Of mice and men Film Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men Film Essay Of mice and men is a very touching film of hopes dreams and friendship. Adapted from the novel by John Steinbeck. The film is about two friends, Lennie and George, with a dream of great times with their own land and house. But there is a another story intertwined with theirs, about what people think of women. The two stories together will hold you in an array of emotions from joy to sorrow, and pride to guilt. This film if full of brilliant acting and meaningful uses of light and props. Of the two stories we will look at the one about women. We open the film with a man sitting in the shadows. Little light is coming in through the slits in the wood he is leaning on. He looks depressed and upset and bows his head as if hes trying to recall his memories of what went wrong to lead to this depression. And then we are suddenly in a field with early evening light filling a beautiful landscape, the main focus of our attention is of the woman running across the picture, shes white with brown hair wearing a torn red dress. As she runs we can see shes trying to run away form something or somebody, shes crying and the only sound we hear is her distressed breathing like she wants to cry but is holding the tears back. She looks like she has been attacked, although the dress is torn we only see a petty coat and not any flesh so this suggests that it might not have been sexual. But we cant really say for sure. The red dress represents passion so this says it could be sexual. We the see the two main characters running so we now think that they are connected to this. We never see this woman again in the whole of the story. The next woman we find is first only known as Curlys wife. She first comes into the story when she enters the bunkhouse where Lennie and George have only just arrived and are unpacking. Shes wearing a flowery dress which could be seen as innocent as it is cool colours and doesnt reveal much of her figure. Her hair is also in a very feminine style again to show innocence. Im looking for curly she says, almost as if she needs an excuse for being there. But also at the same time using it in an almost flirty sort of way trying to see how the new boys will react. He was in here a minute ago, but he left George replies cutting off that conversation. He hasnt stopped staring at her since she entered but not in a flattering way. We know he is a cautious person and he is almost looking at her trying to spot any type of threat. Especially as when Curly was in here he wasnt particularly nice. So his wife, even if she isnt like him in character, can still get him into trouble. Well I guess I better look some place else she says turning to face the door, only not to leave, just so the light shines on her from outside, showing off her figure. We now know that this girl is just one big flirt and George can see that. He wants her to leave as its the only thing that can happen to stop this tension, he cant leave with Lennie as they have no excuse to. Eventually after some more flirty lines she leaves. Through this scene we have been introduced to the only other woman in the film and we know shes a flirt and danger even if her image suggest otherwise at times. The camera reinforces this along with what she does. It starts with full body shots at the beginning of the scene and as she gets more flirtatious the shots concentrate on her upper body, then just her face, the attention is on her a lot of the time. The next scene with Curlys wife is in a barn as George takes a mule in. As he calls out for the stable buck she answers instead and comes half way over to some bags of hay. Shes in another flowery dress, again trying to portray innocence be we know that she is anything but innocent. This time she is also holding a book, possibly a story or maybe a diary, either suggest that maybe she isnt as much of the tart as we first thought and that she enjoys reading. Once again she tries to start a conversation, but George is still cautious of her and ignores her, concentrating on the mule. So to try to entice him she starts to once again flirt, as she sits on the bags of hay she leans back a little defining her chest. Her dress has ridden up revealing quite a bit of her leg, she pats the seat next to her trying to get him to come over. But still he just ignores her so she shouts. come over here and talk to me! he gets up and walks over to her. She calms down now she has her way. So she flirts to get her way most of the time but what we really want to know is if she really after a conversation or whether she only wants a cheap thrill like she has implied. All we have seen of her is her flirting and even now as hes come over to talk she is leaning against a pole like a lap dancer, asking about whether he has a sweetheart back home. We can almost certainly say that she is only after one thing. But then some thing happens that maybe changes our perspective of her. Her husband comes in. He ask whats going on and she says nothing I wasnt talking to you. he replies get back in the house. you dont own me curly. She says he now comes close to her and says in a way that seems like he might hit her I said go. And so she does. In this brief 2 minute talk we can see her relationship with her husband isnt a good one but he had just caught her with another man so maybe he can justify his anger. In this scene we have seen that Curlys wife is as we thought very flirty but that her relationship with her husband might cause this. She next walks into shot again in a flowery dress with a book as Lennie and George are hard at work in a field. In the scene before this Lennie and Curly have a fight. Lennie ends up with a bruised and scratched face and Curly gets a broken hand. Hi. she says, this is given a glance but they dont reply or give any recognition. sure is hot out here to day. She trys again to get conversation going. But again they dont care and keep on working. So she trys again. I said it sure is hot out here. why dont you go back to your house we dont want no trouble. Says George in a way that says I know I cant force you but I dont want you here. This is of course because of what Curly did. She is taken aback by this, she is used to being ignored but not told to leave by anyone other than her husband. I just want some one to talk to. She says. you got a husband, go talk to him George replies. yeah I got a husband. She says almost in a disappointed way. She then asks how Curly got his hand broken. To which George lies and says he got his hand caught in a machine. But this doesnt fool her so seeking an answer she asks Lennie who she knows wont have the mental capacity to make up a lie. how did you get those scratches on your face? she asks. Lennie looks to George and then looks away saying, he got it caught in a machine. He answers. is that so? She says with a look that is trying to work out how Lennie thinks. Almost as if she is concerned for him. She then quietly leaves. In this scene we begin to see that she isnt stupid she can work things out. Also that she doesnt like Curly and being married to him. The possibility that all she wants is some one to talk to is again present. In her penultimate scene we change our whole opinion of Curlys wife. Its set at night as Lennie and George are returning to the bunk house. Most of the other men are still in town spending their money in a whore house on girls and drink. Just as they are about to enter the bunk house Curlys wife comes out of the shadows looking upset and as if she has been crying. is curly back yet? she asks. no. says George knowing that Curly could very well be with another woman right now. She then says how Curly broke her records and we finally see a frail side of her caused by the fact her husband is now out possibly with another woman, he doesnt even talk to his wife, he doesnt even leave her with some measly records to listen to. We are shoved into feeling sorry for this poor girl and guilty that we thought she was just after a cheap thrill, when all she really wanted was someone to talk too. We get to see the womans frail side in this scene and we finally see her true motivation for the way she is, we see that she is very hurt and is just good at putting a brave face on things. In her last scene Curlys wife walks into a barn where Lennie has just accidentally killed a puppy. As she comes over he hides away and says how she would get him in trouble. whats wrong with me? she shouts at him as he rejects her company. Lennie doesnt see her as a sex object and so he doesnt see any danger in her although he is slightly attracted to her. So he opens up a little to her and in turn she opens up and finally we see her shed this mask that only shows her body and the fact that she is just a woman and should be treated as just some object. But now Lennie is sitting there talking to her as an equal and this is the sort of interaction with other people that she has tried to get through out the whole film. We find out as she opens up that she wanted to be an actress and she had plans to go to the theatre or Broadway and be an actress. Lennie is going on about tending the rabbits and not really listening but still Curlys wife doesnt care and talks about her dreams still. Eventually they do start listening to each other, and they find a common like for soft things. She lets him feel her hair, and then we see her open up in another way. Usually Curly is only interested in one thing, quick sex to satisfy him with no feelings involved, but here with Lennie she is being appreciated with close touch. She likes the fact he is being gentle and soft only after the simple pleasure of being able to stroke her hair. But he is a child in a strong mans body and he doesnt let go of her hair when she asks him to stop as he gets a little rough, and she screams, he grabs her and gags her, he only wants her to stop shouting but as he lays her back down we see that he has broken her neck. She lies silently in a pool of light on the hay as Lennie runs in fear. For a brief second we saw this beautiful woman blossom and show her true self and now she is gone. Though this film we see a progressing way in how men picture women. In the bunk house scene all we see is a flirty woman, and we are focused on her body. In the second scene we get another showing of this but at the end we see her giving in to her husband and maybe a suggestion of how he treats her. Next we see her being ignored by the boys, they consider her trouble even thought its not directly her fault, also we see a bit of her intelligence and that she isnt that stupid. Then finally we see her frailty and that she is not just a pair of breasts on legs, she has feeling as well as a mind and emotions. We can conclude that because of the way men see her, causes her to flirt as its the only way to get any attention. Because she doesnt get the conversation and interaction from Curly she turns else where and flirting is the only way to get that interaction she wants. In the last scene we see her mind, her dreams, opinions and thoughts. we see the side of her that has been ignored by every one just because shes a woman. Through the whole film we dont even get to know her name. But with Lennie these barriers are broken as he doesnt understand them and so she can open up and talk to this person. Even though he might not be listening he isnt blocking her out because she a woman and she gets the interaction that she wants and that she has been searching for. Then finally she dies and we are left with a memory of a woman that showed her mind to us and how she was no longer just a body to be looked at by men. But for a brief moment considered as an individual person.

Nelson Mandela Essay Example for Free

Nelson Mandela Essay Nelson Mandela was a man of honor. A man who sacrificed his life for the betterment of others. He was born July 18, 1918 in South Africa. He grew up in a segregated country. He later became an activist against apartheid. He protested and paraded the country. He got arrested and spends the next 27 years in prison. He still did not give up the fight against apartheid. After getting out of prison he became the first democratic elected president of South Africa from 1991 to 1997. After his presidency he created several nonprofit organizations to help and make South Africa better. Nelson Mandela was a man who doesnt care what people say or think about him. He always does what he thinks is right even when the majority disagrees with him he still goes on doing what he thinks is best. When he started fighting to end apartheid, he knew that he was sacrificing his life. He knew that his life was shortened. That death was near, but he doesnt care because he knows that his sacrifice will pay off eventually. Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa. All through his childhood, living in South Africa as a black man was brutal because of the apartheid. There was different school for black children. Restaurants were segregated, maids were used as slaves. Growing up, the rule at that time was that at 6 pm, a siren would sound, which meant that no black people were allowed on the streets after that time. If they are caught by the police they had to show prove of identity. If they couldn’t produce this, they were arrested and put in jail. Black South Africans owned noting during that era. No houses, no cars and they weren’t allowed to have accounts of any kind. Even at the mall there were different bathrooms for white people. Park benches were segregated public water fountains were segregated. Almost everything starting from the public transit to owning an apartment was separated between whites and blacks in South Africa. In 1961, Nelson Mandela became leader of the armed wing branch of government. He protested all over the country, sabotaging the apartheid government. Since the non-violent way of trying to end apartheid is not working, he devices a plan which call to destroying several government buildings. Such as, the post office, the police station and other government offices. It worked great until citizens started getting killed in the buildings. The police arrested him on numerous occasions, with no solid evidence they let him go. Finally they arrested him for treason and sabotaging the government. After getting arrested he was sentenced to 27years in prison. In the winter of 1964, Nelson Mandela arrived on Robben Island where he would spend 18 years of his 27 years prison sentence. Put in a small cell, with no bed, just a bucket for a toilet, he was forced to do hard labor in a quarry. He was granted one visitor a year for 30 minutes. He could write and receive one letter every six months. But Robben Island became the place, which transformed him. Through his intelligence, charm and relentless pursuit, Mandela eventually controlled even the most brutal prison officers to his will. He gained leadership over his prison mates and became the head of his own prison.

The concept of the hybrid manager

The concept of the hybrid manager 1. Introduction In this paper, I carefully examine the concept of the hybrid manager by looking at various sources from reliable academic literature mainly books and partly journal article. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First I examine the concept of the hybrid manager as it was conceived and then evolved. Further, I see to what extent this concept is still relevant for the present business activities and how far in the future it can be taken. I conclude the paper by synthesising all the sources used and by evaluating the topic with my own analysis. 2. Literature Review The concept of hybrid manager seems to have evolved in the business management literature of the UK (Harrison, 1996). The concept caught the attention of the business academics and scholars in the late 1980s. There are a number of websites and links that talk about various directions of this concept today. However, when it comes to academic sources, the literature is quite extensive but does not equate with what is found in terms of websites and web links. Going through Skyrme (2001) is one best account given on the evolution of the hybrid profession. Skyrme devotes considerable portion of his book on taking the matter of hybrid manager at length. As such, the writer defines that the hybrid manager is a person who has the skills to manage the matters of information technology as well as the knowledge of managerial matters. The writer also provides the names of the two persons who, to his analysis, are responsible for the creation of this concept. These are, as noted by Skyrme (2001), Keen and Earl. Whereas Keen gave this term in 1988, Earl is the one who developed this concept to a great extent by highlighting important responsibilities and functions of the hybrid manager in the organisational structure of the times to come. Skyrme (2001) also notes that it was in the wake of the last decade of the 20th century that the need for the hybrid manager was felt by the business world. Therefore, to Earl (as noted by Skyrme), the hybrid manager is a find amalgamation of technical know-how of information technology matters and carries a sound knowledge of managerial matters. In what follows, Skyrme notes that there is generally a lack of complete understanding of this concept in the business organisation and so the relevant stakeholders (academics, teachers, business executives, and so on) should first realize what the term hybrid manager stands for, that is, what it actually entails. Only then should they move ahead in trying to see the possibilities of making use of such a person in business (pp. 430-451). Moving ahead to explore deeper meaning of our topic, we find some other useful sources that broaden this concept and critique it at length. For instance, the literature informs that it was in the 1990s the true need of a professional like the hybrid manager was felt in the business world. The key motives are reported to be intense global competition which was mainly fuelled by technological changes in the entire world. This caused a number of new technologies to play a decisive role for the market growth and the survival of a company anywhere in the world. A number of companies cut their human resource so as to save business cost. The cut in the job required new human resource who could do more in the previously laid out jobs. Another reason which is seen as the catalyst of hybrid managers concept is that the competition was triggered fast by a number of big business giant emerging from the Asian market (China and India, etc.) and they took the entire world by storm. Some other limit ations in the structure of the business organisation were also notably making demands for new careers and jobs. Therefore, all these needs, demands, and challenges paved the way for the corporate world to ask for professional who could provide sound assistance in matters of information technology while at the same time could deal with managerial issues. If one single person could do both the jobs, a number of companies saw it beneficial for them in the areas mentioned just above. Thus, the hybrid manager became the word of the day and it was this time around that this concept obtained more and more attention by business personnel, academics, and other stakeholders alike (Currie Glover, 1999, 420-432). Reviewing more literature is even more productive to understand the intricacies of the hybrid manager. Now when the background of the term and the business conditions of the world are now put across giving us a clear picture of the concept of the hybrid manager, it seems important to look at other sources that view this concept differently, that is, differently from the basic concept and relating it more to the present day context. It can be clearly seen that this set of literature falls under the heading of criticism of the original concept of the hybrid manager. Thus, in this regard, Tansey (2002) provides a very thorough critique of the earlier models of the hybrid manager. The author expands it into three broad areas that require there essential characteristics in the hybrid manager as it is needed today. These are one area of their competences, which is divided into four further branches: (i) hybrid managers business know-how; (ii) their knowledge specific to an organisation the yre working in; (iii) their knowledge of IT, and (iv) their managerial skills. The other concretises the competences, that is, the outcomes that would come from the required competences in the hybrid manager. For example, with sound business knowledge, the hybrid manager will know basics of business, and would function according to them by understanding the requirement of a specific firm. The last area is the critical ability of the hybrid manager, that is, when with a specific competence, what critical insight that hybrid manager has to have. This combination of the further developed concept has been illustrated in the table below (borrowed from Tansey, 2002). It is this model that now seems to occupy more of the business management literature. There are quite a few authors who have expanded even this model according to their own critical insight. There is also now a more realistic picture of the hybrid manager being realised in connection with the present world. For instance, Grembergen is one author that claims that as the 21st century grows old, the hybrid manager will become more of a need of the business world. The major reason to this author for this growth in the demand of the hybrid manager is the tendency to decentralise information systems of the business world; this decentralisation would certainly require a professional who can propel two oars together: one of the management and the other of the information technology. In the future, this will be a very critical expertise of the hybrid manager because management and IT would be walking hand in hand. Hence, it will be very difficult to align these areas if they are run separatel y by two departmental heads: i.e. one manager and the other is IT coordinator. The author emphasizes this observation by highlighting the fact that coming days are the ones in which the world will be more sophisticated knowledge management base. This base can be effectively handled by the people with more expertise and new skills. The key player in the knowledge management will be the further sophistication of technology and systems brought chiefly by the developments in the information technology sector. Hence, newer professions will certainly be required. And in our case the hybrid manager serves for this purpose (pp. 253-260). 2.1. Critical Evaluation of the Literature At this point, it is important to critically view the above literature to reach a plausible evaluation of the fact that if the hybrid manager is needed in the future or not. The above literature clearly relates that the hybrid manager is a concept that came into existence mainly because of the development in IT sector and its growing link with matters of management. This is clear evidence that in the future, the role and need of the hybrid manager will be more in demand than it is at present basically because of the fact that it is the 21st century that is seen a remarkable time for the growth of the IT sector and technological advances related to it. Moreover, the sources, almost all from the recent years, continue to show that there is more and more emphasis in the development of the concept of the hybrid manager. The recent sources attempt to criticise, evaluate, and expand the concept of the hybrid manager. This is further evidence that the concept is well into the process of dev elopment and that this process is more likely to mature as the present century enters its second decade. Hence, at this point in the paper, there is strong evidence that the hybrid manager is the need of the 21st century and so this concept will develop into more sophistication. In the following sections, I look at this concept in more detail by exploring other related area to find out if there is similar evidence available. 3. Hybrid Manager in the Knowledge Management It is important to note that the concept of the hybrid manager has been addressed differently by writers who belong to different disciplines of academia and research tradition. For instance, although the concept of the hybrid manager does exists in relation to the knowledge management, the concept is looked at differently by Grossman (2007). This author sees the hybrid profession being so attached to the concept of the Knowledge management that it is not possible to separate the two. The reason for this observation is presented by the author in that today knowledge management has not only survived but has also told us that it is going to stay here for quite a good deal of time. The author states that knowledge management is not about managing information systems and business issues related to it. Indeed it is a fluid that needs to be taken into consideration as a whole which incorporates factors like intense global competition, evolution of the market into knowledge economy, and cons equently, competitive advantage coming out of these factors to those who will be abreast with these challenges. Henceforth, to operate in the world of future, in the presence of the knowledge economy variables, it is important to produce workforce which is able to handle such challenges. The hybrid manager is one individual who is going to fill a major gap in the demands of the future. The authors notes that they hybrid manager to perform in the knowledge management and knowledge economy will have to have (i) skills to network and team up with people, (ii) higher analytical skills, (iii) managerial knowledge, (iv) organisational skills, (v) skills to process fast flowing information, (vi) skills to deal with information technology needs. This profession, according to the author can be regarded as the KM professional (p. 32). But the author further notes that this is a development of the previously held concept of the hybrid manager. The author notes that as the need to understand th e challenges of globalisation and other related forces has increased, the need to develop more and more such professionals as can deal with these matters has also increased. 4. Hybrid Manager in New Business Climate There are sources in the management literature which shed light on the challenges that we might confront in the changing climate of the global business environment. Barta at el (1999) expand the concept of the hybrid manager in this very context by relating it to major areas of business organisation. The writers note that although the CEOs of companies do have a key role to play in the functioning of their organisations, they cannot perform all the major actions. Hence, they need functional personnel who could take the business side by side with the CEOs. These functional managers are also in a better situation to work as hybrid manager because their position allows them to have hold of quality information; they can synthesise this information with their area-specific knowledge of management, for example in accountancy, production, and so on, and can make the most use of this synthesis by their developed skills in the information technology sector. They further inform us that tomorro ws time will require the hybrid managers to work in a number of areas where they will be mainly performing the functions of understanding the challenges and opportunities of information technology within that contexts; at the same time they will be required to analyse these challenges and opportunities in favour of their organisation; they will also be required to take initiatives to address the risks involved in the decisions they make. Henceforth, this is something that needs to be expanded by the time so that future challenges can be appropriately addressed (pp. 80-83). Barta at el (1999) also point out to the fact that if the role of the hybrid manager is seen in this scenario, the situation will be more benefiting for the organisations because this approach will have to ensure that the hybrid manager has sound information technology knowledge which they could employ with their managerial knowledge. These two factors will enable them to have better interpersonal skills; they will also be possibly able to better understand and deal with the strategic demands of the business company they are working for. Moreover, all these characteristics combined in one individual, they will ensure to carry with them a broad vision to ensure effective use is made of the information resource available from both internal sources and external business partners (p. 83). The hybrid manager of the future business world will also be someone who will have strong command over the conceptualization of IT related needs of the company; the individual will also be mapping out t hese needs and how these can be sufficiently realised to increase the profitability of the company along with other areas of development. Another important arena in which the hybrid manager is expected to play their role in the future business market is their ability to develop ways in which their organisations can move forward to learn new patterns of knowledge still based on the information technology factors. This professional will acquire this goal by closely monitoring the scene of developing technologies, how these relate to organisational and managerial matters, and how these can be learned in the best time for the best results (pp. 80-83). Eventually, looking at the role of the hybrid manager through the analytic lens provided by Barta at el. (1999), it is plausible to arrive at the consensus that the hybrid manager is someone to stay long in the days to come. The professional will not only have a major role to play in the business functions of the future economy; this perso n will also have their role expanded into various areas of business world. 5. The Current Perspective on the Hybrid Manager According to the very current sources, there is evidence that the concept of the hybrid manager is still in the process of development. It has been also interpreted different in different countries. The major essence of the concept is more or less similar. According to Chew and Gottschalk (2009), today it is important not only to understand what the hybrid manager does and also what this individual does not do, that is, it is important to clearly define the roles of the hybrid manager so that the professional productivity of this individual can be attained to the maximum. Elaborating further on this area of concern, Chew and Gottschalk note that at present the term hybrid is being with a number of management- and IT-based applications, functions, and concepts which may be confusing the student of management. They define this case by giving example of the hybrid manager as different from hybrid users. They state that this distinction is very important to understand otherwise the real essence of the hybrid manager can be even lost to great damage to the organisation. Therefore, whereas, according to the authors, hybrid users are the people who work in an environment which is fundamentally user-control computing; these people readily join together their technical skills and knowledge with the business literacy required to fulfil their primary role. One the other hand, the hybrid manager is someone who does need to have technical knowledge and skills, adequate business literacy, as well as a third important characteristic: that is, organisational astuteness that allows a manager to make business-appropriate IS use. This third dimensional feature of the hybrid manager also enables the individual to carve out new grounds on which the future of their company depends. Another very important distinction drawn by the writers is their analysis of the present day organisational patterns. They state that today it is easily noticeable that organisations can develop the hybri d users through a properly set criterion. However, they find it very difficult to point out any such criterion for the hybrid managers training and development. This in part also informs us that the hybrid manager is someone not found commonly and who is still needed in todays challenging business environment (pp. 330-337). 6. Conclusion and Discussion In this paper I have conducted an in-depth examination of the relevant scholarly sources to understand the concept of the hybrid manager. It was also demonstrated that the concept has evolved over time and the factors that have been present in the evolutionary process of the concept were also closely examined. It is revealed that though the concept of the hybrid manager was realized in the late 1980s and was considerably developed in the 1990s, the concept is still very much useful in the twenty-first century. The first part of the paper is thus linked to the second part of the paper which informs us how and through which stages the concept of the hybrid manager is still so effective in the 21st century. It is mainly because of the persistent growth in the IT-based development in the world, and the growing challenges of the international business climate that the need for the hybrid manager is still increasing. The very recent sources examined also demonstrate that there are still is sues present in educational, training, and practical domains for the hybrid manager. However, there is strong evidence that the concept does exist in the very present time and that it is very likely to continue to prosper in the longer run as long as the information technology is growing, and globalization remains forceful for the business world over. In conclusion, it can be stated that the future for the hybrid manager requires in-depth understanding of the roles of this professional, its core and functional capabilities, the issues for training and education, and how to benefit more from this post in the middle of newly felt changes in the world. Having said that, it is also important to understand that the concept of the hybrid manager is now not confined merely to the UK, US, and Europe or other technologically advanced countries like Japan; in fact, the developing world is also putting efforts to produce the home-grown hybrid manager (Spremic and Strugar, 2002). Additionally, it is important to note that major challenges for the development are also quite many, but more fall in the category of training and education of the hybrid manager of the future (Morrell, 2004). References Barta, B. Z., Tantall, A., Juliff, P. Place of information ethnology in management and business education. Padstow, Cornwall: Great Britain, 1999, pp. 75-84. Chew, E. K., Gottschalk, P. Information technology strategy and management: Best practices. New York: Information Science Reference, Ltd. 2009, pp. 335-350. Currie, W. L., Glover, I. A. Hybrid managers as an example of tunnel vision and regression in management research. In W. Currie and B. Galliers, eds. Rethinking management information systems: An interdisciplinary perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, 410-450. Grembergen, W. V. Strategies for information technology governance. New York: Idea Group Publishing, 2004, pp. 245-265. Grossman, M. 2007. The emerging academic discipline of knowledge management. Journal of Information Systems Education, 18 (1), pp. 31-38. Harrison, C. Academic support services. In D. Warner and D. Palfreyman, eds, Higher education management: The key elements. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1996, pp. 192-202. Morrell, K. Analysing professional work in the public sector: The case of NHS nurses. Research Series Paper, 1, 2004, 3-29. Skyrme, D.J., The hybrid manager. In M. J. Earl, ed. Informational management: The organizational dimension, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 430-460. Spremic, M., Strugar, I. Strategic IS planning practise in Croatia: Organizational and managerial challenges. International Journal of Accounting Information, 3, 2003, 183-200. Tansey, S. D. Business, information technology and society. New York: Routledge, 2002, pp. 170-185.

Critical report: Anybody’s Son Will Do Essay --

In Gwynne Dyer’s article â€Å"Anybody’s Son Will Do†, the conversion of civilians to killers is being explained in stages. This articles focuses more on male psychology and malleable people. The author’s belief is that people can be easily brainwashed if they are put in constant stress. To support this idea, the author gives examples of military training around the world which psychologically destroys individual values and loyalties and rebuilds them to make combat troops that will do exactly what has been ordered and defend his groups to the death. The soldiers are first trained in basic level where they are motivated to destroy their individualities and build comradeship amongst the men. The bond is so important among men because when they are in battle, they have to fight for eachother. In the beginning of the basic training, the recruits are all worn out. The training is being done in an island where they are conscripted to do what is being told by the drill instructor without question. Neither they can leave, nor they can communicate much with the outside world. Basic training is basically about giving mental and physical pressure to create motivation. In the first three days, the recruits are being hustled, yelled, and shouted. They learn the basic orders of drill that enable them to work in large groups. They have to surrender their clothes, cut their hair, cut their physical evidence of individuality citizen identity. The recruits sleep aside a series of hasty rituals and given no time to reflect or to look back and th ink about their families, friends. So that the recruits donot backout, the frantic bustle of forming is set. The creation of an environment that romanticizes the milita... ...e brutal and harsh ways that are used in military to change people into killers seems inappropriate to me. To become a soldier, right methods can be applied as well. It is disturbing to read that the recruiters treated the recruits in such an inhuman way. They are also humans that donot deserve to be treated in such an awful way. The author argues women are also malleable to become soldiers which is right. But for women, inorder to become powerful, they have to show more willing, masculinity, and aggression like men. Yet again, the author puts another question – What causes war? I think it is because of social distribution of power. Throughout the ancient military culture, mens are already inclined to kill or die. The primitive culture where men had to be a warrior to protect tribes from natural disasters or wild animals or anything still affects civilization today.

Harley-Davidson Inc. Essay -- Business Management Harley Davidson Essa

Harley-Davidson Inc. Celebrating their 100th anniversary next year, Harley-Davidson is a true American success story. From their modest beginnings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to one of the most recognized company names worldwide, they have been passionate about motorcycles. Harley offers an experience like none other with the one of a kind look, feel, and sound only available on a Harley. Besides their main business of building and selling motorcycles, they have began to offer financing and insurance through Harley-Davidson Financial Services, and they also offer a full line of accessories and apparel to make the Harley experience complete. Harley-Davidson, the corporation, has many things to brag about. On top of their financial success over the years, they have built a solid reputation as a fair, honest, and caring company. In January 2002, Forbes magazine named Harley-Davidson its â€Å"Company of the Year for 2001and in February, Fortune magazine selected them as one of the nation’s â€Å"Most Admired Companies.† Every employee at the company can be proud of these achievements because the corporate culture stresses the importance of all employees. While maintaining a level of success in these areas, they have managed to increase their revenues for the last sixteen years straight. Even in the economic downturn of the last year, Harley-Davidson posted record revenue and earnings. Harley-Davidson states their mission as â€Å"We fulfill dreams through the experiences of motorcycling by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles, branded products and services in selected market segments.† They have performed wonderfully over the past hundred years, and have not forgotten their mission or where they came from. Over the years they have stuck with the things they know, and also expanded into related services and products. Out of the 151 motorcycle manufacturers, Harley-Davidson and Indian were the only two companies to survive the Great Depression. Harley-Davidson was the only one in America after Indian dropped out in 1953, but face Indian again now since they re-entered the market in 1999. Harley-Davidson owns a twenty percent market share followed closely by Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. One thing they have had to overcome in the marketplace is the stereotypical image associated with motorcycle owners. It seems the publ... ...Tot. Debt to Equity .27  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   .46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amount Borrowed/ Equity Activity: Inventory Turnover  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12.98  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.87  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Move inventory quickly Asset Turnover  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.20  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.26  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Effective utilization of assets Receivables Turnover  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4.91  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6.71  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Collection of receivables / year Net Inc. / Employee  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  57,157  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  28,241  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Utilization of people Breakeven Analysis: Assumptions: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total Variable Costs are 60% of Total Costs; While the other 40% are from fixed costs. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All units cost the same to produce and sell for the same price. Breakeven Point: Total Revenue (TR) = $3,363414000 Total Variable Cost (TVC) = $1,310,045,400 Total Fixed Costs (TFC) = $873,363,600 Total Cost (TC) = $2,183,409,000 Average Variable Cost (AVC) = $5,587.48 per unit Quantity Produced (Q) = 234,461 Profit (ï  ) = 1,180,005,000 Price (P) = $14,345.30 per unit 99,723.83 = 99,724 units Required Profit Analysis: Assume required profit is equal to selling, general and administrative expenses so after expenses they will breakeven. Required profit = $578,777,000 165,810.74 = 165,811 units

Post-Modern Analysis Of Hr Gigers the birth machine Essay examples --

A Postmodern analysis of H.R. Giger's: "The Birth Machine" Contents 1. Introduction to Essay: Premodern, Modern and Post Modern Art 2. The Artist, Hans Rudi Giger and "The Birth Machine" 3. "The Birth Machine" 4. Picture: "The Birth Machine" 5. The Philosophical Narrative a. My chosen philosophical narrative (Postmodernism) b. Analysis of the piece through postmodernism 6. The Poem: "Der Atom Kinder" 7. Critical Evaluation 8. Conclusion 9. Picture: "Bullet Baby" and "Iron Cast Copy" 10. Bibliography Introduction: Premodern, Modern and Postmodern art forms Various styles of art change and mould to fit the times, as do their artists. It then follows that a number of eras are identifiable in history with the previous style or form of art usually being a catalyst for the next. The art often reflects not only the time in which it was created, but also the influence of the great thinkers of that time. The Premodern The premodern philosophy in relation to art can then be divided into two separate and distinct areas, namely the Hellenistic and the Medieval. The latter saw art as a mimetic actively or a second-hand reflection of the original source of meaning; that which is above man. In the biblical sense, this would refer to Yahweh or God (Kearney, 1994:115). This was followed by the belief that the imagination (and therefore that which came from the imagination) was a mere counterfeit of the original being (Kearney, 1994:117). As art could never be perfect and was always an interpretation of the imagination, the iconography (representational paintings) of Christ and the Saints had to therefore follow strict rules in order to show no emotion. This was no ensure that the icon which was being represented was being worshiped and never the painting itself. In the Hellenistic imagination, although man can be seem as an original creator of physical art pieces, the artists can never escape the feeling that it is an imitation of th... ...beautiful and artistic at the same time. Where the premodern art forms may have been too limiting on the artist and modern art a lot more reserved, postmodern art enables the artist to explore endless possibilities when it comes to expression. Perhaps too many as a lot of postmodern artists can start to claim almost any replicated image as a work of art. The imagination should be able to run freely, but should still, even in today's world on the monotonous, try to avoid too much replication. Nonetheless, Hans Rudi Giger remains a living legend along with his tortured artworks. Bibliography †¢ Kearney, R. The Wake of the Imagination Towards a postmodern Culture. London 1994 †¢ HR Giger. Giger's Necronomicon. Morpheus International. Beverley Hills. 1980 †¢ Stanislav Grof, Review of Necronomicon Mill Valley, California, January 2001. (www.ajlardim.com.br) †¢ http://webpages.charter.net/jspeyrer/necron.htm †¢ http://www.littlegiger.com/limited/ †¢ www.hrgiger.com †¢ www.giger.com

Reporting Abuses Essay

Every child must be protected from harm because it can cause many negative effects like trauma, physical and psychological disorders and any other illness that may effect their growth. So, the government makes a law that helps the child from being abused. This law can be found on Penal Code Section 11164 – 1174.4.3 (California Child Abuse and Neglect Law, 2007). This law aims to protect children and to give the rights of every child. This law also states that failure to report any abuses will consider a crime. In this way, everyone will be aware that they have the responsibility to protect every child, even if you don’t know them (California Child Abuse and Neglect Law, 2007). There are several cases of child abuse in our society but with the help of other people, it has been stopped like the story of Jenny (not her real name). She is a 4 year-old girl that lives with her father. Her mother was in the other country to work. Jenny was abused by his father and the poor little kid can’t do anything. One concerned neighbor report this incident. She reports all the maltreatment Jenny’s father do. Jenny’s father was caught and the child was claimed by the social welfare society until her mother arrives. Now, Jenny is living with her mother and her father was still in jail. This incident is an example of child protection. Jenny’s neighbor, even though she never knew her, helps Jenny and gives her the right to enjoy childhood. Based on Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals, we must protect them from any harm. We must guide, educate, and provide them what they need for them to grow physically, psychologically and socially normal (Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals, 1996). Reporting child abuses doesn’t mean that you won’t get any protection. The law also states that any reporters will get the protection needed to protect them. In this way, the concerned people won’t be afraid of reporting anyone who commits this crime. Their identity will remain confidential and they will have immunity for civil and criminal liability. The government also ensures that every report is true because if it is false, the reporter will suffer the consequences (The Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in