Viking Raids On England Essays - House Of Wessex,

Viking Raids On England Viking Raids On England From 793 to 1066, England was terrorised by Viking warriors. These were people from Scandinavia, especially Danmark and Norway. Scandinavia at the time had a growing population and with inland areas inhospitable, the vikngs looked overseas for new territories and wealth. "In the year 793, the pagans from the north came to Britain like stinging hornets..." wrote an early Saxon chronicler about the first Viking raid on England. The Vikings had struck a small costal monastery, killed and pillaged. This was the frist blow in a mighty struggle between the Vikings and England whch ended with The Battle Of Hastings in 1066. For the next 40 years however, there was peace. The Vikings had been preparing for a full-scale invasion and from 835 onwards, hardly a year went by without a raid being reported to the Saxon chronicles. In 851, the Vikngs first wintered in England and in 856 forced England to pay its first Danegald or tribute. In 867, 3 famous sons of ragnar hairy-Breeches : Ivar the the boneless, Ubbi and Halfdan landed in East Anglia, marched across country, seized York and settled in Northumbria. By 871 the Vikings had overrun the north of England and were preparing to invade the Saxon stronghold, Wessex. This was the first time they had come face-to-face with the Saxon Prince Alfred. Although only second in command, Alfred led the Saxons to victory. Later that year, Alfred became King Alfred and within months was on the battle fields once again. This time however, he was defeated at Wilton and forced to pay a tribute. After this the Vikngs split in two. One group under the leadership of halfdan went and settled in northumbria. the remaing under Guthrum settled in South Cambridge and waited for another chance to invade Wessex. In 875, Alfred went to sea with a small naval force and on the south coast of Wessex met 7 Viking longships and defeated them. This was the first time that the Vikings had been challenged at sea so Alfred decided to build a fleet. While busy seeing over the shipbuilding, Alfred failed to notice that Guthrum had struck south. Guthrum had taken Chippenham thus surrounding Wessex and giving himself a much greater chance of success. The Vikings had taken control of most of West Wessex and the Saxons submitted to them. But not Alfred. He and a small group of troops made a small stronghold at Athelney. Alfred, wishing to know the Vikings plans and tactics, dressed as a wandering minstrel and walked boldly into the viking camp and snuck his way into the council of war. After staying a few days, and content that he knew all he needed to, Alfred hurried back and told his men how easily the Vikngs could be beaten. With the people of Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire united, Alfred drove the Vikings back to Chippenham and stayed to negotiate a treaty with Guthrum. This treaty stated that Alfred and the Saxon people aknowledged their new neighbours and territories. Guthrum returned to Danelaw which was comprised of the five boroughs of Derby, Stamford, Leicester, Lincoln and Nottingham but not before being baptised in the presence of Alfred. After Guthrum moved back to Danelaw, there was seven years of peace. this was until a new army from the continent came across the English Channel and seized the city of Rochester. Alfred's army came once again to the rescue a\though and defeated the new invaders and pushed them back to sea. Alfred steadily pushed the Vikings back with many small invasion attempts and by 886 had regained control of London. by now all the English looked upon alfred as their leader. Alfred felt an easing of pressure and now concentrated on his defences. He built fortified towns or Burhs. There were seven more years of peace, until The Great Army from Germany crossed the Channel with 250 ships, sailed un the Lympne estuary and stormed one of Alfred's Burhs . These Vikings were defeated at Farnam and at the same time the Vikings in danelaw chose to send 100 ships to the north coast of Devon, so that the Saxons had to march west. The Saxons overtook the vikng army on the banks of the Buttington and on the Banks of the Severn and besieged it on every side. The Vikings this time were defeated be famine and when they finally faced the Saxons they lost a very bloody battle. After 2 further years of fighting, The Great Army broke up. In October 899, King Alfred died. He went down in history as the man who

Free Essays on Humanistic Therapy

HUMANISTIC THERAPY Humanistic psychology focuses on psychological health rather than on mental illness. â€Å"Its view is optimistic, with an emphasis on the human potential. It's a healthy viewpoint. In 1942, Rollo May was stricken with tuberculosis. After eighteen months in a sanitarium in upstate New York, he decided that his attitudes and his personal will were more important to his recovery than the treatments. He entered the graduate psychology program at Columbia University in New York City, receiving his Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1949 with the highest honors. In the decades that followed, May's dissertation, The Meaning of Anxiety, published in 1950, and revised in 1977, had a major influence on the development of humanistic psychology† (Crompton). Rollo May argued that culture was in an "age of anxiety" and, furthermore, that channeling his own high anxiety was a major factor in overcoming his tuberculosis. (This would be the first we’ve heard of the mind/body connection to illness in the field of psychology I believe.) May was one of the most influential American psychologists of the twentieth century. He helped to introduce European existential psychoanalysis to an American audience. He was a founder of humanistic psychology, with its focus on the individual, as opposed to the behaviorist psychology and Freudian psychoanalysis that was prevalent in the 1940s and 1950s. May's writings were both practical and spiritual and they promoted the power and worth of the individual. As such, they contributed to the development of the human potential movement. May maintained that widespread alienation and anxiety were a result of breakdown and upheaval in culture and society, rather than the result of individual psychological problems. I would add that the lack of spiritual awareness is another component of breakdown and upheaval. Maslow's thinking was surprisingly original - most psychology before him had been concerned... Free Essays on Humanistic Therapy Free Essays on Humanistic Therapy HUMANISTIC THERAPY Humanistic psychology focuses on psychological health rather than on mental illness. â€Å"Its view is optimistic, with an emphasis on the human potential. It's a healthy viewpoint. In 1942, Rollo May was stricken with tuberculosis. After eighteen months in a sanitarium in upstate New York, he decided that his attitudes and his personal will were more important to his recovery than the treatments. He entered the graduate psychology program at Columbia University in New York City, receiving his Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1949 with the highest honors. In the decades that followed, May's dissertation, The Meaning of Anxiety, published in 1950, and revised in 1977, had a major influence on the development of humanistic psychology† (Crompton). Rollo May argued that culture was in an "age of anxiety" and, furthermore, that channeling his own high anxiety was a major factor in overcoming his tuberculosis. (This would be the first we’ve heard of the mind/body connection to illness in the field of psychology I believe.) May was one of the most influential American psychologists of the twentieth century. He helped to introduce European existential psychoanalysis to an American audience. He was a founder of humanistic psychology, with its focus on the individual, as opposed to the behaviorist psychology and Freudian psychoanalysis that was prevalent in the 1940s and 1950s. May's writings were both practical and spiritual and they promoted the power and worth of the individual. As such, they contributed to the development of the human potential movement. May maintained that widespread alienation and anxiety were a result of breakdown and upheaval in culture and society, rather than the result of individual psychological problems. I would add that the lack of spiritual awareness is another component of breakdown and upheaval. Maslow's thinking was surprisingly original - most psychology before him had been concerned...

Leadership traits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership traits - Essay Example This trait enables leaders to stand boldly with policies and vision set for a successful organization. Thirdly, determination is the aspect of being firm for a purpose. Determination makes a leader focus in enhancing the growth of organization through profound management skills. It enables leaders to have appropriate decision that brings worth to the organization. Fourthly, integrity is abiding to ethical or moral principles. A leader should base actions upon a solid framework of moral and ethical principles. Lastly, sociability is the aspect or act of being friendly. A leader should be friendly to his followers to create a friendly environment whereby people work towards a common goal. This list is not all-inclusive as leadership traits are associated with many endless traits. Other traits of effective leaders include emotional intelligence, which is being well-adjusted to deal with situations, should be tough mindedness by being logical and practical towards achieving goals, and compulsiveness by being protective of their reputation and integrity for an abundant foresight. The list is endless as there are many traits associated with

Did Rousseau correctly argue that previous philosophers had not gone Essay

Did Rousseau correctly argue that previous philosophers had not gone back far enough in search of the state of nature - Essay Example Thus, although the term ‘State of Nature’ refers to a logical construction, it does not necessarily refer to a historical period, although in the early period of human existence when organised societies with laws did not exist, individuals were free to do what they wanted based on their natural desires, psychological makeup, interests and situations, etc. It is possible to argue that humans living in isolation, far removed from the present-day civilisation without any contact with organised societies will illustrate human behaviour in a state of nature without any fabricated laws to impinge on their behaviour. In a state of nature, there were no kings and no government to impose their will on humans. The State of Nature in Rousseau’s Philosophy Rousseau employs the device of state of nature to depict the conditions under which man existed in natural conditions to argue that in the pure state of nature man’s existence would be peaceful and contented. ... Thus, Rousseau presents a belief in the natural goodness of man who had abhorrence for giving consent to others to govern, or for entering society. Rousseau places an emphasis on historical context when thinking about the state of nature rather than considering this notion in terms of a hypothetical context. For Rousseau, the state of nature is a pre-political condition that existed prior to man acceded to the social contract to lose his natural freedom while gaining civil freedom, property and the relative protection of the group. 6 Rousseau suggests that in the state of nature, people did not know each other enough to interfere with each other, but they did present normal moral values, which the social contract for living in a society tarnishes. However, because Rousseau takes a historical rather than a hypothetical view of the state of nature concept, it makes sense to ask whether at any time in history, man has been able to demonstrate the capacity for not succumbing to immoral b ehaviour in relation to others. Certainly, religious doctrine contained in the old testament of the Bible does not support the views presented by Rousseau about man in the state of nature because ever since the time of Genesis, man has demonstrated moral flaws even in dealings within the same family. Thus, it will appear that Rousseau’s arguments concerning the state of nature present flaws, and it makes sense to examine his views in comparison to other noted political theory philosophers, especially those that lived before him. Rousseau’s concept of an early state of nature presents men and women as solitary animals that come together only to reproduce. 7 8 Although, a mother in the

All Fungi Are Not the Same Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

All Fungi Are Not the Same - Essay Example Basidiomycota phylum develops through sexual means. Basidiospores are formed on club-shaped structures known as basidia. A terminal hyphal cell produces spores called basidium. In this phylum, asexual reproduction occurs, but occasionally. Some of its typical examples include the mushrooms rusts and toadstools. The Zygomycota phylum develops by both sexual and asexual means. They have thallus, which is composed of hyphae, which elongates through the growth of a tip. Multinucleate hyphae do not have septa except for the reproductive structures. When hyphae fuse, this directly leads to the formation of a zygote. In the process of zygote formation, meiosis occurs shortly before it germinates. The typical examples of the phylum include the Rhizopus commonly referred to as the black bread mold. As Vandenkoornhuyse, et al. (2002) observes, generally, fungi are eukaryotic organisms that are neither plants nor animals. As heterotrophic organisms that are devoid of chlorophyll, they obtain their nutrients through absorption. Glycogen is the primary carbohydrate stored in fungi. Fungi excrete enzymes into their food source and live within an external digestion. Ascomycota live in specific locations often forming symbiotic relationships with plant roots, stems, leaves and algae to obtain nutrients. Basidiomycota are mutualistic symbionts and obtain nutrients from living hosts, roots, vascular plants and insects. They obtain sugars and nutrients produced through photosynthesis. Zygomycota makes use of light regulation for its development and growth. Light directs the growth of structures and activates the metabolic pathways. Zygomycetes grow in a wide range of environments and temperatures, with some growing in aerobic conditions. However, most are terrestrial meaning that they g row in liquid culture, at salty concentrations and high water activities to obtain nutrients. They can also be found in decaying animal and

Analysing Structure Changes due to Sony in Restructuring Mode

Analysing Structure Changes due to Sony in Restructuring Mode As directed by the Board of Directors of Sony, this report will analyse the structure of Sony Corporation from 1999-2005, the problems faced together with its responses and underlying rationales and recommendations for the benefit of the future directions of Sony. Being a multinational corporation in the electronics business, the company faces significant macroeconomic challenges. The decreasing trend in profits could be seen since 1998, possibly the main reason that prompted the need for an organisational restructuring. Whether the organisations strategy influences its structure or vice versa, the structure of Sony has to be evaluated first. In 1999, after the restructuring, the company became a tall hierachical structure with three main business areas electronic, entertainment and insurance and finance. Alongside with the unified dispersed model to face the constant market demands, the company became a divisionalized form with decentralization of dispersion of power to ease decisi on-making. The divisional structure of the electronics business is divisionalised due to its low interdependency level, adhocracy in entertainment business and professional bureaucracy in the insurance and finance business. In 2003, Transformation 60 saw a more centralised structure of Sony management-wise and financial-wise . It was found that Transformation 60 still had the company in a divisionalised form but a stronger pull to formalize in its technostructure. One of the problems faced include rapid evolution of technology causing top management to respond by investing heavily and restructuring of the organisation using a Value Creation Model and Transformation 60. Stiff market competitions resulted to partnership and takeovers for off-shoring purposes and to benefit the AV industry. The election of Howard Stringer as CEO will cause the problem in management style due to the differences in national culture. It can be concluded that Sonys management and business strategies affec t its organisational structure as it was the drop in profits that had the shareholders to pressurised the change of top management. Recommendations include the need to combine both Western and Eastern cultures under Stringer and comprehensive considerations in investment strategies. Contents Pages 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Business Description and Corporation Strategy 2.1 Key Figures 2.2 Correlation between Organisation Strategy and Organisation Structure 4-6 3.0 Organisational Structure 3.1 Structure of Sony in 1999 3.1.1 Internal Structure of Sony as a Whole 3.1.2 Divisional Structures of Sony 3.2 Structure of Sony in 2003 3.2.1 Divisional Structure of Transformation 60 3.2.2 Financial Structure of Transformation 60 7-12 4.0 Problems and Responses 4.1 Rapid Evolution of Technology 4.2 Market Competition 4.3 Differences in National Culture 13-16 5.0 Conclusion 17 6.0 Recommendations 18 Appendices 19 Bibliographies 20-22 1.0 Introduction As directed by the Board of Directors of Sony Corporation, this report will analyse the companys situation from 1999-2005. Sony, a world class consumer electronics makers, was facing serious concerns since the late of 1990s, such as Asian financial crisis in 1997, the tech bubble and the terrorist attacks in America in 2001. Besides, the ever increasing competition from competitors and rapid market changes are eroding the market shares of Sony. The top management confront their difficulties bravely and executed a series of actions to respond to those difficulties. This report focuses on the structure of Sony in 1999 and the restructuring in 2003, as well as the analysis of difficulties faced by Sony and how the management responded to those issues. The structure of the report starts with the business description and the corporation strategy which has significant relationship with the following sections. Then, the focus will move to structure 1999 follow with the restructuring of Sony in 2003 called Transformation 60. After the discussions about the business structure, the report will concentrate on analysing the issues associated with Sony and state the responses taken by the management and its underlying principle before concluding and with appropriate recommendations. 2.0 Business Description and Corporation Strategy Sony is one of the worlds top consumer electronics makers and employs over 167900 workers (Sony, 2010). The business operates in over 200 countries and covers the games, electronics, financial services, entertainment markets and others (ibid.). After 65 years of growth, today, the group has established a world class brand and the strong brand image can benefit its bargaining power and make the business move into new markets easily. 2.1 Key Figures Some key figures of Sony from 1997 to 2010 are listed below (Graph12). The Sales figure remained in the reasonably floating level before 2007. Unfortunately, the management and shareholders are unsatisfied with the profits, since 1998 the profits reduced nearly every year, this might have been the trigger to ignite the restructuring of Sony. Graph 1 Source: Sony Annual Report 2001, 2006, 2010- Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data Graph 2 Source: Sony Annual Report 2001, 2006, 2010- Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data 2.2 Correlation between Organisation Strategy and Organisation Structure Strategy and organisation structure are correlated to each other, even the debate of whether strategy or structure comes first is still in existence (Lynch, 2006). Therefore, to understand Sonys corporation strategy (Graph34) is significantly important before discussing the structure and restructuring of Sony. Besides, an essential portion of the study of Sonys actions is an understanding of the nature of business strategy for the Sony corporation as a whole (Mullins, 2010). Graph 3 Source: Sony Annual Report 1998 pp6, 7 Sony Annual Report 1999 pp26 Graph 4 Source: Sony Annual Report 2003 pp5-management discusses key issues 3.0 Organisational Structure This section is classified into two parts, 3.1 focuses on the structure of Sony in 1999 while section 3.2 concentrates on the restructuring in 2003. 3.1 Structure of Sony in 1999 Sony as a world class player in a diversified high-tech market was challenged with the fierce competition during the late 1990s (Sony, 1999). Therefore, the restructuring was necessary for Sony to survive in the competitive market. The group announced the organisations restructure plan in March 1999 to seize further growth opportunities in the new century and the Internet era (Sony, 1999). The structure of the organisation is determined by its age and size, technical system, power and environment (Mintzberg, 1979). Furthermore, in relation to the environment, the diversity of the environment will largely determine the structure of organization and directly affects the organisation functions into goal-seeking activities through the formal structure to achieve aims and objectives (Mullins, 2007; Mintzberg, 1979). In this diverse environment, different structures will be taken in specific department to meet different aspects of situation for Sony. 3.1.1 Internal Structure of Sony as a Whole The internal structure of Sony is a tall hierarchical structure as Sony consists of three main business areas which are electronic business, entertainment business and insurance and finance business (Graph 5). Besides, the setting up of the unified dispersed management model is to face the rapid change in market in the aforementioned pillars of Sony (Ravi, 2005). As a result, the overall structure of Sony in 1999 was divisionalized form. Schwartz and Thompson (1986) suggested that the divisionalization form can facilitate the various divisions to compete fiercely among them, with effective operations to face rapid changes in external environment. Graph 5 Source: www.Sony.net, Press Archive, March 29, 1999 Besides, centralization and decentralization depends on how organisational power is dispersed and is determined by the organization structure for decision-making and problem-solving (Schmidt, 2006). The structure of Sony in 1999 displayed Sonys trend to be decentralization to distribute the power yield. For example, Sony set up a unified dispersed management model which facilitates more functional and operational autonomy (Ravi, 2005). 3.1.2 Divisional Structures of Sony After the discussion above, the focus now moves to the structure of different divisions. The electronic business consists of various subsidiaries (Graph 6). Each subsidiary is responsible for its own different products and makes business decisions in different markets. There is little interdependence that exists between each other. Thus, the structure of electronic business was divisionalized form. Entertainment business displayed adhocracy due to its little formalisation of behaviour. Insurance Finance business displayed a Professional Bureaucracy structure due to its complex environment with highly trained skills and knowledge to offer standardisation of products and services (Mintzberg, 1979). Graph 6 Source: www.Sony.net, Press Archive, March 29, 1999 Each business division has the autonomous to make decisions in its daily operation. The Group headquarters concentrated on coordinating these business divisions to make a long-term business strategy. Nevertheless, under the complex, diverse and dynamic environment, perhaps the more organic and decentralized structure is more suitable for Sony. 3.2 Structure of Sony in 2003 Indeed, Sony restructured its organisation in 1999 into a more divisionalized and decentralised form using the unified dispersed model as a means of a Value Creation Model. Transformation 60 saw some changes in the architectural structure of the organisation with it becoming more centralised, management-wise and financial-wise. It was aimed to refining the organisational responsibilities in carrying out the operating strategies and restructuring the marketing strategies in profitable niches. The goals are to achieve more profit margins, reducing annual cost, and component outsourcing (Sony, 2003). 3.2.1 Divisional Structure of Transformation 60 Transformation 60 saw the convergence of the three pillars of Sony electronics, entertainment and financial as opposed to the unified dispersed model. The following are the divisional changes: In the electronics business, the management combined the Semiconductor Network Company, Home Electronics, Mobile Electronics and Information Technology (Sony, 2003). The entertainment business saw the joint of assets of pictures, music, game, electronics and services to enhance its position as a worldwide media company. The constructed financial holding company absorbed Sony Life Insurance Company Ltd, Sony Assurance Inc. and Sony Bank Inc. By these convergences, Sony clarified the operational structure and concentrated on the engineering, innovation and financial resources. According to the converging strategy, the new operation structure of Sony seems like a basic Machine Bureaucracy structure (Mintzberg, 1983). Although it is less dispersed than the structure in 1999, the pull to formalize by the technostructure of Sony could be seen in Transformation 60 (Mintzberg, 1981). The restructuring of Sony in 2003 was more centralised than before as a result of the serious convergences of several businesses. The tactical and strategic plans were permitted to each sectors, which points that the divisionalized form still existed. However, the power on personnel issues was controlled by the top management, as well as the supportive finance and the ultimate goal were allocated and formulated by the headquarters (Ravi, 2005). Moreover, the restructured Sony in 2003 did not belong to any specific structure of Mintzbergs pentagon t heory but the combined one (Graph 7). Graph 7 Sony organisational chart: electronics-related business (as of 1 April 2001) Source: www.sony.net, Press Release, 29th March 2001(a) 3.2.2 Financial Structure of Transformation 60 In the light of improving its fiscal position, the consolidation of fixed costs and the combining of assets reflected the change of a more centralized structure in Sony. The company aims to achieve an annualized cost reduction of approximately  ¥300 billion (Ravi, 2005). The cut in employees due to the off-shore strategy to China establish the Contribution equal to Compensation principal of paying for performances, as Schein (2004) stated that employees have worked well enough to be considered valid. Deactivating employees from Sony had cost the company financially and it might have explained the poor financial performance of Sony after the transformation was done. 4.0 Problems and Responses This section will discuss the problems associated with Sony alongside with the responses taken and its rationale. The difficulties faced by Sony have been separated into different categories mainly the rapid evolution of technology, competition in the market and the differences of national culture. 4.1 Rapid Evolution of Technology The rapid evolution of technology as pointed out by Idei (Ravi, 2005) has affected the electronics, entertainment and insurance and finance sectors of Sony. The constant improvements in technology have caused the company to respond to the demand of the market. The following are the responses made by the company alongside with its underlying rationale: Investments: Sony invested heavily in RD, capital equipment and facilities in order to meet demands and improve profitability. Technology for Inspiration and Shared Experience and Creating New Value are Sonys RD missions (Sony, 2011). The company believes that technology is capable of linking inspiration and shared experiences on top of creating new values and capturing emotions of customers (ibid.). Investment strategies link to the capability of top management of Sony. Organisation restructuring: The Company believes that the new group architecture can help gain market share besides increasing shareholders value (Sony, 1999). In this Value Creation Model, the unified dispersed management method saw changes in the electronics operations, establishment of Digital Network Solutions (DNS), changes in composition of workforce which could ultimately affect the morale of employees, implementation of new value-based performance measurement system and the separation of headquarters into two distinct functions (Ravi, 2005; Sony, 1999). Indeed, the model brings competitive advantage to Sony (Jayaranam Luo, 2007). In such a stiff market, it is understandable as to the measures taken to seize every opportunity. Unfortunately, in 2001, the September 11 attacks caused the consolidated drop in sales, affecting the fiscal position of the company (Sony, 2001b). This has proven that the Value Creation Model had loopholes, hence Transformation 60 took course. Severe cost saving measures were taken but by 2005, as a result of pressure from shareholder, a top management reshuffling with Howard Stringer as CEO (Ravi, 2005). This proves that investors of Sony began to lose confidence of the previous management team therefore it was necessary for the company to overhaul its board. 4.2 Market Competition Among Sonys competitors are LG, Samsung, Sharp, Dell and Canon. Each competitor seemed to have an advantage over Sony in different products. Below are among the steps taken by Sony to beat the competition in the market: Partnership with Solectron Corporation in year 2000 and off-shoring to China were to aid the outsourcing process of production of electronics was a step to help the company meet fluctuations in demands, cost reduction, quality improvisation and customer satisfaction (Sony, 2003; Sony, 2000). Outsourcing may be beneficial to the company as a whole but it could ultimately decrease the motivational level of employees, as there is a tendency of decrease of power of managers, and failure rate is between 40%-70% (Purse, 2009). This may explain the Sony Shock (Ravi, 2005) incident that happened in 2003 despite the laborious process of organisation restructuring. The cost-benefit consideration was not given much thought before the outsourcing was done. The takeover of Aiwa Co. Ltd. as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2002 was for the benefit of the electronics business of the company, particularly the audio and visual (AV) industry (Sony, 2002). The takeover became part of Transformation 60. It helped accelerate the structural reform of the electronics business of Sony on top of the creation of synergy as a result of the merger. 4.3 Differences in National Culture As Howard Stringer took over as the CEO of Sony in 2005, a major problem he would experience would be the differences in organisational culture. Culture refers to the way we do things around here (Sanchez, 2004). Being one of the few foreigners to be part of the top management in a Japanese company, Stringer has the responsibility of considering whether to impose the Western culture in a Japanese company. Azumi Mcmillan (1975) found that both the U.S. and Japanese culture are quite highly centralized and companys rules and procedures are abided. In Sony, although divisionalization form can be seen, the Headquarter still plays its role as a coordinator, meaning that ultimately, the decision-making process will need approval from the top management. Also, in Japan, traditional values that emphasises on hard work and details are a common practice due to its religion influences but in the U.S., creativity and innovation are the common values (Webster White, 2009). Hence, in U.S., risk-taking is very much observed. The open management style of Stringer, his understanding towards Sonys tradition and his international viewpoints could be the key to influence the cultural organisation (Sony, 2005). This can explain Stringers successes in streamlining Sonys movie and music businesses. 5.0 Conclusion Due to the external environment effect such as the Asian financial crisis, the ever increasing competition, as well as the internal business issues like the low efficiency, the profits of Sony has been reduced dramatically since 1998. Therefore the management had to execute some restructuring plan to respond to those concerns. According to the restructuring plan announced in March 1999, the structure of the group was divisionalized and more decentralization, in order to seize further growth opportunities in the 21st century. Besides, the group launched a unified dispersed management model to ensure that the business operate more efficiently and to be able to survive the rapid change of environment. Sony did a mass of changes to adapt to the market changes; unfortunately, the pace of the latter was overtaking the managements expectations. Consequently, Sony had to accelerate the reform plan and announced another restructuring plan called Transformation 60 in 2003. The change in 2003 s aw a stronger pull to formalize in the technostructure although it can be seen that there is a mixture between the machine bureaucracy and divisionalized forms. Convergences in the three sectors saw power being more focused at the top management. The change of technology, market competition and the differences in organisational culture, especially after the takeover of Stringer, were the main concerns of Sony. Organisational restructuring and investment strategies were among the solutions in coping with technological changes. Market competition forced Sony to deal with vast partnerships, joint ventures and mergers with other companies for outsourcing purposes. Finally, the change to a foreigner to lead a Japanese company spark concerns on the future of Sonys organisational culture. Nevertheless, based on the analysis that has been done, it can be concluded that Sonys management and business strategies affects its organisational structure. It was the drop in profits that led investors to force the overhauling of top management, as a result, the unified dispersed model and Transformation 60. Unfortunately, both measures failed to bring positive impacts to the companys fiscal positions. In light of the situation above, the new team led by Stringer with the probable change in organisational culture could probably help turn things around. 6.0 Recommendations Two main recommendations should be taken into account: Firstly, the future of the organisational culture of Sony has to be determined from two aspects based on the organization structure and the differences in national culture since the takeover of Stringer as CEO. Perhaps, Stringer could consider integrating the Eastern and the Western cultures to obtain the best of both worlds. Next, investment strategies of Sony may have to be re-evaluated again, as after the study of the company was done, there are hints of possibilities that failures in the companys fiscal position may have been caused by past investment decisions. Outsourcing may be beneficial but a thorough cost-benefit analysis has to be done. Investment decisions will reflect the capability of top management to stakeholders. Appendices Value Creation Model refers to the combination of intangible assets and monetary items to create additional value of the business for stakeholders, particularly shareholders (Qureshi, Briggs Hlupic, 2006; Haksever, Chaganti Cook, 2004). 2 The performance measurement system is capable of reflecting the current cost of capital of Sony 3 Before being elected as the CEO of Sony Corporation, he was the Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation of America. Bibliographies Azumi, K Mcmillan, C (2004) Culture and organisation structure: a comparison of Japanese and British organisation, International Studies of Management and Organization. Vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 35-47. Available from: Business Source Premier. [Accessed 16 January 2011] Datamonitor (2010), Sony Corporation-Company Profile, pp4, 5 and 21, Publication date: 12 Mar 2010 Elkington, J. Masaki, T. (2004) CSR Report 2004, [online]. 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traglear King Lear as a Tragic Hero :: King Lear essays

King Lear:   A Tragic Hero  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Tragedy is defined in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary as 1) a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man, or, 2) a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force, such as destiny, and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror.   The play of King Lear is one of William Shakespeare’s great tragic pieces, it is not only seen as a tragedy in itself, but also a play that includes two tragic heroes and four villains.   In the tragedy of King Lear: the tragic hero must not be all good or all bad, the tragic hero is deprived through errors in judgment, the use of two tragic characters intensifies the tragedy, the tragedy develops more through action than through character and the tragic heroes gain insights through suffering.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We must be able to identify ourselves with the tragic hero if he is to inspire fear, for we must feel that what happens to him could happen to us.   If Lear was completely evil, we would not be fearful of what happens to him: he would merely be repulsive.   But Lear does inspire fear because, like us, he is not completely upright, nor is he completely wicked.   He is foolish and arrogant, it is true, but later he is also humble and compassionate.   He is wrathful, but at times, patient.   Because of his good qualities, we experience pity for him and feel that he does not deserve the severity of his punishment. Lear’s actions are not occasioned by any corruption or depravity in him, but by an error in judgment, which, however, does arise from a defect of character. Lear has a tragic flaw, egotism, which is exemplified thus: â€Å"Which of you shall we say doth love us most† (I.i.52)?   It is his egotism in the first scene that causes him to make this gross error in judgment of dividing his kingdom and disinheriting Cordelia.   â€Å"Thy truth then be thy dowry! /†¦Here I disclaim all my paternal care, / Propinquity and property of blood, / And as a stranger to my heart and me / Hold thee from this forever† (I.i.115, 120-123).   Throughout the rest of the play, the consequences of these errors slowly and steadfastly increase until Lear is destroyed. There must be a change in the life of the tragic hero; he must pass from happiness to misery.

Chapter 2 Ap World History Summary

Chapter 2 AP World History Summery Each civilization faces challenges from politics to environment and everything in between. This chapter explains how each society became urbanized even though it was very tough. Nubia, China, Olmec, and Chavin are connected though each are separated by millions of miles and geological isolation. In China, dynasties rule all over the land; the Shang dynasty begins China’s history with the rise of power of it’s clans. It contains the earliest recorded writing documents, and they introduced bronze during 2000 B.C. E. The region was ran by a warrior aristocracy who loved warfare, hunting, exchanging, feasting, and wine revelry; the King of Shang always traveled for courts of his subordinates to reinforce their loyalty. Nomadic people that owned desert regions, or steppe lands were given demonstration power also. Religion in the Shang dynasty was enforced, the Kings used divination to determine the will of their ancestors and Gods to win fa vor. Nubia is located in the Nile River Valley and was over run by the Egyptians because of they have gold mines.After Egypt took charge, Nubia became Kush and adapted the Egyptian culture. Nubia decided to help local Palestine who struggled with the Assyrians in 701 B. C. E. ; this was a mistake because the Assyrians invaded and overthrown Egypt so that made a downfall for Nubia. After a while, Nubia became in control again, they still kept the Egyptian language, however Sub-Saharan culture replaced the Egyptian culture when Meroe became better suited for agriculture and trade. On the other side of the world, the Olmec civilization is completely isolated from the world.It’s located in Mesoamerica which is one of the most impressive early civilizations. The King’s Power was used to make people build large scale irrigation and drainage works, and by the 1000 B. C. E, they have become a civilization. In addition to the geological isolation, Olmec have frequent volcanic e ruptions and earth quakes, and mountains that separate the region into micro environments. Evolution developed into urbanization and appearance of powerful political and religious elites. The people were very advanced for their time; they made he calendar and based their urban centers to reflect astronomical observations. The Olmec civilization influenced the Mayans and considered the most influential earliest Mesoamerican civilization. The most impressive early Urban South American civilization is Chavin. It’s home to the most dense population. Maize increased the food supply of the coast and interior foothills, thus, allowing greater leverage for civilization. They have a form of political integration and trade dependency on it’s neighbors that may have relied on military force.Their religion was based on praising their royal ancestors and gods that can take on animal form. The most praised animal is the Jaguar; human sacrifices were made at temple platforms. These c ivilizations became very complex as they advance with technologies, science, and math mathematics. Power was taken away, and given to in each society, and some are diminishing before us. They may be separated and isolated from each other by mountains, water, and hemispheres, but that doesn't separate the development of each economic institutions politically, socially, and economically.

Mandela essays

Mandela essays Grand apartheid was established as South African policy in 1948 and thus a dark period of human existence arose with issues such as black oppression and white supremacy clouding peoples everyday lives within the country. Nelson Mandela is almost certainly the most renowned prisoner in the history of the world and ultimately became the president of South Africa in 1994 after apartheid was dismembered and after he was released from prison. Mandela was involved with the fight for the rights of his people and for general equality from the very beginning of apartheid. As well, Mandela was a figurehead for the people seeking equality throughout his life, whether it was in prison or as a part of the ANC (African National Congress). Nelson Mandela was considered a key to the ending of apartheid in South Africa because of his activism within the political system and because he was an inspiration to his people, and finally because he was a symbol of strength for the African people. Nelson Mandelas activism within the South African political system against apartheid from the beginning and thus was a key to ending apartheid. When apartheid was introduced in 1948, Mandela was part of a group called the African National Congress Youth League. This group was part of the ANC in that it used their ideas to begin non-violent civil disobedience to protest pass books and laws that kept blacks in permanent servility. The ANCYL had the impact on the ANC of making them change from being a completely passive group to advocating the weapons of boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-co-operation. Eventually Mandela was elected to join the ANC where he could make a real political difference. Throughout all of these events and changes, there was one constant and this was the threats and attempts of the government to imprison the members of the ANC and ANCYL. In 1952, the ANC launched the Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws wi...

Stephen Truscott essays

Stephen Truscott essays During the summer of 1959 in Clinton, Ontario, a innocent teenage boy named Stephen Truscott was suddenly burdened to grow up in to a man in no time at all. Justice was not served in the Stephen Truscott case due to many key persons directly involved with investigation of the murder and rape of Lynne Harper such as the unprofessional conduct of the entire investigation by OPP inspector Graham and staff; the one-sided arguments imposed by Crown-Attorney and an the mishandling of medical evidence by an expert witness Dr. Peniston, the coroner. The Clinton OPP and Inspector Graham made many errors in the manner that they approached investigation of the murder of Lynn Harper, the police were guided by old laws and went on a one-way pursuit of a boy which they were determined to find guilty. It only took the police 24 hours after Lynne Harper's body was found to arrest Steven Truscott. No other suspects were ever brought up or seriously investigated but the OPP never even checked police records or military records for past sex offenders. Inspector. Graham had many records of evidence which could have easily placed Truscott else where than in Lawson's Bush but rejected those bits of evidence to advance his personal agenda and create advantages for himself. From the beginning of the episode in 1959, the OPP brought shame to the police force for their distasteful work as police officers by making a mockery of all that they had been taught about justice. Theirs efforts were distinctly positioned to make their pieces fit the puzzle. The Crown's counsel made grave errors in the method in trying to establish guilt on Truscott and the Judge's failure to appreciate that the route that the Crown was taking which was misleading to the jury and a fair trial. The Crown made sure that Truscott was viewed upon as a sex driven teenager and guided the jury with the improper use of evidence against the prisoner. ...

Interview on perceptions of a product or servise and ways of Assignment

Interview on perceptions of a product or servise and ways of motivating customers and increasing customer satisfaction - Assignment Example Being the marketing manager of Samsung Company, I was tasked with the duty of establishing how consumers view our products, specifically the newly introduced Smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S4. This required a survey to be undertaken by interviewing consumers who own the phone. This is very important since in the Smartphone market, consumers are known to shift from one phone to another because of poor experiences and satisfaction. Thus, this paper will explain various aspects of consumer behaviour. It will analyse the findings of the interviews undertaken. Finally, the paper will make a presentation to the board of directors where it will conclude by establishing the importance of various aspects of consumer satisfaction and how it will benefit the company. Concepts in Consumer Behaviour When approaching consumer behaviour there are various concepts, theories and models involved (Sharma, 26). Consumer satisfaction is the level at which consumers feel a commodity has met their need or w ant. Normally customers are satisfied when the product in question fully meets the needs of the customer, which the business establishment has communicated through advertising and other marketing techniques. For example, a consumer is fully satisfied with a smart phone if it meets the technological and physical requirements, which the customer needs, and those that have been indicated on the phone’s specifications that have been communicated by the manufacturer. Thus if a company indicates that a Smartphone has high definition display yet consumers realise it does not, and then the consumer will be unsatisfied. Consumer perception is the manner in which consumers view a particular product with regard to its ability to satisfy them. Consumer perception is a very important aspect of consumer behaviour since it is one of the major motivators behind consumers when they are looking for products to buy in the market (Erlenkamp 26). This is especially the case in the smart phone mar ket, since a phone’s popularity greatly relies on how consumers perceive it regardless of other factors such as the phone’s specification. For example, a study done in the United States of America revealed that most Smartphone users opt to buy phones that they believe are good based on information from their friends and non professional opinions in social media over phones that are better in terms of specifications regardless of the both phones being of the same price range (Himmelsbach 92). Consumer motivation on the other hand, is the process of undertaking various measures and strategies to ensure that consumers in the market are motivated to purchase a particular product or products (Wright 120). Consumer motivation is very significant aspect since it ensures that a business establishment enjoys success since it will attract new customers as well as keep existing customers loyal. Examples of consumer motivation technique include sampling which results in attraction of many consumers. The Product The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a high end Smartphone released by the company in March 2013. The Smartphone was widely anticipated after the company announced its production and the features that the phone would possess. Furthermore, its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S3 had been

Marketing communication plan Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing communication plan - Lab Report Example Having prove themselves, surpassed criticism and withstand competition, Bosch surely will be the brand to highlight modernity and customer satisfaction. As its founder, Robert Bosch had envisioned, this new product â€Å"would provide a technological  innovation that would be enthusiastically accepted in the U.S. marketplace.† So would the new audio system be defined as well. A product is a bundle of physical, service, and symbolic attributes designed to enhance consumer want satisfaction. (Boone & Kurtz 364) The company aims to fill the need of the customer to be satisfied. This is why product development is crucial in assessing or finding out what consumers seek for in an audio system, in this situation for example. Consumers tend to look for the benefits in a purchase, whether premium or valued. The proponents plan to offer a competitive and defined sound system. The audio system would include a DVD/CD and MP3 player with an expandable memory that comes with a free SD card of a 16 gig capacity, a four speaker system with a 4.1 surround sound system that includes a subwoofer for a superior and enhanced quality, wi-fi capabilities that would enable remote access for speakers to be positioned in any part of the room, amplifier and digital radio tuner with a state-of-the-art turn table. The purchase of this audio system also comes with free music from Sony artists. From the very start, Bosch has represented leading-edge modernity in technology -- but, at the same time, Its founder also espoused timeless and humanistic values. (Bosch) This is how the product will be launched; timeless in design and features that would last to its most useful life; humanistic values that deliver needs and wants of the customer at the same time. At the launching event of the product simultaneously in each state, Bosch will give a forty percent discount for the first 20 customers. Along with this launching, a main event