Death’s Marathon Shot0By-Shot Analysis

Shot-by-shot Analysis of â€Å"Death's Marathon† dir. D. W. Griffith. (1913) Shot 1(straight-on angle): †¢White text on black background written, † To find his friend before he losses all† (2 seconds). Cut to Shot 2 (medium long shot, slightly low angle): †¢Front of house, with stairs slightly to the right of shot and potted plant on either side of stairs. Friend (man) enters from right and walks up stairs (2 seconds). Cut to Shot 3 (medium shot, straight-on angle): †¢Interior of living room where foreground is pretty vacant but background has a study and a desk with a vase with flowers in it.There are three ladies standing: Two nurses on either side of the wife. wife asks maid on left something (1 second) then turns back towards camera (1 second) to ask maid on right also (2 second). Turns back to face camera (2 seconds). Then knock on door (presumably by friend) startles maids and wife and the maid on the left exits shot (3 seconds). Re-enter maid and friend from the left. Friend asks about husband with sharp hand movements (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 4 (medium long shot, slightly high angle): interior of room with gambling table 3/4 shown on the bottom left corner of shot (foreground) and five men sitting around it gambling and doorman standing in background (2 seconds). Doorman turns to open door (1 second). Cut to Shot 5 (medium close-up, high angle): †¢Gambling table with chips and cards on table, and one player's hands (player to the left of husband) holding cards, places them down and takes all the chips in the centre of table(3 seconds). Cut to Shot 6 (same as shot 4) †¢(setting same as shot 4) and the man to the left of the husband swipes able and brings all his winnings to him and begin to stack up chips (2 seconds) then husband harshly throws two cards on the table, one at a time (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 7 (medium long shot, straight-on angle) †¢friend on the left of shot, speaking with wife, on the ri ght of shot turned towards each other with their forearms elevated in foreground of shot. Two maids standing in the background (2 seconds). Then friend and maid standing on left exit shot to the left (1 second) and maid on the right exits to the right of shot, leaving wife to stand alone in the centre of shot (2 seconds).Cut to. Shot 8 (long shot, slightly low angle): †¢(setting like shot 2) friend walks down stair and out of house (2 seconds) Shot 9 (same as shot 4) †¢(setting same as shot – but without doorman) Player to the right of husband and husband place chips into the centre of table respectively (3 seconds). They both fold cards and player to the right of husband swipes all the chips in the centre of table towards him and laughs (5 seconds). Husband bangs fists on table and gets up and exits door in background while man sitting on the right of shot gets up to congratulate man on who won (5 seconds).Cut to. Shot 10 (long shot, straight-on angle): †¢ sho t of exterior of house with big pillars and stairs on left of screen. Husband walks down two steps, pauses, then continues walking and exits out from the right (5 seconds): Shot 11 (medium long shot, straight-on angle) †¢interior of room (like shot 3). Wife has back to camera and walks towards the background with worried expression (right hand clasped on face) and then turns to the left of shot (8 seconds). Cut to. Shot 12 (long shot, straight-on angle): exterior of house (like shot 10) car drives through and parks in front of stairs on the right of shot with friend in the car. Friend gets off, converses with driver then walks into the house (4 seconds). Cut to. Shot 13 (medium long shot, slightly high angle) †¢interior of house (like shot 9). Friend barges into room, and walks over to gambling table where game is going on. Presumably asks players and spectators where husband is, they reply and friends leaves the room (7 seconds). Cut to. Shot 14 (long shot, straight-on an gle) Friend runs out of house (same setting as shot 10) from left of shot, down stairs and into his car. His drivers drives him away, exit right of shot (4 seconds). Cut to. Shot 15 (medium long shot, straighten angle) †¢shot of husband walking on the street along shops, one which has â€Å"rokers† written on window on the left of screen. He walks towards the shop, pauses to stare at it and then walks in (4 seconds). Cut to. Shot 16 (medium shot, straight on) †¢ interior of ‘Rokers' shop. There is a desk with a telephone on it, and chair in the foreground.The background though is more cluttered with a study, stacks of books, a rocking chair and cabinets . Husband enters through door on the right of shot. inspects the space, takes his hat off then unbuttons his jacket, pulls a gun that he's been keeping in his pocket out and sits down on chair and is inspecting the gun (21 seconds). Cut to. Shot 17 (long shot, slightly high angle) †¢shot of exterior of hou se (like shot 2). Friend's car drives in from right of screen and parks in front of steps leading up to house front door. Friend gets off car and walks briskly into the house (5 seconds). Cut to.Shot 18 (medium long shot, slightly high angle): †¢interior of room (like shot 3), wife sitting on chair on the right side of the foreground. Then enters maid with friend. Cut to. Shot 19 (medium shot, straight on) †¢interior of room (like shot 16). Husband sitting on chair, leaning against table with telephone near his elbow. Husband looks at gun, chuckles then looks at telephone and picks it up (8 seconds). cut to. Shot 20 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢interior of room (like shot 3), friend and wife talking then phone rings and friend picks it up (5 seconds). cut to. Shot 21 (medium shot, straight-on) Interior of room (like shot 16), husband sitting on seat leaned against table speaking on telephone (4 seconds). Cut to. Shot 22 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢interior of ro om (like shot 3) friend laughs on phone then wife gets up looking relieved and happy (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 23 (medium shot, straight on) †¢husband in same pose as in shot 21 continues to speak on the phone looking at his gun which is now pointed towards the ceiling (5 seconds). Cut to Shot 24 (title) †¢White text on black background that reads, â€Å"Determined upon suicide† (3 seconds) Shot 25 (medium shot, straight-on) friend and wife standing in the middle of interior of room (like shot 3), friend speaking on the phone and wife standing looking over shoulder (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 26 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢interior of room (like shot 16) with husband in same position as shot 21, continues to laugh and talk; still pointing gun to ceiling (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 27 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢friend and wife in same position as shot 25, friend getting angry, hands wife the telephone then exits to the left of shot. Wife speak on the phone w ith softer, happier expression (11 seconds).Cut to Shot 28 (Long shot, straight-on) †¢friend exits house, gets into car, then is briskly giving instructions to his driver pointing forward. The car drives off and exits to the right of the shot leaving a dust trail behind (3 seconds). Cut to. Shot 29 (Medium shot, straight on) †¢Husband sitting in same position as shot 21 and continues to speak on the phone and absentmindedly play with his gun (5 seconds). Cut to. Shot 30 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢interior of room (like shot 3), wife standing in the centre and continues to speak on the phone and occasionally smiling (5 seconds).Cut to. Shot 31 (long shot, straight on) †¢shows friend's car turning onto main road from left of shot and driving towards audience (3 seconds). Cut to. Shot 32 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢interior of house (like shot 3) with wife in same position as shot 30. Wife now looks worried and is accentuating the things she is saying over t he phone (6 seconds). Cut to Shot 33 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢setting and husband in same position as shot 21. Husband laughs once and looks at his gun (4 seconds). Cut to Shot 34 (medium shot, straight-on) wife in interior of room (like shot 30) and continues to look worried in and disagree into the phone, but after starts smiling and calming down slightly (13 seconds). Cut to. Shot 35 (medium shot, straight on) †¢same as shot 29 (2 seconds). Cut to Shot 36 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢wife in interior of room (like shot 3) and continues to speak on the phone worriedly. She then puts the phone down and moves off screen from the right (5 seconds). Cut to. Shot 37 (medium shot, straight on) †¢interior of room like shot 21, but the man stops speaking and puts the phone down (2 seconds). Cut to.Shot 38 (medium long shot, straight on) †¢interior like shot 3, wife frantically walking around room then moves off screen from the right (4 seconds). Cut to Shot 39 (medium long shot, straight-on) †¢interior of room which as a curtain on the right, a lot of empty space in the centre, a chair and a cabinet on the foreground to the right and a cabinet in the background on the left. The wife enters through the curtains on the left puts hand up and looks exhausted (3 seconds). Cut to. Shot 40 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢husband sitting on a chair in the same interior of room as shot 16.He looks straight at the camera and thinks then proceeds to write something down on (8 seconds). Cut to. Shot 41 (long shot, straight on) †¢car driving on windy road at fast speed (3 seconds). Cut to Shot 42 (medium shot, straight on) †¢husband sitting in same interior of room as shot 16 holding telephone in one hand and the gun in the other (gun pointing towards viewer). His eyes get droopy and he looks from the gun straight to the camera then smiles slightly (10 seconds). Cut to. Shot 43 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢same interior of room as shot 39, wife looks panicked, maid enters frame rom right side carrying baby and they all exit through the curtain on the left of the frame (3 seconds). Cut to Shot 44 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢wife and maid holding baby enters interior of room (like shot 3) from right. Wife picks up phone looking worried still and maid and baby stand to her left looking concerned (3 seconds). Cut to Shot 45 (medium shot, slightly high angle) †¢interior of room (like shot 16) husband is still sitting looking at his gun, then something on the telephone catches his attention and he puts it to his ear (3 seconds). ut to. Shot 50 (medium shot, straight on) †¢same setting and positioning as shot 44. Wife puts phone to baby's ear and tries to get him/her to speak (5 seconds). Cut to. Shot 51(medium shot, straight on) †¢same setting and positioning as shot 45, husbands looks more happy to hear the voice on the phone (3 seconds). Cut to Shot 52 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢sam e as shot 50 (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 53 (medium shot, straight on) †¢same setting and position as shot 51, husband looks relieved but sad. (3 seconds). Cut to. Shot 54 (medium shot, straight on) same setting and shot as 44 wife tells maid and baby to leave, they exit to the left of the shot then wife continues to speak on the phone (3 seconds). Cut to Shot 56 (long shot, straight on) †¢shot of streets and car driving fast down in (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 57 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢same setting as shot 44. Wife standing in the centre of shot continues to speak on the phone (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 60 (medium shot, straight on) †¢same setting as shot 45, husband puts phone down and slowly brings gun up to temple (6 seconds). Cut to. Shot 61 (medium shot, straight on) Wife in same setting and position as shot 57. She continues to listen attentively to the phone, then has two shocks when she hears something on the phone. (12 seconds). Cut to. Shot 62 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢same setting and position as shot 60, husband takes fuming gun out of mouth slowly (2 seconds). Cut to . Shot 63 (medium shot, straight on) †¢same setting and positioning as shot 52. Wife now frantically speaking into phone (9 seconds). Cut to. Shot 64 (long shot, straight on) †¢Friend's car drives around the corner and parks in front of shop. He gets off quickly (3 seconds).Cut to. Shot 65 (medium long shot, straight on) †¢friend runs quickly through door at the background then exits through door on the left of screen (5 seconds). Cut to. Shot 66 (medium long shot) †¢friend walks into interior of room (like shot 16) then slowly picks up friend by the head and then places him back down (15 seconds). Cut to. Shot 67 (medium shot, straight-on) †¢wife standing in the same interior as shot 63 speechless (4 seconds). Cut to. Shot 68 (medium shot, straight on) †¢ same interior of room as shot 66 friend stares at dead husband and the n picks up telephone. Cut to.Shot 69 (medium shot, straight on) †¢Wife still speaking on the phone in interior of room like shot 63 (4 seconds). Cut to. Shot 70 (medium shot, straight on) †¢friend in same position as shot 68 speaking on the telephone (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 71 (medium shot, straight on) †¢same as shot 69 (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 72 (medium shot straight on) †¢same as shot 70 (2 seconds). Cut to. Shot 73 (medium Shot, Straight on) †¢same setting and position as shot 69, then wife puts telephone down and looks shocked and sad and exits to the right of the shot (13 seconds). Cut to. Shot 74 (long shot, straight on) same interior as shot 39, wife enters from right of shot, can see her profile, then she drops to the floor and her head is partially hidden between the cabinets in the background and foreground (12 seconds). Cut to. Shot 75 (title) †¢white writing on black background written, â€Å"The wife set free from her unfortunate alli ance† (6 seconds). Cut to. Shot 76 (medium long shot, slightly high angle) †¢interior of room, with lots of furniture, wife sitting on chair looking sad, friend enters from left of shot and give a huge bouquet of flower to wife, wife looks slightly happy and hopefully (32 seconds) Written Account of Death's Marathon† dir. D. W. Griffith. (1913) D. W. Griffith's â€Å"Death's Marathon† contain certain prominent stylist cinematic features which are evident through the repetitive use of mise-en-scene, specifically the setting and staging of each shot, editing, framing and the level and angle of each shot. Firstly, the mise-en-scene used in this extract of â€Å"Death's Marathon† are specific to the setting, props and movement of characters. In this clip, the settings evident mainly include the interior of rooms in houses or the landscape of the geographical location as evident with the long shots of the roads and town.These settings are used primarily to show that the story is focused around family and relationship issues as the problems that arise in the story include conflict between marital and business relations. Also, the each setting of the interior of rooms where shot with a short focal length (wide angle) which exaggerated the depth making the distance between the background and foreground seem greater. Apart from the setting, the props used help the viewers distinguish between each interior of the rooms. Also, in each setting there is a different alignment of chairs, desks etc. hich makes certain different props stand out; this allows for objects such as the telephone to become a motif prop. In regards to mise-en-scene, the movement of the character, or lack thereof, is another formal property which is largely evident in this extract because most of the movement is restricted to the small, central area of each shot creating an emphasis on the character's actions. Apart from being restrictive, the character's movement is als o The angle and distance of framing of the shot in this extract are all very imilar in the sense that most of the shots are either a straight on angle or has a slight hight angle. And the Apart from the miss-en-scene aspect of the extract, the specific editing used, combined with the shot length was another stylistic pattern that was evident. The extract did not have any use of transitions. It only cut from one shot to the next throughout. However, Griffith did use shot-reverse-shot technique when the characters were having a discussion over the telephone specifically when the wife was speaking with her husband leading up to his death.The build up to the climax (death of husband) used the shot-reverse-shot technique which includes using shots with shorter lengths (2 seconds each) to create a rhythmic beat, much like that of a heart beat. This slow shot length however is also balanced with longer shots (which lasted up to 12 seconds), more specifically evident after the death of the husband which mimicked the speechlessness of the wife. †¢ angle – straight on angle, medium + long shot (quite simple)

Family Conflicts

Family Conflicts There are a lot of things that could cause conflict among a family. Some like jealousy, infidelity, and the way you were raised. Jealousy is the natural counterpart of love; when you commit your love to one person, you want an exclusive commitment in return. Anything that threatens that commitment, whether it is another person, a hobby, a job or a situation, causes jealousy. You want the attention of the person you love; when it is taken by another person, activity or thing, you are jealous for the one you love, and jealous of whatever is claiming that person's attention.It can cause the family to fight often which causes family to drift apart which causes emotional problems between the parents and children. Infidelity affects everyone in a family not just the parents. The children take a large blow from it too. It can cause them to act out. Experts say children who learn about parental infidelity react similarly to children whose parents divorce, except the emotiona l responses to cheating are deeper and can have greater, longer-lasting impacts. Children who see a parent cheat lose trust in them because the parent was always telling them to be good.But in the end they were the ones misbehaving. The difference in between parents being raised can have a large impact on the family and how they raise their own children. If a parent was raised in a strict family they might want to pass that to their teaching styles of their own children. But if theres a strict parent and a free willing parent, they may not see eye to eye. That in turn would cause them to fight about how their children should be raised. Which could end up in a crazy custody battle.

Communicate Effectively at the Direct Leadership Level Essay

a.Mass communication enables you to communicate information to large numbers of people in a relatively short time. .Identify the principles of interpersonal transactional communication a.First principle – You cannot NOT communicate. i.Each day we receive thousands of behavioral cues to communicate. We choose which are worthy of our attention. We interpret or attribute meaning to each of these cues. We learn to accept some cues and reject others. We select the cue we will respond to and how we will communicate that response. Through this process, we assign purpose to each communication. Communication with purpose cannot be random. This conditioning process begins early in life. b.Second principle – Communication is predictable. i.Whenever you choose to recognize some sensory cue, you must organize the information in some personally acceptable way. The easiest way to do this is  to compare the behavior you now sense to all the behaviors you’ve ever known. As you repeat this process, you come to expect certain patterns of communicative behavior from certain people in certain situations. You learn to categorize people and their responses by paying attention to the feedback you get from people when we communicate with them. In this way, you improve the effectiveness of your communication by learning more about your own and the other person’s communicative patterns. c.Third principle – Communication is a â€Å"chicken and egg† process. i.Think of yourself as a simultaneous and continuous sender and receiver. Because communication occurs constantly in some form, it is difficult to determine whether you communicate first and respond last or vice versa. However, does it really matter? We define the context of our communication through punctuation. Punctuation is simply assigning specific beginning and ending points along the line of the continuous communication process. Human communication, as a dynamic process is best understood as a system where senders are simultaneously receivers and receivers are simultaneously senders. d.Fourth principle – Communication occurs at two levels. i.Communication not only conveys information, but at the same time imposes behavior. All interpersonal communication occurs at two levels: content and process. â€Å"The Dynamics of Human Communication† refers to the two levels as content and relationship while the USASMA model refers to them as content and process. We will use content and process. Content communication conveys information. Process communication (tone, context, gesture, and other nonverbal action) sends instructions to the receiver about how to interpret the message. When the content message does not match the process message, conflict and mistrust form in the mind of the receiver. e.Fifth principle – Transactions are between equals or up–and–down. i.You relate to people as equals or as nonequals. A typical example of a nonequal relationship is that of the mother–infant pair. Nonequal relationships include two different positions: one communicator is in the superior, or one–up position, while the other is in the one–down, or inferior position. Do not equate the words â€Å"up† and â€Å"down† with judgmental terms as â€Å"good,† â€Å"bad,† â€Å"strong,† or â€Å"weak.† Nonequal relationships are often set by social or cultural factors. It is usual for one–up persons to define the nature of the relationship. f.Sixth  principle – Communication is a sharing of meaning. i.This means that what meaning one person assigns to a word or image may not be the same as the meaning assigned by someone else to the same word or image. Each of us has our own system of classification, our own filtration system, by which we assign meaning. When we share our assigned meanings (GUESSES) with others, we expose some of our self–hoping that the other will understand us and interpret our meaning as we do. 4.Identify the relationship between listening and effective oral communication a.The Three Myths about Listening i.Listening is a natural process.- If you believe that listening occurs naturally, like breathing, then it follows that you never need to learn how to do it. Listening is a skill just like driving a golf ball or firing a rifle. You develop the skill just as you would any other skill. ii.Listening is the same as hearing.- Hearing is a natural process, but as we stated above, listening is a skill that we develop. We can train ourselves to â€Å"not listen† or to listen selectively. iii.Listening is the same as paying attention.- Many times we pretend to listen when we really are not. The receiver of the communication must indicate to the speaker that he is being heard and understood. The receiver indicates attention through both verbal and nonverbal indicators. b.Overview i.Let’s look at listening from a different approach, in relation to four types of internal and external responses to spoken messages. These responses range from very casual, almost accidental, to very deliberate and purposeful types of responses. They are not orderly stages that you go through when listening, nor a sequence that must be followed. All or only a few of these may occur within one set of listening transaction, or they may be skipped or types may be applied in any sequence. The four types are reflex, content, relational or active, and introspective listening. c.Type I, Reflex Listening i.A very basic kind of listening involving little more than hearing and a recognition that some noise has come to you. Reflex listening is very common in social settings, classrooms, public settings, and in concerts. Reflex listening involves primarily â€Å"guidance† noises where you can move out of  danger, approach and engage prospective pleasant experiences, but stay tuned to hear other important messages should they occur. d.Type II, Content Listening i.This type of listening is the one most frequently referred to when teachers and managers (leaders) criticize â€Å"poor† listening. Learning in school, receiving instructions on the job, getting information about what to do and how to run your life, are all involved in the content level. You listen to learn and to understand and to somehow retain information. An important dimension of content–type listening is an ability to detect which messages are accurate, useful, sound, truthful, reliable, and relevant. e.Type III, Relational Listening i.Listening is important not only in relation to getting the content of the message called â€Å"deliberative listening† but also in another dimension called â€Å"empathic listening.† This empathic dimension to listening includes active listening. Active listening reflects a whole orientation to life and to people–one which implies that to listen is to have the creative power to imagine how it would make sense to say what the other person is saying. It says that the other person (the speaker) is fundamentally important and worth listening to. How do you â€Å"do† active listening–by listening to a person without passing judgment on what is being said, and mirroring back what has been said to indicate that you understand the feelings the speaker was putting across. Effective communication is free to happen when threats have been removed. By the mirroring process, you help build a climate in which you can be accepting, noncritical, and non–mor alizing. f.Type IV, introspective listening i.Focus in this type of listening is on having something happen to the listener, not to the speaker. It may be the inner enjoyment of hearing poetry or music or spoken endearments. You experience something when you listen introspectively. Introspective listening has the quality of listening with a very open mind, but it also has the uncommon quality of applying your own deep understanding of your personal commitments and of the persuasion process as you evaluate the speakers’ messages.

Diversity in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Diversity in Organizations - Essay Example In the case of I.T. business relationship established between India and US companies the factors that need to be assessed are more specific. The ability to understand the difference in workforce demographics by all levels of management, categorisation of diversity, establishing necessary legal framework relating to diversity issues like employment discrimination and creation of equal employment opportunity are the few important factors that need careful attention. The initiatives for diversity management must precede proper understanding of the above mentioned factors. A brief analysis of the important factors that need to be considered in the US-India business relationship are given below. Both India and United States belong to the group of countries that have highly diverse societies. The business relationship between two nations also have different type of diversity challenges and priorities. The highly skewed pattern of access to professional education, socialization and career progression in India creates tremendous pressure on locating, retraining and moulding the newly recruits to the expected level of competence desired. Thus non-uniform distribution of talent is the major bottleneck faced by overseas IT enterprises trying to establish business relationship in Indian mainland (Schome, n.d.). The task of managing the diversity in India would also be a new experience for American managers as they have been exposed to totally different requirements when compared to their previous experience back home. The American society is more adaptable to the changes required due to the huge entry of immigrants and or those underrepresented segment of the population. These man agers have had an earlier experience of creating an environment of social bond inspite of the prevailing diversity. Perception on diversity The major difference in the perception of the diversity across two nations clearly conveys the true picture on the diversity perception. The religion, gender, birth place, caste etc are the major diversity issues encountering an Indian. While in US they also include disability, age, marital status, immigration / citizenship status and sexual orientation (Schome, n.d). Legal Framework US have a very strong legal framework to ensure more robust policies with proper legal action being enforced against the corporate offenders. And these action are often highlighted as the cases of the best corporate practices. While in India, the things are more weak and the system lack proper legal support for any discriminatory practices. All the government and public sector undertaking bodies in India have a system of reservation, where a specified percentage of positions are earmarked for the people representing different caste/religion/section. Management Plan The diversity initiatives at workplace must facilitate easy exchange of new ideas and perceptions among all the members of the working group. Further, it would also help wider participation among all by inviting suggestions and solutions to important issues and thus ensure a respectful and acceptable work environment in the organization (Reichenburg,

The Nature Of Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Nature Of Leadership - Case Study Example Such a situation arises from the complex nature of leadership. The only common thread that can be found is that the nature of leadership involves an influencing process and the consequences of this influencing process (Antonakis, Cianciola & Sternberg, 2004). It is for this reason the leadership definition that works for me is focussed on the influential nature of leadership and its implications. Daft and Lane 2008, p.4, define leadership as â€Å"an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes†. Expanding on the term influence is a key reason for my choice of this definition. The nature of influence here is that it is not passive but active, and it is multidirectional, and without the element of coercion. Furthermore, the influence is not merely from leaders to followers, but is reciprocal in that there are times when the influence flows from followers to leaders. Moving on to another key ingredient in this definition of the intention for real changes, it implies that leadership does not accept a status quo situation, but aims for creating change. This striving for change is based on the shared purposes of the leaders and followers and not on the desires of the leaders. In real terms this means that the created change is towards a desired future state or purpose (Daft & Lane, 2008). This definition also brings us to the important aspect of leadership in that it cannot be present in the absence of followers and that followers are an essential to leadership (Maxwell, 1993). 2. Without followers there are no leaders. What is known about followers? The first thought that comes to mind when we talk about followers is sheep following the shepherd, implying that followers merely follow a leader. This is not essentially true, for there are many in the flock of followers that assist the leader in the influence of leadership, and demonstrate capabilities to become leaders in the future (Yukl, 2006). This perception of followers indicates that followers are made up of different types of individuals. Followers may be classified into five types of followers. The first type we may take as the sheep and they look up to the leader for directing them in all that they do. The second type of followers consists of those that keep saying yes all the time to the leader, or accept leadership influence without any outward sign of opposition and devout their energies towards accomplishing the direction of the leadership influence. The third class of followers consist of individuals that we may term as alienated. These individuals are capable of independent thought and action. The problem here is that they also possess a lot of negative energy that works to the detriment of the group, as the leadership influence is unable to get to them and they make no positive contribution to the shared purpose of the group, rather they work against it. Leadership influence that can remove the negative energy from these followers can convert them to extremely useful members of the group and the leader. The next class of followers are the fence sitters or those that we may term as pragmatists. These followers refrain from accepting the influence of leaders, till such time they are sure that the trend is favourable and then jump on the bandwagon, in the manner that trees sway in the direction of the wind. It is not that they have any opposing views or are capable of contributing positively towards the shared purposes. Self-preservation is of primary importance, and hence the wait and see attitude on the impact of the change influence that emanates from the leader. The final classification of followers may be viewed as star followers. They possess the same vibrancy as the

INTERNATIONAL & CROSS-CULTURAL MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

INTERNATIONAL & CROSS-CULTURAL MARKETING - Essay Example Cross cultural marketing says that marketers should understand that there is very little scope for ethnocentrism in international business. The marketers should also understand that no culture is better than the other. Today ‘cross-culturalization’ is inevitable just like globalization. Therefore the key to the success of the companies in case of international marketing lies in the degree to which the companies can differentiate and understand the cultures of the host nations. The present study has been done in order to analyze the cross cultural and international strategy of Al- Jumeirah. Al- Jumeirah is a UAE based luxury hotel chain. Here the targeted host country has been chosen as China. China has been chosen as it happens to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world since the entry to WTO. Over the course of the study the issues such as factors influencing the entry of Al- Jumeirah in to China; business environment of China; segments to be targeted; demographics ;cultural issues of China has been discussed from an international and cross cultural perspective has been discussed (Kotabe and Helsen, 2008, p. 301). Before entering to China Jumeirah was present was present in economies that are mostly matured and statured in nature including U.K., Germany etc. Such economies usually provide very few opportunities for growth. Add to that the economic downturn provided additional threat to the hotel chain. Therefore in order to combat the fluctuating economic conditions the hotel chain decided to enter an emerging economy like China. In order to attract the foreign companies to invest in the country so that the country can achieve industrialization and economic growth the China entered WTO in the year 2001 after several years of negotiation. As a result the government was bound to follow the WTO trade regulations which meant that

Becoming Animal, or Animals Become Us Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Becoming Animal, or Animals Become Us - Essay Example As a child her main character creates a friendship with a horse and throughout the friendship she is kind to the horse. One day, she sees that the horses eyes look lonely. Later, the horse is happy because it has a companion and she finds out that Blue (the horse) is actually only there as a stud. At this point, she notices that once his companion is gone, Blue also stays away from her as a human. This is significant because as Walker says, "Blue was like a crazed person†¦" (866) and she admits he was like that to her and then his attitude changes towards her when he "realizes" that his friend will not be back. "†¦I took apples to him, he looked at me. It was a look so piercing, so full of grief, a look so human, †¦to think there are people who do not know that animals suffer" (867). She wants humans to know that animals do indeed suffer and this horse suffered in the way that someone who was enslaved would suffer as their family was taken from them and sold. This was a very poignant parallel for her to draw because the reader was able to see the connection between animal and human. "Everything you do to us will happen to you; we are your teachers, as you are ours. We are one lesson" (866) is the point of the entire story which points to a partnership or "oneness" between human animals and other animals. Merchants writing is interesting because in some respects she sees a constant struggle between male domination and female natural instinct. She says that women are the nature aspects of life and actually sees the struggle between Adam and Eve continues throughout all of what we are doing to this day. As an example, she gives many ideas from other writers about how they felt it was possible for man to conquer nature. She quotes Thomas Huxley as saying that there should be a situation where a new Eden would be born and in it "every plant and every lower animal should

Poverty in the U.S Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poverty in the U.S - Research Paper Example According to the United States Census Bureau, poverty levels are defined as less than $10,590 of annual income for a one-person household, less than $14,291 for a family of three, and less than $16,705 for a family of four. A family of nine or more people is considered to be in poverty if they have less than $40,085 in income for the year (Census, 2007). These income levels are just the government’s cut off line for considering a family to be in poverty. Most people in the United States earn more money than that in a given year. The average income for the whole United States is more than $50,000, but that average is figured using extremely rich people in the sample as well. Poor people experience unstable employment, stagnant or low wages, and lack perks and benefits (such as paid sick leave). Job training programs for people who live in poverty are supposed to help them find better paying and more stable employment. Unfortunately, the results of job training programs have been less than what case workers would have hoped. â€Å"One study found that two-thirds of individuals who left a low-wage service job for a job training program returned to† a similar low-wage service job at the end of training (Newman, 2006, 69). â€Å"Wages are not the only form of reward workers seek. Benefits are of great importance as well, and low-wage jobs are generally devoid of them,† Newman continues. In the low-wage employment world, it’s considered a â€Å"benefit† to get paid sick leave. People lose their jobs if they call in sick too often, and with young children at home, calling in sick is a necessity. Low-wage workers used to be able to depend on government programs to help make ends meet. Even if they were working, government benefits could help them stay afloat—not rise out of poverty, but at least try to keep from slipping further. Welfare reform changed that for many people living in poverty (Newman, 2006; Shipler, 2005). Welfare reform moved poor

CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Case Study Example DIAD V will be smaller in size as compared to DIAD IV; automatic jumping between cellular networks and this will enable DIAD V to provide high rate of connectivity; WI-FI support for faster data transfer rates (Anonymous p.592). Further, the new DIAD V will have color, autofocus flash camera that will enable drivers to scan bar codes and capture signatures for delivery; processor that will increase storage; and color display for GPS support navigation (Anonymous p.592). Development of technology by any company depends on numerous factors. However, the critical among these factors is the amount of resources the company has to channel to the technology and the business and customer needs the technology will meet. Given these two big factors, it can be deduced that shipping industry is very dynamic and customer and employee needs can be regarded to be fluid. Therefore, designing its own technology, UPS is able to tailor-make technology that resonate with both organizational needs, available resources and customer needs and also that has room for modification in future as the needs in the market change. Globalization is exerting pressure on businesses to adapt information management systems that are efficient, cost-effective and that result into customer satisfaction. As a result, UPS as a shipping company has become a leader in technology and innovation as a way of improving customer services, leveraging competitive advantage over its competitors, and minimizing costs of doing business. The company created a program known as My SHC Community Customers of Sears and Kmart (Anonymous p.636). Members were encouraged to become part of something new, which also was different. The program facilitated online interactive community, where members were supposed to give their views and opinions on what they wanted (Anonymous p.636). As

Implementation of Performance Management System in an organization Essay

Implementation of Performance Management System in an organization - Essay Example To achieve competitiveness, two things are very important i.e. managing the efficiency plus building employees skills, abilities, capabilities and behavior. To improve performance at the organizational level it is essential to create a culture and situation of continuous learning of employees and of the organization (van der Sluis, 2007). The Human Resource Development (HRD) is an evolving concept and it addresses the challenge of managing performance of employees for the organizations. HRD is an important developmental program to ensure that the organization has an institutionalized way of developing, utilizing and committing human resources in order to meet current and future organizational challenges (van der Sluis, 2007). ... Since the work requirements are changing, the traditional methods of training are inadequate to deal with the rapid change and increased complexity of work (Casey, 2005) thus, placing demands on organizations to facilitate new approaches to training (Garavan et al., 2002). Human resources are currently the foremost source of competitive advantage because all other potential competitive advantages (e.g. technology, capital, and products) can be either bought or copied (Burke and Cooper, 2008 and Pineda, 2010). At present, organizations are facing shortage of talented and adequately equipped employees with required skills and capabilities in order to reach at the eminent level of performance (Burke and Cooper, 2008). Rao (2002) for example is in favor of an â€Å"OCTAPACE† culture (openness, collaboration, trust and trustworthiness, authenticity, pro-action, autonomy, confrontation and experimentation) to create a HRD climate in the organization for improved performance. Organiz ations with better learning, training and development systems, reward and recognition, and information systems and quality orientation in terms of career planning, performance guidance and development, role efficacy, and reward and recognition systems promoted HRD climate (Hassan et al., 2006). From the figure, it can be said that Human Resource Development encompasses two key ingredients i.e. Training and Development (T&D) and Organization Development (OD). Training and Development focuses on individuals and then links with the organization whereas Organization Development basically focuses at the organization level first and then links with individuals. Additionally, there are

How did Bobbie Ann Mason`s upbringing in the rural south influence her writing of Shiloh Essay Example for Free

How did Bobbie Ann Mason`s upbringing in the rural south influence her writing of Shiloh Essay Bobbie Ann Mason is considered as one of the great American writers from the South. Her personal background as a Southerner influenced and set a backdrop for most of her fiction stories. From a small country girl who used to read Bobbsey Twins and the Nancy Drew mysteries, Bobbie Ann Mason has become one of the Americas leading fiction writers. In 1980 The New Yorker published her first story. It took me a long time to discover my material, she says. It wasnt a matter of developing writing skills; it was a matter of knowing how to see things. And it took me a very long time to grow up. Id been writing for a long time, but was never able to see what there was to write about. I always aspired to things away from home, so it took me a long time to look back at home and realize that thats where the center of my thought was† (Bobbie Ann Mason’s Homepage). This discourse will try to map out the journey that Bobbie Ann Mason has taken from being just a country girl to being one of America’s leading fiction writers as well as how her upbringing has been manifested in her writings, especially â€Å"Shiloh†. Bobbie Ann Mason was born in 1940 in a small town in Mayfield, Kentucky. Growing up in her parents’ dairy farm, she spent most of her childhood days in the typical rural Southern setting and experiencing the Southern way of upbringing. (â€Å"Bobbie Ann Mason,† Wikipedia) The first nine (9) years of her educational life were spent in a rural school. Shortly thereafter Bobbie Ann Mason attended a city school where she stayed until her graduation. It was here where she first experienced living in the city and experiencing the hustle and bustle that was absent from the rural setting that she was accustomed to in Kentucky (Webber). It was her love for literature that prompted her to pursue a degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky and eventually attain a Ph. D. in English from the University of Connecticut. (â€Å"Bobbie Ann Mason,† Wikipedia) This seeming â€Å"duality† of her background, growing up in the Southern Setting and highly educated in a metropolitan setting, is reflected within most of her written works (Hunt). Rothstein describes Mason’s style as a combination of her â€Å"intellectual sophistication† (after all, she had a doctorate degree) and â€Å"the sense of isolated, yearning existence of her rural characters [is] one she has never quite shed herself. The influence of growing up in the South is clearly shown in most of her characters in her stories yet the theme and feel of the story reveals her intellect and cosmopolitan views as well. A perfect example of how Mason reveals this â€Å"duality† is in Shiloh. In Shiloh, Mason shows this through the challenges that the characters undergo; some of these changes that the characters in experience deal with the nature of human life, the changes brought on by death, the issues on disease and aging; but these changes are not so common, nor as troublesome, in Masons stories as the changes brought on by a changing society. These changes, as Edwin T. Arnold correctly observes, are brought about by the fact that the present has effectively displaced, transformed, and cheapened the traditional, and Masons characters are depicted as they lose their strengths and beliefs and find nothing substantial to replace them (136) Bobbie Ann Mason’s writings are mostly set in the South. Her version is more realistic and not romanticized; unlike the works of Faulkner or O’Connor (Hunt), she depicts small-town rural Southern living, using dialogue and settings characteristic of the South (Hunt). However, southern history and all it represents seems irrelevant to her characters lives (Fine 87). Bobbie Ann Mason occasionally reveals her talent and wit by being able to focus more on her characters and their sense of isolation and their want for something more from their lives and draw the reader towards the characters and make them empathize with the characters. These characters are not simply depicted as typical Southerners, but rather as people who are trying desperately to get into the society rather than out of it (Reed 60). Mason shows the Southern Influence by creating believable characters that are caught in the transition between the old, pastoral, rural world of farms and close-knit communities and the modern, anonymous, suburban world of shopping malls and fast-food restaurants (Shiloh: Themes). In Shiloh, for example, Leroy did not notice the change in his hometown while he was on the road as a trucker. However, now that Leroy has come home to stay, he notices how much the town has changed. Subdivisions are spreading across western Kentucky like an oil slick. Change, a theme often used by Mason in her works, shows just how much Mason is influenced by her upbringing and also reveals how she laments over how people are slow to realize the changes in southern society. In this story, it takes a traumatic event of some kind to make the characters see that the land has changed or that they no longer know who they are. In Leroys case, it is his accident and injury in his rig that make him see that the land has changed, that Norma Jean has changed, and that in all the years he was on the road he never took time to examine anything. He was always flying past scenery (2). Several of Masons characters react to the changes in their lives by trying, at least momentarily, to go back. Leroy thinks that he can hold onto his wife if he can go back to a simpler time. He decides to accomplish this by building her a log cabin for which he goes so far as to order the blueprints and to build a miniature out of Lincoln Logs. Mabel, Leroys mother-in-law, is convinced that if Leroy and Norma Jean will go to Shiloh where she and her husband went on their honeymoon, they can somehow begin their fifteen-year-old marriage anew. So does Leroy. He says to Norma, You and me could start all over again. Right back at the beginning (15). It is ironic, fitting, and symbolic that it is at Shiloh that Norma tells him she wants to leave him. By storys end, Leroy knows that he cannot go back as it occurs to him that building a house of logs is . . . empty too simple. . . . Now he sees that building a log house is the dumbest idea he could have had. . . . It was a crazy idea (16). He realizes that the real inner workings of a marriage, like most of history, have escaped him (16). The female characters that Mason brings to life are what set her stories apart from the usual literature which depicts Southern women; their dreams, goals, and their want for progress significantly differs from those of the traditional Southern belle characters such as Scarlett O’Hara and Adie (Hunt). The female characters of Mason embrace change and are not afraid of it (Kincaid 582). This seemingly feminist theme reflects the change in social relationships between men and women; how evolving and rapidly shifting gender roles affect the lives of simple people. Mason also shows how some of her women try to forge new identities in the wake of shifting gender roles and how their efforts often include a blatant shrinking of traditionally feminine behaviors or characteristics; sometimes they seem almost completely to be trading roles with the men in their lives. And since change often causes uncertainty and instability, another aspect is the way these women find some solid ground through connections with other women (Bucher). â€Å"Shiloh† is a story that symbolizes the modern woman striving to find her identity (Cooke 196). In this short story, Bobbie Ann Mason masterfully portrays the lead female character, Norma Jean, as one such woman; strong, determined and confused in a search for her identity. Mason is able to show this to the reader through the acts of Norma Jean as she tries to improve her physical appearance by â€Å"working on her pectorals† (Mason 271), enrolls in a variety of classes, from weightlifting to cooking exotic foods to English composition in an attempt to become a new woman (Thompson 3). These actions of Norma Jean actions reveal more of a strong desire for inner personal transformation, much more than anything else. However, Mason also recognizes that abrupt change in one’s personality has its own dangers (Hunt), as illustrated by Norma Jean and Leroy’s relationship. Norma Jean and Leroy’s relationship is a perfect example of the dangers of an abrupt change as it shows a marriage with serious problem and the effect that change has on it. Leroy and Norma Jean Moffitt, are working-class people living in the modern South, and thus they bring into their marriage all sorts of unspoken expectations of who they should be, which often contrast violently with who they are even more so with who they are becoming (Bucher). When in a twist of fate, Leroy loses the use of his leg, Norma Jean suddenly assumes the role of being the man in the family and this leads to problems. It is this sort of change that is not only abrupt but also drastic which Mason shows in Shiloh that reveals her Southern influence. She emphasizes the changing role of women in society by using the Southern setting as a backdrop. Mason is a lover of rock and roll music. This passion and preference for rock music and pop culture are frequently reflected throughout her stories as well (Webber). â€Å"Writing is my version of rock-and-roll,† Rothstein quotes her (Webber). This is aptly shown in â€Å"Shiloh,† where the main characters themselves are named after Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, popular icons of the rock and roll scene and pop culture in the early 1950s. All in all, it can be said that Bobbie Ann Mason’s personal background shows a very consistent influence in the fiction stories that she writes and provides a deeper and different perspective about living in a Southern setting and rural life in general. In the country in Kentucky, people are just amazed that anybody in New York wants to read about their lives (Rothstein). With fiction stories of Bobbie Ann Mason, however, it is not surprising that people will want to read more about Kentucky or the Southern locales of the United States, for that matter, for her stories speak of the universal human experiences that transcend physical and cultural boundaries which people can identify with. WORKS CITED: Arnold, Edwin J. Falling Apart and Staying Together. Appalachian Journal (1985): 135-141Aycock-Simpson, Judy. Bobbie Ann Mason’s Portrayal of Modern Western Kentucky Border States: Journal of the Kentucky-Tennessee American Studies Association, No. 7 (1989) â€Å"Bobbie Ann Mason. † Wikipedia: Free Encyclopedia. August 30, 2006. November 11, 2006 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bobbie_Ann_Mason â€Å"Bobbie Ann Mason. † Bobbie Ann Mason’s Homepage. September 17, 2005. November 24, 2006 http://www. eiu. edu/~eng1002/authors/mason2/bio. htm Shiloh: Themes. Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes. com. January 2006. 24 November 2006. http://www. enotes. com/shiloh/32686 Bucher, Tina. â€Å"Changing Roles and Finding Stability: Women in Bobbie Ann Mason’s Shiloh and Other Stories† Border States: Journal of the Kentucky-Tennessee American Studies Association, No. 8 (1991) Cooke, Stewart J. Masons Shiloh. The Explicator 51 (1993): 196-197. Fine, Laura. Going Nowhere Slow: The Post-South World of Bobbie Ann Mason. The Southern Literary Journal 32 (1999). Hunt, Kristina. â€Å"Mason’s Transformation of the South. † October 27, 2000. November 11, 2006.

International human resources Essay Example for Free

International human resources Essay It is the biggest challenge of companies today to maintain and attract best employees thus the realization in holding trainings and conferences for top executives to level officers is exceedingly in demand. Initiating strategies and solutions regarding employee retention and human resource management keep on going to minimize costs and money. There are many promising solutions in going through a lot of obstacles in human resource recruitment. We may start on some questions that would spark a new beginning: are the employees are given the chance to speak? Are new ideas accepted? Are benefits really beneficial to employees? Does the employees’ opinion count? Are works valued, evaluated and rewarded on their performance? This are simple questions that has an impact to the existing problems in many companies, regardless of size, incorporating other issues like repatriation, better opportunities, poor treatment, differences in culture and disagreement on the direction of the company, lack of recognition, indefinite growth prospects and poor relationship among co-workers. Keeping people and maintaining them for a longer period of time is the most difficult and challenging tasks for all human resources managers nowadays, hopefully, we will answer possible keys and solutions to these burning questions throughout the discussion. Why are people leaving from one company to another? A wide variety of reasons why are people leaving their jobs to find new companies includes: expectations were not satisfactorily fulfilled, unsuitable for the role, do not fit with the company’s culture, insufficient opportunities for growth and development, inadequate acknowledgment and admiration, problems with a manager or supervisor, not satisfied with the compensation, stress, lack of work and life balance, and lack of confidence in the company and leadership (Meyers). According to Susan Heathfield (Heathfield, 2007), most employees are leaving their work for reasons of searching new opportunities with other companies. Three top reasons were identified by Heathfield: fifty three percent of employees look for better rewards and benefits, thirty five percent were discontented with prospects of career growth and development, and thirty two percent were ready for a new experience and new environment. The motivating factors that can enhance the continuous stay of employees were examined by Bob Losyk on his article, here are the different factors that he stated: dignity and respect, involvement and participation, pay above the industry average, showcase superior workers, and by showing support to employees (Losyk). Giving dignity and respect is one of the most important key elements in satisfying the employees, harsh words, shouting, insults, and abuse of power will only result to demoralization, low morale, increase possibilities of absenteeism, and in turn resignation. Losyk added that employers should be treated with high respect, worth and goodness, let them relax, be independent and empowered. Do not crash on people who make mistakes instead make it more constructive and let them learn from it. Involvement and participation is also a significant factor in dealing with employees’ motivation to stay in the company, by listening to their suggestions, aspirations, and ideas can make them more involved and active much as with belongingness and partnership. Paying above the industry average will surely and literally compensate the best employee thus giving and making more money for you. Great employees should be compensated for what they gave back to the company and it should not be as simple as paying back but to reward and constantly recognize their efforts. For sure, companies who have the best employees will have more satisfied clients because of the excellent services they receive and in return a greater chance of repeat business will likely to come. Another tip from Losyk is to highlight and draw attention to outstanding employees by giving awards, certificates, extra remuneration, dinners as well as posting their photos on bulletin boards or company newsletters. To share and show support, to listen and know their personal and family problems can be a key factor for lasting relationship with employees. It will create a positive and motivating atmosphere resulting to a more productive and high-quality employees (Losyk). Increasing demand for immigrant workforce and opportunities abroad: The increasing demand of hiring cross-cultural workforce is a global necessity to respond the needs internationally. But because of the terms and conditions in hiring immigrants, it is very difficult to establish a worthy and constant employee for a particular business due to numerous alternative employment with other companies. To better understand the recruitment, hiring and retaining the best employees especially the immigrants and ethnic workers, it is important that we should consider the culture, traditions, and beliefs, know the different ethnic lifestyles and values, appreciate the impact that the immigrant workforce is influencing the management, and study the fabrications on recruitment of diverse ethnic groups. In addition to Losyk’s article, he stressed that it is significant that companies must understand the needs and desires most Hispanic and Asian workers want from a workplace, discover how to give comment to immigrant employees, determine the critical factors needed to train Asian, Hispanic and other cross-cultural groups, and create management techniques that can work and understand the involvement and recognition with the ethnic groups (Losyk). Further problems encountered by other employers is when their employees who are assigned to work overseas over a period of time will transfer to another companies in a few months to seek greener pastures. These are real and actual happenings in most development organizations when workers or volunteers enter into a contract to gain experience overseas and marked it as a stepping stone to find great opportunities abroad. How can companies and organizations struggle to this concurrent problem? Is this just a cycle to be left out and find new workers to continue the job? Are there any other holistic means that we can manage to surpass this continuing global recruitment problem?

International Corporate Entrepreneurship And Role Of Middle Management

International Corporate Entrepreneurship And Role Of Middle Management Middle management has crucial importance in the corporate entrepreneurial process but unexpectedly it has got little attention in the past research and academic literature. Middle management has great influence on organisational decision making, strategy making and in implementation of these strategies due to their central place in the management hierarchy. This chapter encompasses the academic literature relevant to middle management and their role in the process of corporate entrepreneurship (CE). It will begin with basic concepts of middle management and corporate entrepreneurial processes, their definitions and explanations. Past literature will be presented later on in this section regarding middle management to justify the both positive and negative sides of middle managements role and influence on the corporate entrepreneurial activities by the researchers. This will then follow a counter argument to discuss the role played other forces (higher management, first level managers and employees) in order to influence the CE process. The corporate entrepreneurial process requires innovation and change in order to remain effective in the business and this will be review in the light of previous literature to examine the process of organisational transformation. The last part of this section will concentrate on the issues like change implementation and their failure in organisation. Also literature will be reviewed regarding drivers like organisational citizenship, organisational innovation and ambidexterity that influence organisational changes indirectly. What is Entrepreneurship? The term entrepreneurship was used as an economic term in the mid eighteen century and described as a process bearing a risk of buying and selling products or services at certain and uncertain prices by Cantillon (1855) as cited in Grebel et al. (2003). Grebel et al. (2003) further broadened the term by including and bringing together the production factors in it. But this definition raises few questions whether there was any uniqueness about the entrepreneurial functions or it was just another form of management. Later the definition of entrepreneurship was added with the concept of innovation which includes the product innovation, process innovation, market innovation or even organisational innovation. This definition broadens the concept of entrepreneurship and describes it as the creator of new enterprises and pictures the entrepreneur as founder and innovator. Defining Corporate Entrepreneurship Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE) was described as a process that can be used by individuals within an organisation to create opportunities without regard to the resources they are holding (Stevenson et al., 1999). Many researchers defined CE as a process of organisational renewal (Peterson and Berger 1972; Hill and Hlavacek 1972; Hannan 1976; Quinn 1979, and Sathe 1989), while others described it as the combined entrepreneurial efforts based on the organisational resources and commitments in order to perform the innovative functions of organisation in order to develop the product, process or innovation (Covin and Miles 1999; Naman and slevin 1993, Miller and Friesen 1982; Burgleman 1984; Kanter 1985; Alterowitz 1988; and Zahra and Covin 1995). According to Sharma and Chrisman (1999) there are three types of phenomena into existence for CE that may or may not be related. These are: a) Creation of new business from an existing one b) Transformation or renewal of an organisation c) Innovation The creation of new business was described as the internal corporate venturing by Zajac, Golden and Shortell (1991) while Pinchot (1985) called it intrapreneurship. On the other hand the process of renewal of organisation was regarded as strategic renewal (Guth and Ginsberg, 1990), organisational renewal (Baden and Stopford, 1994) and strategic change, transformation and revival of organisation (Shendel, 1990). By enlightening these ideas Sharma and Chrisman (1999) defines CE as the process where individuals or group of individuals create new organisation within an existing organisation or find innovation in that organisation. The entrepreneurial efforts that result in the creation of new business organisation are known as corporate venturing and the resulted innovation could exploit the ways of product offering in the existing or new market. The analysis of these different dimensions and approaches of CE can be concluded with the study of Gartner (1988) who describe it as a multifaceted concept that requires some major transformational changes in order to develop the whole idea of CE. Middle Management and the Organisation Dobson and Stewart (1993) and Turbalull (1998) stressed on the need of a clearer definition for the term middle mangers, as the levels of middle management in a company as poorly outlined as a unit of analysis. Middle management is basically used as a tactical work force to eliminate the gaps between the senior management and the sub-ordinates at the lower end of organisational hierarchy and also to implement the organisational policies made by the senior management. Two types of middle managers were identified by Currie (1999) in organisations: specialist middle managers for the roles like marketing, HR or finance; operation middle managers that coordinate operations between departments. Although both management types are important for any organisation but the specialist functions or boundary spanning activities get the priority. The participation of specialist middle managers in organisational activities appears more often as compared to the operations managers who focus on internal operations more (Wooldridge, 1997). The importance of middle management and their role as an agent in bringing the change in contemporary organisation was first drawn into attention by Bower (1970). However, the next decade or two came with a little systematic research in order to define the scope and nature of middle management and their contribution towards the organisational innovation and entrepreneurship. Although many researchers and authors (Peters and Waterman, 1982; Kanter, 1983; Pinchott, 1985; Drucker, 1985; Burgelman and Sayles, 1986) have argued on the different aspects of middle managements contributions towards CE while others (Schuler, 1986; Woolridge and Floyd, 1990) discussed their role in the companys strategy which is another important variable of CE (Guth and Ginsberg, 1990; Zahra, 1991). Middle Managements Role in Operations According to Floyd and Lane (2000) operating-level managers absorbs the relevant ideas and information from outside the firm while also giving a positive response to the middle level managements information which is based on the top-level management strategic ideas. Every managerial role is different from other and different actions are associated with each of them (Miller and Camp, 1985) but here the discussion will revolve around the middle management, their corporate entrepreneurial activities and their behaviour towards CE. In other words, once commitment is made by the all management levels in order to pursue the CE related activities, then its middle managers responsibility to communicate through all organisational level for the effective flow of information for the implementation and development of project. The role middle management and their importance in the innovation process in an organisation were recognised by Quinn (1985) and who was also among the first to point out the valued part played by the middle management CE. He also recognised that the top-level management is isolated from the daily floor operations and it is important for middle management to play crucial role in fostering the company goals and targets. This importance in the organisational structure gives them an opportunity to interact with the employees and encourage them towards innovation while taking the calculated risk. Middle management and the Corporate Entrepreneurship The literature (Floyd Lane, 2000; Ireland, Hitt, Vaidyanath, 2002) suggests that in any organisation managers play vital role at all levels of organisational structure and contribute towards company success. In simple context, the top level management involves in strategic role where their job is to deal with strategic decision making and set clear direction towards companys goals and objectives. On the other hand, middle managers job is to bridge the gap between two distinct ends of management hierarchy i.e. top-level managers and operating-level managers and their focus is the effective communication between both channels. This is not an easy job and to fulfil the requirements of their job the communication should be carried to both ends of hierarchy efficiently in order to create the innovativeness of all business units including product and service. According to Ghoshal and Bartlett (1994) the middle managers are not only enable the entrepreneurial actions like creating new opportunities for organisation or engage in organisational renewal but also keeping the innovativeness of also these entrepreneurial actions . Other researchers (Kanter, 1985; Ginsberg Hay, 1994; Pearce, Kramer, Robbins, 1997; Floyd Lane, 2000) described the middle managers as facilitator between the two managerial levels and how they play their role to shape the entrepreneurial action set by the top-level management for them. Due to the demand of their role middle managers have to reconcile the top-level strategies and implementation issues at the bottom end of hierarchy as these determine the competencies and also the performance of organisation. There is strong link between the firms performance and middle managers perception about the characteristics of competency (tactics, consensus and embeddedness) and this differentiates them from the first-level m anagers and take them closer to higher end of organisation hierarchy (King et al., 2001). The importance of middle managers as innovators is emphasized by the Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) who suggested that their central position in organisation is key for them to absorb and collect the information, ideas and innovation from both inside and outside of organisation. This flow of information and ideas between both ends of organisation influence the middle-level mangers to shape their entrepreneurial skills as their experience and knowledge grow. The only comment that can conclude this whole discussion on the importance of middle managements role in CE is that all the organisational and entrepreneurial functions are associated with them. Thus, the presence of middle management is there where CE functions are most likely to happen. Middle managers in Strategic Roles Middle managers have played a frequent role in providing strategic alternatives for firms and making those alternative ideas accessible for higher management (Floyd and Woolridge, 1992). The nature of middle managers job requires them to integrate and synthesize the information and resources by crystallizing the strategic issues faced by the organisation and also setting a platform for these strategic changes; by enhancing the old structure of organisation through implementation of formal strategy and giving feedback. This feedback can be used to make future changes in the strategy and for organisational renewal. The findings of Floyd and Woolridge (1992) gives a clearer picture when compared with the earlier work of Burgelman and Sayles (1986) that how middle management play key role in an organisation by shaping the strategic issues and influencing the entrepreneurial activities. The observations of other authors (Peters and Waterman, 1982; Pinchott, 1985) have seen the middle management playing important in encouraging other employees to take risks while working towards innovation. Quinn (1985) and Kanter (1988) also observed similar role of middle managers in promoting the CE activities across the organisation. This can be done by introducing reward schemes that encourage employees to experiment with their innovative ideas. Also different approaches can be used by the middle management to make the whole structure of organisation less resistant towards future changes and allowing the CE activities to flourish. Corporate Entrepreneurship and Other Forces (Actors) Most of literature on the CE and middle management either ignored or failed to identify the important role played by other forces to gain the CE in any organisation and widely criticised by Floyd (1999). According to McMillan (1993) as far as the power is concerned both middle management and other players have equal importance in bringing the CE to the organisational structure. Burgelman (1983) insist that the heart of CE activities is always dependent on the initiative taken at the operational levels of a firm. He insists on the importance of the factors that play towards the success of internal corporate activities by the operational level management, middle managements ability to effectively communicate between both ends of organisational hierarchy and the higher managements trust on the lower sub-ordinates in order to flourish the CE in the organisation. According to Burgelman (1993) operative managers have more importance in organisational structure than middle managers as they have more experience and involvement in dealing with RD and research related activities and are more aware of the corporate culture, market needs and demands. On the other hand Quin (1980 and 1982) has also argued on different occasion about the importance of middle management but he pointed towards the power asserted by the top management to control actions of middle management. Although the organisational operation flow is bottom up but the final decisions are always in top managements hand in either acceptance or rejection of these initiatives. Although Floyd (1999) has insisted towards the importance of middle management is vital due to their central position in the organisational hierarchy. But this literature review is evident that the other organisational forces as important as the middle management in the central role in the organisation and have equal influence on the CE related activities. Organisational Change Implementation Innovation in any organisation does not takes place on its own or in isolation and neither in a vacuum but it happens in a system where the employees and processes work together to achieve it. According to Joe (2005) it is all about the organisation and its employees and their approach towards the implementation of change in organisation. Hornsby et al. (2002) argued on the same note and suggested that the all organisations look for change and they implement these changes strategically through the help of CE. Two types of organisational changes can be found as a result of innovation and are known as deliberate strategic change and emergent strategic change and have their affect dependent on the role of middle management in them. Types of Organisational Change The first approach towards change is deliberate (Ansoff, 1965) and the top managements motive behind this strategy is to maximise both the organisational interest and profits at the same time. Middle management has a limited role in the deliberate or top-down change strategy and they have a very little influence upwards in order to make any change policy. On the other hand, the incremental change approach is a vice versa of top-down change strategy (Whittinghton, 1993) and it is based on the idea that change should be unplanned and unintentional rather that deliberate. This approach is based on the knowledge and outcomes of past policies which lacks in the deliberate change (Lindblom, 1959). He further argued the important role played by the middle management in order to formulate and implement the change in the organisation. On different occasions Quinn (1882, 1978 and 1980) suggested that incremental change strategy can be considered through the implementation of sub-systems before addressing any major change issues. But there is power culture involved in Quinns approach and points towards the higher management in order to decide which sub-system to be implemented and hence limits the role of middle management to some extent. All this discussion leads to one conclusion that there is no single approach which can completely benefit the middle managements role towards the organisational change but the incremental approach is more suited to them as compared to the deliberate change approach and enhances their role in change process. Middle Managements Role in Organisational Change There is plenty of pragmatic evidence in the past literature (Bower 1979; Kanter 1983; Burgelman 1983a, 1983b, 1983c, 1991 and 1994; Schilit and Paine 1987; Dutton and Ashford 1993; Nonaka 1988; Sayles 1993; and Schilit 1993) which shows a significant influence of middle management towards organisational change. On the same note Floyd and Wooldridge (1990) pointed towards the significant relationship between performance of an organisation and involvement of management. They further argued how middle management is involved in both directions of organisational hierarchy; with its upward influence on policy development could help the organisation by setting up a road map for change and innovation. While downward influence sets up a smooth ground to implement the organisational strategies effectively (Shendel and Hofer 1979 and Nutt 1987). Thus it shows the importance of middle management to influence the change in the organisation in the both directions at the same time. Human Nature, Top Management And the Organisational Change According to Strebel (1996) and Siegal (1996) almost two third of efforts made towards organisational change see failure as a result of top management negligence and lack of ability to recognise the human nature of change. This negligence by the top management is often seen as psychological differences between employees at individual level (Coghlan, 1993). The uncertainty and difference of opinion shows how employees look at organisational change at individual levels. The organisational change and all of its processes have direct or indirect link with the employees personal influence towards change and it is regarded as a personal change for them (Bovey, 2001). Evan (1994) has also argued on the same note by saying that employees work for OC in order to make it successful so that it can be a success for them too. According to Prastacos (2002) the OC is dependent on the acceptance and resistance levels of employees. Bovey (2001) noted that technical changes are often seen as bit easier to approach by the top management and are more predictable towards the change issues like developing action plans, making strategies, estimating profit level and resource analysis. The communication process in another key to keep the resistance level in control among employees against the change but if the resistance against change is higher from employee then it shows the poor communication and the inability of the top management (Elving, 2005). The organisational change is not a one way procedure but a two way understanding between management and employee (Bulogun, 2006). He also stressed on the need of mutual consensus between both parties to implement change across organisation and this is only possible through a good communication channel. It is almost impossible for top management to identify, control or prepare for every change before it happens due to the quick nature of change and they have act while it is happening. So, the above suggests that the top management remains isolated during the change mechanism due to hierarchal structure within organisational but on the other hand, middle management remains important during this process and act as communication channel between employees and top management. Thus, middle management has more importance during the implementation of organisational change than top management. Middle Managements Role in Political Nature of Change The top management has all the authorities in an organisation but this is not the case when it comes to organisational change policies and it affects their whole vision about it. The political nature of organisational structure makes the idea of change uncertain and difficult to implement. For the knowledge management the networks are often used as mechanism for to gain the required information and are used for political nature of change. The idea behind the formation of these networks is to use them politically for the change process. Hislop et al. (2000) agree with the fact there is a relation between these political networks and knowledge because of the need of appropriate knowledge is needed to form and use these network. This study shows that due to political nature of change it is vital for middle management to gain knowledge through these networks inside as well as the outside of firm to make a ground for the change acceptance. Organisational Change and Other Drivers There are few other drivers of change that are worth looking at in the literature including the organisational innovation, organisational citizenship and ambidexterity. These change drivers have important link with middle managements role in corporate entrepreneurial activities and CE process too. The Importance of Organisational Improvisation Organisational improvisational is another issue considered important in the reviewed literature that is connected directly with the change implementation in organisations. Different approach was adopted by the Ryle (1979) who described the process of improvisation as thought refining and most of things happen during this process are unique, hard to predict and probably might not get repeated in future. But this process is seen as an outcome from failure of first approach and is a product by accident described by Lebourne (2006). The literature from last two decades considered is another feature of organisational activities that contribute towards the change process of an organisation (Lewin, 1998). Thus the idea of organisational improvisation contributes in the form innovation and by keeping up the market up-to-date. As far as the middle management is concerned they get the opportunity to influence the whole process of improvisation from formulation stage to implementation stage through their time management skills. Relationship between Organisational Change and Organisational Citizenship There is plenty of discussion in the literature about organisational citizenship and behavioural interactions (Katz, 1964; Katz and Kahn, 1966; Organ, 1988; Cohen and Vigoda, 2000; and Padsakoff et al., 2000). Most of this literature has focused on describing the organisational behaviour and there is no discussion about organisational citizenship in the context of corporate entrepreneurship. For example Padsakoff et al. (2000) has identified seven different themes that can fit all dimensions of organisational citizenship while Katz (1964) mentioned four in his work. Although all the literature reviewed prescribes the importance of organisational citizenship behaviour and stresses on the presence of these behaviour for the effectiveness of organisational functions. However, it needs further exploration in the context of corporate entrepreneurship and this will remain the focus throughout this research. Ambidexterity Observations from Literature Review This section outlines the key observation made during the literature review and their summary of whole debate about the corporate entrepreneurship and role of middle management in the context of CE. The corporate entrepreneurship is noted as a complex concept that requires careful consideration towards the change implementation as well as the extra care when dealing with the strategic planning. There are two types of middle management is identified during this literature review; specialist managers who deal with functions like finance, marketing and HR; and non-specialist or operational manager who coordinate functions or activities within their own department or with other departments. The role of middle management and their future in the organisation is rather unclear in the argument by the researcher. Some of them deny the importance of middle management in the CE and point towards other forces that act in flourishing the CE activities. While other think the middle management has an enhanced future as well as importance in organisational corporate entrepreneurial activities and have more positive attitude towards their part in CE functions. But the whole debate of past literature is not sure on the role of middle management as operational managers as well as the extent of their importance in this role. The literature has pointed towards quite a few middle management functions including the functions of communication, innovation, change implementation, motivation, behaviour towards risk, business strategy etc. However, middle managements association with these functions is due to their central position in the organisational hierarchy. The middle management has independence of decision making in organisational innovation to reduce the strategy making period and also save the process of implementation time. This self-sufficiency of decision making is one of feature of contextual ambidexterity and make easier for organisations to implement innovation or change. The contextual ambidexterity is also a step closer to implement innovation in organisations and also allow middle management to improve their role in process of organisational change. Due to explore and develop nature of structural ambidexterity which divide these functions between organisational departments and bound middle management not to raise their voice as it might be outside their job scope and thus limits the role of middle management. But organisations with behavioural citizenship are more likely to have structural ambidexterity as there will be no or little clash due to the separate organisational functions. On the other hand, the contextual ambidex terity results in the form of difference of opinion and rivalry among middle management to get the innovation and thats the reason it doesnt go with the contextual ambidexterity. During the literature review another thing was noticed that the up-down change strategy do not allow middle management to exert their weight upwards to formulate the change development. It is also noticed that for the improved role of middle management requires a vital approach towards change and it should be emergent as well as the intentional. Thus the implementation of change process need to be combination of both approaches and political elements should also be considered in change process. As mentioned earlier in the reviewed literature which points the improved conditions and role of middle management organisational citizenship. It also stresses on the need of deliberate and emergent strategic approach for the organisational citizenship which allows middle management to work independently in a flatter organisation with more freedom of networking across departments. The diplomacy of using these departmental networking allow the middle management to spot the change and innovation in the organisation. The organisational change or transformation through corporate entrepreneurship is always main motive for many organisations and leader use social networking to implement this change across organisation. But many of these efforts fail due to the lack of ability of top management to understand human nature towards change implementation and poor communication between hierarchal levels. Weaknesses Observed in Understanding of CE The literature reviewed earlier shows that there are number of areas in the CE which need further clarification and the research need to be more focussed on the issues of CE which are currently have a weak understanding. There are few issues that need particular focus including the understanding of CE issues including the issue how CE it is managed, encouraged as well as sustained and according to Hornsby et al. (2002) this issue is not well understood. He also emphasise on the need of research to be more focused on the dimensions that can shape and predict the environment where CE can flourish. It was noticed during the literature review is lack of appreciation for the middle management in the processes of corporate entrepreneurship even though they have central importance in corporate entrepreneurial activities. Floyds (1999) argument about the flatter structured organisation where nobody has a central importance and everybody exchange information between themselves free was ignored in the reviewed literature. There is no such discussion in the literature that who gets the influence in CE initiatives in the organisation in such flat organisations. Finally, the relation between corporate entrepreneurship and indirectly related change drivers were not studied in the existing literature and their effects on the CE related activities. The relationship between the corporate entrepreneurship and the organisation citizenship is also ignored in the current literature. Research Focus Research Question The gaps in the literature needs a thorough understanding of concept of CE and needs a further exploration of the ways the organisations respond towards the implementation of CE and also how firms react for the sustainability of corporate entrepreneurial activities. So, there are few questions that will be answered during the course of this research and are as follows: How Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE) is managed, sustained, and encouraged within the automobile industry? How CE and Organisational Citizenship are inter-related? What is the relationship between middle management and Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE)? How does the hierarchal structure of an organisation influence or affect the decision making role of middle management? How middle mangers add value in the decision making process of CE? Concluding Comments The research and theories regarding the role of middle management in corporate entrepreneurship was explored during the literature review. The literature reviewed has pointed towards the presence and importance of middle management in corporate entrepreneurial processes. Although the middle managements engagement and interaction with the different interest group both inside and the outside of the organisation makes the whole process of CE complex and shows its political nature. The whole idea behind this research is to identify and fill these gaps found during the literature review and not only to contribute towards the literature on CE and also by providing clearer understanding of CE. The followed chapter will give an understanding of the methodology used to carry out the research and also the justification behind the choice of case studies.

An Analysis of the Epic Poem, Beowulf - The Character of Beowulf :: Epic Beowulf essays

The Character of Beowulf When he arrived at the Danish land, Beowulf was a young man seeking adventure and glory. Beowulf was distinguished among his people, the Geats, for his bravery. As a young man Beowulf fought in many battles and as a result showed his great character to others. Beowulf had many characteristics which helped him to succeed in battle. As a young man, Beowulf was known as the strongest man alive. His strength allowed him to dominate in battle. If it were not for his pure strength, he would not have been able to defeat Grendel, for weapons would not work. By fighting Grendel without weapons, he opened himself up to greater glorification. Beowulf's strength could not be seen as a disadvantage, while the results of his strength could. Beowulf's strength allowed him dominance in battle, but it also made him cocky. While his cockiness allowed Beowulf to be sure of himself in battle, some of his peers found it to be a character flaw. Ecglaf, in particular, saw Beowulf as cocky and vain, questioning, "Are you the Beowulf who competed with Breca...swollen with vanity..." So, while his cockiness was a flaw in the eyes of others, Beowulf saw it as self assurance and used it to his advantage. Beowulf also had a strong spirit of adventure. His spirit of adventure was part of the reason that Beowulf went to fight Grendel. Beowulf's strength and spirit of adventure had also led him to glory in many battles, including that with Grendel. Beowulf used his glory in previous battles to justify himself when coming to help Hrothgar. In addition, his self assurance, and known bravery probably guided his decision. Beowulf's spirit of adventure gained him a lot of glory, however, it could have gotten him into trouble, if he were to have taken an adventure too far. While in his young age, Beowulf used his strength for glory and recognition. As he became older his great strength was taken away from him, and Beowulf found himself without one of his greatest abilities. Beowulf then was king of the Geats, and when a dragon attacked his land, it was his responsibility to protect his people.

Sculptures in James Baldwins If Beale Street Could Talk Essay

In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, Douglass describes his overseer as â€Å"a man of the most inflexible firmness and stone-like coolness† (Andrews 181). He adds that his mistress’s â€Å"tender heart became stone† (Andrews 188). When he first tries to free himself from such people, Douglass ends up â€Å"all alone, within the walls of a stone prison† (Andrews 208). Throughout these references, the image of stone is repeatedly linked with the stonehearted and dramatic Caucasian oppression of African-Americans. James Baldwin also includes images of stone and wood in his novel, If Beale Street Could Talk. Stone and wood are often mentioned together and are used for a joint purpose as Fonny, the protagonist, uses these materials to create sculptures. The novel’s three mentioned sculptures act as foreshadowing symbols that predict what ultimately happens to their subjects; they intricately detai l: the Caucasian oppression each subject faces, their subsequent imprisonment in stone, and their path to freedom. Fonny gives one of his first sculptures to his girlfriend’s mother; when describing the sculpture, his girlfriend, Tish, says, â€Å"It’s not very high, it’s done in black wood. It’s of a naked man with one hand at his forehead and the other half hiding his sex. The legs are†¦very wide apart, and one foot seems planted, unable to move, and the whole motion of the figure is torment† (Baldwin 38). This sculpture acts as a foreshadowing symbol in the novel because, like the sculpture, Fonny is a vulnerable black man who tries to avoid being raped, but he ends up being tormented and imprisoned in wood and stone. Also, like the sculpture, Fonny is ultimately left in the care and prote... ...g room† (Baldwin 38). It will likely become quite a conversation piece, encapsulating his life story more artistically and intricately than any family scrapbook or album. It will even link Fonny’s story to Frederick Douglass’s slave narrative, showing how both of these black men faced betrayal, isolation, and metaphorical death through unjust imprisonment in stone. It will also show how they both struggled to find freedom from Caucasian oppression, and how Fonny’s struggle occurred outside the context and time of slavery. Works Cited Andrews, William L., ed. The Literature of the American South: A Norton Anthology. New York: Norton & Company, 1998. Baldwin, James. If Beale Street Could Talk. New York: Dell Publishing, 1974. â€Å"Rape.† The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 2000 Fourth ed. Bartleby.com. 30 Sept. 2004

Advertising And The Super Bowl Essay example -- essays research papers

Every year, millions of viewers from around the world tune in to watch one of the most exhilarating events in sports unfold--the Super Bowl. The one-game, winner-take-all contest for supremacy in the National Football League has grown into more than just a football game opposing the best teams of the NFL. It has become the premier event for new television advertising. With half of the ten, all-time most watched television events having been Super Bowls; networks are able to sell precious seconds of airtime to large companies for millions of dollars. As we move into the 21st century, publicity for the game’s commercials has come to rival that of the game itself. Since it’s beginning, the Super Bowl has drawn top sponsor dollars and high television ratings. But there are two key events that are linked to the phenomenal rise seen in Super Bowl advertising to what it is today. In 1969, Joe Namath led his New York into Super Bowl III, where they knocked off the Baltimore Colts in one of the most shocking Super Bowl upsets of all time, giving the American Football Conference credibility and causing Super Bowl ad rates to skyrocket. Fifteen years later, in what is widely accepted as the most famous Super Bowl spot of all time, the Apple Computer was introduced, making it a household name and setting a new standard for Super Bowl advertising (Lohse 14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The incredible climb of Super Bowl advertising is most clearly shown by the current prices for airtime. In last year’s Super Bowl matchup between the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens, companies paid CBS close to 2.4 million dollars for a thirty second slot. That amounts to over 75,000 dollars per second. CBS also heavily promoted and aired the show: â€Å"The Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials,† the night before the big game. â€Å"The Super Bowl has become a phenomenon in and of itself for commercials. It provides a breeding ground for advertiser competition and creativity† (Simmons 18). It is the true test of successful advertising. Prestige, worldwide attention, and the desire to increase sales are some of the most obvious reasons companies want to have their ad shown during the Super Bowl. But there is another advantage that can come out of having your name or product aired during the big game. Free publicity. The social factor of public fascination with Super Bowl advertisements can crea... ...ers and viewers as possible. By bringing a more diversified market that not only follows football, but also ads, they have accomplished exactly that (Lefton). Works Cited Posman, Adam. (1-24-01). Bully for the Super Bowl? INT Media. {On-Line}, xx. Available: http:// www.clickz.com/media/agency_stat/article.php/835871 Lohse, Deborah. (1-22-01). The Real Super Bowl Competition Is Among Ads. Mercury News. P.14. Blakehorne, Dana. (1-17-2001). Advertising During The Super Bowl: A Mixed Bag. E-Business Report. {On-Line}, Available: http://www.clickz.com/ebiz/ebiz_report/article/ pnp/835901. Bentman, Hillary. (1-26-2001). Dot-coms benched for Super Bowl kick-off. The Daily Free Press (Boston U.) p.7. Geddes, Darryl. (1-22-01) Corporate game plans for Super Bowl Ads. Cornell University Newsletter. P.3 Goldberg, Marvin. (1-5-01). Advertising during the Super Bowl can be prime-time blunder. Penn State University College of Business Administration, vol.11, p.15-16. Lefton, Terry. (2-10-99). It Ads Up. Sport, vol.90,i2, p.26-27. Simmons, Mark. (2-7-2000). Super Bowl: Sports vs. Advertising. Ask Men, vol.8,i10, p.18-20. Ryan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚