An examination of the concept of class divisions according to paul fussell Essay Example for Free

An examination of the concept of class divisions according to paul fussell Essay Class Based on Paul Fussell’s class divisions, I believe that I am a member of the high proletarian class. I am content being in this particular class because of the way this class lives, and I do not aspire to become a member of a different class; I believe that it would be unrealistic for me to do so. As Fussell mentions, when one thinks of class, he often thinks in terms of whether somebody is rich or poor. Fussell believes that class is more than net worth, and he talks about class in a variety of different ways; he considers how each class consumes goods, dresses, lives, and even the words that members of each class use in conversation. Based on what Fussell has said about each class, I would be most accurately categorized as a high proletarian. High proletarians, according to Fussell are â€Å"not consumed with worry about choosing the correct status emblems†¦they can do, say, wear, and look like pretty much anything they want without undue feelings of shame† (46). Anybody who sees me often knows that I have a very simple wardrobe; I wear a pair of jeans, running shoes, a jacket, and a random t-shirt underneath. I am not concerned with how I dress or how other people see me. I am much more concerned with how people view my accomplishments and my actions, which I put much more effort into. Fussell also talks about the actions and skills of the high proletarians, saying â€Å"the special anxiety of the high proles is fear about the loss or reduction of status: you’re proud to be a master carpenter, and you want the world to understand clearly the difference between you and a laborer† (45). I have worked at an ice cream shop for the past seven years, and I make sure everybody is aware of what I’m capable of and my status at the ice cream shop. I may wear the same thing to work all of the time, and every employee may wear the same work shirt in the ice cream shop, but I make it known to everybody that I have the experience and the skillset that I have worked hard to acquire. I am content being a member of this class. Not only do I feel like describes me the most accurately, but, in my opinion, it also sounds like the most enjoyable class to be a member of. As mentioned before, high proletarians aren’t extremely concerned with status symbols or how other people perceive their tastes and desires. As a result, high proletarians are more focused on having things that they enjoy. A great example of this is the food eaten by each class.   When talking about the meals that the upper-middle class eats, Fussell says that â€Å"sometimes it seems that anything will be consumed so as long as it’s not native†¦tacos and pizza are out, and so are common ‘Chinese’ dishes† (103).   The upper-middle class seems to care less about how the food they’re eating tastes, but whether that food fits into their perceived standards. High proletarians, on the other hand, pay little attention to whether a certain food is exotic or no t, instead focusing on the food itself. When I get home after a long day of work or twelve hours of classes, I do not care about whether the food that I’m eating is fancy or high-class. The high proletarian approach to food and dining is much simpler than that of the upper-middle class, and this simpler way of living is prevalent throughout all aspects of high proletarian living, whether it’s home dà ©cor, consumption of goods, or use of words and language in writing and while speaking. As a high proletarian, I am right in the middle of the nine classes listed by Fussell, which means that it wouldn’t be difficult for me to drift into either a higher class or a lower class. As mentioned before, I am content with the class that I belong to, the high proletarian, and I have no desire to become a member of a higher or a lower class. Those on the higher end of the class spectrum, according to Fussell, often act like stereotypical rich people. For example, a common theme for those in the upper-middle class is â€Å"living in a house with more rooms than you need† (33). I would much rather live in a home or apartment with just enough space to live comfortably; wasting money on rooms that I won’t use isn’t a very appealing thought for me. The destitute (one of the lowest classes), on the other hand, â€Å"never have even seasonal work and live wholly on welfare† (50). I work hard for the things that I have, and it would be almost torturous for me to rely on welfare to live. Initially, I was under the impression that moving between the class above you and below you can be, for the most part, a choice, but after reading Fussell’s book, I have realized that being a member of a certain class is only partially choice. I don’t care about whether I wear the same jacket five days a week, and I also wouldn’t want to have to rely on someone else to buy that same jacker for me. I am a high proletarian because the traits and characteristics that I have make me a high proletarian, and I will always have those traits. Due to this, I don’t think that it would be realistic for me to change drastically enough to become a member of a new class. Of course, there is the possibility that I will adopt certain characteristics of a higher or lower class, but I will, overall, still be a member of the high proletarian class. Paul Fussell’s Class: A Guide Through the American Status System has helped me to determine that I am a member of the high proletarian class. I am content being a member of this class because of its simplicity, and I do not aspire to be a member of a higher class because I don’t think it would be realistic for me to do so. Work Cited Fussell, Paul.  Class: A Guide Through the American Class System. New York: Simon Schuster, 1992. Print.

A Discussion of Tim Walkers Work Essay Example for Free

A Discussion of Tim Walkers Work Essay Walkers’ upbringing in Guildford, surrounded by country has left in him with a feeling of love when it comes to Britain’s landscapes that he wants to show it off in his images, in any which way he can. This essay compares and contrast two works by Tim Walker that are identifiable as his signature style, however individually differ in diverse ways to each other. Taking into consideration the ideas behind the image and how and where he draws his inspiration from to create images that inspire others. His style so unique and recognisable, this essay will take into consideration the historical and social contexts to his works and if his style is a reflection of his inner self, childhood and naturally occurring ideas, or if this style is something he created and now lives within. After graduating from Exeter College of Art, where he studied photography for 3 years, Walker worked as a freelance photography assistant in London. However, it was his move to New York and assisting the photographer Richard Avedon that may have forwarded his career so that at the very early age of 25 he had shot his first fashion story for Vogue. Today a London based photographer, Tim Walker is at the top of his profession and internationally known for his cutting- edge fashion photography; taking fashion further so that fashion becomes seconded to fantasy and surrealism. Walkers innovative photography places him in the midst of the most creative and imaginative photographers out there today. ‘Tim sees pictures in front of him which are not yet there’ (DERRICK, 2008, p124. It is the detailed planning of every image and the ideas that starts the process of the final images he is famous for; for each project of Tim’s, you’ll be able to find a scrapbook full of clippings and ideas found from anywhere. ‘My ideas for all my photographs come from any number of places; a film, or a book I’m reading, a story someone tells me. I take loads of visual references and put them into scrapbooks. I’ve got hundreds of them. ’ (WALKER, 2009, [WWW]) It is these scrapbooks that have provided inspiration for a number of Tim’s shoots. But it’s to be remembered that the inspiration has come from things that have already been, but that he took interest in. ‘I don’t believe in originality. You take inspiration from whatever moves you and you find your own voice in those things’ (WALKER, 2008, p242) Tim Walker saying this, is almost find ironic because his pictures are often named original. However, if it is replicated from/inspired by something/anything he may have seen before- as like most pictures- it can only be your take with your voice on it. However Walker’s inspiration doesn’t stop at that, he also looks to photographers before him for inspiration. Cecil Beaton took so many photographs that purely to me represent the joy one gets from creating fantasy† (WALKER TIM, 2009, [WWW]) The opening to Tim Walkers book Pictures, like all others, start with a foreword. However, unlike all others Tim has handwritten his as if it was just another page in his scrapbook. Located only six pages in after only the credits and title, this is really the very first thing you see in the book and it gives great indication to the style of the book and if you did not know much about Tim beforehand; a great introduction to him, his style and how he thinks. Not only is it the actually content of the foreword: ‘as you tour your imagination you want to photograph what you are seeing†¦you are SO very keen to be able to show what you’ve seen that it somehow becomes true, and the picture you end up taking becomes a souvenir, a piece of proof brought back [all the way] from the daydream. ’ (WALKER, 2008, P6) But the design and the layout of the page also: He cleverly drops the control of the layout, slanting the writing just as he talks about his mind drifting. It’s a clever play on the typography that as we read, we too feel as if we’ve sunken into this relaxed state of daydreaming. The way Tim describes in depth the path he often goes on that lands him at the conclusion of an image shows deeply how creative it often is, usually because it begins with something as simple as walking round a clothes store. The pictures he takes then become a snapshot almost, and a gift he shares with us from his imagination†¦from his daydream. Tim’s childhood plays a big part in the ‘fun’ many of his images are filled with. ‘He draws upon his childhood to construct sets for his images that are witty and playful yet sufficiently sophisticated enough to perform for his fashion clients. (THOMAS, 2008, [WWW]) Bringing such essences of an adolescent age into something quite professional could be risky, but it is this that give’s Tim’s pictures that exciting, magical vibe. Tim Walker says in an ICP awards interview, ‘fashion is the dream department for photography and I’ve always been a daydreamer. Tim’s pictures relate to and reflect a time in the 1940’s era and the time of the Neo-Romantic artists, that happened at a time of Britain’s ‘dark hours’. Today, although we might not be in the middle of Second World War, the world is in a state of uncertainty. For Walker, it may just be that creativity in fashion photography and the understanding of make believe places in his imaginations may just be the sort of images that the world need to see, to remember themselves, how magical and escapist day-dreaming can be. The first image of Tim Walkers I have chosen is this one titled ‘Lily Cole on fish hook. ’ Surrealism is a big factor in the creation of a Tim Walker shoot and it is the surrealism in this image that makes it so striking. It grabs your attention straight away and with little effort in the actual design of the image. Although the content is completely random, the image works in so many different ways that you almost don’t recognise it until a few moments after looking. The whole image looks calm; the stillness of the water, the sunlight reflected off of it, the grip of her hands on the hook, her expression. This image is magical, because it looks right, for something that shouldn’t ever be. The shoot was located in Northumberland, England and the location only helps set this calm relaxed scene as well as adding to that ‘very English’ feeling he often brings forth to many of his images. Recreational fishing is fishing for pleasure, with the fisher not really too interested in catching fish, but for the tranquillity and relaxation of it. This shoot, is extremely reflective of this, oozing tranquillity with the colours and calmness. Lily allowing her tip toes to play with the surface of the water, creating disturbance in it, works well within the image; it doesn’t have a negative effect on it, but almost brings her as a model to life. This was not Lily’s first shoot with Tim, and posing as bait on a giant fish hook was nothing out of the ordinary madness. He loved working with the English model, who first posed for him at the age of 15. ‘Some Models know how to stitch and weave themselves into a picture. Lily instinctively knows how to become part of it. ’ (WALKER, 2008, p124) In this image of Lily on the hook, she really does own it; she pulls of her ‘act’ as bait, attracting the fish just with her stance and beauty, and looking calm and really engaged with the photographer. She’s wearing a random collaboration of 3 tutus and her hair fizzed up to mirror them. Although quite dainty and delicate in body, she looks strong and very in control ironic to her state as bait. But this works nicely as the setting of the lake and the fields in the background add to that gentle voice the image has, balancing it nicely. The second image is one that Walker had designed for Italian Vogue. The image named ‘Eglingham Stream’ was shot in Northumberland, England, 2004. The image shows a bedroom with a stream running through it from the fireplace. The room is cluttered, and filled with clear personal belongings of somebody. The contents of the coat stand and the drinks trolley-in which the whiskey is the most noticeable bottle-all refer to the occupant being a man. The fishes on the stone and those in the basket on the table suggest that the person that lives her is a man that has a fond passion for fishing. These objects that the viewer initially notices, cleverly lead them to be mysterious as to what the image is showing us. When looking further into the image, we notice smaller details such as the images framed on the wall that are not of any family members or portraits of him, but of horses and landscapes. This could suggest that he has no family members and is possibly quite a reserved man and this is strengthened by the big matter of his room being right by the lake. It raises questions as to how obsessed this man actually is with fishing, that he has moved his bedroom to live within meters of the lake. Although, there are some signifiers that suggest that a woman is present: the pink bedding and net chiffon, the frill trimmed lamps and the two tooth brushes on the chest of drawers. There is also a small portrait of a young boy in the frame above the fireplace. Because of how out of place this looks as the only one, it seems to be a ‘woman’s touch’, as do the shells on top of the fireplace. The image as a whole has a romantic, feminine and fantastical feel-created by the lighting and whispery stream-that is signature to Walkers style. The shoot seems to be set in the twilight hour, or in the early evening, indicated by the bluely tint to the night and the 3 lamps in the room being on. The absence in the room could well just mean that the man is off fishing with his dog shown by the empty dog basket. There are many things about both the images that make them similar when talking about them in context of Walkers style. Both images were shot in Northumberland in the same year and although it isn’t stated, the lake that we see Lily suspended above is likely to be part of the stream that is present in the second image. The images both have strong fishing references to them: Lily is suspended on a giant fishing hook, and the setting of the second is the home of someone completely obsessed with fishing. The images are not part of the same set or story, and do not look it either. However, contextually, they seem to work hand in hand. Having the countryside and fields in the background that run our eyes to the edge of the Fish Hook image just above the halfway line is similar in comparison to the way the Eglingham Stream image is cut off. This image is split by the striking pink/reddish colour of the walls meeting the grey wet slate form the stream that make the bedroom floor. Both splitting factors are of natural earthly objects; possibly representing that county, earthly, English vibe Walker has been known to create in many of his images. There is a terrible truthfulness about photography that the ideas which might work in a painting or a sketch won’t necessarily work in a photograph’ (UNKNOWN, 2008, p254. ) This statement is from Tim Walkers book Pictures and although this was not said in reference to Walkers work, it almost seems as if this is something he fights hard to overcome in his own pictures. He doesn’t let the normal be a limi t, he combines familiarity with fantasy and imagination to create what has never been seen before. This is what gives them that edge over many other fantastic editorials, and sketching ideas to visualise them is a big thing with Tim Walker; something he prides his work upon. Despite all their similarities, the images are in fact very different and not only of location and setting, but of story and design. In the first image of Lily on the hook, that is the surrealism; this beautiful girl dressed in a random combination of tutus with huge frizzy ginger hair hanging on a fishing hook. This is what we are supposed to look at and see the dreamlike, far from ordinary image in front of us. In the second image, the stream running out of the fire place through the middle of the room is also surreal, but that’s not only what the image is about. It’s about the story the scene creates. Yes you look at the stream and think ‘wow’ and begin to question it, but it doesn’t stop there, your questioning goes on to the room and what the contents of it mean. The images also differ in terms of layout. The first is portrait and works better in this format as it allows the full size of the hook to be appreciated. If this was on a landscape layout, the surrealism of the hook may not be fully valued due to it physically having to be shrunk on the page. However, the double page landscape layout for the second image allows a full viewing of the room and many details and objects to be noticed. This image in a portrait layout would not be successful as the image would have to be shrunken or cropped- both having negative effects on the way the image is viewed. The subject matter and the use of a model being used in the first image but not in the second is another differing factor between them both. Lily as a model is the subject in Figure 2 that the viewer connects with; she gives the image that presence so that when we look at it, it’s not just a picture, it’s a situation that we feel as if we are now part of. In Figure 3, Tim Walker is successful in including the viewer, but in a very different way and without using any models; we are invited to look into somebody’s bedroom while they are not there and just by looking at the photograph, the viewer becomes an intruder. But this intrusion plays as a foundation for the story behind the image, the one we seek out and uncover more of the more we look at it. Although the lamps warm up the image, it still has this cold feel created by the grey stones, real flowing stream and lack of natural light. The absence of anybody in the room assists in creating this ‘chill-in- the-air’ feeling. Figure 2, where Lily is standing on a large fishing hook, has a surprisingly warm tone to it and this may be due to her relaxed pose and the warming colours present in the image: The ginger of her hair, the red of her tutu and the fishing tackle and the brown/copper of the lake. The colours are softened by the sunlight adding to that warm tone. ‘Photography is a bit like cooking: you take the ingredients out of the cupboard and mix them up- old pictures, characters, colours, landscapes, to create something that is in your imagination that surprises you. ’ (WALKER, 2009, P208) It is clear to see that Walker uses certain ingredients in both of these images; fantasy and surrealism become like the salt and pepper; the underlying flavour and present always. After looking at Lily On The Hook and Eglingham Stream in comparison to each other, many similarities are because of Walkers ‘style’ that are consistent throughout. Even though both are editorials, contently, technically and visually, there is a big difference between them. Creatively, they are alike. These are just two out of hundreds of Tim Walkers photographs, but as like all of his images, there will always be something magical, fantastical or romantic to hint that the image was photographed by Walker. The images are real in their own terms; that is what they are. As a fashion photographer you are a documentary photographer within a fantasy land. ’ (WALKER, 2009, p210) By Walker referring to himself as a documentary photographer within a fantasy land gives us a clear insight to how he sees fashion photography; in a childlike day-dream way. He escapes to this place in which his imagination can be real and he sees his job as a photographer to document this.

Importance Of Vision And Mission Business Essay

Importance Of Vision And Mission Business Essay Organizational culture is an essential aspect to a company that can influence the strategy of the organization. Organizational culture can define as one organization share their own traditions, values, policies and attitudes during their daily operation (Luthoms 2002 ) Organizational culture is a basement of company strategy. Company can achieve their business goal very easily if they put organizational culture into their business vision and mission; make sure the culture can match with company strategy, in this way company culture can push their business keep going.. Each of organization has their unique culture which the company can benefit from it. The culture can give a large effect to employees, even the companys customers. As long as staffs know about the culture of company, they know the core business of the organizational hence the strategies they make will surround the organizational culture and that will not deviate their organizational goal. On the other hand, a clear and strong organizational culture cans attract customers attention that will let them know the business goal of company and they feel the organization is formal and official(Robbins.PJudge.A 2010).Strategy can be defined as Match Companys internal resource with opportunity to create an external factor (David.R. 2007) Sometimes companies have to choose one of strategy form many of them. Before they do that, do strategy analysis is necessary, strategy can be changed, but organizational culture can not be replaced. Let see some detail regarding how organizational culture influence company strategy with relevant example. Importance of vision and mission Most of successful companies are match their organizational culture with business visions. They try to create a positive relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance to ensure employees can work effectively and customers can fully understand what the organization is about. Business vision and mission should answer two basic questions:what do we want to become? and what do we want to do in long-term?(Huczynski.A Bunchan.A 2007) that is looks like a guideline to encourage employees moving forward ,a good vision can affect bother side, internal and external there is also a goal in their mind which can encourage staffs work in a positive way. Business vision and mission can make organization become stable. Organization should make their business vision and mission with organizational culture clear enough, not only for motivate employees, but for their business partners and customers as well. There are two examples show how vision and mission support company to do business. 1. Durex Company A good example is Durex Company. When we mention the brand Durex the first item comes out is condom and most of people will feel embarrassed. Employees can not advertise their products easily if they feel like that and their business can not become successful. However, the organizational culture they create can balance this negative effect. The culture is Successful; Social responsible and Lively (SSL) which means Durex Company will do a successful business, to fulfill social responsibility and make the life become great. The wonderful part is Social responsible. On the employees side, the organizational culture try to tell them the company you work for is not a simple manufactory to produce condoms, the brand Durex can represent a social healthcare organization. They put the social responsible into their business mission and vision; besides produce their products another companys mission which is more significant, to publicize health sexual behavior to their customer, especially you ng generation and teach them how to prevent the disease by use condoms .Employees who work for Durex is not just a seller or producer, they are people who provide knowledge of health as well. Such as, what is healthy sexual behavior and how important to prevent HIV in our life In this way employees will feel proud and confident during the daily operation. Because Durex Company has a positive organization culture and they can match it very well with their business vision and mission most of countries government are support them when Durex extend their market and do marketing research that why the brand can become famous and has a good reputation all over the world. Durex is a healthcare company and fulfills society responsible, not just a producer and they are one of successful international company in the world, their product has been proved by World Health Organization (WHO) that all benefit form they have a clear vision and mission and transfer an obscure topic become acceptable. 2. Dell Company It is not enough only ask employees understand the business mission and vision; actually organizational culture can support the company from side, employees side and customer side. Make sure employees understand is the first step, as long as employees know about the organizational culture, they can explain to their customers very easily and the decision they make will around the core business of company that is good for company to advertise themselves. (Clegg Kornberger 2006).For instance employees who work in Dell Company can demonstrate their organizational culture to public very well. As we know Dell Company is one of famous computer organization that has been included in the 500 largest companies in the world. The brand, DELL is quite welcome because of they have a good business mission and vision which is Listen, Learn and Deliver, means listen feedback from their customer, keep learning new technique to improve quality of products and deliver their service to customer. Actually , Dells organizational culture is more likely a customer service strategy to build a long-term relationship with customers. And win customer loyally Base on the Dell Companys culture, after customer purchase computers from internet or book by telephone, they will deliver the goods to their home, and we know none of company like did that for their customer, expect Dell. When employees deliver products to customers home, they can performance their organizational culture to them, such as help customer to check is that what the customer need in the box? After that, help customer to check the computer is working or not. If everything is correct, ask customer to sign on the feedback form. Finally, employees will announce to customer if they need technique support they can call customer service number in Dell Company and they will come to you within 3 working days. Because of employees are fully understand the organizational culture and they can show it to customer by good service quality that why the brand Dell can get customer loyalty. Dell Company use employees as media to transfer their organizational culture to public and customers are truly believe they can do a good job. We can see a concrete example which is customer will pay the full price first on internet when they buy Dell computer, after that customer will wait about 5 working days for deliver product to their home. Customers are willing to pay first, and wait company come back to them; this kind of customer behavior which can explain their customer service strategy is successful, because of Dell follows their business mission and vision. Until now, there is no customer complain regarding deliver product delay. Personality, Durex Company and Dell Company are very good example to match organizational culture with business vision and mission and bring a positive effect to internal and external. Strong and weak organizational culture Create a strong organizational equal to build a stable basement for company. Employees have the same option about core business of organization and a strong organizational culture will affect members behavior. (Hellriegel 2009 )It is looks like behavior control, make sure staffs performance on the same level..Strong organizational can reduce employee turnover rate as well that can create a kind of internal organizational climate which can attract employees work for company(Schein.H 2010) that can support company carry out recruitment strategy. The  recruitment strategy  is a complete mix of the recruitment processes, targets and approach to hire the best talents employees for the job market and control turnover rate.  Organization can save cost and time if they have a low turnover rate. Employees leave organization for many different reasons that why company have to use culture to unite them as a team. However Strong organizational culture is not means management level use inte rnal culture to force their members that is not the purpose. The correct way is that make sure employees understand the organizational culture, each of them can transfer the culture to their own understanding. Company need to use organizational culture to persuade members, not force (Hellriegel 2009 ) After staffs understand it, they will follow by themselves. As long as employees can find their expectation in the company they will stay here for a long time. On the other hand, week organizational culture means the internal culture is not clear or lack of explanations and staff control, employees will lose business goal and guideline, in this way, perhaps members will leave the organization that should be improved if company wants to reduce turnover rate. After employee leave, they have to spend more money to organize an interview to hire new employees to replace employees who just leave. Otherwise, company need to provide formal training selection for new staffs and the most signifi cant point is new employees need some time to know about the new working environment and they can not cooperate with their colleague that will make the daily operation become ineffective. The following paragraph will demonstrate a relevant example to support how important to build a strong organizational culture to control turnover rate. Resort world sentosa Singapore Resort world sentosa(RWS) Singapore is a good example to explain how strong organizational culture to help company become successful. RWS is a large resort which provides service and entertainment and there is more than 2000 staffs work for them. It is hard to do a successful business if RWS does not have a strong organizational culture. Let image, they have such a large group of employees, if organizational culture is not strong enough that will lead to employees are not loyal to the organization, turnover will increase and employees performance will float up and down. First of all, let see what the culture of RWS is. They call is as RWS fun which means Responsible, Warm, Supersize and Fun. The organizational culture try to encourage employees become a responsible person in the daily life, when staffs deliver service to guests, try to let customer feel warm and welcome, and remember to supersize their guests, let them feel something different or special. Lastly, create fun to your c olleagues and customers; let everyone enjoy themselves in Resort world sentosa, no matter your staffs or guests. Actually, the culture, RWS fun gives employees what they expect, everyday staff come to Resort World not only for work, create fun as well. The organization culture make Resort World become a large family and all of members have been united by a same belief. The company prints the organizational culture behind the staff card that can make sure each of members can remember it. RWS fun creates a positive working attitude to each of employees that will persuade staffs stay here. The organizational culture plays a good role in recruitment strategy, as a large company, they can not only focus on hire staffs from outside, get current employees loyalty is equally important. Let us image, Resort World has 2000 employees, the organization will lack of cooperation if employees are keeping resign and the whole organization will become unstable and their business can not moving forwa rd. Organizational culture and strategy in action Organizational culture affects strategy development in many ways, company have to base on their companys culture to plan a long-term or short-term strategy. On the other hand, a good organizational culture has to support companys future plan as well. Company need to connect internal culture with strategy Organizational culture and strategy they have a supportive relationship. Organizational culture is the key of company make a strategy Company carry out a strategy have to show to public their particular internal culture, which means use their own method to achieve their organizational goal. The strategy is a kind of reaction of organizational culture. Before a strategy takes action that should be realities, make sure that can be accepted by customers or business partners and manage the cost, increase revenue as well. On the other hand, management level need to forecast barriers between company and their goal, provide some idea to prevent it. The following paragraph will shows how the organizational culture of KFC to influence their strategy in action Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Let use KFC as a example to explain how organizational culture influence strategy in action.KFC is one of successful fast-food restaurant and famous all over the world. Normally, KFC only provide fries chicken with chips to customers, however what they did in China really help them to occupy market in this country. Nowadays, KFC try to do some innovation about their food. They offer congee, rice and some Chinese traditional food to match with the local culture and you can not find this kind of food in KFC where local in the other countries. KFC is first restaurant to do this kind of innovation they take the opportunity to attract customer to come. Otherwise, KFC also deliver mock chicken and vegetarian burger in India and Canada, there are some people are vegetarian, because of religion, this kind of food innovation can be accepted very easily. After the innovation, KFC become more competitive. As we know, a strong competitor of KFC is McDonalds which deliver fast-food as well, both of them are international brand, however, the action about food innovation is base on the KFCs organizational culture which is Positive encouraging Restaurant manager first and Work to excellent. In fact, it is not difficult to find out the food innovation is kind of positive encourage which make KFC become more competitive than McDonald in the market. Because of the one of organizational culture in KFC is encourage employees do a positive change, hence the strategy they did in China and India is quite creative. Employees transfers their organizational culture becomes a real strategy action and that is very successful, the new innovation is not cost too much, but bring in good revenue for KFC and their market become stable. On the other hand, because the innovation is successful that encourage KFC keep doing the food innovation, every quarter customer can find out new thing on their menu, most of them are very good food combination, customers are like them so much. The example can d emonstrate that organizational culture how organizational culture bring a positive effect to strategy in action Conclusion Every organization should build an organizational culture before business start, base on the culture to show their own feature and when the top management level wan to plan their future strategy for the company, the strategy they make have to match with organizational culture and direct go to the companys mission and vision.. Create a positive relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance to ensure employees can work effectively. Weak organizational culture is lack of control, sometimes that will confuse staffs as well, hence as a successful organization, internal culture should be clear and strong enough to unit all the employees in the organization, make sure members can explain the culture by their own understanding.( Alvesson.M 2002)On the other hand organizational culture need to be demonstrate to customer, let them know what the company is and what kind of business they running. On the other hand, strong organizational culture can decrease turnover rate and win employees loyalty which help company carry out recruitment strategy, low turnover rate can make the daily operation become effective that can prevent employees performance float up and down. Decision or strategy they make should follow the companys culture as well. Indentify the merit and demerit form internal and external; recognize the business stage of company, is that time to grow or defend. Organizational culture need to give a positive influence to strategy in action. The strategies they choose have to support company increase revenue and control cost. Internal culture and strategy have to match each other ,and when company carry out the strategy make sure the that can be accepted by local government politics.( Michael A. Hitt   R. Duane Ireland 2008)The organizational culture is the basement of organization, all the strategy has to around the culture. In this way, the organizational goal can be achieved in a successful way.

Congress And The Presidency Essay -- Political Science

The president is the foreign policy leader for the United States with an important political, military and economic role in the international arena. If there is collision between the president and congress, can congress restrain the president in foreign policy making? The era of globalization has witnessed the growing influence of a number of unconventional international actors, from non-governmental organizations, to multi-national corporations, to global political movements. Traditional, state-centric definitions of foreign policy as "the policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other sovereign states is no longer sufficient. Several alternative definitions are more helpful at highlighting aspects of foreign policy traditionally neglected. The first views foreign policy as "those external goals for which the nation is prepared to commit its resources". By focusing on what a country does rather than what it says, this pragmatic definition usefully separates a country's rhetoric from its true intent and its material capabilities. However, lack of action can also constitute a policy-the policy of an isolationist state is defined by its very unwillingness to commit resources. A second conceptualization of foreign policy is as "the range o f actions taken by varying sections of the government of a state in its relations with other bodies similarly acting on the international stage...in order to advance the national interest". Notable here is the recognition that governments do not act as monolithic, static entities, and that non-state actors may at times be as influential as states. However, the assumption that governments always know what is in the "national interest" and always rationally work towards its realiza... ... President's interests. The number of Vice Presidents who have later become President suggests that this concern may not be entirely incomprehensible. The enormous amount of infighting and politics between (and within) departments should not be underestimated. Factions are formed, rumors spread, information leaked, and consensuses forged. When making decisions, each department "will tend to concentrate on acquiring information that protects and advances its own interests or its view of the national interest". This inevitably leads to oversimplification and a favoring of men and women of action rather than deep, strategic thinkers, whose voices tend to get lost in the fray. One of the attributes of a good President is the ability to recognize and rectify imbalances in his administration. Failure to do so can lead to an unrepresentative and irresponsible foreign policy.

Summary of The Color Purple Essay -- essays research papers

Alice Walker's The Color Purple is a touching story of one African American woman's journey through abuse and oppression to finding her own voice and self-worth as well as definite place in the world around her. The novel is written in an epistolary format and has a very confessional and emotionally raw tone. Through using this format, Walker has more freedom to weave an impressive network of heartfelt themes and colorful characters, in addition to displaying her talents for delivering to her readers an addictive and suspenseful plot. The story opens with a hideous sexual crime against Celie, the fourteen-year-old protagonist of The Color Purple. Having being raped by Pa, the man that she knows as her father, she becomes pregnant twice and bears him two incestuous children. Pa, who has consistently abused Celie over the years, is ashamed and enraged at the birth of their children, and takes them and kills them while Celie is sleeping. Celie is told "You better not tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy" (Walker 1). This tragic incident ruins Celie's child-bearing ability permanently and introduces her as the submissive, obedient, and abused character that she is through-out the majority of the story. After her mother dies and leaves her alone with her father on their rural Georgian farm, her only source of hope, comfort and security comes from her younger sister Nettie. Soon afterwards, Pa has a discussion with a widowed man in town who has interest in marrying Nettie. Pa, who has incestuous interest in Nettie , says that she is too young in order to keep her for himself. However, he convinces the man to marry Celie, saying "She ugly...but she ain't no stranger to hard work. And she clean. And God done fixed her. You ca... ... lover and motherly-figure that Celie takes refuge in. By the end of the story, Shug is entirely in love with Celie and settles down to live with her. Walker does and impressive job with the characters in The Color Purple. Through making them all round and dynamic, it is easier to connect and relate to their situations and decisions. The plot is laid out through the first person view and is therefore very personal and touching, as the story is told through Celie’,s eyes and heart. Although the epistolary format, time gaps and the lack of definite setting can make the novel confusing at times, Walker’,s choice to write in the manner does help to make the story more believable and personal, much like reading a diary. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, The Color Purple is a successful novel rich in passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life.

Heroes and Heroism in Anita Desais Clear Light of Day Essay

Heroes and Heroism in Anita Desai's Clear Light of Day      Ã‚  Ã‚   When one asks a child, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" a usual response is "a fireman" or "a ballerina."   In Anita Desai's Clear Light of Day, however, the young Bim and Raja are somewhat more ambitious; they answer that they want to be a hero and heroine.   Later, Bim asks somewhat bitterly, "The hero and heroine-where are they?   Down at the bottom of the well-gone, disappeared" (157).   Bim has lost track of her heroes; however, Raja and Tara have not.   The three siblings have very different relationships to heroic ideals.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Raja is the most obviously hero-conscious character.   First of all, he is extremely artistic and idealistic, so he adores poetry, in both English and Urdu.   He merely reads and quotes English poets, such as Byron and Tennyson; however, he goes farther in imitating the style of Urdu poetry in his own verses.   As Bim thinks, The poems were really very derivative.   On each of them she could clearly see the influence of the poets he loved and copied.   There was no image, no metaphor, no turn of phrase that was original.   Each was a meticulous imitation of what he had read, memorized and recited . . . .   One could see in them only a wish to emulate and to step where his heroes had stepped before him. (168) Raja is not trying to be an original poet on his own; he simply tries to be exactly like his heroes, which he does perfectly.   Through the Urdu poetry that he so admires, Raja becomes acquainted with his Muslim landlord and neighbor, Hyder Ali.   At first Raja merely has permission to read and borrow the books in Hyder Ali's library, but increasingly he becomes involved in that family's household.   There he learns to app... ...s Bim, because she strikes a balance between idealism and reality.   Raja is completely out of touch and gets so carried away by his glorious plans that he disregards the dangerous political situation which makes his plans impossible.   At the other extreme, Tara lacks dreams, so that she has no goals for herself and needs Bakul to force her to "be strong" and "execute her will" (17).   Bim, however, has entertained ideals, had them crushed, and finally come to terms with her disillusionment.   Bim is the heroine in Clear Light of Day.    Work Cited Desai, Anita.   Clear Light of Day.   Great Britain: Penguin Books, 1980.    Professor's Comments: Although your conclusion on Bim-as-heroine could use development--this is a fine and full exploration of the issue from your own angle.   Good use of supporting illustration, and tecnically perfect.  

Marine Protected Areas: Are They Generally Effective

Whether coral reef marine protected areas actually protect at risk species is an important issue to consider. Knowing the answer could lead to a better ability to answer other questions about marine environments. For example, a more defined correlation could be made between the increasing number of shark attacks in coastal areas and the overfishing of marine populations on which sharks subsist. The effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) is of key importance in assessing whether certain efforts to protect at risk species actually work. Given that 70% of the planet is covered in ocean, species in terrestrial habitats are certainly affected by the biological status of marine environments. The growing degradation of biodiversity and biomass in earths’ marine ecosystem could be driving sharks to find more fulfilling meals in non-traditional feeding areas – coastal areas that humans use for recreation. The topic therefore deserves research because the very actions of terrestrial species, like humans, may generate harmful long-term effects. In essence, users of marine resources are demonstrably interested in the relative short-tem gains from marine ecosystems while ignoring long-term effects of over-usage. Yet, setting aside areas to protect after or from over-usage does not necessarily mean all marine species are protected. More important, the enforcement of marine protected areas (MPAs) conflicts with socio-economic issues in communities that currently fish them or did so in the past. The mainstream article â€Å"Marine-protected Areas: It Takes a Village, Study Says,† looks at just how much society may assume about the extent of protection at risk species receive. When told an area is protected it is logically assumed that no fishing takes place in an MPA. To that end and by way of explanation, this article posits that the issue of protection actually depends on the consideration of at least three factors. The factors are as follows: (1) how affective is the management of a MPA; (2) whether management takes into account socio-economic effects on local communities; and (3) whether the socio-economic effects will complicate enforcement of an MPA. In essence, the article attempts to tell the audience that MPAs are made more effective for the consideration given local socio-economic issues. The article implies that on average MPAs are not as effective as hoped and even hazards and explanation. For example, government controlled MPAs, invisible to a community; propose two immediate dangers to the MPA by reason of invisibility. The community is both unaware of the benefits of avoiding overfishing and equally ignorant of methods of MPA enforcement. The article ultimately surmises that on a large scale, consideration being given to all marine protected areas, the most effective means of preserving species diversity, number and size would involve applying both the methods of traditionally managed systems (MPAs for small areas) and permanent marine protected areas (usually large). In such a scenario permanent MPAs would benefit species with slow overfishing recovery times while rewarding small communities for their efforts at conservation and allowing them to see its direct benefits. The source for the mainstream article was a study published in Current Biology, entitled â€Å"A Comparison of Marine Protected Areas and Alternative Approaches to Coral-Reef Management.† This article naturally takes a more scientific approach in making its argument. Therefore, it is unsuitable for a mainstream audience reading at different levels of comfort with scientific and statistical terminology. It looks at four types of MPAs in addition to four reasons why the areas presumably offer ineffective protection for certain species. Its use of graphs and tables, largely meant to reify the study’s argument for a scientific audience, all support the argument that the success of MPA enforcement decides its effectiveness. The mainstream article apparently makes use of the summary and conclusion in the scientific article’s content but glosses over its conclusions. The scientific article never implicitly states, as does the mainstream, that a combination of traditionally managed systems and permanent MPAs are important to protecting biodiversity. Rather, the mainstream article calls for a more simplified approach to what the scientific article implies is quite complicated. The institution of effective MPAs are complicated by how enforcement will be carried out in the face of the social, economic, and cultural context of communities in the center of areas designated as important to the maintenance of coral reef biodiversity. To some extent the mainstream article captures the essential points of the scientific article. For example it accurately conveys to readers that enforcement of MPAs is more complicated than designating an MPA. The mainstream article, despite its brevity, also manages to inform readers that there are different kinds of MPAs and that they work differently to solve problems. Take permanent MPAs which protect species at risk from overfishing. However, the mainstream article is guilty of minor sensationalism. The research this article is based upon looks at solutions for small, isolated communities as well as the benefits of permanent MPAs. It does not, as the mainstream article erroneously extrapolates, propose a combination of methods of traditionally managed systems and permanent MPAs, toward achieving biodiversity. A possible improvement upon the essentially good summarization, provided by the mainstream article, would include a definition of an MPA at its beginning. A more satisfactory conclusion would include a reminder that the findings of the study it summarized, applied to small, economically isolated communities. The conclusion could also inform readers of the larger implications of the study by referencing the fact that California is enjoying moderate success in its establishment of MPAs along its entire coast (â€Å"Transforming Ocean Policy,† 2006). The above would then provide supporting evidence for the highly probable tendency of mainstream readers to assume findings in the study are applicable outside of the small communities it examines. With regard to California’s efforts to establish MPAs along its coast only time will indicate success, hence, the importance of routinely researching the effectiveness of any efforts in wildlife conservation. It is particularly important to assess the enforcement of MPAs in the effort to maintain coral reef biodiversity as terrestrial and marine species do not operate in mutual exclusivity of each other. To that end, enriching one’s understanding of the interdependence of terrestrial and marine ecosystems requires a measure of caution. Mainstream readers may get a fairly accurate but slightly sensationalized view of a scientific finding. In essence, readers are tempted to consider findings applicable beyond the parameters of the experiment for which they exist. In my experience, media representations of science deserve a measure of skepticism and any findings consideration only within the parameters of the study they relate to. References McClanahan, Timothy R., Marnane, Michael J., Cinner, Joshua E., & Kiene, William E. (2006). A comparison of marine-protected areas and alternative approaches to coral-reef management. Current Biology, 16, 1408-1413. â€Å"Marine protected areas: it takes a village, study says.† (2006). Wildlife Conservation Society. Retrieved October 4, 2006 â€Å"Transforming ocean policy: doing for oceans what Teddy Roosevelt did for the land. (2006). The Ocean Conservancy. Retrieved October 4, 2006 from http://www.oceanconservancy .org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8731&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=issues_&JServSessionIdr007=hg383i2kx3.app7b.