Effects of International Trade Barriers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effects of International Trade Barriers - Essay Example This essay critically discusses why the government continues to impose barriers to trade and are frequently engaged in a trade dispute. In the past decades, the opening of the markets has boosted economic and trade growth worldwide. However, the trade barriers have remained a key obstacle to the access of markets. Researchers have pointed out that the potential benefit of reducing the obstacle is significant. Countries engage in international trade for various reasons. First, international trade increases the choice of goods for the domestic consumers. It also allows the domestic market to export their goods. Trade barriers refer to the measures that the public authorities or the governments introduce so as to restrict or prevent overseas investment or trade. The measures of the restriction need to be taken in the form of a particular decision or legislation. The measures that are imposed may take the form of current practice. When countries are important or exported from one country to another, they have to be accompanied by the correct documentation adoption of free international trade may result in the collapse of the domestic markets. There is a need to protect the domestic market to ensure that there is the sustainability of the domestic industries and encourage the innovation of ideas in the different countries. The trade barriers will reduce the trade disputes that may come up as a result of the poor working condition. The tariffs enable the government to increase revenues as imports enter the domestic market.

A Strategic Analysis of GE Healthcare Essay Example for Free

A Strategic Analysis of GE Healthcare Essay GE Healthcare is a unit of the wider General Electric Company. It has a global orientation, employing more than 46, 000 staff committed to serving healthcare professionals and patients in over 100 countries. It is headquartered in the United Kingdom (UK)-the first GE business segment outside the United States. It has a turnover of approximately $ 17 billion. The headquarters hosts GE healthcare corporate offices as well as finance, sales, global sourcing departments, X-Ray marketing, manufacturing, design and shipping. The finance and sales departments at the headquarters handle GE Healthcare’s high level decisions, but each modality often has its own similar departments. The global sourcing department handles all purchasing for the firm. GE Healthcare provides a variety of products services namely Technologies in medical imaging, diagnostics in medicine, systems for monitoring patients, solutions for improving performance, discovering drugs, and technologies to manufacture biopharmaceuticals. It also provides X-Ray products which include; radiography, fluoroscopy, vascular, cardiology, and the Mobile C-Arm machine. At present, GE Healthcare has six major business units; Global Diagnostic Imaging Unit: with its headquarters in the US, its business includes; digital mammography, X-ray services, Magnetic Resonance, Computed Tomography and technologies in Molecular Imaging. Integrated IT Solutions (IITS). Also headquartered in Barrington USA, IITS offers solutions in clinical and monetary information technologies, such as IT Products and service for departments, systems for picture Archiving and Communications, Information System solutions in Radiology and Cardiovascular in addition to practices and systems for managing revenue cycles. Medical Diagnostics Business Unit. This is headquartered in USA and its business includes; Researches in Medical Diagnostics, manufacturing and marketing imaging agents used in medical scanning techniques to view human body organs and tissues. Clinical Systems Unit. Also Headquartered in the US, this business offers a variety of healthcare services and technological solutions for medical officers and managers of healthcare systems. These include; Ultrasound, technologies for monitoring patients, bone densitometry, incubators, respiratory care and management of anesthesia. GE Healthcare Life Sciences Unit. This is headquartered in Sweden. It produces technologies for discovering drugs, biopharmaceutical manufacturing and cellular technologies. This division also manufactures equipment for the purifying biopharmaceuticals. GE Healthcare Surgery Business Unit. This division offers equipment and technologies for surgical care interventions, cardiac, systems and technologies for diagnostic monitoring, systems and data management technologies, to systems for mobile fluoroscopic imaging, instrumentations on 3D visual systems and navigation. Its headquarters are in Utah, USA, GE Healthcare has offices in different parts of the world. It also has primary regional operation centers in Paris, Japan, and India. (GE Healthcare Website; Retrieved December 2010) Business Strategy and Organizational Structure Analysis The world business environment is constantly changing, presenting new opportunities and challenges. This calls for competitive strategies in order to remain competitive. This section evaluates the opportunities and challenges presented by GE Healthcare organizational structure. In the Financial Year (FY) ending December 2007, the company recorded revenues of $16, 997 million; an increase of 2.7% over 2006. The operating profit was $3,056 million in 2007; drop of 2.7% from 2006. This GE business unit recorded revenues of $16,015 million, during the Financial Year (FY) ended December 2009. This reflected a decrease of 7.9% over FY 2008. The operating profit for the FY ended December 2009 was $2,240 million a decrease of 15.1% over FY 2008. Analysts attribute to both the complex internal and external environments of the company. I evaluate this argument by undertaking a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the company and integrating it to the Porters Fiv e Forces Model. Internal Analysis GE healthcare is one of the best firms in leadership development. The firm’s Human Resources Department is keen in developing a strong workforce that responds to changing global needs. It employs strategically employs and motivates the best qualified talents globally. It invests more than $100 million annually on educational training and staff development. The GE Healthcare Institute provides advanced training for GEHC employees and customers. It combines Technical training, Applications and Leadership trainings. More than 70 laboratories with the latest equipment provide GE and customers world class instruction in all areas of equipment maintenance and operation. The Training in Partnership curriculum provides a full range of training programs. GE managers are considered one of the firm’s distinctive competencies and strengths. The challenge is maintaining employee motivation through better remuneration in a time of global economic meltdown and declining profits for the firm. GE Healthcare is capable of changing and constantly re-inventing itself to deal with changing business needs. Setting new standards for management, organizational design, Research and Development has been the pillar of the firm. This is evidenced by the establishment of the six distinctive business units stated above. Exploiting the resources that the firm has, this competency can be meant un-substitutable. The firm is continually innovating to develop solutions to customer changing needs. As Jeffrey Immelt stated, the firms’ employees â€Å"have an ability to live in the moment†. This quality is rare and not easily imitated. This organizational culture ensures that employees continue with innovation and development of new ideas. The firm has a global orientation, with production facilities outside the US and UK, a wider customer base, a superior brand, sales, marketing, IT and Production departments within every modality. This ensures efficiency of service within each business unit. To ensure financial accountability in outsourcing and procurement, decisions regarding this are handled by offices at the headquarters. GE Healthcare operates within the Rubric of the well known and established General Electric; this promotes sharing of management knowledge and experiences. General Electric is a well known Brand with a global touch. This strong internal structure has been at the core of the firm’s success. However Organizations function as systems, they interact and respond to the surrounding environment (Barnard 1938). This calls for an external analysis of this firm. External Analysis Competitor Analysis Analysts argue that competitors can ensure that similar firms remain productive. Though this can be healthy for consumers, small competitors and substitute product can drive giants out of the market. Siemens AG competes against GE group in communications, power, transportation, medical, and lighting industries. Siemens and HE Healthcare are most competitive in the healthcare industry. Siemens Medical Solutions happens to be largest supplier of healthcare equipment globally. Siemens AG is distinctive in its innovativeness and provision of complete solutions to its customers. Siemens is actually larger, with close to 440,000 employees, 70,000 of which are located in the U.S. Despite the fact that GE Healthcare outdoes Siemens AG in healthcare ($9.4 billion) and energy ($15.3 billion) it is a competitor that cannot be ignored. Both operate at virtually global scale. Other competitors include FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc. Hitachi Medical Corporation Nihon Kohden Corporation Schiller AG TOSHIBA Medical Systems Corporation Philips Healthcare Philips Respironics, Inc. Industry Analysis General Electric’s firms including the Healthcare unit have been analyzed using porters five forces model to determine which industry is more attractive. GE Healthcare industry is challenged by competitors and new market entrants. Consumers constantly demand low prices at a high quality leading to intensive bargaining. Retailers have to bargain with suppliers to fix the prices of their products. The GE retail industry also faces the threat of substitute products. For more on the competency strategy, SWOT analysis an the forces model see Appendix 1 and 2. Recommendations GE Healthcare already has a global orientation, large customer base. The success of GE Healthcare lies at how best it chooses its business focus. There is need to focus on a specific market niche. Too much diversification and provision of a wide variety of products may be a step forward but it can also become a mechanism for reversal. Much diversification can lead to lose of business focus. It is evident that new technology and the creation of a global virtual market offer an opportunity for the firm to grow its business. African and some Asian markets are still virgins to the firm. There is need to identify and exploit this business markets. Where favorable, establish production facilities. Advertising and strategic marketing remains a superior option to strengthen the firm’s brand identity. With increasing human rights concerns and demands for accountability, there is need for education and corporate social responsibility, as consumers are becoming more sensitive to scientific information. Nevertheless challenges of environmental accountability abound and cannot be ignored. Works Cited Barnard, C.I. The Functions of the Executive, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1938. Print. Barnard, C.I. Organization and Management: Selected Papers, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1948. Print. Brady, Diane. GE: When Execs Outperform the Stock. Business Week 17 Apr. 2006. Goel Sanjay et al .General Electric: Strategic Management.

The Peloponnesian War :: essays research papers fc

The Peloponnesian War Is war inevitable? It appears that the answer to this question is yes. However, war is unpredictable and must be studied based on individual circumstances, actions taken, and reactions. States disagree with each other on many subjects and conflicts arise often. To answer this question, we must first examine the causes of a conflict, evaluate the outcome and determine any alternatives that may exist. Then we can analyze some alternative theoretical outcomes compared to the actual conclusions. The Peloponnesian War provides an excellent example to be evaluated. The following gives a brief history of the war, causes of the war, and the importance of its study. In the case of the Peloponnesian War, we have two equal but different powers in control of Greece and the surrounding area. Athens and Sparta as allies gained independence from the Persians in 480 BC. Athens with a democratic rule expanded by using the surrounding waterways for trade and developing a great navy. Sparta with an oligarchic rule settled in by developing a thriving agriculture community and a land based army. Civil war occurs in Epidamnus with two sides, democratic and oligarchic. The democrats requested assistance from Athens. If Athens chooses to get involved, she breaks the truce with Sparta. If she does not, the balance of power leans towards Sparta and her allies. Sparta already feared Athens’ growing power. Therefore, Sparta needed to check Athens’ control of the region. The need to keep a balance of power is the main reason of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides attains that Sparta’s fear of Athenian rule provided an unavoidable path to war. Athens controlled about half of the city-states; dominated much of the trade; and maintained a strong navy. Sparta kept a strong army and retained equal allies but was primarily an agriculture state. Athens’ ability to maneuver on the sea provided opportunities to expand her power, and this alarmed Sparta. Since Sparta is concerned by Athens’ growing power, Sparta waits for a way to be able to stop the expansion. When an opportunity comes for war against Athens, Sparta is not very reluctant and could even be considered eager to enter an altercation. Pericles leadership appeared sound but may have over reached the power of Athens. Pericles convinced the Athenians that allowing allied states to become free was a sign of weakness. In addition, he convinced them that Sparta was no match and could not win a long-term war against the great Athenian navy.

Analysis of British Airways Essay -- British Airways Case Study

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1. British Airways: Overview 4 2. Key stakeholders 4 3. Mission and objectives 5 4. Market structure 6 5. Managing diverse cultures 7 6. Economic changes, fiscal and monetary policy 8 7. Regulation 11 8. Conclusion and Recommendations 12 9. References 14 Executive Summary British Airways has focused its mission and objectives towards satisfying its key stakeholders that include employees, customers, Government and the British public. The company has been successful in dealing with cultural differences that arise between the UK and foreign countries, adopting a geocentric approach to hiring workers. The airline has also created a flexible organisation that responds quickly to the changing needs of its consumers. However, poor industrial relations and crisis management imply that there is a greater need to focus on building strong relations with employees, enabling them to internalise the vision of the company. Given intense competition in the industry and continuous changes in regulations from the EU and international regulatory bodies, British Airways needs to introduce cost-effective methods of complying with regulatory standards. The firm should also avoid illegal practices that can harm its corporate image. 1. British Airways: Overview British Airways commenced business in 1935 as a small airline that was privately owned, offering services restricted to the United Kingdom. Due to poor performance, the company was nationalised in 1939 with the state providing the required investment and resources necessary for growth (Brooks & Cullinane, 2007). The emergence of neo-classical economists claiming government ownership to be unproductive and inefficient, paved the way for privatisa... ...om http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/apr/19/ba-fuel-surcharge-fine-oft# Murphy, E. King, E. (2014). Environmental noise pollution. California: Elsevier. Sitkin, A. Bowen, N. (2010). International business 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stabler, M.J. Papatheodorou, A. Sinclair, M.T. (2010). The economics of tourism 2nd edition. New York: Routledge. The Telegraph. (2010). EU clears British Airways’ trans-Atlantic alliance, merger with Iberia. Telegraph. Retrieved on 15th May, 2014 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/7889982/EU-clears-British-Airways-trans-Atlantic-alliance-merger-with-Iberia.html Winfield, P. Bishop, R. Porter, P. (2013). Core management for HR students and practitioners. Oxford: Elsevier. Yahoo Finance. (2014). British Airways. Retrieved on 14th May, 2014 from https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=BA

Coke & Pepsi Learn to Compete in India

The political environment in India has proven to be critical to company performance for both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola. There were specific aspects of the political environment in India that played key roles in both companies’ difficulties. India is a nation with a strong belief in loyalty and devotion to their culture and Indian products. The government promoted the consumption of local products rather than that of foreign products. The Indian government also has very strict trade policies which created many entry barriers for both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.The stern rules and regulations of their government did not allow either company to freely promote their products. Typically, foreign investment denotes that foreigners take a somewhat active role in management as part of their investment and typically works both ways. India practices a more controlled foreign investment environment. Both companies should have done extensive research on India’s political environment before attempting to enter their market.Due to the trade barriers established by the Indian government Coca-Cola’s first entry into India’s market was not successful. Coca-Cola’s first entry into India was in 1958 but they existed in 1978 after the Indian government asked them to reveal their formula. Coca-Cola refused and decided to shut down. PepsiCo entered the market during Coca-Cola’s 16 years of exile, in 1989. Both companies face major controversy when the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an environmental policy-orientated non-governmental organization (NGO) announced the results of a study.The study found that soft drinks sold in India, including those made by both companies, contained a cocktail of pesticides at concentrations far higher than considered permissible by national authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO). CSE had established a formidable reputation for accurate data-gathering and sharp analysis. They tested numerous bran ded aerated drinks sampled from different parts of India, which included 28 Coke brands and 29 more from Pepsi. During the crisis with contaminated water in India, Pepsi and Coca-Cola were both under fire with the consumers and government.Politicians made it exceptionally difficult for both companies to redeem themselves with the facts they had, but Coca-Cola seemed to have a more difficult come-back than Pepsi. India’s market is enormous in terms of population and geography. Both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola were able to reposition themselves in India’s market and gain some success. In response to the sheer scale of operations in India both companies produced promotional activities that aligned with sporting events and festivals in India.This gave customers the opportunity to take advantage of special sales and contests that encouraged the purchase and continued consumption of both products. Coca-Cola also changed their pricing policy by reducing their prices by up to 25 per cent. Coca-Cola offers a wide range of products to the customers and is always looking to innovate and come up with innovations. PepsiCo also offers different varieties of products ranging from carbonated to noncarbonated soft drinks, offered in a variety of different sizes.PepsiCo also, like Coca-Cola, had to adapt to the pricing barriers in India in order to survive, by making their products pricing more sensitive to India’s economy. Both companies participated in TV campaigns to promote brand awareness and PepsiCo strategy was using celebrities in the introduction of any new product. Coca-Cola had a different approach by dividing the Indian market into two different youth categories; they were able to focus on an all-encompassing theme. Global localization is a policy that both companies have implemented successfully.It includes the ability to provide shoppers with information in their native language and currency. PepsiCo gained success in this area by forming joint ventu res with two local partners of India upon initial entry to their market. To continue the adaption of Pepsi they renamed the product in India to conform to foreign collaboration rules. And the strongest global localization strategy that PepsiCo implemented was sponsoring world famous Indian athletes. PepsiCo growth has been guided by PepsiCo’s global vision of â€Å"Performance with Purpose†.This means that while businesses maximize shareholder value, they have a responsibility to all the stakeholders, including the communities in which they operate, the consumers they serve and the environment whose resources they use. PepsiCo achieved a significant milestone, by becoming the first business in the PepsiCo system to achieve ‘Positive Water Balance’ (PWB) – it replenishes more water than it consumes in its manufacturing operations. Coca-Cola, on their second go round, joined forces with local snack vendors and participated in special promotions of Ind ia’s cultural events.There are many lessons to be taken away from bot PepsiCo and Coca-Cola’s experience with India. PepsiCo should have learned that it is beneficial to keep with local tastes and to pay attention to market trends. Also, they should take into account that celebrity advertising has a favorable appeal. Coca-Cola should have learned that it is imperative to pay attention and proceed with caution when it comes to deals made with the government. They should also have realized the importance of maintaining a good relationship with foreign governments.Coca-Cola should recognize the significance of investing in quality products as well as the crucial effects of advertisement to the entry of a new market. Although, both companies has their share of success within India it is my belief that Pepsi has the ability to withstand longevity in their success. The reason I think PepsiCo over Coca-Cola is that Pepsi entered the Indian market on a much better foot. Also i n was genius of PepsiCo to enter a joint venture in launching into the bottled water industry. Coca-Cola as well had to branch out into other products to stay current to the market needs in India.Most recently Coca-Cola has decided to enter the growing Indian market for energy drinks, forecasted to grow to $370 billion in 2013 from less than half that in 2003. The competition in this market is fierce with established firms including Red Bull and Sobe. With its new brand Burn, Coke initially targeted alternative distribution channels such as pubs, bars, and gyms rather than large retail outlets such as supermarkets. I understand the target market concept but I believe this strategy approach limits the new product exposure to the public. These distribution limitations could result in the potential loss of market share.

buy custom Winnebago Industries essay

buy custom Winnebago Industries essay Winnebago Industries is a prominent manufacturer of motor homes in the U.S (Winnebago Industries, Inc. 2011). The company has a good history of manufacturing entertainment vehicles for over 50 years now. This company produces facilities in the State of Lowa and they distribute their products through independent dealers throughout the U.S and Canada who tell the products to the final consumers. Winnebago industries lead the industry with the greatest retail market in the U.S. In addition, the company has reintroduced the ERA in the 2012 model which will help to improve its market share (Winnebago Industries, Inc. 2011). Winnebago has demonstrated its ability to maintain its liquidity through its improved profitability. However, in 2010, the company was negatively impacted by the increased compensation and benefit expense. Its employees have not had salary increase since 2008 and in 2009; salaries were reduced across the board in order to reduce the companys cost. Equity grants have al so been awarded to the top management and this has resulted to incremental stock based compensation. Restricted stock awards were given to maintain and motivate key managers to continue improving long-term stock market performance in order to increase shareholder value (Winnebago Industries, Inc. 2011). Net values for Winnebago industries have increased due to towables and motor home delivery. In 2011, the gross profit was 6.4% of the net revenues (Winnebago Industries, Inc. 2011). There is also increased cost of expenses as well as administrative expense due to increase in legal expense. On the financial condition of the industry, cash equivalent of the company have increased from 65.2 to 74.4 Dollars in 2011. The company has a loan agreement that provides it with 20 million dollar credit facility. In addition, the company has signed registration statement which allows it to sell up to 35 million dollars of its common stock. The companys current working capital is 109.4 million dollars which is increase from the 91.3 in 2010 (Winnebago Industries, Inc. 2011). The cash that is spent in operating activities is lower than the cash generated from operating activities and this signifies good financial status. In Winnebago, financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. This requires the company to make assumptions concerning future events that affect the amounts of revenue, liabilities and expenses (Winnebago Industries, Inc. 2011). Such assumptions are based on the time when the financial statements are prepared. The company recognizes revenues from recreation vehicles when they get orders for the products and they deliver the product to the dealer who placed the order. In addition, the company accrues for sales promotions and incentive expenses. Moreover, Winnebago industries repurchase goods defaulted by dealers if the goods have not been sold to retail customers. Winnebago Industries is involved in legal proceedings which are ordinary routine litigations which are essential to the business. The company may have a risk if it will not be able to integrate the operation of SunnyBrook Company to its operations after purchasing the company (Winnebago Industries, Inc. 2011). Some of the possible risks include the diversion of management to the integration operations, difficulties in assimilating and retaining employees as well as difficulties in the integration of departments, systems and accounting systems. Unregistered sales of equity securities are repurchased by the outstanding shares of the common stock but this only depends on the market conditions. In this connection, the Winnebago Industries shows improved financial performance as shown in its financial statements. Each class of financial instrument in Winnebago industries is based on the short-term and long-term investments and assets and liabilities measured on fair value (Winnebago Indus tries, Inc. 2011). Winnebago industries thus have good financial statements that fully present their financial status. Buy custom Winnebago Industries essay

Christmas holiday Essay Example

Christmas holiday Essay Example Christmas holiday Essay Christmas holiday Essay An example of this type of leadership at Waitrose is when they ask the employees in specific areas of the company for advice in the section that they are experts in i. e. in the bakery section, if Waitrose for example was looking to increase the amount of bread produced during Christmas holiday at a specified time, the employees will be affected as they will have to make the bread at the best quality , and have the product ready on time for the customers to collect.It is important that Waitrose does this as these are matters directly affecting the employees, thus may need consultation, if they dont, the employees may be offended and may decrease staff morale. Overall by having democratic leadership, Waitrose will have good advice from expertise to ensure that they have made the right decision and will allow the employees to feel more involved, resulting in increase of motivationAnother example where this type of leadership exists at Waitrose is how they allow employees input on judging how to achieve their personal goals e. g. Waitrose have appraisals which involve congratulating their employees on achieving their personal objectives as well as the company’s within the year.This lies on the democratic management style as both the employees and their section management at Waitrose have a meeting for the employee to have the opportunity to discuss any achievements that they have accomplished with their manager and additionally have the chance to come up on the next objective that will help their own personal development as well as the company’s as a whole which means that due to this compromise between two tittles i. e. mangers allowing the employees input in a business decisions, it works under democratic leadership style.This type of leadership is good for Waitrose, as it will mean that employees will feel they are value in the business and this makes them more motivated to do well in the company, due to feeling like an important member in the business. This also allows the company to ensure that they are making the right decisions, as even though the manger manages the employees, he/she is not qualified for all the sections in Waitrose, which is why it is important that they involve the employees that are, to ensure that they are making the most effective decision.However there are negatives that come with democratic style of management. An example being when different holidays occur, Waitrose need to ensure that they are working efficiently, such as if it was the Christmas holidays, Waitrose employees and managers cannot waste any time negotiating on different ideas of conclusions of whether the y should have a discount on a certain product or not. This needs to be done by one manager in the company, as this will ensure that Waitrose will be run efficiently and smoothly.This is due to Waitrose not being able to afford disagreements as this will lead to delays on the production line, and customers will not be satisfied due to the wait they must take to receive the product they want. If customers are not happy then this will result in profit levels decreasing, as they will not want to shop at Waitrose again. Another negative that can occur with democratic leadership is delays on stock.This is a negative to Waitrose as this means that if employees cannot come up with a conclusion, on what which stock they need for the section at Waitrose, delays may occur on the whole company due to not receiving the particular stock on time and this causes the whole company to run slower making customers not happy with the service given to them, which will lead bad reputation. Only one leader should make decisions for Waitrose, as this means that they can make the final say and there is no confusion on what stock to get thus eliminates mistakes occurring.Laissez-Faire (let it be): This is when the leadership responsibilities are shared with all the employees in the organisation. Allowing this type of management style to happen in a business can be very useful in companies where creative ideas are important, as different people have different ideas, which if you combine will create a fantastic outcome. By having all the employees involved can be highly motivational, as people have control over their working life as they get a say in their working hours and other decisions which may affect them.However it can make coordination and decision-making time-consuming due to lack in overall direction, as there is no manager in the team, which makes the final say to what the outcome should be due to this style relying purely on good teamwork and good interpersonal relations, whic h is not certain in the business. businessdictionary. com/definition/laissez-faire-leadership. htmlThis style of management would work at Waitrose by allowing different departments in the company to have their own inputs on decision-making e. g. for the marketing department, they will have the responsibility to find out ways to attract customers as they are trusted by the managers at Waitrose due to them being highly experienced and an expert in that area and this lies on the Laissez-Faire’ management style as employees are free to work independently when making decisions, without supervision from managers.Another example of how this management style could work in Waitrose is when different occasions occur throughout the year. E. g. for Christmas holidays the manager would need to ask employees for their input on what special theme they should do at the workplace, as employees are more in contact with customers i. e. employees who are working at the tills have friendly chats ’ with the customers. This will benefit the company as they will be able to get the theme right which leads to them standing out compared other supermarkets and this also lies on Laissez-Faire’ management style, as managers are giving the employees the opportunity to input their opinion, due to it being important in determining the success of the company.A strength of using this leadership at Waitrose would be, giving the responsibility to workers at Waitrose as it will mean that the staff will be motivated to do the work, therefore this means that it increases their staff morale, this is due to them being trusted by Waitrose, in addition to this, it will mean that instead of the mangers spending their time watching over employees they can spend it on something else which is important such as the customers, this is because the employees don’t need supervision, especially those that have worked for many years at Waitrose.Therefore this makes the company run smoot hly and efficiently. However there are negatives with this type of leadership, this is because the employees at the business may make mistakes, due to the manager not being there to guide them in decision making and this therefore means that there is a chance that they will make mistakes. For example if they have to make a decision on a particular stock to get for Waitrose and the manger is not available, they will have to come up with a decision on their own and with all that pressure and responsibility they may encounter mistakes.All this will affect Waitrose such as it running slower due to delays as the mistakes are occurring and externally due to the customers not being happy thus reputation decreases. Another negative is, the employees will learn that there is no manger there to supervise their every move, which means that their performance of high quality service and products will decrease. This is because they see that there is no point in working hard if they don’t g et noticed doing it. Therefore this will affect Waitrose as this means that that the reputation will decrease due to the quality of products and service decreasing.

Probability Questions on ACT Math Strategies and Practice

Probability Questions on ACT Math Strategies and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What is the probability that you’ll toss a coin and get heads? What about twice in a row? Three times? Probability questions ask you determine the likelihood that an event or any number of events is to occur, and the more you practice, the better your odds will be at mastering these types of questions on the ACT (see what we did there?). This will be your complete guide to probability on the ACT- how probability works, the different types of probability questions you’ll see on the test, and the steps you’ll need to take to solve them. What Does Probability Mean? $\Probability = {\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$ On the ACT, probability questions can be framed in several different ways. You may be asked to find the â€Å"probability† that an event will occur, the â€Å"chances,† the â€Å"odds,† or the â€Å"likelihood.† But no matter how you see it written on the test, these are all ways of asking for the same thing. The way we represent the probability of an event (or events) is to express, as a fraction, how often that event occurs over the total number of possible outcomes. So if we use our example from above- †What are the odds that you’ll flip a coin and get heads?†- the odds will be: ${\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$ $1/2$ In this one throw, there is one possible chance of getting heads. This means our denominator is 1. There are also two possible outcomes total (heads or tails), which means that our denominator will be 2. Now let’s take a look at another example: Mara is stringing a necklace and she selects each bead at random from a basket of beads. If there are currently 5, yellow beads, 10 red beads, 15 green beads, and 20 blue beads in the basket, what are the chances that she will select a red bead next? ${\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$ There are 10 red beads, which is our desired outcome. This means 10 is our numerator. There are also a total of $5 \yellow \beads + 10 \red \beads + 15 \green \beads + 20 \blue \beads = 50 \total \beads$ in the basket. This is our denominator, as it represents all the outcomes possible. When we put these together, our probability is: $10/50$ $1/5$ The chances that Mara will select a red bead are 1 in 5 or $1/5$. Now what if we framed our desired outcome as a negative? What are the odds that Mara will NOT select a green bead? In order to find a negative probability, we must subtract out the chances that Mara will draw a green bead. (We could also think of this as finding the desired outcome of her selecting a yellow bead, a red bead or a blue bead, which we will cover in more detail in the next section.) There are only yellow, red, green, and blue beads, so we can add up our odds of yellow, red and blue beads, excluding the green. There are 5 yellow beads, 10 red beads and 20 blue beads, so we can put those together to get our numerator. $5 + 10 + 20 = 35$ And there are still $5 + 10 + 15 + 20 = 50$ beads total for our denominator. So what are the odds that Mara will NOT select a green bead? $35/50$ $7/10$ The odds are 7 in 10 ($7/10$) that Mara will draw any color bead except green. Expressing Probabilities As you can see, probabilities are expressed as fractions. This means that an event that will always and absolutely occur will have a probability of $1/1$ or 1. On the other hand, an impossible event will have a probability of $0/x$ or 0. You can also think about probabilities as percentages. If the odds are $4/52$ that you’ll draw an ace from a deck of cards, it’s the same as saying that there is a 7.69% chance that you will draw an ace. Why? Because $4 à · 52 = 0.0769$, and $0.0769 * 100 = 7.69%$. The possibilities are (not quite) endless. Either/Or Probability ${\probability \of \either \event = [{\outcome A}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}] + [{\outcome B}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}]$ (Special note: this is called a â€Å"non-overlapping† probability. In this case, it is impossible for the two (or more) events to both happen at the same time. There is such a thing as an either/or probability for overlapping events, but you will never be asked to do this on the ACT, so we have not included it in this guide.) An either/or probability increases the odds that our desired outcome will happen because we do not care which of the two events happen, only that one of them does. To solve this kind of problem, we must therefore add the probability of each individual event. Their sum will become the probability of either event happening. So let’s look again at our earlier example with Mara and her beads. Instead of asking the odds of Mara selecting only a red bead, what are the odds that Mara will select either a red bead or a green bead if she has 5 yellow beads, 10 red beads, 15 green beads, and 20 blue beads in the basket? We have increased our odds, since it doesn’t matter whether or not the bead is green or red, so long as the bead we select is NOT blue or yellow (essentially, we are doing another version of our earlier negative problem- †what are the odds that a particular event will NOT happen?†) This means we can add the probabilities of our individual events together in order to find their combined probability. So let us find the probability of her drawing a red bead: $10/(5 + 10 + 15 + 20)$ $10/50$ And let us find the probability of her drawing a green bead: $15/(5 + 10 + 15 + 25)$ $15/50$ So, if we put the two probabilities together, we’ll have: $10/50 + 15/50$ $25/50$ $1/2$ Because this problem involves the odds of two events with the same total number of outcomes (there are 50 total possible beads to choose from each time), we could also simply add our two desired outcomes together over the total number of outcomes. So: $(10 + 15)/(5 + 10 + 15 + 20)$ $25/50$ $1/2$ Either way, the odds of Mara drawing either a red bead or a green bead are 1 in 2, or $1/2$ (50%). What are the odds that we go this way or that way? Combined Probability $\Combined \probability = [{\outcome A}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}] * [{\outcome B}/{\total \number \of \outcomes}]$ "What are the odds of two or more events both/all happening?" This kind of probability question is called a combined probability and there is a good chance you’ll see a question of this type in the later half of the ACT math section. Note that a combined probability question is distinctly different from an either/or probability question. An â€Å"either/or† question asks whether or not one of the multiple events occurs (no matter which event is was). A â€Å"both/and† question requires that multiple events all occur. To find the probability of an â€Å"either/or† question, we must add our probabilities. To find the probability of a combined probability question, we must multiply our probabilities. A good way to remember this is to remember that a combined probability question will ultimately have a lower probability than the that of just one (or either) event occurring. The more events you need to happen, the less likely it will be that they all will. How likely is it that your first AND second coin tosses will BOTH be heads? Lower than the odds of just flipping heads once. On the other hand, an either/or probability question will have higher odds than the probability of just one of its events happening. You are combining forces to increase your odds of getting a desirable outcome. How likely is it that you’ll flip either heads or tails for each toss? 100%! What are the odds that Jenny will roll a pair of dice and get six on both? A die has six faces, so the odds of rolling any particular number is $1/6$. Because the question is asking us to find the odds of rolling two sixes (and nothing else), we must use our combined probability. So: $1/6 * 1/6 = 1/36$ There is a 1 in 36 chance that Jenny will roll a pair of dice and get two sixes. Combined probability questions mean that events cannot be separated. Typical ACT Probability Questions There are many different kinds of probabilities and probability questions (including overlapping, and conditional probabilities), but ACT probability questions use only the basic probabilities we have covered above. For most ACT probability questions, you will be asked to find either a straight probability or a probability ratio. You may also be asked to find or alter a new probability from an existing one. Now let us look at each type of problem. Simple Probability These kind of questions will always be word problems in which you are told a story and asked to find the probability of one or more events. This may be a straight probability, an either/or probability, or a combined probability. Simply use the understandings we learned above and you’ll be able to solve these kinds of questions without issue. We know that probability is ${\desired \outcome}/{\all \possible \outcomes}$. Our desired outcome is to get one of the five extra pieces, so our numerator will be 5. There are 750 puzzle pieces PLUS the extra five pieces in the box total, so our denominator will be: $750 + 5 = 755$ When we put them together, our final probability will be: $5/755$ Our final answer is D. Probability Ratio One way the ACT likes to spin probabilities and make them more complex is to present them as ratios or to ask you for your answer in a ratio. For a refresher on ratios, check out our guide to ACT fractions and ratios. For these types of questions, pay close attention to what the ratio represents so that you don’t end up solving the wrong question entirely. We are told that we must find the odds of an event as a ratio of $\in \the 25 - 35 \age \range: \not \in \the 25-35 \age \range$ (in other words, $\desired \outcome: \remaining \outcomes$). We are given the number of voters in terms of percentages, so we can translate the 42% of voters in the 25-35 age range as $42/100$. And if the 25-35 age category has a probability of $42/100$, then the remaining voters will have a probability of: ${100 - 42}/100$ $58/100$ Now, we can represent our ratio of $25-35 \voters: \all \other \voters$ as: $42:58$ Both numbers are divisible by 2, so we can reduce the ratio to: $21:29$ Our final answer is D. Altering a Probability Finally, it is quite common for the ACT to ask you to alter a probability. Usually, they will present you with an existing probability and then ask you to find the number to which you must increase the desired outcome(s) and the total number of outcomes in order to achieve a specific new probability. For example: Now, there are two ways to solve this kind of problem- using proportions or using the strategy of plugging in answers. Let’s look at both methods. Method 1- Proportions We are asked to find an additional number of red marbles that we must add to the total number of marbles in order to find a new probability. The current probability of selecting a red marble is: $12/32$ Now, we are adding a certain number of red marbles and only red marbles. This means that the number of red marbles increases by exactly the same amount that the total increases. We can therefore represent the new probability as: ${12 + x}/{32 + x}$ Now, we want this new probability to be equal to $3/5$, so let us set them up as a proportion. ${12 + x}/{32 + x} = 3/5$ And because this is a proportion, we can cross multiply. $(32 + x)(3) = (12 + x)(5)$ $96 + 3x = 60 + 5x$ Now solve for $x$. $36 = 2x$ $18 = x$ So we must add 18 red marbles in order to get a new probability of: ${12 + 18}/{32 + 18$ $30/50$ $3/5$ Our final answer is G, 18. Method 2- Plugging in answers The alternative to using proportions is to use PIA. We can simply add the answer options to the 12 red marbles in our numerator and the 32 marbles in our denominator and see which answer choice gives us a final ratio of $3/5$. Let us begin, as always, with the answer choice in the middle. Answer option H gives us 28, so let us try adding 28 to both the red marbles and the total number of marbles. ${12 + 28}/{32 + 28}$ $40/60$ $2/3$ This answer is a little bit too large. We can also see that the larger the number we add to both the numerator and the denominator, the larger our probability will be (you can test this by plugging in answer choice J or K- for K, if you add 40 to both 12 and 32, your final probability fraction will be $52/72$ = $13/18$, which is even larger than $2/3$.) This means that we can eliminate answer choices H, J, and K. Now let us try answer choice G. ${12 + 18}/{32 + 18}$ $30/50$ $3/5$ We have found our desired ratio. Our final answer is G, 18. As you can see, no matter which method you use, you can find the right solution. Somebody's gotta win, right? Well, you are more likely that to get struck by lightening (odds: 1.3 million to 1) and THEN fall from a 15 story building and survive (odds: 90 to 1), than you are to win the lottery (odds: 120 million to 1). How to Solve a Probability Question There are several ACT math strategies you must keep in mind when solving a probability question. First of all, you will know if you are being asked for a probability question on the ACT because, somewhere in the problem, it will ask you for the "probability of," the "chances of," or the "odds of" one or more events happening. Almost always, the ACT will use the word â€Å"probability,† but make sure to note that these words are all interchangeable. When you see those phrases, make sure to follow these steps: #1: Make sure you look carefully at exactly what the question is asking. It can be easy to make a mistake with probability ratios, or to mix up an either/or probability question with a both/and question. Make sure you always carefully examine the problem before you waste precious time trying to answer the wrong question. Kyle has been tossing a coin and recording the number of heads and tails results. So far, he has tossed the coin 5 times and gotten heads each time. What are the odds that he will get tails on his next coin toss? You may be tempted to think that our desired outcome (our numerator) is influenced by the number of times Kyle has already tossed the coin and the outcomes so far, but in all actuality, the probability that Kyle will get tails on his next toss is $1/2$. Why? Because each coin toss is independent of another coin toss. This means that this is a simple matter of determining our desired outcome over the number of total outcomes. There is one possibility of getting tails- numerator 1- and two possible options- heads or tails, denominator 2. So Kyle’s chances of getting tails on the next toss are 1 in 2. Now let’s look at a slightly different question. Kyle tossed the coin 5 times and got heads each time. What were the odds of this happening? Now we are being asked to find the probability of a both/and question, since we are being asked to identify the probability of multiple events all happening. (If it helps to picture, you can rephrase the question as: â€Å"What are the odds that BOTH his first coin tosses were heads? And What were the odds that BOTH his next tosses were heads?†, etc.) So if we use what we know about combined probabilities, we would be able to say: $1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2$ $1/32$ The odds are 1 in 32 (3.125%) that Kyle would have tossed heads five times in a row. #2: Think logically about when your odds will increase or decrease The odds of either two or more events occurring will be greater than the odds of one of the events alone. The odds of both (or multiple events) all occurring will be less than the odds of the odds of one of those events alone. Always take a moment to think about probability questions logically so that you don’t multiply when you should add, or vice versa. #3: Simplify the idea of a probability Once you get used to working with probabilities, you’ll find that probability questions are often just fancy ways of working with fractions and percentages. A probability ratio is the exact same thing as a question that simply asks you for a ratio. Just brush up on your fractions and ratiosif you find yourself intimidated for any reason. And always feel free to fall back on your PIA or PIN,as needed. These methods will sometimes take a little extra time, but they will always lead you to the right answer. The probability of drawing this hand is less than 0.0000004%, so I'm gonna go ahead and go all in. Test Your Knowledge Now it’s time to test what you’ve learned, using real ACT practice problems: 1) 2) 3) 4) Answers: F, E, D, B Answer Explanations: 1. This is another example of an altering probability question and, again, we have two choices when it comes to solving it. Let’s go through both the algebra/proportion method and PIA. Method 1- proportions. We know that we must increase the number of red marbles and only red marbles, so the amount of new marbles added to the set of red marbles and to the overall total of marbles will be the same. Our starting probability of red marbles is: $6/18$ So now we must increase each part of our fraction by the same amount and set it equal to the desired probability of $â…â€"$. ${6 + x}/{18 + x} = 3/5$ $(18 + x)(3) = (6 + x)(5)$ $54 + 3x = 30 + 5x$ $24 = 2x$ $12 = x$ So we must increase our red marbles (and, consequently, the total number of marbles) by 12 in order to get a probability of $â…â€"$ of selecting a red marble. To double-check this, we can plug the number back into our probability. ${6 + 12}/{18 + 12}$ $18/30$ $3/5$ We have successfully found our answer! Our final answer is F, 12. Method 2- PIA The alternative method is to use plugging in answers. We will simply plug in our answer choices to increase our red marbles (and our total number of marbles) and see which answer choice results in a probability of $3/5$. Let us start with answer choice H, 18. ${6 + 18}/{18 + 18}$ $24/36$ $2/3$ This probability is too large and any larger numbers will only get us larger probabilities. This means we can eliminate answer choices H, J, and K. Now, let us try answer choice G, 16. ${6 + 16}/{18 + 16}$ $22/34$ $11/17$ This probability is still slightly too large. By process of elimination, our answer must be F, but let us test it to be sure. ${6 + 12}/{18 + 12}$ $18/30$ $3/5$ Success! We have found our right answer. Our final answer is, again, F, 12. 2. Because Elliott must answer all the questions correctly, this means that this is a combination probability question. We are told that he answers each question at random, and all the questions have 3 answer options, which means that answering one question correctly has a probability of: $1/3$ And, since this is a combination problem, answering ALL 4 questions correctly will be: $1/3 * 1/3 * 1/3 * 1/3$ $1/81$ Our final answer is E, $1/81$ 3. We have a total of 150 people and 67 of them have type A blood, while 6 of them have type AB. This means that type A blood has a probability of: $67/150$ And type AB blood has a probability of: $6/150$ Now we can add these probabilities together. $67/150 + 6/150 = 73/150$ Our final answer is D, $73/150$ 4. Here, we have another probability question made more complicated by the use of ratios. Again, if you need a refresher on ratios, check out our guide to ACT fractions and ratios. First, we must find the actual number of 10th and 11th graders. We are told that the 10th graders have a ratio of 86:255 to the school population and the 11th graders have a ratio of 18:51 to the total student population. We must first set these ratios to an equal number of total students in order to determine the number of students in each class. We can see that the 11th graders have a reduced ratio, so we must multiply each side of the ratio by the same amount in order to equal the total number of students as the 10th graders’ ratio (255). Luckily for us, $255/51 = 5$. This is a nice, round number to work with. Now, we must multiply the 11th grade ratio by 5 on each side to even out the playing field. $18(5):51(5)$ $90:255$ We are assuming for now that there are 255 students total (there may be $255 *2$ or $255 * 3$, and so forth, but this will not affect our final outcome; all that matters is that we choose a total number of students that is equal for all grades/ratios.) So there are 86 10th graders, 90 11th graders, and the remaining students are 12th graders. Knowing that there are 255 students total, we can find the number of 12th graders by saying: $255 - 86 - 90 = 79$ There are 79 12th graders. This means that the probability of selecting a 10th, 11th, or 12th grader at random is: $86/255$, $90/255$, $79/255$, respectively. The odds are higher that the lottery will select an 11th grader, as the numerator for 11th graders is larger than that of the others. Our final answer is B, 11th graders. You have successfully completed your probability questions! You're free! The Take Aways The more you practice working with probabilities, the easier they will become. Although it can take some time to learn how to properly differentiate between the different types of probability questions, most ACT probability questions are fairly straightforward. Understand that probabilities are simply fractional relationships of desired outcomes over all potential outcomes, and you’ll be able to tackle these kinds of ACT math questions in no time. What’s Next? Now that you've stacked the odds in your favor on your probability questions, it's time to make sure you're caught up with the rest of your ACT math topics. We've got guides on all your individual math needs, from trigonometry to slopes and more. Wondering how your score stacks up? See what makes a "good" score and how you can get the most out of your studying time to reach your target goal. Running out of time on the ACT? Look to our guide on how to maximize your time and your score in the hour allotted. Want to get a perfect score? Check out how to get a perfect score on the ACT math, written by a 36-scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Analysis of Humaneness of Hebrew Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Humaneness of Hebrew Law - Essay Example The society at the time was divided of the noble and commoners. Hebrew law was so mindful of life that if a kidnapping took place but with the intention of selling to caravan traders, this was a capital crime. Another offense that carried the same weight was striking a fellow man and killing him. However, there were exceptions to the laws, it the person that was stroke did not die but woke up after a day or two, punishment would be in the form of financial compensation. Notably, there is a difference between the Hebrew law and biblical laws. While the Hebrew law permitted taking life for an act of house invasion, the Bible does not give leeway. The writers of Deuteronomy emphasized in Moses’ teaching to the Hebrews. It was to govern them upon entering Canaan. Deuteronomy reflects the new challenges faced by the Hebrew in entering Canaan and the law was pivoted along fairness in judgment. The people were expected to appoint judges in all the towns according to the tribes present, and that no one was to pervert justice. In the time, seventh century B.C, a single witness was not enough for an accused person to be found guilty. At least two was needed for righteousness to be achieved. If a brother gave false witness against another and this was found out, it would be done to him what he intended for the other. Treatment of slaves was fair in that, a slave who escapes from his master for oppression was not to be returned to him. The Hebrew law was to govern the Hebrews in the period after coming from Egypt and before entering Canaan. It was the legislation of Moses as depicted in Exodus. The writers of Deuteronomy intended that it be used to achieve justice and righteousness upon entering Canaan. It was a reform program that was linked to the laws of Moses, and the central theme was to attain justice for every party in a conflict. Written as though it was the last speech of Moses, Deuteronomy reflects the new problems

News Summary and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

News Summary and Analysis - Essay Example Series of defense firms, banks and energy have been imposed new penalties in retaliation in Ukraine for Moscow’s Intervention. Obama may lengthen the period for negotiations with Iran. Health costs have slowed in various countries across the world bringing a question about the trend. Technological factors also play as a cause of poverty. The advancement of working conditions in firms most of the times lead to cut off some personnel creating unemployment. Unemployment is a cause of poverty to those who do not acquire other occupations (Snarr 223). If the banks and energy firms are taxed heavily, the impact mostly affects the poorly paid and unskilled people, thus increasing the rate of poverty. The global wars results to death of people, destruction of properties and displacement of people. The populaces affected by war are usually left poor. The high medical costs remit the people with low-living standards unable to access medical facilities, therefore, remaining sick at their homes. Their diseases may persist for a long time where the households are forced to spend cash on pain killers rather than spending in other expenses, therefore, increasing poverty (Snarr 237). Higher transport cost affects the low-waged earners which also contribute to

The Impact of Social Media Technology on Individuals Essay

The Impact of Social Media Technology on Individuals - Essay Example Browsing these sites makes one feel connected to a much larger community. However, such an easy and casual connection on the internet can also have its pitfalls (Ramli 646). The social media technology has an immense psychological impact on individuals. The positive aspect of this entire experience lies on social media’s capability to connect several people together. The central part USP of social media such as Twitter and Facebook is their ability to connect the world across every nation, and this has brought a certain sense of joy to its users. One is capable of meeting old friends on Facebook, and be in touch with these people irrespective of where they are located makes it have a strong psychological impact on individuals (Das 223). However, it has its detrimental side too. It is exciting to see a good number of adults and several teens wake up, and the first thing they do even before brushing their teeth is to log to Twitter and Facebook. Facebook encourages idling, and t his has made a number of people to get distracted completely from what they initially intended to do. It begins with two minutes of Facebook to two hours, and this may stretch to days. This addiction to social media sites has made some individuals become unaware of their time zones; thus, creating negative impacts on the mindsets of individuals. The prioritizing of these activities has led to misplaced priorities over varying many very important activities (Ahn 23). The social media technology has also led to revolutionary impact. The prominent power of this technology is its ability to muster support for social causes within a short time. A good example is an unrest in the Arab world. This is one of the achievements of social media (Ahn 24). Both Facebook and Twitter have been used in galvanizing the dictator regime, as well as to remove it from office. The Tahrir Square uprising in Egypt is a perfect example of how social media played a significant role in the struggle for change. In as much as social media brought about the revolution; it triggered tension and fear among people as a result of the threats and posts that were being spread through it (Ramli 645). So far, the biggest negative impact of social media technology revolves around the unfairness that they have intrinsically created on the private life of its users. These sites have encouraged many people to engage themselves and expose their private life to the public. This is because the intimate details of their lives can be posted so easily. This is attributed to the fact that some users are likely to bypass the filters that they should employ when discussing their private lives. Worse still, the things that are posted remain available indefinitely for people all over the world to see. While the users of these sites are capable of controlling the number of people who see what they post, these limitations are forgotten, and leakage of information through friends is also possible. Social media has a lso led to cyber infidelity, and this is capable of destroying relationships. It enables people to connect and make new relationships with people all over the world. You can imagine waking up and finding out that your spouse has updated her Facebook status as single. People posting comments of this sad break up in your relationship can make one extremely miserable. This shows how relationships of this age have been made cheap by social media.  

DEBATE on Are Uniforms a Good Way to Improve Student Discipline and Essay

DEBATE on Are Uniforms a Good Way to Improve Student Discipline and Motivation - Essay Example In the US for example, it is observable that majority of schools prefer prescribing dressing codes as opposed to school uniforms, due to the lack of a strict national legislation to make wearing of school uniforms mandatory. In this context, 2006 statistics indicated that only 14% of public schools in the country had their students wearing uniforms, while 55% had dressing codes (Hamilton, 2008). A dressing code is different from uniforms in that students are allowed to wear clothing items of their choice as long as they conform with stipulated restrictions and guidelines, which, for example, may include and not limited to; length of a dress, colors, skin exposure etc. This paper is a critical evaluation on whether school uniforms should be made compulsory as a way of promoting discipline and student motivation. School Uniforms Wearing of School uniforms is a good way of promoting discipline among students as well as motivating them to concentrate on their studies. It is true to say t hat the contemporary world is full of diversity ranging from different types of cultures to social and economic disparities. This is no different in institutions of learning, where it is found that different students come from families which are different in terms of wealth. In this context, failure to impose uniforms on students would be a way of extending the disparities to schools, as each and every student would be motivated to outdo each other in terms of fashion, whereby it would be easy to tell which student comes from a poor family and which one comes from a wealthy one. This is one way of promoting inequality, which is a potential cause for student distraction as those wearing cheap clothing would be possessed by envy towards their rich counterparts (Cruz, 2001). This means that students wearing cheap clothing would have higher chances of not concentrating on what the teacher is saying, as they would be distracted constantly by the habit of evaluating each other’s ou tfit. In a mixed class for example, it would be easy to find ladies wearing provocative clothing in the effort to look sexy, which may be a major distraction to their male counterparts, who have a natural instinct of reacting positively to nudity. School uniforms are important in promoting teamwork (Cruz, 2001). It is said that birds of the same feather flock together. In this context, it means that there is a possibility of exclusion, whereby rich students may tend to form their own study groups whereas poor ones would have to form their own despite the fact that knowledge knows no boundaries. This means that coming from a wealthy family does not guarantee academic excellence, whereas coming from a poor family does not imply poverty of ideas. Uniformity in this context would be of great assistance as it would encourage students to bond and assist each other based on the fact that each and every person has his or her own capacity to understand and interpret issues, but as it is beli eved, two heads are better than one. For example, one may find that a poor student is well established and knowledgeable in a subject such as Mathematics while another from a rich family is good in Physics, but poor in Math and vice versa. If a uniform can play a major role in bringing together these two individuals to assist each other, then, the government and the society at large have a moral obligation to support

Describe the contributions of 'psychoanalytic theory' to film theory Essay

Describe the contributions of 'psychoanalytic theory' to film theory and visual culture in general. Be sure to discuss the effect of 'pleasure' and the 'gaze' i - Essay Example Psychoanalytic thought pointed to early films of the 1940s as examples, and stated that some of these films were aimed at particular groups of viewers/spectators, in this case women as the films of this era have become known as a genre of "women's films". The subject of women in these films was considered to provide real world women with an ideal subject in that they were the perfect spectator regardless of the meaning delivered by the film. Also the work of Foucault has been drawn upon to empahsise the use of institutional power to normalize the gaze. For example, how things are understood by a person is influenced by the society and institutions in which that person is embedded, as these social norms are presented within the visual images used by that society. In this way, visual culture becomes a body of knowledge that defines and limits what can be said about sexuality and gender relations as well as the identification of self. He considered issues of power and knowledge to be a cooperative state, not a coercive one, so that the maintenance of a dominant gendered, (i.e., male) over a subordinate one (i.e., female) was dependant on the acceptance of each gender as to the social norms that dictate such states. He considered docile bodies as presented on photographic film as conforming to the social norms of the ideal body and sexuality. Metz (1970) has characterised spectatorship as the process of the viewer suspending their disbelief of a fantasy on film and identifying with particular characters presented through the film. Especially, the spectator identifies with the underlying ideology of the film by way of identifying with the structure and visual points of view present within the film. The process of spectatorship initiates fantasy structures that are housed within the unconscious; for example, how to be the ideal woman, or to have the ideal marriage.In this way psychoanalytic theory described human functioning as a process of suppressing unconscious desires, fears and particular memories so as to maintain a socially acceptable lifestyle. In contrast to Lacan's later theories, Freud advocated that the unconscious was a phenomenon that existed within each individual and that drove current behaviours. The idea of the unconscious had a dramatic effect on how academics, philosophers and human psychology theorists approached the human psych. The reality of an unconscious deconstructed a humanist ideal that existed about the self at this time. Freud anticipated that making the knowledge of the unconscious conscious within each person that repression of desires and memories would be reduced, and so too experiences of neurosis which were seen to arise from repression. He emphasized that the "id" or unconscious would be the predominant response to life circumstances if repressed, and so replace the "I" or consciousness and self-identity. He summed this in his famous quote "Where It was, shall I be". In this sense the overall goal of Freud's psychoanalytic approach was to strengthen the "I" and to maintain a conscious and rational identity within people that could be more powerful than the unconscious.Later theories of Jaques Lancan (1978) and subjectivity, investigated film analysis of the 1970s. As such, the gaze was seen as representing a view of language and the language structures used in co mmunication that in turn reinforce culturally-bound experiences of subjectivity. Positional gazes refer to viewing

DEBATE on Are Uniforms a Good Way to Improve Student Discipline and Essay

DEBATE on Are Uniforms a Good Way to Improve Student Discipline and Motivation - Essay Example In the US for example, it is observable that majority of schools prefer prescribing dressing codes as opposed to school uniforms, due to the lack of a strict national legislation to make wearing of school uniforms mandatory. In this context, 2006 statistics indicated that only 14% of public schools in the country had their students wearing uniforms, while 55% had dressing codes (Hamilton, 2008). A dressing code is different from uniforms in that students are allowed to wear clothing items of their choice as long as they conform with stipulated restrictions and guidelines, which, for example, may include and not limited to; length of a dress, colors, skin exposure etc. This paper is a critical evaluation on whether school uniforms should be made compulsory as a way of promoting discipline and student motivation. School Uniforms Wearing of School uniforms is a good way of promoting discipline among students as well as motivating them to concentrate on their studies. It is true to say t hat the contemporary world is full of diversity ranging from different types of cultures to social and economic disparities. This is no different in institutions of learning, where it is found that different students come from families which are different in terms of wealth. In this context, failure to impose uniforms on students would be a way of extending the disparities to schools, as each and every student would be motivated to outdo each other in terms of fashion, whereby it would be easy to tell which student comes from a poor family and which one comes from a wealthy one. This is one way of promoting inequality, which is a potential cause for student distraction as those wearing cheap clothing would be possessed by envy towards their rich counterparts (Cruz, 2001). This means that students wearing cheap clothing would have higher chances of not concentrating on what the teacher is saying, as they would be distracted constantly by the habit of evaluating each other’s ou tfit. In a mixed class for example, it would be easy to find ladies wearing provocative clothing in the effort to look sexy, which may be a major distraction to their male counterparts, who have a natural instinct of reacting positively to nudity. School uniforms are important in promoting teamwork (Cruz, 2001). It is said that birds of the same feather flock together. In this context, it means that there is a possibility of exclusion, whereby rich students may tend to form their own study groups whereas poor ones would have to form their own despite the fact that knowledge knows no boundaries. This means that coming from a wealthy family does not guarantee academic excellence, whereas coming from a poor family does not imply poverty of ideas. Uniformity in this context would be of great assistance as it would encourage students to bond and assist each other based on the fact that each and every person has his or her own capacity to understand and interpret issues, but as it is beli eved, two heads are better than one. For example, one may find that a poor student is well established and knowledgeable in a subject such as Mathematics while another from a rich family is good in Physics, but poor in Math and vice versa. If a uniform can play a major role in bringing together these two individuals to assist each other, then, the government and the society at large have a moral obligation to support

Events Management_Evaluate the current level of understanding of Essay

Events Management_Evaluate the current level of understanding of Events Impact and Events Stakeholder Management and how it int - Essay Example Conversely, changing circumstances in each of the phases may require the events coordinator to re-visit previously completed duties. Stakeholders The complicated business environment compels event organisers to create relations with numerous stakeholders. These stakeholders each have their own desires, positions, and expectations, and businesses are confronted with stakeholder reputation risk if these requirements and expectations are not adequately addressed. Stakeholders can bring threats as well as opportunities for businesses. For example, if an organisation is well respected, stakeholders may give it more latitude to function. Conversely, a bad or lacklustre reputation can cause stakeholders to pass rules that make it harder for the organisation to carry out basic functions. Knowledge, reflection, and a basic comprehension of the desires of the organisation’s stakeholders and the reputation management procedures will profit any institution, in spite of its size or stature . There is no company that does not have stakeholders. The term ‘stakeholder’ refers to any individual or group that can somehow influence or is influenced by an institution’s actions, behaviour and performance. ... It is such reactions that are important. The positive reaction of consumers is crucial as it allows the institution to be able to depend on the consumers when it requires some financial assistance. The word ‘stakeholder management’ defines the execution and development of organisational strategies, along with practices that take into account the objectives of the institution’s stakeholders. Stakeholder Management also includes discussion, process generation, and relationship formation that occur between a business and its numerous stakeholders. Any of the stakeholders can negatively or positively affect a business’s reputation, and therefore require varied strategies to balance the situation. Research studies in the past have proven that there is much that institutions can do to constructively cater to the needs of stakeholders (McKercher, 2006). The supervision of, and relations with stakeholders require careful attention if a firm wishes to make the most of its chances, while diminishing any existing threats when handling their stakeholders. Research studies have shown that when a business initiates relationships with important stakeholders, it actually saves on future expenses by eliminating litigation costs, boycotts, pressure campaigns, or even lost income as a result of bad relationships. Good relations with workers also increase the probability that they will be contented with the business as well as their jobs (Jones, 2005). This makes them more likely endorse organisational practices while avoiding interferences in company policies. The assessment of relationships includes a two-way communication procedure with the outcome, whether positive or negative, affecting both

A History of Journalism in the Philippines Essay Example for Free

A History of Journalism in the Philippines Essay Revolution, the press, which plays a potent role in the promotion of truth, justice, and democracy, and of peace, progress, and prosperity, was liberated from dictatorship. During this period, crony newspapers were closed and the National Press Club and the Philippine Press Institute were revived to professionalize mass media in the country. During this period, significant changes, advances, and developments have taken place in Philippine journalism. Newspapers and periodicals have expanded in pages, sections, coverages, and circulations. They have become venues of sensitive issues like death penalty, charter change, juetengate scandal, and visiting forces agreement, and of diverse issues about the civil society, land reform, human rights, genders issues, and other areas that before the 1986 EDSA Revolution were previously ignored or minimally covered. Some investigative reports have led to further investigations, have enhanced transparency, and have reduced corruption in the judiciary, executive, and legislative branches of the government. These developments are attributed to the continuing efforts of the newspaper and the periodical industry and their research and academic organizations: the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, which conducts rigorous research in the affairs of the state; the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, which upgrades professionalism and responsibility of media practitioners through seminars, workshops, and publications; the Philippine Press Institute, which conducts trainings and sponsors the Annual Community Press Awards that recognizes excellence among provincial newspapers and periodicals; and the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, which offers graduate studies in journalism and in communication management and conducts media research, interim training, and policy advocacy. In 1998, there are 14 daily broadsheets and 19 tabloids published in Metro  Manila. Among the broadsheets with the biggest circulations include the Manila Bulletin with a claimed circulation of 280 000 on weekdays and 300 000 on weekends and the Philippine Daily Inquirer with a claimed circulation of 260 000 on weekdays and 280 000 on weekends. Among the tabloids with the biggest circulations include the Abante with a claimed circulation of 417 600 and the People’s Journal with a claimed circulation of 382 000. Out of the 408 provincial newspapers and periodicals, 30 are printed daily, 292 are published weekly, and the rest are circulated either monthly or quarterly. Today, based from the 2000 Philippine Media Fact Book, there are 559 print publications, 475 broadsheets, 45 magazines, and 39 tabloids and comics; 22 percent are published in the National Capital Region, 12 broadsheets, 17 tabloids, 32 magazines, 39 comics, and 5 Chinese newspapers. Among the broadsheets with the biggest circulations include the Philippine Daily Inquirer with a daily circulation of 257 416, followed by the Philippine Star, 251 000, and the Manila Bulletin, 240 000. Other broadsheets with their daily circulation are as follows: Today, 152 268; Kabayan, 150 000; Malaya, 135 193; Manila Standard, 96 310; Sun Star Manila, 87 000; Philippine Post, 78 218; The Manila Times, 75 000; Business World, 61 283; and The Daily Tribune, 50 000. Among the tabloids with the biggest circulations include Bulgar with a daily circulation of 448 450, followed by the People’s Journal, 382 200, and the People’s Tonight, 365 811. Other tabloids with their daily circulation are as follows: Remate, 310 000; Abante, 260 000; Bandera, 253 523; Pilipino Star Ngayon, 250 200, People’s Bagong Taliba, 210 000; Balita, 175 725; Tempo, 160 000; Abante Tonight, 150 000; Isyu, 126 835; Saksi Ngayon, 100 000; Remate Tonight, 90 000; Balita sa Hapon, 35 000; and Sun Star Bulilit, 30 000. Among the Sunday supplements of daily newspapers, Panorama of the Manila Bulletin has the highest number of circulation, 300 000, followed by the Sunday Inquirer Magazine of the Philippine daily Inquirer, 268 575, and the Starweek Magazine of the Philippine Star, 268 000. Among the entertainment magazines, Glitter has the highest number of circulation with 300 000, followed by the Pilipino Reporter News Magazine, 188 192, and the Woman Today, 184 900. __________________________________________________________ Inquiry, Dissent, and Struggle Javier Flores and Ava Vivian Gonzales Though the Philippine Collegian retains the singular distinction of being the most illustrious campus paper in the country, there is no single Collegian. A rummage through the archives, through pages crumbling with age, reveals an impermanence of its character. There are indeed as many versions of the Collegian as there are batches of writers and students, and passing crises peculiar to different times. Each generation names its own foes. The process of writing, subversive as it is, fords the inter-generational divide. Such exercise puts one upon inquiry, the starting point of advocacy. When one writes, one requires breathing space: the right to dissect any topic under the sun and in the domain of heaven, and the right not to be interfered with in so doing. The practice of interrogating accepted modes of thinking and overturning paradigms breeds criticism of the powers that be. In the Collegians storied past, this criticism, coming at times when to be informed was an offense, was not always welcome. There were issues which came out with white spaces where editorials should have been. Homobono Adaza, then editor in chief (EIC), was removed from office for writing an editorial against the UP Administration. During the Martial Law years, staffers were threatened that they would not graduate if they persisted in  attacking the government. The bright lives of some of its editors: Abraham Sarmiento Jr., Antonio Tagamolila, and Enrique Voltaire Garcia III, among a host of others, were snuffed out. The history of the Collegian is likewise replete with struggles against those who desired to shackle the freedom of writers: the fight against vague provisions on the selection of judges for the editorial exam; the battle to abolish the position of a faculty adviser who had to sign every page proof of the paper; and the endeavor to take care of its own coffers without the Administration holding its finances hostage. Since the birth of Collegian in 1922, generations of writers have dipped their pens into the inkwell of society racked with vicissitudes. The Collegian was a party in their efforts to resolve the varied inequities of the times with articles that seared, and commentaries that burned. It is imperative that we turn the page to remind us of the efforts of those who came before us. Perfection lies not behind us, but ahead of us. It is not a forsaken paradise, but a territory we must one day conquer, a city we must one day build. Nevertheless, it is not a mortal sin to occasionally contemplate the cornerstones that have been placed by those before us to show us what is possible.

Comparison of French and German Cinema, 1930-1945

Comparison of French and German Cinema, 1930-1945 Introduction The dissertation aims to analyse the effects of totalitarian politics on the cinematic tradition of two of Europes most cultured nations, Germany and France. The study of cinema during the time period, 19301945 is a highly relevant discussion; one which is infrequently dissected by serious academic debate largely due to the lack of literature on the subject in comparison to studies pertaining to the effects of fascism upon other implements of the state, in particular religion and the military. Perhaps film students of the West still find it difficult to comprehend the fact that the Nazis were such a long way in front of their competitors when it came to the influence of National Socialist propaganda on the German people. As early as 1928 Hitler had come to understand the fundamental power of utilising modern forms of propaganda in paving the way for tyrannical rule, as he outlines in a speech dated 28 November (1999:151). The more one addresses only one social class, the easier it becomes to make promises. One knows from the beginning what each class wants If you are always only addressing yourself to one category, then political propaganda becomes infinitely easy. Certainly, in tandem with pervasive fascist symbolism and the dissolution of democratic political debate, the saturation of all forms of contemporary media was the key factor in Hitlers total seduction of the German nation. As such, the topic is relevant for the twenty first century where dictators still maintain power over illeducated people whose information is pumped into them via state propaganda machines that feed off insecurity, prejudice and paranoia, as modernday Zimbabwe currently illustrates. The study will be split into chapters as cited on the title page with the aim of creating an advanced understanding of how the Nazis used cinema as a tool of tricking the German people into believing concepts such as Lebensraum and the Jewish Question were issues of national urgency. The study will likewise examine the role of the Vichy collaborators in the seduction of French people, citing the essential similarities and differences of the two in terms of filmic content and production techniques. Clearly, as the instigator of right wing cinema as a political tool of mass hysteria, the German model will be first to be discussed, though the point should be made straight away that the Vichy Regime was not merely coerced into collaboration: there was active and passionate interest in France in fascist ideology with plenty of Vichy statesmen wishing to follow the path set about by the Hitler State. At no point should it be believed that Vichy cinema was a symptom of the occupation; it wa s, and remains, a marker for French sociopolitical beliefs at the time. Famous and infamous films such as Jean Renoirs La Grande Illusion, Bertolt Brechts Kuhle Wampe and Marcel Carnes Les Enfants du Paradis will be featured within the dissertation, citing specific examples from the movies to highlight how dissenters managed to voice their disapproval in highly subtle fashions that were unique to the extreme fear experienced in fascist Europe at the time. Comparisons between movie production under the influence of occupation, dictatorship, peacetime and war will provide fuel for the debate within. A conclusion will be sought as to the overall features that appear uniform within right wing film making, in addition to citing the subtle differences in the experience of movie production under the spectre of totalitarianism, as witnessed in Germany and France between 1930 and 1945. Chapter One: The effect of fascism on German Culture, 19301945 The short lived Weimar Republic is a source of great fascination for students not only of history but also of art, culture and society. Its relevance is in its oddity: the strange timeframe it fits into either side of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Nazi State, two of the most suffocating and frustrating regimes in European history in terms of creative and artistic achievement. The Weimar Republic was responsible for a brief burgeoning of liberal German film making, art, sculpture, music, theatre and culture that was the envy of the western world at the time. Perversely, the strict socioeconomic conditions of the day appeared to ensure that the Republic would be as frivolous as it was unfortunate; as daring as it was politically unstable. Yet, as Elssaesser (2000:151) suggests, Weimar cinema may also have made it easier for Hitler to cast his cinematic spell on the German people. What has become abundantly clear is that the cinema permeated Weimar society as a very contradictory cultural force, at once part of oppositional Modernist avantgardes and in the forefront of capitalisms own modernising tendencies (as technology, industry and fashion) and for this very reason, invested with the hopes of revolutionary changes while susceptible to being used as the instrument for their containment (in the form of specular seduction, nostalgia, propaganda.) Diversity was the key to Weimar Cinema; it was an expression of multicultural Europe that was unfortunately located in the wrong place and time. With the Prussian aristocracy, disillusioned exmilitary personnel and marginalised masses of unemployed, the Weimar Republic was insufficiently prepared to withstand a structured coup from within when it inevitably came. Furthermore, the liberalism of the Republic gave added ammunition to the nascent Nazi State, giving Hitler and his propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels a readymade scapegoat for the deplorable state of German infrastructure during the early part of the 1930s. Indeed, it was Goebbels (1993:159) who highlighted the condition of the German nation before the National Socialists came to power in 1933 the state of the nation according to fascist eyes. Had it not been for the National Revolution, Germany would have been completely swissified, a nation of hotel porters and waiters, a nation having no political sense whatsoever that had lost any idea of its own historical significance. The effect of a onedimensional, intensely political approach to cultural affairs meant a surgical shift in the prism through which German society charted its progress between 1918 and 1933, and 1933 to 1945. Most art and film historians see the change that occurred in German culture after 1933, with the infamous burning of the books (May 1933) and mass emigration of a wealth of indigenous creative talent, as symptomatic of authoritarianism throughout the world. Bland, repetitive instances of film making and culture took the place of innovation and the first seedlings of avantgarde technique. Aesthetics and the human form took on added significance. Heavy handed plot lines guided the viewer of both art and cinema along a straightforward journey to the ideological heart of work without trusting the audience with the even the slightest semblance of individual reasoning. These are the popular images of authoritarian art forms promulgated after the defeat of fascism in Europe. Yet it would be incorrect to assume that German film making after 1933 was merely an exercise in retrospective propaganda studies; as shall be discussed in following chapters, Goebbels was fond of puncturing all genres of movies with National Socialist ideals with the result that a kaleidoscope of imagery is available to the twenty first century film student, each portraying a different vision of the fascist dream. It should come as little surprise to students of history to see a broad similarity between movies made in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia: both countries relied upon eradicating the opposition and portraying the leader in an invincible light. Censorship at home and at the national borders also meant that fewer foreign films were being shown; those very few that made it past the German borders having to be screened first by the Nazis in order to gain an audience inside of Germany. Furthermore, the considerable risk that a film maker ran of being arrested, taken to concentration camp or even killed because of making a statement that the Nazi hierarchy did not favour was too great for all but the most ideologically driven of artists to bear. The result was an exodus of talent from Germany and a narrowing of vision to the extent that diversity, as a description of German cinema, became a complete misnomer. Art and cinema in the Third Reich were thus reduced to an entity in support of the regime; the hand over of the baton of creativity to autocracy was assisted by the state overhaul of existing cultural ministries. As part of the broader policy of Gleischaltung (coordination) the Reich Chamber of Culture (established in November 1933) oversaw this new breed of politicised movie making and art that presented a ludicrously perfect form of the Aryan man, engaged in the typical German pursuits of sport, work and family, as Seligmann et al (2003:50) detail. Images depicted Germans not just as modern day heroes but also as the heirs to Europes greatest cultural and imperial tradition, that of Alexander the Great and Caesar. As Aryans and National Socialists were elevated to the status of hero, so the Nazis used cinema and indeed every tool of popular culture at its disposal to reenforce the slide of the enemy into the sociological abyss. Over a short period of time, the Jews took over from the Weimar Republic and the Communists as the central target of Nazi abuse as one by one the political enemies of the state were made obsolete, leaving the racial enemies of the state as the sole carriers of the burden of national pariahs. Propaganda and film would play a disconcertingly influential role in the social facilitation of the Holocaust the essential psychological background whereby a nation might be made complicit in mass, statesponsored murder. As the violence and oppression against the Jews (and against gypsies, the handicapped and homosexuals) was increased, so the state began to use film and culture as a means to making the population complicit in their racial crimes. Reichskristallnacht (89 November 1938), for example, was a stateignited campaign of hatred against Jewry that was completed by the ordinary German people, a spontaneous orgy of destruction that would have been unimaginable were it not for the driptap effect of incessant fascist film making and media saturation, as Kershaw (2000:1412) underscores. The scale and nature of the savagery, and the apparent aim of maximising degradation and humiliation, reflected the success of propaganda in demonising the figure of the Jew certainly within the organisations of the Party itself and massively enhanced the process, underway since Hitlers takeover of power, of dehumanising Jews and excluding them from German society a vital step on the way to genocide. Der Erwige Jude (The Eternal Jew), the most extreme example of film utilised as a weapon of war, was a blatant and extreme vision of the life of common Jewry; the degradation of the living condition in the Warsaw Ghettoes providing the inspiration for the movies creator, Josef Goebbels who visited the area in 1940. The film portrayed Jews as vermin, cementing the belief in the viewer (coupled with state newspaper and radio) that the Jews were not only the enemy of the state but, more importantly, subhuman. As with all aspects of Nazi Germany, the murderous end effect can only be understood by taking the gradual desensitisation of the nation into account, a phenomenon that propaganda and film were instrumental in helping to bring about. Chapter Two: Occupied France: Vichy Collaboration in Moulding the Image of Fascist Europe The French experience of film was, until the continentwide rise of fascism, much the same as in Germany even if there were also fundamental differences between the two countries that made the transition from democracy to authoritarianism a more traumatic experience for the French, one that the nation has still not fully come to terms with. To start with, France, more than any other European nation, is synonymous with high culture, art and vision, characterised as the trend setting nation for creativity throughout the western world. Via Marcel Duchamp, for example, France was home to the origination of abstract art, his sculpture, Fountain (1917) often cited as a watershed in art and visual intention in the history of the West. In addition, France had dictatorship thrust upon it in a different way to the Germans. Clearly, autocracy can only arise from it being forcibly imposed on a population, yet in Germany it was Germans taking control of their own people, whereas, after the symbolic signing of the armistice on 22 June 1940, the French were dictated to by Germany from the vantage point of a vanquished nation. Therefore, there was more a sense of cultural partition between France in the 1930s and France in the 1940s that was not the case over the Alsace border into Germany. This starting point of a nation being defeated in war has been, ultimately, the greatest stumbling block regarding a better historical comprehension of the excesses of Vichy both from within and outside of French borders: for as long as the French were willing to rewrite history to paint the picture of a demoralised people who were fundamentally opposed to the right wing ideology of National Socialism, the country would be unable to see its true reflection. However, after the accumulation of two generations of historiography, Vichy was gradually deemed to be an active collaborator in the extremism that was witnessed in French culture and politics between 1940 and 1945 rather than a government coerced into cooperation. Marshall Pà ©tain may have been little more than a puppet figurehead, but he represented a large sector of conservative France that wished to eradicate the achievements of the artistic and philosophical endeavour of the early twentieth century so as to reembrace outmod ed notions of colonial France. Indeed, the right wing bloc who made up the core of the Vichy government were sympathetic to the anti-Semitic views of the Nazis the botched military trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus for spying in 1894 highlighting a chequered history of a country that had barely bothered to even notice its own deeply resentful views concerning the Jews. The official separation of Church and State by law in 1905 merely paid lip service to a deepseated problem of prejudice in France. Although France had changed geographically, ethnically, politically and culturally between the two decades, a certain sense of continuity is detectable in French cinema of the period, which was certainly not the case in Germany. This was due to a combination of German censorship and genuine Vichy desire to ignore the shameful effect of the Occupation. As JeanPierre Jeancolas attests in his essay on the 1945 Vichy sponsored picture, Les Enfants du Paradis (2000:78), the realism that French cinema was so famous for showed no signs of cracking after 1940. The occupation of France in 1940, the control direct or indirect of its cinema by the German forces, condemned use of the present tense. Fiction films were allowed, at best, to portray a kind of vague present day, a period which had the appearance of the present, but not its singular hardships: the cars or the costumes are of 1943, but the French are depicted in light-hearted romantic entanglements, stories that never show the daily problems of finding food, or the presence of Nazi uniforms. Mention must be made of the division in France after her capitulation in 1940. Put simply, the country was split into half via north and south, whereby Paris, Brittany and the northern shores were deemed to be part of a territory called Free France, while the southern part of the nation, including major cities such Marseilles and Bordeaux (both of which had large ethnic and Jewish communities) was placed under the control of the Vichy Government. Vichy struggled to unite the two divisions until 1943 at the earliest, a time which signalled an increase in French resistance as, after the Battle of Stalingrad (February 1943) the sense of a slow protracted capitulation in the East led to a renewed sense of optimism in the West. It is important, therefore, to recognise the difficulty in defining a singular French brand of cinema after 1940. There were noticeable anomalies in how the Germans treated the two main zones. Newsreel propaganda, for instance, was different: in the Occupied Zone, cinemas screened antiBritish German newsreels, while in the Unoccupied Zone, Vichy largely steered clear of any mention of the war of the German presence in France at all. It is likewise important to recognise that the Vichy propaganda machine was not under the same level of autocratic control as was the case in Germany. There was no allpowerful figurehead to rival Goebbels in France. Pierre Laval was the clearest comparison to him but the Deputy Prime Minister spent much of his time in Paris negotiating with the Germans. In addition, Laval believed fervently in the power of broadcast media as the fundamental tool to seduce a weary population, neglecting largely the cinema and music. Furthermore, Laval delegated control of the propaganda machine to Paul Marion after 1942, which meant a discernible lack of leadership. A comparable model to Goebbels extensive communications system cannot be found in Vichy France. However, this does not mean to say that the Vichy Government was without persuasion or an ideology of its own. Although Occupied France was under the control of Germany, Vichy was given leeway in terms of national reeducation and, as the administration grew more secure in the southern part of the country (coinciding with entire divisions of German troops leaving France to fight on the increasingly demoralising Eastern Front), so a discernibly French model of fascism was seen in all walks of life, extending quickly to the national movie community. Continuity in all areas is the chief characteristic of Vichy cinema. As beforehand, Paris remained the creative hub of wartime France; many of the cast and directors of the films of the thirties remained to star in Vichy pictures. Jean Gabin and Michele Morgan were two big name stars who fled the country, but the rest mostly remained in France and continued to work. The Germans did not permit French films to cross the demarcation line until February 1941 when it became apparent that the same stifling effect of authoritarianism was prevalent in French as well as German cinema: there was no question of antiGerman films being shown because they were not being made. As a rule, movies produced during the Vichy years were unanimously nostalgic. As in the 1930s, many of the movies of the early 1940s were scripted around the French experience of World War One, characterising the recent experiences of the nation in the form of one actor or actress. The core Vichy values of family, la patrie and duty were cited in almost every film of the period, such as La Voile Bleue (1942), an anachronistic view of rural southern France that was the biggest commercial success of the forties in France. However, as Julian Jackson (2001:3201) details and contrary to popular belief, there was not a plethora of explicit right wing propaganda present in films made on the fascist side of the Vichy watershed. Paradoxically, many themes that one might expect to have figured more prominently after 1940, almost disappeared from the screen. Before 1940, many French films contained critical portrayals of British characters; after 1940 the British are absent. Before 1940 films had frequently depicted Germans sympathetically; after 1940, despite collaboration, Germans almost disappear from the screen. In the 1930s, antagonism to foreigners had been a frequent theme; after 1940 it was less present. Most surprisingly of all, whereas hostile depictions of Jews had proliferated in the 1930s, they are almost absent after 1940 As far as feature films are concerned, if they reflect anything different from the films of the 1930s it is Vichys desperate wish to believe the outside world did not exist. If a viewer was unaware of the historical subtext of the films produced during the 1930s and 1940s in France, they would not know occupation occurred at any point. But perhaps this was precisely the point: to cover over the huge dent in national pride at having to endure occupation by pretending that it did not exist. Learning from Goebbels, Vichy would also have been aware that, regarding propaganda, less can often mean more. Chapter Three: Josef Goebbels and the Intervention of Propaganda Cinema Unlike in France where a clear line of cinematic continuity can be traced, in Germany there is little doubt that movies made pre1933 would not be funded under Nazi rule. Kuhle Wampe (1932), for instance, was a decidedly Weimar production. The film was written and coproduced by Bertolt Brecht who was known within Germany to be a left wing film maker and sympathiser, yet one who did not favour the heavyhanded film making approach, as the following excerpt (1996:138) underscores. This way of subordinating everything to a single idea, this passion for propelling the spectator along a single track where he can look neither right nor left, up nor down, is something that the new school of play righting must reject. Betraying such antiauthoritarian views, it is no surprise that Kuhle Wampe turned out to be a socialist classic, an art house production made all the more poignant due to the cusp of the historical wave upon which contemporary Germany was riding. Brechts vision of a utopian community that rejects pricefixing and imperialism has been viewed as the last independent breathe of Weimar culture the final flourish before people such as the writer left Germany forever. Films such as Kuhle Wampe, as well as The Threepenny Opera, Kameradschaft and The Blue Angel all produced between 1930 and 1932 ensured that the shift, when it inevitably came, towards the right was all the more transparent because pictures such as these simply ceased to exist in Germany after 1933. Propaganda and cinema were married in the Third Reich like never before. Deconstruction of the pluralist approach of Weimars brief democratic tradition was the first step the Nazis took in reconfiguring the German nation in their own distorted image, followed inevitably by the edification of a new mythology, built exclusively around the twin pillars of the ubiquitous power of the Fuhrer and the antiGerman predilections of the communists and international Jewry. At first, of the two, the Fuhrer Myth was the most important solidifying effect in the Nazi consolidation of power. Hitler had learnt from Mussolini the herald of Fascism according to Hugh TrevorRoper (1995:174) that a tyrant could exert sole control over a modern, industrial European country but only via eliminating all competing iconography and elevating the leader to a quasireligious status, which could only be achieved by extensive propaganda exercises. As Ian Kershaw (1998:289) explains, the all encompassing image of Hitler portrayed in banners across German cities, in schools and in cinemas throughout the nation was vital not only in securing the stability of the Nazi State but also in making a subliminal connection between himself and the traditional heroes of German history within the broader national consciousness. For Hitler himself, the Fuhrer myth was both a propaganda weapon and a central tenet of belief. His own greatness could be implicitly but unmistakably underscored by repeated reference to Bismarck, Frederick the Great and Luther. Initially, even Goebbels was taken aback by the way in which the Nazis were able to instil their extremism throughout the country. A process that should have been osmotic took place with astonishing rapidity, as the Propaganda Minister (1996:41) himself explained in April 1933. What we are now experiencing is only the transfer of our own dynamism and legality to the state. This is taking place with such breathtaking speed that one scarcely has any time to call his own. Goebbels considered himself to be a man of culture and the filmmakers that he most admired did not come from the right wing stock that one would naturally associate with the Propaganda Minister. For example, Goebbels was a big fan of American cinema and he privately thought that the film making industry in the United States was far ahead of German production to that point. One of his favourite movies, although he denounced it in public, was Gone with the Wind, and he was likewise a great fan of the icon of Soviet propagandist cinema, Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin. Within the broader sphere of German film making during the period 1935 to 1945, Goebbels was the most important man in the country. All of the guidelines pertaining to film production in the postsilent era were rewritten after the Nazis seized power. As ever, culture and film became officially politicised and, as a by-product of Gleischaltung, the movie production apparatus fell into the hands of the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda. Therefore, without Goebbels patronage a film would never make it past the level of script. His control was absolute, even extending to the question of financing production. Whereas under the Weimar Republic censorship and rating were separate bodies, the Nazis held onto both principles offering a tax rebate for positive film ratings, thus exerting considerable financial pressure on production companies that persisted in making unsatisfactory films. Reuth (1993:1945), in his rich biography of Goebbels, details the full extent of his control over movie making in Germany during this period, a description of a cultural power more potent than any available to the leader of each of the German Armed Forces. He had lists prepared of his favourite actors, as well as of Hitlers. He also kept close track of upandcoming talent, which he insisted on seeing for himself producers also depended on Goebbels favour, for he had created a comprehensive apparatus that allowed him to intervene in all phases of film production. The film department in the Propaganda Ministry, whose director Ernst Seeger served simultaneously as head of the office of film standards, oversaw production planning. All screenplays were examined for appropriate artistic and intellectual attitudes He [Goebbels] read film scripts almost every evening, and not infrequently revised them according to his own notions, using a green ministers pencil that became infamous among directors. Only after he had approved a project could the Film Credit Bank respond to a request for financing. Goebbels would even intervene in the shooting, often dropping in on studio, checking the rushes, and rating the finished product. From October 1935 on , he alone determined which films would be banned. Goebbels was the first head of communications anywhere in the autocratic world to understand the power of cinema in seducing a country; combined with his absolute control over all areas of broadcasting, films would see to it that Germans saw no other image of themselves apart from the vision in his mind for over ten years. However, this is not to state that films made in Germany during this period ought to be dismissed as wasteful propaganda, good for nothing but a lens through which to view National Socialist ideals. As will become apparent, a great many German productions of this time were goodhumoured, light hearted affairs that do not conform to the preconceived notion of a nation forced to watch endless versions of Der Erwige Jude and similarly dark depictions of dictatorship. Although many films were made that were instantly recognisable as party political broadcasts, such as Patrioten (1937), there were likewise others that provided a more panoramic view of Germanys splintered cultural psyche during the Third Reich. The following two chapters will examine two polar opposites of Third Reich cinema Heimatfilme and Exilfilme two bookends of the typically Nazi notion of home and abroad. As always when revisiting the ideology of National Socialism, there was very little room for any grey area in between extremes Chapter Four: Heimatfilme 47.8 per cent of the films produced during the Third Reich were comedies, 27 per cent were problem films, 11.2 per cent were adventure stories and only 14 per cent were considered outright propaganda films (Reuth, 1993:283). One of the most cherished German films of all time, Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944) was made during the darkest most desperate days of the war when all but the most closeted and narrow minded of Nazis could see that the war was never going to end in a German victory. The story, involving a mature student who never got to enjoy the hilarity of public school, could not have been, aesthetically and emotionally, further away from the politics of the time. But that was the point all along. By manipulating the mood of the audience, the Nazi propaganda state could change focus as and when external events demanded it. Die Feuerzangenbowle, for instance, might never have been produced if it was created during the honeymoon period of the early years of the dictatorship. Clearly, propaganda can be inserted into a storyline via more subtle camera and plot techniques and this is how Goebbels set about reenforcing core ideals into the German film loving audience. According to Reuth (1993:284), Goebbels and the Nazi propaganda machine preferred a more pervasive approach to political persuasion, especially concerning the most important issue of armed conflict on two fronts. Goebbels saw to it that the war, which became the main theme in films from 1939 on, was linked to the most varied genres, so as to make indoctrination of the audience imperceptible and keep the medium of film attractive. As he expected of all his propaganda ideally, so too in film, one and the same message was to be conveyed over and over again under constantly varied aspects. Of all the creative, cinematic options open to Goebbels, the most popular genre favoured by the Nazi hierarchy was the Heimatfilme, a uniquely German cinematic experience that played on the national obsession with the homeland. Apart from Austria, no other European country has the same nostalgic disposition towards artistic portrayal of the homeland quite like Germany. Because the nation was only unified after the FrancoPrussian War in 1871, successive generations of German film makers consistently looked back to the patriarchal preindustrial period inciting dreamy landscapes and a simple way of life to try to evoke the sense of longing the displaced German people of the countryside may have felt before unification. Manuala Von Papen (1999:12) highlights the reasons why Heimatfilme appealed to the Nazi leadership. This seems to be a genre virtually exclusive to the German-speaking countries and therefore untranslatable. Heimat means home, but also much more than that; it also stands for the entirety of ones cultural, social, ethical and historical heritage and provides an individual, a group of a whole nation with their identity, their Heimatgefà ¼hl. Clearly, the notions of volk (people) and heimat (home) were central concepts to the longevity of National Socialism. By combining the two, Heimatfilme leant the Nazis the opportunity to pander to the broader European taste for nostalgia as well as reenforcing the belief that Hitler was the true defender of German interests abroad. In a revolutionary move in light of the despotism of the regime, the Third Reich severed the equation of dictatorship with brainwashing propaga