Wilfred Owen s Poem Anthem For A Doomed Youth And ...

Wilfred Owen’s encapsulates the authentic experiences of the soldiers from war which creates a strong sense of relation between the poems and the responder. The composer expresses their suffering through contradictory interpretations of war’s brutality and the futile sacrifice of youthful soldiers. In the poems ‘Anthem For A Doomed Youth’ and ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ the theme of the brutal reality of the deaths in war, brings the word of Owen’s poems to flesh for the reader. This evokes an emotional response from the responder, engaging with and creating a sentimental relationship with the reader. By the use of powerful imagery and emotive language, Owen evokes realism to the responder, placing them into the front lines of war, making them empathise the reality and brutality of war. Hence, the audience feels guilt and sorrow towards the youthful soldiers, therefore the poems do not let the reader view the soldiers’ experiences fro m a comfortable distance, rather manifesting the reality of war from the composer to the reader In Owen’s poem, ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est, Pro Patria Mori’ Owen uses a pattern of anti-heroic and gruesome imagery to challenge the notion that it is â€Å"sweet and becoming to die for one’s country;† he seeks to expose the indignity of death and the lasting psychological effects of watching countless men die in battle. Owen highlights the authentic,typical horrific death of the soldiers. Owen begins to tell his story, indirectly addressing the audience that heShow MoreRelatedWilfred Owen1266 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Wilfred Owen’s attitude towards WW1 and how is this shown through his poetry? Wilfred Owen was a soldier during world war one. Many of his poems were published posthumously, and now well renowned. His poems were also heavily influenced by his good friend and fellow soldier Siegfried Sassoon. Wilfred Owen was tragically killed one week before the end of the war. During the war Wilfred Owen had strong feelings towards the use of propaganda and war in general, this was due to the horrors heRead MoreThe Most Enduring Phenomena Spawned The Great War Created A Literal Response1564 Words   |  7 Pagesaware that as time passes, our imaginative existence has changed dramatically by a number of traumatic experiences. We, are ALL Wilfred Owen. One of the most enduring phenomena spawned The Great War created a literal response which evoked from its immediate participants, the soldiers. Owen writes with intense focus on war as an extraordinary human experience. The poems also document other experiences, such as human cruelty and suffering which are carefully structured to convey meaning, and throughRead MoreDulce Et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth915 Words   |  4 Pageswere used to achieve this. In the two poems, Dulce et Decorum est., and Anthem for Doomed Youth, both written by Wilfred Owen, the author’s main purpose was to expose the true horrors of World War II and to challenge the romanticized view of war that poets such as Rupert Brooke held. To achieve this, Owen used familiar imagery techniques of similes and personification, and sound devices such as onomatopoeia and alliteration. In Dulce et Decorum est., Owen used the techniques of similes, †BentRead MoreWilfred Life Of Wilfred Owen914 Words   |  4 PagesWilfred Owen Poetry Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was an English poet and soldier, whose renowned compositions were distinguished in their delivery of a tenacious condemnation of the First World War. Born, 18 March 1893 in Oswestry, Shropshire, Owen commenced his poetic endeavours through his adolescence, and after having completed his schooling, soon became a teaching assistant and aspired for vocational pursuits. However, these were soon disparaged with the eminence of the Fist World War, and inRead MoreWilfred Owen s The Sentry And Dulce Et Decorum Est1100 Words   |  5 PagesWilfred Owen poems ‘The Sentry’ and ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ contain a myriad of both shocking and realistic war experiences on a microscopic level. Wilfred Owen a company officer talks about his egregious exposure to war and how war contaminates life and existence of humans. In both poems the 1st stanza implies the threats and life in war, which then springboards us to the physical effect of one specif ic soldier and the thirds stanza he relives the inescapable experience and ends the poem with a bleakRead MoreThe Fury Of Aerial Bombardment1332 Words   |  6 Pages Onyekere 1 Chinelo Onyekere Julie Rea Eng 112 31-7-2014 â€Å"The Fury of Aerial Bombardment†, â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner†, â€Å" Anthem For Doomed Youth and â€Å" Dulce Et Decorum Est† Denotation and Connotation Denotation refers to the concrete meaning or dictionary definition of a word or words, while Connotation refers to the emotional implications and associationsRead More Comparing the poems Dulce Et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth2221 Words   |  9 PagesComparing the poems Dulce Et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth, comment on the poets use of language and poetic technique showing how successful he is in conveying his message. Comparing the poems Dulce Et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth, comment on the poets use of language and poetic technique showing how successful he is in conveying his message. Comparing the poems Dulce Et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth, comment on the poets use of language andRead MoreThe War Of The World War I1593 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant in today s society as they provide representation for the disadvantaged and foster a sense of hope for change in the world. During his life Wilfred Owen, the famous war poet, lived under many titles: he was a son, a brother, a student, a teacher, a fighter, an inpatient, a war poet and most importantly, an advocate. This essay addresses his most eminent poems, contrasting the ways in which war was promoted versus the true reality of war, as well as the ways in which Owen gave a voice to theRead MoreThe History of The Old Lie and Poetry of Wilfred Owen2490 Words   |  10 PagesThe History of The Old Lie and Poetry of Wilfred Owen Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori is a Latin saying that was expressed by the roman poet Horace. It means It is sweet and fitting to die for your country. When Owen wrote his poetry based on his experience of the Great War he did not agree with this saying; he wrote poetry that was full of horror yet told the truth. Therefore he called this saying the old lie. Owen called it this because war was no longerRead MoreAn Analysis Of Wilfred Owens Poetry1017 Words   |  5 Pagesas Owen now saw it, was to warn; to see and, speaking, to make others see† - J.Boshell, ​The Pity of War ​ Wilfred Owen challenges the rampant propaganda of war through his poetry as he shines light on the nature of war through his personal view and experience of it. This is represented in his poetry, on the truth of war allowing for the reader to further understand the atrocities committed during this time. This is a salient point in his poems Anthem for doomed youth, and Dulce et decorum thus

Wetback Essay - 780 Words

â€Å"Wetback† Through my life I have usually been on the receiving end of racist comments, such as wetback fieldworker etc. In seventh grade I had to go to a public school because of moving reasons and that is where the comments started. I can honestly say that it was the worst experience of my life. There were only two Mexican in my class; I was one of them. The other student was also Mexican, but the catch was that he was a well know soccer player. I also played soccer, but I was not the all-pro player. Since he was so good and so well know no one ever said a word to him. The first day at school everyone was nice to me. The first couple days were great, Everyone was friendly and willing to accept me. Going into my second week of school I†¦show more content†¦I turned and Chad was standing there. Chad said â€Å"I warned you, you cotton piker.† I naturally backed off because it was not worth fighting about. From that point on everyone considered me the â€Å"Wimp who can not stan d up for himself.† For the rest of the year my life was a living hell. The only time anyone talked to me is when someone would make a racist comment. Half way through the soccer season I had to quit because I was treated like an outcast from my fellow members and the coach. Later on the year a kid named Matt Flyn made a racial comment. I was in such a bad mood so I punched him in the face. The fight was broken up right away, and we were both sent to the principal ‘s office. When we got there, I was the one that was punished and Matt was left off with no punishment. I found out later that week that the principal was racist against Hispanics. I had no idea what to do, so I just left it and told no one Both my parents and the school guidance counselor noticed that I was having some problems. I refused to tell anyone what was matter with me, and told everyone to just leave me alone. That was first time I felt worthless thing in the world. Just because I dated a white girl, a nd because I was Mexican they demoralized to me. About month a later, I looked at everyone that picked on me. I noticed that the kids. I went to school with were never taught what discrimination can do to someone, mentally and physically. In the world today, there are a variety ofShow MoreRelatedThe Second Documentary Was Called Wetback Essay1859 Words   |  8 Pages The second documentary was called â€Å"Wetback†. It was about the Latin or South Americans and the difficult journey to sneak into America. This documentary was also tied in with symbolic interactionist perspective. The first term that refers to the documentary â€Å"Wetback† is stereotype. This is basically when someone assumes you are like others of the same race, gender, age and other descriptive labels others can give you. In this film, the two main characters where Nayo and Milton. They are two menRead MoreRhetorical Analysis: Border War: Battle over Illegal Immigration1024 Words   |  5 Pagesim migration is through the eyes of the immigrants, and the reasons why they might be trying migrate to another country. The documentary Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary focuses on the issue from this point of view. This documentary uses pathos and logos to show the lives and hardships of those people who are trying to migrate to a new country. Although Wetback used many examples of pathos and logos to show the struggles of the migrants, Border War did a better job showing pathos by following theRead MoreImmigration Policies During Mexican Immigration Across The Border From The Mid 20th Century Into The 21st Century1627 Words   |  7 Pagesend. Operation Wetback (1954) Due to the ineffectiveness of the initial Act and the continuous influx of immigrants, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service initiated the Operation Wetback Program in 1954 in order to minimize the number of illegal Mexicans with the partnership of the US Border Patrol to discourage immigrant entry into the US. In order to cross the border from Mexico into the US, Mexicans would be found swimming across the Rio Grande river (hence the term â€Å"wetback†), so authoritiesRead MoreEssay on Bracero Program692 Words   |  3 Pages Wages paid to legal contracted braceros were low. As well, these workers often encountered poor substandard living conditions. Many braceros left contracted work to return to home or to find better paying jobs. These braceros became known as â€Å"wetbacks. Farmers and ranchers became dependent on a low-cost, docile, illegal labor force. The search for jobs began to move the illegal immigrants farther north into Texas and California. However, there were still many braceros that continued to work underRead MoreCulture And The Culture Of Immigrants984 Words   |  4 PagesCulture/pg. 34: the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects that characterize a group and are passed from one generation to the next. In the video documentary called Wetback, the culture of immigrants was very thoroughly seen. All of them struggle to find work at their home country, and they want nothing more than to provide for themselves and their family. They manage to live off of very little, but it is not enough and is obviously not the best way to go throughRead MoreSummary Of Ruth Gomberg Munoz s Labor And Legality1187 Words   |  5 Pagesundocumented workers. If any of these undocumented workers were picked up, they’d be sent back to Mexico â€Å"where Department of Labor officials were waiting to process the deportees and send them back to work as braceros† through a campaign called â€Å"Operation Wetback† (Gomberg-Muà ±oz 2011). Cheap labor was incredibly appealing, and the U.S. wanted laborers to flood in as much as possible, only on their terms of course because then visas were now much, much harder to get. There was much hypocrisy in the laws andRead MoreIf You Cross The River You Are A Criminal2191 Words   |  9 Pages† In my opinion, it is criminal that we waste money on the deporting system versus helping to civilize the southern countries. In The Harvest, immigrants in the U.S faced the risks of making incomes like $64/week and not getting paid. The film Wetbacks showed the perspective of the people South of the U.S borders. Families in the Latin America s average up to $70/month. Two dollars a day won t buy one person a day food, let alone a family. Almost everything is done by hand; breaking rocks, transportingRead MoreIllegal Immigration From Latin America Is On The News All1095 Words   |  5 PagesOperation Wetback in 1954 with the goal of deporting residents who did not have the right to legally reside in the United States (Phillips, 2014). Due to the wording of the operation, many people were deported after having their civil rights violated by officials; becaus e of this, there has been no similar measure passed by congress to actively seek to deport individuals since. In recent time the closest legislation that dealt with illegal immigration that has been passed since Operation Wetback was theRead MoreTheu.s. Obama And Donald Trump1339 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica should be made up of different races, religions and nationalities. (Tichenor, page 215). Another extremely interesting and relevant point in American history is Operation Wetback. The illegal immigrant debate was a big topic in the late twentieth century as it is today. In 1954, Eisenhower led Operation Wetback, a huge military and police roundup of undocumented aliens. It resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Mexicans. However, two decades later, a similar operation was ruledRead MoreMexican Immigration And The United States1676 Words   |  7 Pagestell† agreement between employer, employee and even authorities, allowing for the poor circumstances in wh ich these men lived to persist. The term â€Å"wetback† was coined to these undocumented workers. In order to address the increasing numbers of illegal immigration initiated, ironically, by the Bracero Program, U.S. border patrol introduced Operation Wetback from 1943 to 1954. (Hernà ¡ndez, 2006) A rather large number of U.S. border patrol officers were given the task to seek out, detain, and deport unauthorized

Adrienne Rich on Power in Society Free Essays

Adrienne Rich on power in society Introduction The theme that interested me most in the poems by Adrienne Rich was the inadequacy of language as a means of communication. Rich shows that the reason for this lies in the way language expresses power relationships in society. Often this means the unequal relationship between women and men, but also between the powerful and the powerless. We will write a custom essay sample on Adrienne Rich on Power in Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now This theme is touched upon in almost every poem we studied, from Rich’s early poems to those written later. To illustrate how Rich explores this theme I will look in detail at â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room†, â€Å"Our Whole Life†. Paragraph 1 In â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, Rich creates a fantastic image of the aunt’s nonverbal communication through her tapestry. The poem opens with a vivid picture of the colourful, energetic alive world depicted on the tapestry. The aunt infuses the world of the tigers with many of the attributes she misses in her own life: a sense of being truly alive and in tune with the environment, and a state of fearlessness: â€Å"They do not fear the men beneath the tree/ They pace in sleek chivalric certainty. The ee- sound in these lines introduces a note of terror that heralds what is to come. Indeed the phrasing suggests a reason for fear from men. The feelings that the aunt is projecting into her artwork, her own fears and desires are developed in the middle stanza. Her shaking, fearful hands â€Å"fingers fluttering† are very vivid and the fact that they find the â€Å"needle hard to pull† suggests physical weakness and contrasts very much wi th the tigers. Paragraph 2 The reason for this weakness is â€Å"Uncle’s wedding band/ Sits heavily† on her â€Å"hand†. The possessive â€Å"Uncle’s† suggests that this is a one-way marriage that drains all life out of the aunt. Her hands come to represent her person in this poem and it is the hands that do the ‘talking’. The Uncle’s power over her seems to continue in death â€Å"When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie/ Still ringed with the ordeals she was mastered by. † However, her unspoken, yet very articulate legacy remains: â€Å"The tigers in the panel that she made/ Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. The tigers represent happiness, confidence and thereby beauty. Interestingly, this image of self-determination and sense of entitlement to the world is projected into the jungle, i. e. outside of society. This is where freedom exists and Aunt’s art gives expression to this. Paragraph 3 In contrast to Aunt Jennifer’s indirect communication, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room† is the dramatic monologue of a wealthy , powerful man. He speaks as a representative of the ruling class looking out at a group of discontent working people. These people have neither wealth nor power. They have gathered outside his big house to express their anger at this inequality. The uncle’s attempt to convey confidence and reassurance to his family is undermined by the images of anger outside. The poem’s sound expresses this threat. O- sounds and S-sounds dominate: â€Å"Standing sullen in the square [†¦] Some have held and fingered stones. † As the poem develops, the Uncle’s own fear becomes clear. The image of â€Å"glass† echoes and comes to symbolise â€Å"class†. He admits that the â€Å"frailties of glass [†¦] Lead in times like these to fear/ For crystal vase and chandelier. † Even his reassurance â€Å"None as yet dare lift an arm† achieves the opposite – the suggestion of an uncertain future, â€Å"arm† in fact has two meanings in this context! Paragraph 4 In fact the two most vivid images in the poem are the angry crowd outdoors on the one hand and the terrified forefather (indoors – like this family) on the other: â€Å"When our grandsire stood aghast/ To see his antique ruby bowl/ Shivered in a thunder-roll. Despite his attempts to reassure, the Uncle admits to deep unease at the end of the poem regarding the precarious position of his class as â€Å"We stand between the dead glass-blowers/ And murmurings of missile-throwers. † In terms of the theme of language, the Uncle uses it to express his position as a powerful wealthy man. Although his fears still become clear, it is still a useful tool for him. The workers outside do not have a voice, their language is not verbal: â€Å"sullen stares†, â€Å"bitter tones† and holding â€Å"stones†. There is no common language between the powerful and the powerless. Paragraph 5 â€Å"Our Whole Life† was written later. There is a stark change in terms of form to the previous two poems. It is written in free verse and uses no punctuation whatever. This in itself indicates Rich’s thinking about language and the ability to express truth. Here, she strips it of its traditional appearance. In terms of theme, â€Å"Our Whole Life† explores the shocking gulf between the powerful and the powerless at a new level. Language has failed the powerless completely. Language is used to manipulate people’s thoughts about the world, â€Å"rendered into the oppressor’s language†. In an incredibly vivid image Rich depicts language as a violent and self-destructive wild animal: â€Å"and now a knot of lies/ eating at itself to get undone/ Words bitten thru words†. The biting and eating is enacted in the abbreviated spelling â€Å"thru†. People’s actual lives and experience cannot be told: â€Å"meanings burnt-off like paint/ under the blowtorch/ All those dead letters/ rendered into the oppressor’s language†. Paragraph 6 This poem places one shocking image after the other and language has become an instrument in a very violent world. The vision goes much further than in â€Å"The Uncle Speaks†, it encompasses the whole world and is in essence apocalyptic. The image of the burning Algerian walking away from his village to a doctor with no words to describe is pain is haunting: â€Å"his whole body a cloud of pain/ and there are no words for this/ except himself†. The absence of punctuation and in particular of a concluding full stop suggests the ongoing nature of the problem. Language has completely and disastrously failed its purpose as a means of communication between humans. In conclusion, Rich has opened up for me a way of looking at language that in some ways coincides with my own thinking and experience. However, she takes it unflinchingly and with amazing honesty and courage to a final analysis. She creates in her poetry unforgettable images for how women and all the powerless have been deprived of a means of expressing themselves. Language is an instrument of the powerful. Although Rich’s poetry is a reflection of radical feminism and political struggle in the USA during the 6os and 70s I feel that what if conveys is as true now as it was then. How to cite Adrienne Rich on Power in Society, Papers Adrienne Rich on Power in Society Free Essays Adrienne Rich on power in society Introduction The theme that interested me most in the poems by Adrienne Rich was the inadequacy of language as a means of communication. Rich shows that the reason for this lies in the way language expresses power relationships in society. Often this means the unequal relationship between women and men, but also between the powerful and the powerless. We will write a custom essay sample on Adrienne Rich on Power in Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now This theme is touched upon in almost every poem we studied, from Rich’s early poems to those written later. To illustrate how Rich explores this theme I will look in detail at â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room†, â€Å"Our Whole Life†. Paragraph 1 In â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, Rich creates a fantastic image of the aunt’s nonverbal communication through her tapestry. The poem opens with a vivid picture of the colourful, energetic alive world depicted on the tapestry. The aunt infuses the world of the tigers with many of the attributes she misses in her own life: a sense of being truly alive and in tune with the environment, and a state of fearlessness: â€Å"They do not fear the men beneath the tree/ They pace in sleek chivalric certainty. The ee- sound in these lines introduces a note of terror that heralds what is to come. Indeed the phrasing suggests a reason for fear from men. The feelings that the aunt is projecting into her artwork, her own fears and desires are developed in the middle stanza. Her shaking, fearful hands â€Å"fingers fluttering† are very vivid and the fact that they find the â€Å"needle hard to pull† suggests physical weakness and contrasts very much wi th the tigers. Paragraph 2 The reason for this weakness is â€Å"Uncle’s wedding band/ Sits heavily† on her â€Å"hand†. The possessive â€Å"Uncle’s† suggests that this is a one-way marriage that drains all life out of the aunt. Her hands come to represent her person in this poem and it is the hands that do the ‘talking’. The Uncle’s power over her seems to continue in death â€Å"When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie/ Still ringed with the ordeals she was mastered by. † However, her unspoken, yet very articulate legacy remains: â€Å"The tigers in the panel that she made/ Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. The tigers represent happiness, confidence and thereby beauty. Interestingly, this image of self-determination and sense of entitlement to the world is projected into the jungle, i. e. outside of society. This is where freedom exists and Aunt’s art gives expression to this. Paragraph 3 In contrast to Aunt Jennifer’s indirect communication, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room† is the dramatic monologue of a wealthy , powerful man. He speaks as a representative of the ruling class looking out at a group of discontent working people. These people have neither wealth nor power. They have gathered outside his big house to express their anger at this inequality. The uncle’s attempt to convey confidence and reassurance to his family is undermined by the images of anger outside. The poem’s sound expresses this threat. O- sounds and S-sounds dominate: â€Å"Standing sullen in the square [†¦] Some have held and fingered stones. † As the poem develops, the Uncle’s own fear becomes clear. The image of â€Å"glass† echoes and comes to symbolise â€Å"class†. He admits that the â€Å"frailties of glass [†¦] Lead in times like these to fear/ For crystal vase and chandelier. † Even his reassurance â€Å"None as yet dare lift an arm† achieves the opposite – the suggestion of an uncertain future, â€Å"arm† in fact has two meanings in this context! Paragraph 4 In fact the two most vivid images in the poem are the angry crowd outdoors on the one hand and the terrified forefather (indoors – like this family) on the other: â€Å"When our grandsire stood aghast/ To see his antique ruby bowl/ Shivered in a thunder-roll. Despite his attempts to reassure, the Uncle admits to deep unease at the end of the poem regarding the precarious position of his class as â€Å"We stand between the dead glass-blowers/ And murmurings of missile-throwers. † In terms of the theme of language, the Uncle uses it to express his position as a powerful wealthy man. Although his fears still become clear, it is still a useful tool for him. The workers outside do not have a voice, their language is not verbal: â€Å"sullen stares†, â€Å"bitter tones† and holding â€Å"stones†. There is no common language between the powerful and the powerless. Paragraph 5 â€Å"Our Whole Life† was written later. There is a stark change in terms of form to the previous two poems. It is written in free verse and uses no punctuation whatever. This in itself indicates Rich’s thinking about language and the ability to express truth. Here, she strips it of its traditional appearance. In terms of theme, â€Å"Our Whole Life† explores the shocking gulf between the powerful and the powerless at a new level. Language has failed the powerless completely. Language is used to manipulate people’s thoughts about the world, â€Å"rendered into the oppressor’s language†. In an incredibly vivid image Rich depicts language as a violent and self-destructive wild animal: â€Å"and now a knot of lies/ eating at itself to get undone/ Words bitten thru words†. The biting and eating is enacted in the abbreviated spelling â€Å"thru†. People’s actual lives and experience cannot be told: â€Å"meanings burnt-off like paint/ under the blowtorch/ All those dead letters/ rendered into the oppressor’s language†. Paragraph 6 This poem places one shocking image after the other and language has become an instrument in a very violent world. The vision goes much further than in â€Å"The Uncle Speaks†, it encompasses the whole world and is in essence apocalyptic. The image of the burning Algerian walking away from his village to a doctor with no words to describe is pain is haunting: â€Å"his whole body a cloud of pain/ and there are no words for this/ except himself†. The absence of punctuation and in particular of a concluding full stop suggests the ongoing nature of the problem. Language has completely and disastrously failed its purpose as a means of communication between humans. In conclusion, Rich has opened up for me a way of looking at language that in some ways coincides with my own thinking and experience. However, she takes it unflinchingly and with amazing honesty and courage to a final analysis. She creates in her poetry unforgettable images for how women and all the powerless have been deprived of a means of expressing themselves. Language is an instrument of the powerful. Although Rich’s poetry is a reflection of radical feminism and political struggle in the USA during the 6os and 70s I feel that what if conveys is as true now as it was then. How to cite Adrienne Rich on Power in Society, Papers

Capitalism and Modernity free essay sample

â€Å"To be modern is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world and, at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are. † – Marshall Berman, All That Is Solid Melts Into Air, (Verso, London, 1988 p. 1). Drawing on a variety of sociologists writings on modernity explain the idea of modernity as both positive and negative. Modernity is defined in the Collins English Dictionary as the quality or state of being modern. (Hanks 1979) This state of modernity, as described by M. Berman, is one that has positive and negative influences on both the private and public spheres. The modern world in which we live is one that is heavily influenced by the havoc of war and the ongoing process of capitalism. In order to understand the complexities of modernity, one must weigh its pros and cons. Ex-Cambridge Lecturer and sociologist T. Bilton pinpointed the origins of modernity to be during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. He discusses the slow industrialisation, new attitudes towards capitalism, and mass urbanisation. These attributes of modernity saw positive growth in wealth and the creation of bigger and more fluid markets. The trends that originated in 1780s England were to soon spread globally, with an increasing concentration of workers in larger workplaces, in tandem with deteriorating work conditions and an increase in the formation of unions. Thus, despite the periodic economic advantages of the modernisation in the workplace, there was a significant degradation of the social structure that supported the workforce as a whole. The growing distance between employee and employer, in addition to the sharpening gender and age difference, was a ‘disadvantageous’ consequence of a capitalist economy gone so right. Modernity had seen grand economic ‘advantages’ throughout the Industrial Revolution, in both England and the rest of the world as colonialism and exploration catalysed the process of globalisation. However, both the social life and political structures began to change in a ‘disadvantageous’ fashion. The so-called ‘rational’ bureaucratic system that was born from the process of modernity posed a serious threat to the social structure of any nation that had endured the Industrial Revolution. As T. Bilton asserts: â€Å"These systems of rational thought and organisation can be inhuman or dehumanising, and, ironically, in some circumstances they can be irrational and inefficient. † (Bilton 2002) Thus, it was the process of modernity, especially that of the growth of capitalism, that saw both ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ in communities worldwide. The extremities of these economic and social advantages and disadvantages of capitalism can find their sources in the process of modernity itself. This point is illustrated by the Marxist scholar E. M. Wood with her statement: â€Å"In the evolutionary process leading from early forms of exchange to modern industrial capitalism, modernity kicks in when these shackled economic forces, and the economic rationality of the bourgeois, are liberated from traditional constraints. † (Wood 1997) Hence, modernity had created some fantastic capitalistic opportunities, however, socially and politically the world was not ready for these changes. Even today’s modernised global society, multinationals and other capitalist figure-heads have blindly sought wealth at an ever increasing social cost, not only within the developed OECD countries, but also within (and more recently prominently) in the developing third worlds nations. This process of globalisation has seen the economic stimulation of many corners of the globe, and simultaneously a degradation of social structures within third world countries. On a political scale, many countries, especially those of the developing world, are not capable of facilitating large economic growth and the housing of huge amounts of foreign direct investment (FDI). Economist Chandan Sengupta illustrates this point by arguing that these social consequences, as a result of the globalisation phenomenon, are because the third world is blindly following in America’s footsteps, in an effort to develop their economy. He emphasises the importance of regulation and government control over how fast an economy is growing, in order to counteract the disadvantageous consequences of the dominance of capitalism in the developing world. â€Å"In the 10 years from 1988 to 1998 almost all governments in the world, regardless of ideology, downsized their activities while private sector expanded theirs thus gradually replacing governments as major economic players on the world scene† (Thompson 1999) Hence, the slacking of political institutions was (and currently is) the reason behind the social degradation within developing nations, who have blindly adopted a first world economic system to a third world political and social structure. In fact, political economist argues that globalisation is not ‘advantageous’ to the third world at all, alluding to the economic conditions in both China and India. He states, â€Å"†¦despite all the sound and fury of globalisation, India’s share of FDI is miserable. † (Ambirajan 2000) According to his statistics, India was receiving only $169 million when the nation was in the midst of FDI in 1990. This is far from the amount required to deal with the social issues and wealth inequality that now plague the country. Ambirajan continues his argument against globalisation, highlighting the environmental degradation in India and other developing countries, and its impact on the health of the populous. â€Å"By making even hazardous waste a tradable commodity, poor countries are induced to accept it with grave consequences for their well being. † (Ambirajan 2000) In this state of modernity, capitalism and globalisation have been predominately a disadvantage for the third world. The developed economies have reaped most of the benefits from the FDIs with huge boots to their production sector as a result of cheap international labour. This unbalanced global society is as a direct result of modernity and its influence on the dominance of capitalism in modern society. Ambirajan continues his examination of modernity, linking the effects of capitalism on society to the causes of war. â€Å"Such churning in society creates enormous tensions that result in conflict. † (Ambirajan 2000) The havoc of war is a complex aspect of modernity, which rarely provides an individual or even a nation with an ‘advantage. ’ As Chandan Sengupta asserts: â€Å"[It is the] certain global processes of modernisation such as the effects of global environmental degradation and nuclear war that have given rise to a risk society. ’† (Sengupta 2001) Not only does war and its raw destructive power pose a great ‘disadvantage’ to the global society, it also reveals many disadvantages within the process of modernity. Indian journalist Arundhati Roy explores the socio-political side to war, and how the process of modernity is changing not only the way modern conflict is fought, but also the ever-increasing manipulation of free thought by politicians and congress. Roy uses the current ‘War Against Terror’ and examines the concept of terrorism in tandem with US politics in order to illustrate these ideas. Roy introduces the reader to the modernisation of war, by stating: â€Å"Here’s the rub: America is at war against people it doesn’t know, because they don’t appear much on TV. † (Roy 2001) This dehumanises the idea of war and categorises it as a means of political gain, and a social disadvantage. She goes even further to say that the American people are being told by the government who the enemy is, and why they are fighting them, calling it â€Å"two leaps of faith. † It is this ‘modern’ type of war that forces the public to really question the purpose of conflict and the behaviour of their government in this period of modernity/ post-modernity. Additionally, Roy examines the modern phenomenon of terrorism, comparing it to the modern evolution of capitalism, cleverly saying: â€Å"Terrorism has no country. It’s transnational†¦terrorists can pull up stakes and move their â€Å"factories† from country to country in search of a better deal. † (Roy 2001) The ‘modernisation’ of war and capitalism are very closely related, and Roy emphasises this theory with her thoughts of American foreign direct investment: â€Å"Any third world country with a fragile economy and a complex social base should know by now that to invite a superpower such as America in would be like inviting a brick to drop through you windscreen† (Roy 2001) The impact of war is as much, if not a greater, ‘disadvantage’ to individuals and nations, as capitalism is capable of being. Modernity has changed the reasoning and the ways in which conflicts are resolved, making war of a more ‘disadvantageous’ nature. Like globalisation, war wreaks havoc in the countries that take part in, or are victim to, the sources of conflict. However, due to the ever-growing global community as a result of modernity, nearly every nation and individual is unfortunately brought into war. Marxist writers Ziyi Feng and Lijun Xing strongly believe that: â€Å"Capitalism is necessarily connected with modernity. Modernity developed in the capitalist society is not only a result and outward exhibition of capital logic, but is also a prerequisite and an inner mechanism of it. † (Xing 2006) Also, the development of war throughout the periods of modernity has seen an ever-increasing ‘disadvantage’ on a socio-political scale. Both capitalism and war are undeniable offspring of modernity, however neither provide an economic advantage that outweighs their social or political disadvantage. Modernity has influenced many aspects of the globe in a positive way, however its negative effects on capitalism and war are putting our global society at a disadvantage. Governments, firms and individuals globally should be rethinking the paths that these two aspects of life are taking, in order for the global society to be at an advantage as a result of modernity.

Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success

Introduction Specialist human resource management skill is an important attribute that managers must possess in the present age of globalisation. It provides a playing field for an effective management of staff and enhances retention and turnover processes of an organisation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More HRM also enables management to maximize effective utilization of employees through investment in identified human capital. Through HRM, an organisation can have increased performance, employee satisfaction and more shareholder value. Human resource management is defined as â€Å"a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued asset – the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives† (Armstrong, 2006, p. 3). We can understand from the definition that HRM emphasizes people because they are a source of strength and competitive advantage for an organisation. The new trend in business is to strengthen human resource for it can lead to success and competitive advantage for the organisation. This paper aims to analyse HRM skills that a manager and employees should possess in order to enhance the organisation’s performance in the competitive world of business. HRM covers areas of recruitment, selection, staffing, performance evaluation processes, and philosophies and policies of an organisation. Critical Analysis A manager’s knowledge of HRM is significant to the attainment of the organisation’s goals and objectives. The manager has to maintain a good and effective rapport with his employees. The employees too have to establish a good communication with the customers. Meeting the needs and wants of customers is the job of both the manager and em ployees. The manager has to focus his knowledge and capabilities with identifying and selecting employees capable of implementing the organisation’s plans. Motivation is a part of a manager’s job and this is a very significant part of HRM. Without motivation employees do not function well. (Harris et al., 2003, p. 56)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Effective management focuses on people. The manager and the workforce must work as a team and as a cohesive force, and should be flexible in satisfying the customers’ needs and wants. (Gulati and Oldroyd, 2005, p. 92) With flexibility, the focus is shifted to human resource. Effective management looks at managing people in many angles by answering questions like: How do employees work effectively? How can they be motivated? How can they work as a team? This first objective is on managers so that they can deli ver the necessary management techniques to the employees. The next line of concentration is on the people or employees. Both managers and employees have to be prepared, and their preparation stems from the basic knowledge of their job and the organisation’s objectives. HRM Planning Another function of HRM is human resource planning which is concerned with identifying resources to the business needs of the organisation (Gold, 1999, p. 165). It meets human resource requirements by answering the questions: how many are needed in the organisation, and what particular skills and capabilities should the people possess? (Armstrong, 2006, p. 363) The manager also determines the number and type of employees needed in the team and where the labor supply should come from. Recruitment, training and development, and assignment of people are all in accordance with the organisation’s objectives. Existing employees can be trained, developed, redeployed, transferred or promoted for fut ure skill needs. New recruits should be carefully selected to ensure suitability for future positions. (Cray and Mallory, 1998, p. 7) The organisation’s objectives play a critical role in the staffing process. The manager should see to it that applicants meet the qualification standards of the organisation. Specification of the qualifications, identification of persons possessing those skills, and moving people into the job should be emphasized in the organisation’s staffing strategy (Miller, 1984, p. 58).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More HRM emphasises the integration of traditional personnel functions including recruitment and selection and their management towards the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation. (Nankervis et al., 2009, p. 2) Human resource also needs to be integrated with organisational goals and corporate strategy. (Bratton, 1999, p. 11) Recruitment and Selection Recruitment includes planning, environmental scanning and analysis of organisational objectives, strategies and policies in order to ascertain the right quantity and quality of employees when and where necessary. This means forecasting human resources needs to ensure that the organisation has qualified people in the job. Recruitment and selection are an integral part of an organisation’s overall HRM strategy. HRM emphasises the integration of traditional personnel functions including recruitment and selection and their management towards the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation. (Compton et al., 2009, p. 2) Human resource planning is important to the organisation’s achieving its strategic goals. It is defined as â€Å"the process for ensuring that the human resource requirements of an organization are identified and plans are made for satisfying those requirements† (Armstrong, 2006, p. 363). HRM functions and organisational objectives are linked through planning (Nankerviset al., 2009, p. 9). Training and Development Training and development are applied in a systematic way. The organisation is viewed as a system, and training as a subsystem. Training and development therefore should be an integral part of the system. (Kubr et al., 1989, p. 68) The objective of training and development focuses on the design and implementation of training systems to successfully impact organisational performance. (Smith Mazin, 2004, p. 65)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A successful training programme takes the trainee through the difficult barrier to the final stage when he or she can perform all of the skills at once and can have the ability to think a stage in advance so that the trainee has control of the selling situation. Motivation In the workplace, workers can be very productive when they feel they are a part of a team, or part-owner of business. They feel this sense of belongingness and so they strive for the company’s success. This is one of the many kinds of motivation that affect individual behaviour in the workplace. People always connect work with life’s fulfillment, and connect their satisfaction at work with their feelings and satisfaction of life and happiness with their family. Work and life balance suggests a balance for life and what people do. Management should introduce worklife balance. This is because stress can cause ill-health and dysfunctionality. There is enough pressure in the workplace, added with all sor ts of pollution. (Firth, 2002, p. 46) Abraham Maslow (1943), who is the originator of the human-need theory, formulated the pyramid theory of need. He arranged it like a pyramid or ladder. Basic needs are at the bottom of the pyramid. As one set is met, the need moves up the ladder to the next. Performance Management Performance is something that an employee contributes to the organisation according to his/her own capabilities and talents. (Mead, 2005) Performance management is an HRM function that focuses on improving the performance of employees. It aims to emphasise their capabilities and individual talents that must contribute to the entire performance of the organisation. Performance management also aims to provide the means through which the staff can provide better results in such a way that the customers will be benefitted in the end (Armstrong, 2000, p. 1). Performance Appraisal Appraising individual employees is one aspect of needs assessment. Beaumont (1993, p. 74) argued that â€Å"the grounds (i.e. criteria) on which an employee is appraised should reflect the larger competitive strategy of the organization†. Indeed, it would certainly reflect on the organisation’s strategic development. Beaumont (1993) further states that some of the leading advocates of Total Quality Management are highly critical of performance appraisals based on individual employees. Line managers appraise their employees and in turn, they are being appraised by their own superiors. Conclusion The functions discussed in this paper are specialist HRM skills that are significant in the survival and success of an organisation. Managers and employees should have these capabilities and skills in running an organisation. Human resource management is a major function that strengthens an organisation. It is created to promote and pursue the aims and objectives of an organisation. An organisation cannot function well without an effective human resource. References Armstr ong, M., 2006. A handbook of human resource management practice. London: Kogan Page Limited. Beaumont, P., 1993. Human Resource Management: Key Concepts and Skills. California: Sage Publications. Bratton, J., 1999. Human resource management phenomenon. In J. Bratton and J. Gold, Human resource management: theory and practice. London: MacMillian Press Ltd. Compton, R. et al., 2009. Effective recruitment and selection practices (5th ed.). Australia: CCH Australia. Cray, D. and Mallory, G., 1998. Making sense of managing culture. London: International London Business Press Inc. Firth, D., 2002. Life and Work Express. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing. Gold, J., 1999. Human resource planning. In J. Bratton and J. Gold, Human resource management: theory and practice, p. 165. London: MacMillian Press Ltd. Gulati, R. and Oldroyd, J., 2005. The quest for customer focus. Harvard Business Review [e-journal], Available through: City University London . Harris, H., Brewster, C., and Sparrow, P., 2003. International Human Resource Management. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Kubr, M., Prokopenko, J. International Labour Office, Ed., 1989. Diagnosing Management Training and Development Needs: Concepts and Techniques. International Labour Organization. Maslow, A. H., 1943. A theory of human motivation. In F. Goble, Ed., The third force: the psychology of Abraham Maslow, pp. 233-6. United States of America: Zorba Press. Mead, R., 2005. International management: cross-cultural dimensions. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. Miller, E., 1984. Strategic staffing. In C. Fombrun, N. Tichy, M Devanna (Eds.), Strategic human resource management. United States of America: John Wiley Sons. Nankervis, A., Compton, R., and Morrissey, B., 2009. Effective recruitment and selection practices (5th ed.). Australia: CCH Australia. Smith, S. and Mazin, R., 2004. The HR answer book: an indispensable guide for managers and human resources professionals. New York: AMAC OM Div. American Management Association. This essay on Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success was written and submitted by user Kelsey Buckley to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Any Given Sunday essays

Any Given Sunday essays On any given Sunday youre going to win or lose. The point is-can you win or lose like a man? This quotation from Oliver Stones Any Given Sunday is not only responsible for the films title; it relates to the movies theme of what it means to be a man. Unfortunately, Stone does not introduce a new masculinity but instead reinforces the manufactured consent of power relations between men that is hegemonic masculinity. Any Given Sunday is the story of a fictional football team (Miami Sharks) that is struggling after several losses and team conflicts to make a comeback with a rookie quarterback. Although the film criticizes the roles of class and race in football, it still supports masculine stereotypes through its comparisons between football and war, its limited character development of female roles, and sympathetic portrayal of Coach DAmatos classic masculinity. The opening scenes of Any Given Sunday dramatize action on the football field, offering obvious comparisons to fighting on a battlefield during a war. Players move in slow motion, grunting, their helmets clanking, and the sounds of colliding bodies echo. Players bark insults and threats at their opponents before knocking them to the ground and injuring them to the point that doctors have to carry them off the field in stretchers. Meanwhile, thousands of fans sit in the stands, cheering loudly as their team gives an opponent a concussion or rips out an opponents eye. Throughout the film, the football games are portrayed in a battle-like manner with a similar sense of drama. Players continue to severely injure each other while coaches and the audience encourage them to keep playing to the death. For example, after numerous concussions, the doctor tells the second string quarterback he could be putting his life on the line if he continues to play. Wh...

Word of Mouth Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Word of Mouth Marketing - Essay Example Techniques to promote a firm's product have been created and modified to come up with a superior marketing strategy with excellent results. Word of mouth marketing which is also regarded to as viral marketing nowadays emerged as one of the most efficient tools in marketing in product promotion, customer recruitment and retention. This paper will try to address the perceived advantages and disadvantages of word of mouth. This paper will give a closer look at word of mouth marketing and how it affects buyer behavior. To further examine the potency of word of mouth as an effective marketing tool, experiences of practitioners will be evaluated. Disadvantages and costs of word of mouth marketing, especially its inaccessibility will also be looked into. According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (2006), word of mouth marketing is the ability to harness the voice of the happy customer for the good brand while acknowledging that the voice of the unhappy customer is equally as powerful (and equally detrimental) to the brand. However, it should be noted that word of mouth is often not an intended marketing strategy for goods and services companies as they do not exert direct effort in the "creation" of word of mouth. Instead, word of mouth can be indirectly promoted by firms by ensuring the quality of the products that they offer to customers. No amount of marketing effort can encourage word of mouth but through the collective effort of the whole company in achieving the goals of marketing-creating products and services that gives customer value. Traditionally, word of mouth is done through the face to face social interactions of individual. However, a new trend has emerged in word of mouth marketing together with the revolutionary development in technology. The most important technological innovation which rapidly introduced change in word of mouth marketing is the internet technology. This revolution led to the establishment of viral marketing as a type of word of mouth marketing. Viral marketing refers to "marketing technique that exploits pre-existing social networks to produce exponential increases in brand awareness through viral processes similar to a spread of an epidemic (Viral Marketing 2006)." It should also be added that viral marketing is a word of mouth "enhanced" and "delivered" online as it takes advantage of the internet technology to reach a huge number of people rapidly. Viral marketing includes the use of blogs, amateur websites and other forms of astrosurfing that facilitates word of mouth. Word of Mouth and Buyer Behavior It should be noted that word of mouth marketing takes advantage of both power of human voice and social interaction among customers. A relationship between

The reinterpretation of dreams; The role of cognition in classical and Essay

The reinterpretation of dreams; The role of cognition in classical and operant conditioning - Essay Example 882). As Revonsuo argues that nightmares do not support psychological theories according to which dreams serve emotional healing and adjustment problems. Revonsuo argues, however, that dream content is not as random as theorists claim. In fact, dream content is not only highly organized, but also highly selective. While dreaming occurs, the brain recreates a complicated representation of the world and these representations can either exaggerate waking world experiences of downplay them (Revonsuo 783). Revonsuo also argues that the content of dreams illustrates that dreams are mediated by specific experiences in the waking world. As a result, Revonsuo hypothesizes that dreams are therefore biological functions that serve to â€Å"simulate threatening events, and to rehearse threat perception and threat avoidance† (p. 783). Revonsuo supports his hypothesis by arguing that empirical studies consistently demonstrate that dream content is usually associated with â€Å"threatening elements† (p. 883). In other words, dreams usually involve negative experiences and rarely involve positive experiences. For example, a study conducted by Hall and Van de Castle in 1966) involved dream recollections from 500 females and 500 males between the ages of 18 and 25. The contents of the dream recollections revealed that 80% of the dream contents were negative experiences and only 20% contained positive experiences. Relying on the study conducted by Hall and Van de Castle, Revonsuo observes that a majority of the negative dreams were comprised of attacks or apprehensions of attacks from strange men or animals and in each case the dreamer either took flight or attempted to take flight or hid, or immediate arose from sleep (p. 884). Revonsuo evaluates why strange men and/or animals are the predominant threats in dream contents. Revonsuo goes back to the experiences of primitive man and notes that our ancestors existed in an environment in which animals were persistent t hreats. Our ancestors developed a survival instinct in which running, hiding or otherwise escaping became a staple coping mechanism. These human fears and instincts continue to haunt modern man. Dreaming simulates and perpetuates our instinctive and ancestral â€Å"threat-avoidance programs† (Revonsuo 884). Moreover, human relations were such that men often fought with one another for access to resources necessary for basic living. Although today, interactions with strange men are rarely threatening, it remains true that violence and wars are more frequently committed by males than by females. Therefore unpleasant dream contents in which strange men are the aggressor are also rooted in our ancestors’ survival instincts (Revonsuo 884). Essentially, Revonsuo concludes that dreams represent simulations of threats and that actions played out in dreams are actually representations of waking world experiences of possibilities. Dreaming about perceptions of threats and mechan isms for avoiding threats is no more than a rehearsal or simulation technique conducted in a relatively safe location: the dream world (Revonsuo). Essay 2: Kirsch, I.; Lynn, S. J.; Vigorito, M. and Miller, R. R. â€Å"The Role of Cognition in Classical and Operant Conditioning.† Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 4(2004): 369-392. Previously classical condition was perceived as a reflexive response to external stimuli. For example,

Sampling strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sampling strategy - Assignment Example In other words, each member of the population has an equal chance of becoming part of the sample size. This strategy shall be used to select fifty (50) of such new mothers. The rationale for using random sampling technique in the quantitative survey and selecting fifty (50) respondents is that surveys require the collection of data from a relatively larger setting and as such the sample size must be large enough to give a true proportionate representation of all people within the population. For the qualitative focus group study, a purposive sampling strategy shall be used to select members in the sample size. A purposive sampling strategy do not allow for equal probability of selection of members but comes with its own advantage which is, a specific classification of respondents who are thought to be suitable for the provision of certain data will be selected (Bushman, 2007). This is ideal for a focus group study because using a random strategy may include members who do not qualify for the variables set out to achieve the intended focus. Because the focus group will be critically analyzed, a fewer number of respondents of ten (10) shall be included. Generally for the focus group, the inclusion and exclusion criteria shall be based on a group of well defined variables, whereby only new mothers who fall within the variables shall be included (Calfee and Scheraga, 2004). A typical example of such variable could be new mothers who had pre-mature child birth. Bushman, B.J. (2007). Child birth complications and their attendant solutions: Validity of proposed explanations. Recent developments in alcoholism: Volume 13. (pp. 227-243). New York, NY: Plenum Press. Calfee, J., & Scheraga, C. (2004). The influence of advertising on anti-natal care: A literature review and an econometric analysis of four European nations. International Journal of Advertising, 13,

What Might We Mean By Firm Performance

What Might We Mean By Firm Performance The firm performance is a complex term which may include different shadows of meaning as long as it relates to organizational performance, functioning of the firm and outcomes of its operations. Normally, the firm performance implies the organizational performance, including manufacturing of products and services, functioning of different units of the firm, performance of its employees and outcomes of their work in total. At the same time, the firm performance can be viewed in a broader context as a part of the business development of the firm. What is meant here is the fact that the business development mirrors the firms performance and allows to assess the extent to which the organizational performance is effective. At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the firms performance is basically measured in terms of efficiency of the firms operations. In fact, the more effective the firms operations are completed the more positive the organizational performance is and, on the contrary, the low efficiency of firms operations and employees performance means the poor firms performance. In this respect, employees performance comprises an integral part of the firms performance because, in the contemporary business environment human resources, comprise an important marketing asset of any organization. Therefore, the efficiency of employees performance affects consistently the firms performance. Furthermore, it is important to take into consideration that the firms performance is an important indicator for investors and stakeholders. What is meant here is the fact that the firms performance indicates whether the company is worth investing or not. For instance, investors are ready to invest money in firms with the positive marketing performance, whereas poor marketing performance indicates at problems firms have in their business development. As a result, investors avoid investing money in companies with poor performance because they are uncertain in the return on investments and because of high risks accompanying such investments. What is competitive advantage, in OPERATIONAL and CONCRETE terms? The competitive advantage of a company is one of the most important factors that define the competitive position of the company in the market. In fact, the competitive position of a company means the marketing position and performance of the company compared to its major rivals. In this regard, it is necessary to pay a particular attention to the return on investments rate of the company because the higher is the return on investments and lower risks associated with investments and business development of the company, the better is the marketing position of the company. In fact, the company with the high return on investment can count for the steady improvement of its marketing and competitive position because it can take advantage of its business development and growth which occur due to the high return on investments. In addition, the competitive advantage should be unique, relevant and sustainable. At the same time, it is important to distinguish competitive position in operational and concrete terms. In this regard, the competitive advantage in operational terms implies the advantage of the company in terms of its business development, introduction of innovations, use of management strategies, organization of production process and other operations conducted by the company. The competitive advantage of the company in operational terms is defined by its ability to take a better position compared to its rival due to a better organization of the production process and other operations conducted by the company compared to its rivals. As for the competitive advantage in concrete terms, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the competitive advantage in concrete terms implies the advantage of the company in terms of the assets value of the company, costs of its facilities, fixed costs, and other fixed values of the company, along with the products and services provided by the company to its customers. In other words, the competitive advantage in concrete terms implies the advantage the company gains in quantity of products, revenues and other items which can be measured and assessed accurately. Finally, on analyzing the competitive advantage concept, it is worth mentioning the fact that companies have to maintain their competitive advantage. In other words competitive advantage should be sustainable to insure that the company keeps progressing. Otherwise, if the company fails to maintain its competitive advantage, it is doomed to failure because it cannot afford the competition for rivals will keep progressing and outpace the company that has stopped in its development. Question 3: Assess the merits of the VRIO framework when determining a firms competitive advantage? The VRIO framework allows to obtain the basic information on the competitive advantage of a firm. To put it more precisely, the VRIO framework focuses on four key items defining the competitive position of a firm, including value, rarity, imitability, and organization. The value of the company is very important for determining its competitive position. In terms of the VRIO framework, the value implies the ability of a firm to neutralize external threats and hold a better marketing and competitive position compared to its rivals. In such a way, increasing the value, a firm can improve its competitive position and take the lead in the industry. The rarity implies the control over resource in hands a few and the firm should attempt to limit the access of the rivals to the resources. Alternatively, the company may attempt to establish control over resources and, thus, get a consistent competitive advantage over its rivals, especially if they cannot get access to resources. Furthermore, imitability involves the protection of the uniqueness of products and services provided by the company to its customers and the ability of the company to protect its products and services from imitations from the part of its rivals. In this regard, the protection of intellectual property rights, the development of new, original and unique products is crucial because it provides the company with an excellent opportunity to take advantage and hold the dominant competitive position in the market. The uniqueness of products or services is crucial for the competitive position of the company. Finally, the organization is another important factor that determines the competitive position of the company and its competitive advantage. In this respect, it is worth mentioning the fact that the effective organization allows the company to optimize the production process and company-customer relationships. As a result, companies with a better organization has a competitive advantage of its rivals because its performance is better compared to its rivals due to the better organization of work and more efficient work of employees within the company.

The Great Gatsby A Criticism Of The Twenties (grade 11 Essay)

The Roaring Twenties is considered to be a time of excessive celebration and immense corruption. The novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a criticism of American society and its values during this era of history. This criticism is first apparent in the people who go to Gatsby's parties. They get absurdly drunk, do not know who their host is and are rude by excessively gossiping about him. This commentary is also shown in the corruption of the police. Gatsby is able to pay off the police so that the activities going on at his home will go unnoticed and so that he may behave as he wishes. This criticism is finally shown in the corruption of friendship and love, the simple fact being that there is none. People use Gatsby and then throw him away. Fitzgerald's criticism of American society and its values during this time period is first shown in the behaviour of people at Gatsby's parties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people who go to Gatsby's house on Saturday night only go to have a good time. The guests get drunk, get into fights, and act like complete idiots. This behaviour is apparent when Nick goes to one of Gatsby's parties for the first time. Nick says,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The large room was full of people. One of the girls in yellow was  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  playing the piano, and beside her stood a tall, red-haired young lady...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  engaged in song. She had drunk a quantity of champagne...she was   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  not only singing she was weeping too...Most of the remaining   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  women were having fights with men said to be their husbands...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the men was talking with curious intensity to a young   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  actress, and his wife...resorted to flank attacks...(52) The people at the party are so drunk that they are barely aware of what they are doing. As they become more drunk, they become more absurd. The woman singing a happy song bursts into tears for no reason. Men become more friendly to women other than their wives, and wives become more violent in de... ...sby believed loved him as he had loved her for so many years, did not only not attend his funeral, but did not even send a flower or message. All the people Gatsby knows uses him for their own means and then discard him. There is no such thing as friendship or love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roaring Twenties is considered a time of mass corruption and excessive absurdity. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his novel, The Great Gatsby, to criticize the American society and its values in this era. This criticism is best shown in the behaviour of the people who go to Gatsby's parties; they are careless, rude and only looking out for themselves. It is also shown in the corruption of the police, who are easily paid to look the other way. It is finally apparent in the corruption of friendship and love, the truth being that there is none. This society and its values are self-centered and materialistic, caring very little for consequences and others. Fitzgerald's message is delivered magnificently and causes one to be appalled by the behaviour of the people during this time in history. Bibliography Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. England: Penguin Books, 1950. The Great Gatsby A Criticism Of The Twenties (grade 11 Essay) The Roaring Twenties is considered to be a time of excessive celebration and immense corruption. The novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a criticism of American society and its values during this era of history. This criticism is first apparent in the people who go to Gatsby's parties. They get absurdly drunk, do not know who their host is and are rude by excessively gossiping about him. This commentary is also shown in the corruption of the police. Gatsby is able to pay off the police so that the activities going on at his home will go unnoticed and so that he may behave as he wishes. This criticism is finally shown in the corruption of friendship and love, the simple fact being that there is none. People use Gatsby and then throw him away. Fitzgerald's criticism of American society and its values during this time period is first shown in the behaviour of people at Gatsby's parties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people who go to Gatsby's house on Saturday night only go to have a good time. The guests get drunk, get into fights, and act like complete idiots. This behaviour is apparent when Nick goes to one of Gatsby's parties for the first time. Nick says,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The large room was full of people. One of the girls in yellow was  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  playing the piano, and beside her stood a tall, red-haired young lady...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  engaged in song. She had drunk a quantity of champagne...she was   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  not only singing she was weeping too...Most of the remaining   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  women were having fights with men said to be their husbands...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the men was talking with curious intensity to a young   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  actress, and his wife...resorted to flank attacks...(52) The people at the party are so drunk that they are barely aware of what they are doing. As they become more drunk, they become more absurd. The woman singing a happy song bursts into tears for no reason. Men become more friendly to women other than their wives, and wives become more violent in de... ...sby believed loved him as he had loved her for so many years, did not only not attend his funeral, but did not even send a flower or message. All the people Gatsby knows uses him for their own means and then discard him. There is no such thing as friendship or love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roaring Twenties is considered a time of mass corruption and excessive absurdity. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his novel, The Great Gatsby, to criticize the American society and its values in this era. This criticism is best shown in the behaviour of the people who go to Gatsby's parties; they are careless, rude and only looking out for themselves. It is also shown in the corruption of the police, who are easily paid to look the other way. It is finally apparent in the corruption of friendship and love, the truth being that there is none. This society and its values are self-centered and materialistic, caring very little for consequences and others. Fitzgerald's message is delivered magnificently and causes one to be appalled by the behaviour of the people during this time in history. Bibliography Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. England: Penguin Books, 1950.