BUS 187 Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BUS 187 Project - Essay Example Hofstede also emphasized on the understanding of people’s behavior and thus their previous, present and future behavior can be predicted (Hofstede, 150). In this regard, five dimensions of culture have been identified: uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and masculinity versus femininity, individualism versus collectivism and long term versus short term orientation. France exhibit; 15-16 power distance, 10-11 individualism, 35-36 masculinity and 10-15 and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 180). Individualism and collectivism have been cited as the most important aspects in which societies differ. According to Patwardhan (249), the understanding of the difference between individualistic and collectivist society is crucial in understanding consumer behavior (Patwardhan, 249). France with individualism versus collectivism index of 10th and 11th shows that it is highly individualistic. This shows that both countries are not compatible with direct selling as a strategy. Since France is highly individualistic, the ties between individuals are loose thus actions are rarely taken in a collective manner and everyone is expected to bother much about his or her immediate families (Patwardhan, 250). In this respect, the interest of French society does not prevail over the interest of individual members of the society. This is a very key factor L’OREA L Company in designing the brands and their respective marketing, promotional and advertisement campaigns. Unlike collectivism, the French think of themselves as â€Å"I† and do not act collectively or draw their identity from the society. This analysis therefore presents the consumer behavior of France which must be considered in marketing. France as an individualistic society does not promote direct selling as a mode of promotion of products. However, advertisement is likely to perform very well in

Lord of the Flies Play Essay Example for Free

Lord of the Flies Play Essay Lord of the Flies is a play about a group of evacuees who have had a plane crash. All the adults are dead and the group of boys are now left to survive by themselves on a desert island, that at first seems like paradise. They become split into two different groups. One group has Ralph as their leader and they try to stay civilised and normal, but the other group lead by Jack act like savages and at first they only kill a wild pig that is already on the island. The social influence of class divide on the island was shown well by the Pilot theatre company. It was clear to the audience who had a higher status on the island. They used their spoken language as one of the main differences. For example Piggy was from a lower class background and was therefore inferior to the rest of them. He spoke using very common language and the other boys teased him because of it. He was very much an outcast on the island and his clothes were like rags compared to the Public school boys posh outfits. Piggy was never part of the group; he always stood slightly on the outside of the circle. One of the cultural influences on the play was a childs capacity to murder intentionally. This came out through Jack and his followers. The theatre company showed that like the James Bulgier killers they thought about who and why they were going to kill. Their reasons werent good reasons but they were enough for them to decide it had to be done. They used their physical strength and power over others like bullys do. They decided the way to go and if you didnt fit in then you would be discarded of. It was rather like the war that was going on in the outside world at the time where if you were a Jew you had to be destroyed. The way Jack lead his gang was from a very Fascist viewpoint. At the beginning they used Democracy to decide who was going to be leader and Ralph was the one who was voted for. Jack was very angry with this, as he wanted to be in control. He wanted total power over the rest of the group and he didnt like the way Ralph tried to organise everyone. In the play the characters built a fire at the top of a hill on the island. The theatre company used a small real fire on the stage and a small red spot light to give the audience the idea of the fire. When the fire spreads out of control they mostly just use themselves and their acting to show the fire. I thought this was very effective because with the real fire on stage the audience could visualise what it would have looked like. I thought that the fire came to represent hope and survival because it was their only way of signalling to passers by where they were. They used Piggys glasses to make the fire and they were the only way they could make a fire so these also represented the boys survival. Whoever held the glasses was the most powerful person on the island because of what they symbolised and they were taken from Ralphs gang by Jack. This showed that he was more powerful and fitter than the others. The theatre company also used levels to show his status. They put his camp higher up on the stage, which demonstrates his domination and superiority. He also had the pigs head from the pig that he killed on a pole at the entrance to his camp to show off his power but also his bloodthirsty madness. At the beginning the lighting was a bright blue in the background and a bright white in the foreground. The lighting scheme darkened throughout the play as the atmosphere became tenser. It was a shock and a strong dramatic anti-climax at the end when the extremely bright white helicopter lights came down. This symbolised the rescue and the return from darkness. White is a very clean colour which contrasted with the dirty greens and reds used for most of the play. It illustrated to the audience the change from a murderous gloom to normality. It is the realisation of what has happened to them on this island. On the first night that they stay on the island the dark red light in Ralphs camp signifies the fire and all that is attached to that. They cross-faded the darkness to show the divide between the two gangs. There was a back projection behind the action that reflected the action that was taking place on the stage. They used the lighting to illustrate the storm and their fear by creating a lightning effect in the background. Techno music was used in this play to demonstrate the savage, frantic, mad agitated and ritualistic atmosphere on the island. The most noticeable time that it was used was at the beginning of the play during the plane crash. It created tension, anticipation and a climax at the very beginning to get the audience interested right from the start. They also used choir music as a symbol of who they were, their class and their innocence at the beginning. It contrasted greatly with the more sinister sounds in the second half of the play. There were lots of natural sounds used to show that they were out on their own with nature. The audience could always hear always lots of flies making them think about the title of the play. At the end of the play there was calming chill out music to signify the end of the trauma. They used a female voice because it sounds softer, more angelic and soothing. The whole group started the play off with this frantic, repetitive dance. This symbolised the plane crash. There was always a quick pace during the hunts and their movements were slightly jumpy and alert like they were about to pounce on something. It showed the tension, excitement and nerves they felt while they were out to get something. Jack is quite posh so he uses more sophisticated language compared to Piggy. He also wears a hat to show that he is the leader of the choir. This is another thing that sets him higher than the other characters. In the beginning their voices were quite light and jokey. It was like they werent taking their situation seriously, but as the play progressed Jacks voice became sterner, stronger and slightly hysterical. Ralphs was determined but got weaker and more helpless. Piggys was always whiney and attention seeking. I thought that these were good characterisations and I probably would have done it the same, although I might have made Jack slightly meaner than he was. The choir seems very innocent at the start and they are very proud of their uniforms. They are all wearing similar quite formal things to represent their respect for their heritage and their social status. Ralphs costume is relaxed and laid-back compared to the rests he seems more genuine and open than the Public school boys. Piggy wears scruffy old clothes. Roger was the most savage of them at the start and he also had the least costume. Their clothes are a symbol of civilisation and culture and they try to use them to get back to reality. They clung on to uniforms for security and structure. The costumes are a strong symbol of class and divide. Jacks gang cover themselves in war paint, feathers and blood showing their savagery. It also represents their strength power and ruthlessness. The more they lost their clothes, the more they lost sight of civilisation. This is the symbol of them turning to the wild. Jacks gang lost the most clothes and they also became the most savage. This play is very much about the survival of the fittest, which is why Jack came out the best because he was willing to do anything he thought he needed to do in order to survive. The play also shows the audience that we are all savages on the inside and that we need society and rules to guide us the direction of civilisation. At the start of the performance Ralph takes up lots of space to show his confidence, but he gradually became more slumped as the play progressed, until he was a crying ball on the floor unable to speak for himself. Jack stood tall throughout the play, which shows us that he beat Ralph both mentally and physically like a bully. Jack takes Ralphs space away from him to show his strength and fearlessness. The set design was multifunctional. The plane parts were easily moved by the actors unnoticeably during the play and could be to the audience whatever the actors imagined it to be. The wing came to represent death because it was where they killed Simon and it was tipped to create the cliff where they killed Piggy. The wing was also metallic which showed the reflected sun and the heat. They could also use the set to make noises like during the hunts. They banged it to create atmosphere and tension and they ran through it like it was the maze of the jungle. They could change the angles of the set to show the different parts of the island. Ralphs camp was under the plane, which makes the audience think that they are hiding from Jack. The way the ripped up plane is always on the stage both ruins paradise and is a constant reminder of why they are there. It is also a symbol of the ugliness of what they have done and it shows the divide between the two groups. The plastic backdrop glittered and rippled to show the sea. I thought the way the set was produced by the theatre company was both effective from the audiences point of view and the actors. This is because of the way it could be changed easily and it made the audience fell like they were there too. The divide between the two gangs represented civilisation v savagery. Ralphs gang representing civilisation and Jacks gang representing savagery. They both choose their different paths and out there with no one to take charge brute force won over the democratic ways of civilisation. Overall I thought that the Pilot theatre companys use of Drama Mediums and the Elements of Drama were very effective in communicating the themes and the social, cultural and historical influences on the play. Not only did they use these very well but I also found the performance enjoyable and interesting.

Macbeths Weak Mindset, Lust for Power, and Quest for Blood in Shakespe

In the story of Macbeth the character Macbeth is portrayed as an honest and trustworthy man. In the beginning of the story Macbeth meets three witches that tell him that he will be the Thane of Cowdar and eventually become King. Essentially Macbeth does not believe this and ignores it. Macbeth tells his wife about the series of events with the witches and his wife begins Macbeth’s quest for all power. In the story Lady Macbeth is the force that provokes Macbeth to commit all of these evil deeds. In the story it is easily noticeable that Macbeth can be convinced to do just about anything, but after he is no longer being convinced to do these acts it is realized that Macbeth has a lust for power, a quest for blood, and a weak mindset. It could not be more obvious that Macbeth had a weak mind-set in the story of Macbeth. It is first noticed when he begins to take into thought what the three witches told him about being king. It is also noticed when he lets his own wife convince him to murder King Duncan to acclaim the throne. Essentially Macbeth does not want to kill King Duncan, but due to some persuading words from his wife Macbeth kills Duncan and regrets it terribly. After Macbeth murders King Duncan his wife has to consol him and make him wash the blood from the murders off of his hands. Furthermore, Macbeth shows off his weak mindset by allowing his mind to become a vicious murderer. The weakening of Macbeth’s mind seemed to begin around the time that King Duncan announces that his son Malcolm is heir to the throne and this is when Macbeth begins to ponder murder. Mainly until act four it is Lady Macbeth who dominates over Macbeth. In the story Lady Macbeth repeatedly pushes Macbeth into doing things he knows is wrong and doe... ...tp://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=11&hid=104&sid. Griffin, Gillian. "Lady Macbeth's Daughter." Booklist 1 Aug. 2014: 56. General One File. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. . "'Macbeth,' MN." Back Stage, National ed. 27 Aug. 2014: 25. General One File. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. . Stuckey, Connie. "Death of a Valentine." Booklist 1 Dec. 2014: 27+. General One File. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.. Wilhelm, Jeffrey, et al. Glencoe Literature: The Reader’s Choice Columbus, OH: McGraw Hill, 2014. "'Macbeth,' MN." Back Stage, National ed. 27 Aug. 2014: 25. General OneFile. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. .

Fiat Chrysler Essay

1. According to a major economics consulting firms, Fiat`s  ¨South American operations are the jewel in the Italian company`s global operations ¨. Fiat has plants in Brazil and Argentina, and Brazil is the biggest market, well ahead of its home-country market. In 2011, with the Chrysler venture taking up more and more of the firm`s attention – and as European sales suffered a steep decline – rumors began to circulate that Marchionne might move Fiat headquarters from Italy to the United States. Discuss Fiat ´s takeover of Chrysler as part of strategy to transform itself from international business into a multinational or global business 2. What benefit does fiat hope to gain from its arrangement with Chrysler what potential drawback does it face? Judging from your analysis of benefits and drawbacks, explain why the Fiat-Chrysler arrangement might be characterized as strategic alliance? In what sense is it best characterized as a direct investment? 3. What challenges in the US cultural environment do you expect Fiat to face as it uses its Chrysler connection to compete in the American car market? What management challenges will Marchionne face in the areas of planning and decision making, organizing and leading? Before their merger, Fiat and Chrysler were two comparatively small regional companies overly reliant on just three auto markets—the U.S., Italy and Brazil. Through the first nine months of 2013, nearly 85% of the Fiat’s automotive revenue came from North America, Latin America and Europe. About two-third of its profit before interest and taxes came from North America, according to data on the company’s website. In the U.S., Chrysler, though profitable, still suffers from the drought of research and development spending in recent years—a gap acutely visible in midsize sedans. Chrysler faces significant investments to keep pace with rising U.S. government fuel efficiency standards. Chrysler-Fiat ranked last among 11 auto makers in a U.S. government scorecard of average fuel efficiency published in October. In Europe, Fiat faces some of the biggest challenges of any mass-market manufacturer. â€Å"Fiat’s European business is the most structurally challenged in the region,† said George Galliers, an  analyst at London-based broker International Strategy & Investment Group Fiat’s European market share has dwindled to 6.2% in the first 11 months of 2013 from 8.8% in 2009, according to the latest data. In November, Fiat sold fewer cars in Europe than it did in Brazil, and that South America market is now vulnerable amid worries over the sustainability of its economic growth. Fiat and Chrysler also are working on new vehicle architectures, aiming to produce more models from fewer underlying sets of platforms. Analysts say it will be important for the vehicles to suit different markets without substantial and costly revisions. Another part of the Fiat-Chrysler strategy is to use Chrysler’s U.S. factories to build Fiat models and vice versa, helping to better distribute production and help fill Fiat’s half empty Italian factories. The first fruits of the integration are on display here, and promise to help Mr. Marchionne achieve his long-term goal of increasing global sales of the two companies to six million vehicles by 2014. Together, Fiat and Chrysler sold about 4.2 million cars and trucks last year. The marriage of an all-American Jeep with the Italian luxury heritage of a Maserati is the best evidence yet that Chrysler and Fiat can create products together that they could not afford to make independently, Ever since Fiat took control of Chrysler, Mr. Marchionne has said he planned to leverage the strengths of both companies and operate them as co-equals. â€Å"Daimler could never figure out what to do with Chrysler because they had no interest in integrating it into their business,† Mr. Hall said. â€Å"But Fiat actually believes it needs Chrysler for mass purchasing of parts.† The strategies used by the multinational enterprises are extremely diverse. Our purpose in this paper is not to explore their multitude, but to have a better picture of the most successful strategies employed by large multinationals, analyze their strengths and weaknesses and derive the main factors that create a difference. We found innovation, cost reduction and market conditions as key elements supporting a successful internal strategy and strategic alliance and diversification to be among the most widely applied strategies for a foreign market penetration and development, while fusions and licenses were the least preferred. Conclusion: Lots and lots of question marks. It all depends on how it goes. If Fiat can pacify Chrysler, if the integration of Fiat-Chrysler works, if Americans really buy smaller-engine cars, if the new platforms prove successful, if they keep their position in Brazil and manage to break into Russia and China, if Europe recovers. However, there are good, solid reasons for hope of a better future. Dark clouds abound, but here and there, there are rays of sunshine. They are well-positioned in some key markets. They’ve established a foothold in North America. They have a big presence and are a player in markets all over the world (except Asia). The cars are more reliable than ever before, yet still manage to be engaging and more fun than some of the competition and most owners are satisfied. Their new engines are renowned and studied and copied by other makers as they really do point a way into an ever more frugal future. However, do they have the capacity to overcome the difficulties? You can be an optimist or a pessimist, but the reality is†¦ Only time will tell. What Does Chrysler Get? Fiat will share with Chrysler its platforms and powertrain technology, including engines, transmissions, and fuel-saving tech. Today’s announcement specifically mentions city and compact vehicles, products Chrysler will need should American consumers actually decide to buy the small, fuel-efficient cars U.S. lawmakers claim they want. Chrysler will also get better distribution of its products, certainly in Europe, but also in places such as India—Fiat has a partnership with Tata Motors—and Brazil. Fiat also has a deal with Chery, the Chinese automaker with which Chrysler had been trying to partner. Both Chrysler and Fiat will also be able to better leverage their global supplier ties and therefore see cost savings in larger volume. What’s in it for Fiat? For Fiat, the reward is simple: distribution channels. Currently, Fiat only sells Maserati and Ferrari in the U.S., although Alfa’s gorgeous 8C has been sold here in extremely limited numbers, as well. If Fiat wants to become a truly global entity, a foothold in North America would be most helpful. Alfa Romeo has been promising a proper return to the U.S. market for some time, and Chrysler’s distribution network could ease that brand’s return to our shores—perhaps even saving some Chrysler dealers from closing altogether—and could also serve as a point of sale for potential Fiat and Lancia imports, too. Fiat will also likely be able to use excess global production capacity to assemble Chrysler-badged variants of its products. With worldwide auto sales slowing, that would help Fiat to continue manufacturing at pre-slowdown levels; Chrysler could potentially build Fiats in its plants, as well. A wrench in the works: Chrysler is still in a partnership with Nissan. One product of that hook-up is expected to be a Versa-based small car, possibly based on the Dodge Hornet concept. (That car was also rumored to have sprung from the potential Chrysler/Chery partnership.) We wonder how this new Italian-American deal might affect those already in place with Nissan, which include rebadging the new-for-2009 Dodge Ram as the replacement for the Titan. It’s All About Synergies—and Other Buzzwords Despite Fiat being on the financial ropes itself only a few years ago, Italy’s last remaining large car company has come fighting back like Rocky Balboa thanks in part to a $2-billion alimony payment from its annulled marriage with General Motors. Chrysler could do a lot worse when it comes to picking a dance partner for 21st century survival. Speculating further, here’s how a few Fiat products could make an impact. A caveat: most of Fiat’s vehicles weren’t designed with U.S. crash and emissions standards in mind (the 500 being an exception), so it’s possible that we’ll have to wait at least until the next generation of each of these cars arrives before they could be sold here. Fiat Grande Punto: It wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration to say that the Grande Punto is the car that saved Fiat. At the time of its introduction back in 2005, the Italian auto giant was staggering after years of neglecting the small-car market, a segment which had made it such a powerhouse from the 1950s through the ‘70s. Handsome, well-built, and economical, the Grande Punto surprised the automotive world by being, well, so unlike the rust-prone wheezeboxes Fiat had peddled to European consumers for the previous two decades. Maybe it didn’t single-handedly save Fiat, but had the Grande Punto flopped, it could have destroyed the company. Sized to compete with cars like the new Ford Focus and Honda Civic, this small Fiat would look nice rebadged as a Chrysler. Its range of economical  gasoline-fired engines (from a feeble but fuel-sipping 64-hp, 1.2-liter four-banger to the tire-smoking, 178-hp four found in the sporty Abarth SS model) could earn Chrysler green-car cred, props from the sport-compact crowd, and a valuable slice of the small-car market. So far, Fiat’s efforts to sell its European models in the U.S. and Chrysler’s American-designed sedans and Jeeps in Europe have produced lackluster results. Before their merger, Fiat and Chrysler were two comparatively small regional companies overly reliant on just three auto markets—the U.S., Italy and Brazil. Multinational, Global, International, and Transnational Companies Because international business is a relatively new discipline and is extremely dynamic, you will find that the definitions of a number of terms vary among users. For example, some people use the words world and global interchangeably with multinational to describe a business with widespread international operations, but others define a global firm as one that attempts to standardize operations in all functional areas but that responds to national market differences when necessary. According to this definition, a global firm’s management 1. Searches the world for (a) market opportunities, (b) threats from competitors, (c) sources of products, raw materials, and financing, and (d) personnel. In other words, it has global vision. 2. Seeks to maintain a presence in key markets. 3. Looks for similarities, not differences, among markets. Those who use global in this manner are defining a multinational company as a kind of holding company with a number of overseas operations, each of which is left to adapt its products and marketing strategy to what local managers perceive to be unique aspects of their individual markets. Some academic writers suggest using terms such as multidomestic and multilocal as synonyms for this definition of multinational. You will also find those who consider multinational corporation to be synonymous with multinational enterprise and transnational corporation Marchionne made it clear that if FIAT was to survive the global crisis, it had to become a global player, and more particularly one of the six world-class manufacturers capable of producing and selling six million vehicles per year. For this reason, a profound reorganization of internal governance and productive processes was needed, along with a strategic alliance with other car manufacturers around the world. The implication of this strategy was that FIAT could no longer tie its own interests with those of its home country, unless all the players involved (employees, trade unions, the Government and the employers’ association itself) were prepared to comply with the company’s requirements. Thus, in the public discourse of the CEO, the exit option, i.e. the scenario of FIAT moving its plants to sites with lower labour costs in Eastern Europe or elsewhere, became feasible.3 The joint venture with the US manufacturer Chrysler in 2009, which, after the acquisition of a majority share by FIAT, should be considered to be a merger, marks the achievement of the status of global player by the company (hereinafter, FIAT-Chrysler, or the Group).

Cyber Bullying-Exploratory Essay

Cyber bullying has been a topic for Psychologists, Parents, and policy reform since the commercialization of the Internet. Pre-internet bullying involved socially marginalized children and teenagers picking on their friends and other marginalized children in the school yard. Traditional discipline included detentions, phone calls to their parents, and some sort of reconciliation between the children involved. Today however, the climate for bullies has dramatically changed and the risk-reward balance has been significantly tilted in favour of the bullies. Today, bullies can simply connect to the Internet and create aliases (real or anonymous) through free e-mail services, instant messaging services, and social networking services. They then use these means to effectively bully someone without the victim ever knowing who they may actually be. Psychologists believe that cyberbullying is a major cause of teen depression now days. They also believe that cyberbullying can cause several long term effects such as social awkwardness, mental issues, depression, and much more. Some psychologists believe that when patients come into their office with severe depression issues they should ask questions about cyberbullying or bullying in general. From the parents point of view they feel as though there should be laws against cyberbullying. Many fear that their child could become a victim of cyberbullying and that scares them. Some feel that the internet should have more guidelines to help prevent the things that happen to some people. Victims of cyberbullying are another perspective. They know more about the issue than any of the others. They are in the action and see and feel how it works. The victims want cyberbullying to stop and want laws be made up in order to stop it. I believe that cyberbullying should be stopped. I believe cyberbullying is much worse than physical bullying. I believe that the effects of cyberbullying have a much bigger effect on victims of cyberbullying then most people think.