Vik Muniz Photographs Essay Example For Students

Vik Muniz Photographs Essay I observed a very unique series of photographs by Vik Muniz called Seeing is Believing. Vik Munizs images are not simply photography but are pictures of complicated pieces of art he has produced at earlier times. Utilizing an array of unorthodox materials including granulated sugar, chocolate syrup, sewing thread, cotton, wire, and soil Muniz first creates an image, sculpturally manipulates it and then photographs it. Munizs pictures include portraits, landscapes, x-rays, and historical images. One work that particularly caught my attention was a photograph called Big James Sweats Bullets from the series Sugar Children. The content or subject matter of the artwork is representational. The photograph depicts the hardworking children of sugar cane plantations in South America. This particularly photo is a portrait of a dark skinned boy, slightly overweight, standing and grinning. The photo is of neatly arranged granulated sugar across a piece of black paper which produces the image of the boy. We will write a custom essay on Vik Muniz Photographs specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Many different sensory properties compose the artwork. There is a soft light that seems very natural coming off the boys face. The light shines at the boys face at an elevated level, as if he were outside on a hot afternoon with the sun overhead. There is a wide range of tones from very bright, in the reflection off the boys cheeks to very dark in the skin of the boys face. Muniz does an excellent job using shadows to provide a feeling of depth and adding curves to the boys body and face. The shape of the boy is positive, but the background is not defined, allowing a negative shape or void in the picture. Although there is no actually texture on the photograph the texture from the original work of art is apparent. The use of sugar gives off a hazy effect preventing the photo from having a clear focus. The portrait of the boy has a frontal vantage point with his body centered and balanced on at all angles. This shows the expression on the boys face and the size of the boys body, which is important to the title of the work. When looking at the photograph the eyes are immediately drawn to the boys face and grin. I chose this piece of art in particular because of the strong emotional message it sent to me. You could sense the hard work and labor the children experienced at these plantations. You tend to feel sorry for this child when considering what he must go through. What I enjoyed must about this photo was Munizs use of symbolism. The fact that he produced the image of a sugar cane working boy with actual sugar was both impressive and significant.

Global Electric Guitar Market Essays

Global Electric Guitar Market Essays Global Electric Guitar Market Paper Global Electric Guitar Market Paper The electric guitar is not a commodity or a regular good, is an instrument that becomes an extension of the player and helps him to convey emotions, gives him the sense of belonging to a certain group and helps to show his or her own Individuality; customers as well as the brand value, in this respect is similar to a luxury product, with the addition that there is a huge loyalty towards brands. Two companies clearly dominate the market: Fender and Gibson. They were also the pioneers of electric tartars and boast a wide range of products for diverse target markets: their entry- level products range from 1000 and their high standard production models are offered for about 10000, from that price and higher they seek to appeal to the collectors market, going to as high as 800000 for a guitar from a particular year, in this aspect they not Just sell the guitar as an instrument but as an investment. Is it not unusual for guitar players to identify themselves as a Fender guy or a Gibson guy to the extent of attributing personality values to the stated phrases, even if the onto actually possess an instrument from one of this two brands. The Global Electric Guitar Market is highly differentiated, with companies offering a wide palette of colors, materials, sound and features, as well as heroes to promote a particular model. Introduction to Porters Five Forces Framework The Bargaining Power of Suppliers : Before assessing the impact of suppliers to the manufacture of electric guitars, it is important to know the structure of the guitars, and the materials that have been used. As can be observed in the image, 3 main parts compose the electric guitars: The headstock, the neck and the body, and all are made in wood. There are other small pieces in metal, plastic and the strings. Electric guitar parts Therefore, wood is the main raw material for the manufacture of electric guitars. The wood has a great influence on the sounds the guitar can create so its quality is important. The primary requirements are that the wood must be consistent, flawless, knots or cracks; normally Mahogany, Maple, Basswood, Agates, Alder, Ash, Poplar, Spruce and Walnut are used. Although the quality of the wood is very important for making guitars, wood suppliers eave no bargaining power as firms can easily switch supplier since it is a very common material. Moreover, the production process of electric guitars of some traditional companies such as Gibson or Fender is done manually, and the machinery used does not have any significant level of sophistication. The Bargaining Power of Playing a musical instrument more specifically an electric guitar is not an essential need, in fact could be classified in the last level of Masons hierarchy of needs Self- Actualization which include realizing personal potential and creativity. Consequently, people play the guitar to enjoy, because they like it and nobody forces them. Keeping this in mind, buying the musical instrument is a whole experience to explore, because of the type of good and price, a regular Gibson or Fender electric guitar cost about 1000?, the customers tend to do a very meticulous purchasing process. Electric guitar purchasing process In fact, buying a electric guitar is not spontaneous, there are some crucial factors to the consumers as, the recognition of the brand, the specific characteristics of the product, the quality, the kind of music that is going to be played and among other incinerations. On the other hand, the guitar industry is a unapologetically competitive market (Guitar Center), which means, there is a significant number of companies operating in the market without a dominant control by any of these particular, the key issue in this type of market is product differentiation, not homogeneous goods are presented, ii, the guitars depending on the producer, have variations that allow it to be different. However, the producers must be very active and keep the advantages of the company, because the consumers can easily change the brand if does not fit totally with their expectations. In the same way and according to Porter If the product or service can be easily substituted, and if there is no risk involved, the bargaining power of the buyer is increased which means that the bargaining power of clients in the electric guitar market is high. For instance Fender and Gibson have long been the dominant electric guitar makers, but in the asss the Japanese guitar firm Beanie saw an opportunity and realized that they could make higher-quality products than the American firms, but at very competitive prices. Beanie focused on product innovation, while the American firms seemed to rest on their laurels. Beanie has been a big success, and it is one of the top guitar firms today (Edwards). V. The Threat of New Entrants Another of Porters five forces is the threat of new entrants. This refers to the threats and barriers new competitors of the same product or service undergo to try and succeed in the market amongst already established competitors. In the global electric guitar industry, seeing how it is a very unapologetically competitive market, the entry of barriers is quite moderate. In a monopolistic competition many producers sell products that are differentiated from one another, there are many producers and any consumers in the market, and no business has total control over the market price (Wisped). Globally, there are hundreds of electric guitar manufacturers and According to Guitar Center, There are few barriers to entry in the electric guitar industry, resulting in the ability for small guitar makers to build high quality instruments for reasonable prices. Small customized guitar makers make the inflated prices and poor machine made quality of the large vendors like Gibson and Fender look like robbery However, what the average and ignorant consumer does not know is that small businesses naturally eave an advantage in customization and unique application of products because of its ease of management and close ties with customers. Those startup businesses, which develop new quality products and services in existing markets, are able to enter novel products and markets to broaden their customer base. Many studies support the concept that consistently improved innovation or quality in production can satisfy and help create more customer demand. Although is hard to make a profit when your competitors are already making great revenue, if new entrants to the market focus on having a competitive advantage over he bigger rivals with high quality, personalized yet not too price electric guitars that could possibly be easy to ship to multiple places around the world, the new entrant could have a chance. However, as easy as that sounds, lets not forget the loyalty of already existing manufacturers. Another barrier to entry is the cost to manufacture an electric guitar. If one is based in the United States, the basic cost of building using pre-fabricated parts could cost over $700 (Seymour Duncan). Having the guitars being manufactured abroad might cost you less, if you take a look at Korea or Mexico for example, Mexican-made fenders come with a higher quality and the prices are quite low, yet it is still somewhat expensive, and hard to enter the global market as well. You have to consider the body of the guitar, the neck, the tuners, electronics, such as pots, switch, wires, the pickups, the bridge, neck plate, strap pins, etc. And lets not forget, the labor. And if this wasnt enough, throughout the years, electric guitars have decreased in price tremendously. What is happening with electric guitar industry is somewhat complex, but the main factor seems to be that the guitar manufacturers have simply over-produced. They have put far more electric guitars into the marketplace than the present demand for the guitars will bear. However, as a result of the overbuilding, the street prices of electric guitars have fallen dramatically. For the consumer this is a very positive thing in general. For small music stores it is a disaster. Small music stores survived by selling an electric guitar or two at a 30% margin. The extra profit paid their bills. That margin has dropped for them. The guitars stay longer on their shelves. Plus, there is a true critical mass of investment in the guitars before the dealer can create a local market for the attar (Gilligan). One of the main reasons of why the market for electric guitars have dropped is because the trend of now a days is a much different one. Electric guitars used to be real big back in the baby boomers era and it is time that the baby boomers outgrow the electric guitars. The new hip music of today, although electric, contains no electric guitars. Electronic Dance Music is to be known as the music of today globally. News and financial information, Forbes, writes that EDM/Pop is the music of the world now and that type of music has little to no electric guitar in it. So all you kids trying to make the decision whether its better to learn how to make beats or Join a garage band, choose wisely. The music of today might not be the music of tomorrow. Think hard before you give up on that plank of wood with metal wires. The electric guitar may be dead in music today as evidenced by guitarists everywhere scrambling to find new lines of work, but it may Just as likely rise from the musical ashes of tomorrow. Trends are like that If entering the global electronic guitar market was not hard enough, Porter mentions another force that it is essential to take in mind before starting your own company, and that is the threat of substitutes. The Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes, according to Porter, is the availability of a product that the consumer can purchase instead of the industry product. This could be seen as another barrier to entry. Like mentioned above, there are hundreds of competitors in the electric guitar market and if your company does not have a solid and strong competitive advantage, itd be really easy for a consumer to Just purchase another brand. However, its not only about consumers buying another brand of electric attar, its also about consumers choosing to buy a complete different guitar, such as an acoustic guitar. An Acoustic guitar offers similar benefits to the consumer as the product produced by the firms within the industry and according to Porters 5 forces, threat of substitutes shapes the competitive structure of an industry. (SCOFF). In the Musical Merchandise Review Current Issue, MI Stats: Guitar Market Breakdown, they give a brief explanation of why is it that Acoustic guitars have been outdoing electric guitars. Electric guitars make up less than half of all guitar sales at 47 percent with acoustic dominating the market by a small margin r the last few years, in our annual 50 Dealer/50 State report that is featured in the December issue, retailers have consistently told us that electric sales have been flat, but acoustics have been growing. In this months At a Glance, Tommy Collette of The Music Zoo seems to back that up. He says that while hes always been known primarily as an electric guitar shop, his increasing embrace of acoustics in the last year has proven to be a winning strategy (Mitchell). Only time when its said for electric guitars to outsell acoustic tartars is when consumers already have in mind paying a high price. High price tends to be associated with high quality and if they are already thinking of purchasing an expensive guitar, they tend to prefer an electric guitar more than an acoustic one. Another high threat of substitution, when trying to localize in different countries is that many countries, especially in Asia, rather spend a few more and purchase an already known brand than purchase a local one. Local brands cant compete with a Martin, Taylor, Fender, or Gibson [Asians] are keen to show that they can afford products of that status (Multidimensional). According to Porter, there is a high risk in threat if Consumer switching costs are high, if the substitute product is more expensive than industry product, if substitute product quality is inferior to industry product quality, if substitute performance is inferior to industry product performance and if there is no substitute product available. The last of the forces that Porter describes is the Extend of Competitive Rivalry. The Extent This is how the different factors impact the competition. The electric guitar market is a monopolistic competitive market because all producers differentiate their products. This means that on this point, the competitive rivalry is not so big as long as the producers keep their differentiation. But on the other hand, there is a big threat for substitutes, partially because of acoustic guitars which will be cheaper than electric guitars, and also guitars mainly coming from Asia, which are cheaper, but the population there would rather buy a brand as a way to show they can afford it. Moreover, the buyers have a high bargain since it is not a need to buy a guitar, and this kind of buying needs to be thought about because the electric guitars are quite expensive. Finally, suppliers dont have so many bargains since it is easy for the producers to choose another supplier (of wood principally). In overall, we can say that the competitive rivalry is quite high because there are a lot of producers, even if they can differentiate their products, and the consumers dont need this product. Moreover, there is not so much rivalry with acoustic guitars which are thought for different customers. And those three factors are more important than the fact that suppliers dont have much bargain. Conclusion From a threat, substitutes and rivalry point of view the guitar market is very interesting, because competition is not seen as a substitute, rather they are seen as a complementary good. Most guitarists aspire to own Fenders, Gibson, Beanie, and other brands whether they are Gibson guys, Fender guys or not. Is not surprising that many superstars own 400 or more guitars average, collecting instruments from several brands and periods. This means that as far as companies maintain their differentiation and be good with it, they will retain their customer base. Both companies have their golden years in which they were particularly revolutionary in heir designs (mostly in the late asss), some of the previously noted collector models are from these years, and both companies have incorporated Reissues Series in order to create standardized replicas of the models of those years, this constitute more expensive products but not prohibitive, for example a brand new Gibson Less Paul 59 Reissue sells for about 5200. We can separate the market into three segments: entry level, professional level, and luxury level. Customers from entry level are people who are starting to play, and considering whether to buy an instrument or not, probably considering the prices a little high and thus struggling with it, when we talked about migration in the threads section we were referring mostly to this segment, this segment could decide to pick up another instrument following the current trend or simply not be that interested in buying a guitar. Customers from the professional level and luxury level already play the guitar for years, have some preferences already and are not likely to quit playing or selecting a this point).

Botanical gardens Essay Example for Free

Botanical gardens Essay Last summer, my two friends rekindled an idea we had for a long time of going for a short excursion to a nearby lake where we would camp for three days. First we informed our parents of our intentions which they supported without any objection. We intended to use this opportunity to help in bonding our relationship even more. After this approval, we did a good budget of all the things that we required for the three days of our camping. After drawing the budget, we sourced for the required money most of which came from our pocket savings with a little help from our parents. We chose to set our camping dates within a weekend as these are the days when most of us had free time. After an informative consultation, we also found out that the camp is only open during the weekends so as to give the camping ground vegetation enough time to regenerate. When the day came, we all set off during the morning so that we could get to our destination in time. This also gave us an opportunity to select the best site to set our camps before other people could take up the available sites. After setting our tents, we embarked on a trip along the shores of the lake and the adjacent flower and botanical gardens. We spent the second day canoeing and swimming as well as participating in some of conservational activities that are a mandatory practice for every camper. By the dawn of the third day, we could not believe that the day had come for us to pack our belongings and head back home. The camping experience proved to be a worthy exercise by providing a refreshing moment in our life. Botanical gardens. (2016, Nov 05).

Business simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business simulation - Essay Example As such, it is important to involve them in fun activities and make them introduce themselves to one another so that they can break the ice (Dyer & Dyer, 2013). Secondly, I would ensure that each team member develops a common understanding of the various job roles within the new team (Bendaly & Bendaly, 2012). Each team member should be aware of what another member of the team is responsible for (Franz, 2012). Therefore, as everyone thrives to work to their highest standard possible, they should also help their team mates in the same, strengthening the ream spirit of working together (Kayes, 2004). A final strategy of improving the efficiency of the newly formed team would be to set the team goals and create a plan of how to achieve them. I would also conduct regular progress reviews to identify the achieved goals and clarify the responsibilities of each team member towards achieving the set goals (Ditullio, 2010). Having carried out the business simulation, I have gained a lot of experience in the business fields of marketing, strategy, team effectiveness and finance. As such, I believe I can highly contribute to a business team and work effectively towards achieving the set goals and objectives (Lussier & Achuna, 2010). The understanding of the factors that make a business successful makes me a potential team player in your business, and I can add value to it (Cox, 1997). Through the tough work and harsh conditions involved in the business simulation, it is evident that being decisive is a key element towards the success of business (Tracy, 2002). There are times when one is faced with situations in which they have to make prompt decisions that affect the business. These decisions can lead to either success or failure, but they have to be made. It is better to have a wrong decision than a delayed one (Skrabec & Benedict, 2003). The decisiveness of an individual in a business, especially in the

Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anthropology - Essay Example cide and ‘female genital mutilation’ are two of the practices that I would like to discuss looking from the point of view of a cultural relativist and later observe it as an ethnocentric anthropologist would. A cultural relativist would view these practices in the socio-cultural perspective of the people where it is practices and rationalise it as per the need and demand of the people and place. Infanticide is still prevalent in the far-east, especially in some part of India. It is the practice of killing infants in womb of the mother, especially if it is a girl child. As per the Indian custom, male children are supposed to carry on the family name and traditions and they are often preferred over girl child. It is also believed that last rites of a dead person must be carried by his or her ‘son’ so that he attains salvation of the soul. Under dire economic compulsions, mothers have been forced to kill the infant in the womb. On the other hand, female genital mutilation is practices among certain Moslim clan where pre pubescent girls are forced to undergo surgical mutilation of their genitals without anaesthesia. The Moslems believe that Quran1, their religious scripture, promoted this practice so that women do not become promiscuous and men are not swayed from the path of religion. It is the decree of Allah2, therefore, it is the personal choice of the individuals following that religion. As an ethnocentric anthropologist and as an American, I am totally aghast that such practices are still in vogue. Acts and proclamations that do not conform to basic human values of freedom of spirit and compassion for fellow human being, must be stopped at the earliest, even if they are carried on, in the name of religion and culture. Infanticide and FGM3 are both barbaric acts which violate the basic values of our race. Infanticide is killing of another human being and no matter what the compulsions are behind the deed, it is a murder of the first order and the

Concussions in football Essay Example for Free

Concussions in football Essay The quarterback drops back into the pocket and begins looking down field towards his receivers. One of the defensive linemen breaks through the offensive line and the quarterback quickly throws the ball away, but not before he is slung to the ground. As the quarterback lands on the ground, his head cracks back and hits the turf with tremendous force; and despite wearing a protective football helmet, the quarterback suffers a severe concussion. Concussions happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with weekly and need to be noted more carefully. The short and long term effects of multiple concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage, players often suffer from long term mental problems. So what is the NFL doing about this? Surprisingly enough, very little. Before we get started, its very important to know what exactly a concussion is. A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. A concussion involves a transient loss of mental function. It can be caused by acceleration or deceleration forces, or by a direct blow to the head. Whether a player is hit with a helmet to helmet type of hit, a face mask, or just hits his head to hard on the turf; they can all cause serious concussions. Concussions werent taken very seriously until the middle of the 20th century. Often times, if a player said he was ok to go back onto the field after a concussion; the team doctors would let him. Recently, however, the NFL began doing studies on concussions due to the career ending injuries to Troy Aikman and Steve Young. In 1994, the NFL commissioned a research committee to learn more about concussions and the lasting effects that they had on players. The lead investigator, Dr. Elliot Pellman, took a look at videotapes from 174 different concussion instances to determine what designs they could make in the NFL helmet to reduce the amount of concussions that players suffered. Pellman and his colleagues wrote in January 2005 that returning to play after a concussion does not involve significant risk of a second injury either in the same game or during the season. However, a 2003 NCAA study of 2,905 college football players found just the opposite: Those who have suffered concussions are more susceptible to further head trauma for seven to 10 days after the injury. Pellman and his group have also stated repeatedly that their work shows no evidence of worsening injury or chronic cumulative effects of multiple concussions in NFL players. But a 2003 report by the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina found a link between multiple concussions and depression among former pro players with histories of concussions. A 2005 follow-up study at the Center showed a connection between concussions and both brain impairment and Alzheimers disease among retired NFL players. Pellman told the NFL commissioner that half of the players that suffer concussions in game are allowed to return to the game. Pellman has no objections to having the players return because he doesnt think the players risk any significant long term damage by returning. However, many experts completely disagree with Pellman. The Second International Conference on Concussion in Sport met in Prague in 2004 and released the following statement: When a player shows ANY symptoms or signs of a concussion the player should not be allowed to return to play in the current game or practice. Many sports doctors agree that no players should return after concussions for a while because they are extremely susceptible to further brain damage. Many NFL players report having blacked out after returning from a concussion in the same game. According to Pellman though, they are completely fine. Several of the countrys preeminent neurosurgeons and neurophysiologists have grown increasingly concerned that the league is putting players at risk by following Pellmans lead. For one thing, Pellman is a rheumatologist by training a specialist in the treatment of joints and muscles not a neurologist. To be honest, that is all I really need to hear about him. How is a guy that is not even a certified neurologist giving advice to the NFL about the seriousness of concussions? Not only that, Pellman refuses to look at other data regarding concussions because he only wants to look at the data that he extracted from his players. Pellman reportedly left out many different cases involving players with concussions that did not coincide with his data. An associate he worked with said that 850 or so baseline cases were left out of their study when they should have been included. The NFL has to decide how much longer it can afford to send players back into games after theyve been knocked out. How much longer it wants to tell players that multiple concussions pose no threat to their future mental health. And how much longer it wants to keep relying on Elliot Pellmans research to make its calls.

The Continued Importance of Books Essay -- essays research papers

Many people don’t realize the potential of books. It is a highly emotional even when a serious book collector takes a well bound book of favorite content into his or her hands; it is as though they are holding and cherishing an invaluable and exquisite piece of art. Books have been an issue of many of religions and even militant factions and yet, they remain today providing us with places to go, an escape from reality, and higher knowledge. First and foremost, books are free voyages to anywhere in the world. You can open a book and with the flick of your eyes and the will of your imagination, be where ever the book takes you. If the book is about Ireland, then you can read about the country as though you were there and the only limitations as to how real it may be, is your own imaginatio...

Essay Question: Examine How Steinbeck Presents the Character of Curley’s Wife in ‘of Mice and Men’

Essay Question: Examine how Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’ The famous novella ‘O Mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck, in which all characters play an immense role. Firstly the time in which this novel was written has a direct impact on the characters life style and personality. As we know, this novel was written during the time of the great depression, which was based in 1929. It was known as the great depression, because it lasted for up to 10 years. During this time women had no rights and were abounded and isolated from social activities.They were known to be the possession of their husband. In this novella Steinbeck shows us two view on the character of Curley’s wife, however our perception of her changes without herself actually changing. As a reader we know how she is without even seen her. She was first mentioned by Candy, as he was describing her to George. Through her description we know that â€Å"she got the eye†, meaning that she is a person who can cause danger to others. Furthermore Candy described her as a â€Å"tart†, â€Å"tramp† and a â€Å"bitch†.Before actually seeing her we know that she is the only women in the ranch and that she is a flirtatious person as well as a promiscuous person. Also Steinbeck describes her as a â€Å"girl† instead of a â€Å"woman†. This shows that he is informing the reader about her personality and how she is. Girls are mainly described as immature and innocent and that they don’t have enough knowledge about the world, where as a woman is a much mature person with a wider knowledge about the world and life. Curley’s wife is described as a girl, because she is being looks down at and not respected as she should be it also emphasises her vulnerability.

Assess the Importance of Developments in Military Technology as a Factor in the Changing Nature of Military Strategy in the Period C1850 â€C1985.

Assess the importance of developments in military technology as a factor in the changing nature of military strategy in the period c1850 –c1985. The development of military technology can undoubtedly alter the way in which a war or battle is fought. Major military innovations have allowed for strategies to be adapted and refined. For example the invention of tanks allowed for strategic usage of movement to end the stalemate of World War One. The advances in technology have reformed the way in which a war is fought in the air as well as on the ground and sea. If one side was in control of more advanced technology, it could be said they had a greater advantage over the enemy, with increased military capability. However the relationship between the technology and the strategy behind its deployment is essential. For the technology to achieve its goal, the planning, conduct and organisation must be beneficial. Technology however is not entirely responsible for the changes in military strategy, Leadership and tactics also play a part, but which is ultimately the most accountable? The key technology that fundamentally affected the battles of the Crimean war was the invention of an effective rifle. Neil Stewart states that â€Å"The greatest change in land warfare was the substantial increase in the range, accuracy and firepower of the percussion cap rifles and the rifled artillery. † This resulted in the attacking force standing little chance of succeeding and enabled the British to fight from greater distances with a higher chance of hitting the enemy. The infantrymen no longer had to load one bullet at a time, as a magazine could now take up to nine bullets in their magazine. This meant loading time was reduced and the British were more likely to cause greater damage to the enemy over a shorter period. Furthermore Massie announces â€Å"The introduction of the Minie rifle and then the Enfield, revolutionised the battlefield. The ordinary infantry soldier now possessed a weapon long-ranged and accurate enough to enable him to operate it independently. † This shows that now lines of infantry were now not needed and concentrated fire was not used. From the Crimean war, it is clear one strategy should never have been used. The charge of the light brigade saw a cavalry charge against infantry and artillery. A report by Lieutenant-General Liprandi states â€Å"The English cavalry appeared, more than 2,000 strong†¦The enemy made a most obstinate charge†¦notwithstanding the well-directed fire from six guns of the light battery No. 7, and that of the men armed with carbines†¦In this attack the enemy had more than 400 men killed and sixty wounded, who were picked up on the field of battle, and we made twenty-two prisoners. † Thus by the First World War, the cavalry were no longer used to attack against enemies laden with artillery. The dominance of the machine gun in the First World War led to great strategic changes. Whereas a rifle could fire around fifteen rounds a minute, a machine gun could fire six hundred. The stalemate of the War meant that the guns could be set up in permanent positions resulting in the war becoming a defensive one. Stewart states â€Å"Unprotected troops could not expose themselves to this deadly onslaught of fire for long†¦and this meant digging into the ground. † This explains how trenches became a popular method of escaping machine gun fire. Trenches were not only a defensive method, but were ideal for launching an attack from within. The machine gun meant that military strategy was now in fact to keep killing until there was nothing left of the enemy, otherwise known as a war of attrition. The Battle of the Somme was designed to simply mow down as many of the German enemy as possible and try to break their morale. However this tactic proved to unsuccessful by Corporal W. Shaw. Shaw states â€Å"Our artillery had been bombing their line for six days and nights†¦the result was we never got anywhere near the Germans†¦they were just simply slaughtered. The stalemate of trench warfare leant itself for the reintroduction of mobile tactics. Stewart explains â€Å"By 1918 the British troops had moved away from the long linear advance; their attacking force was now built around a heavily armed, mobile, semi-independent platoon of 40 men. † It could be said that long range tactics were now used, making the attac ks depersonalised. The introduction of tanks meant that a preliminary barrage was no longer needed and attacks often now had the element of surprise. Their main tactic was to clear the trenches of the enemy and make a clear pathway for the infantry to follow behind. A report by the war office in 1918 states, â€Å"At the end of the campaigning season of 1917 we tried the experiment at Cambrai of using tanks in large number to take the place of artillery bombardment. † The use of tanks meant that there was a saving to be made in infantry, compared to that required to follow up an artillery bombardment. To finally break the Hindenburg line, the coordination of sophisticated artillery cover along with tanks, aeroplanes and armoured cars was used as the military strategy and according to Stewart â€Å"The battle tactics of the Second World War had emerged at the very end of the First World War. The tactics and strategies used in the Second World War were often based upon those used in the First World War. Many of the weapons used were simply the same but improved versions of those used before, thus you would think the same military strategy would be used. However the main military strategy of World War Two was to use the coordination of all available weapons and forces to strike the enemy at its weakest point instead of over a long front. The British and French went into the war believing it was going to be a defensive one; however the Germans were planning on it being an offensive one and to win it quickly. According to Foley â€Å"The Allied armies, completely unprepared for the rapid, mobile operations of the Germans, had simply been out-fought at every turn. † Stewart backs this up with his quote â€Å"A large part of the effectiveness of blitzkrieg was the panic and confusion produced by this unimagined mobility and advance. Opponents became quickly demoralized and surrendered rapidly. † It can be said that this strategy was only effective with the use of advanced technology. Stewart states â€Å"A number of strategists†¦had advanced the theories of rapid mobile attack based upon concentrations of tanks. Putting this military strategy into practice resulted in the success of blitzkrieg. For example the French and British may have a higher number of tanks than Germany; however they chose not to concentrate them into large masses. Therefore it was not am advance in technology that forced the military plan to change, it was in fact then way in which the leaders chos e to deploy it. Stewart also states â€Å"The intensification of the bombing offensive in 1943, however, had only limited results and incurred disastrous losses. This produced a change of strategy by the allies. This explains that perhaps Germany had superior technology in the air and therefore the Allies formed a military strategy which consisted of the total destruction of the German air force to achieve air supremacy. The commander in chief of the American air forces issued the instruction to â€Å"Destroy the enemy air force wherever you find them in the air, on the ground and in the factories. † This shows how the Allies military plan was adapted to fully concentrate on the effectiveness of how to attack Germany’s air force. Leadership could also be considered a factor as to why military strategy changes. For example Haig has often been criticised for the tactics he used in the First World War. Laffin says â€Å"A great commander knows exactly what he’s sending his men into but Haig didn’t. The principle which guided him was that if he could kill more Germans than the Germans could kill his men, then he would inevitably win. Now that is an appalling kind of strategy. It’s not a strategy at all, it’s just slaughter. † Therefore it could be said that others would have chose a different strategy to Haig and not risked thousands of lives, meaning different leaders would address situations differently. However on the other side many have argued that in fact Haig’s tactics did finally work in 1918 when he had more tanks and artillery to support him, perhaps making technology responsible. Furthermore Clarke tells of a conversation apparently held between Hoffman and Ludendorff. â€Å"Ludendorff: ‘The English soldiers fight like lions’ Hoffman: ‘True. But don’t we know that they are lions led by donkeys. ’ This shows perhaps if the leaders had provided a better military strategy, the brave soldiers could have been ‘lions’ which accomplished greater achievements. Moreover Spilsbury states â€Å"Raglan†¦arrived at the top of this elevation Raglan was now in one of the most extraordinary positions ever taken up by a commander on the battlefield†¦Calthorpe reported ‘Lord Raglan at once saw the immense importance of getting guns up here, where they could enfilade all the Russian guns†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows Raglan to be an intelligent leader who could formulate and execute military strategy well and therefore having considerable influence in the way in which the battle was fought. Logistics should also be considered. Johnson states â€Å"The logistical difficulties of the war prompted army reform in Great Britain. † Speaking of the Crimean War, this quote shows that military strategy had to be adapted to fit around these problems. He then goes on to say â€Å"The first, and most important was the rationalisation of the chain of command for organisation in the field. † This shows how rationalising as a strategy was bought in due to complications with logistics. Moreover Overy states â€Å"Yet an operation designed to move 4000 ships, 2 million men and 12000 aircraft to France, from a base only a few minutes flying time from German airfields, appeared an impossible secret to keep for six long months. † This is regarding the d-day landing of World War Two. A large amount of men and supplies had to be landed without being seen by the Germans, which would mean an excellent military strategy would be needed. The moving of these men and supplies resulted in a strategy being produced like no other. Overall the tactics in Second World War had changed dramatically from the First World War. The technology was present in the First World War however its full potential had not been realised until later. From that it could be concluded that it was in fact factors other than technology that changed the nature of military strategy, such as leadership for example. If the leaders in the Second World War had not realised the mistakes made in tactics of the First World War, then perhaps they would not have been successful with their military planning. However as technology progressed, its users were capable of achieving success in many different ways. In the Crimean War, due to the innovation of a successful rifle, strategy changed from fighting together to being able to fight independently. Tanks and armoured cars brought back mobility and therefore strategies changed to overcome the stalemate of trench warfare in World War One. A good leader could be assessed by the way in which he managed to supply his troops, in other words logistics. So therefore logistics itself may have limited effect on military strategy as it is in fact the way in which a leader uses logistics to their advantage which is responsible for the change. To conclude, technology is forever changing and will carry on doing so long into the future. As it does so, the strategy behind the way it is deployed will have to change with it if it is to be a success. However whether or not a leader produces a high-quality military plan that supports the deployment of this new technology will also play a role in the development of military strategy.

“Human Resource Management Practices in” Scb Essays

â€Å"Human Resource Management Practices in† Scb Essays â€Å"Human Resource Management Practices in† Scb Essay â€Å"Human Resource Management Practices in† Scb Essay HR Planning: HR Planning process consists of forecasting, goal setting and strategic planning, and program implementation and evaluation. As the Bank operates in a dynamic environment where new and advanced practices are frequently emerging resulting in changing customer’s requirements. Not only this, the demands on existing staff resources fluctuate in order to maintain the provision of services, it becomes even more critical that all managers contribute to HR planning in a structure way. Recruitment: Standard Chartered Bank recruits the most talented individuals from the external market to supplement our internal pipeline of talent. Their Human Resources department provides guidance on the use of psychometric tests and has robust recruitment criteria to ensure that all candidates are treated fairly, equally and with respect. It has a global Graduate Recruitment Program; where in the region of 150 graduates are recruited each year on a management trainee program across all businesses, functions and countries. Selection: Standard Chartered selects employees based on knowledge, skills and talent. They are committed to providing equality of opportunity to all employees, regardless of gender, race , nationality , age , disability , ethnic origin , or marital status. Training Development: Standard Chartered provides a framework within which the employee can identify the training and development needs. Such training provides a consistent standard of management learning throughout Standard Chartered. It lso enables the employees to take all of the programs or study for individual modules according to their particular development needs. Performance Appraisal: Performance management is the process through which managers ensure that employee activities and outputs are congruent with the organization’s goals. It is central to gaining competitive advantage. The key elements of a Performance Management System include the following: 1. A Formal Compensation Philosophy Statement 2. Salary Admini stration Program 3. Job Evaluation System 4. Performance Appraisal System 5. Reward Programs Purpose of Performance Appraisal: There are a number of reason for carrying out the performance appraisal of employees such as promotion, transfer etc. Therefore, the Bank makes sure that the employees clearly understand the objectives of the performance appraisal. Reliability: At Standard Chartered Bank the performance management criteria resembles test-retest reliability. According to this the employees are evaluated on annual basis and those employees who have somewhat similar ratings from year to year have greater chances of getting promotion, bonuses etc. Acceptability: Diverging opinions prevail about the acceptability of the performance appraisal. Some employees accept them to be fair while others believe them to be biased and predetermined. In addition to this the views regarding fairness are perceived differently within the three categories including: 1. Procedural 2. Interpersonal 3. Outcome Specificity: One of the major lacking in the performance appraisal method of Standard Chartered Bank is in the area of specificity. Amongst the various levels of employees the performance evaluation is believed not to provide specific guidance about what is expected of them and how they can meet these expectations. Necessary Measures: Adopting the following measures can reduce the shortcomings of the system: Employees should be involved in the appraisal process, i. e. information should be taken from them. The process should result in effective outcomes by telling the employees that how can they improve their performance. This would not only benefit the Bank, but would also help the employees in their personal development. Compensation: In getting the message out about the Bank’s products and services. How effectively the sales team markets the Bank, and in turn, how successful it is, is directly related to the sales compensation program. A sound sale compensation package enables Standard Chartered Bank to focus sales activities towards desired results, and rewards these outcomes with compensation tied directly to the level of achievement. Rewards Recognition: Standard Chartered Bank rewards the talented and high performing employees competitively. They regularly conduct salary surveys to ensure the reward package remains competitive in the market place. They encourage continuous discussion; encourage regular review of employees’ performance and development. This provides feedback to the staff about how they are doing. The management links this to both financial and non-financial recognition.

A case of Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A case of Company Law - Essay Example n Telecomms Plc, a public company limited by shares on the potential legal consequences of an anticipated complaint against its subsidiary company Mobilestoyou Limited, for loss of health and property by one of the customers of the subsidiary, under the provisions of Company Law. The Company was formed with 30,000 fully paid ordinary shares of â‚ ¤ 1 each subscribed by Peter, Paul and Mary While Peter and Mary pays the value of the shares by cash, Paul pays the cost of his shares by transferring the ownership of his 10 year old car to the company. The legal position with reference to the issue of initial shares is as under: The Act does not specify any minimum capital for the private companies. In the case of Newtown the company was formed with the authorized capital of â‚ ¤30,000 which is in violation of the provisions of the company law. The company should increase the authorized capital by passing an ordinary resolution (unless the articles of association require a special or extraordinary resolution). A copy of the resolution - and notice of the increase on Form 123 - must reach Registrar of Companies within 15 days of being passed. Hence the allotment of shares to Paul against the value of his cars does not pose a problem. However the company should file a form 88(2) showing the extent to which the shares are to be treated as paid-up. The form should also specify a brief description of the non-cash payment for which the shares were allotted usually the sole shareholder) the companies acts began to recognise that treating each company in a group as separate was misleading. Over time a number of provisions were introduced to recognise this fact. Facts of the case: Until 1979, Cape, an English company, mined and marketed asbestos. Its worldwide marketing subsidiary was another English company, named Capasco. It also had a US marketing subsidiary incorporated in Illinois, named NAAC. In 1974, some 462 people sued Cape, Capasco, NAAC and others in Texas, for

Arena Chapel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Arena Chapel - Essay Example The collection and distribution of money in order to obtain a profit, or usuring, was a very serious sin during this time period. Scorvegni thus more than likely had the chapel made in order to atone for his father's crimes. This was a way for Scorvegni to regain his family's name and thus to cleanse himself of anything his father may have done in the past. This can best be displayed by Scorvegni's dedication of the chapel in part to Santa Maria del Carita de Arena, the Virgin of Chastity, to try and remove the greedy stamp that had been applied to the family. Furthermore, within the Chapel itself, the sin of usury can be viewed in several of the chapel's frescoes. Perhaps the most powerful vision of this present in the chapel is the picture of Judas accepting money to betray Christ. Another picture displaying this image depicts Christ banishing the Temple merchants, and the addition of the usurers being hanged in Hell from their money bags. Scorvegni thus made a serious attempt to l et others know that he did recognize the sins of his family as serious ones. Scrovegni's development of the chapel was meant to be viewed as a reflection of his piety, and his atonement for the sins of his father. He was also following in the footsteps of the practice of the time, for several wealthy merchants had chapels constructed within their palaces. This seems to present us with a bit of conflict of motivation for the chapel's creations, which is also reflected in some of the chapel's pictorials: Among the factors that relate specifically to Enrico Scrovegni are a possible desire to expiate his father's usury and at the same time to make his own expenditure conspicuous; an ambition for status combined with a fear of damnation; a desire, on the one hand, to be regarded as an ascetic devoted to the cult of the Virgin, and, on the other, to secure for himself a fitting property to serve as his personal monument. (Norman 92) It appears quite possible that the Chapel was consecrated on March 25, 1305, during the Feast of the Annunciation (Norman 92). The first reference to the Arena Chapel was discovered in the poem The Documents of Love composed by Barberino. The poem alludes to Envy which "Giotto painted excellently in the Arena at Padua." Envy is just one figure of sins and vices found on the walls of the chapel. The chapel is a very interesting composition that tells a story within the cycle of its frescos. The cycle of the pictures displays the story of the Life of the Virgin as well as the Life of Christ. The presentation of the Virgin's story seems highly significant since the chapel itself is dedicated to the Virgin. Another interesting part of the chapel's dedication is the area reserved for the Virgin of the Annunciation, which also helps to contribute to the Annunciation on the Chancel Arch. The frescos here represent the end of the story of the Virgin and the beginning of the story of Christ (Cole 98). The story starts on the higher level on the south wall, with Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Virgin. The story then progresses from east to west. Viewers first see the Expulsion of Joachim from the Temple and the finale of this occurrence, when Joachim and Anna discover each other at the Golden Gate.