The Degree Of Mba Degree - 1491 Words

There is controversy in the added value a student gets out of a degree in Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Experts outside of the field argue that the MBA degree program provides courses for students, but that the courses are not teaching the students skills that they need for the field. Chris Roebuck says that MBA School graduates â€Å"educated bad leaders,†(62). Jeffrey Pfeffer; a professor of organizational behavior says that not all successful business leaders have an MBA degree (12). Supporting professor Pfeffer, Charles Haddad mentions that successful businessmen have made a career without a degree in MBA. For example, Bill Gates and Ted Turner say they didn’t bother with the degree because over a span of years the degree lessens in value (12). Attaining an MBA degree has better benefits than those who don’t because a degree ensures that you are qualified and skillful in doing your job. Having an MBA degree enhances management practice becaus e it gives you tools that prepare you for the field, a broader perspective on how business is run, and enriches your learning experience by networking with peers of various disciplines. MBA programs are designed to prepare, and enhance managers for difficulties they might find in the field. Having an MBA gives the manager a broader perspective on the business as a whole, and allows more strategic decisions that will ultimately impact the bottom line. â€Å"Studies suggest that for most managers, the MBA program was seen toShow MoreRelatedMba Vs. Ms Degree1071 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion a lot: What is the difference between an MBA and an MS Degree? Should I go for a Master of Science or MBA (Master of Business Administration)? And that s why I m writing this article. If you re here for the same purpose, read on Getting your masters degree requires a huge investment of your time and a large amount of change you must need, to actually find the answer to your question: Master of Science or MBA which you should pursue? MBA vs. MS If you have already narrowed your optionsRead MoreApplication Letter For Mba Degree Program1243 Words   |  5 Pagesstudy permit to pursue my further studies in MBA degree program with three months MBA foundation course in University Canada West, Vancouver, British Columbia. As far as my profile is concerned, I accomplished my first milestone of school (school leaving certificate) from New Horizon Higher Secondary School achieving 75.75% and joined Science stream in New Horizon College Butwal, Nepal and secured 52% aggregate in 10+2. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from PSNA collegeRead MorePersonal Statement for a Business Degree (MBA) Essay533 Words   |  3 Pages confidence and creativity are also, needed to flourish. These factors have allowed me to pursue in the following subjects: Business Studies, Accounting, ICT and Psychology. I felt these A-levels are related to my goal of achieving a business degree (MBA) in a business specialist university. I find that Psychology and ICT compliment with business studies as Psychology is a major beneficial factor in Business as when interacting with costumers and marketing new products you can see the differentRead MoreMy Mba Degree At A Business Consultant Position1499 Words   |  6 PagesBefore the pursuit of my MBA degree, I held a Business Consultant position in a small, but a very influential consulting company in South America. BET LATAM, Business Excellence and Training in Latin America, is a company whose purpose lies in the development of business strategies and training programs for any type of organization. My role in the company involved the creation of training programs in Leadership Development, Sales Techniques and Costumer Service Satisfa ction, as well as the developmentRead MoreWhy I am Pursuing a MBA Degree Essay1032 Words   |  5 PagesWhy am I Pursuing an MBA degree? I decided to pursue an MBA degree in order to further my managerial career in the company I work for. The question would be: Why do I think it will enhance my management career? The answer to that question requires short background information. I started my career as an entry level programmer in 2000, after receiving my bachelor’s degree in computer science. My career took a turn to management in 2003 when I was offered a team lead’s position with the company IRead MoreEssay Is an MBA Necessary for a Successful Career?765 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The importance of having an MBA for a successful career has been greatly debated since the first time it was introduced in 1900. The aim of this essay is to determine whether an MBA degree is essential to a successful career in business or perhaps there are other factors such as experience that is more important than mastering the business degree. The price of getting an MBA is increasing every year while the return of investment (roi) is dropping significantly at the same time. (ByrneRead MoreObtaining an MBA in Finance Essay822 Words   |  4 Pagescareer in this sector. In order to achieve my goal I will pursue MBA specializing in Finance, which is most popular among other degrees in this segment. Thus, MBA will be the chosen profession degree. Cost analysis of MBA degree: Cost of MBA degree differs from one institute to other and also with specialization that is the subject chosen by the candidate. Students are also eligible to get scholarship, which reduces the cost of degree. In this analysis one has to consider the foregone income becauseRead MoreOnline Mba Programs For College Mba Program Essay779 Words   |  4 PagesOnline MBA programs (Master in Business Administration programs) are famous amongst adults or youthful professionals who need to gain degree to get advanced or upgrade their status without the need of relinquishing their vocation or disturbing their family or work schedule routines. in the event that you need to go for online MBA programs then choose the particular course that is a good fit for you, as there are numerous programs with diverse specializations, and verify that the university from whereRead MoreCareer Goals And Objectives For Health Care Management789 Words   |  4 PagesI’ve completed my undergraduate degree. In this time, I’ve had a chance to reflect on my career goals. I am now ready to earn my MBA in health care management. With this degree, I will be able to accomplish my career goals and objectives. I plan to use my master s degree to help me pursue a career in health care management. My career goal is to become a health care manager in one of my area hospitals. I’ve research the strategies needed to successfully complete a MBA program. I’m motived and fullyRead MoreCareer Aspirations1515 Words   |  7 PagesWhat are your career aspirations and how will the internship module help you to achieve them? Introduction My name is Praveen Divakaran B.Tech Degree in Electrical Electronics form Saintgits College of Engineering (2009). PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Two years of work experience as a Sales Engineer for Gulf Services and Industrial Supplies Co.LLC in Water Equipment’s Division – Oman. Employer Profile: Gulf Services and Industrial Supplies Co. LLC is a part of Arabi WLL Group, one of

Essay about The Inversion of Buddhism in Heart of Darkness

The Inversion of Buddhism in Heart of Darkness In Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, Marlow is described more than once as sitting in the pose of a Buddha while he begins his story. Even our first view of Marlow prepares us for the later comparison: Marlow sat cross-legged... He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a strait back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol (16). This is the very image of a meditating Buddha. Our suspicions are confirmed that Conrad is indeed making reference to the Buddha as he describes the pose of the Buddha of Compassion-- note the hand raised in blessing: Mind, he began again, lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand†¦show more content†¦Sidharthas search first brought him to the forests where the ascetics meditated and practiced self-mortification having left all worldly possessions behind. Marlows account of the natives beneath the tree could easily have been what Sidhartha saw there: Black shapes crouched, lay, sat, between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment and despair. . . . They were dying slowly . . . These moribund shapes were free as air-- and nearly as thin. (34-35) Seeking this very freedom, Sidhartha joins the ascetics while Marlow soon joins the accountant who is in such an unexpected elegance of get-up that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision (36). The description of the accountant immediately following that of the dying natives emphasizes the contrast and reinforces the idea that the path of Sidhartha is not the path of Marlow. The accountant brought with him into the forest all the material trappings of society that ascetics went into the forest to avoid. Likewise, Marlows traveling companion to the central station is rather too fleshy (39) and often faints, requiring Marlow to shade him until he comes to. When asked what brought him there he replies To make money, of course (40), precisely the opposite goal of an ascetic. Sidhartha remains with the ascetics until he

How Family Intervention Works in the Social System Free Essays

Intervention is a designed interaction with an individual who may be reliant on one or more psychoactive matters, with the goal of making a complete assessment, overcoming refusal, intruding drug-taking actions, or bringing to the mind of an individual to initiate therapy or remedy. The favored procedure is to hand over information concerning psychoactive substance utilize in a thoughtful or gentle, realistic and understandable manner. (ASAM, 1998) There are times when we have a family member or relative, a co-worker, or a friend who has a dilemma on drug or alcohol abuse but he/she does not want to admit it. We will write a custom essay sample on How Family Intervention Works in the Social System or any similar topic only for you Order Now And in reality, they do need help. However, we do not know how to begin, where and when. One thing can be a good help with this quandary. This is what you called intervention. An intervention is a meeting that is well-planned and coordinated properly. Interventions, which can be family intervention or crisis intervention, are a verified process that has helped number of friends and families crash the â€Å"Barrier of Denial† that besieges a person who is covering up or refusing to admit their alcohol or drug abuse, for an instance. The term â€Å"raising the bottom† has frequently been used to explain or illustrate the intervention process. Someone can be prevented from suffering their behaviors’ unavoidable consequences later through this process. This is achieved by bringing the actuality of the situation into effect at this time. By far, the most successful way of carrying out an intervention is a professionally handled intervention. An intervention is the greatest way in helping or assisting someone who ignores to see the impact of their use of drug or alcohol on themselves and on the people around them. By taking action, you can infiltrate or give them the support that they so badly call for, whether it is a relative or anyone you care about. (â€Å"Family Intervention Information†) Family Intervention is particular type of intervention, which involves family members or relatives of an alcoholic or addict, intended to do good to the patient a well as the family group. Of course, as the term implies, the population best served by this intervention are the families. It is important to give family bonds much concern since they are the basic units of the society. (ASAM, 1998) One model for family intervention is the AIR Model for Interventions. This model of intervention is developed on the perception of Carefrontation. In addition, it also overlaps with the principal features of the Family Systems and the Johnson Institute intervention models. The Carefrontation model was established by James Fearing, Ph.D., acknowledged as America’s Crisis Doctor.   This model is an individualized procedure of modifying family dynamics and relationships in order to discontinue the cycle of addiction, take the system out of crises, and efficiently deal with a person’s addiction. (â€Å"AIR Model for Interventions â€Å", 2006) To understand totally how addiction has an effect on the system that encircles an addict, take the mobile as an example. Each piece of a mobile links to and depends upon the others for steadiness and stability. When you draw one component and every element moves in return accordingly, the mobile operates properly. The mobile stops to function when you applied energy to one part and nothing happens. (â€Å"AIR Model for Interventions â€Å", 2006) The people around the individual work much like a busted mobile when there is an existing addiction within a family. Great effort is applied to make a difference in an obsessed individual. Still, they get no avail unexpectedly. On the other hand, when the collective pieces of the mobile are moved or put in motion, those encircle the alcoholic or addict person can move about from their conventional places or positions. This is done by means of the intervention process.   Then, the obstinate piece will be enforced to change his or her actions. (â€Å"AIR Model for Interventions â€Å", 2006) The AIR model of intervention has two declared objectives: 1) To shift the system around the addicted individual out of the disarray and predicament created by addiction; and 2) To bring about help accessible to the individual. By directing our concentration on the organization surrounding the individual, and operating with them to make alterations in their response to addiction, we transform the organization separate of his or her choice to ask and receive help. (â€Å"AIR Model for Interventions â€Å", 2006) Immediately, AIR responds to appeals for help. The emotional pain and distress of people close to the addicted individual can be tremendous. That is why family and workplace predicaments are considered as emergencies. The sooner an intervention program instigates, the sooner that system will face relief.(â€Å"AIR Model for Interventions â€Å", 2006) A successful and effective intervention normally consists of the following components or mechanisms: A small but enthusiastic group of family members and familiar friends merge together with the common target of getting the involved party into medication Converse with and then take into service a professional interventionist to assist in making this very sensitive process possible Once on the project, the professional interventionist aids the group find the respectable treatment center for the individual   Make the compulsory arrangements to get the person admitted to the chosen treatment program Prepare the place and time to do the intervention Talk about and then write what each partaking person will say during the intervention Delineate what consequences will be pointed against the concerned individual should they will not agree to go to rehabilitation Create arrangements for the involved person to go to drug abuse medication right away upon their approving to get help. (â€Å"Family Intervention Information†) Family interventions have strengths and weaknesses. Let us first enumerate its strong points. Family intervention is the kindest and most caring and affectionate family and friends can do. It is appropriate at anytime person needs assistance but does not want to receive one. Also, it can be applied in people with any self-destructive actions. This can be alcohol or drug abuse or addiction, eating disorders, gambling and sex addiction, computer addiction, and even an elder who needs living assistance. How to cite How Family Intervention Works in the Social System, Essays

International Management Political Attitudes and Democracy

Question: Discuss about the International Management: Political Attitudes and Democracy. Answer: 1. The top five biggest management challenges that the international management firms face are as follows, Attracting and developing the new clients It has been seen that 72% of all the professional services actually cite generating new business to be their most prioritized challenge (McFarlin Sweeney, 2014). In management consulting world, the new business need is noted over three times more the respondents than the challenge which is second highest. Dealing with competitive marketplace or difficult economy The competitive pressure signs are been echoed in the challenge of the second business which is named just above 25% respondents in the industry of management consulting. It has been seen that the competition has heated up as several international companies have increased their efforts (Ruigrok Van Tulder, 2013). Many firms are continuing to look for other opportunity in the economic sluggishness. Finding and keeping the good people Searching and retention of the best people has become a major challenge for the management firms. To fight for the best talent has always been a challenge to business. Innovating new ideas The companies have focused to innovate at higher level than other industries (Cavusgil et al., 2014). For staying competitive, the companies should show their expertise and thought process. Strategic issues Coordination of all the activities starting from developing new client to continuous innovation is a key concern for the firms. For contending pressures, the companies should make efficient approaches in their strategy through effective utilization of available resources which is a major challenge. The international firms should hire qualified professionals who will make promotional strategies to attract and develop new clients. The firms should make rigorous market research to understand the exact condition for dealing the economy (Galliers Leidner, 2014). The company should keep expert HR people who will recruit dedicated professionals and provide good monetary and non monetary facilities to retain them. The firms should idealize those companies who have given innovative ideas and are able to mitigate strategic issues. 2. The two forms of political risks are the macro and micro level political risks. The political risks of macro level affects a countrys all participants. The local, regional and national events of politics often mean that events at local levels have the follow on effects for the macro level stakeholders. It includes actions of government currency, changes in regulation, declarations of war (Pastor Veronesi, 2013). It also affects the companies who are been operating in the nations and the result of the political risk of macro level are like the confiscation which causes the business propertys seize. The political risks in the micro level are risks which are project specific. These risks are more in local business favor rather than the international organizations that operate in the nation. The process of risk includes the government review committee, which is project specific on the United States Foreign Investment, the project, assets nationalization, and the dangerous politically strong local partners selection (Almond Verba, 2013). The risk is also relevant for the decision making of government project where the initiatives can be complicated due to the risk result. The four steps that the firms should take to deal with the risks are as follows, Identification of the risks. Measuring the exposure Mitigation of the risks. Monitoring the risks (Giuliani Macchi, 2014). 3. In the multinational companies, if abuses regarding human rights take place in the foreign countries, then the management board will make discussion with the foreign government so that they will take remedial actions for mitigation of such evil practices. The directors of the companies should make a consultation with the government authorities to make legislations in favor of human rights that if someone in the company does such activities will be strictly penalized and terminated without any delay (Ruggie, 2014). The government should support them in further the further trial of the convicted. The companies should not opt for the attempt of giving bribery to the foreign government as it is an unethical means of practice and will be risky of the government treats it to be an offensive activity. They can think of inducing such attempts of the government allows such practice such as Brazil. The other questionable practices can be counseling the employee who has made the human right abuse or making a compromise between the employee who has abused and the one who has suffered (Wetzel, 2016). A further questionable practice can be providing money to the abused as compensation so that he will withdraw his complains for a peaceful settlement. The companies should involve themselves in case of human right abuse to the fullest extent as the mishap take place in between their employees. They should remain engaged until coming to a justified solution. They should remain involved in providing solutions to the human right abuse from top to bottom, as it is their prime corporate social responsibility (Samovar et al., 2014). They should remain involved to maintain a clean and peaceful corporate life with security to their employees. 4. The effect of cultural context in cross-cultural interactions is all about the cultural difference that takes place between the people while communicating each other, which can hurt each others sentiments (Peretz, 2013). Each person actually represents their cultural value while interacting with the others. If there is a cultural difference between the persons who are making business negotiations then there will be an impact in both of the persons mind. It can be possible in case of meetings or can be in the firms human practices as a whole. For an example, of a business negotiation takes place in a meeting between two persons belonging from Australia and France then a cultural difference lies between them (Medved et al., 2013). The official language Australia is English whereas of France, its French. If the employee of Australia speaks to the French employee in English language then it can hurt the sentiments of the French as there is no such space for him to communicate in French. Therefore, the French can have a barrier in accepting the opinions of the Australian employee. In case of an Australia based company having their branch office at France, there is a high chance that employees working in the office are French. But as per the rules in the head office, there is rule imposed by the HR authority to use English language in the branch office at France (Ting-Toomey Chung, 2012). This can also hurt the sentiments of the French employees working in the branch as they are unable to communicate in their mother tongue though working in their native land. 5. The spoken communication presents challenges to the non-native communicators for the following reasons, The accent of the language in which they are communicating is different and is not properly understood in the both end. Communicators in the both end may use different language as their mother tongue which can create a huge barrier for communication (Vaara et al., 2012). The formal speeches used in one end during communication may not be a practice of the other, which can hurt the sentiments of the first one. The written communication presents challenges for the causes given below, Various nations use various forms of same language while writing. For an instance, the formalities used in writing English in UK is not acceptable to the people in US as they dont prefer formal English but like to write the language in casual way (Goetsch Davis, 2014). Such casual writing may hurt the sentiments of the people of UK. Moreover, Shakespeare English used in France is not properly understandable by the people in Asian countries. Natives using different languages as mother tongue face difficulties while communicating through a common language in written if they dont have enough knowledge in that language (Cummings Worley, 2014). The other side may not understand such written standards. 6. The conflicts or misunderstandings in cross culture may take place in case if there are differences in culture. The causes of cultural conflict in the international management are as follows, The conflict or misunderstandings that take place between the religious or ethnic groups or different natives. The ignorance in culture and the case of insensitivity that exists in organizations. People have lack of awareness in different societal lifestyle practices (Rothaermel, 2015). People have different cultural practice. People have differences in perception of illness and its treatment. There is a miscommunication and misinterpretation among the people regarding concepts of cultural practices (Terpstra, Foley Sarathy, 2012). People who belong to different nations have different cultural views. If they work with each other in a company then chances are there for differences between them. Several nations have their own personal religions, which can make people to get involved in cultural conflict. People who belong to different cultural practices if dont have ample respect to each other can pass comments which can eventually hurt others sentiment (Antras, 2014). Their procedure of work can be different which can be misinterpreted or misunderstood by the others. 7. The five steps in the process of the development of international strategy for a company are as follows, Analyzing the strength and weakness of the company regarding growth in the international level The analysis is done for the preparation of the objective presentation as per the capabilities of the company regarding international growth (Banks, 2015). The issue is the analyzing the companys present products competitive advantage. Analyzing the position and strength of the competitors A proper identification of the companys competitors should be done along with their line of products. A rigorous analysis should be done on their weakness and strengths (Antras, 2014). A requirement is there for the information stating how the competitors have made penetration in the markets abroad. Selecting the markets which are been targeted The necessary screening can provide result in the prospective nations for which the potential of the market has been estimated roughly (Rothaermel, 2015). There should be an inclusion of the specific parameters of the market, which can turn the products for decision making and evaluation purpose. Selecting the modes for entry The mode for entering the target market can be selected on the basis of marketing and financial risk, the financial return to be expected in relation to cost, desired management controls degree. Deciding the strategy of international business at the workshop of the top management The management of top level will make the evaluation for the options of varieties (Cummings Worley, 2014). They will take the decision on the issues regarding strategy of desired business for the growth in international level. 8. The advantages and disadvantages of the foreign market entry options are as follows, Advantages There is feedback of good information from the target market, which makes the development of better relationships with the buyers (Goetsch Davis, 2014). A controlling of foreign market selection is there which will make a choice for the companies representing abroad nations. A better protection is there in case of the patents, trademarks, goodwill and the property, which was intangible (Vaara et al., 2012). It is realized that the market has the potentiality to have a greater sales and profit, which is a kind of indirect exporting. Disadvantages In case of foreign market entry, a greater requirement of information always becomes existent. There is a requirement of investments, which are higher in case of resources, time and personnel (Ting-Toomey Chung, 2012). There is higher risks and higher costs for start up of business which is opposed to the exporting in indirect mode. There are also a chance of longer time-to-market which is opposed to the indirect export business. 9. The pros and cons associated with the various organizational structure in the international management firms are as follows, Pros The structures are cost efficient (Medved et al., 2013). It makes promotion of making faster decisions. It provides a communication, which is clear. It has a requirement of supervision and less dominance (Peretz, 2013). Cons A sharp chance lies there that the management can loose their control. There can be a struggling effort between work and relationship. A creation of power struggle can take place. It makes the retention of the employee to be difficult (Samovar et al., 2014). It can make a hindrance of the growth. A lesser amount of motivation can take place. It can make results for the confusion of roles. 10. The difficulties that are been faced by the multinationals with regard to the issues of cross cultural leadership are as follows, Understanding the difference in peoples behavior from expectation The behavior of common people is their values expression that they manage people from other culture. They have to understand their behavior (Wetzel, 2016). Development of a proper understanding is one of the biggest challenging task that the managers are facing. Avoiding to get frustrated and angry A rigorous comparison is always been made in case of the behavior of the people with values and norms. If there is a sense of behavior to accept then it will be accepted otherwise it will be rejected (Ruggie, 2014). Such rejection tends to hostility and frustration towards the behavior of employee. Providing motivation to a team, which is culturally diversified Motivation has a close relation to culture. A factor that is motivating in one culture can be de-motivating to the other. Achieving the efficiency of desired level It is difficult for reaching the desired efficiency level in a team having cultural variations as maximum time gets spent to sort out the misunderstandings or setting the expectations and making all person for pursuing the same goals (Giuliani Macchi, 2014). Lack of training to manage a team of cultural diversification The managers of cross culture can have the feeling they require for managing tools and leading a team which is culturally diversified. 11. The problems associated with evaluation of employee performance are as follows, Bias of the rater. Influence of the events that occurred recently. Make a rating in the middle. Make a focus in the negative side. Surprises, which are unwanted (Almond Verba, 2015). Infrequent feedback. Improper assessment of the actual performance. Assessment done without data. Lack of accountability. The problems are been complicated by international settings through following ways, Lack of understanding of the international performance management. Inability to analyze the areas on the basis of skills and other traits for appraisal in the international level (Pastor Veronesi, 2013). Lack of understanding of the conflicting role expectation from organizational groups of diversified culture. Analyzing appraiser varieties in international level of performance appraisal and determination of who will make the appraisal (Galliers Leidner, 2014). 12. The advantages associated with cultural diversity in groups are as follows, The gender and racial diversity are found for positively contributing to sales, profits and customers. The racial diversity can make an influence on the market share (Cavusgil et al., 2014). The companies can increase their creativity through encouragement of diversified opinions and perspectives. The disadvantages are, The company that makes recruitment and makes employment of diversified workforce should create a culture promoting respect and dignity for avoiding the tension between the employees. There will be an adverse effect in communication if the first language of the employee is not English (Ruigrok Van Tulder, 2013). The existing employees will leave the organization if there is a prevention of their personal prejudices from working with the colleagues having different background. While making investigation of the employee complaints for the negative attitudes can acquire a huge time of the management (McFarlin Sweeney, 2014). References Almond, G. A., Verba, S. (2015).The civic culture: Political attitudes and democracy in five nations. Princeton University Press. Antras, P. (2014). GrossmanHart (1986) goes global: Incomplete contracts, property rights, and the international organization of production.Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization,30(suppl 1), i118-i175. Banks, J. A. (2015).Cultural diversity and education. Routledge. Cavusgil, S. T., Knight, G., Riesenberger, J. R., Rammal, H. G., Rose, E. L. (2014).International business. Pearson Australia. Cummings, T., Worley, C. (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Galliers, R. D., Leidner, D. E. (2014).Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Giuliani, E., Macchi, C. (2014). Multinational corporations economic and human rights impacts on developing countries: a review and research agenda.Cambridge journal of economics,38(2), 479-517. Goetsch, D. L., Davis, S. B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. pearson. McFarlin, D., Sweeney, P. D. (2014).International Management: Strategic Opportunities Cultural Challenges. Routledge. Medved, D., Franco, A., Gao, X., Yang, F. (2013). Challenges in teaching international students: group separation, language barriers and culture differences. Pastor, ., Veronesi, P. (2013). Political uncertainty and risk premia.Journal of Financial Economics,110(3), 520-545. Peretz, H. (2013). Information Technology Systems in the Human Resource Management Area. InGlobal Trends in Human Resource Management(pp. 214-236). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Rothaermel, F. T. (2015).Strategic management. McGraw-Hill. Ruggie, J. G. (2014). Global governance and New Governance Theory: Lessons from business and human rights.Global Governance,20(1), 5-17. Ruigrok, W., Van Tulder, R. (2013).The logic of international restructuring: The management of dependencies in rival industrial complexes. Routledge. Samovar, L., Porter, R., McDaniel, E., Roy, C. (2014).Intercultural communication: A reader. Cengage Learning. Terpstra, V., Foley, J., Sarathy, R. (2012).International marketing. Naper Press. Ting-Toomey, S., Chung, L. C. (2012).Understanding intercultural communication. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Vaara, E., Sarala, R., Stahl, G. K., Bjrkman, I. (2012). The impact of organizational and national cultural differences on social conflict and knowledge transfer in international acquisitions.Journal of Management Studies,49(1), 1-27. Wetzel, J. R. M. (2016). Targeting Corporate Human Rights Conduct from a Multinational Perspective. InHuman Rights in Transnational Business(pp. 105-147). Springer International Publishing.

Cultural Values and e

The Organizational Structure and Design of Veema Enterprises

The Organizational Structure and Design of Veema Enterprises Introduction There is no single organizational design and structure, which can be applied to all businesses; though all businesses show some level of organizational design and structure, which define the groups, and offers coordination for the different roles to be performed in the business.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Organizational Structure and Design of Veema Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper is a review of the organizational structure and the design of Veema Ltd., a business specializing in the delivery of IT appliances, including computers, across the host state. Things to be discussed include work specialization, centralization and decentralization, departmentalization, formalization, chain of command, and the span of control at Veema Ltd (Adair 134). Discussion The field of work specialization Different jobs, roles and tasks, are assigned to the various departments within th e design, after being grouped into classes, placing those that are closely related together, and assigning them to the relevant departments. At Veema, the employees working at the administrative centers are those trained and skilled in administration, thus may not be able to work at the business units, for example, the technical department. An example here is the case of Janet Walters, who was required to work at the marketing department, during an internal case study, designed to evaluate the ability of different workers to operate at departments, other than those which they are specialized in. Ordinarily, she worked at the technical center; and had maintained top performance since her appointment. However, when placed at the sales department, she could not perform well, as comparable to the performance of the sales team members recruited one month before. The promotion of top management takes place, often, within the division or the department, which the workers operate under, as these are the fields that they are specialized in. For example, 3 months ago, John Smith, who was the marketing manager, was promoted to become the president of marketing, which fall under the same department of sales. These two variables under work specialization, show the importance of specialization, with regard to roles and skills of workers at Veema. The study offered insights into the management of operations and resources at the organization, as well as the significance of teams in pursuing organizational goals (Adair 134). Departmentalization Veema Ltd. runs on a design characteristic with mixed product and functional departmentalization. These can be split into two: the administrative units and the business center units, which are further split into different divisions and departments. Business units and subunits, are distinguishable on the basis of product departmentalization, which is simply the line of products that they trade in or supply.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These include the computer sales division, which deals in computers and laptops; the internet set up and supplies division, which offers the services of internet installation and maintenance; the software division, which deals in the supply and trading of software applications; and the parts and accessories section, which trades in the parts and accessories of computers. These divisions create specialization zones, which allow for effective addressing of the needs of the customers. The administrative unit consists of a number of departments, which are departmentalized on the basis of the functions they play at the business. These include marketing, human resource, financial, technical, and global development (Handy 76). The marketing department is responsible for all the marketing activities of the venture, these including any sales promotions to be carried out by the business, and the allocation of sales staff and representatives, as well as the creation, communication, delivery and exchange offerings carried out between the business and its customers. Other minor roles are not listed here. The human resource department is responsible for the selection, assessment of performance, training, sourcing of workers and the rewarding of employees. This department further plays the role of overseeing organizational culture and leadership, as well as guaranteeing compliance to the laws on employment and labor at the areas of operation. The financial department is responsible for business budgeting, administration of funds, the employment of expenditure and economy measures, manning all monetary activities and checking tax compliance. The technical department is responsible for the technical functions of the venture, these including software and hardware testing, as well as the checking of faulty products still under warranty. The global develo pment department is responsible for the standardization of the processes and operational levels of the company, to ensure that they keep up to date, with reference to global levels of technical and software advancement (Covey 47). The chain of command Like at many other modernly run organizations, the chain of command has less significance at Veema Ltd. This is because the role of authority managers and supervisors is kept at minimum; as the employees of Veema are trained to act at exert levels across the different operational zones.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Organizational Structure and Design of Veema Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, different from the traditional chain of command model, which runs orders from top to bottom, managers at the different operational centers engage in the oversight of the performance and the progress of the employees. At Veema, the expectation and obligation towards performance is expressed at the teams or individual levels. This is to mean that at Veema, the managers will oversee the operations of workers, without assigning roles and tasks to each worker. This is the case, as the teams take full responsibility for the division of work amongst the different players, who carry out their roles towards the realization of the common goals. On the basis of the account offered, unity of command is virtually not existent at Veema, as the majority of employees, who operate under teams, will report to the oversight manager or the managers from related departments (Handy 76). The span of control The trends in the structure and design of organizations are moving towards the establishment of larger control spans, as this helps reduce the costs. Also, this is helpful in speeding up decision-making and is a factor leading to an increase in the flexibility of organizations, with regard to change or other change demanding situations. The wid e control spans, further help the business in drawing closer to its customers and the principal impact of empowerment and the motivation of workers, which play a critical role in determining organizational success. The span of control for Veema is similar to the one described above, as depicted by the operational functions of the different oversight managers and other support management staff, including the top staff at the business. For example, Dr Jacob Jones, who is the managing director of the venture, is a player in the oversight of 8 dissimilar sectors, these including the internet services provision division. Dr. Jacobs is also an active player in corporate marketing, the technical support division and the global development division. The wide span of Dr. Jacob’s duties draws from his high competence in running such ventures, as he has run five different companies in a span of 25 years. Therefore, he is capable of offering support across a major number of the different departments and sectors. The second case is that of Janet Walters, who acts as a player and the oversight manager in charge of the technical department. She is also responsible for the running of three other divisions, including the software development, the parts and accessories department, as well as the computers sale section, as she is highly proficient with the running of technical application and operations. Miss Janet Walters has also been accorded the wide range of contribution, responsibility and oversight authority, as she has worked under the technical department for 3 IT establishments, over the past twelve years. However, the wide span of control does not mean that one worker can operate efficiently at every sector, as from her example, she was not able to perform at the sales department, which implies the need for a careful selection of the extension spans (Boddy 145).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Under span of control, Veema calls for highly developed skills and intensive training, especially from those working at the key product sectors. As a result, the company offers further training to every worker on a two months basis, after which, it administers a skills-base evaluation to evaluate the level of competence. This is evident from the fact that, at the business units of Veema, the workers are able to arrange themselves into teams and arrive at decisions in a quick effective manner. At these centers, the workers also show that they are capable of carrying out their duties and responsibilities in an effective manner, without the supervision of top management or oversight control. Further, considering the wide coverage of the venture; the huge number of employees and the variety of operational locations which are operated from four reference departments, the operational abilities of the different workers is skilled and effective. This shows that the different workers at Veem a are highly skilled and proficient (Covey 47). Centralization and Decentralization at Veema From The operational design and the duty execution lines of the company, the company is fairly decentralized. The operational teams under the different departments and divisions at Veema formulate their own plans regarding projects. However, all these are done with reference to their skills and knowledge base, towards the realization of the goals set by the divisions, departments or the company as a whole. The managers at Veema rely on the experience and the expertise of the team members at the departmental or divisional levels of decision-making, these including those on goal setting. Additionally, the roles of the managers are more restricted to the oversight or progress and the provision of suggestions to the players when necessary. Decentralization is also evident from the mutual dependence of the different departments and divisions, which may request for the provision of the resources a vailable at others. From this case, it is also evident that decision-making at the organizational level cannot be carried out by one department, managerial level or other positional leaders. From the appearance that decision-making at Veema is not concentrated around certain departments, divisions or authorities, it is clear that Veema is operated on a decentralized mode of operation (Collins 145). Formalization at Veema From the account of Veema, it is clear that the company has spent a considerable effort, towards ensuring that the working environment available to its workers is highly flexible, and one with less boundaries. Further, the company encourages and promotes their employees to live a learning-process, whether at work or outside, as the company operates principally, on the highly developed employee skills-base. From following this approach, the company has created a highly skilled and intelligent workforce, which offers it competitive advantage, towards the meeting of co mpany goals at a considerable level of freedom. From the account therefore, it is clear that job behaviors are considerably not structured, which offers employees a substantial level of freedom as they do their work, thus are highly capable of exercising creativity and developing more effective problem-solving tactics (Handy 76). Conclusion There is no single organizational design or structure, which can be applied and used at different institutions or organizations. This is the case, as the design or structure adopted, depends on the needs of the organization, the area of coverage and the extent of service to be offered. For instance, a sole proprietorship may rely on the input of one individual, and still meet its obligations, while a company must have a large number of players working in harmony. This paper is an analysis of the organizational structure and design of Veema, an IT supplies company. Under work specialization, different departments and divisions are assigned differe nt roles and responsibilities. Under departmentalization, the company has an administrative and a business unit, which are further split into different divisions, which are the socialization zones. At Veema, the chain of command is virtually non-existent, as there are no definite lines of authority. In the area of span of control, the company’s management covers a wide coverage of duties, which are run through the input of the lower level employees. Under centralization, the company’s decisions are made at the different levels of operation and the different authority and functional roles, thus the company adopts a decentralized operation model. Under formalization, Veema is low; therefore the employees work in a highly free environment, which promotes personal responsibility. Adair, John. 100 Greatest Ideas for Effective Leadership. Chichester: Capstone Publishing, 2011. Print. Boddy, David. Management An Introduction. Harlow: Pearson, 2005. Print. Collins, David. Na rrating the Management Guru: In Search of Tom Peters. Oxford: Rutledge, 2007. Print. Covey, Stephen. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. London: Simon Schuster, 2004. Print. Handy, Charles. Understanding Organizations. London: Penguin Publishers, 1999. Print.

Sources of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sources of Finance - Essay Example The equity market (also known as the stock market) is the market for trading equity instruments (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2005). Shares are the securities issued to the general public and its ownership implies business ownership.There are two different types of shares: Equity shares and Preference shares (Finance.mapsofworld.com, 2013). One of the examples of the equity instrument is common stock shares, publicly traded on national and global Stock exchanges (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2005). Debts are the financial instruments traded for a long period of time. Example of debt instruments are mortgages and bonds (either corporate or government) (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2005). Loans are granted by Banks, insurance companies or financial institutions in order to provide working capital or finance capital equipment (Term loan, 2006). Various banks including commercial banks, industrial development banks, and cooperative banks give medium-term loans for a period of 3-5 years (Finance.mapsofworld.com, 2013). Financial institutions established by State and Central governments give long term loans (Finance.mapsofworld.com, 2013). In order to get long term loan the company is required to limit dividends, to meet minimum working capital and debt to net, etc. (Term loan, 2006). If the company is granted the loan, it is amortized over a fixed period of time (Term loan, 2006). Loans as a source of long-term financing have some obvious benefits to the borrowers, as the principal and interest are the figures that can be calculated and planned in budget. Also, the duration of the business relationship is defined in the contract and normally ends when the debt is paid out (National Federation of Independent Business, 2009). Equity financing allows a business entity to acquire funds without generating debt obligations. When the company issues shares usually there is no debt burden on the company

Discussion Essay (See Below) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Essay (See Below) - Assignment Example A teacher can also be a parent, spouse and member of the local church committee. A person’s social identity is complex and multifaceted with each person belonging to any number of broad groups with which they share general characteristics (race, gender, profession etc.) and a few small groups with which they share specific characteristics (local club members, PTA’s etc.) Accordingly a person identifying himself/herself with a particular group automatically assumes the prestige of that group. For example a black female will automatically assume that she is socially disadvantaged, or a white male may assume superiority above females etc. In order to belong to a group individuals assign certain values and traits to different groups. They then identify themselves with the group that has traits similar to their own this is known as the in group. Similarly individuals differentiate themselves from other groups which have different values and traits, these are the out groups. When a person is aware of difference in out group he/she tends to ‘stick together’ or favor the in

Benefits of Social Media to an Airport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits of Social Media to an Airport - Essay Example This essay stresses that social media provides a platform where the users share what is in their mind freely and even engage in debates and information exchange. Having airports being on social media will therefore mean that the users of the different social media who will view the business page will be able to freely air their comments, grievances and views about the airport. This therefore provides free branding exercise and ideas for the airport. It is also ensure that the airport continues to improve their business and venture by acting on the advice and criticism they are being given. This will also provide a competitive edge over the other airports that are not in the social media in terms of ideas, products, services and even further market venturing techniques including marketing strategies to attract investors, donors and more customers. This paper makes a conclusion that according to the Airline Social Media Outlook Report of 2012 which surveyed 55 airports, it is evident that the airports spend very few hours on social media (hence missing out on the benefits mentioned above or failing to reap all the benefits), they also allocate very little of their budget to social media spending annually, the airports just use the social media for branding and customer service and minimal marketing. Based on the major benefits provided above and even those that are termed as too minor and have not been discussed above, the airports management and administration in general should consider changing the above survey to make a difference to their business organization.

Reasons For Dominance Of One Party Rule Politics Essay

Reasons For Dominance Of One Party Rule Politics Essay Various authors and political analysts have criticized the one-party-system in Africa and its impact on democracy and development of the dark continent. There have been debates over the past as to whether single-state party system is the way to go for Africa, with civil societies, international organizations and local African scholars deeming the practice as barbaric, undemocratic and a system that will destroy Africa. There are several reasons why the one-party rule tendency was dominant among African countries. Consolidation among ethnicities Many African countries have experienced serious threats to their national cohesion, post-independence and ethnic clashes caused by internal disputes regarding imperative resources like land, minerals, water and power. After gaining independence, most African countries transpired into the single-party system, argued as the ideal way to bring the people together before engaging in power struggles brought about by multi-partism. Aknirade.S (2000) claims that the one-party system ensured stability within a democracy.She asserts that multi-partism and democratization is accompanied by struggle for power and division in the people among political partys lines. The jostle for the limited power will cause upheaval in the national cohesion. A single-party system ensures consolidation in the political arena and ensures that conflicts and chaos which could lead to war and mass destruction are avoided. She argues that former Tanzanian President Nyereres move to adopt single-party system was a mo ve, meant to solve the tension existing between tribes as a result of social divisions, but misinterpreted as a move out of ignorance. She further adds that the African states were observing and following suit of the European systems of governance, where legitimacy of the state was ensured before allowing competitive parties to play part. Elite fragmentation in the governance is according to her, a major cause of disruption among African states. Wars, chaos and violence A single-state system appeals unity, strength and brings about communalism and multi-party systems will bring about division among ethnic groups and economic disintegration of certain areas in a country according to many African leaders Another argument why the single-party system is suitable for the African people is the disputes brought about by elections. As trivial as it may seem, African economies have been marred with problems arising from poll violence. This is an outcome related to multi-partism where political leaders break the rules of the game to ensure a win driven by self-aggrandizement, and greed for power. It has been reported in very few cases where political leaders accept defeat during election and inciting their supporters to act. Hameso.S (2002) critiques the attitude among African leaders claiming that when changes seem eminent, political protagonists refuse to accept the outcome as fair. A recent case involved Kenya during the 2007-2008 elections, where alleged rigging caused tribes to kill other tribes. The post election violence was caused simply because the politics were tribal based. Two major tribes had their candidates as the major runners, and when one was defeated, the losing contender cried foul sparking up ethnic wars among different tribes in the country. The result was the death of thousands the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people (BBC April 13, 2008). These Kenyans claimed to kill in the name of democracy, the same democracy brought about by multi-partism.The situation was ironically solved by the power-sharing agreement between the two main candidates, insinuating a thirst for power among the leaders, a case also observed in Zimbabwe,2008(Peta.B February 4,2009). The political problem in this case is deeply rooted in the minds of Kenyans, which runs deep along tribal lines, and how to change the perception of the people is still a hard task, and its indeed a sad case. This is blamed on the exemption of some tribes in the nation building so competitive politics is definitely ethnic based. Another unfortunate incident brought about by the struggle for power in multi-party states was the arrests and unrests in Senegal in 1988, where riots and chaos erupted after Abdou Diof was re-elected as President (Brooke.J March 6, 1988).Some people argue that the only way such problems can be avoided is by reverting to the good old system of single-party rule. Illiteracy and ignorance among Africans Otite.J (September 2009) states that there exists a positive correlation between education and peace. In a continent where the literacy and comprehension level is high, then democracy is exercised better and the people know the need to decentralize power in the government and advocate peacefully for that move. When a large population of a country is illiterate, the people are unaware of what rights are entitled to them and are taken advantage of, by the corrupt and selfish leaders who can destroy the country beyond repair. The case was so during the single-party ruling system and Africans did not know about the good governance of a country and believed what their leaders conveyed to them. Democracy according to some leaders is an alien concept, derived from the West, and that illiteracy and a miniscule middle class will make it impossible in Africa .The context of that statement is true to some extent. Africa has the highest percentage of illiteracy in the world and percentage was higher in the post-colonialism days African intellectuals however dismiss the above comment of illiteracy by saying such skepticism, is a major cause of the downfall and through empowerment and knowledge, the situation can be changed. A Guinean journalist, Siradiou Diallo disagrees and is quoted to say that These are only politicians formulas and slogans designed to abuse and dupe public opinion. The question as to whether Africans can overcome this illiteracy and take control of their own destiny is doubted when the development is slow-paced and the educational, political and economic situation is terrible compared to the other continents. (Brooke .J March 6, 1988) The lack of democratic thinking ways in Africans has encouraged manipulation and exploitation by these leaders who managed to convince the people that single-party rule was the ideal system of rule. Fragile media and a deceptive civil society The medias role in promoting democracy and transparency in issues governing a country is indisputably important in every society. The press has a right and the freedom to articulately inform the public about the happenings, regarding national issues and also inform the public about their democratic rights. They have the power to reveal atrocities and misuse of power being conducted by any government body regardless of status and position. Basically the medias role is to inform, educate and empower the people. Through the media, people are well-versed on certain happenings and can call for action to change the situation. These media privileges definitely clash, with any government that has a single-party system because democracy is limited to some extent. In those post-colonial times, the existing media was inactive and in some countries non-existent. The existing media houses were government owned and controlled and any information that portrayed the government in any negative way was discarded. Harsh legal laws were in place to deal with the perpetrators and discourage any form of unauthorized reporting. Sadly in the present day, some media houses are still controlled by the government. The media according to Hameso.S (2002) had to operate under strict controls placed by the single-party states. The media was also monopolized with one broadcast house available in most countries e.g. in Kenya, Voice of Kenya was a government owned and controlled broadcasting house. The adversial relationship between the media and the government can be traced back to the dictatorship rules after colonialism, where media was stifled and media people tortured and jailed for oppressing the government. The information had to be approved by the government, before being conveyed to the people, undermining the basic function of media i.e. democratizing communication. Therefore the African people lacked a channel through which they could air their grievances and the acts of government were kept secret and out of the open. Another significant contributor to the system was the illusive civil society. It is common to find lobby groups in any country fighting for human rights and good governance. Civil societies did exist back then but their impact was not felt like the medias. Hameso.S (2002) argues that civil societies are perceived to be the groups distinct from the state yet they interact with the state and influence the state. He views association as the thin line between being independent and involved with the state. The civil societies are supposed to fight for the rights of the common good, yet during despotic rules, most civil societies were accused of being absorbed into the selfish needs of the government. The descent and composition of these groups was first of all ambivalent, with the question on, who represented these groups, being raised. These civil societies dealt with complex issues regarding governance and with most of Africas population being illiterate, eyebrows were raised on whether the societies actually represented the issues of the common good or if their interests were based on the elite few, or if they were being driven by the one-party governments (Hameso.S,2002). These civil societies and media are supposed to act as watchdogs to the government and play a significant role in bringing about democracy. The lack of power and manipulation by the governments of these groups during post-colonial times provided the opportunity for the communist leaders to establish the single-party states without external pressure. The value dilemma According to Hameso.S (2002) the single-party system was further fueled by the notion that conformance of the western values and systems including the multi-party system was unorthodox and objectionable. Adoption of the system would lead to weakening of community ties and bring about confusion of interests among Africans. Africans believed that the adoption of the multi-party system would show that they did not believe in their own values, beliefs and opinions and instead chose to blindly follow the traditions of the West, who had earlier on robbed them of their national pride during colonial times and oppressed them for decades. It was feared that the imposition of Western-Style ruling, anomalies would occur including conflicts. The consequences are further proved after the adoption of multi-partism, where leaders call for a return to the single-party states, wherever violence occurs, and blaming multipartism as the focal cause for power struggles. Poor governance When the colonialists left, African states were left in weak conditions, with the power to rule left in the hands of a few who had learnt from the colonialists. Even these few individuals did not have the proper tools and skills to govern a nation and lacked knowledge on how to institutionalize and consolidate the pre-existing national institutions. The leaders did not have an idea on how to allow fragmentation of other independent parties and maintain the political balance and economic stability as well. This responsibility was hard since the people expected change .The governments were not properly institutionalized with the African leaders constantly seeking help from other Western countries in terms of aid, economic and political advice.Stambuli.K.P (2002) described this as a post-colonial African design of government who used democracy as an excuse to employ the same divide and rule policy that the colonial powers used. They tightened their grip around power and filled the Afric an people with false hope and mediocre ideologies of transforming the countries. The leaders postured themselves as powerhouses, with no opposition or an enlightened nation to oppose them, ensuring their tyrannical rules subsisted for decades. Power transition. The challenges involved in transitioning a single-party state to a multi-party one, encourage the people to maintain the existing conditions. The frail economics and fear of uprisings is also another validation to the previous dominance of these systems of governance. Transfer of power in many states brought about violence and this discouraged the people to challenge the ruling parties fearing the situation would get worse and could paralyze development completely. According to Aringo.P.O (October, 2004) says the transition in some countries e.g. Kenya was faced with oppression with the opposition parties being treated as enemies. It is a common trend where the opposition party members are arrested and implicated with crimes they didnt even commit as a way of silencing them. Cases of alleged murders of key front members of opposition members were not unheard of, and people were not willing to risk their lives in the name of democracy.Assasinations and ethnic genocides were crimes com mitted just to stifle the other side. Leaders disregarded the opposition parties in broad daylight, for example in Kenya, President Kenyatta referred to the opposition party members as snakes. Why the single party system failed It is obvious that a revolution has taken place over the past half-century with only Eritrea existing as a single-state party. The political metamorphosis has led to the existence of opposition parties in many countries, and some have even taken over, the preceding single-state parties. Neuberger.B (n.d) argues that the system is not the solution for African countries because a partys long term stay in power does not necessarily amount to success. He claims that parties in some African countries have been in power for decades yet their portfolios have no significant improvement, to prove their long stay and service to the people. He claims that cruel, selfish minded regimes have survived for decades and in some cases some regimes keen on change and reforms have been overthrown within a short time of their ruling, hinting the fact that maybe people are susceptible to change and do not want to change the status-quo, in fear of worse future repercussions .He suggests three criteria that can be used to determine if one-party states are necessary in the African continent;stability,economic development and nation-building, with regard to factors of democracy and human rights. Neuberger.B (n.d) seeks to establish if the existence of a single-party state affects the performance of the nation, by challenging the people to use the three criteria to rate their countrys development, and hints that very few countries could meet the requirements of the named criteria. Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth is a great strong critic of the single-party state, claims that the former governing system is the root cause of all troubles facing the continent. He attributes all the developmental problems being faced as consequences of the rulings in the post-independence era, characterized by single-party systems. He is quoted to say that Nothing has done more to destroy Africa ,than one party rule and military dictatorship(Ghana News Agency November 10,2007).He claims the military coups brought about by the single party governments, not only caused the democratic destruction of the African people but caused economic downfalls in the then sensitive growing economy. He further claims that single-state parties curtailed the efforts of productivity and development that enabled a golden age of sycophancy, and resulted in a one-man rule and bred mediocrity (GNA November 10, 2007) He says that the prime cause of all these problems was as a result of these systems that brought about corruption, oppression and ethnicity tension between tribes and nations, leading to wars. He further adds that these financial problems led to the dependency of foreign aid, like a drug, and brought about massive economical problems that will take years to solve, claiming that the greatest regret is not that the problem was brought about by non-Africans, but was self-imposed. The downfall of the single-party system can be attributed to certain things. Gentili.M.A (2005) presented a report at a global forum in Seoul and claimed that one of the contributing factors to the failure of the single-party system was the economic liberalisation of the 80s.The governments had failed to deliver what they had promised and the common people felt betrayed, leading to political democratization. The people felt that through competitive politics and opposing parties, the government would feel pressured to perform. By the end of the 80s structural adjustment in the economies was prevalent, and the interference and control of the single-party government was noted as a root cause of the economic challenges being faced. This was a crucial field and Africans felt the need to protect their own futures by developing their countries through economic stabilization and privatisation.This could only be done through abolishing the system and so began the democratization process. This progression was characterized by establishment of new-fangled norms and poli cies, institution building and good governance. The existence of multi-partism was the first step towards achieving these developmental goals, through free and fair elections and promotion of the media and civil societies as watchdogs. Another reason leading to the failure of the one-party rule was the failure of political and socio-economic development ,and a good example is Ghana which was the first African country to gain independence in 1957.Mariam.A (January 25, 2010)verifies that President Kwame Nkrumah established a one-party system rule adopting socialist ideologies. Within a year of his rule, he had already transformed himself into a power-hungry despot, by establishing a fiery rule where his actions were unopposed, conferring to himself all the powers, whether constitutional or judicial. He opposed any criticism and laid down callous labour laws, by declaring strikes illegal. He was known for making unlawful arrests for any one suspected of sedition and his irrational economic plans of the state. Ghana was at the time a large exporter of cocoa and was the most successful countries in Africa, but due to Nkrumahs power misuse, Ghanas economy failed miserably making it one of the poorest countries in the con tinent. The downhill performance of the economy prompted the coup de tat which saw him being overthrown. Countries such as Tanzania also abolished the one-party system after the repercussions impacted their economy. The Ujamaa system of collectivized farming also led to a plunge in the agriculture production in Tanzania. He also claims that the one-party system has failed miserably in increasing national unity and preventing clashes as civil wars, genocides and corruption are rampant since pre-colonial times.Mariam.A (January 25, 2010) further claims that these dictatorships are the root cause of African problems of famine, corruption, economic under-development, political unrest and over-dependence on foreign aid. He claims that the social, political and economic ills facing Africa will be solved if the people are wise enough to realize the games posed by these political leaders. He claims that the leaders re-brand themselves by joining new parties but still have the same selfish intentions. Africans must be empowered to in an open, and informed multiparty process. He claims that the argument of Africa not being tailored to handle the Western system of multi-partism as layered sophistry and paralogism of African leaders who are obviously power-hungry. Pan-Africanism and pressure from the international bodies led to the dissolution of these systems. These leaders practically, destroyed the economic status of their countries and in sought help from the international bodies such as IMF, World Bank and other organizations. Democracy was a pre-requisite to the granting of these aids to most countries, and to salvage the situation, many leaders complied with this demand. Though many economies resisted at first, the situation became worse when the aid reductions were implemented, placing these leaders in a dilemma. The donors advocated for privatization which could be better managed through a multi-party system. Stambuli.K.P (2002) in his paper claims that these auspices influenced African states to end the restrictive trade laws and motioned the process of privatization, which ultimately led to the abolishing of the one-party system. Conclusion It is clearly evident that the invasion of multi-partism has not compelled the changes that the people expected. The single party system way of operation is still being observed in many countries up to the present day. The conversion of the party systems in Africa over the years has verified beyond a shadow of doubt, that the reasons why African countries are still to revive themselves is not because of the previous non-existence of opposition parties, but within the leaders themselves. In a continent where the leaders openly commit iniquities against people and declare themselves unsurmountable, getting rid of these leaders will be the first step towards practicing democracy. The African people should be empowered and education spread to all corners of the struggling continent and help eradicate this virus of incompetent leaders that has been eating into the core of the continents own existence.

Sun Imagery in Shakespeares Richard III Essay example -- Richard II R

Sun Imagery in Shakespeare's Richard III      Ã‚   Shakespeare's Richard III is a play pervasive in figurative language, one of the most notable being the symbolic image of the sun and the shadow it casts. In an examination of a short passage from the text, it will be argued that Richard is compared to a shadow in relation to the sun, which has traditionally been held as a symbol of the king. The passage is significant not only because it speaks volumes about the plots of Richard, but also because it is relevant in understanding the overall plot of the play, which in the first few acts is almost indistinguishable from the plot of the scheming Duke of Gloucester.    The comparison of Richard to a shadow is especially clear in an exchange between Richard and Queen Margaret: Richard Gloucester: Our eyrie buildeth in the cedar's top, And dallies with the wind, and scorns the sun. Queen Margaret: And turns the sun to shade. Alas, alas! Witness my son, now in the shade of death, Whose bright outshining beams thy cloudy wrath Hath in eternal darkn...

Corporate Strategy: British American Tobacco

British American tobacco is one of the world’s renowned multinational organizations that has managed to create a strong corporate brand name and has through various products across the many markets created strong product brands. The success of the company can be attributed to many individual factors though all of them condense to form the company’s strategic corporate policy.A corporate strategy can be said to be a culmination of all the other strategies such as marketing, expansion, etc integrated into one with the single goal of achieving the company’s mission, vision and objectives.The corporate strategy adopted by any organization thus gives a general direction of where the company is headed in the long term and in the near future. In this paper, we discuss the corporate strategy adopted by British American Tobacco since the year 2003. Specifically the paper discusses the initiatives adopted by the company in recent times and compares them to theoretical mode ls proposed by modern management experts and learned in class.In addition the paper looks the company’s environment in terms of competition and proposes additional models and theories that the company can adopt in the face of increasing awareness of corporate social responsibility and anti-smoking legislation.Company overview The parent company is located in the UK with 47 other factories operating outside the UK spread out globally in 40 countries. There are also associate companies with a global presence. Its tobacco products are sold in over 180 countries with varying market shares with the highest being over 50%.The company employs over 3. 5 million people globally. According to the 2007 financial year report, the company has other 16 associate factories in 10 countries. Globally, according to the company’s website, it enjoys over 17% dominance in the market and over 60% in the UK market through its various brands. The company has over 300 brands in its portfolio a nd among the major product brands in the global market are Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Kent, and Pall Mall.This paper discusses BAT’s corporate strategy and looks at how its strategy has positioned it in the market in reference to the prevailing business environment and competition. Vision statement: â€Å"Our vision is to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility†. This is further expounded by the company’s goals generalized as â€Å"Our goals are to grow our brands and the value of the business, to improve productivity and to embed the principles of corporate responsibility around the Group†. Mission statement:Our goal is to create long term value for our shareholders by consistent achieving of superior quality returns from the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products and to remain the world’s leading tobacco company as measured by market share, by commitment to quality, and by our own ability to meet the needs and interests of our customers, our employees and the communities in which we operate in. The company’s growth strategy has four main pillars which were unveiled in 1995 as growth, productivity, responsibility and winning organization.In the path of growth the company has utilized several strategies that we can attributed to the success of the company in the journey towards achieving its goal. Over the past five years for example, the goal of increasing shareholder value was most exemplified with the increase in investment returns by 294% according to the current company CEO, Paul Adams. By combination these specific company values with the company’s goals, we get an idea of where the company is headed to. As of the company’s annual report of 2007 presented in November revenue was ?7,312m representing a 1% increase from the previous year’s and profit from operations was? 2,304m representing a 19% rise form the previous financial year. To achieve this and the company’s long-term objectives and other endeavors the company has visualized a growth path that will seemingly keep in on the way to achieving its vision. Again, the fact that there is empirical evidence of the success of the company as shown by the increase in investors returns in the last five years, there are specific strategies that this paper discusses as the drivers behind the implementation of the company’s strategy.According to the report from the Guardian newspaper the growth of the company’s stock market performance is as shown below (Obtained from http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/britishamericantobacco) Strategic fit of the company Drucker (2008) defines strategic fit as the matching of the mission strategies of an organization to its internal structure and external environment. In this context, we limit our study of the company to corporate social responsibility, strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions and look at how they have played the role in achieving the company’s set goals mission and vision.Strategic alliances In the business world, alliances are either formed by competitors or complimentary industry in order for the involved companies to strengthen their position in the market or achieve some common objective such as fighting competition and reducing costs. As such, BAT has been using its international presence to forge alliances with a number of players in the tobacco industry in various markets. In the recent past BAT entered into an agreement with one of its competitors, Phillip Morris International to manufacture and distribute some of the company’s brands in specific markets.On another case, BAT has entered into agreement with Imperial Tobacco to manufacture and distribute some of Imperial’s brands in Africa such as Embassy brand. Such alliances have enabled the involved partners to concentrate their efforts in specific markets while at the same time having their bands represen ted. Though this idea may seemingly appear to be benefiting Imperial Tobacco only, it on the other hand helps BAT to fully employ its resources in such markets. Mergers and acquisitionsEarlier this year the company acquired Danish conglomerate Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (ST) for? 2. 01bn. This is in addition to the taking over of another Turkish manufacturing company, Telkel for ? 860m. Now, such acquisitions are meant to expand the operations of the country and presence in the global tobacco market. Currently holding 15% of the total global market, the vision of becoming the global leader in the manufacture of tobacco products looks achievable.According to the company vision as to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility, the idea of forming mergers and acquiring already existing companies in new markets not only indicates the financial strength of the company but the ability of the management to identify potential growth opportunities in making of such decisions.The acquisition of ST was according to the company’s CEO made in order to acquire a new market segment of the non smoking market as oral tobacco, Fielder & Lundgren owned by ST. This non-smoking tobacco is aimed to be introduced into markets where there are strict regulations.This comes in the wake of increased pressure from health organization bodies calling on the restriction or total banning of smoking in certain areas. Therefore, the company is strategically positioning itself in the non-smoking market by acquiring already established brands in the market with strong brand names and subsequent strong brand equity.Corporate responsibility In October this year, BAT was included among the top leaders in the field of corporate responsibility reporting by a leading corporate social responsibility consultancy firm, Salter Baxter, a move that has received a lot of criticism.The company still insists that its inclusion in the list is in recognition of its strong p olices in corporate social responsibility as spelt out in the company’s corporate ideals of operating responsibly. Michael Prideaux, the company’s director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs says that â€Å"If a business is managing products which pose health risks, it is all the more important that it does so responsibly†. BAT’s corporate responsibility agenda is articulated in three directions as environmental management, globalization and human rights and regulation and lobbying.Similarly, the company’s health and science department is involved in researching into the development of less harmful products. This is most necessary as health reports have continuously highlighted the dangers of smoking and the devastating effects it has on non smokers through second hand smoke. According to the World Health Organization report on global smoking released earlier this year, it showed that the number of smoke related deaths in the US alone for 2007 wer e in excess of half a million.When faced such glaring facts, the company has had to give its fair contribution in educating the public and more so warn their target market of the dangers of consuming their products. Through as ironical as may seem, BAT has gone ahead and introduced a science website http://www. bat. com/science that delves into research findings on the dangers of smoking and related issues. Again the company has complied with stringent regulatory measures put in place to protect the public from exploitation by players in this industry such as BAT. PEST analysisThis analysis seeks to identify the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors affecting a given company in this case BAT. Political This pertains to how the company is structured in order to comply with the government policy in the country of operation. Given that BAT is a multinational company with its brands in about 190 countries, it has had to comply with diverse government polices that have varying effect on the operations of the company. Its operations in Russia are at the moment facing a great threat after being targeted by the country's consumer rights agency, Rospotrebnadzor.Early September this year, Gennady Onishchenko, director of Rospotrebnadzor accused BAT of â€Å"misleading consumers† and infringing on their rights on the basis that the company was marketing its products as less harmful specifically targeting the light and super light brands. This is just one of the many political challenges that the company facing.Other instances that are worth highlighting the tough taxes imposed on tobacco and tobacco products in many countries. Economic factors The company operates generally in large scale to produced around 850 billion cigarettes a year among other tobacco products.Economics of scale have thus favored the company and contributed greatly in achieving the growth that the company desires. In addition to this, presence of the company in many ma rkets cushions the company from making losses in case of decreased sales in on market that may be caused by a variety of factors.Socio-cultural factors The culture of smoking as a fashion statement is the greatest driver in sales for tobacco companies in general. Unfortunately, the same idea is being used in campaigning against smoking which is greatly affecting sales for BAT and other tobacco based companies.On the other hand, there are some traditional believes and practices that profess the goodness in smoking of unprocessed tobacco leaves thereby denying the industry a huge chunk of the market. Technologic factors A lot of research is being directed towards analyzing the harm of tobacco and more so tobacco smoke.As such BAT and players in the tobacco industry are constantly faced with the challenge of improving their manufacturing and processing units in order to comply with the requirements of reducing the harmful content of tobacco. SWOT analysis This test seeks to analyze the external and internal environment of BAT.It is one of the methods that Drucker (2008) proposes for analyzing organizations.StrengthsStrong leadership and planning has enabled BAT to recognize threats and thereby partnering with other players for mutual benefit. This as aspect as a strength has been the driving force behind the strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions as discussed earlier.BAT recognizes that â€Å"customer is king† through market research and subsequent product innovation to identify the selling trend in the market.BAT as a group has interests covering different regions and categories thereby enabling it to have more stable cash flow prospects.It has a portfolio of brands meeting demands for upscale, mid-scale and economy tobacco consumers covering a wider market segment.International experience; diversified portfolio, great locations for major factories in tobacco producing regions and superior quality products also make count as some strengths of the c ompany.WeaknessesThe company has failed to alienate itself from the legal tussles pertaining to smokers suing the company for damages obtained from consumption of the company’s products. BAT has suffered a lot legal battles in courts where the company has been forced to compensate consumers for damages. As such the company has become an easy target for legal â€Å"bounty hunters†.Its presence in many markets presents a management challenge in that a lot of resources are utilized in the harmonization of organization’s policies and strategies.OpportunitiesWith BAT’s experience in operations, there are numerous opportunities in spreading operations over in new markets such as the most recent one targeting the Scandinavian market.As a dominant brand in the UK market, BAT has the opportunity of influencing the market to have benefit through strategic decisions such as being the price setter.The company’s experience in research and development of less ha rmful tobacco products presents the company with an opportunity to market her brands as the less harmful alternative to relatively harmful brands in the market.ThreatsThe tobacco industry is faced with strict environmental laws which increase costs of production and impact on the general productivity of the players.The increased awareness on the dangers of smoking may lead to contraction of the market for the industry.Increased deaths and illnesses from tobacco use are rapidly decreasing the market for the industry.A report by the Guardian says of BAT â€Å"it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit (smoking)†.Political uncertainties in foreign markets are forcing BAT to with draw operations such as in North Korea and Burma where the company has already withdrawn from the markets. Competitor analysis There are two main competitors for BAT in the UK market: Gallaher Group and Imperial Tobacco Gallaher Group It is the fourth largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the global market. It has its headquarters in Switzerland and it operates in 80 countries around the world.The company owns Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut Cigarettes brands among many others. The company reported a 5. 0% increase in net sales as of 2006 to stand at ? 2. 74 billion. In this market it faces competes with BAT and Imperial Tobacco. Due to stiff competition in the UK market, its share volume in the market has been on a decline while its international operations are on the rise. In 2006, it distributed over 18. 8 billion cigarettes in the UK market. Imperial Tobacco The company has its headquarters in Bristol and is second to BAT in the UK market and fourth in the global tobacco market.The company prides itself in top of the range brands and is has the best two selling brands in the UK as Lambert and Butler and Richmond. Other brands in the market are Embassy, Escort, Camel, Drum, Windsor Blue etc. It dominates the f ine cut market with a market share of about 63% as of last year. The company reported net revenue of ? 8. 69 billion for the 2007/08 financial year with increase in profits in excess of 30%. The company has adopted a corporate strategy very similar to BAT and thus poses the greatest threat in the market.It recognizes its core objectives as sales development, cost optimization and efficiency improvements and effective cash management. Success or failure of these strategies is further evaluated through key performance indicators which have been identified as earnings per share, total shareholder returns, cash conversion rate, cigarette market share, volumes, operating margin and productivity. The company’s shareholder returns have increased by 106% in the last three years surpassing FTSE expectations by 74%. Its growth path according to the company’s official website is as below.The growth in financial strength o the company and the ability to gain investor confidence sh ows that the company is set to offer even more competition to BAT. Comparing this growth path with that of BAT, then it will be probably a matter of time before BAT loses out its market position in the UK.The future of BAT The prevailing economic crisis is presenting financial and management problems to many businesses. The ability to survive the crisis and move on will be used greatly assess the strength of many businesses and indicate investor and consumer confidence levels. As it is, the current situation for BAT is not promising.The company is being accused of targeting the youth in their marketing efforts and thereby losing consumer confidence and criticism from various quarters. Negative reports such â€Å"as BAT's main product, cigarettes, is so deadly that just to maintain its 15% global market share, it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit† carried in the Guardian do not do any good to the company. This was in addition to being accused of targeting teenagers in international markets such as Nigeria and Brazil. Therefore, it would seem that the company has to reconsider its marketing strategies.Developing a new marketing strategy and adopting strategic means to â€Å"sanitize† the corporate brand name will prove essential in the way forward in markets where the company is losing ground and facing criticism. Again, the company has not been according to accusations very keen on following some of the rules and regulations governing the tobacco market in different markets. Other concerns for BAT affect the whole industry. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been spearheading the fight for tobacco use citing the numerous health problems and deaths emanating from the habit.In 2007, claimed that if the current smoking trend continues, the world will contend with 10 million deaths annually as a result of tobacco use. In addition WHO reports that smoking causes 61% of all TB illnesses globally (Hooper, 2004). Companies such as BAT again have been forced to limit their marketing strategies by regulation such as the banning of public advertisement of cigarettes or romanticizing or fashioning smoking in any manner.Works cited Drucker, P. , Management, Transaction Publishers, Birmingham, 2008, p. 286, 456 Elion, S., Management strategies: a critique of theories and practices, Kluwer Academic, London, 1999, pp. 212 Robinoof, M. , Ending the tobacco holocaust, Elite Books, London, 2007 Hooper, M. , Tobacco industry: Do ads and new products still target teens? Congressional Quarterly, CQ Press, London, 2004.The Guardian http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2007/apr/26/smokeandmirrors Additional information on the above obtained from Official BAT website http://www. bat. com/ Official Gallaher Group website at, http://ir. gallaher-group. com/ Official Imperial Tobacco website at, http://www. imperial-tobacco. com/.

Analysis and Interpretation of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Analysis and Interpretation of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel having names of places and individuals altered and it tells six months in the life of its central character, Esther Greenwood, an over-achieving college student from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Written by the American writer and poet, Sylvia Plath, the book was initially published in London, England, under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas in January 1963, and it was in 1966 that the novel was first published under the author’s real names.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis and Interpretation of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By 1971, due to the desires of Plath’s husband and mother, the publishing of the novel in the U.S. started to take place and it received several positive reviews. An analysis and interpretation of this compelling novel reveals that it parallels Plath’s own experiences. In the opening chap ters of the novel, the author introduces the initial situation by illustrating the life of Esther, a college student, working as an intern at a women’s magazine in New York together with numerous other successful college girls (Bloom, 20). Nonetheless, regardless of the fact that Esther had almost all things that a young woman can desire to have, her life is full of a devastating sense of disaffection and hopelessness. In spite of having a dreamy boyfriend, an excellent academic performance, and a comfortable job as an intern, Esther is terribly unhappy with her life and she feels that the community is grooming her for a docile life in future. During summer holidays, she gets back home to a Boston suburb where she proves her most horrible fears about herself. Her bitter relationship with her mom coupled with her dismissal from the summer writing program increased her emotions of alienation and despair for the rest of the summer period. This is the conflict in the story. Next, Plath introduces elements of conflict in the story. As the summer was nearing to an end, Esther’s conduct became more unpredictable as her hopelessness increased, even after visiting a psychiatrist and performing an electroshock therapy. After a few uncertain trials at suicide, she made up her mind to end all her sufferings by creeping into a void beneath her house and consumed an excess dose of sleeping pills; however, she was saved in the nick of time a few days later when she was barely alive. Further, the author introduces suspense in the story in depicting Esther’s situation for the first few days following her unsuccessful suicide attempts. The time she spent at the psychiatric wards of the first two different hospitals did nothing to alleviate her suffering; however, the initiative that Philomena Guinea, the woman who sponsored her college scholarship, took to take her to a private psychiatric institution assisted her in coming out of her depressed state.Advert ising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thereafter, the author introduces aspects of denouement in the story. At the private institution, Esther’s condition got better until she was given more freedom to go walking in town, which made her to enter into a sexual relationship with a Harvard professor. Unfortunately, she bled profusely during this encounter and her fellow psychiatric patient, Joan, assisted her to come out of the ordeal. However, Joan committed suicide a few days later. As the novel ends, Esther is entering into an exit interview and one can assume that he is indeed going to be released from the psychiatric institution. Esther says, â€Å"I have been born twice- patched, retreated and approved for the road† (Plath, 244) and makes her back to the society again. Outstandingly, several events in the novel parallel those of the life of its writer. Bot h the author and her fictional counterpart lost their father at their childhood, both were skillful poets who were distinguished for wining prices and scholarships, and somehow similar to Esther, Sylvia went through electroshock therapy and went missing after a suicide attempt, thereafter she was hospitalized for psychotherapy. Imitating the initial chapters of the book, Sylvia’s real-life magazine was at Mademoiselle Magazine in the early 1950s and Philomena Guinea parallels Sylvia’s own patron, Olive Higgins Prouty, who funded her education while she was a student at the prestigious womens college known as the Smith College located in Northampton, Massachusetts. Sylvia was dismissed from a Harvard class taught by Frank O’Connor and Sylvia’s personal therapist, Ruth Beuscher, is widely believed to parallel Dr. Nolan who attended to Esther in the novel. A significant potion of the book that talks about the hospitalization of Esther is thought to be based on the incidences recorded by Mary Jane Ward in her autobiographical novel The Snake Pit; consequently, the fact that Sylvia was a patient at McLean Hospital resembles the â€Å"snake pit† experience depicted in Ward’s book (Ward, 5). It is important to note that Sylvia Intentionally based the depiction of Esther being in hospital on the practices and techniques described Ward’s novel. When the novel was initially published under its pseudonym, Sylvia was dissatisfied by the assessments that passed judgment on the book as a feminist corresponding item to the works of the American author, Jerome David Salinger. The assessments were lukewarm, since British reviewers pointed that it was an analysis of American society and considered the title character to be a desperate individual, and, sadly, less than one month following the initial publication of the novel, Sylvia committed suicide through asphyxiation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A nalysis and Interpretation of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The major theme of the novel is a feminist one. Its main character goes through various difficulties under the restricted responsibilities available for the women of her time and the inferiority of women to men; thus, the story is a protest at the expectations that women are obliged to comply with so as to be regarded normal and victorious in the male-dominated society. One of the minor themes of the book is its portrayal of anxiety about death. The protagonist’s suicidal imaginations as well as imaginations of death pervade the book. She is so incapacitated with anxiety that most of the time she does not respond to the things taking place around her and she feels often in the â€Å"hell† of her own mind. For example, this quotation, â€Å"†¦wherever I sat-on the deck of a ship or a street cafà © in Paris or Bangkok I would be sit ting under the same glass bell jar stewing, in my own sour air†(Plath, 185), introduces the symbol of the bell jar in the novel. This illustrates that Esther’s suicidal imaginations are derived from a sense of suffocating isolation because of the large gap that exists between the expectation of the community about her and her own feelings and experiences, and, as such, she retreats more within herself as the bell jar is covered tightly over her. And, in the last chapter, Esther’s supposed cure is depicted: â€Å"How did I know that someday- at college, in Europe, somewhere, anywhere- the bell jar, with its stifling distortions, wouldn’t descend again?† (Plath, 241). A poem that Sylvia wrote in the month of her death named â€Å"Balloon† also illustrates this theme of anxiety of death. In the poem, she attempts to write down her thoughts about life, centering on the Christmas holiday she had just enjoyed with her family members. Moreover, she also centers on a baby boy squeaking a balloon; however, in the end, the balloon is burst, leaving only a slice of red in the baby’s fist: â€Å"Then sits Back, fat jug contemplating a world clear as water. A red Shred in his little fist† (Plath, last paragraph). Thus, the â€Å"Balloon† early images are incorporeal, and then the culmination approaches, without anything. In conclusion, the novel is in the genre of coming-of-age fiction because of the way it marked out the path of Esther, the protagonist in the story, as she moved in a crucial period in her life from an inexperienced teenager to an experienced young woman. The story is told in the narrator point-of-view; that is, the events are filtered through the novel’s protagonist, which forces the readers to follow what happens inside her head.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, as much as this narrative style gives the readers a first hand information of what is happening, it becomes difficult to get an objective view of Esther or a more detailed analysis of the other characters in the novel. Narrated from the protagonist’s point-of-view, the novel’s tone is cynical, tormented, and humorous in its portrayal of the events that take place. Bloom, Harold. Sylvia Plaths The bell jar. New York, NY : Blooms Literary Criticism, 2009. Print. Plath, Sylvia. â€Å"Balloons.† Poemhunter.com. Poem Hunter, 5 Feb. 1963. Web. Plath, Sylvia. The bell jar. New York: Harper Perennial, 2006. Print. Ward, Mary. The snake pit. Cutchogue, N.Y.: Buccaneer Books, 1983. Print.