Why Is Organizational Design Important Management Essay

Why Is Organizational Design Important Management Essay Organizational design is selecting and managing the culture, structure, processes and positions in organization so that organization can control the activities. The final aim is to achieve goals and objectives and to make organization successful (Sargent and McConnell, 2008). The design works best if it is effective and it has a positive impact on individuals (Nadler and Tushman, 1998). The organizational design is important because it shapes the behavior of members working in organization (Jones, 2010, p31) and managers acquired desired behaviors through managing organizational design. The two components of design are; Structural components include goal, strategy, and structure and Human components include work processes, people, communication, coordination and control, and incentive mechanism (Burton, DeSanctis and Obel, 2006). But it is not only about formal structure it also includes informal structures and managers integrate both into business strategy. The Ford Company makes a record loss of $13.3 billion in 2006, the tall hierarchy and culture based on empire building was found to be the reason of low productivity. The behavior of managers in Ford because of empire building structure is that they do not admit mistakes and protect their interests; the managers do not like their subordinates to ask questions. The new CEO from outside the company looks at the problem and ordered managers to share information across different departments (Jones, 2010, p36). Organizational design is a continuous processes because globalization, technological breakthrough and tough competition is continuously changing the way organization work and new forms of organizational designs are emerging such as learning, virtual, cellular, alliance, network, modular or spaghetti etc. (Burton, DeSanctis and Obel, 2006). Organizations have limited resources, have internal constraints, external pressures and even face conflicting goal situations and organizational design makes the balance between internal and external pressures (Jones, 2010), manage the resources in such a manner that it will achieve high performance and give best possible outcomes (Daft, Murphy and Willmott 2010, p22). It also increases productivity, allows innovation and gives competitive advantage. When organizations are not performing, managers redesign and restructure the organization so that it will reveal its potential. There is no specific best design for organizations it emanates from overall vision of organization. What will happen if there is no design in company? A Brazilian company Semco has no organizational design, structure, charts, hierarchy, goals and mission statement but still performing well and making profits (Semler, 2007). But Semco has only 150-200 employees, when organizations grow and expands, employ large n umber of people then gradually it becomes more complex. If a manager puts less attention, a flawed design will emerge and it hinders productivity. The factors managers should take into account while designing the organization are vision, strategy, size, environment, communication, control and incentive systems. Finally have a fact in mind that organizational behavior is result of organizational design. REFERENCES Burton, R. M., DeSanctis, G. and Obel, B. (2006) Organizational Design A Step-by-Step Approach. Cambridge University Press, New York. Daft, R. L., Murphy, J. and Willmott, H. (2010) Organization Theory and Design. Andover: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Jones, G. (2010) Organizational Theory, Design and Change. 6th edn. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Nadler, D. A. and Tushman, M. L. (1998), Competing by design, Executive Excellence, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 12-12. [Online] Available at http://search.proquest.com/docview/204590420 (Accessed 22 November 2012) Semler, R. (2007), Out of this world: Doing things the Semco way, Global Businesses and Organizational Excellence, vol. 26, no. 5, pp.  13-21. [Online] DOI:  10.1002/joe.20161 (Accessed 30 November 2012) Sargent, A. and McConnell, T. (2008), Practical approaches to organization design,  CMA Management,  vol. 81, no. 9, pp. 22-25. [Online] Available at http://search.proquest.com/docview/197815281 (Accessed 22 November 2012) In what ways is the managerial role changing in the 21st Century? The economic fluctuations, change in technology, increasing socializations and demands for employees codetermination is continuously posing challenges to managers (Agthe, 1972) and in past two decades managerial roles had been gone through a notable transformation (Pearson and Chatterjee, 2003). The modern management has seen the shift from dictatorial style to team based approach. Top managers do not only stay in corporate offices but they handle employees from ground levels like Costcos top managers works and administer employees from retail floor (Buffington, 2009). Managers now empower, motivate, educate and coach their subordinates and manage resources strategically. If subordinates do not satisfy with the role of their managers then there is a high employee turnover in organization. The number one reason for which employee leaves job in USA is because of dissatisfaction with their managers and immediate bosses, found in Gallup survey of over 1 million employees (AgriMarketing, 2009). Managers guide and control their subordinates but on the same time take orders from top management; they transfer the vision of top management to employee and communicate goals and objectives. Adam Smith argued managers play unimportant role in organizational performance (Horowitz, 1994) and they just adds hierarchical levels, raise cost and put burdens on organization. But as we have seen in past, managers make organizations economically and technically effective, they manage inputs and processes to maximize the output (Bern et al, 2009). They deals with human, physical and financial resources, makes work done by others and make the job of others easy, practical and possible through demonstrating their competencies in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities. The traditional approach states that managers in organizations perform four general roles planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Mintzberg (1980) had suggested ten managerial roles and are categorized in three d imensions; the first is interpersonal which includes liaison, leader and figurehead. Second is decisional which includes disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator and entrepreneur. The last dimension is informational which includes monitor, spokesperson and disseminator. In addition Douglas  McGregor mentioned two styles of managers. Theory X in which managers push employees to do work, think employees are lazy, show dictatorial role and perform hard management practices. Whereas managers in Theory Y feels employees enjoy their work, wish to grow and that is why managers select soft management practices (Holloman, 1974; Weisbord, 2011). It is not necessary that traditional management roles only improve productivity. In 1914 Ford doubled wage rates from $2.5 to $5 and shortened work hours from nine to eight hours, the result was high productivity and cost went down. It was an out of box phenomenon practiced by managers in Ford. In 21st Century, the managers are seen as ca talyst; have a strong impact on profitability and policies, they are more adaptable, proactive, innovative, mobile and committed (Eric, 1998) for minimizing the threats and grabbing the opportunities. Managers also start giving attention on cultural diversity issues, work life balance, equality, strong laws and regulations affecting organizations which has been given less attention in past. REFERENCES Agthe, K. (1972) The changing role of Europes managers, Business Horizons, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 89-94. [Online] Available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0007681372900675 (Accessed 1 December 2012) Bern, D., Leeds, M., Leeds, E., and Mondello, M. (2009), The Role of Managers in Team Performance,  International Journal Of Sport Finance, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 75-93. [Online] Available at http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=db8b93aa-e99d-4788-ad67-bbe34d70cf93%40sessionmgr113vid=1hid=112bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=s3hAN=40508510 (Accessed 1 December 2012) Buffington, J. (2009), Rethinking Management for the 21st Century,  Industry Week,  vol. 258, no. 9, pp. 54. [Online] Available at http://search.proquest.com/docview/219760478 (Accessed 2 December 2012) Eric, R. G. (1998) The compleat manager, 21st century style.  Management Review, vol.  87, no. 1, pp. 9-9. [Online] Available at http://search.proquest.com/docview/206689809 (Accessed 2 December 2012) Holloman, C. R. (1974) What McGregor Really Said, Business Horizons, vol. 17, no.6, pp. 87-92. [Online] DOI: 10.1016/S0007-6813(74)80014-5 (Accessed 2 December 2012) Horowitz, I. (1994) On the manager as principal clerk, Managerial and Decision Economics, vol.  15, no. 5, pp. 413-413.   [Online] Available at http://search.proquest.com/docview/206626208 (Accessed 2 December 2012) Mintzberg, H. (1980) The nature of managerial work. Englewood Cliffs; London: Prentice-Hall. Pearson, C. A. L. and Chatterjee, S. R. (2003) Managerial work roles in Asia: An empirical study of Mintzbergs role formulation in four Asian countries, Journal of Management Development, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 694-707. [Online] DOI: 10.1108/02621710310487864 (Accessed 2 December 2012) Weisbord, M. (2011),Taylor, McGregor and me, Journal of Management History, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 165-177. [Online] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17511341111112578 (Accessed 2 December 2012) (2009), A Managers Role,  AgriMarketing,  vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 18-18. [Online] Available at http://search.proquest.com/docview/214008047 (Accessed 1 December 2012) In your view, does team working enhance or detract from enhanced organizational performance? Illustrate your key arguments with organizationally based examples. According to Oxford Dictionary Teamwork is the combined action of a group, especially when effective and efficient. Whereas Team is collection of more than one individual strive to achieve goals, they had a coordination of activities and had a specific performance objectives (Conti and Kleiner, 1997). People rarely work in isolation; they work as teams in organizations. In USA nearly 80% of organizations (having more than 100 employees) organized some employees to work in teams (Bishop and Mahajan, 2005; Plessis, 2011). Organizational performance depends on what are the objectives of organization and can be seen as productivity, higher outputs, financial and operational results (Delarue et al, 2008). Team works for achieving their objective and on the same time it contributes in organizational performance (Bishop and Mahajan, 2005). Managers increasingly organize work around teams because it gives synergy; give greater level of performance as compare to the individual input (Fincham and Rhodes, 2005, p276). Boeing gathered members of design team from dozen countries for its 777 project and synergy is clearly observed in outcomes of teams. The new Boeing is 33% fuel efficient and 25% less costly (Benson-Armor and Hsieh, 1997). It is also important to mention social loafing; the sum of team efforts can be less than the sum of individual efforts, individual puts less efforts when team expands. Teamwork also raises the level of trust because employees depend on each other for completing tasks and projects. According to SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management) theories, a well-planned HR system which usually includes teamwork will raise employee satisfaction, motivation and commitment which results in positive behavioral changes and leads to enhanced organizational performance (Delarue et al, 2008). On the other ha nd, team often leads to negative results such as conflicts, poor decisions and low productivity (Campion et al, 1993), which harms organizational performance. Buchanan and Huczynski (2007, p284) mentioned overall success of a company is depending on performance of teams working in it. Effective team leads to enhanced organizational performance. According to Guzzo and Dickson (1996), the effectiveness of team depends on goals, team cohesiveness, composition, leadership and motivation. It is important to keep the team on track, the reason for their existence. Teams exist to achieve goals objectives, they exist to perform tasks and it is the major reason for creating teams (Ilgen, 1999). The second performance-dependent factor is team cohesion, the more cohesive team leads to higher performance and teams with cohesion are efficient and effective. Smith et al (1994) found the positive correlation between team cohesion and financial success when he studies the cohesiveness in top management teams. The team composition means the characteristics and nature of team members. Campion et al (1993) mentioned composition is process of designing the te am in terms of the size, heterogeneity, flexibility, tasks and roles of members. Effective teams are of relative size, highly flexible, heterogenic in term of skill and experience especially when tasks are diverse and need different expertise (Hillmann, 2005). He showed through empirical study that composition of team leads to effectiveness. Leaders can also affect the performance of team, sometimes the higher expectations of leaders regarding team performance raise the actual performance of team and leaders often intervene in team processes only to boost the individual performance of members (Guzzo and Dickson, 1996). On the other hand unrealistic expectations may makes members of teams frustrated and often put them in stress. The last factor is motivation; it can be individual or group level motivation. Teamwork raise work morale and the level of involvement of members, whereas incentives and rewards for team performance can raise group level motivation. The 385 employee company S helby Die Casting, automobile manufacturing in Mississippi is 16 months away from closure, for saving the company employees had been organized into workplace teams. The result of teamwork is clearly observed, scrap reached to 12% (which was 40% two years ago) and performance is up, this teamwork saves the company from closure (Caudron, 1994). Another example is of Wellman International, a 450 employee company manufactures synthetic fiber. They improved quality and solve problems by implementing effective teamwork (Ingram, 1996). Guzzo and Dickson (1996) had also challenged the assumption that improvement in team performance simply leads to organizational performance is not always true. Sometimes teams are working well but results are not seen in larger organizational context. If the company invests in IT infrastructure, it may increase team performances but it does not imply that it will have an effect on organizational performance. Team-Organization relation is very vital, the positive changes in team results in organizational performance. On the other hand changes in organization also affects working of teams exist in it. Nurmi (1996) claimed that teams often slow down the decision making process, if members are not empowered. Teams also face conflict situations and they spent huge amount of their time and efforts in resolving conflicts. Teams spend their time in improving communication and attending team meetings which divert them from their original goals, conflict is linked with low effectiveness in org anizations (Dennis et al, 1999). Consensus and compromises are usually seen in teams for resolving conflict scenarios. Team concept is not necessarily applicable in all type of organizations. Gosen Corp organized its employees in cross functional team but after eight years employees did not find the reason for working in team when they are performing well individually and team concept is very ambiguous in company (Caudron, 1994). Caudron, S. (1994) argued bringing the individuals in a group creates barrier for achieving success. Individuals are often become an obstacle in implementing teams, they do not want to be a part of team, rather likes to perform tasks alone and shows reluctance for taking responsibility and decision making, These reluctant employees can be a reason for low performance (Berman, 1999). If the individual employees are organized in teams they look for their interest such as career and salary and they do not put more attention on team objectives. From HR perspective, hiring individuals is easy but getting those individuals perform in teams is hard. Lencioni (2006) had explained the problems in team and explained factors of team dysfunction such as lack of trust, fear of conflict, commitment issues, absence of accountability and inattention to results. These problems are affecting the performance of organization and hard to manage but still they are curable. In present era, teams have become an essential element in organization. Teamwork assists management, improves communication, encourage innovation, save time and hence enhance organizational performance (Nurmi, 1996). For making team perform and make them feel their higher potential, UK organizations invest heavily in team building exercises (Read, 2007). Organizations can work effectively only if there is strong collaboration and coordination among its team members (Mullins, 2011; Brooks, 2009). The self-assessments tool should apply in teams; each team member feels accountable for their work and evaluates their performance critically and member should give feedback to one another. Team roles should be clear among members and managers should make sure that there will no role clashes (Belbin, 2010). Another tool is Gap Analysis; the gap between current position and what should be the future position of tasks and goals then plan accordingly to lower down the gap. If teams are designed, managed and evaluate very well it will give better results and leads to higher organizational outcomes.

International Studies Essays Global City Process

International Studies Essays Global City Process The global city is not a place but a process (Castells, 1996). Discuss. Castells, 1996, P. 377, deals with the complexity of the interaction between technology, society, and space. It presents the new spatial logic of the information age which Castells famously terms the space of flows. This new space is, according to Castells, the material organisation of time-sharing practices that work through flows (p. 412). It has three layers: 1. The electronic impulses in networks 2. The places which constitute the nodes and hubs of networks, and 3. The spatial organisation of cosmopolitan elites in terms of work, play and movement. Here we focus upon the second layer. Castells identifies global cities as the most direct illustration of hubs and nodes (p. 415). Cities as nodes of these networks are directly linked. Cities are increasingly important in terms of networking on a global scale. The spatial organisation of the information age is characterised neither by focal point of activities nor scattering of settlements and activities. Its both centralisation and decentralisation using the influence of new technologies. The space of the information age is made of architecture of nodes and networks. Territories are united across distance in their function and meaning in the spatial flows, but places continue to exist as privileged locales of experience. The global city is not limited to special cities. Its the global functions of each city in the world connected through electronic and telecommunication links. The financial district of every city, and of every major city in the world, is part of the global network functions. Cities are sources of innovation. Innovation is the source of value addition in our kind of economy and society. Silicon Valley is a node in a major network. One cannot understand Silicon Valley without Mumbai or Bangalore or Munich or other places. Saskia Sassen showed that advanced services are made of global networks anchored in global cities. Networks of innovation are in spatially different dimensions. Network innovation in science is different than in finance, is different than in high-tech or multimedia. But access to these networks, and belonging to these networks, need specific sets of features which are directly related to major metropolitan regions. Metro regions have 1. The connectivity links to fast transportation and telecom systems. 2. They have the largest concentration in quality and quantity of human resources for innovation. 3. They are the spaces of freedom and free communication. Culture and institutions of tolerance are essential to innovation. The ability to attract capital and labour also depends on the visibility of the milieu of innovation and this visibilitys link to media exposure which is centred in major metropolitan areas. The internet is the tool for free communication. Global cities amass immense concentration of economic power while cities that were once major manufacturing centres suffer excessive declines. The business centres in metropolitan areas receive massive investments in real estate and telecommunications while low income urban and metropolitan areas are starved for resources. Highly educated workers in the corporate sector see their incomes rise to unusually high levels while low or medium skilled workers see theirs sink. Financial services produce super profits while industrial services barely survive. Global elements are localized. Immigration has a set a process in international labour markets. Cities are the terrain where people from many different countries are most likely to meet and a multiplicity of cultures comes together. The international character of major cities lies not only in their telecommunication infrastructure and international firms: it lies also in the many different cultural environments in which these workers exist. One can no longer think of centres for international business and finance simply in terms of the corporate towers and corporate culture at its centre. Todays global cities are in part the spaces of post-colonialism and indeed contain conditions for the formation of a post colonialist discourse (see Hall 1991; King 1990). The least spatial patterns of white collar work which are harmonious with its existence, is beginning to emerge in some rural and peripheral areas of major cities of the world. The more highly skilled home-based workers are predominantly immigrants, exploiting skills and market contacts developed. These workers may be of particular significance for the wider development of such regions through the particular competencies and contacts that they bring, as well as the effective demand for locally produced goods and services. The use of electronic data interchange technology is used primarily for the transfer of commercial documents can be extended for use in the home environment. These electronic data interchanges have created the electronic cottage. Extensions to this technology have provided the users and suppliers with new message structures to perform their tasks. This has lead to the increased use of the system for the exchange of information without the necessity for there to be a transaction involved. The use of structures has aided the provider and the user of the information in giving an appropriate vehicle for the exchange of data. An early proponent of this utopia was futurist Alvin Toffler (1980), explained, The electronic cottage rises once more on a mass scale the possibility of husbands and wives, and perhaps even children, working together as a unit. Toffler predicted a decline in the need to commute to work, an increase in the ability to change jobs without having to move ones home to a new location. He foresaw greater community stability and a renaissance among voluntary organizations like churches, womens groups, lodges, clubs, athletic and youth organizations. So in a world of international networks, Castells idealization of flow of information without borders has began to transcend cultural barriers and the impact on employment, work, business, society and culture is profound. Castells suggests that local governments might mobilize local civil societies to support a collective strategy toward the reconstruction of the meaning of the locality in a conflictive dynamics with the placeless powers. (Castells, 1989, p.352) He uses the term placeless powers because of the less evident and more subtle nature of control exercised by the classes, corporations and governments who own and operate the means of production in the new techno-economic paradigm. But the counter-strategy he suggests is organic and slow to take root. The nature of Castells call indicates the difficulty of getting a solid grasp on a global phenomenon composed of such intangible fundamental elements as data, information and knowledge. The flow of information made possible by g lobal networks of communications technology and flexible manufacturing facilities is the key component redefining space in the information age. References: Alvin Toffler (1980) TheThird Wave Castells, Manuel (1996) The rise of the network society. The information age Vol. I Sassen, S (1991) The Global City. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press Sassen S (1994) Cities in a World Economy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press King, A.D. 1990. Urbanism, Colonialism, and the World Economy: Culture and Spatial Foundations of the World Urban System. The International Library of Sociology. London and New York: Routledge.

Pro-Child / Pro-Choice: An Exercise in Doublethink? by Judith A. Boss E

In her essay â€Å"Pro-Child / Pro-Choice: An Exercise in Doublethink?† Judith A. Boss deconstructs the argument supporting legalized abortion on the basis that it is beneficial to children in general. Boss presents the oft-used slogan of the pro-choice position, â€Å"Pro-Child / Pro-Choice†. She maintains that this slogan seems closely related to â€Å"newspeak†, which she characterizes as â€Å"†¦vocabulary pared down to a minimum so that whole ideologies are expressed in a single slogan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (156-7). The term â€Å"newspeak† comes from George Orwell’s 1984. In the novel, these simplistic slogans serve to perpetuate â€Å"doublethink†, which entails, as Orwell writes, â€Å"holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously and accepting both of them† (156). Boss also explains, â€Å"Doublethink is maintained by a refusal to examine the assumptions and facts supporting one’s beliefsâ₠¬  (156). In order to weaken the pro-child/pro-choice position, Boss begins by presenting the â€Å"assumptions and facts† supporting it. Boss states that the basic assumption behind the pro-child /pro-choice position is the belief that â€Å"†¦the exclusion of humans prior to birth from the protection of the moral and legal community, thereby leaving the choice of carrying a pregnancy to term entirely up to the woman, benefits children† (157). Boss creates two categories of children and presents the possible benefits that abortion-on-demand provides. The first category, the unborn child, benefits because his or her â€Å"†¦ abortion will spare him or her a life of misery† (157). On the other hand, the second category, the born child, benefits because he or she â€Å"can enjoy a higher quality of life and paternal love unhindered by the presence of burdensome siblings who were... ...recognizes that the true utility that legalized abortion serves may lie in the benefits that it presents to women and that those benefits may appear in the form of social empowerment. It does seem that since 1973, women have been able to empower themselves in the occupational realm. However, Boss leads us to ask ourselves if this professional empowerment of women has come at any cost. In order to understand the true utility of allowing abortion-on-demand, one must weigh all the consequences it creates. It seems though that we have not appropriately measured the consequences of ensuring abortion-on-demand. Questions: How is doublethink mutually exclusive with the correct use of utilitarian theory? What positive consequences, if any, come from ensuring abortion-on-demand? How does one ensure that every child is a healthy child? Is it even possible?

Parties in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research pape

Gatsby's house serves as a key symbol of aspiration, reflecting both Gatsby's success as an American self-made man and the mirage of an identity he has created to win Daisy's love. Gatsby follows his American dream as he buys the house to be across the bay from Daisy, and has parties to gain wide-spread recognition in order to impress her. In the beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald sets the scene describing how the party was prepared and when the entertainment arrived. At these parties, an extreme amount of preparation went into the food. According to the account of Nick Carraway, Jay's neighbor, the caterers rolled out numbers of tables with load upon load of every variety of food imaginable. Each table was delicately stacked with all different and exotic types of foods. Few of the guests know the host or are even invited at all. This chapter builds on the idea that there is something not only mysterious, but sinister, about Gatsby. As Nick makes his way to the party he sees "A whole pit full of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets?" Fitzgerald uses polysyndeton, the repetition of conjunctions. He chooses a technique to put emphases on how important Gatsby?s parties are to others, like Nick, who?s impressed by Gatsby?s turnouts but mostly everyone shows up to make a known appearance to put their name out in other industries of businesses. Cars are lined up "five deep in the drive" and everyone has on extravagant attire to impress one another. If there are masses of people trying to find a parking space just to get into the party, this shows that Gatsby is a well-known person and that he is very generous when it comes to public events. It also drew people's attention to come a check out what was going o... ...re stable.? This concludes that even though most women were intoxicated, it seems as if they did it on purpose to get more attention from themselves. While the married women weaving to and fro, the other women would look for their husbands to possibly find a new mate to support them through their hard times as well. Everyone at this party was corrupt and if you looked deep enough into their personal lives, you could see it was nothing but hollowness. The only thing that mattered to them was their appearance and how they can achieve their own American dream by climbing the social latter. This passage also relates to recklessness, ignorance and greed. All of these qualities represented to fake people who showed up to party jus to be seen. All in all, Fitzgerald gave a wonderful description on how Gatsby?s party scene affected him and others around him. Parties in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research pape Gatsby's house serves as a key symbol of aspiration, reflecting both Gatsby's success as an American self-made man and the mirage of an identity he has created to win Daisy's love. Gatsby follows his American dream as he buys the house to be across the bay from Daisy, and has parties to gain wide-spread recognition in order to impress her. In the beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald sets the scene describing how the party was prepared and when the entertainment arrived. At these parties, an extreme amount of preparation went into the food. According to the account of Nick Carraway, Jay's neighbor, the caterers rolled out numbers of tables with load upon load of every variety of food imaginable. Each table was delicately stacked with all different and exotic types of foods. Few of the guests know the host or are even invited at all. This chapter builds on the idea that there is something not only mysterious, but sinister, about Gatsby. As Nick makes his way to the party he sees "A whole pit full of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets?" Fitzgerald uses polysyndeton, the repetition of conjunctions. He chooses a technique to put emphases on how important Gatsby?s parties are to others, like Nick, who?s impressed by Gatsby?s turnouts but mostly everyone shows up to make a known appearance to put their name out in other industries of businesses. Cars are lined up "five deep in the drive" and everyone has on extravagant attire to impress one another. If there are masses of people trying to find a parking space just to get into the party, this shows that Gatsby is a well-known person and that he is very generous when it comes to public events. It also drew people's attention to come a check out what was going o... ...re stable.? This concludes that even though most women were intoxicated, it seems as if they did it on purpose to get more attention from themselves. While the married women weaving to and fro, the other women would look for their husbands to possibly find a new mate to support them through their hard times as well. Everyone at this party was corrupt and if you looked deep enough into their personal lives, you could see it was nothing but hollowness. The only thing that mattered to them was their appearance and how they can achieve their own American dream by climbing the social latter. This passage also relates to recklessness, ignorance and greed. All of these qualities represented to fake people who showed up to party jus to be seen. All in all, Fitzgerald gave a wonderful description on how Gatsby?s party scene affected him and others around him.

No Fixed Address :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Fixed Address   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Aritha Van Herk’s â€Å"No Fixed Address†, one key symbol surfaces many times. The main character’s name is Arachne, which means spider, and sets the reader up to understand the central symbol in the novel—the spider web. The reader sees several other instances of webs showing up throughout the novel. Arachne’s dependence on the road and her random driving is another form of web in â€Å"No Fixed Address†. To tie in Arachne’s driving with webs, we see Thomas’s maps as webs of sorts. The most important web that Arachne is seen to weave is that perverbial web of lies—a person can never escape from that web. In the end, Arachne is indeed caught in her own web, and in the end, she is caught in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arachne, in mythological terms, is the master weaver; the women who pitted herself against a god and lost, thus being turned into a spider. Arachne Mantea is much the same. She is constantly putting herself into categories that she doesn’t belong in. Much of her life, Arachne was certain that she was adopted. Her family seems to be poor, but Arachne could not fit herself into that social class. When she finally meets a family that is of a rich class, she realizes whole-heartedly that she doesn’t belong to that class either. Arachne seems to belong nowhere, almost as if she belongs to that race in the heavenlies—this is her first and most fatal lie. When Arachne ceases to belong to any particular group, she becomes capable of anything. Cheating, stealing, and killing are no longer beneath her. If she doesn’t belong where she is anyway, Arachne doesn’t need to remember her past; she doesn’t need to cope with the things that have happened to her. Thus, Arachne forms lies of denial concerning her past and present actions. She represses the memories of a painful youth, while believing that her whoring around will never catch up with her. She begins to live a lie, and one that eventually gets her. Other aspects of her life mirror the level of lie that she is living. The manner in which she drives shows us more than any other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Arachne is merely lying to herself, we see her driving in a relatively small area, and very predictably so. She drives a bus, and in doing so, Arachne has a defined route.

The Far Horizon convention centre

1.0  Ã‚  Ã‚   IntroductionThe 4 Ps of marketing are in more than one way interdependent. They together help customers in making purchase decisions. If planned properly, 4Ps can also help companies identify the right segment of customers.A product must satisfy a consumer’s need. It comes with a cost. Production costs must be kept in check and at the same time quality should not be compromised on. A brand must keep its consumer’s interest in mind always.Price is next. Price escalation takes place when a product moves through the distribution channel.   A manufacturer's selling price becomes a distributor's cost price. This hurts dealers who end up paying more to the distributor. Ultimately, this affects competition and sales. This escalation in prices forces many consumers to look elsewhere. There are many strategies employed by companies to beat competition. There are some who find it hard to offer at reduced price because of brand. There are others who reduce their price in the face of stiff competition. Then there are those who, while retaining their image, launch products that are branded but service a different segment of demographic. Thus, price plays an important role in a consumer’s behaviour.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place can also determine price. Factors like who the final consumer will be and what he or she looks for must be considered. Where does a consumer look for in a convention centre? Are the major needs of the client met by the infrastructure available? Distance is also considered to be an issue that determines choice. No client would think of going beyond his/her convenience to book a hall. Distances also determine transportation costs, which could cause price escalation for the client. Distribution gets affected, and time and money is lost. So, choice of place is also important.Promotion relates to publicity. Promotion can take many forms: advertising in various media, events, press releases, trade shows, brochures, flyers, internet and so on. This is where a company focuses on projecting itself and its product. Promotion creates awareness, the first step to sales.Thus, branding and 4Ps play a vital role in consumer buying rationale (Volker.M, 1998).2 .0  Ã‚  Ã‚   AnalysisIn any business the marketing environment, production costs, logistics, distributor/dealer margin and the manufacturer’s margin are considered before a product is priced to the consumer. All these are directly influenced by the 4 Ps of marketing.   Far Horizon, a well structured organisation is in the process of expanding its activities to incorporate a convention hall that can accommodate 850 people in a single sitting; a first of its kind in that community.Far Horizon already has a full-fledged catering wing that is operational and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner to the local inhabitants. The idea of the proprietorship organisation is to project Far Horizon as a one-stop solution for any activity like weddings, business meetings, conferences, trade shows and so on. Once the convention centre becomes fully operational, it will enjoy complete ascendancy in business against a rather tame competition. However, there are factors that can determine the success of a business in any environment; the factor of the 4 Ps.Product StrategyIdentify three factors that influence product strategy decisions: Size, Facilities, and Availability. The size of the convention centre will be bigger than any existing hall available in the community, and can cater to any kind of programme. The availability of a full-fledged restaurant and bar makes food and beverage ordering convenient, without requiring external catering services. The hall is large enough to accommodate any number of people in one sitting and its availability round the year will make it a very attractive proposition to time-conscious customers.Place StrategyIdentify three factors that influence place strategy decisions: Proximity, Location, and Connectivity. Far Horizon is located close to the airport and is thus a little far from the commercial hub of the community. However, because of its existing restaurant and bar, it has its share of regular customers, for whom distance may not be an issue. The idea to tie-up with the local transport authorities may be short-sighted, but customers who require larger halls with more facilities will be inclined to travel a little more to minimize responsibilities.Promotion StrategyIdentify three factors that influence promotion strategy decisions: Word-of-mouth communication, events and media presentations. Far Horizon will get that distinct advantage that its competitors lacked from their regular customers. Customer’s feedback is a sound way to project an organisation for its products or service. How many times have one seen friends influence the buying behaviour of others. The same principle applies in this case too. Events taking place at such venues as Far Horizon will attract immediate attention, because it is located close to the airport for one, and because many people visit this place for refreshments or drinks frequently. Media advertisements are very convenient to attract those people who have never venture d to Far Horizon previously. The sparsely populated community will get to know a lot more through media coverage.Pricing StrategyIdentify three factors that influence pricing strategy decisions: Logistics, Quality and Quantity. Far Horizon will beat competition through its sheer size and facilities. None of its competitors come close enough to even challenge it for its facilities. Because it is close to the airport, the convention centre can attract outsiders to it instantly. The price for organizing shows, events, weddings, conferences are minimized because of its volume of intake. The logic behind such a move to make a big hall is to minimize prices through volume sales. Catering costs will come down drastically as well, and so too would the cost of beverages. Far Horizon will be able to capitalise on the service of space, food and beverages. The client will benefit immensely; enjoy better facilities at lower costs and maintenance.3.0  Ã‚  Ã‚   ReferenceVolker.M, Business basics for Engineers, Marketing & 4Ps of Marketing, www.sfu.ca, Referenced on 09.05.2007

I Am America, Too

The poem I, Too is a reflection of the nature of American society during the time it was written by Langston Hughes. It does not only speak for the feelings and insights of the writer himself but also to all people subjected to discrimination, especially the â€Å"black† people, who were the I in the poem. â€Å"They send me to eat in the kitchen, when company comes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  speaks of the inconsiderate treatment to black people being sent away every time they got near or in close contact with them. â€Å"But I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  shows the writer’s positive thought on being discriminated – getting enough courage and resources to be stronger, and finally be recognized as part of America. The visions of Hughes on a bright future for the black people in America and be at the table when company comes came true with the emergence of Condoleeza Rice, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington, Beyoncà © Knowles, Williams sisters, among others. They already made themselves big in every aspect of American life. The Americans have finally recognized how beautiful the black people are and nobody could just tell them to â€Å"eat in the kitchen† because they, too, are Americans. Reference: Hughes, L. 2006. I, Too. In Concise Anthology of American Literature. G McMichael & JS Leonard. 6th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. 1086.