Eva smiths diary Essay Example for Free

Eva smiths diary Essay I have just come back off my summer holiday. Me and the girls have decided to go on strike because of the wages. We only want 25shillings a week instead of 23 shillings. After I have paid for the rent for my room and food I have no money for anything else. I know Birling could afford it, it is hardly anything to say how much hes got.  Birling! I hate that name. I never want to hear that stupid name again. Im glad I never have to take a step in that stupid factory AGAIN. All we asked for 3 shillings more but no that greedy, plump, bald, fat man doesnt agree so he gave all three of us the sack. What a great position thats left me in no income, no job I will probably be out on the streets in a couple of weeks. I dont know what to do I need to look for a job now. I was lucky enough to get that job. Why did I have to open my big mouth. I bet some girls will do anything for that job, but I have to take it for advantage of it and get myself sacked. Its not like working in a factory was that bad ok the hours were long, the work was hard and there was difficult working conditions but at least I had a job. Im sorry I havent written for a while but nothings being happening. Ive had to live on basically nothing. Something so great has happened today. I went round some shops looking for a shop job and this womens clothes shop Milwards offered me a job! The pay is quite good the hours are reasonable. The boss couldnt find anybody else because of the flu. I am so pleased me and the girls are going out tonight to celebrate I hope I dont have a thickhead for my first day. Im so worried because this tom of a woman came in today and started complaining. She said I was trying to rise in to higher class all because I looked in the mirror with a dress held up against me. The boss took her side as well only because she threatened to withdraw her mothers account. That woman is nothing but a self centred, higher class, tom. Please hope and pray that I dont get sacked from Milwards its been the only reason Im still living my life. Today I got into Milwards like usually and the boss sacked me there and then. I bet it was that tom that came in earlier this week. I bet she used her selfish power to get me sacked. Now I am in this position again no job no income. I only had that job for a couple of months and I was doing a grand job at it too the black mailed boss even said so.  Ive just been reading this diary and have decided my life is not worth living as Eva Smith. All I have had is bad luck, when I thought I have had some good luck its ruined by bad luck. Ive admitted it my life is not worth living! Im going to change my life for the good. A new beginning new name Im going to call myself Daisy, thats a pretty name and might bring me good luck. I met this man called Gerald. He is so kind, so Georges hes the kind I would like to marry. This is the good part he asked me if I wanted to meet up in 2 days and of course I said yes so Im going to get myself all doled up in a couple of days to meet him. Im so excited. Theres something a bit fishy about him though!  I meet up with Gerald he has the softest touch, Hes not like the average man he is gentle and not forceful. We are now a couple now, he said we will be secret lovers. I dont know what he means by this I still think theres something strange about him but I cant explain it. He doesnt show me around to all his mates like the others he keeps me reserved. Who cares, we are together now and thats all that matters. Im going to see him on Thursday hope it goes well!

Analysis Of The Indian Hotel Company Limited

Analysis Of The Indian Hotel Company Limited The Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL) is an Indian based Hospitality Company which provides accommodation services in four different market segments globally. The company has its headquarters in Mumbai, India. It is listed in Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Company strategies The growth strategy of the company is to operate 20,000 rooms from the current 14,000, in 25 major destinations around the world. They target on a group turnover of US$ 2 billion, from which 33% would be from international operations by 2012. Company operations The company portfolio comprises of 4 brands; The Taj hotels which concentrates on luxury market, The Vivanta which is upper upscale, The Gateway hotels which is upscale and Ginger their budget hotels. The company operates Indias only wildlife lodges called Taj safaris in joint venture with CC Africa. Company Background The Indian hotel company limited (IHCL) was established in 1902 by Mr Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata. In 1903 the first hotel Taj Mahal Palace was opened in Mumbai. The year 1974 saw an expansion of the company by opening its second property at Goa and went on adding properties at a rapid rate fuelled by the Tourism growth in India. Till date it has added 104 properties across the globe to its portfolio. The company is listed on Bombay stock exchange (BSE).Tata sons limited which is the parent company holds 28.5% equity capital in IHCL. Parent Company The Tata Sons limited was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Tata. It has its presence in various sectors such as Steel, Automobiles, Information technology, Communication, Power and Tea. It operates in more than 85 countries across 6 continents. It has a group turnover of over Rs.124, 970 crores ($24.5 bn). It accounts for nearly 6% of the total market capitalisation of Bombay Stock exchange (BSE). Stakeholders Shareholders Key people Mr. Ratan Tata: Chairman of Tata sons Limited He became the chairman of the Tata sons in the year 1981 which is the largest Indian conglomerate. The group comprises of companies namely Tata motors, Tata steel, IHCL, Tata consultancy services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata tea, and Tata Telecom. He graduated from Cornell University in architectural and structural engineering and joined the company in the year 1962. In 1971 he was appointed as the director in charge of NELCO which was in strong financial crisis. His risk taking capability and vision made him the successor of JRD Tata. Tata sons under his leadership made a number of acquisitions such as Chorus steel, Jaguar motors and Land Rover. This made the companys presence in global market. Mr. Raymond.N.Bickson : MD and CEO of IHCL He joined IHCL in the year 2003 as chief operating officer of the luxury segment. In the same year he assumed the responsibility of MD and CEO of the company. He carries more than 30 years of international hospitality management experience. Prior to IHCL he worked nearly 15 years as a vice president and general manager for The Rafael group. An American national, Mr. Bickson attended the École Hà ´telià ¨re Lausanne in Switzerland and Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School. He is an active member of Leading hotels of the world and World travel tourism council. During his tenure, IHCL went through rapid expansion by acquisitions, managing contracts and joint ventures at domestic as well as international market. Mr. Anil P Goel : Executive Director Finance He overlooks the Taj Groups Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions, Purchase and Legal Secretarial function. He is a non-executive director for Taj GVK limited. Mr. Abhijit Mukerji : Executive Director Hotel Operations He oversees hotel operations of the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces which include Taj Luxury Hotels India and International, Taj Business Hotels, Taj Leisure Hotels, Taj Spas, Taj Trade and Transport and Indi travels. Mr. Ajoy K. Misra : Sr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing He represents Taj in industry organizations such as the World Travel and Tourism Council, India Initiative (WTTC II), World Tourism Organisation (WTO), Hotel Association of India (HAI), Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He served as General Manager of the Taj President in Mumbai and Area Director in the Sri Lanka and Maldives region. Mr. Prakash V. Shukla: Sr. Vice President, Technology and Chief Information Officer. He is currently responsible for total IT deployments at the Taj Group and is on MDs management committee. Mr. H.N. Shrinivas: Sr. Vice President Human Resources Mr. Shrinivas has worked for 18 years with the Taj in Human Resources, Learning Development and Business Excellence functions. He holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the National Institute of Social Sciences, Bangalore, and a Masters in Industrial Law from Bangalore University. Mr. Veer Vijay Singh : Chief Operating Officer Upper Upscale Hotels He is responsible for the Operations and Overall Performance of 36 hotels in 26 locations spread across seven countries under upper upscale category. He graduated from IHMCTN, New Delhi and had the opportunity to enhance his skills by attending training programmes conducted by Cornell University Singapore, INSEAD Harvard. Ms Jyoti Narang : Chief Operating Officer Luxury Division Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces She is responsible for the overall development and operations of the luxury category hotels. When she was the Chief Operating officer for the upper upscale division, she was instrumental in pioneering the launch of Taj Safaris which is a unique concept that offers adventure tourist a distinctive wildlife experience. In 2008, Ms.Jyoti was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of The Gateway Hotels, the new upscale brand of the group, and was involved in developing the concept and launching the brand. Mr. P.K.Mohankumar : Chief Operating Officer Gateway Brand Mr. P. K. Mohankumar has over 35 years of experience in hotel operations with the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palace. He is an alumnus of Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai and has participated in several senior leadership workshops conducted by Harvard Business School, Michigan University, USA, Cornell University, Singapore and IIM, Ahmedabad. Currently, he is the Chief Operating Officer of the Gateway hotels, and is responsible for the operations and performance of 19 properties in India. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3hid=102sid=ce8939c4-8df1-4962-9afe-f373f4140a95%40sessionmgr112 accessed on 23 Nov Sustainable Tourism EARTH (Environment Awareness Renewal at Taj Hotels) The EARTH program was launched in August 2008, put forward to reduce the impact of the Hotel groups daily operations on the environment. EARTH programme has received certification from Green Globe. Currently 55 properties under IHCL are certified and the company is looking forward to put all the hotels under the certification by 2009-2010. The company focus on improving energy efficiencies, water management, solid waste management which helps to reduce the strong impact on environment. Porters five forces Competition plays a major role in todays world. Competition can have both beneficial and unfavourable effects. Competition for profits goes beyond established market rivals to include four other forces as well. They are Customers, Suppliers, New Entrants, and Substitute products. To understand industry competition and profitability, we must analyse the industrys structure in terms of the five forces. Threat of new entrants: New entrants can put pressure on prices, costs, and the rate of investment necessary to compete. Due to globalisation and rapid economic growth of Indian market a favourable market has emerged for International hotel chains. Hotel chains like Four seasons, Marriott International Inc., Starwood Hotels and Accor Hotels have recently came up with projects across India. New International hotels such as Shangri la, Mandarin, Movenpick and Ritz Carlton are in pipeline. Entry of non-hospitality companies into hotel sector can be a threat; such as Reliance Industries. Due to dilution in the market the profitability of IHCL can be at stake. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers have more power if they have the monopoly or do not depend heavily on the industry for its revenues. As hospitality industry is hugely labour oriented, their trade unions and labour suppliers are powerful. As hotels chains are looking for rapid expansions and prime properties, the power of property owners is high. Inbound tour operators are having an upper hand as they provide huge volume of business to the hotels. Infrastructure suppliers have moderate power over the company. Bargaining power of buyers: Powerful customers demand more value by forcing down prices for better quality and more services. This results in higher operating costs thereby bringing down profitability. Corporate clients due to their huge volumes have negotiated rates. Company had to come up with loyalty programme for retaining customers which incurs costs. The threat of substitutes: A substitute does the same or a similar function as an industrys product by a different means. The threat of a substitute is high when it offers an attractive price and service to the similar industrys product. Luxury serviced apartments, camping and lodges are in demand. The Governments introduction of bed and breakfast hotels can really be a threat. Web 2 which enables video conferencing is an emerging product which can be a threat to MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Events) Rivalry among existing competitors: Rivalry among hotel chains results in discounting of price, new product launch, advertising campaigns, and improvement in service. If there is high rivalry the profitability of the company can be affected. The hotel products are highly perishable, which creates an urge to cut prices and sell the inventory below its profitable rate to cover the fixed cost. Internal environment of the company: The internal environment of the company can be divided into two types they are Tangible and Intangible resources. Tangible resources include assets which can be seen and felt, like physical properties, Yachts, Flights, and other fixed assets which spread around 5 continents. The intangible resources are the one which cannot be seen or felt but play a major role in the business like the brand value, Leadership style, Human resource etc. IHCL being the subsidiary company of Tata Sons Limited, which has a company background since 1868. IHCL itself operates in hospitality sector in India for last 108 years, and have the market share of 22% in India shows the brand value of the company. In terms of leadership style the company has a style of innovations and pioneer of Luxury property and wild life lodges (Joint venture with CC Africa) and budget hotel chains (Ginger Hotels), Spa resorts and properties in India. The human resources in the company is around 20,000, which includes permanent staff, Fixed term contract workers and other Executives and Corporate staff. The company has various staff development program such as TMTP (Taj Management Training Program) SPEED PLUS, HOMT for standardization of operations throughout the company. External Environment: It can also be called as Operating environment. Factors which influence organizations opportunities and risks; such as conditions, entities and events consists of its external environment. PEST Analysis Political: Political instability in some parts of India made foreign investors cautious; in turn brought down investment from abroad and business travel. Due to the recent terror attacks on hotels in Mumbai, there has been a drastic drop in tourists arrivals. Most of the Embassies have send travel advisory regarding African and Asian countries which has reflected tourist inflow. As Government of India has reduced the tariffs and duties on various items, trade relations have improved. It encouraged travel and trade which resulted in growth of hotel industry. The Ministry of external affairs has implemented visa on arrival for several countries in an effort to promote tourism. The government has released a five-year tax holiday to promote the growth of new hotels. External Commercial Borrowings have been eased by the Ministry to elucidate the problem of liquidity being encountered by the hotel industry due to economic slowdown. The Ministry of Home Affairs has agreed to grant Long Term Tourist Vi sa of 5 years duration with Multi-entry facilities carrying a condition of 90 days on each visit to the nationals of the following 18 countries which are France, Iceland, Germany, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, Argentina, Finland, Brazil, Spain, Chile, Switzerland, Mexico, Norway, and Vietnam on request of tourism ministry. Economical: Early 1990s saw economic liberalization which led to a boom in the hospitality industry. The Government has allowed Foreign direct investment and Foreign institutional investment; which favours business travel. Compared to other South East Asian countries; tax structure in India is very high. Inadequate infrastructure facilities like Airports, Communication facilities and commuting facilities is a challenge for the Tourism sector. The effect of recession is causing serious problems for many hotels especially luxury hotels in particular. Hotels in certain global markets, mainly those operate in leisure sector, are less affected. All geographies are not equally affected by recession.(have to include graph from the site quoted in link , leading hotels of the world) Social: Indian customers are highly sensitive to price. A lot of them tend to compare services offered with price. Hoteliers face a challenge to design price strategy in each sector. There is a conflict between local community and hotels on space availability especially at beach destinations. The company has got an advantage of worlds largest concentration of young educated work force and thus decreasing the labour costs. Two religious communities being Hindus and Muslims have religious sentiments towards beef and pork which is consumed by foreign tourists. This raises conflicts between the organization and religious groups. Large scale tourism operation results in environmental pollution and an increase in carbon emission. Technological: The launch of E-commerce has revolutionized the hotel sector by reducing cost and increasing functionality. The introduction of Global Distribution System allows customers to access current time availability of products. The growing influence of video conferencing has got negative impact on MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events) division. It is possible to get critical information on clients and products while away from desk due to wireless technology. This has improved customer relationships, saved time and increased revenue and profit. Indian Tourism Scenario Despite a drop in FTAs in India due to economic slowdown, domestic tourism has showed an impressive growth of 15.5 % in the year 2009.Domestic tourism supported the industry during unfavourable condition. Indias performance in tourism sector has been remarkable. During the period 1997 to 2009, India perceived an increase in the Foreign Tourist Arrivals from 2.37 million to 5.11 million. Because of global slowdown, terrorist activities and H1N1 influenza, growth rate in FTAs during 2009 fell by 3.3 per cent. The global tourism fell by 4.3 per cent. The plummet in India was less than that of the scale of global slowdown. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism increased from Rs. 10511 crore in 1997 to Rs. 54,960 crore in 2009. The growth rate in earnings in 2009 vis-a-vis 2008 was 8.3 per cent. The percentage share of India in International tourism receipts has nearly doubled in past 12 years. Solutions: The Company has got only insignificant investments at political instable locations. To prevent future security threat the company has sought advice of security experts and invested heavily on improving security infrastructure. To reduce the conflict between local community the company has come up with corporate social responsibility. For instance the company works closely with NGOs to develop and train underprivileged housewives to earn their livelihood. The company tries to promote Indian culture by encouraging local artisans and craftsmen. This helps the local community in broadening their own outlook. Foreseeing sustainable tourism IHCL has come up with EARTH initiative to reinstate its vision and to preserve nature. To overcome the revenue loss due to video conferencing the company came up with new strategy of marketing in- house video conferencing facilities for corporate clients. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths IHCL has a very dominant position in Indian hospitality industry with largest distribution of hotels around the country. Its key advantage is the established Taj brand name. It has got a much diversified hotel and brand portfolio catering to different market segments which helps in capturing wider customer base. The company has got sales and marketing reach globally. The parent company being Tata sons limited which is one of the largest companies in India is an added advantage. Their presence in every segment namely luxury, upper upscale, upscale and budget allows more flexibility and stability. They have a well-diversified business model of subsidiaries, associates, joint ventures and management contracts which help in reducing risk and fuels faster growth. This asset light policy will help in revenue stability during economic turndown. Presently 45% of IHCL hotels are operated through joint-ventures, 40% are management contracts and 15% are owned in part or full by IHCL. Source: Adapted from HotelierIndia Nov 2010, Press Release The company has introduced a strong loyalty programme which helps in retaining customers. The companys alliances and partnerships have helped it in entering into new markets such as wildlife lodges and air catering. They have the advantage of very strong corporate purchase chain whereby they can considerably reduce raw material cost. As the parent company is present in the production of FMCGs they are able to procure items in a much competitive price. The company even have introduced loyalty programmes in conjunction with all leading airline companies. Weakness The less established brand name of the company in international scene can be viewed as a weakness. Nearly 75% of the companys income is generated by domestic operation resulting greater dependency on Indian market. In domestic market even though company has its presence in more than 15 states; 66% of their revenue and nearly 90% of profits come from top six hotels in four cities. Even slight fluctuation in the countrys economy can affect profitability. The high dependency on higher-end luxury market can also be viewed as a weakness. Nearly 54% of the revenue is generated by these properties. Comparative size in line with international chains and insignificant international presence is a setback. The hotel industry in India is heavily staffed. In spite of international average 1:1 in India it stands at 2.1:1. Investments in acquiring international hotels have resulted in huge debt for the company. Opportunities Rapid growth in inbound and domestic tourism is a great opportunity for the company. Domestic tourism is growing at a phenomenal rate of 15.5% annually. Growing demand for budget and mid-segment hotels due to the growth of Indian middle class can be viewed as an opportunity. Healthy salary increases in corporate world is expected to create demand for leisure tourism. Launch of incredible India in both domestic and international market to promote destinations can be a boost in business. The introduction of medical visa may promote more volume and extended stay in all key destinations. The companys entry into new markets such as wildlife lodges, luxury residences, and spas will create new growth prospectus. Budget airlines now have connectivity across the country with competitive rates and attractive offers which will inspire domestic tourism. Increased business opportunities in India again have paved path for growth of conference and event tourism. Threats Growing presence of international hotel chains such as Marriot international, The Four seasons, Accor group, Shangri-La, Dreams resorts and spas etc. can be considered as growing threat to the company. The expansion plans of Indian hotel chains like ITC India limited, The Leela group, The East India Hotel Company and The Lalit may affect the market share of the company. Due to the arrival of international airline operators and affordable international travel, there has been massive growth of outbound tourism mainly to south East Asia, Europe and Australia. This has increased risk for domestic leisure segment. Due the companys portfolio of foreign currency debts, it is vulnerable to fluctuations in currency and interest rate risks. The debt equity ratio of the company shows drastic hike from the previous years which can really be a threat . Source: Adapted from Annual Reports Debt to equity ratio indicates how the firm finances its operations with debt relative to the book value of its shareholders equity (Fabozzi and Drake 2009 pp80). This indicates the comparison of equity and debt the company is using to back its assets. If the ratio is high then the company is said to be chancy as it is financed more by with debts and it might become even worse if the interest rates are high. The company stands at a threat as the debt equity ratio shows a trend of escalation from .52 to .99 within a span of 4 years. Strengths and Opportunities Due the companys presence across the country in different market segments it can capitalize the growth of domestic tourism. As the company has a well-established budget and mid-market segment hotels, it can benefit from the growing spending power of Indian middle class. Only IHCL has presence in wildlife lodge segment which shows growing demand every year. Loyalty programmes in tie-up with leading airline companies have resulted in greater exploitation of tourism growth in India. Companys entry into wellness tourism by establishing Spas in its existing properties can milk governments plan to issue medical visa. Strengths and Threats By virtue of the companys loyalty programmes and corporate tie-ups they would be able to hold to their market, even though new international players could stand a threat. IHCL have huge expansion plans in answer to other domestic hotel chains. By their plans to expand internationally it can lower the risk of outbound tourism. Weakness and opportunities Since domestic travel became cost effective, domestic leisure tourism turned robust and distributed, consequently reducing risk of concentration of revenue from key city hotels. Weakness and Threats To oppose the dependence on high end luxury market, the company has entered into budget segment which is stable comparing to the later. The company have international expansion plans other than existing properties outside India so that it will be resistant to domestic economic fluctuations. Diversification The IHCL has diversified its operation in hospitality sector from the hotel operation to other sectors like Air catering, Spa operations, Wild life lodges, Yachts, Charted Flights and Taj Khazana. TajAir TajAir is a charter flight operating company owned by IHCL, the subsidiary company of Tata Sons Limited4 pioneer aviation operator in India. TajAir at present owns 3 Air crafts which can be chartered by guests for domestic and international air travel. Ginger Hotels The Ginger Hotels are self-service budget hotels operated by IHCL which targets mid-market sector. Spas Jiva Spas the subsidiary of IHCL which operates at more than 25 Taj hotels at 20 different destinations which offers different rejuvenating treatments and massages. Taj SATS Taj SATS is an air catering division of IHCL in collaboration with Singapore Air Terminals which caterers to domestic and international flights operating from 6 different cities. Taj Safari Taj Safari is a wild life lodge which operates in collaboration with CC Africa which is one of its kinds in India. Taj Khazana Taj Khazana is a signature boutique store of Indian handicraft, Jewellery and garments which operates at selected IHCL properties. Current Situation The Company has decided to raise Rupees 850 crores by issuing shares and warrants to the promoter company Tata Sons Ltd to fuel its rapid expansion plans. Since the market is strong now the company has decided to raise its room tariffs by 10-15 percent. The company announced the roll-over of 19 hotels under its new brand Vivanta by Taj Hotels and Resorts. The introduction of Vivanta which is a brand architectural exercise by the company will be slotted in the 5-star upper upscale segment in the Indian hospitality industry. To exploit the on-going spree by Indian households on food and beverage spending, the company has rolled out several new FB outlets in collaboration with world renowned chefs and restaurateurs. To meet the current demands, they have invested a major share in Serviced Apartments, Wildlife lodges and Spas. To achieve their goal of generating 33 per cent of total revenue from international operations, they are engaged in Management contracts and Joint venture oversees. To capitalize the high demand of mid-market segment, IHCL has unveiled more than 20 budget hotels across India named Ginger Hotels In order to recover the loss of revenue due to the dip of tourism in India, the company has gone into a new strategy of putting hold on salary hike and the incentive for the executives and freeze new recruitment in the company and predicts a profit of 15 cr.

Essay example --

The year 1964 has been a very powerful time for the Civil Rights Movement. All the protests and fight for equality has been called for by activists all over America. There have been many films and music committed to show people that the country need to change and that discriminating against people is immoral. All the revolt against society and its norms have led to the important event, where on July 2, 1964 the Civil Rights Act was signed by President Johnson. In January 13, 1964 was the release of the song that supported for such an event was by Bob Dylan called The Times They Are A Changin’. The movie that also called out to people to change was Black Like Me, released in May 20, 1964. Due to the release of such songs and films, there was clearly an issue of inequality and injustice going on in America. The intolerance of people who aren’t white was rising especially in the south. The creation of the song and film hoped to open people eyes to what was going on in Ame rica. I think that the song and film helped society by making them realize that the Civil Rights Act needed to be passed and that the ways things were had to change. On the day of the signing of the Civil Rights Act by President Johnson, many historical events took place to make the bill pass. There were many non-violent supporters of the bill. From events such as the Montgomery bus boycott to Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat in a bus and Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech. The Civil Rights Act was supposed to be signed by former President Kennedy but his assassination on November 1963, led to Johnson taking over for Kennedy. During the debate of the bill, whether it should be passed or not, there were much opposition to it from both the House ... ...ack Like Me in 1959, which was later made into a movie. The south didn’t take what Griffin wrote about the conditions the African American was facing lightly. They lashed out against Griffin and his family, who lived in Texas. They sent threats to Griffin and his family, they even went as far as burning an effigy of Griffin. It resulted in Griffin and his family moving to Mexico for a few years. I was surprised to find that Griffin was a strong supporter of racial equality, since he grew up in Texas and has lived there most of his life. In the film, Griffin explains how he fought in the Korean War and he tells the doctor, who was helping him get his skin darker, that he was blinded in the war and he regained his sight. During the time he was blinded, Griffin says, â€Å"when your blind there are no color differences and you see things differently and judge differently.†

Candide Essay -- essays research papers

Candide Wealth and great materialistic possession brings happiness and success to most people’s lives. Although wealth does not always bring happiness, El Dorado was one society where all it’s inhabitants lived lives full of success and happiness. In Candide, wealth proved to guarantee a person a step forward in life and some sense of freedom. Sometimes when one lives in an environment consisting of total equality, one may prefer to leave and go to a different place where they would be considered superior and everyone else inferior to them. The people of El Dorado were so wealthy that they abused the things that they possessed that others would cherish. The children proved this when they were playing at quoits covered with tattered garments of the richest brocade. It is obvious to see that they were so rich that the quoits did not have any significant meaning to them. We were able to see this when upon having to return back to school they left the quoits on the ground a long with their other playthings. Candide was surprised to find out that an adult schoolmaster would do the exact same when given these quoits which consisted of gold and precious stones. Candide realized that these children must have been those of a king and he said, " The king’s children in this country must have an excellent education, since they are taught to show such a contempt for gold and precious stones." (49). Another way in which we saw that they were very wealthy was the fact that the common pebbles of their highways were large gold pieces, houses were built of silver and gold, the antechamber was incrusted with rubies and emeralds. I feel that this was not very appropriate. Just because they were wealthy does not mean that the money should be wasted in such a way as to build a highway of these expensive stones, when it could be substituted with a much less expensive material. El Dorado was a place where everyone was extremely happy and satisfied with wh at they possessed. This place was seen as heaven on earth. It represented a cultural wealth. Everyone here was a priest and priests were considered to be pleasant happy beings. We clearly saw that Cacambo and Candide were very satisfied with their stay here when they said, "Possibly this is that part of the globe where everything is right for there must certainly be some such place." (50). They ... ...aressed the Theatin with so much fondness, that I absolutely thought you as happy as you say you are now miserable." (67). In my opinion Voltaire was trying to emphasize that there are two different kinds of people in this world, the wealthy and the not so wealthy. I do not feel that he was trying to say that all the time but instead that more than half of the time those who are wealthy live happier and more advanced lives than those less fortunate. In Candide, wealth can get a person anything or person they wanted. The less fortunate had to obey and abide by the rules of those more powerful to them. It was almost like they were slaves to their masters. The wealthy were able to buy their happiness, as the masters and residents of El Dorado did. This is not only proven in Candide. By looking at the real world and our everyday lives we can agree with this theory. It is not hard to see that the famous millionaires in this world live in great beautiful places full of luxuries, a nd those that are poor such as the homeless have to get by day by day with no or very little food and shelter. In conclusion, wealth brings most people happiness and pride but only to a certain extent.

Things Fall Apart Essay -- essays research papers

The book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe is a fictional look at the social and cultural life of an African tribe of the lower Niger River region. It depicts the every day life of the tribe and its members. It also shows the culture and customs of the tribe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book focuses on one of the tribe members, Okonkwo. He is a well respected member of the tribe. Okonkwo is a good example of a respected member of the tribe who also has great renown. He is known as a great wrestler and warrior of the nine villages of the tribe. He is a very powerful and influential member.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the story, certain unfortunate events occur, preventing Okonkwo’s rise to the top. Those who knew his father knew him to be lazy and unmanly. This is something that Okonkwo would spend his life trying to change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Okonkwo is depicted in the story to be a very strong and fearless man, ruling his household with a firm hand. He stifles any emotion that would make him seem weak or like a woman. He shows little affection toward his children and his wives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His greatest disappointment is the fact that his son is not turning out to be the man that Okonkwo wants him to be. He sees his father in his son, Nwoye, rather than himself. This is greatly displeasing to Okonkwo. This might be why Nwoye’s mother is never mentioned by name, since she produced a â€Å"woman† for a son. He does find that Ikeme... Things Fall Apart Essay -- essays research papers The book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe is a fictional look at the social and cultural life of an African tribe of the lower Niger River region. It depicts the every day life of the tribe and its members. It also shows the culture and customs of the tribe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book focuses on one of the tribe members, Okonkwo. He is a well respected member of the tribe. Okonkwo is a good example of a respected member of the tribe who also has great renown. He is known as a great wrestler and warrior of the nine villages of the tribe. He is a very powerful and influential member.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the story, certain unfortunate events occur, preventing Okonkwo’s rise to the top. Those who knew his father knew him to be lazy and unmanly. This is something that Okonkwo would spend his life trying to change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Okonkwo is depicted in the story to be a very strong and fearless man, ruling his household with a firm hand. He stifles any emotion that would make him seem weak or like a woman. He shows little affection toward his children and his wives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His greatest disappointment is the fact that his son is not turning out to be the man that Okonkwo wants him to be. He sees his father in his son, Nwoye, rather than himself. This is greatly displeasing to Okonkwo. This might be why Nwoye’s mother is never mentioned by name, since she produced a â€Å"woman† for a son. He does find that Ikeme...

Shipping

This has Included the level of effort and costs associated with several courses of actions. I have also considered our obligations both legally and morally to our customer and our future customer. Our business has always held Itself and Its products to the highest quality standards and our customers in turn have rewarded us with continued trust and business. Our reputation and image should be a considering factor with any course of action that we take. I have carefully considered possible options and have identified three viable capabilities which would keep our reputation intact and provide the service our customers have come to expect.We can remake the whistle in question and repackage the entire collection; remove the whistle and ship the collection with a replacement of similar or higher value from our catalogue; keep the whistle Included but add a separate replacement of similar or even higher value with Instructions to discard the whistle and replace. Any solution should ensure the utmost customer satisfaction and provide our customers with the care and consideration, not to mention value, our customers rely on when they chose our company. It is also important to try to minimize the cost and effort required to remedy.This will not only minimize financial impact to the company but will help ensure we can remedial quickly in order to fulfill our shipments on time. All three have advantages and disadvantages which I will elaborate. The first option, remake the whistle in question and repackage the entire collection, has the advantage of providing our customer with exactly what they ordered and thus not Jeopardize the relationship we have In place. It would however be a significant undertaking as we would experience a great amount of labor for the remunerate and unpacking and repacking of the product.Legally and ethically there would be no issues but the financial impact of this approach would be about The second option, remove the whistle and replace with an item from our catalogue of equal value would allow us to utilize stock on hand and ship quickly. If the customer requests, we can ship the remade whistle at a later date. This option would remove the ethical and potentially legal concerns of shipping an unsafe reduce and if the customer accepts the replacement without requesting the shipping of the whistles to follow, would be significantly less costly than remaking the whistles in urgency to meet the shipping deadline.However, by substituting the whistle, even offering to ship the replacements at a later date, our reputation of accurate and timely shipping may be compromised with this customer. The third option, keep the whistle included but add a separate replacement of similar or even higher value with instructions to discard the whistle would save costs f remunerate and additional shipping. The schools could keep or discard the whistles as the whistle would pass any safety issues in South America.This would eliminate any legal concerns and would provide the best value to the customer and lowest cost to the company. However, knowing that these would not pass safety levels in the U. S. I feel that this would be highly unadvisable. If the schools chose to keep the whistles there could be resulting health issues to the children. My recommendation would be to proceed with the first option, to remake the whistle and repackage immediately. Although it is the most costly to the company upfront, the loss of reputation or customer faith would prove more costly in the long run.Our company prides itself on delivering to the highest levels. Compromised quality or orders the customer may feel are incomplete could damage the relationship and potentially future business. Additionally, any solution that may allow the tainted whistles in the hands of children could result in a more serious lack of confidence in our company. Our company is built on providing for educational and safe experiences for children worldwide. Anyth ing less would be unethical.In order to get in front of future issues of this type I recommend that we put in place a formal notification and escalation process for concerns of toy safety. We should clearly spell out what each employee is responsible to do and how the company will respond. If we consider potential issues before they occur and address the remediation it will remove any chance that we will be pressured into a fast and poor choice which may have long term impact to our company or our customers. I also recommend that we formalize the company ideals into a code of conduct that is available for our employees and customers.An excellent example that addresses responsibility to all stakeholders internally and externally is the code of conduct for the Matter Company. The Matter Company code of conduct addresses legal and ethical concerns and how to respond if there are concerns. (Matter Inc. , 2011) The Matter code of conduct removes any cloud of Judgment in a tough situation by addressing the concerns of the company, its stakeholders and its customers. It provides a clear explanation of the need and is easily understood. It includes core assign and play to grow.It also includes a value statement â€Å"act with unwavering integrity' that makes the company's emphasis on ethics to be paramount. The code of conduct addresses the responsibilities of all employees and additional responsibilities of leaders to be role models. In addition it spells out the consequences that should be expected if the code of conduct is not adhered. I strongly suggest that we develop a complete code of conduct such as this that will provide a guideline for the company and its employees for any future events as well as the day to day expectations.

Emile Durkheim – Division of Labor

DIVISION OF LABOR IN SOCIETY The Division of Labor in Society by Emile Durkheim explains how in the modern societies the division of labor affects individuals and society contradicting Marx’s belief that the division of labor will all result to alienation. Durkheim argued that the division of labor is not necessarily â€Å"bad† for it â€Å"increases both the productive capacity and skill of the workman; it is the necessary condition for the intellectual and material development of societies; it is the source of civilization. More importantly, it creates a feeling of solidarity among the people. For Durkheim, the result of Division of Labor is positive for there is no need for competition in the sense of struggling just to survive but the division of labor may signify that there are sufficient material resources for all in the society, and in this division allows a certain form of cooperation and because people need each other this produces a solidarity in the society. *As we noted previously, Marx saw both alienation and class conflict as inevitable (or â€Å"normal†) in capitalist societies.By contrast, rather than seeing social conflict as a â€Å"normal† condition of capitalism, Durkheim maintained that anomie results only in â€Å"abnormal† conditions of overspecialization, when the rules of capitalism become too rigid and individuals are â€Å"forced† into a particular position in the division of labor. *Causes of Division of Labor: division of labor develops regularly as history proceeds. This fact certainly depends on causes that are likewise constant, causes that we shall investigate. † (p. 179). â€Å"THe increase in the DOL is therefore due to the fact that the social segments lose their individuality, that the partitions dividing them become more permeable. IN short, there occurs between them a coalescence that renders the social substance free to enter upon new combinations. † {p. 141} The key to the expansion of the DOL is the increase in social interaction, particularly functional differentiation. * This is what gives moral value to the division of labor. Through it, the individual becomes aware of his dependence upon society; from it come the forces which keep him in check and restrain him.In short, since the division of labor becomes the chief source of social solidarity, it becomes, at the same time, the foundation of the moral order. * Moreover, far from being trammeled by the progress of specialization, individual personality develops with the division of labor. To be a person is to be an autonomous source of action. Man acquires this quality only in so far as there is something in him which is his alone and which individualizes him, as he is something more than a simple incarnation of the generic type of his race and his group.The division of labor itself contributes to this enfranchisement, for individual natures, while specializing, become more complex, and by that are in part freed from collective action and hereditary influences which can only enforce themselves upon simple, general things. The most visible example of social solidarity that Durkheim mentioned was law. Law is the organization of social life in its most stable and precise form. The classification of law depends on the type of solidarity corresponds to it. The first type of law is the repressive law which imposes a fine or injury on the perpetrator.The second one is the restitutory laws which refer to restoring the previous relationship which have been disturbed from before the crime was committed. Repressive law tends to stay diffused througout the society, restitutory law works through more specialized bodies like in courts, magistrates and lawyers. *Despite the removed role of restitutory law from socirty, society still intervenes in restitutory sanctioning. The formation of a contract directly concerns the parties involved: nonetheless, id a contract has a binding forc e, it is a society which confers that force.If society does not give its blessing to the obligations that have been contracted, then these obligations are reduced to only moral promises. Hence the presence of society in restitutory law, although not necessarily felt, is nonetheless essential. negative control – regulations which make a person refrain from acting ex. do not help a farmere with his crop, simply prevent him from stealing his neighbor's positive control – regulations which make a person act ex. impose a certain method of farming upon a farmer. Mechanical Solidarity or solidarity by similarities, it is deeply rooted in everyone doing or feeling the same thing.It is the type of solidarity that is associated with repressive laws that corresponds to crimes resulting in repressive punishments. Durkheim pointed out in his book that how the repressive or penal rules demonstrates the strength of resistance of collective response to a crime. Thus it is now called c ollective consciousness which is the â€Å"totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average citizens of the same society forms a determinate system which has its own life. † Therefore, it is summarized as an act is only criminal if it offends the â€Å"strong, well-defined states of collective consciousness. *Mechanical solidarity is typified by feelings of likeness. Mechanical solidarity is rooted in everyone doing/feeling the same thing. Durkheim maintained that this type of solidarity is characteristic of small, traditional societies. In these â€Å"simple† societies, circumstances compel individuals to be generalists involved in the production and distribution of a variety of goods. Indeed, in small, traditional societies, specialization in one task to the exclusion of others is not possible because the society depends on each individual providing a host of contributions to the group.For instance, men, women, and children are often all needed to pick crops at harvest time, and all partake in the harvest-time celebrations as well. Durkheim argued that a significant social consequence of the shared work experience characteristic of traditional societies is a shared collective conscience. People in traditional societies tend to feel â€Å"one and the same,† and it is this feeling of â€Å"oneness† that is integral in the maintenance of social order. Yet, Durkheim saw that in large, complex societies, this type of solidarity was waning.In large, modern societies, labor is specialized; people do not necessarily all engage in the same work or share the same ideas and beliefs. *â€Å"Since the rules are inscribed upon everyone's consciousness, all are aware of them and feel they are founded upon right. † â€Å"Undoubtedly if an act is punished, it is because it is contrary to a mandatory rule, but this rule is not expressly spelt out. There can be only one reason for this: it is because the rule is known and accepted by ev erybody. † (p. 5) â€Å"we should not say that an act offends the common consciousness because it is criminal, but that it is criminal because it offend that consciousness. † (p. 42) [133] *What separates repressive law from civil law – law that simply restores previous order? First, recall that crimes are those things that affect the common consciousness: Thus, â€Å"†¦since the sentiments that crime offends within a single society are the most universally collective ones of all, since they represent especially powerful states of the common consciousness, they cannot possibly brook any opposition. †¦. e need a more violent form of satisfaction. † (p. 55) The kinds of offenses that give rise to repressive law assault transcendent values, â€Å"when we demand the repression of crime it is not because we are seeking a personal vengeance, but rather vengeance for something sacred which we vaguely feel is more or less outside and above us. † ( p. 56) At this point (right around p. 57 and 58), E. D. makes a subtle and important point. That punishing criminal activity reinforces the common consciousness. â€Å"Crime therefore draws honest consciousnesses together, concentrating them. † He provides an example.In a small town, everyone talks about the criminal scandal. Just like when horrible things happen in the news, we respond. By discussing the crime and punishment with people we know, we reinforce our opinion about the immorality of the action. â€Å"In short, since it is the common consciousness that is wounded, it must also be this that resists; consequently, resistance must be collective. † But why this resistance is organized remains to be explained. Historically, crimes were judged by the WHOLE people, then as society progressed, certain samples of people and judges took the place of the whole. bottom of p. 59) – the organization into courts is a division of labor response: the world got bigger, and needed more people to split up the work of policing the common consciousness. (Note, of course, that this is exactly the moment that greater individual variation in what, exactly, people have in common starts to magnify). â€Å"Thus, it is certainly the nature of the collective sentiments that accounts for punishment, and consequently for crime. † Organic Solidarity, on the other hand is characterized with the other type of law which is the restitutory law.Organic solidarity assumes that people are different from each other and they are interdependent with other forming a complex web of cooperative associations. Unlike the mechanical solidarity, the solidarity in this case is from each person cultivating individual differences and knowing that each one is doing something for the betterment of everyone. Moreover, Durkheim said that the organic solidarity arises only when the division of labor is spontaneous or voluntary. Because the division of labor is pushed too far the n it becomes dangerous for the individual for t may result to the isolation of in their special activity or skill. Thus making the division of labor a source of disintegration for the individuals and the society. *†Damages awarded have no penal character: they are simply a means of putting back the clock so as to restore the past, so far as possible, to its normal state. † (p. 69) †¢ Restitutory laws put the world back together — they restore what was before. †¢ Restitutory laws are not (usually) part of the collective common consciousness. Instead, they apply to very specific areas (corporate law, accounting law, housing law, contract law, etc. ) and, E. D. laims, a violation of such a law does not elicit the emotional need for expiation that a criminal offense does. â€Å"The idea that murder can be tolerates sets us up in arms, but we very readily accept that the law of inheritance might be modified, †¦. Since these prescriptions do not correspo nd to any feeling within us, an as generally we don no know their scientific justification, since this science does not yet exist, they have no deep roots in most of us. † [137] †¢ Since restitutory laws do not affect everyone, the solidarity that restitutory laws relate to cannot rest on a uniform similarity across everyone in the group. For Durkheim, organic solidarity refers to a type of solidarity in which each person is interdependent with others, forming a complex web of cooperative associations. In such situations, solidarity (or a feeling of â€Å"oneness†) comes not from each person believing/doing the same thing, but from each person cultivating individual differences and knowing that each is doing her part for the good of the whole. Thus, Durkheim argued that the increasing specialization and individuation so readily apparent in modern industrial societies does not necessarily result in a decline in social stability or cohesion.Rather, the growth in a so ciety’s density (the number of people living in a community) and consequent increasingly specialized division of labor can result in simply a different type of social cohesion. Abnormal Forms. (1) Anomic Division of Labor is cause by the lack of regulation or a weakened common morality that can occur in modern society. Usually surfaces when there are industrial or commercial crises or there are conflicts between capital and labor. Durkheim discusses conditions of the worker under capitalism and it somewhat very close to Marx’s description of lienation and exploitation. However, he says that situations like this are not in the normal form but is something resulting from an individual who does not have a sufficient vision of the whole process of production. (2) Forced Division of Labor is where the division of labor is not allowed to develop spontaneously and where some act to protect themselves and their positions. It is the consequence of a structural condition where t he distribution of social functions does not match to the distribution of natural talents. (3) Another Abnormal Form.Durkheim’s observation that the function of an organism can become more active only on the condition that they also become more continuous one organ can do more only if the other organs do more, and vice versa. When this continuity is missing then the functional activity of the specialized parts decreases, resulting in wasted effort and loss of productive capacity. Increased activity also results to a stronger bond of solidarity but when mismanagement arises, the activity of the worker is reduced, functions become discontinuous, and solidarity is destabilized.