Urban Problems and the Authors Who Revealed Them to Us Free Essays

Around the 18th century, the industrial revolution began. This is when immigrants came and started to work in factories, not-so-good conditions. They worked in sorrowful rooms called sweatshops. We will write a custom essay sample on ï » ¿Urban Problems and the Authors Who Revealed Them to Us or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are some authors who were alive at the time and decided to investigate upon it. Others who were not alive at the time and they still were interested and were destined to research it. These authors were cordial to inform us the problems and vexations during that era. In this essay, I will be conducting, comparing and contrasting two books; ‘The jungle by Upton Sinclair†. And ‘How the other half lives† by Jacob Riis. How the Other Half Lives Imagine living in a dark, unlit tenement which is windowless and about 10 feet square. Photographers would come; a flash explodes, enlightening their impoverishment. Although the dimness of the room, a document of urban poverty is made. That is the way; Jacob Riis took pictures in lower Manhattan. This pioneering work of photojournalism by Jacob Riis focused on the plight of the poor in the Lower East Side, and greatly influenced future â€Å"muckraking† journalism. Riis mostly attributed the plight of the poor to environmental conditions, but he also divided the poor into two categories: deserving of assistance (mostly women and children) and undeserving (mostly the unemployed and intractably criminal). He wrote with prejudice about Jews, Italians, and Irish, and he stopped short of calling for government intervention. Still, the catalyst of his work was a genuine sympathy for his subjects, and his work shocked many New Yorkers. The Jungle Upton Sinclair was a desperately poor, young socialist hoping to remake the world when he settled down in a tarpaper shack in Princeton Township and penned his Great American Novel. Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle to expose the appalling working conditions in the meat-packing industry. His description of diseased, rotten, and contaminated meat shocked the public and led to new federal food safety laws. Before the turn of the 20th century, a major reform movement had emerged in the United States. Known as progressives, the  reformers were reacting to problems caused by the rapid growth of factories and cities. Progressives at first concentrated on improving the lives of those living in slums and in getting rid of corruption in government. By the beginning of the new century, progressives had started to attack huge corporations like Standard Oil, U. S. Steel, and the Amour meat-packing company for their unjust practices. The progressives revealed how these companies eliminated competition, set high prices, and treated workers as â€Å"wage slaves. â€Å" How to cite ï » ¿Urban Problems and the Authors Who Revealed Them to Us, Papers

Gatsby’s Dream Essay Example For Students

Gatsby’s Dream Essay Jay Gatsby, the central character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby symbolizes the American dream. The American dream offers faith in the possibility of a better life. Its attendant illusion is the belief that material wealth alone can bring that dream to fruition. Through Gatsby, Fitzgerald brings together both these ideas. Jay Gatsby thinks money is the answer to anything he encounters. He has the best of everything. The fanciest car, the largest house, and the finest clothes. Jay has everything except the object he most desires, Daisy. Gatsby believes he can win Daisy over with wealth, that he could achieve the ideal she stood for through his material possessions. One look at Gatsby’s past and it could be seen that he was destined to get ahead in life. Mr. Gatz told Nick, â€Å"Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that. He told me I et like a hog once and I beat him for it† (182). Gatsby’s determination to gain a large bankroll is a huge part of the American dream. He believes that once he achieved his financial goal it would lead to a better life. In America the car is one of the greatest status symbols. Gatsby’s gorgeous machine is one of the most majestic cars created. Nick’s comments on the vehicle describe its luster, â€Å"†¦and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hatboxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes†¦Sitting down behind many layers of glass in a sort of leather conservatory we started towards town† (68). The use of the symbolic automobile can be seen as a emonstration of how an ideal based on materialism alone can be destructive. This was the fatal car which kills Myrtle Wilson and indirectly leads to Gatsby’s death. Appearance is another important factor toward Gatsby’s dream. In his quest to win Daisy’s heart Gatsby chooses to wear his best outfit. â€Å"†¦the front door opened nervously and Gatsby in a white flannel suit, silver shirt and gold colored tie hurried in† (89). Silver and gold are the colors of wealth, Gatsby’s sartorial splendor is as lavish as any of the other items he owns. Gatsby’s shirts are more then just garments towards Gatsby. They are some of the many fascinating objects he possesses that were created by money. These shirts contribute towards Gatsby’s vision of the American dream, that his money and belongings will create happiness for him. Another major object of Gatsby’s dream was his incredible house. Jay states to Nick and Daisy, â€Å"My house looks well, doesn’t it? See how the whole front of it catches the light† (95). Jay gave Nick and Daisy the grand tour of his house showing of all of his worldly possessions. Room after room, everything was shown and mentioned. At the sight of his piles and piles of shirts Daisy broke down. â€Å"They’re such beautiful shirts, it makes me sad because I’ve never seen such–such beautiful shirts before† (98). Jay Gatsby’s ideals were parallel to the typical American dream. He wants to claim his objective by the use of his assets. He thinks that his money will give him happiness in life through love and his personal belongings. Even the richest man in the world can’t have everything. Material wealth ould provide many things for Jay Gatsby but not the thing he most desired. Although his wealth drew Daisy closer to him, he never truly could have possessed her heart. He demanded Daisy to state that she had never loved Tom Buchanan. â€Å"Oh, you want too much! † she cried to Gatsby, â€Å"I love you now–isn’t that enough? I can’t help what’s past. I did love him once–but I loved you too. † (139-140). Jay’s true love still remained with her uncaring husband, Tom. Jay Gatsby’s dream was smashed when he found out that even all of his assets weren’t enough to woo Daisy to him. .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 , .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .postImageUrl , .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 , .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1:hover , .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1:visited , .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1:active { border:0!important; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1:active , .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1 .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u71120a7583c953bb72f1859c6a90b5f1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Comparing The Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain and The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger EssayJay Gatsby’s belief in the American dream keep him from realizing reality. He believes that if he worked hard enough and made enough money that he could have anything. He wants to perceive the world as a place where sufficient wealth would enable him to recapture and recreate the past he desired with Daisy. Gatsby began planning for his dream when he was young. This can be seen from his journal he wrote as a young man which was discovered by Mr. Gatz. His attempt to accomplish his dream with cars and shirts could not have been successful.

Femicide in Guatemala free essay sample

Femicide in Guatemala â€Å"Six women and girls were killed in Guatemala last week in one day alone. Two of the girls, about 6 and 12 years old, were found strangled to death in a street in the capital Guatemala City wearing their pajamas† (Moloney 1). Guatemala has the third highest rate of Femicide in the world. Femicide is defined as the killing of a woman by a man because she is a female. In Guatemala, a significantly high number of femicide cases have been reported and I strongly believe that this is a very troublesome and unhealthy issue for the population. More than 3800 females have been murdered in Guatemala since the year 2000 and this is just the official number. This clearly suggests that numerous innocent women are tortured and killed by men each day throughout the region. Another report suggests that 512 women were killed between January 1 and October 16 in the year 2012 alone and this is after a 10 percent decline from the previous year. We will write a custom essay sample on Femicide in Guatemala or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (PCUSA, 1) Most of these cases were reported in the province of Guatemala, which includes the country’s largest city and capital. The fact that this number is still so high despite the drop suggests what an urgent issue this is. There are various reasons for this violent victimization of women throughout Guatemala and is becoming an increasingly pressing issue which needs serious attention. It has been reported that this region is one of the unsafe areas in the world for women. Each day countless women are raped, mutated, forced into sexual slavery and abortions, sterilized and murdered. This creates a sense of fear among the entire population and makes them more submissive to this brutality. Men and women throughout the country live their lives in immense anxiety and stress of losing the women that they love. One of the main concerns regarding femicide is impunity, meaning that most of these cases are not brought to trial. Reports suggest that only 1%-2% of femicide cases are prosecuted whereas criminals have a 98% to 99% chance of completely escaping any punishment or prosecution. This poses a huge problem because women don’t get the justice that they deserve and criminals easily escape. This is very unfair for the innocent women who are victims of such crimes because their offenders don’t receive the punishment that they deserve. Another main reason for this exigent issue is the inability of the Guatemalan authorities to ensure the safety of women. This is to say that the Guatemalan government is so corrupt that they are unable to provide security for women and with the extremely high rate of impunity it is almost impossible for women to find justice. Now, it is very important to understand why these gender specific crimes exist in the region. One of the main reasons for this violent targeting of women goes back to the â€Å"Guatemalan government and military’s 36 year old genocidal counterinsurgency campaign against the country’s Mayan population† (Mychalejko 1). This is to say that the reason behind this problem of femicide exists to destroy the intricate social bonds of Mayan communities. Additionally, â€Å"Gender violence not only terrorizes women in the community, but it also disrupts traditional patriarchal gender relations by sending the message to men that they are not capable of protecting women† (Mychalejko 1). I find this medium of using gender violence to target an indigenous population very disappointing. It is not ethical for a population to kill thousands of women in order to get even with a community. Further, it is believed that this harsh behavior against women is really effecting the male population because such incidents happen so frequently that they are becoming insensitive to such incidents. Men in the Guatemalan society have become normalized to such reports and this can be seen because the crimes are continuing to become more inhumane and frequent. As mentioned above, one of the primary reasons for this ongoing violence against women is the Guatemalan Civil war, which left behind harsh memories of violence and impunity. The increased militarization cause by the ongoing war on drugs also continues to contribute to these high femicide rates. Guatemala is one of the regions strongly involved in the drug trade and thus women are used as collateral damage in the battle between gangs. Additionally, the economic and political climate in the region is not very stable and thus the land a resource conflict also contributes to these innocent deaths. Lastly, it has also been found that the increased involvement of foreign governments, especially US and Canada play an important role in this violence targeted to women. Basically, the Guatemalan government uses the targeting of women as a â€Å"tactical and deliberate tool of political repression (Mychalejko 2). In my personal opinion, not only is this very disturbing but it is also very unfair. Women play an important role in building a society and this unnecessary violence against them is very alarming. Using women as a bait to target the bigger economic and political issues is unethical and should not be practiced by any government. It is impossible for women to find hope and justice in a society where such high impunity exists. This continues to be a never-ending cycle for thousands of innocent women who lose their lives, while the people responsible are let free. Overall this is an absolute shame and mockery of the system. The Guatemalan civil war really contributes to these high rates of gender violence in the country. The aftermath of the war left more than 200,000 Guatemalans murdered, most of who were indigenous. Also, thousands were raped, tortured, disappeared and displaced. The most disappointing part however, is that over 98 percent of the people who engaged in these war crimes were left free. It is this lack of justice that left criminals in the country in power and innocent victims hurt. Therefore, these high rates of femicide are to inform the local population about this harsh past and to remind them that justice has not yet come. In conclusion, I think that we must all focus our attention to this increasing issue of femicide in Guatemala. In the recent times, as the political repression against women in increasing, they are becoming more active in order to prevent femicide. For example, â€Å"In Guatemala it has been proven that as more women participate politically and socially, it brings out more repression. An example is the recent attempt on the life of [the aforementioned anti-mining activist] Yolanda Oqueli† (Mychalejko 3). Yolanda is a leader of FRENAM, a movement that aims to defend land from expansion activities. She was returning home from a peaceful protest when she was shot. I believe that this issue of femicide is one that needs immediate attention. It is absolutely wrong and immoral to use a country’s women as a way of gaining political control. Additionally, the Guatemalan government is extremely corrupted and has a very high rate of impunity, which in turn, allows criminals to go free and possibly even commit the crime again. I suggest that the citizens of the world acknowledge this and do an intervention throughout the region. It is high time that women not be used as a bait to target men or to settle past scores. Women are an integral part of any society and deserve respect and security.

The Impact of Culture Differences on Strategy Realisation in the Post-Acquisition Process The WritePass Journal

The Impact of Culture Differences on Strategy Realisation in the Post-Acquisition Process REFERENCES The Impact of Culture Differences on Strategy Realisation in the Post-Acquisition Process Impact of Culture on the Post-Acquisition Integration ProcessResearch frameworkHypothesesDiscussion and ImplicationsLimitationsFurther researchREFERENCESRelated This study sets out to develop an understanding of why and how in the post-acquisition integration process, culture differences impact strategy realization. Based on clinical research, the effect of culture differences was explored in multiple integration settings within a single multinational corporation. This pointed to various degrees of perceived organizational and perceived personal uncertainty associated with different integration approaches impacting on commitment to organizational goals. A controlled laboratory experiment validated perceived uncertainty causing an individual change on the socially constructed variable culture, which affects employees’ behavior, such that it negatively impacts the process to strategy realization. The theoretical and practical relevance of these findings is discussed, as are directions for further research. Mergers and acquisitions (MA) as a strategy for growth, by their sheer size and number, carry strategic importance for companies, industries, and the economy as a whole. MA are a select opportunity to enhance a firm’s capabilities, and though a well-traveled, not proven road to value creation. Success depends on companies’ ability to achieve their specific synergy goals by integrating their specific organizations, sharing their specific resources, and reconfiguring their organization toward value-creation processes. The needed inter- and intra-company cooperation, turning potential into achievement, reinforces the need to regard strategy formulation and implementation as aspects of the same objective. The study develops an understanding of why, and how, culture differences impact strategy realization in mergers and acquisitions (MA). The following three premises set the framework of the research area: (1) MA are a select opportunity to enhance a firm’s capabilities (Haspeslagh and Jemison 1991); (2) The post-acquisition integration process is a crucial factor in MA, whereby management of the post-acquisition integration process is generally considered important in achieving organizational objectives (Pablo 1994, Schweiger and Walsh 1990); (3) Culture is found to be a plausible explanation for obstructions in the post-acquisition integration process (Nahavandi and Malekzadeh 1988) It has been argues that culture and strategy are overlapping constructs. Culture in an organizational setting serves two critical functions. It solves both problems of external adaptation (defining objectives) and those of internal integration, namely how opportunities and threats in the environment are dealt with. Social scientists have defined culture in a myriad of ways. â€Å"Culture gives you a set of codes to deal with phenomena in a social environment† Impact of Culture on the Post-Acquisition Integration Process In value-creating MA, post-acquisition integration is the vehicle to transfer competencies and to share knowledge and skills between organizations. Though cultural diversity offers the opportunity to use the competencies and knowledge contained in each organization to the benefit of the combined company, clashing cultures throughout the corporate structure are found to poison an integration process and subsequently prevent synergy from being achieved. Two phenomena have made culture harder to come to terms within present-day MA. The first is the growing number of cross-border, cross business (e.g. retail and investment banking), and cross-industry (e.g. banking and insurance) MA. Not only do employees have different norms, values, and attitudes, they filter the environment and acts of others through the lenses of their own experience. Cross-border MA are even less likely to succeed than within country MA: accommodating both national and organizational cultures results in â€Å"doubl e layered acculturation†. The second phenomenon is the growing importance of human capital, the primary â€Å"raw material† of the service industry. In providing a service there is both a high â€Å"personal† factor and a high level of interaction. In such an environment, the acquired business’ resentment over loss of autonomy and its subsequent resistance to change are detrimental to achieving organizational objectives. Assimilating the staff of merging or acquired companies is a matter of strategic importance in the realization of synergies.   Failure to integrate cultures makes for an organizational void soon filled with dilemmas and conflicts, thus making for a situation where culture clashes are unavoidable. Furthermore, caution that culture clashes between members of different sub- cultures will likely evolve from a dormant level to an overt one if business is no longer â€Å"as usual†. Research framework This study diverges from earlier research findings in that obstructions to cooperation are not assumed to stem entirely from formerly independent organizations coming into contact with one another. If culture differences between acquisition partners obstruct post-acquisition integration, then the degree of culture differences between the acquisition partners and the degree of contact between the acquisition partners are of a determining nature. In this study, empirical work was conducted to investigate specifically how organizational and personal uncertainty change individuals’ responses to cultural dimensions relating to goal-directed behaviors. In the specific MA framework for investigation, it is hypothesized that dimensions of culture are affected by perceived uncertainty created by the integration approach implemented, ultimately impacting commitment to organizational goals and strategy realization. It is argued that above a certain level, perceived uncertainty causes a r eaction outside the conscious control of individuals, affecting extra-role behavior, notwithstanding earlier collective programming of the mind. The specific framework for investigation allows for how and why the dimensions of culture moderate the behavioral outcomes of post-acquisition integration and, ultimately, strategy realization for the firm. In order to understand why and how culture contributes to strategy realization, the following hypothesized relationships are tested in a controlled laboratory experiment. Hypotheses The following hypotheses test the perspective that the dimensions of culture are a dynamic contextual dependent variable in the post-acquisition integration process. Null hypothesis 1: Dimensions of culture will not differ between the integration approaches. Null hypothesis 2: The median of the answers given on the same questions in the different integration approaches does not differ between the integration approaches. The acceptance of the null hypotheses would signify that the study provides no evidence to suggest that there is a significant within-person difference on the dimensions of culture under conditions of change. This field study showed that, contrary to expectations, respondents did not find the culture differences problematic and/or affecting the various post-acquisition integration processes. Thus, regardless of the degree to which different cultures came into contact with each other in the different integration approaches, respondents did not object to adapting to the culture of the partner as long as the post-acquisition process was perceived to be fair, honoring employees’ past commitment to organizational goals, and free from opportunistic behavior. In the field study, perceived uncertainty, stemming from organizational change in the integration approaches, was a major issue. Respondents described it impacting the post-acquisition integration process to the extent that it affected commitment to organizational goals and subsequently strategy realization. They considered uncertainty as a processual phenomenon of post-acquisition integration, reflecting both perceived organizational and perceived personal uncertainty. Perceived organizational uncertainty comprises the future of the company, knowing and understanding of what the goals are, the availability of resources to accomplish the goals set, legitimate concern for the protection of value drivers, and the industrial and economic environment in which the organization operates. Perceived personal uncertainty includes among other things, job security, honoring psychological contracts, altered career expectations, job satisfaction, new colleagues, work practices and/or business sys tems, and opportunistic behavior of others. Discussion and Implications The primary theoretical contribution of this study is the establishment of why and how, in the post-acquisition integration process, culture differences impact the realization of strategy. In general, the dimensions of culture as described as influence employees’ participation in bridging the gap between synergy potential and synergy achieved. The dimensions of culture are found to be a moderating variable rather than an independent factor in the post-acquisition integration approach. A within-person change on the dimensions of culture, stemming from a change in the levels of autonomy granted and interdependence required, explains why culture impacts strategy realization. The effects of this within-person change on commitment to organizational goals resolve how culture impacts strategy realization. Culture is found to be a socially constructed variable, which in the post-acquisition integration process is impacted at an individual level, regardless of earlier programming of th e mind. Uncertainty as it is perceived, stemming from organizational change in the post-acquisition integration processes, has an inverse relation to behavior conducive to realization of strategy. The research results contribute to knowledge in the field of strategy, organizational behavior, and social psychology by validating that dependent on context the dimensions of culture become dynamic. Research findings also illustrate that in the post-acquisition integration process perceived uncertainty is a dual construct and a context-dependent process variable. Particular to the field of strategy is that the absence of resistance to neither change nor employees continuing to perform their daily routines is enough of a condition to bridge the gap between synergy potential and synergy achieved. Extra-role behavior is the critical factor in the post-acquisition integration process toward strategy realization. The scale applied in the controlled laboratory experiment, measuring the dimensions of culture, shows the discretionary nature of extra-role behavior. There is practical relevance for business leaders is that it is not necessarily the degree of culture differences between acquisition partners, nor the degree cultures come into contact with each other, nor these culture differences originating cross-business, cross-industry or cross-border that explain the impact of culture on strategy realization. The effect of perceived uncertainty on the post-acquisition integration processes is such that the importance of management action cannot be overstated. The inverse relation between the level of perceived uncertainty and employees’ extra role behavior seriously impacts strategy realization. Any integration approach can show a pattern of high perceived organizational and high perceived personal uncertainty if no clear choices are made or if internal communication is lacking. In the post-acquisition integration approach, business is not as usual and the requirements for strategy realization have not yet crystallized to the extent tha t they can be incorporated in job descriptions, work procedures, structures, and processes. Extra-role behavior to a large extent being discretionary and in the span of control rather than under the control of business leaders is an important finding. The more employees’ activities consist of actions that are non-fragmented, non-routine, and require interaction, the more strategy realization hinges on leadership creating an environment where value can be created. It is not so much that culture differences are incompatible; the effect of perceived uncertainty on extra-role behavior is such that employees throughout the hierarchy do not make the opening moves. The obstruction to cooperation is not so much employee resistance as that there is no platform for transfer of competencies, for sharing of knowledge and skills, or an environment for cooperation. Limitations The sample of the questionnaire is neither random nor has it been possible to test for non-reply. As stated earlier, in management research judgment samples are more common than probability samples. The number of respondents is sufficiently large, and deliberately composed of dissimilar respondents for external validity not to pose a problem. Eight questions following the vignettes are measuring personal behavioral intentions, while two are measuring the behavior of colleagues. Asking direct question reference absenteeism was considered too intrusive to gather answers that were not influenced by considerations of â€Å"social correctness†. The question on cooperation between divisions being smooth was purposely phrased as such cooperation is more of a group effort than that of a solitary individual. In this study, the most widely used analytical tool to establish reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, and the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure to determine sampling adequacy have been used. The use of these mean-based tests on ordinals is considered an acceptable risk as they test the scale applied. They are not used to interpret the controlled laboratory experiment results. Taking into account that the answers following the different vignettes were drawn from a true replicated sample, comparing the results of the reliability tests across the vignettes warrant attention. The application of mean-based statistics to an ordinal scale might not be without penalty or alternatively it might be that environmental contexts affect reliability tests. Further research This study is only the first step toward a better understanding of how and why culture differences impact strategy realization. Research into whether one or some dimensions of culture are clean in their effect while others are more of a moderating nature and/or their interrelation is deemed important. Further analysis of the data is deemed worthwhile but at the moment impaired by the unconventional premise that the difference between a discrete and a continuous solution space is such that it might seriously affect the meaningfulness of analytical statistical results. In this context, it will be a contribution to the management literature to explore whether, and how, historic events influence perceptions of uncertainty in a present situation. And, whether and how, tolerance for absorbing impact within certain boundaries explains differences in the performance of firms. It is expected that current and historic organizational modus operandi and external environmental factors will determ ine these factors in specific change situations. The impact of these on strategy realization in addition to perceived uncertainty stemming from changing levels of autonomy and required amount of interdependence should be taken into account. It was a core premise of the chapter that strategies and their implementation are an integral part of strategy realization. Investigating the generalizability of the research findings to other organizational change efforts might not be without significance in explaining differences in firms’ performance. REFERENCES Haspeslagh, P. and Jemison, D. 1991.   Managing Acquisitions: Creating Value through Corporate Renewal.New York: Free Press. Pablo, A. 1994. Determinants of acquisition integration level: A decision-making perspective.AcademyofManagementJournal, 37(4): 803–36. Nahavandi, A. and Malekzadeh, A. 1988. Acculturation in mergers and acquisitions. Academy of Management Review, 13

Charles Martin in Uganda Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Charles Martin in Uganda - Case Study Example Or is it more appropriate to appoint another person in his place? We analyze the case and recommend that Green should retain Martin because of his knowledge of the local business conditions. He has developed a good network with key people in the Government. Besides he would be able to induct any new entrants who may be deputed by HG into the Ugandan project. However, we need to issue a cautionary note to Martin. He should be immediately asked to refrain from all unethical practices and he needs to report any unfair demands directly to Green so that the issues can be tackled with due regard to the cultural sensitivity. Additionally, Martin needs to develop the role of a functional manager who can cross fertilize ideas and transplant best practices from the host nation to the local country. Introduction The case discusses the cultural issues that Hydro Generation (HG) has faced in Uganda and the decision point faced by the vice-president Green. Martin as the liaison officer for HG has proved to be extremely capable and has completed all the tasks on time. At this juncture, Green ponders over some of the methods adopted by Martin. While some of them seem to go against the stronger views held by American companies, some of the approaches seem to be completely unethical and unfair. Under these circumstances, Green needs to decide on the next crucial phase of the project: should he continue to retain Martin as the chief liaison officer overseeing the entire project? Case Analysis Question 1 has to do with an understanding of cultural aspects of doing business in Uganda. We have insights from the case here. Uganda has largely been a developing nation thus far with the progress not percolating down to the lower strata of society. It has not had a stable government though Multinational companies and their operations are well encouraged. Some of the cultural aspects points to a backward, superstitious nature wherein tribal sacrifices and soothsayers seem to hold sway ove r cold logic and reasoning. Culture could be defined as a system of knowledge and standards adopted for perceiving, believing, evaluating and acting (Allaire & Firsirotu, 1984). Culture is a system of socially transmitted patterns of behavior that helps people relate to their environment. It develops gradually over time and is often influenced by social and economic progress also. A simpler definition has been put forward by Hofstede (1984) who described it as a collective programming of the mind that helps distinguish one category of people from another. From the case, we also observe certain patterns of Ugandan society. They tend to favor nepotism and are largely driven by a commitment to their family and kin. A stronger bonding and accountability towards the social circle seems to take precedence over business commitments. Both attributes could affect the operations of a multinational company interested in doing business in Uganda. Firstly, superstitious beliefs could hamper usua l logical decisions that rely on business judgment and analytical outcomes. Obviously, multinational companies would be driven by logic and rationale. They would be offended if superstitious beliefs posed hurdles to business commitments and operations. Martin has however tried to blend in with the locals by adopting their cultural practices and participating in their rituals. This makes a strong point in his favor for he has understood the cultural diversity and sensitivity (Trompenaars,

The Usefulness of Marketing for Media and Entertainment Companies such Essay

The Usefulness of Marketing for Media and Entertainment Companies such as Disney - Essay Example Another marketing strategy that entertainment companies have resulted to is using electronic advertising in animated billboards. An example is Sony which has chosen to advertising in the ever busy New York’s Times Square where it is sure to attract millions of consumers. This marketing strategy has ensured that all the people using Times Square on a daily basis will have the opportunity to experience the advertisement and long to have the Sony phone which means that the sales of the Sony products and hence continue growing the company (Beattie, 2013). Lastly the media and entertainment industries should embrace using social media to advertise. They can advertise their upcoming movies and programs or premier events on their social media pages as a way to notify many people as well as market their products to their consumers to purchase. This marketing strategy has been used by other industries including the airplane companies and the results have been evident in the increase in client base as well as ensuring consumer satisfaction (Vorvoreanu, et al. 2013). Media industry as well as the entertainment industry in general has been experiencing competition in the recent past and marketing is one of the ways to ensure they have gained competitive advantage in the busy industry. Marketing will provide a niche for the company that will decide to spend more in their marketing (Haupeet, 2012). Marketing is also essential because entertainment forms keeps on changing as technology changes. In order to ensure that people are keeping up with these changes and they embrace it as it comes, marketing is the best strategy to do this. If the marketing strategy used will be able to reach many people at once, it then means that these people will also be kept abreast with the changes and will embrace them without much criticism to go with it (Anderson, 2007). The other importance of marketing strategy for the media and entertainment industries is to encourage

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE AND ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE AND ANALYSIS - Essay Example The 21st century has seen the emergence of adaptive organization styles to cope with these increasingly evolving changes in the economic, technological and social-cultural environment. This has had an impact on the traditional organization structure from the previous bureaucratic to today’s emerging post-bureaucratic or otherwise known as network model of organization. A closer look at today’s organizations will show that both the human and structural components have been on a constant change path (Casey 2002). Casey (2002) further observes that today’s organization has faced some form of revolution that has been created by the ever increasing quest for modernity. The issue that arises in this observation is, therefore, what are the causes of such changes and to what extent the present corporate organizations have embraced the change or shown the signs for those changes. This paper therefore examines the various factors that have led to the shift from the bureauc ratic style to that of post-modernism or network model of organization by looking at structures and the human factors. It also tries to ascertain the extent to which today’s organizations have embraced these changes. ... To begin, the revolution of the information and communication technology has been a major influencing factor in the way organizations have been operational. Processes, functions and the general environment of operations in organizations have changed and corporations have felt this change in a massive way. Organizations have encountered and experienced surprising changes in the twenty first century more than that of the industrial revolution (Castells 2011). Decisions are today made more promptly because top management have shed off some of their decision making responsibilities with the emergence of new technology or computer information systems such as decision support systems. They have improved accuracy and the time taken to make decisions and they have facilitated involvement of many people as opposed to the previous bureaucratic style where lower cadre employees had to wait several days for final decisions to be made (Heyderbrand 1989). Information technology has also effectivel y improved the way feedback is sought from the top management. For instance, today you do not have to book an appointment to meet the manager; instead you could just send him or her an email and you will be sure that there will be response soonest they access their mails. Another influence that technology has brought into organizations is the rise of professional workers who are more independent in thinking and decision making and the reduction of manual workers who depend on supervision and orders for them to perform their tasks appropriately (Frenkel 1999). This has in turn reduced bureaucratic tendencies of relying on orders and waiting for instructions from the top organs as will be further seen in this discussion. To plainly relay the