Past and Present Politics and Development Research Paper

Past and Present Politics and Development - Research Paper Example In his tour, he learnt that the natives were always hostile to the new people who purportedly brought in new blood into the political organization and development practices of the natives. In the early years, missionaries played a predominant role in changing the political and organizational scenario of the places where they went. The traveling of missionaries to places that had not developed economically marked the beginning of civilization and modernization in most undeveloped or underdeveloped societies. It was only after the insurgence of missionaries that native undeveloped societies began to embrace peace, governance, professionalism such as teaching, soldiers, doctors and bureaucrats all of whom contributed to the common good of the societies. Diamond (1999) believed that the first step to the true development of the society was through the practice of agriculture on commercial basis. Given that the ancient people and not so long ago the undeveloped states had no regular econo mic specialization and land was subdivided among group members and subgroups, the political organization was considered egalitarian. ... d since Eurasia which was blessed with local/indigenous domestic able grain cereals and animals that facilitated traction animals like the donkeys and bulls. This encouraged the development of commercial large scale agriculture which enabled economic growth and also stratified societies such that there emerged social classes. Reasons for Lack of Single or Complex \political Organizations Although Diamond argued that states â€Å"expand and develop based on their level of agricultural practice and that this happens in a virtuous circle† (1999, p. 266), there have been occurrences that counter his argument which in Diamond’s view was assumed and therefore needs to be added to the theory of why states develop and expand. Therefore, it implies that, instead of states eventually growing to large and more complex organizations, there is either unequal growth of societies into becoming on single large complex organization or eventual stagnation of states. This lack of large an d more complex organizations are attributed to internal factors within the States themselves; a fact Diamond does not incorporate in his theory. The first reason is based on the fact that political organizations are slowly, but steadily emerging that is not necessarily egalitarian in nature. In other words the states themselves are greedy and are often unwilling to distribute public funds that are supposed to facilitate growth of complex organizations. Secondly, given the divergent states interests, it is hard or perhaps impossible for the world to attain a single world or complex organization that Diamond proposes (Diamond 1999, p. 290). In the face of democracy and human rights, political organizations and by far autonomy is slowly revolving into a new era of leadership and political authority. In the

Project Management Best Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Project Management Best Practices - Essay Example Though PM inherits many methods and features of general management, but that does not indicate that it is similar to dealing with general management. Practical PM skills helps in completion of projects in a timely and efficient manner and encompass proven strategies for clarifying project objectives, avoiding serious omission errors and eliminating costly mistakes. PM encompass two dimensions, project planning and project execution. Each of these dimensions consists of five activities. "Project planning consists of subdivision of work into smaller chunks, quantification, allocating appropriate sequencing of work, proper funding and scheduling" (Howes 2001, p. 15). "Whereas project execution entails costing, measuring project scope, variance tracking and change control, evaluating performance and measuring the extent to which the outcomes are productive" (ibid). Project planning involves breaking down any project into smaller chunks or groups, and then analyse it in the light of its complexity how long each task will take and how each of these activities relate to one another. These relationships serve as the backbone of the proje ct from which we can calculate the timing of each element, and anticipate the activities which seem vital to the success of the project (Reiss 1995, p. 46). Project management comprises of techniques and methods that are based on practical implications and are effectively planned and controlled by project coordinators or managers. The framework within which each of the business activities take place illustrate practical work environment based on the practices that are proven essential in the application of methodologies of modern PM. This is to ensure that credibility establishes and retains between a project manager and a client in such a manner that manager escorts the team to interact with client, so as to understand client's objectives, responsibilities and the need for consistent planning. The technical features of PM helps the managers to learn through trial and error that PM is an integrated series of processes and activities. When applied in a repetitive manner for more than single projects, helps managers to successfully escort a project to its completion. The need for integration among various project processes is evident wherever interfaces must be established for various subtasks to interact with each other. Various subtasks integrate in a situation when a project is required to be assigned to a specific delivery date without any regard for the overall project scope. In the meanwhile project manager identifies any risks or flaws resulting from the chosen approach and communicate that specification to the stakeholders. The project manager along with the stakeholders utilise that information to negotiate and reach to a conclusion on whether the schedule should be extended or it would be better to reduce the product scope to meet the original schedule (Dinsmore & Brewin, 2006, p. 70)2. Timed-Box Scheduling: This approach is used when results are required to produce in a short time span. It emphasises on the notion that projects can be scheduled faster if customers and developers are forced to produce results quickly. This is done by reanalysing deliverables and cut out

HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

HRM - Essay Example Both organizations are based in Yorkshire and provide financial services. In order to recruit the right workforce, both organizations are in direct competition with each other. For this purpose, both of them recruit graduates for their trainee programs. In order to place them on management or professional posts, both organizations have training programs. For the recruitment of graduates, both Goldstan and Hodell use visits and advertisements within universities in Yorkshire. Whereas, Goldstan further utilizes local newspapers and recruitment consultants in this regard, while Hodell utilizes professional journals and it also takes help from advertising. The Goldstan asks it applicants to submit the application form that is filled in by hand, not type written or printed. On the contrary, Hodell has adopted a very catchy technique to attract the graduates since the 1970’s. The company provides brochures to graduates that talk about the advantages of working with the organization and the prestige of the company. It requires Curriculum Vitae of the candidate with a covering letter. The selection process at Goldstan undergoes a single panel interview. The Head of the Department or Human Resource Manager conducts the interview where the recruit is required. The interviewee is asked to give a fifteen minutes presentation on a specific issue following the interview. If the candidate is found satisfactory with his performance and capabilities, then the employment offers are made. On the other hand, Hodell holds two interviews with the candidates. The first interview is conducted by the Human Resource Manager while the second one is conducted by the Head of the Department or with the senior employee / staff member of the department where the vacancy is available. Following successful interviews, the candidate is then supposed to complete personality and intelligence tests. Once the candidate passes these

Corp.Gov Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corp.Gov - Essay Example Corporate governance refers to the structure which ensures that the right questions are asked and checks and balances are in place to make sure that the answers to these questions reflect what is in the best interest of the organization for long-term sustainability of value (Minow & Monks, 2008). According to Davis (2006) corporate governance can be viewed as a system for optimizing the contributions of a number of stakeholders to a purpose they are persuaded to share. These stakeholders involve shareholders; the board of directors, customers, employees, suppliers, community and the government. Effective corporate governance has a profound effect on how well a business performs. Organizations which have found effective means of governing their businesses are prosperous and remain prosperous. The board’s inability to establish a sound governance model gives rise to the probability of failure of the enterprise (Colley et. al, 2004). The purpose of corporate governance is to ensure the survival and success of the organization (Davis, 2006). Good corporate governance requires a complex system of strict checks and balances. The three key actors in corporate governance are the management, directors and the shareholders. (Minow & Monks, 2008) Appropriate implementation of the business concept with goals and directions set by the board, resource planning and effective execution of plans carried out by CEO and the alignment of board and management objectives with those of shareholders. The board undertakes a huge fiduciary responsibility when it assumes the obligation to represent interests of owners, who do not represent themselves. In the course of this representation they are required to demonstrate integrity as well as the competence to make sound decisions (Colley et. al, 2004). Although the essence of corporate governance has been

Automobile - Opel Essay Example for Free

Automobile Opel Essay Introduction – A museum is an institution that cares for (conserves) a collection of artefacts and other objects of scienti$c, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Museums have varying aims, ranging from serving researchers and specialists to serving the general public. Purpose of study – ?A car represents status. A car is symbol of power. There are many car enthusiast’s in our country. ?There are many rich people that own a antique or a latest high technology car. ? And on other had there are many people who cannot a/ord such an expensive car but have a great interest in them. ?Most of the car museums we see holds only the vintage cars. ?Thus there is a need felt to provide a new building typology which can o/er a range of cars to view, from vintage to the modern, for all the car enthusiast’s to look out. SOURABH SHALGAR FOURTH YEAR (CM) ROLL NO:27 1 An Automobile Museum – Same as an ordinary museum, an Automobile museum is a museum where a range to cars are for display for the people to view. Purpose of an Automobile Museum – ?The main purpose is to provide a stage where people can display there cars. ?Giving people an opportunity to see a wide range of cars under one roof. ?Along with that providing ancillary activities such as a track for drag racing , where various events can be performed. ?Helping the car companies to display there cars which can help them advertising there brand, and giving a chance to people to compare between to companies. ?Along with that to provide all the amenities to ensure the comfort of the visitor. ?To make the Museum a tourist attraction so that it will be a revenue generation place for the city. Aim – ?Attract people to visit the museum. SOURABH SHALGAR FOURTH YEAR (CM) ROLL NO:27 2? To provide display for a variety of cars and companies. ?To knowledge people about history of the car companies. ?To make the museum a tourist attraction point. ?To entertain the visitors. Design Strategies – To achieve the aims , the components which can be used in design are ; ?Granduarness should be created by the structure which can act as the landmark of that place. ?Ambience should be created such that visitors should enjoy. ?Display areas created should keep the Status and luxury of the car companies. ?Metal Innovative Architecture must be used to give the structure the iconic look. SOURABH SHALGAR FOURTH YEAR (CM) ROLL NO:27 3.

Vogue: Across Cultures | Analysis

Vogue: Across Cultures | Analysis ABSTRACT The popularity of fashion magazines over the past few decades has risen to new heights. Fashion magazines being the Bible that many young women and men live by, it is highly important to understand the role these magazines play in different societies and cultures. The researchers of marketing, consumer behaviour, trend analysis and trend forecasting consider culture or the differences and similarities in them to be an â€Å"obvious given†. Culture is most often seen as something that stands in the way of complete globalisation. Theory suggests that differences in target groups and marketing segments can be easily overcome through explicit research. While agreeing to the general thought that culture should be ‘respected and ‘treated seriously, the major driving force of marketing and consumer studies is most often, completely, how to overcome and ‘manage culture (Roothart, H. and W.van der Pol, 2002) There has been some research done on the representation of w omen and feminist ideas in the west but an extensive research needs to be done on the representation of women, men, society and culture through media in an Asian context. Over the past few years the Asian countries have changed their public policies surrounding media its ownership and contents. Taking advantage of this opportunity many international magazines like Elle, Vogue and Cosmopolitan have launched their local versions in these countries. These local versions have continuously faced accusations and criticism from society be it racism, discrimination or nudity, although their international versions have been highly appreciated, thus indicating that cultural differences need to be explored for the successful launch of any brand. For this paper the similarities and differences within different cultures would be determined using the covers of a common brand of magazine VOGUE across cultures. This comparison would also help to determine whether culture and/or society play any role in the successful placement of a magazine and whether Vogue has managed to maintain its brand personality by going local. Chasing a Dream INTRODUCTION Beauty is not concrete and may vary from culture to culture changing over time and shift according to location. The concept of beauty is an image which has been created by society to which woman and men have had to subject themselves to be â€Å"real†. History confirms that the ideology of beauty or what is accepted as being the right appearance has been created by society and largely propagated by media. For United States of the 1950s Marilyn Monroe was the pinnacle of beauty which soon changed to Twiggy in the 1960s. While porcelain skin is valued in China, scarification of the skin and decorating it with tattoos is considered as a status symbol in Africa and other parts. Thus the physical attributes and ideas attached to beauty vary across cultures. â€Å"Womens magazine industry is understood as a monolithic meaning producer, circulating magazines that contain messages and signs about the nature of femininity that serve to promote and legitimate dominant interests.† (Anna Gough- Yates) They have been a great source to study the changes in society. Moving from the purely fashion magazine to lifestyle and home to ‘do it yourself and ‘New woman to ‘woman can work too magazines have always reflected revolutions in society and influenced the opinion of women across nations. Given the increase in trade to Asia and the spread of the beauty industry across nations, it is disappointing that there has hardly been any study on how people are depicted internationally in the fashion magazines. Previous research has established that womans magazines can act as agents of socialising, publicizing certain gender stereotypes and certain beauty ideals like size zero and institutionalizing conventions like photographic poses. (Rudman and Verdi, 1993; Griffin, Viswanath, Schwartz, 1994). Yet hardly any research has been done on the differences in representation of women internationally and locally. GLOBAL MEDIA Over the past few decades there has been a rapid expansion of the global media in the area of womans fashion magazines. Local editions of Elle, Harpers Bazzar and Vogue are now being published in Asia. â€Å"Theory holds that increase trade and improved communication are bringing about a mix of cultures and global unity† (Giddens, 1990, Thompson, 1997). The internationalization of a magazine is not a new phenomenon although until quite recently the most popular womans magazines have been published locally. Harpers Bazaar, a U.S magazine launched itself in U.K. in 1929 (Anna Gough-Yates, 1993), Elle a European magazine began publishing its first edition in Japan in 1960s while Vogue a U.S magazine entered the Indian market in the 21st century. However â€Å"the establishment of an integrated global media market only began in earnest in the late 1980s and did not reach its full potential until the 1990s.† (Herman and Mc Chesney ,1997, p10) According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers the Asia/Pacific magazine market excluding Japan is projected to grow by 7.2% annually, reaching $20.7 billion by 2010, Advertising is also expected to rise by 5% annually to $8.1 billion in 2010. This means theres plenty of potential for countries in South Asia, where advertising spending is just about 0.34% of GDP. Until now foreign brands were allowed only 26% ownership when venturing into Asian countries. But in 2005 most of the Asian countries levelled the field for non news publications allowing 100% foreign direct investment. (D. Ruth, 2007, Forbes) Like all the other global media, magazines use many different strategies to cross borders. But the main reasons for doing so are ‘saturation of home markets and to generate revenue by providing international consumer brands with advertising vehicles that reach into the expanding foreign markets'(Dr. Katherine Frith, 2006,pg4-5). With Condà © Nast having to close down Mademoiselle in November 2001 due to competition and flagging sales, markets with rising economic rates like Asia and Middle East have now become a target for westerns producers of beauty and fashion magazines. HISTORY A study of fashion and magazine covers over the past 100 years gives us a clear picture of the extent of change media can bring about. From the corsets and 16 inch waists to jersey fabrics to bikinis the amount of womans liberation brought about along with the growth of womans beauty and fashion magazines is pretty evident. Magazine publishing surfaced much before the 19th century but up till than due to limited resources and technology publishers did not need illustrated or photographed front covers to sell a magazine. By the end of the century development in technology meant that every publisher could now make use of cover illustrations. The 20s and 30s saw two or more people on the front covers. Red lips, cigarettes, dapper looking men and understated elegance came into fashion. During the second world war men disappeared from the cover pages just as they disappeared from everyday lives of woman. Magazines became womens true friends and the government used them to communicate with the home front. Silk fell from grace and hosiery became scarce. The cover girl emerged, women were pictured wearing aprons holding sheaf of corn. With the end of the world war magazine publishers stuck to a fixed formula of selling magazines by using colour and arresting cover lines. Christian Dior made a splash and womans liberation began. The 1960s saw a revolution of self expression, music and ‘models who became as famous as movie stars. This was the start of a new era for women. The cover of Harpers Bazaar (1965) with the model Jean Shrimpton wearing a Day-Glo bright pink space helmet and the acid green brand emblem at the top is often seen as an emblem of the 60s. Jerseys, pullovers long hair for men and woman were the characteristics of the 70s. Photographs more than an illustration was often seen as the cover pages while cover lines became bigger, brighter and bolder. The 1980s was the decade of Madonna and Michael Jackson with shoulder pads and workout wear which dominating the fashion scene. ( Publication: Vogue Country: United Kingdom Date: 15 April 1980) This ended individualism in the 1990s with Grunge, Goth and a sense of anti style with tattooing and body art becoming in vogue. (Publication: Phase Country: United Kingdom, Date: May 1994) In the 20th century the key to selling magazines was the use of celebrity faces and anorexic models with porcelain skin. Diet plans and Make up tips more than ‘†how to catch a guy and keep him† cover lines make the magazine move. Environment friendly clothes and cosmetics modelled by Julia Roberts and Leonardo di Caprio were the latest trends. (Publication:ElleCountry:Spain Date: August 2002) Until the 90s, Asian society and fashion has been very traditional with local influences. In 1990 fashion icon Princes Diana wore a Salwar kameez and Asian fashion became a noticeable global trend. The 1990s also saw the rise of the â€Å"Asian -chic†. International pop icons like Janet Jackson promoted the Asian look and gave it an International stage. â€Å"As Asian economies flourished, than crashed and began to recover, Asians of different class, ethnicities and gender faced the decision of whether they should wear Western or Asian clothing.†(L. Ann Marie, J. Carla, 2003). The growth of international magazines in Asia and promotion of the Western beauty ideals confused already puzzled nations, drastically affecting the self esteem of many young men and woman. A lot has been recorded about the fashion influences, cultural changes and media in the West however there is hardly any record of such changes in the East. Study has proven that there is great difference between the local and international versions of the magazines but there is no record of the influences and effects on society due to these differences. MAGAZINES TODAY The difference between international magazines and their ‘local versions is that the international issues tend to carry a predominance of images for multinational products. (Shaw, 1999). Such magazines are growing in popularity in Asia and this popularity has bought about a change in perspective regarding the depiction of woman and products in local magazines. Griffin, Viswanath, and Schwartz(1994) found in a study comparing images in weekly U.S. news magazines (Time and Life) to weekly Indian magazines (India Today and Illustrated weekly of India), that many of the western advertising principles and poses for women were being conveyed across nations. They confirmed that female models in India were taking on poses that related closely to ‘gender portrayals ‘of the advanced western nations. A recent analysis of magazines international and local in China by Frith, Cheng and Shaw (2004) suggests that Caucasian models are more frequently shown in seductive dresses than Asian models. Feminist critiques like Kates, Shaw and Garlock (1999) would argue that western magazines are cultural institutions that represent women in a problematic and often unacceptable way although attractive female bodies and sexual content have for long been used in the west to attract consumers to a product and generate interest. Comparing this to the representation of woman across cultures with reference to the few studies conducted on the topic; Griffin, Viswanath and Schwartz (1994) concluded that the use of â€Å"Sexual pursuit† as a theme was used three times more often in U.S. magazines than in Indian magazines. In conservative Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia only Caucasian women were used in Lingerie advertisements (Frith and Mueller, 2003). Any magazine wanting to be resonant with its target audience needs to represent the social norms and cultural values of the given society. International magazines like Vogue and Elle although have publishing houses in Asian countries most often train their employees in the west. The result being that the forms of representation and especially that of woman can take on a globalized look. As Kyung-Ja Lee,(2000, pg 86) has rightly said â€Å" for thirty years, media have been taken to task for reproducing and reinforcing stereotyped images of woman. Yet unfair representation of woman in media still prevails worldwide. Sex stereotyping has been so deeply ingrained, even glorified, that the woman themselves have become desensitised to their own inferior portrayal. The prospects appear even gloomier as the globalisation of media progresses† Previous researchers have noted that the images of models used in magazines have been extensively retouched to represent the ideal of beauty that is unattainable for all but a very few people.(Greer,1999; Gauntlett, 2002). By showing models that are ‘uniformly thin, flawless and perfectly proportioned the media may contribute towards low self esteem and unhappiness among woman and give rise to problems like eating disorders. In fact media is a large contributor to the global increase in plastic surgery to change physical appearance among young girls. Finally as global media takes readers away from local publications it is important to study the impact of international beauty ideal on local consumers. With most models used in international magazines being ‘white the publications are rarefying the ethnic beauty ideals. In fact the obsession with whitening products may be a result of this overuse of White models in Asian publications. For the Caucasian women the body may represent beauty while for the Asian woman it might be the face. For some Asian countries beauty is the simplicity in a ‘sari clad woman while in some parts of Africa its a tattoo adorned naked female. To better understand how beauty and women have been represented internationally as compared to locally and their differences based on society and culture I have considered 3 issue of Vogue magazine across cultures (U.S, India and China) for the period of 6 months from February 2009 to June 2009. The unit of analysis was restricted to the cover pages, containing at least one model. Looking at Vogue magazine over the last twenty years we can easily conclude that the magazines expansion strategy has been very aggressive. Condà © Nast which has a portfolio of 127 magazines in 23 countries believes Vogue to be its cash cow. At present there are a million fashion and beauty magazines such as In Style, Elle and Cosmopolitan circulated around the globe, but in times of crises citizens all over turn to Vogue to confirm the latest fashion news. With readership and subscription levels of about 220,000 a month for the British Vogues, 133,000 a month for the French Vogue and American Vogue, at 1.2 million a month Vogue is the leading magazine in the business of fashion. The Greek, Indian and Chinese Vogues not being as influential are important only to their local countries. The French and Italian Vogue cater to the edgier end of the market while American and British Vogue embrace fashion in the broader sense owing to their larger readership. (A. Lisa, 2009, Times online)

North American and European Airline Industry Essay -- Business Managem

North American and European Airline Industry INTRODUCTION The Airline industry is one of the world’s largest industries generating over $300 billion in revenues in 2001 alone and additionally has the second highest industrial growth rate, after the computer industry, with typical growth rates of 3-5% per annum over the last 20 years (Humphreys, 2003; BA Fact book, 2002). For the purpose of this assignment, freight/cargo airline activities will not be considered as freight travel consists of only 2 % of total airline activity (see figure 3.1 and appendix 1) (BA Fact book, 2002, ICAO, 2003). Furthermore, due to the nature of the airline industry and the Asian market being a lot smaller and internally focused, we will concentrate on the North American and European markets which between them, account for 65% of the market (see figure 3.1 and appendix 1) (ICAO, 2003). Section 1:The main forces shaping the airline sector’s global business environment. The past two years has seen an unprecedented number of airlines, worldwide, filing for bankruptcy and many more would have followed suit had it not been for government intervention (Economist, 2002a). The main factors leading to their demise and to the problems currently faced by the airline industry in general, have their roots in the existing economic and political climate, which according to IATA (2002) continue to remain challenging. 1.1 Economic Forces facing the airline industry Since the performance/profitability of the airline industry is closely connected to the economic cycle (BA Fact Book, 2002), the importance of the global economic environment and the impact that it has on the industry cannot be underestimated (see figure 1.1). This is evident from the performance of the industry during the late 1990’s as profitability soared on the back of a buoyant world economy (characterised by the hype generated by the technological revolution; record levels of corporate activity etc) which fuelled demand for air travel. It is not surprising that the subsequent slump in air travel which began in the USA towards the end of 2000 and slowly spread to other parts of the world (Economist, 2001), corresponded to a change in the economic forces as the knock on effects of the US economic slowdown infiltrated the global economy. One of the main consequences of the g... ... flights and the introduction of ‘World Traveller Plus’ – a new business and economy product. These two markets of business and economy are perceived to be the most demanding and profitable in the future and therefore BA have additionally positioned itself well to take advantage of these developments (Economist, 2002b; BA Fact book, 2002). Therefore, the penetration and consolidation of markets, cost management and refocusing of culture and infrastructure assisted by the collaboration available within its OneWorld Alliance are placing BA in a healthier position to survive the turbulence that lies ahead. FINAL THOUGHTS The future of BA and that of many other airlines is going to depend on the highly volatile political and economic situation facing the world as seen in section 1. War in Iraq is creating an increased sense of panic in the world’s industries and therefore, an accurate forecast as to the airline industry development is somewhat convoluted and complex due to the overwhelming sense of uncertainty that prevails. Therefore, BA’s future positioning and its subsequent success within this sector is going to be decidedly susceptible to the worlds events.