards the formulation personal ideals In both of the novels, two opposing worlds were used as bases that will allow the main character to formulate his/her own personal ideologies and interpretations of prevailing themes in their lives. In the case of Marlow, the clash between the two worlds – or rather their definitions – gave him a chance to weigh his morals not merely on the more popular and conforming idea that African enslavement was natural and acceptable. Through his confrontation with Kurtz, he became enlightened. The experience somehow liberated him from his blind adherence to the society and showed him the real circumstances of his actions and that of his society. As for Alice, the conflict between the real world and Wonderland also gave her the chance to construct an understanding of maturity. From a child’s point of view of adulthood as something incoherent, illogical, egoistic, and irrational, Alice was able to realize that such complexities were part of real life and that tolerance to what is seemingly unreasonable must be achieved in order to be capable of surviving and adjusting to the different scenarios of living. As such, it can be noted that the incompatible relationships between the two worlds in each of the novels were presented as personal struggles towards the achievement of personal ideals formulated from varying views and interpretations that were present in the society. Alienation, an essential process for the social construction of reality It can be noted that both protagonists in the stories had to face alienation in the new worlds that they had to take part of. The fact that each of the protagonists had to handle their struggles â€Å"alone† promoted the theme of personal conflict in the novels. Furthermore, this alienation heightened the level of conflict which existed in the clashing relationship between the two worlds that the characters had to take part of. In the case of Alice, she had to face different situations with different characters and different modes of reasoning all on her. Through this loneliness, she was able to fully grasp the idea that maturity is complex and that life itself was full of complexities and â€Å"madness†. This realization led her to construct her own set of interpretations, definitions, and realities which paved her way towards maturity. Marlow, on the other hand, became alienated as he became exposed to a world where slavery among Africans was regarded as what it really is – a mere act of cruelty for the benefit of the White people. He was alienated in the sense that he formerly had a different – more consoling view of the â€Å"trade† that he was participating in. However, through this alienation, Marlow then achieved a more careful analysis of his society’s actions. By being exposed to the new world all on his own, he was given the chance to liberate himself from the beliefs that he was encompassed within. In general, both of the characters endured alienation as an essential component which emphasized the conflicting relation of the worlds that they were exposed to. This alienation prompted them to think beyond what they were used to and such allowed them to construct their social reality based on conventional and unconventional truths. References: Caroll, Lewis (n. d. ) Alice in Wonderland. Retrieved from Bedtime Story Classics (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. the-office. com/bedtime-story/classics-alice-1. htm) Conrad, Joseph (n. d. ) Heart of Darkness. Retrieved from Project Gutenberg Website (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. gutenberg. org/etext/526) Maatta, Jerry (1997) An Analysis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. alice-in-wonderland. net/explain/alice841. html) __________ (n. d. ) Themes and Motives in Alice in Wonderland. (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. alice-in-wonderland. net/school/themes. html) __________ (n. d. ) eNotes on Heart of Darkness – Themes. (Accessed 06 Apr 2009 from http://www. enotes. com/darkness/themes)

The Catcher in the Rye Overview

'The Catcher in the Rye' Overview The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is one of the most well-known coming-of-age novels in American literature. Through the first-person narrative of teenager Holden Caulfield, the novel explores modern alienation and the loss of innocence. Fast Facts: The Catcher in the Rye Author: J.D. SalingerPublisher: Little, Brown and CompanyYear Published: 1951Genre: FictionType of Work: NovelOriginal Language: EnglishThemes: Alienation, innocence, deathCharacters: Holden Caulfield, Phoebe Caulfield, Ackley, Stradlater, Allie CaulfieldFun Fact: J.D. Salinger wrote a prequel (The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls) that tells the story of Holdens brothers death. Salinger donated the story to Princeton University on the condition it not be published until 50 years after his death- the year 2060. Plot Summary The novel begins with the narrator, Holden Caulfield, describing his experience as a student at Pencey Prep. He has been expelled after failing most of his classes. His roommate, Stradlater, wants Holden to write an essay for him so that he can go on a date. Holden writes the essay about his late brother Allies baseball glove. (Allie died of leukemia years prior.) Stradlater does not like the essay, and refuses to tell Holden whether he and his date had sex. Upset, Holden leaves campus and travels to New York City. He rents a room in a cheap hotel. He makes arrangements with the elevator operator to have a prostitute named Sunny visit his room, but when she arrives, he becomes uncomfortable and tells her that he just wants to talk to her. Sunny and her pimp, Maurice, demand more money and Holden gets punched in the stomach. The next day, Holden gets drunk and sneaks into his family’s apartment. He talks to his younger sister, Phoebe, whom he loves and regards as innocent. He tells Phoebe that he has a fantasy of being the catcher in the rye who catches children when they fall off a cliff while playing. When his parents come home, Holden leaves and travels to his former teacher Mr. Antolinis house, where he falls asleep. When he wakes up, Mr. Antolini is patting his head; Holden becomes disturbed and leaves. The next day, Holden takes Phoebe to the zoo and watches as she rides the carousel: his first true experience of happiness in the story. The story ends with Holden stating that he got sick and will be starting at a new school in the fall. Major Characters Holden Caulfield. Holden is sixteen years old. Intelligent, emotional, and desperately lonely, Holden is the epitome of an unreliable narrator. He is obsessed with death, especially the death of younger brother Allie. Holden strives to present himself as a cynical, smart, and worldly person. Ackley. Ackley is a student at Pencey Prep. Holden claims to despise him, but there are hints that Holden views Ackley as a version of himself. Stradlater. Stradlater is Holden’s roommate at Pencey. Confident, handsome, athletic, and popular, Stradlater is everything Holden wishes he could be. Phoebe Caulfield. Phoebe is Holden’s younger sister. She is one of the few people that Holden holds in high regard. Holden views Phoebe as smart, kind, and innocent- almost an ideal human being. Allie Caulfield. Allie is Holdens late younger brother, who died of leukemia before the start of the narrative. Major Themes Innocence vs. Phoniness. Phony is Holden’s insult of choice. He uses the word to describe most of the people and places he encounters. To Holden, the word implies artifice, a lack of authenticity, and pretension. To Holden, phoniness is a symptom of adulthood; by contrast, he views the innocence of children as a sign of true goodness. Alienation. Holden is isolated and alienated throughout the entire novel. His adventures are consistently focused on making some sort of human connection. Holden uses alienation to protect himself from mockery and rejection, but his loneliness drives him to keep trying to connect. Death. Death is the thread that runs through the story. For Holden, death is abstract; what Holden fears about death is the change that it brings. Holden continuously wishes for things to remain unchanged, and to be able to go back to better times- a time when Allie was alive. Literary Style Salinger employs naturalistic, slang-infused language to believably replicate the voice of a teenage boy, and injects the narration with filler words to lend it the same rhythm as the spoken word; the resulting effect is the sense that Holden is telling you this story. Holden is also an unreliable narrator, telling the reader that he is the most terrific liar you ever saw. As a result, the reader can’t necessarily trust Holden’s descriptions. About the Author J.D. Salinger was born in 1919 in Manhattan, New York. He burst onto the literary stage with the publication of his famous short story, A Perfect Day for Bananafish in 1948. Just three years later he published The Catcher in the Rye and solidified his reputation as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. Superstardom did not agree with Salinger, and he became a recluse, publishing his last story in 1965 and giving his last interview in 1980. He died in 2010 at the age of 91.

TV is the Worst Entertainment for Children Essays

TV is the Worst Entertainment for Children Essays TV is the Worst Entertainment for Children Essay TV is the Worst Entertainment for Children Essay Essay Topic: Entertainment Orlando Basic Essay Outline Television is an escape into a fantasy world. Everyone has a different preference of the kind of programs they like. However, TV is the worst entertainment for my children. Different types of TV programs such as movies, commercials, and TV news are a bad influence on my cchildrens health. To begin with, many TV movies have very violent content. Therefore, these type of movies affect my children. They want to imitate and pretend to be the actors that they see in the violent movies. In fact, terror movies have many scenes of murders and other crimes which scare my children. For instance, there are movies such as The Werewolf, Friday 13th and Die in the night. Also some cartoons with violent content and they are bad examples for them. With this preference for cartoons, my children are being exposed to a large number of violent acts in their viewing day. Cartoons such as The Simpsons, Dragon Ball Z and Three Stooges are bad examples for them. Ssimilarly, science fiction movies have violent content also and affect them emotionally. For example, Star Wars, District 9 and Moon Terror show violent scenes in their contents. Commercials are another part of television that does not contribute to my cchildrens health. They are likely to imitate what they see and hear on television. To illustrate, cigarette ads lead to consumption in their social life when they are in school, college and at their friends parties. Equally important, alcoholic beverage commercials create in their minds that drinking liquor is the only way they can have fun while on holiday, during spring break, at their graduation party and when they are out with friends at dance clubs. Finally, the food commercials are leading children to eat unhealthy foods by showing them that eating hamburgers, pizza and fried chicken is the in thing to do. Unfortunately, these foods create an obese society. In addition to movies and TV commercials, TV news has a lot of daily violent content that also affects children emotionally. The daily news reports about violent assaults and murders of people in different cities around the world, like New York City, Bogota, and Mexico City. The police reports are of many robberies that occur in private homes in Florida, mainly in the Orlando, Altamonte Springs and Apopka areas. In the same way, the news shows war scenes in countries of the Middle East such as Libya, India, and Israel, where the ajority of the dead are innocent children, and the news shows the political unrest of their people. In essence, after watching TV movies, commercials and news my children feel a lot of stress. When they go to sleep, they have nightmares. TV programs affect them emotionally and have a bad influence on my cchildrens lives. Consequently, they are especially likely to show increased aggression by what they learn from watching violent television. They believe the violence they see reflects real life and they identify with violent actors. TV is the Worst Entertainment for Children By denisalbay

African American History and Women Timeline

African American History and Women Timeline What have African American women contributed to American history? How have they been affected by historical events? Find out in the timeline, which includes these: events featuring African American womenbirth and death dates for many notable African American womengeneral African American events which had significant impact on African American women and families as well as menevents involving key women whose work influenced African American history, for instance the involvement of many European American women in anti-slavery workbirth and death dates for key women whose work was important in African American history, for instance in anti-slavery or civil rights work Start with the timeline period youre most interested in: [1492-1699]  [1700-1799] [1800-1859] [1860-1869] [1870-1899] [1900-1919] [1920-1929] [1930-1939] [1940-1949] [1950-1959] [1960-1969] [1970-1979] [1980-1989] [1990-1999] [2000-] Women and African American History: 1492-1699 1492 Columbus discovered America, from the perspective of Europeans. Queen Isabella of Spain declared all indigenous peoples her subjects, in the lands claimed by Columbus for Spain, preventing the Spanish conquerors from enslaving the Native Americans. The Spanish thus looked elsewhere for the labor they needed to take advantage of the New Worlds economic opportunities. 1501 Spain permitted African slaves to be sent to the Americas 1511 first African slaves arrived in Hispaniola 1598 Isabel de Olvero, part of the Juan Guerra de Pesa Expedition, helped to colonize what has since become New Mexico 1619 (August 20) 20 men and women from Africa arrived on a slave ship and were sold in the first North American slave auction by British and international custom, Africans could be held in servitude for life, though white Christian indentured servants could only be held for a limited term 1622 Anthony Johnson, son of an African mother, arrived in Virginia. He lived with his wife, Mary Johnson, in Accomack on Virginias Eastern Shore, the first free Negroes in Virginia (Anthony taking his last name from his original master). Anthony and Mary Johnson eventually founded the first free black community in North America, and themselves held servants for life. 1624 Virginia census lists 23 Negroes including some women; ten have no names listed and the rest only first names, likely indicating lifetime servitude none of the women are listed as married 1625 Virginia census lists twelve black men and eleven black women; most have no names and do not have the dates of arrival that most white servants in the census have listed only one of the black men and women has a full name listed 1641 Massachusetts legalized slavery, specifying that a child inherited its status from the mother, rather than the father, reversing English common law about 1648 Tituba born (Salem witch trials figure; probably of Carib not African heritage) 1656 Elizabeth Key, whose mother was a slave and father was a white planter, sued for her freedom, claiming her fathers free status and her baptism as grounds and the courts upheld her claim 1657 A daughter of a free Negro Anthony Johnson, Jone Johnson, was given 100 acres of land by Debeada, an Indian ruler. 1661 Maryland  passed a law making every person of African descent in the colony a slave, including all children of African descent at birth whatever the free or enslaved status of the childs parents. 1662 Virginia House of Burgesses passed a law that a childs status followed the mothers, if the mother was not white, contrary to English common law in which the fathers status determined the childs 1663 Maryland passed a law under which free white women would lose their freedom if they married a black slave, and under which the children of white women and black men became slaves 1664 Maryland became the first of the future states to pass a law making it illegal for free English women to marry Negro slaves 1667 Virginia passed a law stating that baptism  could not free slaves by birth 1668 Virginia legislature declared that free black women were to be taxed, but not white women servants or other white women; that negro women, though permitted to enjoy their freedome could not have the rights of the English. 1670 Virginia passed a law that Negroes or Indians, even those free and baptized, could not purchase any Christians, but could purchase any of their owne nation [race] (i.e. free Africans could buy Africans and Indians could buy Indians) 1688 Aphra Behn (1640-1689, England) published the anti-slavery Oroonoka, or the History of the Royal Slave, first novel in English by a woman 1691 The term white is first used, rather than specific terms like English or Dutchman, in a law referring to English or other white women. 1692 Tituba disappeared from history (Salem witch trials figure; probably of Carib not African heritage) [Next] [1492-1699] [1700-1799] [1800-1859] [1860-1869] [1870-1899] [1900-1919] [1920-1929] [1930-1939] [1940-1949] [1950-1959] [1960-1969] [1970-1979] [1980-1989] [1990-1999] [2000-]

Culture and Communication Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Culture and Communication Research Paper - Essay Example Christianity is one of many religions which thrive in that country. The people are spiritually minded. Hinduism is the religion of the majority with 82% of Indians being Hindus. 12.1% of Indians are Muslims. Those officially following Christianity form a meager 2.3% (Census of India, 2001). For a follower of Jesus (which is what we mean from now on as 'Christian') it is a command and an obligation to share the gospel with others who do not know. According to Mark chapter 16 and verse 15, Jesus has commanded us to 'go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature'. Yet in a country like India which is deeply entrenched in spirituality there are tremendous challenges to the credibility of the gospel message. We will look at the communication of this message primarily among the Hindus in India The popular perception in India is that Christianity was brought into the country by foreign missionaries who came along with the British East India Company in the early 1700s. The British eventually captured and ruled the country till the mid 1900s. As Wikipedia the online encyclopedia states about that time: "Imbued with an ethnocentric sense of superiority, often known as the White Man's Burden, British intellectuals, including Christian missionaries, sought to bring Western intellectual and technological innovations to Indians, ignoring the fact that the Indian Christian tradition went back to the very beginnings of first century Christian thought" (Wikipedia contributors) Hence although untrue, there is a sense that Christianity is a foreign religion. The fact that the West is predominantly Christian contributes to this perception. Money from the West that has traditionally come in for evangelistic and missionary campaigns also fuels the perception that the financial base of Christianity in India is abroad. As Astrid Lobo Gajiwala an Indian Christian activist writes, ".They just don't see Christians as Indians; they see us as an alien 'other', minions of a white, Christian world that is synonymous with spiritual and racial chauvinism (1998)." Language and attire incompatibility. It cannot be denied that western influence has permanently crept into Indian Christianity. Christian worship is conducted in many languages but English is predominant among them. The exceptions to this are the Tamil, Malayalam and Latin languages which may be more popular in the respective states (Latin is used in Orthodox churches). English has never been in the scheme of things for Hindu worship or religious literature until recently. Christian communities especially Roman Catholics and Goans have predominantly English names and western attire. The communication at home among these communities is predominantly in English. Songs and music Music used for Christian worship has its influence in the West. The songs sung in church are either hymns composed by English or American songwriters in English or contemporary songs again composed in the West in English. Churches depicted in Hindi movies usually have a church organ playing in the background. Local worship songs have begun to gain in popularity but this is a recent though

Theories of the Disappearance of Quenn Hatshepsut Essay

Theories of the Disappearance of Quenn Hatshepsut - Essay Example They named him Tuthmosis II who was named heir. The reign of Queen Hatshepsut was one that was intriguing. There are many mysteries that surround her reign in power. It is suspected that her nephew, Thutmose the Third, overtook his inheritance when he was young to become a king. Further accomplishments of the queen were cut short by her disappearance under mysterious circumstances. This was after rising to power, and her nephew immediately took reign and control of the throne. It has been for long speculated that he assassinated her to take control of the throne. This paper is a brief summary of the theories that try to explain her mysterious disappearance. The Evil Stepmother Theory There are many speculations as to why her name was removed from all records. They range from a view that Thutmose III took her to be a wicked stepmother in the dynasty struggle between the two families. There is a tale of how the queen seized power; the resistance of Tuthmosis III to her reign is evident in the way he swiftly ordered the destruction of all of her monuments. The animosity between the two leaders was even present in some early papers that describe the excavations that were produced by the Exploration Society of Egypt in the 1890s. The theory of the wicked stepmother became more dominant in the writing of the queen’s history (Strouhal & Forman, 2006). ... This theory comes into play because of the fact that after Thutmose the Third came to power, he ordered any record of his aunt to be removed completely. He did not want anything to do with her, and this is despite the fact that during her reign, she had achieved many accomplishments that helped the Egyptian society to be successful and grow for many years (Egypt Exploration Society, 2001). The resentment that he had for her could have played a significant part in her disappearance. However, some people believe that he decided to silence everything about his aunt to protect the family’s name. Early scholars, however, believe that Thutmose III had her killed since she had refused to step down as pharaoh when he came of age (Egypt Exploration Society, 2001). Death by Natural Causes Many scholars have speculated that the queen aged and died of natural causes, and after her death, the natural selection of her successor took place, where Thutmose III took charge. The corpse of the q ueen was for many years hidden by Tuthmosis III and buried in secret. It was believed that there was nothing that was left of her body, apart from some fragments that were found in a canopic jar. Archeologists did, however, find a mummified body in the Valley of the Kings that was suspected to be the queen’s. This was later confirmed by a lot of evidence and DNA testing. Some scholars believe that she died of natural causes, and this explained why her liver and other internal body parts were found separate from the body and stored in a jar. Others believe that she died from an abscess after the removal of a tooth (Burgan, 2009). Protection of the Family Name Another accepted theory suggests that Tuthmosis III wanted to cover

Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example Genetic factors are considered to be the leading contributor to the disease, accounting for up to 80% of the risk of having the illness. The heritability index was calculated to be around 0.7 (Edvardsen 2008). Despite having been restricted to a relatively low number of samples, twin studies have revealed a considerable genetic component, together with a clear environmental impact. Extensive studies over the last years have consistently estimated the concordance rate for bipolar I disorder to be around 5% in fraternal twins, in comparison to over 40% in  identical  twins (Barnett & Smoller 2009). Studies have also identified certain physiological processes underlying the bipolar disorder. For instance, by means of magnetic resonance imaging researchers have noted the differences in the volume and density of various brain zones between the healthy individuals and patients with BD. Specifically, the analysis of structural MRI findings provided evidence of the increased volume of the pale body and lateral ventricles (Arnone et al 2009). Simultaneously, functional MRI scans indicated the impaired coordination between the limbic corpus amygdaloideum and prefrontal region (Srakowski et al 2012). According to another theory, when genetically predisposed people are exposed to stress, their stress threshold at which behavioral changes happen lowers. After a number of such exposures, the episodes may start spontaneously. In support of the theory, Alloy and Bender (2011) report of the correlation between stressful situations and malfunction of the  hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Stress factors cause hypothalamic hyperactivation, which may eventually result in disease. Some researchers imply the major contribution of the environmental factors to the development of bipolar disorder. Evidence suggests that broken interpersonal relationships and hurtful early-life events may increase the risk of onsets and induce

Marine Wildlife Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marine Wildlife - Assignment Example The impact marine preys like fur seals have on their target prey and more especially their resultant interaction with other fisheries has been a subject of continuous study and research interest. The wide array of species and species groups within the marine ecosystem has further expounded this area of research (Wilke & Kenyon, 1954). Various researches have calculated the overall prey requirements of predators including the seabirds, seals as well as whales and such studies avail regional food assessment necessary for maintenance of the respective species population (Perez & Mooney, 1984). In a world where many animals are faced with the possibility of extinction, such research are crucial and can go a long way in helping preserve the threatened population species. The studies have also facilitated and engaged in examination of food web interactions strengths. Additionally, such studies help in understanding the biogeochemical carbon cycling processes (Perez & Bigg, 1981; Townsend, 1899). According to Kajimura (1980, P. 46) fur seals are most commonly found in the areas lying within 74 to 130 km off the land and are frequently in large numbers along the continental shelf as well as slope in areas where pelagic schooling fishes and also squids are generally found in abundance. The study also reported that the fur seals and most regularly found in waters whose temperatures range from 8Â °C to 14Â °C. At sea, the fur seals feed on a range of fish species. The relative proportion of individual prey species included in the fur seals' diet often varies by months (Kajimura 1982; Perez and Bigg 1984). This is as a result of the apparent changes in their scavenging locations, and also the seasonal movements, prey abundance, as well as availability (Lander & Kajimura, 1982). Generally, the fur seals' vary their diets during winter and spring to correspond to the prevailing conditions. Previous researches estimate that the fur seals often consume preys whose respective lengths are 10 to 30 cm, although there are instances where much longer preys are consumed although such must be broken down before consumption (Townsend, 1899, p. 241). This study investigates the average length as well as biomass content of some of the species most fed on by the fur seals. Methods The first step involves measurement of otoliths and beaks of the seals. This is based on the fact that the otoliths are susceptible to degradation and size reduction as they move via the seal’s digestive tract as a result of prey size underestimation. As a result, only the otoliths that reveal little erosion evidence are used to obtain the estimates of fish sizes. Each otolith is rated on scale of 1-5 as per their erosion levels whereby 1 is considered identifiable although substantially eroded while 5 is considered primeval. As an inclusion criterion, only otoliths whose ratings lie above 3 will be measured. Measurement of the otolith leg length is done between its anterior and posterior margins. The measurement is done in mmm with the help of a dissecting microscope and making use of eye-piece graticules. In order to avoid obtaining of size estimates from the same fish, the measurements taken are only for the otoliths of the sides that possess the highest number of intact otoliths of each sample specie. Biasing the cephalopods estimate of sizes is also a key concern to this research. To avoid it, only the cephalopod beaks that are unbroken will be

The Finite Element Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Finite Element - Research Paper Example One of the main challenges in solving partial differential equations is to use equations which are approximate but numerically stable so that error accumulation does not cause the solution to be meaningless. The finite element method is an excellent technique for solving partial differential equations over complex domains. Application of the finite element method in structural mechanics is based on an energy principle, such as the virtual work principle, which provides a general, intuitive and physical basis. The finite element method originated as a technique used to solve stress analysis problems, but today it can be applied to a multitude of disciplines ranging from fluid mechanics, to heat transfer to electromagnetism. The buckle of a standard lap belt used in passenger aircrafts has been designed and is ready to undergo testing. In order to be released into the market, the strap system must be able to withstand a 450 kg tensile load. It is assumed that the weakest point of the design is the flat plate of the buckle. Thus, prior to engaging in a costly test scenario, a simple finite element analysis of the buckle is to be made to insure soundness of design, i.e. the material does not exceed its yield strength and no significant distortion occurs. Preparing the problem for analysis first requires definition of assumptions. Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of the buckle to be analy... thickness of the part (which is assumed to be constant) is believed to be small enough compared to the width of the part such that shell elements can be used. Displacements are expected to be relatively small such that a linear approximation will be valid. Figure 1 2.2 Material Properties The part is manufactured from 2.5 mm stainless steel plate with a Young's modulus of elasticity of 206 GN/m2, Poison's ratio of 0.3, and a yield strength of 580 MN/m2. Homogeneous and isotropic material was assumed with no discontinuities or residual stresses present as a result of manufacturing processes such as forging, rolling and welding. The material is assumed to have linear elastic properties. 2.3 Mesh A mesh that provides a good representation of the model is critical for an accurate solution; the elements must be well-shaped and close fit. For this analysis, the element type chosen was PLANE82, which is a 2D structural solid element. The element has 8 nodes, which increases calculation time over its 4-node counterpart but also increase accuracy of solution. Eight-noded elements are also known to be more accurate for modelling curved boundaries, which is where the areas of maximum stress were expected in the buckle. The PLANE 82 element type also offered the benefit of accounting for a thickness value in its input properties. Since maximum stress values were expected in the curved sections of the part, two meshing values were utilised, thus providing a denser mesh in critical areas. In the curved areas, a value of 0.25 was used, while 0.51 was used in the rest of the model. 2.4 Boundary Conditions Determination and application of boundary conditions is critical to the analysis. For this model, it was assumed that displacements would be small enough so as to not

Women in US politic society from 1950-2014 Essay

Women in US politic society from 1950-2014 - Essay Example Hanna counters the men’s criticism reiterating that her essay is not a myth and in the same context supports its logicality. The society anticipated change within a span of a hundred years. Traditional men dominance started at least 500 years ago with the women empowerment campaigns and programs giving the women confidence and courage to challenge men. The women gained courage and confidence to undertake the tasks perceived to belong to men. In the same period on Europe fields of battle show up, the musketeers used cumbersome and brave knights. Their use of heavy machinery was because of lack of knowledge of the existence and usage of lighter weapons like swords. Musketeers fought using sticks, which made exposures. The mode of fighting they employed was the conventional means that was usable on a regular basis during that era. Men displayed more strength and masculinity that capably positioned them superior to the females. Revolution over time occurred and knight sheathed their swords. The season of stronger men elapsed as judgments and rating then began to base on mental capability and the intelligence quotient. The society eventually started to value education, inte llect, and adaptation to new and modern techniques. Many transformations occurred at this time, which was the duration before the setting of the day of the women. In addition, one more reason to involve in those changes is second-wave of feminism. Feminism-Socio-political movement, whose goal was to protect all women, discriminated against of sex, race, orientation, age, ethnicity, social status, full social rights. The movement founded in the middle of 19th century and has three waves. Second Wave refers to a span of feminist activity at the beginning of middle 20th century until the end of the 1980s. Second-wave feminists show cultural and political inequalities between man and woman and help to understand how politicized is the sexist society in US. The feminist activist Carol

The Finite Element Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Finite Element - Research Paper Example One of the main challenges in solving partial differential equations is to use equations which are approximate but numerically stable so that error accumulation does not cause the solution to be meaningless. The finite element method is an excellent technique for solving partial differential equations over complex domains. Application of the finite element method in structural mechanics is based on an energy principle, such as the virtual work principle, which provides a general, intuitive and physical basis. The finite element method originated as a technique used to solve stress analysis problems, but today it can be applied to a multitude of disciplines ranging from fluid mechanics, to heat transfer to electromagnetism. The buckle of a standard lap belt used in passenger aircrafts has been designed and is ready to undergo testing. In order to be released into the market, the strap system must be able to withstand a 450 kg tensile load. It is assumed that the weakest point of the design is the flat plate of the buckle. Thus, prior to engaging in a costly test scenario, a simple finite element analysis of the buckle is to be made to insure soundness of design, i.e. the material does not exceed its yield strength and no significant distortion occurs. Preparing the problem for analysis first requires definition of assumptions. Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of the buckle to be analy... thickness of the part (which is assumed to be constant) is believed to be small enough compared to the width of the part such that shell elements can be used. Displacements are expected to be relatively small such that a linear approximation will be valid. Figure 1 2.2 Material Properties The part is manufactured from 2.5 mm stainless steel plate with a Young's modulus of elasticity of 206 GN/m2, Poison's ratio of 0.3, and a yield strength of 580 MN/m2. Homogeneous and isotropic material was assumed with no discontinuities or residual stresses present as a result of manufacturing processes such as forging, rolling and welding. The material is assumed to have linear elastic properties. 2.3 Mesh A mesh that provides a good representation of the model is critical for an accurate solution; the elements must be well-shaped and close fit. For this analysis, the element type chosen was PLANE82, which is a 2D structural solid element. The element has 8 nodes, which increases calculation time over its 4-node counterpart but also increase accuracy of solution. Eight-noded elements are also known to be more accurate for modelling curved boundaries, which is where the areas of maximum stress were expected in the buckle. The PLANE 82 element type also offered the benefit of accounting for a thickness value in its input properties. Since maximum stress values were expected in the curved sections of the part, two meshing values were utilised, thus providing a denser mesh in critical areas. In the curved areas, a value of 0.25 was used, while 0.51 was used in the rest of the model. 2.4 Boundary Conditions Determination and application of boundary conditions is critical to the analysis. For this model, it was assumed that displacements would be small enough so as to not

Accounting as the Important Function of Every Business Organisation Essay

Accounting as the Important Function of Every Business Organisation (Halfords company) - Essay Example Accounting’s main or primary purpose is to identify the activities of the business organisation, recording and measuring the transactions of the business and communicating the financial information to all the interested persons like the shareholders, investors, creditors, management, employees, government etc. The financial information generated from accounting in form of financial statements helps managerial decision making and other important investment decisions. Accounting is an important function of every business organisation. Accounting has various purposes and objectives. Among the various purposes, the main purpose of accounting is to record the transaction of the business enterprise in a systematic manner and to provide information about the financial position of the business enterprise to all its stakeholders. Accounting’s main or primary purpose is to identify the activities of the business organisation, recording and measuring the transactions of the busine ss and communicating the financial information to all the interested persons like the shareholders, investors, creditors, management, employees, government etc. The financial information generated from accounting in form of financial statements helps managerial decision making and other important investment decisions.... Figure 1: Performa of a purchase account in a ledger (Source: National Institute of Open Schooling, n.d, p.125) Thus the ledger is the collection of accounts maintained by the company. The ledger provides balance of the particular account on a particular date like the amount of sales on a particular date can be found from the sales account. Apart from these main books the company can also maintain sales day book and purchase day book to record its credit sales and credit purchase respectively. 2 (b) Every business organisation usually had a number of business transactions. Similarly Halfords would also have a number of transactions during a particular accounting period. The most common transactions that the company would certainly have during an accounting period are as follows:- Cash sales: Cash sales denote selling goods and services on cash. This means that the amount of goods sold or services rendered is immediately received by the company. This transaction is recorded by debitin g the cash or bank account and crediting the sales account. Cash purchase: Cash purchase signifies purchasing goods or services on cash. In cash purchase the amount for the goods purchased or services availed has to be paid immediately. This particular transaction is recorded in the books of accounts by crediting the cash or bank account and debiting the purchase account. Credit sales: Credit sales denote that the goods or services have been sold on credit. In credit sales the amount of goods sold or services rendered are not paid immediately but after a certain period of time (which is known as credit period). This particular transaction is recorded by debiting the debtor’s account (the person to whom the goods are sold) and crediting the

English Literature Essays Shakespeares King Lear

English Literature Essays Shakespeares King Lear Select either two or three major speeches from the play King Lear (Shakespeare) and demonstrate, by close analysis, their relevance to issues in the play as a whole The two speeches I have selected from the play to conduct close analysis on are Lears speech in Act I Scene I (Lines 121 139) and Cordelias speech of Act V Scene VII (Lines 31-43). These two speeches are reflective of some of the strongest themes of the play: familial love, anger, wrath and, most of all perhaps, pride. The first speech is placed at the very beginning of the play just after Cordelia has refused to praise her father in the same over-effusive manner as her sisters, and Shakespeare conveys in a few short lines the almost uncontrollable anger of Lear: Lear: Peace kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath. I love her most, and though to set my rest On her kind nursery We can note here the evocation of the dragon which, as Harold Bloom (1987: 90) tells us, is not only symbolic of the male, paternal anger but of the monarchy itself and recalls the Englishness of St. George. As if metonymic with the entire play, this symbol of royal wrath and anger is twinned with an image of childish reliance the nursery. The next lines however reverse this image juxtaposition as the aggressor, in the form Lear the dragon, is painted as the victim: Hence, and avoid my sight! So be my grave my peace, as here I give Her fathers heart from her.! The knot of guilt and innocence is one that recurs throughout the entire play but it is first suggested in this speech; for instance in the lines: Call Burgundy, Cornwall and Albany, With my two daughters dowers digest this third: Let pride, which she calls plainness marry her. We witness here what Freud called projection (1991: 213) or the imbuing of an emotion or character trait onto another person; it is Lears pride that we really see here, and Lears anger that dominates the entire first section of the play but the character himself deflects that onto the figure of his youngest daughter. Linguistically, the speech is suffused with exclamations (especially the first six lines) and the rhythms and lines themselves are short and staccato. There is also an alliterative use of harsh consonant sounds, for instance in the line my two daughters dowers digest this third (Act I, Scene I, Line 128) or The sway, revenue, execution of the rest (Act I, Scene I, Line 137). This sets Lears character as one that is unbending and proud; an important facet of the plays later narrative where his harmartia (to use Aristotles (1965) term) in the form of his paternal pride, is revealed and reversed. The speech ends with a foreshadowing of the narrative of the whole play: Beloved sons, be yours; which to confirm, This coronet part betwixt you. Here, Lear unconsciously evokes the rending apart of territory as he sets in motion the fissures and fractures in the fabric of the monarchy that the play examines. The speech by Codelia in Act V in many ways represents the reverse of Lears. It is here that Shakespeare underlines the notion of familial loyalty, of constancy and of love and comes after Cordelia has reiterated her dedication for her father. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Had challenged pity on them. Was this face To be opposed against the warring winds Straight away we can notice the change in tone here, the repetition of Ds, Vs and Rs in Lears speech has been changed to Fs and Ws, creating a more sonorous timbre evocative of Cordelias gentle nature and the spirit of reconciliation that runs throughout her speech. The imagery Shakespeare uses here is reflective of the mimetic use of Nature throughout the rest of the play; Cordelia mentions the winds, the dread-bolted thunder (Act I, Scene VII, Line 34), and the quick, cross lightening (Act I, Scene VII, Line 36) all of which reminds us of Lears exile on the moors and the suggestion that this represents, for Shakespeare, the uncontrollable forces of fate. As Jay Halio (2001: 37-38) suggests, the loss of control that is symbolically evoked by the image of Nature, is a result of the splitting of the Kingdom, that we have already looked with the Lear speech of Act I and only resolves itself at this precise point in the play. The latter parts of the speech hint at Cordelias role as a restorative force; she literally makes her father human again after the treatment he is given by her sisters: Mine enemys dog, Though he had bit me, should have stood that night Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father, To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn, In short and musty straw? Here Shakespeare layers image upon image of baseness and animality to suggest not only how far the King has been reduced but also how true and loyal Cordelia is. In the two speeches we have looked at here, we have seen many of the themes of King Lear and also some the plays complexity. The play is, at once we could assert, concerned with both pride and constancy, anger and gentleness, wrath and restoration and the two speeches I have selected show this in microcosm. Each one also represents important points in the character development of Lear himself; his initial rebuke of his daughter evoking the false pride of the all too powerful monarch and Cordelias speech prompting his character reversal. A close analysis of these two speeches reveals just how Shakespeare weaves grand themes and narratives into the very fabric, the very minutiae of his text, evoking in an audience an almost subconscious appreciation of philosophical and thematic intents. Works Cited Aristotle (1965), The Poetics, London: Penguin Bloom, Harold (1987), William Shakespeares King Lear, New York: Random House Freud, Sigmund (1991), The Essentials of Psychoanalysis, (London: Penguin Halio, Jay (2001), King Lear: A Guide to the Play, London: Greenwood Press Shakespeare, William (1982), King Lear, published in The Tragedies, London: Aurora pp.218-239

The Influential Power of Oprah Winfrey Essay -- essays research papers

How can one person, whom most people have never met, influence the lives of people in the world today in such positive ways? Oprah Winfrey has been able to persuade and inspire many people around the world today because she has simply believed in herself and the good of the people. Oprah once said, â€Å"Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe† (Lowe 170). The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Angel Network, and Oprah’s Book Club have been some of the most indoctrinating pieces of work by Oprah. Moreover, these creations have been the ultimate techniques Oprah has used to reach out to the people of the world. Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential, dynamic, and powerful women of today’s society, has devoted her life’s works to influencing the people of the world. Millions of viewers tune in daily to be educated, entertained, or simply enlivened by Oprah as she visits them in the company of their own home. Oprah’s show has been so successful because of the ways in which she thinks and believes. Oprah said, â€Å"†¦ a good talk show will stimulate thought, present new ideas, and maybe give you a sense of hope where there wasn’t any-a feeling of encouragement, enlightenment; inspire you† (Lowe 151). The Oprah Winfrey Show has provided people with symmetrical, lucid, and comprehensive information on various topics. For example, money management and family finance issues were subjects for discussion during an episode on the show. Furthermore, shows need multidimensional aspects to keep the audience aroused, so a celebrity hour has energized the show. Such celebrities as Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts have been ostentatious guests of the hour. Moreover, the majority of viewers seemed really invigorated and motivated by Oprah with one particular topic of weight loss. For instance, society has battled with the issue of weight and Oprah’s own success with weight loss really encouraged her viewers to do the same. Here is one inspirational thought Oprah has stated â€Å"The bottom line is, you cannot lose weight until you make yourself enough of a priority to do the things you need to do to make it happen† (Winfrey). In conclusion, Oprah’s diversity on her talk show has empowered people through television by educating, entertaining, and inspiring. Oprah has continued to stick to her guns about keeping The Oprah Winfrey Show on higher... ...he Book Club have been the very reasons Oprah has become such a dominant reinforcement of character and morale in today’s society. Oprah has created several resources of communication in order to influence, inspire, educate, and strengthen others. Oprah’s own determination and perseverance has inspired her to give back to others. Oprah stated: Don’t complain about what you don’t have. Use what you’ve got. To do less than your best is a sin. Every single one of us has the power for greatness, because greatness is determined by service-to yourself and others (Lowe 167). All her works and creations have had one mission: the desire to improve the world and empower people. This simply stated mission has been the key to Oprah’s influential impact on people she has never met and in return, millions of people have remained loyal to her. Works Cited Lowe, Janet. Oprah Winfrey Speaks: Insight From The World’s Most Influential Voice. New   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  York: Wiley, 1998. Oprah.com Live Your Best Life. Ed. Harpo Productions, Incorporated. January 2005. Harpo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Productions Incorporated. 16 January 2005 Winfrey, Oprah. â€Å"Lose Weight with Oprah.† The Oprah Magazine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feb. 2005: 109-114.

Servant Leadership Benefits Both Organizationas and Employees Essay

In the traditional view of leadership, service is the job of the follower. However, servant leadership puts the leader at service. In servant leadership, the leader focuses on servicing their followers; they empathize, nurture, and provide attention so that the followers can develop their full personal capacities (Northouse, 2013). Spears (2002) identified 10 servant leader characteristics: Listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, and commitment to the growth of people. Listening involves the interactive process of communication between leaders and followers (Northouse, 2013). In the traditional world of leadership, we think of leaders as instructing, ordering, or ruling. In servant leadership, leaders listen first to understand and acknowledge their followers. Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s position and see where they are coming from. This makes the follower feel unique and validated (Northouse, 2013).Healing does not involve mystical powers, however it does involve offering support to followers by overcoming their personal problems and caring about their well-being (Northouse, 2013). Awareness is similar to emotional intelligence in that it includes the understanding of oneself and the impact one has on others through being attune and receptive to one’s physical, social, and political environments (Northouse, 2013). Persuasion, not coercion, is a servant leadership quality. Persuasion involves the use of gentle non judgmental argument, not force-like coercion (Northouse, 2013). Conceptualization and foresight are similar in that they both require a looking into the future. Conceptualization is visualization to help prepare for complex organiza... ...eir followers can result in ethical and efficient leadership.â€Å"When individuals engage in servant leadership, it is likely to improve outcomes at the individual, organizational, and societal levels (PSU, 2014)†.The servant leadership actions of Charlie Kim and Bob Chapman depict how the proper use of servant leadership creates trust, and inspires productivity; benefiting their organization, their employees, and those around them. References Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. PSU WC. (2014). PSYCH 485: Lesson 11, Servant leadership. Retrieved November 8th, https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa14/psych485/001/toc.html Sinek, Simon. (2014, March). Why good leaders make you feel safe [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_ safe#t-627531