Personnel Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personnel Management - Case Study Example It is the human capital that drives the organizations' performance, hence playing a key role in all transformation efforts. In ACME Engineering knowledge management is managed by ensuring that people are left to enjoy what they do this is demonstrated the value attached to the people and the underlying principle of treating workers as a critical part of the organization. ACME Engineering embraces a multicultural approach, which easily deals with any emerging cross-cultural barriers. As long as workers are assigned the duties which allow them to practice their skills they will feel utilized well and do not stand a chance of moving out of the organization, say, in search of greener pastures. The fact that ACME encourages a relaxed work pace with the training which goes on in ACME, workers add to their existing knowledge, it leaves in them a sense of development and growth. In ACME a culture of belon... want to make decisions aimed at maintaining and managing the best talent at all costs for an organization can not afford the costs which come with high job turn over. Therefore strategic human resource management maximizes an organizations performance through the following: Strategic Planning. This involves implementation processes, which link the long-term goals of the organization with practical action plans. This results into activities and initiatives which aim at guiding the organization's growth. ACME as a company has gone out of the way in linking long-term goals through recruiting the majority of its workforce within the age group of 25-30 years. ACME encourages workers to see the opportunities ahead for such exist in the organization and they are made aware that they are the beneficiaries. These have a positive strategic role to play in the organization. When other organizations who recruited at the same time as ACME will be sending workers home through retirement, ACME will still be enjoying the fruits of its strategic planning because it may keep it's most experienced workforce say for as many as six or so extra years due to the age of its initial batch of recruits. Workforce Planning.Human resource managers must address the ever-changing workforce requirements. To achieve this goal, models should be developed bearing in mind the unique needs of each organization. As an organization, ACME has its own unique challenges but its version of strategic human resource management seems to be working well for it. How else do you explain its unique grading and appraising system whereby employees can raise even in the same job group to an extent of getting an extra 40% pay rise The fact that the organization encourages an open communication policy is a

Favourite Brand Paper Essay Example for Free

Favourite Brand Paper Essay The brand that I identify with is tide laundry detergent. I love tide laundry detergent because there are 5 people in my house and a lot of laundry being done with Tide I am able to use less detergent for a large amount of cloths. It keeps the colors of the cloths bright and even if you have been using cheap detergent when cloths are washed with tide the colors bright. Tide also gets hard to remove stains out of cloths without having to pretreat the sting and soak cloths for a long period of times. I can also save money by using Tide because when using a less effective brand I have to pour more than the required amount to wash and the cloths deteriorate faster. When cloths deteriorate and look dull I have to spend more money to purchase cloths in a shorter amount of time. I do believe Tide Company has built a successful relationship with loyal customers because even during the recession Tide created a cheaper detergent called Tide Basic in order to accommodate its loyal customers during these hard times. The company has created a Tide detergent that can be used with cold water which saves on the energy bill. Loyal Tide customer has a lot of variety to choose from which helps maintain the relationship with the brand. This brand is focused on groups of all ages because it is efficient and has been around since 1946. The Tide brand for the younger generation helps them remember home and for the older generation it is familiar and a brand they can trust. Tide has a variety of detergent product such as tide pods eliminate odor and are pre-measured, Tide ultra-stain release removes 99 percent of stains, Tide to go instant stain remover to go it’s a pen that is small and can be carried around if you get a small stain on your cloths, Tide boost duo packs it has stain removing power without any dyes or scent, Tide total care for high efficiency washers, Tide ultra clean plus downy gives same clean feeling and soft cloths, Tide cold water great cleaning and save money no hot or even warm water needed, Tide alternative bleach wash whites without the need of using bleach, Tide Free provide ge ntle on skin, Tide febreze for individuals who play sports, all of these also come in powder form for those who do not like liquid detergent. This is another reason Tide caters to all  age groups there is something for everyone. The two competitor brands Whisk and Kirkland Signature Ultra. These two detergents are numbers 2 and 3 on the list of competitor detergents which was done by ABC news. I have tried both of these brands. In my opinion these brands are good but the stain fighting power is not as effective as tide. When using tide on my chef uniform which has food and oils from cooking kitchen smell was gone. I used both brands to wash my nephews chef uniforms and they were not as effective at removing dirt, grim and most of all the smell of food. Tide has also been featured in good housekeeping magazine. It was also named one of the must steal products because in recent years there has been a surge of theft with tide detergent. In conclusion Tide laundry detergent is a brand that has been around for decades. It maintains and brightens colors. Tide also has over 15 varieties from one that can be used on sensitive skin to cold water Tide that helps save money. Tide is a trusted brand and caters to their customer’s needs. They also have helped maintain the relationship by offering a lower priced detergent when the recession affected all individuals around the world. Tide does have some competition but it does not have all the varieties or report that Tide has with their customers. References http://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/index2.html /www.nytim http:/es.com/roomfordebate/2013/01/14/why-would-drug-dealers-use-tide-as-a-currency/tide-is-the-must-steal-product-of-the-season http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/home-products/laundry-detergents/best-laundry-detergent#slid

Environmental Justice and Toxic Racism Essay --

Environmental Justice and Toxic Racism Encouraged by diverse foundations from across the globe, The Environmental Justice movement has become one of the most important topics in the media. Europeans have used Marxist philosophy on class laddering, while non-Western countries required its encouragement in the criticism of colonialism. In the United States, The Civil Rights Movement was its forerunner. The notion of â€Å"Environmental Justice†, nevertheless, has its genesis in the resistance of black culture and lower income-communities in opposition to uneven ecological trouble in the United States during the last few years of the 1970s and the early 1980s. In the framework of racial improvement and public activism, the phrase was implemented to designate the racial and ethnic disparity in contact to environmental dangers like pollutions, toxic waste, and inundation, at the same time barring marginal people, like black Americans, Hispanics, and Indians, from the choosing and applying of nationwide environmental r ules. The word â€Å"environment† was given then a contrasting connotation. Unlike the traditional environmental movement, which was condemned for ignoring the experience of black people and the lower class, the environment was restructured as a setting where people live. Supporters started to focus comprehensively on making the topic evenhanded. Advocates classified this equality into three expansive types: technical, geographic, and societal equities. Technical impartiality is apprehensive on unbiased manner or justice on the employment of central regulations, assessment criterion, and enforcement of environmental rules. Geographic fair play is concentrated on finding groups of people and their propinquity to green peril, ... ...nerators, the Anti-Toxics movement is another important movement that has added to the struggle with Environmental Justice. The Anti-Toxins movement began in the late 1970s as soon as President Jimmy Carter acknowledged Love Canal, New York, a catastrophe spot. Carter in due course evacuated the area for safety reasons. Ever since the evacuation the former citizens of Love Canal got together to form the Citizens Clearinghouse of Hazardous Waste. Its goal is to aid thousands of neighboring clusters to fight against deadly waste exposures. Several anti-toxics movement have formed during the past several years to advocate for stricter government policy with regard to pollution prevention. These groups argue for the abolishment of toxic waste, arguing that some areas would be affected by pollutants given the structure of the economy of the United States of America.

Kant or Mill

Instructor Gallup Kant or Mill 14 November 2011 The topic of Kant and John Stuart Mill produces much debate. Both scholars have their own beliefs that they deem to be appropriate point of views in the way man should view a moral life. In this paper I plan on elaborating on both Kant and Mill’s point of views. This paper will first talk about John Stuart Mill’s beliefs on morality and what he deems appropriate. Then in the next segment of the paper, Kant views will be dissected and discussed.Only after careful consideration of both men points of view, will I take a stance on the philosopher that I deem to be the more just. In concluding my results I will state my closing remarks on the topic of Mill and Kant. John Stuart Mill believed in what he called Utilitarianism. I want to say utilitarianism was the belief in doing what is good solely for the greater good of the masses. Now with that definition of the term being stated. I asked myself how could that be achieved. Mil l’s belief is that happiness of the masses should result in happiness throughout.That happiness should be attainable because of his belief that we were all born with a clean slate and all we had in our heads are sense perceptions (Mil –block 1Page 3 Paragraph 4). Okay, if that is true all we would have to do is teach our kids that we should do the right thing and the world would be fixed. Unfortunately, the block material states that man has had these problems from the dawn of philosophy. So unfortunately we would not be able to fix the problem that easy. If the world could be fixed that easily I would not have had to take this class.Mill’s theories stuck out in comparison, especially when he gave his thoughts on utilitarianism in a systematic view. This was when he gave his ideas of pleasure and pain. That morality is grounded—namely, that pleasure, and freedom from pain, are the only things desirable as ends; and that all desirable things (which are as numerous in the utilitarian as in any other scheme) are desirable either for the pleasure inherent in themselves, or as means to the promotion of pleasure and the prevention of pain (Mill-Block 2/page 3/paragraph 1). After I read this passage.It made me think of laziness in people. Good come from pain. The old saying is nothing easy is good and good things require hard work in order to be attained. The second theory of John Stuart Mill that I would like to point out is on quality and quantity. In my opinion, Mill use deductive reasoning to justify the claim of quality being something that you have or you don’t have. On the other hand he talked about quantity and how some act gave a large amount of pleasure and how some act gave a small amount of pleasure. The best example of this theory is money.Yes, if you have a large quantity of cash. Your quality of life does improve and your happiness could either improve or decrease. Depending on your moral worth. If you take a person t hat is not moral at heart the quantity or quality of his possessions will not bring him to the happiness that Mill was theorizing on. Kant is my next subject matter of discussion. His views are more convoluted and difficult to explain. Kant views were that on, what he would believe to be, the base of altruistic good. The first axis on Kant’s theory that I would like to present is his take on rational good will.What I got out of the reading on his rational good will theory was even if you do a good deed it still might not possess characteristic of determinism or egoisms. That qualification was being true and just. In Kant’s block on metaphysics of morals (Block-1/page-2 /Paragraph-1) states; Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without qualification [good without qualification], except a good will. The text tells us that happiness cannot be the purpose of humanity. Yet good will brings happiness.Kant argues that we can have happiness without reason and reason without happiness. Because we are instinctive people and our morals should be based upon our instincts not on our prejudged beliefs of a particular or accidental outcome. Acts done â€Å"from duty† are the truly altruistic ones; act that simply â€Å"accord with Duty† are those that appear to be altruistic but actually have self-serving motivation (Kant- Block 2, Paragraph 7). Duty is another coined term in Kant’s arsenal that required a lot of thought on what he really meant when he used the term.My breakdown of duty is doing an unselfish act while helping others in the process while doing what right for nature under their own free will. Between the two great philosophers there are many differences in there beliefs. Yet the one belief that they do have in common believes that their view was the more just for morality. In conclusion Kant’s philosophy is undoubtedly the more just and moral. Mill’s work w as more understandable as I was reading to text. Yet Kant’s theory’s just made more sense to me end the end. When you look at Mills view on utilitarianism.The examples that he gives would only work if a person were a Saint. There are not a number of people that will put other people in front of themselves. Kant’s views are more based around real-life instances that would occur in the real world. Kant’s View on law was really the turning point in my decision on which side to take. The term â€Å"law† in Kant’s usage meant of natural being. I took it as being free to make decision on you own free will. These laws he spoke of were the basic of life. It refers to what I called the golden rule. Those Golden rules were what he uses to judge morality.In Kant (Block 4 / paragraph 17) states; and should I be able to say myself, ‘Every one may make a deceitful promise when he finds himself in a difficulty from that he cannot extricate himself? à ¢â‚¬  Then I presently become aware that while I can lie, I can by no means will that lying should be a universal law. Kant wanted to base results of actions on the action, while Mill wanted to base his results on the outcome of the action. In both cases you can have just cause. Yet, I tend to be more on the side of Kant’s views. I too feel that an act can be good without having a good end result.For example, if a man goes to jail and the bailiff forgets to fingerprint you it would be a goo deed to go back and get fingerprinted. Which is truly an altruistic deed. If I were to use that same example and base it off of Mill’s theories it would have a different end result. Under Mill’s laws more that likely a person would not even consider the thought of going back to a jail to be fingerprinted because it does not produce any happiness. The reason I chose Kant’s views’ is because he make a better argument on the bases that morality can bring pain and still be just with or without a happy ending.

Rhetorical Analysis.

In Mark Twain’s passage, â€Å"Two Ways of Seeing a River,† the reader is forced to question within themselves about how much beauty they look past in the world. Twain describes in great detail an experience he had on a river in a very literal way. Twain begins his passage by describing how, after being on the river, he had forgotten all of the things he felt, saw, and experienced the first time out on a steamboat in the river. After being out on the river so many times it just became routine and he states that, â€Å"All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river! Through the first paragraph you begin to get an idea of how it feels to be on the river that first time. He continues to explain his experience but begins to question himself and everything that he had missed. By the end of the passage, the reader is left to question where the beauty has gone. The timing, or kairos, of this passage could be relevant to whenever it is read. Much like most of Mark Twain’s literature works, â€Å"Two Ways of Seeing a River,† is timeless. Rather it is 1883, when this was written, or in today’s day and age, people behave the same.They go about their days only focusing on their own wants and needs, never taking in the beauty and wonder that is going on around them. He is able to apply his work to all types of people, no matter the gender, race, age, or the century in which they live. It is obvious that Mark Twain is well known because of his ability to write. This is the main part of the ethos in this story. Since he is renowned for his works, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he is very credible.Another part that makes his trustworthy is the fact that he experienced this event himself. It might be questioned as to whether or not he was just writing a story from a fictional standpoint, but there is proof throughout the essay that shows he participated in the event. From the beginning, he presents the s tory in first person. Further evidence that he went through this lies in the following statement: â€Å"All the value any feature of it had for me now was the amount of usefulness it could furnish toward compassing the safe piloting of a steamboat. This quote shows that he is going very deeply into his mind. Not only does this statement reveal his inner self, but it provides physical evidence as to why it has to be him looking at this river. As his past writings reveal, Twain loves steamboats and because it mentions them in such a particular, technical way, he is providing signs to the reader that he is experiencing this. Because of his popularity and own knowledge, this particular essay is filled with ethos.The audience of this passage usually is people who are already familiar with Twain’s work and know how much feeling he puts in to it and they take him seriously. Through his really descriptive words, the reader is able to paint a picture of the river and begin to feel as if they were there. Since Twain is able to make such a connection with his audience they begin to ask themselves questions about how much they have missed in the world. The pathos, or emotional response to this passage, is really apparent.After reading it, people usually begin to look around and realize how much beauty they have failed to find in their daily lives. Something that Twain tries to point out is that even though you might have seen something beautiful once doesn’t mean there isn’t beauty in it all over again the next time you see it. His intent was so that the reader would walk away after reading this passage and see the world in a new way. While reading this passage the audience is able to relate and really feel how Mark Twain felt about the river.Logos, or the logical aspect of this essay, is that Mark Twain experienced it himself. If he made such a big bold statement of how people make the beauty disappear in the world without experiencing it firsthand, the reader might not take what he has to say to heart. Twain takes a well-known action, a doctor seeing a patient, and relates it to the point he is trying to make. Instead of seeing a doctor as helpful, Twain puts a new perspective on them by saying that they don’t see the beauty in people but rather, they see the wrong and bad.By comparing his experience to an everyday thing that goes on he makes it more relatable. â€Å"Two Ways of Seeing a River,† by Mark Twain is a passage that people are left questioning themselves after reading it. Through kairos, ethos, pathos, and logos the reader is taken inside of a personal experience that Twain had. By reading about how he felt the first time he road down the river in a steamboat and how it slowly lost its beauty you begin to really feel like you were there with him.The reader is forced to ask themselves tough questions about how they go about their daily lives and how much beauty they miss out on. Rather it is Twain†™s peaceful and descriptive explanation of the river or the stab toward how doctors behave this passage in undoubtedly meant to change the way the reader sees the world. Even if you have seen something beautiful once doesn’t mean that there isn’t more beauty to find every time you see it after that. Make sure to stop and take in what really goes on around and you might be surprised what you find. Rhetorical Analysis. In Mark Twain’s passage, â€Å"Two Ways of Seeing a River,† the reader is forced to question within themselves about how much beauty they look past in the world. Twain describes in great detail an experience he had on a river in a very literal way. Twain begins his passage by describing how, after being on the river, he had forgotten all of the things he felt, saw, and experienced the first time out on a steamboat in the river. After being out on the river so many times it just became routine and he states that, â€Å"All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river! Through the first paragraph you begin to get an idea of how it feels to be on the river that first time. He continues to explain his experience but begins to question himself and everything that he had missed. By the end of the passage, the reader is left to question where the beauty has gone. The timing, or kairos, of this passage could be relevant to whenever it is read. Much like most of Mark Twain’s literature works, â€Å"Two Ways of Seeing a River,† is timeless. Rather it is 1883, when this was written, or in today’s day and age, people behave the same.They go about their days only focusing on their own wants and needs, never taking in the beauty and wonder that is going on around them. He is able to apply his work to all types of people, no matter the gender, race, age, or the century in which they live. It is obvious that Mark Twain is well known because of his ability to write. This is the main part of the ethos in this story. Since he is renowned for his works, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he is very credible.Another part that makes his trustworthy is the fact that he experienced this event himself. It might be questioned as to whether or not he was just writing a story from a fictional standpoint, but there is proof throughout the essay that shows he participated in the event. From the beginning, he presents the s tory in first person. Further evidence that he went through this lies in the following statement: â€Å"All the value any feature of it had for me now was the amount of usefulness it could furnish toward compassing the safe piloting of a steamboat. This quote shows that he is going very deeply into his mind. Not only does this statement reveal his inner self, but it provides physical evidence as to why it has to be him looking at this river. As his past writings reveal, Twain loves steamboats and because it mentions them in such a particular, technical way, he is providing signs to the reader that he is experiencing this. Because of his popularity and own knowledge, this particular essay is filled with ethos.The audience of this passage usually is people who are already familiar with Twain’s work and know how much feeling he puts in to it and they take him seriously. Through his really descriptive words, the reader is able to paint a picture of the river and begin to feel as if they were there. Since Twain is able to make such a connection with his audience they begin to ask themselves questions about how much they have missed in the world. The pathos, or emotional response to this passage, is really apparent.After reading it, people usually begin to look around and realize how much beauty they have failed to find in their daily lives. Something that Twain tries to point out is that even though you might have seen something beautiful once doesn’t mean there isn’t beauty in it all over again the next time you see it. His intent was so that the reader would walk away after reading this passage and see the world in a new way. While reading this passage the audience is able to relate and really feel how Mark Twain felt about the river.Logos, or the logical aspect of this essay, is that Mark Twain experienced it himself. If he made such a big bold statement of how people make the beauty disappear in the world without experiencing it firsthand, the reader might not take what he has to say to heart. Twain takes a well-known action, a doctor seeing a patient, and relates it to the point he is trying to make. Instead of seeing a doctor as helpful, Twain puts a new perspective on them by saying that they don’t see the beauty in people but rather, they see the wrong and bad.By comparing his experience to an everyday thing that goes on he makes it more relatable. â€Å"Two Ways of Seeing a River,† by Mark Twain is a passage that people are left questioning themselves after reading it. Through kairos, ethos, pathos, and logos the reader is taken inside of a personal experience that Twain had. By reading about how he felt the first time he road down the river in a steamboat and how it slowly lost its beauty you begin to really feel like you were there with him.The reader is forced to ask themselves tough questions about how they go about their daily lives and how much beauty they miss out on. Rather it is Twain†™s peaceful and descriptive explanation of the river or the stab toward how doctors behave this passage in undoubtedly meant to change the way the reader sees the world. Even if you have seen something beautiful once doesn’t mean that there isn’t more beauty to find every time you see it after that. Make sure to stop and take in what really goes on around and you might be surprised what you find.

Performing Personal Hygiene Rituals Without Gravity

Performing Personal Hygiene Rituals Without Gravity There are many things we take for granted here on Earth that take on a whole new aspect in orbit. On Earth, we expect our food to stay on our plates. Water stays in containers. And, we always have an ample supply of air to breathe. In space, all those activities are a lot more difficult and require careful planning. Thats because of the microgravity environments that astronauts live in on orbit. Astronaut Ed Lu uses chopsticks to hold his food and a drink packet to keep fluids from escaping before he drinks them.   NASA The Complexity of Life in Space All human missions have to deal not only with feeding and housing astronauts, but taking care of their other bodily needs. In particular, for long-duration missions, the management of ordinary daily habits becomes even more important since these activities require sanitary conditions to operate in the weightlessness of space. Space agency folks around the world spend a lot of time designing such systems. Taking a Shower There used to be no way to take a shower on an orbital craft, so astronauts had to make do with sponge baths until they returned home. They washed with wet washcloths and utilized  soaps that do not require rinsing. Keeping clean in space is as important as it is at home, and even doubly so since astronauts at times spend long hours in space suits wearing diapers so they can stay outside and get their work done.   Astronaut Karen Nygard shows how an astronaut can do a shampoo in space. NASA Things have changed and nowadays, there are shower units on the International Space Station. Astronauts jump into a round, curtained chamber to shower. When theyre done, the machine suctions up all the water droplets from their shower.  To provide a little privacy, they extend the curtain of the WCS (Waste Collection System), the toilet or bathroom. These same systems may well be used on the Moon or an asteroid or Mars when humans get around to visiting those places in the near future.   Brushing Teeth Its not only possible to brush your teeth in space, but its also essential since the nearest dentist is a few hundred miles away if somebody gets a cavity. But, tooth brushing presented a unique problem for astronauts during early space travel. Its a messy operation- they cant really just spit in space and expect the environment to stay tidy. So, a dental consultant with NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston developed a toothpaste, now marketed commercially as NASADent, that can be swallowed. Foamless and ingestible, it has been a major breakthrough for the elderly, hospital patients, and others who have trouble brushing their teeth.   Astronauts who can not bring themselves to swallow the toothpaste, or who have brought their own favorite brands, sometimes spit into a washcloth. Using the Toilet One of the most-asked questions that NASA receives is about bathroom rituals. Every astronaut gets asked the question, How do you go to the bathroom in space? The answer is, very carefully. Since there is no gravity to either hold a toilet bowl full of water in place or pull human wastes down, designing a toilet for zero-gravity was no easy task. NASA had to use air flow to direct urine and feces.   The toilets on the International Space Station  are designed to look and feel as similar to those on Earth as possible. However, there are some important differences. Astronauts must use straps to hold their feet against the floor and pivoting bars swing across the thighs, ensuring the user remains seated. Since the system operates on a vacuum, a tight seal is essential. Beside the main toilet bowl, there is a hose, which is utilized as a urinal by men and women. It can be used in a standing position or can be attached to the commode by a pivoting mounting bracket for use in a sitting position. A separate receptacle allows for disposal of wipes. All units use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system. The human waste is separated and solid wastes are compressed, exposed to vacuum, and stored for later removal. Wastewater is vented to space, although future systems may recycle it. The air is filtered to remove odor and bacteria and then returned to the station. This is the toilet device used onboard the Russian Soyuz craft.   Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA-4.0 Future waste-removal systems on long-term missions may involve recycling for onboard hydroponics and gardens systems or other recycling requirements. Space bathrooms have come a long way from the early days when astronauts had pretty crude methods to handle the situation. Fast Facts Personal hygiene tasks in space are a lot more complex than here on Earth. The low-gravity environment requires more care.Shower systems have been installed on space stations, but they require very careful attention to make sure water does not stray into the crew compartments and electronics.Toilet facilities use suction and other devices to direct materials for safe storage and away from the walls and electronics. Edited and updated by  Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Human Relations & Resources Paradigm Essays - Emotions, Happiness

Human Relations & Resources Paradigm Essays - Emotions, Happiness Human Relations & Resources Paradigm The Human Relations & Resources paradigm masquerades under many names: Corporate incentives, Employee motivation, Loyalty programs, and Employee rewards. A quick Google search produced no less than 276,000 hits touting programs and products designed to make your employees happier, more satisfied, and of course the bottom line, more productive. These incentive programs represent an overall weak attempt at implementing the pedestrian facets of this organizational communications paradigm. A happy worker is a productive worker. When the worker has a nice work environment ? a pleasant office with ergonomically correct furnishings ? then the worker will work harder for you. Take the Novell campus, for example. Six buildings covering a generous parcel of well-landscaped land, complete with a stream, a path for running and walking, a cafeteria for grownups with a variety of flavors and choices, a gym with showers, a basketball court, a soccer field, and a sand volleyball pit. Ah, happiness is everywhere and the satisfied Novell employee has rarely a need that might take them away from their work environment. Creating this level of environmental happiness also means the worker is freed from the day-to-day cares that might cut into her work day. A happy worker is socially well-adapted to the corporate climate. She knows the corporate vocabulary, the hidden nuances, and the unspoken jokes. She fits into the corporate environment and she wants to fit in because how she sees herself is entangled with how well she fulfills her position at work. A happy worker is paid well; however a generous paycheck by itself is not enough to keep her happy. Her work allows her to explore her creative potential by solving problems and making contributions that count. She firmly believes that she has something important to offer that will help the organization succeed.

Pakicetus Facts and Figures

Pakicetus Facts and Figures Name: Pakicetus (Greek for Pakistan whale); pronounced PACK-ih-SEE-tuss Habitat: Shores of Pakistan and India Historical Epoch: Early Eocene (50 million years ago) Size and Weight: About three feet long and 50 pounds Diet: Fish Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; dog-like appearance; terrestrial lifestyle About Pakicetus If you happened to stumble across the small, dog-sized Pakicetus 50 million years ago, youd never have guessed that its descendants would one day include giant sperm whales and gray whales. As far as paleontologists can tell, this was the earliest of all the prehistoric whales, a tiny, terrestrial, four-footed mammal that ventured only occasionally into the water to nab fish (We know that Pakicetus was largely landbound because its ears werent well adapted to hearing underwater; in fact the structure of its inner ear is what gives it away as an early cetacean). Perhaps because even trained scientists have a hard time accepting a fully terrestrial mammal as the ancestor of all whales, for a while after its discovery in 1983, Pakicetus was described as having a semi-aquatic lifestyle. (Matters werent helped by a cover illustration on the journal Science, in which Pakicetus was depicted as a seal-like mammal diving after fish.) The discovery of a more complete skeleton in 2001 prompted a reconsideration, and today Pakicetus is deemed to have been fully terrestrial- in the words of one paleontologist, no more amphibious than a tapir. It was only over the course of the Eocene epoch that the descendants of Pakicetus began to evolve toward a semi-aquatic, and then fully aquatic, lifestyle, complete with flippers and thick, insulating layers of fat. One of the odd things about Pakicetus- which you can infer from its name- is that its type fossil was discovered in Pakistan, not normally a hotbed of paleontology. In fact, thanks to the vagaries of the fossilization process, most of what we know about early whale evolution derives from animals discovered on or near the Indian subcontinent; other examples include Ambulocetus (aka the walking whale) and Indohyus.

Critically discuss how the work-place be analysed and why the devil is Essay

Critically discuss how the work-place be analysed and why the devil is in the detail - Essay Example Continuous review and critical analysis of the organization at timely intervals cater in pointing out to the loop holes that exist in the current setting posing a potential risk for the organization which has to be mitigated in the interest of its continuity. It helps establish and instill a safety culture within your workplace by identifying and eliminating or controlling hazards in a timely manner. The workplace design to be reviewed and updated should be analyzed on the basis of the volume and the variety of the product the organization offers, type of processes, Layout, Flow, Flexibility, compliance to laws and regulations etc. The organization should critically review these factors and revise them making necessary changes where ever required dropping a few and taking up on some new policies and procedures along the way. Altering and disturbing the status quo during this process is what might cause resistance among the people within the organization. For this purpose effective ch ange management policies should be kept into place to counteract such problems and to educate the employees by gaining their full involvement while the organization transits from current to desired settings.

Deliberative Nursing Process Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Deliberative Nursing Process Model - Essay Example This theory is based on nurse-patient interaction and primarily emphasizes the fulfillment of immediate needs of the patients. Ida Jean Orlando is a significant contributor to the development of theoretical nursing knowledge. According to Fitzpatrick and Whall (1989) and Marriner-Tomey (1989), Orlando was born August 12, 1926. In 1947, she received a diploma in nursing from New York Medical College, Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital School of Nursing. She received a B. S. degree in Public Health Nursing from St. Johns University in Brooklyn, New York, in 1951, and an M. A. in Mental health Consultation from Columbia University Teacher's College, in New York in 1954. While pursuing her education Orlando was employed as a staff nurse in obstetrical, medical, surgical and emergency nursing. After receiving her master's degree in 1954, Orlando went to the Yale University School of Nursing in New Haven, Connecticut, for eight years. As an associate professor of mental health and psychiatric nursing at Yale, she was awarded a federal grant and became a research associate and the principal project investigator of a National Institute of Mental Health Institute of the United States Public Health Service's grant entitled "Integration of Mental Health Concepts in a Basic Curriculum". The project sought to identify those factors relevant to the integration of psychiatric-mental health principles into the nursing curriculum. The project consisted of an analysis of 2000 nurse-patient interactions. Her conceptual nursing model evolved from the analysis of this four-year NIMH project and appeared in her first book, The Dynamic Nurse-Patient Relationship: Function, Process and Principles, published in 1961. (Fitzpatrick and Whall, 1989) From 1972 to 1981, Orlando lectured, served as a consultant and conducted numerous workshops across the United States. In 1981, she accepted a position of nurse educator for Metropolitan State Hospital in Waltham, Massachusetts. In 1987, she became the assistant director for nursing education and research at Metropolitan State Hospital. (Morriner-Tomey, 1989) From 1962-72, Orlando served as a clinical nurse consultant at McClean Hospital in Elmont, Massachusetts and reported ten years of research at the hospital in her second book, The Discipline and Teaching of Nursing Process: An Evaluative Study. (George, 1990) As indicated previously, based on her psychiatric-mental health nursing education and practice, Orlando inductively proposed her conceptual nursing model in her first book The Dynamic Nurse-Patient Relationship: Function, Process and Principles, published in 1961. II. Analysis of Theory A. Theory Model-Deliberative Nursing Process This theory model is based upon immediate needs of the patients. Orlando assumes that nursing process initiates with the behavior of the patient. This patient behavior is further explained by her as an indication of the need of assistance from the patient and it may be verbal or non verbal. Such needs indication impacts nurse's response how she recognizes this need, employs her

The wife of Bath from Canterbury Tales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The wife of Bath from Canterbury Tales - Essay Example The Wife discusses how she has been frequently criticized in all these years. The Wife makes references to the history of religion in order to satisfy the concerns of people because she knows that nobody would object to the religious reference. She considers the fifth marriage justifiable for the reason that figures of the great Old Testament such as Solomon, Abraham and Jacob each had several wives simultaneously. She confesses that virginity has conventionally been defined as a very important and sacred thing, though she says that even by marrying, she is doing her bit to promote this ideology about virginity in her own way since virginity only has significance as long as there are procreators. The Wife of Bath believes that virginity is too sacred a thing to be endorsed by ordinary people like her. Her sexual power plays the role of an instrument with which The Wife of Bath controls her husbands. The Wife of Bath tells that three of her five husbands have proven â€Å"good† while the rest have been â€Å"bad† husbands. What primarily made the first three husbands good were their submissiveness, wealth and seniority. She giggles while recalling the agony she caused to them and a typical conversation with them. She used to accuse her good husbands of having multiple affairs and get favors from them when they drank. The Wife of Bath says to the pilgrims that she had been lying to her good husbands and that she blamed them to put them into grief. She went to the extent that she would not satisfy her husbands in the bed until they paid her for that. She is proud that she has been able to make full use of her oratory and sexual power to make her husbands submissive. The Prologue is different from The Wife of Bath’s Tale in that in the former, she justified her own fifth marriage while in the latter, she discusses the story of a knight who was supposed to bring the answer of what women want the most in the whole world to the

Law of Electronic Commerce and the Internet Essay - 1

Law of Electronic Commerce and the Internet - Essay Example The taxation, customs, trade practices, industrial law, bankruptcy, immigration, administration law, patents, copyright, environment law, sexual and racial discrimination, access to information will be dealt by Federal court of Australia. Federal court will hear the class actions that involve seven or more people who have claims against the one defendant. The family court will deal with family laws. It deals with divorce, division of property and maintenance, child related matters, determining parenting orders and plans. The court to appeal on the decision of family court is high court. The magistrates court of the federal legal system deals with providing the action for litigants and eases the work load of the federal and family court. Thus it works as a complex lessening part in the federal judicial system as the jurisdiction is concurrent with family and federal court. 1 The state legal system's first stage is the magistrate court. The state coroner's office, victims of crimes assistance tribunal, work related injuries and perin courts are part of this system. The majority of the criminal and civil matters that proceed to court will be dealt by magistrate court. The offences of less serious in nature will be dealt by this court system. It is having civil jurisdiction and is the immediate court that can be approached in any case. The next stage in the state legal system is the county court of Victoria. It has both criminal and civil jurisdiction in concurrent with Supreme Court. The person who is not in agreement with the magistrate's court can appeal to county court and the appeal court for this is supreme court of the state. The supreme court of any state will have trial and appeals division that deals with the differentiation of the disputes and appeals. The appeal court for this part of the court system in the state legal system is high court of the country. The high court is the top of the legal hierarchy in Australia. As a result it has both criminal and civil jurisdiction and is the ultimate court to appeal. It can resolve the interstate disputes and thus the federal system prevails over the state legal system. References 1. law institute Victoria, 2007, Australia legal system, Law Institute Victoria, ,electronic, 3-9-07, http://www.liv.asn.au/public/legalinfo/court/ 2. Law institute Victoria, 2007, Australia legal system, law institute Victoria, ,electronic, 3-9-07, http://www.liv.asn.au/public/legalinfo/court/court-The-2.html Question 2 Jurisdiction is the power of the court or the right of the administration that can apply their laws on a particular context or issue. In the absence of internet and e commerce, the Jurisdiction used to depend on the geographical context of the occurrence of the incident. The advent of internet is making the concept of jurisdiction more complex and the administrations are compelled to make new laws regarding jurisdiction in the issues involving internet. In relation to internet there are contexts that raised the question of the authority of the courts in various places. As the electronic communication involves the border crossing the internet is borderless. This needs a definition of jurisdiction of its own without relating to the previous understanding of jurisdiction. The law used to deal with the physical movement or presence that

Conflict Scenario Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict Scenario - Assignment Example On the other hand, Bryan clearly falls under a different type and finds it hard to accept Jane’s personality. On handling the conflict, Jane is assertive in her use of the competition mode. Although she is very experienced, she has little qualification, no technology know-how and feels threatened of being replaced and made redundant by more qualified, junior staffs like Brandon, to the extend of using her rank to justify her actions. It does not help that Brandon is well-liked by their boss. Likewise, Brandon is also assertive in his use of the competitive mode. To avoid conflict, both employees should cooperate using the collaboration mode as this offers a win-win situation for a long-term benefit. This mode offers effective cooperation from both sides by meeting the needs of each other and acknowledges everyone’s importance to the organization. As the supervisor, approaching both Jane and Brandon to discuss the situation is necessary. In addition, their roles should be set out properly to provide a clear distinction of each other’s task to avoid further conflict and misunderstanding. When tackling conflict, it is better to use emotional intelligence in resolving the

Law of Electronic Commerce and the Internet Essay - 1

Law of Electronic Commerce and the Internet - Essay Example The taxation, customs, trade practices, industrial law, bankruptcy, immigration, administration law, patents, copyright, environment law, sexual and racial discrimination, access to information will be dealt by Federal court of Australia. Federal court will hear the class actions that involve seven or more people who have claims against the one defendant. The family court will deal with family laws. It deals with divorce, division of property and maintenance, child related matters, determining parenting orders and plans. The court to appeal on the decision of family court is high court. The magistrates court of the federal legal system deals with providing the action for litigants and eases the work load of the federal and family court. Thus it works as a complex lessening part in the federal judicial system as the jurisdiction is concurrent with family and federal court. 1 The state legal system's first stage is the magistrate court. The state coroner's office, victims of crimes assistance tribunal, work related injuries and perin courts are part of this system. The majority of the criminal and civil matters that proceed to court will be dealt by magistrate court. The offences of less serious in nature will be dealt by this court system. It is having civil jurisdiction and is the immediate court that can be approached in any case. The next stage in the state legal system is the county court of Victoria. It has both criminal and civil jurisdiction in concurrent with Supreme Court. The person who is not in agreement with the magistrate's court can appeal to county court and the appeal court for this is supreme court of the state. The supreme court of any state will have trial and appeals division that deals with the differentiation of the disputes and appeals. The appeal court for this part of the court system in the state legal system is high court of the country. The high court is the top of the legal hierarchy in Australia. As a result it has both criminal and civil jurisdiction and is the ultimate court to appeal. It can resolve the interstate disputes and thus the federal system prevails over the state legal system. References 1. law institute Victoria, 2007, Australia legal system, Law Institute Victoria, ,electronic, 3-9-07, http://www.liv.asn.au/public/legalinfo/court/ 2. Law institute Victoria, 2007, Australia legal system, law institute Victoria, ,electronic, 3-9-07, http://www.liv.asn.au/public/legalinfo/court/court-The-2.html Question 2 Jurisdiction is the power of the court or the right of the administration that can apply their laws on a particular context or issue. In the absence of internet and e commerce, the Jurisdiction used to depend on the geographical context of the occurrence of the incident. The advent of internet is making the concept of jurisdiction more complex and the administrations are compelled to make new laws regarding jurisdiction in the issues involving internet. In relation to internet there are contexts that raised the question of the authority of the courts in various places. As the electronic communication involves the border crossing the internet is borderless. This needs a definition of jurisdiction of its own without relating to the previous understanding of jurisdiction. The law used to deal with the physical movement or presence that

Good Will Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Good Will - Assignment Example The total of fair values includes liabilities assumed and the recognized intangible assets. When the amount of goodwill is negative, that is when the purchase consideration is less than the total fair value of acquired assets, the excess is said to be profit (Deloitte 2014). 1. The firm calculates the fair value of a reporting unit. It compares the fair value with the carrying amount of the unit. When the carrying amount is more than the fair value, the firm proceeds to the second step (Brice 2014). Accountants who perform personal tax returns are the de facto first line in the implementation of the individual mandate. Insurance accountants will question clients if they possess health insurance. The accountants calculate fines for clients who lack the insurance as per the law. The new healthcare puts insurance accountants in political conversations that did not exist before. It requires them to remain privy regarding their clients compliance with the law (White 2014). Brice, Steven. "Procedural Differences in Impairment Testing." American Institute of CPA. N.p., 23 Mar. 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. . Tilly, Baker. "FASB issues simplified standards for goodwill impairment testing." insights. N.p., 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. . White, Dennis. "CPAs Examine Impact of Health Care Decision." AccountingWEB. N.p., 25 July 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

Strategic Management Essay Example for Free

Strategic Management Essay Unilever is one of the world’s oldest multinational companies. Its origin goes back to the 19th century when a group of companies operating independently, produced soaps and margarine. In 1930, the companies merged to form Unilever that diversified into food products in 1940s. Through the next five decades, it emerged as a major fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) multinational operating in several businesses. In 2004, the Unilever 2010 strategic plan was put into action with the mission to ‘bring vitality to life’ and ‘to meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good, and get more out of life’. The corporate strategy is of focusing on bore businesses of food, home care and personal care. Unilever operates in more than 100 countries, has a turnover of â‚ ¬ 39.6 billion and net profit of â‚ ¬ 3.685 billion in 2006 and derives 41 per cent of its income from the developing and emerging economies around the world. It has 179,000 employees and is a culturally-diverse organisation with its top management coming from 24 nations. Internationalisation is based on the principle of local roots with global scale aimed at becoming a ‘multi-local multinational’. The genesis of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) in India, goes back to 1888 when Unilever exported Sunlight soap to India. Three Indian, subsidiaries came into existence in the period 1931-1935 that merged to form Hindustan Lever in 1956. Mergers and acquisitions of Lipton (1972), Brooke Bond (1984), Ponds (1986), TOMCO (1993), Lakme (1998) and Modern Foods (2002) have resulted in an organisation that is a conglomerate of several businesses that have been continually restructured over the years. HUL is one of the largest FMCG company in India with total sales of Rs. 12,295 crore and net profit of 1855crore in 2006. There are over 15000 employees, including more than 1300 managers. The present corporate strategy of HUL is to focus on core businesses. These core businesses are in home and personal care and food. There are 20 different consumer categories in these two businesses. For instance, home and personal care is made up of personal wash, laundry, skin care, hair care, oral care, deodorants, colour cosmetics and ayurvedic personal and health care, while food businesses have tea, coffee, ice creams and processed food brands. Apart from the two product divisions, there are  separate departments for specialty exports and new ventures. Strategic management at HUL is the responsibility of the board of directors headed by a chairman. There are five independent and five whole-time directors. The operational management is looked after by a management committee comprising of Vice Chairman, CEO and managing director and executive directors of the two business divisions and functional areas. The divisions have a lot of autonomy with dedicated assets and resources. A divisional committee having the executive director and heads of functions of sales, commercial and manufacturing looks after the business level decision-making. The functional-level management is the responsibility of the functional head. For instance, a marketing manager has a team of brand managers looking after the individual brands. Besides the decentralised divisional structure, HUL has centralised some functions such as finance, human resource management, research, technology, information technology and corporate and legal affairs. Unilever globally and HUL nationally, operate in the highly competitive FMCG markets. The consumer markets for FMCG products are finicky: it’s difficult to create customers and much more difficult to retain them. Price is often the central concern in a consumer purchase decision requiring producers to be on continual guard against cost increases. Sales and distribution are critical functions organisationally. HUL operates in such a milieu. I t has strong competitors such as the multinationals Procter Gamble, Nivea or L’Oreal and formidable local companies such as, Amul, Nirma or the Tata FMCG companies to contend with. Rivals have copied HUL’s strategies and tactics, especially in the area of marketing and distribution. Its innovations such as new style packaging or distribution through women entrepreneurs are much valued but also copied relentlessly, hurting its competitive advantage. HUL is identified closely with India. There is a ring of truth to its vision statement: ‘to earn the love and respect of India by making a real difference to every Indian’. It has an impeccable record in corporate social responsibility. There is an element of nostalgia associated with brands like Lifebuoy (introduced in 1895) and Dalda (1937) for senior citizens in India. Consequently Indians have always perceived HUL as an Indian company rather than a multinational. HUL has attempted to align its strategies in the past to the special needs of Indian business environment. Be it marketing or  human resource management, HUL has experimented with new ideas suited to the local context. For instance, HUL is known for its capabilities in rural marketing, effective distribution systems and human resource development. But this focus on India seems to be changing. This might indicate a change in the strategic posture as well as recognition that Indian markets have matured to the extent that they can be dealt with by the global strategies of Unilever. At the corporate level, it could also be an attempt to leverage global scale while retaining local responsiveness to some extent. In line with the shift in corporate strategy, the focus of strategic decision-making seems to have moved from the subsidiary to the headquarters. Unilever has formulated a new global realignment under which it will develop brands and streamline product offerings across the world and the subsidiaries will sell the products. Other subtle indications of the shift of decision-making authority could be the appointment of a British CEO after nearly forty years during which there were Indian CEOs, the c hanged focus on a limited number of international brands rather than a large range of local brands developed over the years and the name-change from Hindustan Lever to Hindustan Unilever. The shift in the strategic decision-making power from the subsidiary to headquarters could however, prove to be double-edged sword. An example could be of HUL adopting Unilever’s global strategy of focussing on a limited number of products, called the 30 power brands in 2002. That seemed a perfectly sensible strategic decision aimed at focusing managerial attention to a limited set of high-potential products. But one consequence of that was the HUL’s strong position in the niche soap and detergent markets suffering owing to neglect and the competitors were quick to take advantage of the opportunity. Then there are the statistics to deal with: HUL has nearly 80 per cent of sales and 85 per cent of net profits from the home and personal care businesses. Globally, Unilever derives half its revenues from food business. HUL does not have a strong position in the food business in India though the food processing industry remains quite attractive both in terms of local consumption as well as export markets. HUL’s own strategy of offering low-price, competitive products may also suffer at the cost of Unilever’s emphasis on premium priced, high end products sold through modern outlets. There are some dark clouds on the horizon. HUL’s latest financials are not satisfactory. Net profit is down,  sales are sluggish, input costs have been rising and new food products introduced in the market have yet to pick up. All this while, in one market segment after another, a competitor pushes ahead. In a company of such a big size and over-powering presence, these might still be minor events developments in a long history that needs to be taken in stride. But, pessimistically, they could also be pointers to what may come. Questions: 1. State the strategy of Hindustan Unilever in your own words. 2. At what different levels is strategy formulated in HUL? 3. Comment on the strategic decision-making at HUL. 4. Give your opinion on whether the shift in strategic decision-making from India to Unilever’s headquarters could prove to be advantageous to HUL or not. CASE: 2 THE STRATEGIC ASPIRATIONS OF THE RESERVE BANK OF INDIA The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s central bank or ‘the bank of the bankers’. It was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1935. The Central Office of the RBI, initially set up at Kolkata, is at Mumbai. The RBI is fully owned by the Government of India. The history of RBI is closely aligned with the economic and financial history of India. Most central banks around the world were established around the beginning of the twentieth century. The Bank was established on the basis of the Hilton Young Commission. It began its operations by taking over from the Government the functions so far being performed by the Controller of Currency and from the Imperial Bank of India, the management of Government accounts and public debt. After independence, RBI gradually strengthened its institution-building capabilities and evolved in terms of functions from central banking to that of development. There have been s everal attempts at reorganisation, restructuring and creation of specialised institutions to cater to emerging needs. The Preamble of the RBI describes its basic functions like this: ‘†¦.to regulate the issue of Bank Notes and keeping of reserves with a view to securing monetary  stability in India and generally to operate the currency and credit system of the country to its advantage.’ The vision states that the RBI ‘†¦.aims to be a leading central bank with credible, transparent, proactive and contemporaneous policies and seeks to be a catalyst for the emergence of a globally competitive financial system that helps deliver a high quality of life to the people in the country.’ The mission states that ‘RBI seeks to develop a sound and efficient financial system with monetary stability conductive to balanced and sustained growth of the Indian economy’. The corporate values of underlining the mission statement include public interest, integrity, excellence, independence of views and responsiveness and dynamism. The three areas in which objectives of the RBI can be stated are as below. 1. Monetary policy objectives such as containing inflation and promoting economic growth, management of foreign exchange reserves and making currency available. 2. Objectives set for managing financial sector developments such as supervision of systems and information access and assisting banking and financial institutions to become competitive globally. 3. Organisational development objectives such as development of economic research facilities, creating information system for supporting economic decision-making, financial management and human resource management. Strategic actions taken to realise the objectives fall under four categories: 1. The thrust area of monetary policy formulation and managing financial sector; 2. Evolving the legal framework to support the thrust area; 3. Customer service for providing support and creation of positive relationship; and 4. Organisational support such as structure, systems, human resource development and adoption of modern technology. The major functions performed by the RBI are: †¢ Acting as the monetary authority †¢ Acting as the regulator and supervisor of the financial system †¢ Discharging responsibilities as the manager of foreign exchange †¢ Issue currency †¢ Play as developmental role †¢ Related functions such as acting as the banker to the government and scheduled banks The management of the RBI is the responsibility of the central board of directors headed by the governor and consisting of  deputy governors and other directors, all of whom are appointed by the government. There are four local boards based at Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. The day-to-day management of RBI is in the hands of the executive directors, managers at various levels and the support staff. There are about 22000 employees at RBI, working in 25 departments and training colleges. The RBI identified its strengths and weaknesses as under. †¢ Strengths A large body of competent officers and staff; access to key data on the economy; wide organisational network with 22 regional offices; established infrastructure; ability to attract talent; and financial self sufficiency. †¢ Weaknesses Structural rigidity, lack of accountability and slow decision-making; eroded specialist know-how; strong employee unions with rigid industrial relations stance; surplus staff; and weak market intelligence. Over the years, the RBI has evolved in terms of structure and functions, in response to the role assigned to it. There have been sweeping changes in the economic, social and political environment. The RBI has had to respond to it even in the absence of a systematic strategic plan. In 1992, the RBI, with the assistance of a private consultancy firm, embarked on a massive strategic planning exercise. The objective was to establish a roadmap to redefine RBI’s role and to review internal organisational and managerial efficacy, address the changing expectations from external stakeholders and reposition the bank in the global context. The strategic planning exercise was buttressed by departmental position papers and documents on various subjects such as technology, human resources and environmental trends. The strategic plan of the RBI emerged with four sections dealing with the statement of mission, objectives and policy, a review of RBI’s strengths and weaknesses and strategic actions required with an implementation plan. The strategic plan reiterates anticipation of evolving external environment in the medium-term; revisiting strengths and weaknesses (evaluation of capabilities); and doing away with the outdated mandates for enhancing efficiency in operations in furtherance of best public interests. The results of these efforts are likely to manifest in attaining a visible focus, reinforced proficiency, realisation of shared sense of purpose, optimising resource use and build-up of momentum to achieve goals. Historically, the RBI adopted the time-tested technique of responding to external environment in a pragmatic  manner and making piecemeal changes. The dilemma in adoption of a comprehensive strategic plan was the risk of trading off the flexibility of the pragmatic approach to creating rigidity imposed by a set model of planning. Questions: 1. Consider the vision and mission statements of the Reserve Bank of India. Comment on the quality of both these statements. 2. Should the RBI go for a systematic and comprehensive strategic plan in place of its earlier pragmatic approach of responding to environmental events as and when they occur? Why? CASE: 3 THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF KALYANI GROUP The Kalyani Group is a large family-business group of India, employing more than 10000 employees. It has diverse businesses in engineering, steel, forgings, auto components, non-conventional energy and specialty chemicals. The annual turnover of the Group is over US$2.1 billion. The Group is known for its impressive internationalisation achievements. It has nine manufacturing locations spread over six countries. Over the years, it has established joint ventures with many global companies such as ArvinMeritor, USA, Carpenter Technology Corporation, USA, Hayes Lemmerz, USA and FAW Corporation, China. The flagship company of the Group is Bharat Forge Limited that is claimed to be the second largest forging company in the world and the largest nationally, with about 80 per cent share in axle and engine components. The other major companies of the Group are Kalyani Steels, Kalyani Carpenter Special Steels, Kalyani Lemmerz, Automotive Axles, Kalyani Thermal Systems, BF Utilities, Hikal Lim ited, Epicenter and Synise Technologies The emphasis on internationalisation is reflected in the vision statement of the Group where two of the five points relate to the Group trying to be a world-class organisation and achieving growth aggressively by accessing global markets. The Group is led by Mr. B.N. Kalyani, who is considered to be the major force behind the Group’s aggressive internationalisation drive. Mr. Kalyani joined the Group in 1972  when it was a small-scale diesel engine component business. The corporate strategy of the Group is a combination of concentration of its core competence in its business with efforts at building, nurturing and sustaining mutually beneficial partnerships with alliance partners and customers. The value of these partnerships essentially lies in collaborative product development with the partners who are the original equipment manufacturers. The foreign partners are not intended to provide expansion in capacity, but to enable the Kalyani Group to extend its global marketing reach. In achieving its successful status, the Kalyani Group has followed the path of integration, extending from the upstream steel making to downstream machining for auto components such as crank-shafts, front axle beams, steering knuckles, cam-shafts, connecting rods and rocker arms. In all these products, the Group has tried to move up the value chain instead of providing just the raw forgings. In the 1990s, it undertook a restructuring exercise to trim its unrelated businesses such as television and video products and concentrate on its core business of auto components. Four factors are supposed to have influenced the growth of the Group over the years. These are mentioned below: †¢ Focussing on core businesses to maximise growth potential †¢ Attaining aggressive cost savings †¢ Expanding geographically to build global capacity and establishing leading positions †¢ Achieving external growth through acquisitions The Group companies are claimed to be positioned at either number one or two in their respective businesses. For instance, the Group claims to be number one in forging and machined components, axle aggregates, wheels and alloy steel. The technology used by the Group in its mainline business of auto components and other businesses, is claimed to be state-of-the-art. The Group invests in forging technology to enhance efficiency, production quality and design capabilities. The Group’s emphasis on technology can be gauged from the fact that in the 1990s, it took the risky decision of investing Rs. 100 crore in the then latest forging technology, when the total Group turnover was barely Rs. 230 crore. Information technology is applied for product development, reducing production and product development time, supply-chain management and marketing of products. The Group lays high emphasis on research and development for providing engineering support,  advanced metallurgical analysis and latest testing equipment in tandem with its high-class manufacturing facilities. Being a top-driven group, the pattern of strategic decision-making within seems to be entrepreneurial. There was an attempt to formulate a five-year strategic plan in 1997, with the participation of the company executives. But no much is mentioned in the business press about that collaborative strategic decision-making after that. Recent strategic moves include Kalyani Steels, a Group company, entering into a joint venture agreement in may 2007, with Gerdau S.A. Brazil for installation of rolling mills. An attempt to move out of the mainstream forging business was made when the Group strengthened its position in the prospective business of wind energy through 100 per cent acquisition of RSBconsult GmbH (RSB) of Germany. Prior to the acquisition, the Group was just a wind farm operator and supplier of components. Questions: 1. What is the motive for internationalisation by the Kalyani Group? Discuss. 2. Which type of international strategy is Kalyani Group adopting? Explain. CASE 4: THE STORY OF SYNERGOS UNFOLDS Synergos is a young management and strategy consulting firm based at Mumbai. It was established in 1992 at a time when there were a lot of expectations among the industry people from the liberalisation policies that were started the previous year by the Government of India. The consulting firm is an entrepreneurial venture started by Urmish Patel, a dynamic person who worked with a multinational consulting firm at the time. He left his comfortable position there to venture into the management consultancy industry. The motivation was to be ‘the master of his own destiny’ rather than being an employee working for others. Urmish comes from an upper middle-class Gujarati family, settled in a small town in Rajasthan. His father was a government servant who retired with a meagre pension. His mother is a housewife. His other siblings are all educated and well-settled in their  respective careers and professions. Urmish is a creative individual, uncomfortable with the status-quo. During his student days at a college at Jaipur, he was continually coming up with bright ideas that some of his friends found to be preposterous. To him, however, these were perfectly achievable ideas. He studied biotechnology and then went to the US on a scholarship to do his Masters. After a semester at a well-known university there, he lost interest and switched to pursue an MBA. He liked it and soon settled down to work with an American consultancy firm and toured several countries on varied assignments during the seven years he worked there. In 1992 came the urge to Urmish to chuck his job and be on his own. It was risky, yet an exciting step to take. His accumulated capital was limited—just enough to rent office space, buy a few computers and hire an assistant. There were no consultancy assignments for the first three months. But an acquaintance soon came to his aid, introducing him to the CFO of a major family business group who needed advice on a performance improvement project they wanted to launch. The opportunity came in handy though the returns were nothing to write home about. That project was the first step to many more that came gradually. Synergos started gaining presence in the competitive management consultancy industry and attracting attention from the people whom they worked for. Word-of-mouth publicity led them from one project to another for the first three years till 1995. Synergos took up whatever came its way, delivering a cost-effective solution to its clients. A team of four had formed by now, each member of the team specialising in services rendered to the clients. For instance, one of the members is a specialist in engineering projects, while another has expertise finance. The third one is a service sector specialist, also having experience in dealing with government matters. The phase of rapid growth started some time in 1995 when the Synergos team decided to focus on the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These were firms that realised they had problems needing specialist advice, but were apprehensive to approach the big firms on account of their limited outlay and inexperience of dealing with such firms. Synergos came to their aid by tailoring their services as near as possible to their needs. Another differentiation platform Synergos offered to its client was a fully-integrated consultancy service where it got involved right from the stage of planning down to its implementation and monitoring.   Presently, Synergos has grown to be a medium-sized consultancy firm, serving clients in India and abroad, working for industries ranging from auto components to financial services and for manufacturing organisations to service providers. Some-how, nearly half of the assignments it has worked on have been for mid-sized, upcoming, family-owned businesses, a niche it has served well. These organisations typically need a boutique sort of consultancy that can offer customised services dealing with a broad range of practices related to strategy, organisation design, mergers and acquisitions and operational matter such as logistics and supply-chain management. Synergos fits in with their requirements owing to its personalised service and reasonable commission structure. The organisational structure at Synergos has a board at the top, consisting of seven people, including the four founding members and three independent directors. One of the independent directors is the chairman of the board. Urmish, as the founder CEO, also heads an executive management committee with each of the founding members, leading three other top-level committees dealing with business portfolio, service management and executive recruitment. The management team is called the professional group. The rest of the employees are referred to as the staff. The professional group has young women and men who are graduates from some of the best institutions in India and abroad. They are assigned to taskforces based on their qualifications, experience and interests. The departmentation at Synergos is flexible, based on an interplay of the three categories: skill, service and specialty. For instance, a professional may have IT skills, may have worked to provide supply-chain management ser vices and developed expertise in handling operational assignments for medium-sized food and beverage firms. There is a lot of multi-tasking however, to utilise the wide range of skills and special expertise that the professionals have. For administrative matters, the professionals are assigned to client-service departments of industry solutions, enterprise solutions and technology solutions. The flexibility that such an organisational arrangement affords seems to have been the major reason for the evolution of the organisation structure at Synergos over the years. The staff group of employees consists of the support people who provide a variety of services to the professionals. Among  these are research assistants, industry analysts, documentation experts and secretarial staff. There is no set pattern for assignment of staff to the administrative departments and generally, a need-based approach is followed, depending on the workload at a particular time. Recruitment for professionals is stringent. Synergos typically looks for a good combination of education and experience and lays much emphasis on the compatibility of the prospective employee with the shared values. Creativity, broad range of professional interes ts, intellectual acumen, team-working and physical fitness to undertake demanding tasks and work for long hours are the criteria for hiring. There are not many training opportunities except the on-the-job learning. New professionals are assigned to a mentor for some time till they are ready to handle assignments autonomously. The staff members are usually recruited from fresh graduates, with good degrees from reputed institutions, in arts, sciences and commerce. The staff positions are also open for persons wanting to work on part-time or project-bases. Emphasis is given to the ability of the prospective staff to undertake multi-tasking and work with documentation and word processing and presentation software packages. The compensation system consists of a base salary with commission and bonus depending on performance. There are other usual elements such as medical reimbursement, loan facility and gratuity and retirement benefits. the performance appraisal is informal, with at least one of the four founding members being part of the evaluation committee for a professional. Usually, the founding member closest to the work area of the employee is involved in determining the rewards to be given. The time-cycle for appraisal is one year. Management control is discreet and performance-based rather than behaviour-based. The means for control are informal, such as direct supervision. Urmish is a strong proponent of the emergent strategy and is not in favour of tying Synergos to a fixed strategic posture. So are the other founder members, though at times they do talk about deciding on a niche such as SME organisations as clients and enterprise solutions as the core competence. In the highly fragmented consultancy industry where it is possible for even one person to set up an office in a commercial area and leverage connections to secure projects, Synergos is open to opportunities as they emerge, while trying to maintain the flexibility that has made it successful till now. Questions: 1. Identify the type of organisation structure being used at Synergos and explain how it works. What are the benefits of using this type of structure? What are the pitfalls? 2. Express your opinion about whether the structure is in line with the recruitments of the strategy that Synergos is implementing. 3. Based on the information related to the information, control and reward systems available in the case, examine whether these systems are appropriate for the type of strategy being implemented. CASE: 5 EXERCISING STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL CONTROLS AT iGATE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS The Bangalore-based iGATE Global Solutions is the flagship company of iGATE Corporation, a NASDAQ-listed US-based corporation. Known earlier as Mascot Systems, it was set up in India in 1993, to offer staffing services. It acquired business process outsourcing (BPO) and contact centre businesses in 2003, making it an end-to-end IT and ITES service provider. Its service portfolio includes consulting, IT services, data analytics, enterprise systems, BPO/BSP, contact centre and infrastructure management services. iGATE has over 100 active clients and centres based in Canada, China, Malaysia, India, the UK and the US. Chairman, Ashok Trivedi and CEO Phaneesh Murthy, an ex-Infosys IT professional and their partners hold a major stake, with some participation by institutional and public investors. The revenues for 2006-2007 are over Rs. 805 crore and net profits, Rs. 49.6 crore. The corporate strategies of iGATE are offering integrated IT services and divesting the legacy IT staffing busin ess and possibly making acquisitions in the domain expertise for financial services businesses. The business strategy is focused differentiation based on the focal points of testing, infrastructure management and enterprise solutions. The competitive tactic is avoiding head-on competition with the formidable larger players in the  industry by carving out a niche. The business definition is serving large customers and staying away from sub-contracting work. iGATE adopts a differentiation business model based on an integrated technology and operations model which it calls as the iTOPS model. This is an advancement over the prevalent model in the ITES industry based on low-cost arbitrage model. iTOPS is based on transaction-based pricing for services and supporting the clients by providing the platform, processes and services. The strategic evaluation and control has both the elements of strategic as well as operational controls. The functional and operational implementation is aimed at achieving four sets of objectives: a) Shifting from small customers to large customer (Fortune 1000 companies) b) Shifting away from stocking to project-consulting assignments c) Working directly with clients rather than with system integrators d) Moving from a local to international markets Some illustrations of the performance indicators that reflect these objectives are: 1. On-shore versus off-shore mix of business revenues: In 2004, this ratio was 55:45 and in 2007, it has improved to 27:73, indicating a much higher revenue generation from off-shore business. 2. Billing rates: Revenue charged from clients on assignments. With project consulting assignments from off-shore clients, where the revenues are typically higher, with lower costs and higher productivity in India, the realisations from billing have to be higher. The industry norms for ITES are US$18-25 per hour for off-shore and US$ 55-65 per hour for on-shore assignments. 3. The number of large clients from Fortune 1000 companies: Presently, iGATE has nearly half of its more than 100 clients from Fortune 1000 companies, of which the top 10 account for 70 per cent of its business. 4. Controlling employee costs: This is an area where concerted effort is required from the HR and finance functions. Hiring less experienced employees lowers the compensation bill. In the IT and ITES industry, attracting and retaining well-qualified and experienced employees is a critical success factor. The performance indicator for this objective is the cost per employee. 5. Human resource metrics such as the hiring and attrition rates: In the IT and ITES industry, the human resource metrics such as hiring and attrition rates are critical indicators.  Increasing the number of employees and lowering the attrition rate by retaining the employees is a big challenge. There are presently about 5800 employees, likely to go up to 8500 in the next two years. The attrition of 20 per cent presently at iGATE is on the higher side. But such attrition is common in the industry where the employee mobility is high and employee pinching a widespread trend. The human resource management function being critical in an industry where so many challenges exist, needs a strong emphasis on training and development, motivation, autonomy and attractive incentives. iGATE has an integrated people management model focusing on developing technical, behavioural and leadership competencies. The three metrics by which the HR function is assessed are: human capital index, work culture and employee affective commitment. The reward system at iGATE consists of meritorious employees across all levels being granted restricted stock options, thus providing an incentive to remain with the company till they become due. The company, though, is an average paymaster, which disadvantage it tries to trade-off offering a more challenging work environment, quicker promotions and chances for practising innovation. Critics say that that iGATE lacks the big-brand appeal of the larger players such as Infosys and Wipro, cannot compete on scale and is still under the shadow of its original business of body-shopping IT personnel. Questions: 1. Analyse the iGATE case to highlight how it could apply some of the strategic controls such as premise control, implementation control, strategic surveillance and special alert control. 2. Analyse and describe the process of setting of standards at iGATE. 3. Give your opinion on the effectiveness of the role of reward system in exercising HR performance management at iGATE and suggest what improvements are possible, given the environmental conditions in the IT/ITES industry in India at present.

Portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood

Portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood Zeinab Kobeissi Over the years, pre and post 9/11, many people have noticed that Hollywood tends to dehumanize Arabs and Muslims. In most western movies, Arab and Muslim characters are subjected to racial and ethnic stereotyping and have continued to be the center of vilification for the entertainment industry in the states. The mass media has depicted Arab and Muslim stereotypes in a number of ways within the American culture and the west in general. Through the society’s media, literature, theatre, and many other creative outlets, stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims is manifested continuously. Such representations have been negative for the most part, whether they were based on historical facts or on works of fiction. They have also had very negative repercussions on Arabs and Muslims who live in the west especially as a reaction to current events and when it came to daily interactions. Generally, Arabs and Muslims exist as one-dimensional characters in Hollywood cinematic works and appear almost sub-human. They are typically always a danger or a threat, ignorant, violent, and most importantly obsessed with kidnapping or killing as many Westerners as possible as they supposedly view them as the enemy. Edward Said notably coined the term â€Å"Orientalism† to express the cultural habit of converting those from eastern cultures into the â€Å"Other†. The notion of Orientalism presents exotic characters that are created from a Western political and social biased perspective in order to provoke a powerful reaction against the eastern culture while at the same time confirming western values. Basically, the hero westerner defeats the nameless evil villain from the east and the western audience in turn feels good about itself. In Reel Bad Arabs, Shaheen states that televisions image of the Arab is omnipresent [and] is becoming a part of American folklore. He also says that Arabs have consistently appeared in American popular culture as billionaires, bombers, and belly dancers† which are known as the 3 B’s for the role of a typical Arab character in a Hollywood movie. What most seem to be forgetting though is the fact that â€Å"Muslim† is no more synonymous with â€Å"Arab† than â€Å"Christian† is with â€Å"American†. In Hollywood movies, Arabs are equivalent to Muslims, though Arabs actually comprise only 12 percent of the Islamic world population. Islam followers or supporters live on every continent and the Muslim majority is not present in the Middle East, rather in the Asia-Pacific region in countries like India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In fact, the latter has the largest population of Muslims and is a constitutional republic. It is not very surprising, however, that Hollywood makes Arabs and Muslims synonymous, appearing in such a manner as one. Hollywood is simply reinforcing the concept of Orientalism when it comes to Muslims. Edward Said explains how the image of Muslims in the eyes of orientalists was not any different from anti-Semitic views by saying that, â€Å"Not accidently, I indicate that Orientalism and modern anti-Semitism have common roots†¦ The transference of a popular anti-Semitic animus from a Jewish to an Arab target was made smoothly, since the figure was essentially the same.† Basically, what Hollywood now does is use a newer and more effective technique to warp the image of Islam; how Muslims are described in Hollywood is similar to how the Jews were portrayed in Nazi-inspired movies. It is crucial however, to mention that there have actually been some movies after 9/11 that portray Muslims quite fairly; such as The 13th Warrior. Unfortunately though, the negative image is usually more influential than the positive one as it feeds people’s fears. According to a survey done by the Pew Forum in 2009, 35 percent of Americans believe that Islam promotes violence more than the rest of the other religions. Moreover, according to a poll done by Time Magazine, 62 percent of Americans do not personally know a Muslim American. This means that most Americans form their concept of Islam from what the mass media offers them, and this is extremely problematic. Hollywood must give out an image that gives attention to what unites the people of this world, focusing on the positives and the universal humanistic qualities that bring people together instead of dividing them. The 13th Warrior is one of the very few Hollywood movies that portray Arabs and Muslims realistically. The Arabs in this movie are portrayed in a way that they appear to be multi-dimensional just as any westerner would be in a Hollywood production. The Arab here is not only depicted as a regular human being but even more so as an actual hero. Even Jack Shaheen deems it as one of the best depictions of Arabs in film; it has a balanced and progressive image of Arabs. The main character, Ahmad ibn-Fadlan Ibn-Fadlan is an Arab, who is at the same time the narrator describing his exploits with the Vikings. He tells his experience with them looking back as an outsider. The life of these Vikings is seen from the perspective of a character who appears to be a learned member of a civilized society, serving as an observer and the viewers’ window to a foreign culture from foreign eyes. Through him, we see and react to traditions that neither we nor him are familiar with, and this makes t he viewer discover more about him as well as those he is talking about. The way he adapts to their cultural ways and even adopts some of their social patterns as well adds more layers to his character, and this encourages respect and tolerance for other religions and races. Neither the Arabs nor the Vikings seem to be radical or fanatic and no faith is criticized or put down. In The 13th Warrior, from the point of view of the Arab â€Å"other†, we see characters from two distinct cultures and backgrounds learning from each other and growing from the experience. The main character and protagonist in this Hollywood movie is actually a likable Arab who realistically tells the tale of his encounter with a strange culture and convincingly demonstrates his attempts to connect with this odd and bizarre world that he has stepped into. In turn, the Vikings treat him kindly and put aside his differences instead of distrusting him for them. They even come to a point where they refer to him as â€Å"little brother†. The Arab is portrayed as rational and intelligent vs. impulsive and primitive. Ibn-Fadlan quietly learned the Vikings’ tongue by immersing himself into their conversations during their nights next to the bonfire and carefully dissecting their language. He learns to understand it and speak it by merely listening to them talk and repeating the sounds in his mind, a task that would probably be impossible in real life. This helps his character appear as an educated man who is clever enough to accomplish incredible tasks quite quickly, which earned the respect of the Vikings. Another act of intelligence by Ibn-Fadlan is when he deciphers what the oracle had told him and his fellow warriors when they went to see her. The men wanted to ask about the whereabouts of some men who had attacked them earlier, but the woman was quite mad and could not speak very coherently. When no one was able to understand what she was hinting at, Ibn-Fadlan was able to put the clues together and finally tell the warriors where the men who had once attacked them lived. Not to mention that the Arab was the only one who was able to provide a token from the enemy for the oracle to derive energy from. â€Å"Drawing sounds†, which referred to the writing of letters and words, was something the Vikings knew only the Arab was capable of doing amongst them. A fellow warrior found Ibn-Fadlan drawing these sounds into the sand with a stick and wondrously questioned him about it. Ibn-Fadlan explained to him how he could also speak them back – read them – and showed him how it could be done. Even though the Viking still did not quite grasp this notion, he recognized Ibn-Fadlan’s spectacular ability to comprehend such a novel and complex idea and eventually learned from him, as Ibn-Fadlan did from the Vikings. Even though Ibn-Fadlan is Arab and Muslim, there is no direct assumption that just because he is Arab he is also a Muslim. The emphasis of his identity remains on the fact that he is an Arab and that is where the focus lies. We discover he is Muslim when he tries to explain to the Viking that there is only one God, and that Mohammed is his prophet, which is an actual prayer in Islam. Also, we see him praying on the prayer mat only once in the entire movie, which helps in showing that Muslims are not necessarily praying and saying â€Å"Allahu Akbar† all the time as they do in most other Hollywood productions. We are used to seeing the intolerant and angry Arab who cannot accept other cultures and religions other than his own. In this film the Arab surprisingly shows tolerance to the others’ religion and cultural practices unlike a stereotypical Arab, as depicted by Hollywood, who is always at war with the West and their ways. When Ibn-Fadlan gets injured in battle, a Viking woman attempts to heal his wounds by applying cow urine. When he learns what she is putting on his cuts he reacts quite disgustingly and asks her for clean water instead. After explaining how this is better for the wound to heal properly, he complies and puts his recovery in her unusual methods. You would never imagine an Arab falling in love with a Western woman and actually having a respectful and polite interaction as Hollywood almost always portrays the Arab man to be abusive and oppressive to women. Ibn-Fadlan falls in love with a Viking woman and they share a mutual admiration to one another; neither looks at the other as an â€Å"other† but rather as true equals. Unlike the usual Arab depiction of them mistreating women, here the Arab treats the Western woman with utter appreciation and affection. He even makes love to her outside of wedlock, that night after the big battle where they find themselves unable to resist their attraction to one another, which is also not allowed in Islam. Ibn-Fadlan finds himself trying out new things and not resisting exposing himself to alien traditions. The Arab is usually never adaptive or social in Hollywood films, but more closed off and unwilling to interact with the outside world. Ibn-Fadlan breaks this stereotype and engages in a give and take relationship with the Vikings where he accepts that he can learn a few things from their culture just as they could from him. One of these examples is when he attempts, for the first time, to taste an alcoholic beverage which a Muslim cannot have. Religiously at the time, the fermentation of grapes and of wheat were forbidden in Islam, so when the Viking offers Ibn-Fadlan a drink after battle, he politely rejects. However, when the Viking explains to him that this was actually made of honey, Ibn-Fadlan dares to take a sip from the Viking’s horn. At the beginning, Ibn-Fadlan is given a sword by the Vikings as this is what he would be using in battle. Arabs back then were used to fighting with lighter and much thinner swords, which meant there was no way the Arab was able to strategically fight and win with a sword that weighs almost twice or three times the one he usually uses. He adapts to certain fighting styles by observing the Vikings fight and learns to use new armory, such as the wooden shield used for protection which he is also not accustomed to. At the same time though, while learning that he would be a much better fighter and far more useful as a warrior, he decides to stick to the same old kind of sword he is used to and goes to the blacksmith asking for one according to his own specifications. Through this, the Vikings see the advantage of a lighter and therefore faster sword and are impressed with his wit. He successfully shows the Vikings that although his sword is lighter, although his horse is smaller (which h e was ridiculed for), he can be far more effective. Despite the fact both Arabs and Vikings are portrayed fairly and as both having equal negatives as well as positives, the Vikings are portrayed as somewhat more barbaric than the Arabs. Ironically, the way Arabs are portrayed as primitive in Hollywood movies is how the Vikings are portrayed in this movie, to some degree. They appear to be aggressive and impulsive, lacking hygiene, and not all that clever, while the Arab is the epitome of self-control, decency, and wit. Generally, neither is depicted as evil or bad; they are both righteous and pious warriors as shown by this film, but the underlying qualities of culture and traditions that are present for each are shown in different lights. The Vikings, in the beginning, are made out to look like complete fools and dirty slobs who possess limited intellectual skills. They share a bowel of water to remove snot from their noses and rinse their mouth with which they pass around for everyone to use. They also cast a few of bones to predic t future events that might take place. However the Arab appears to be very clean and even shows disgust to their unhygienic ways (it is not shocking how he was unable to adapt to this specific cleansing method). The usual poor misrepresentation of Arabs and Muslims that dominates Hollywood movies is what seems to be pushing movies such as The 13th Warrior into the background. The twisted depiction of Arabs and Muslims is a representative image of how they truly are; it is a myth and does not fully reflect reality. A certain connotation is masquerading as a denotation and it became so literal that people started believing it as fact. There exists this dominant meaning or understanding of Islam or Arab-ness, which is not fixed or inherent, rather created based on a complex of social interaction among the two parties or sides. The interplay between the different cultures created this iconic image and a certain decision was made when it was chosen to be represented in this manner; it was agreed upon in a particular context to portray this value and this culturally imposed meaning. One thing is for sure: Hollywood’s determination on reacting to the same political and social spurs for years and even decades now is pretty consistent. No group of peoples provide more ground for Hollywood’s degenerating stereotyping than Arabs and Muslims, and it seems that this is probably not going to change any time soon. As the world’s leading cinematic industry, the Arab stereotype has a greater negative impact on audiences today than it did decades ago. Nowadays, Hollywood’s films are created, developed, and disseminated world-wide, reaching viewers globally. The international success of a movie has become the decider of its popularity; it is not just domestic and local approval that deems a movie a hit anymore. Also, Arab images not only affect international audiences, but international movie makers as well in this case. Arabs and Muslims have given the world quite a lot throughout the years, from architecture to mathematics, but how much of it has found its way onto the movie screens? They have grown tired of seeing rudimentary and inaccurate depictions of themselves that are causing them to be extremely misrepresented to others on this planet. In fact, what does Hollywood think the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world are thinking when they see movies that they are depicted so unjustly in? Hollywood realizes that it has a key role to play in shaping public opinion (domestically and internationally) but only time will tell whether it ever decides to deliver a realistic and just viewpoint on the Muslim world, the Arab world, and their peoples. The most effective films are the ones that remind us that the essence of our collective human experience shows us at our best, free of nationality, ethnicity, politics or religion. But before a movie can ever deliver that, it must be completely and utterly with out stereotype to say the least, Muslim, Arab or otherwise.