Tuesday, August 6, 2019

How to analyze an ad Essay Example for Free

How to analyze an ad Essay Analysis of how a particular advertisement attempts to appeal to consumers By giving form to audience motives and desires, advertisers have the best chance of arresting attention and affecting communication. This is an analysis of the lift advertisement for Maxwell House Coffee created by the design agency Ogilvy Beijing of China. When the doors opened, sleepy people in an office building were shocked awake, providing a tongue-in-cheek metaphor for the effects of drinking a cup of Maxwell House Coffee. The marketplace has grown increasingly congested in a frenzied competition for the consumer’s attention. Within this context advertisers believe that in order to get consumers to buy their product ads need to have two orders of content: an appeal to deep seated emotions and information on the product. A sales pitch is used to attract attention and effectively convey the virtues of the product on offer. Elements of good layout are necessary to control the message. Emotional appeals seem to fall into several distinguishable categories. Every ad uses a variation of these appeals: the need for sex, affiliation, guidance, prominence, attention, autonomy, or the need to nurture, aggress, achieve, dominate, escape, or to feel safe. This ad totally circumvents all conscious reaction when the lift doors open to reveal a gaping hole. The illogical link between a gaping hole in the floor and a cup of Maxwell House Coffee is embedded in the metaphor: a better way to wake up. The link is forged pre-logically in the mind of the person who steps into that lift. Ones primal instinct is to protect oneself from falling. This is so deep-seated and spontaneous that the advertiser leaves no other option for the onlooker. This ad relies on aesthetic sensation for its appeal which, needless to say, has been executed with perfection. Nothing in this layout could be added or left out. Apart from the initial â€Å"shock† the onlooker has to admire the optical illusion and the cleverness of its presentation. The impact of this ad on all of one’s senses is undeniably large. Other appeals that are present in a lesser and overlapping degree are a need to nurture; a need for guidance; a need to escape; a need to feel safe; and a need for curiosity. Stylistic features are not appeals in themselves but influence the way the basic appeal is presented. This ad could be classified as avant garde. This ad is innovative, experimental and unconventional. The most striking element of the ad is the floor graphic which instantaneously grabs ones attention and penetrates the mind so profoundly, you’ll never forget the experience. The viewing angle on this ad relies on the premise that people instinctively look down when entering a lift, not only to look where they are stepping, but to avoid eye-contact with strangers. When they do look up, they look straight into the solution: a cup of steaming hot Maxwell House Coffee to â€Å"wake up†. Targeted customers: sleepy office workers. All the elements of the ad come together in a single appeal: drink Maxwell House Coffee to wake up. The vast majority of ads employ a common set of textual features: headlines, body copy, and slogans. Copywriting has a function: to sell the product. This ad epitomizes the words â€Å"art in pursuit of a business goal†. The floor graphics replace the need for a headline. The body is presented in a most refreshing way (no pun intended) and consists only of two words embedded in the steam to further engage ones imagination of the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Body copy follows a picture and caption style. The traditional need for a slogan is sufficed by the placement of the logo of the product on the coffee cup. The elements of the layout of this ad totally control the way the message is received. The message is delivered in a uniquely creative and totally unexpected way. There is no competitive â€Å"noise† as the presence of the ad takes up the whole space within the lift. All layout elements have been used to maximum effect: attention, balance, proportion, movement, unity, clarity, simplicity and emphasis. Balance is achieved by proper weight distribution. In this ad the weight is on the floor. One’s knowledge of the effects of gravity plays a subconscious role. The tonal quality of the floor graphic and its fear inspiring content visually pulls one â€Å"to the centre of the earth and back again†. The poster is optically centered so the reader cannot miss the â€Å"sales pitch† and the artistic composition is nothing short of excellent – the floor graphics, the bare lift, the metallic surface of the lift walls and the design and placement of the single poster. In a highly original way forceful emotions are brought forth in an experience of uncontrollable surprise. The presentation of the information in the poster is reserved, dignified, formal, clean, uncluttered. One’s emotions guide the consumer through the ad, from beginning to the end. Directional impetus favors the elements to be stressed. The onlooker has nowhere to go. The recipient is taken â€Å"inside† the advertisement. Inside the lift, there is nothing to compete with it. The layout is unified by the confines of the lift, the muted colors of the walls, and the complementary colors in the poster. The inside of the lift determines the parameters of the ad space. This is a classic use of â€Å"white space† where the advertiser cleverly employs the barest necessities in such a profound way that this ad and the product it offers become unforgettable. The two important elements of shock (floor graphic) and solution (poster) are uniquely and very cleverly tied together. The message is clear and simple. Wake up with Maxwell House Coffee. Emphasis is achieved through the dominant element, the floor graphic which contrast sharply in size, placement and most of all its the impact to that of the poster which is strategically placed in the optical centre of the lift wall, directly opposite the doors (shock versus solution). Perfect. Does this ad effectively appeal to its target market? Yes, profoundly. And here is why: The chief element of this ad is the clever use of graphics to depict a gaping hole in floor of the lift. The product information is minimal as it needs no elaboration. The logo and a cup of coffee are all that is required. The rest is dependent upon the recipient’s own experience and feelings towards the product. The target market is well defined. The communication between the producer and the consumer is crystal clear and totally unambiguous: This product is experienced to be genuinely gratifying to the prospective consumer and a even non-coffee drinker will enjoy the emotional â€Å"ride† offered by the advertiser. Here both ends of the communication channel have been abundantly rewarded. The ad is clever, innovative, refreshing and directed at one appeal: drink Maxwell House Coffee. This won an international award for â€Å"Best use of Ambient Media: Large Scale† in 2008.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Personal development as a strategic manager

Personal development as a strategic manager Introduction: This discussion is all about: The main areas of discussion in this essay are individual abilities required to achieve the strategic ambitions, additional qualities required for being able to acquire personal leadership development for supporting achievement of strategic ambitions, having abilities to understand the effectiveness of leadership development plans and support the work environment that supports organization values. For any organization, it is extremely important to understand the hurdles of success which is generally profitability. Role of strategic manager in the organization: The strategic manager is the person who can understand the nature of business, life of business, major and minor issues related to the business, so in order to gain maximum profit every organization must have strategic manager. The strategic manager follows SWOT analysis and prepares strategies for his organization. Initially the strategic manager must have special skills (abilities) which he has to maintain, evaluate and also justify the outcomes of those skills (strategies) on the units or organization. This essay is focusing on a company named Tata Strategic Management Group Mr. Ratan N Tata is the chairman of Tata group since 1991. He is also the chairman of major Tata companies such as Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Tea, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Teleservices etc.. During his tenor the TATA group has earned total revenue of $67.4 billion in 2009-10. The Tata Strategic Management Group (TSMG) is a Mumbai-based consult company that position among the peak three management consulting company in South Asia locates up in 1991 as a separation of Tata industry. TSMG has accomplished over 500 schedules with more than 100 clients across countries and industry sectors. More than 60 per cent of TSMGs business comes from non-Tata clients and 25 per cent from global consumers. The group has held business in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Middle East, Germany, the UK and the US. Tata planned has a team of more than 70 consultants. Section 1 : Be able to identify personal skills to achieving strategic ambitions The strategic manger requires build on his management skills and focusing on the needs of implement the managerial strategy. Strategic ambitions play a role of driver for improvement in the organization. These ambitions are comprise of some positive thoughts and negative thoughts. Strategic ambitions are to be design the quality into the structure of the organization, plan and control improvements, assure improvements and position the organization in the market at pinnacle level. 1.1 : Analyze the strategic direction of the organization To be a successful strategic manager, one should have clear vision and clear idea of the mission which the organization wants to achieve. He has to prepare strategies for the profitability and growth of the company. As no organization can achieve its goal unless the stages of achievement are not clear, so strategic manager has to understand the stages of progress as the management is the process of number of decisions. And when he become eligible to identify the achievements, he can set up new goals and of course by this only they can identify the process of strategies. 1.2 : Evaluate the strategic skills required of a the leader to achieve the strategic ambition The strategic manager needs to recognize the achievement of ambition so he understands how his strategies are working in the business, whether his strategies lead to the organizational goal or not and also these strategies are obliging to him for the future strategic management. He needs to check the positive result of the strategies with the help of identifying the ambitions. 1.3:Assess the relationship between existing, required and future skills to achieve the strategic ambition Ambitions are made with some normal opinion or ideas which can also consist of risk. Strategic manager can not make any thoughts or strategies. There might be chances of negative effect of strategies made by strategic manager. And if the strategies fail it not only affects to the growth of strategic manager but also whole organization. As an individual, it is more important to be alert of negatives of strategies. If a strategic manager is not able to identify the strategic ambitions, then it would be very late to get better the wrong decisions made by him. Example The Tata Strategic Management Group suggests clients in the areas of plan formulation, policy exploitation, arrangement improvement and company analytics. When Tata strategic management group was establish on 1991, it was running completely in the strategy spce and worked about with Tata group companies. Now a day, it is increase over moderately a few industries, and has clients from crosswise the India and all over the world. Mr. Raju Bhinge chief executives of Tata strategic management group have formed the companys target. The target of the company for 2010 was to become a chief Indian global management consulting firm, with minimum 10 lines of business, a occurrence in 10 countries and more than 50 per cent of income from other countries. Right now Tata strategic management group is given that its services in west Asia and south Asia .in adding up to India this are a focus for the more students or clients around the worldwide world. Section 2: Be able to manage personal leadership development to support achieving strategic ambitions 2.1: Discuss the opportunities to support leadership development The achievement of strategies depends on the completion of the strategies. Goals of the company are exaggerated by the application of strategy in different industries and other factors. For this reason, at this phase it is more important for the planned manager to develop a control to support the ambitions. In the big organizations there are many people to create strategies so one has to develop himself from a very start to have own strategies to work with the other employees, he should have control power on his resolution making skill and applications of certain plans. This not only involves benefits of individuals receiving success fast but also a heavy risk of getting responsible. In such circumstances, when one manages relationship with the same level employees and also encourage others as a group requires great strategies as this is something away from the common managers. This leadership quality for achievements of ambitions is itself a top strategy because it also involves man agement of human resources. 2.2:Construct a personal development plan to direct leadership development The other issue that went in the support was that while it was simple to indict a McKinsey for a project plan, that was very, comfortable to keep their services right throughout conclusion. With TSMG, on the further hand, each project shaped a kind of symbiosis that the client has a company that would happily be a partner in accomplishment, while TSMG gained learnings that were much richer than their western counterpart could get jointly. To give its service a clear benefit, Tata strategic management has decisive on construction expert teams. Pankaj Gupta, exercise head for customer and retail, elaborate, In many cases, company add technological expert to our plan teams — people who have actually been in higher status of companies for next few years in automotive, customer products. This is a very tough differentiator that sets Tata strategic management groups services except for from and on pinnacle of those of its competitor in the market. 2.3 Devise an implementation process for the development plan The first project that Tata strategic management group took up within the group was a policy study for the Tata Oil Mills which was linked in its sale to Hindustan Lever. after that came the study for restructuring Voltas, the policy study for Lakmà © which lead to the sale of the comprise business to Unilever, the gaining of Little Woods — a English-owned retail series in south India — and Trents hooked on attire retail throughout Westside and Food Grocery retail all the way through Star Bazaar. Tata strategic management group work on the attainment of VSNL, its broadband entrance plan and business data services expansion strategy; it up to the business drawing for the groups right of entry into shopper electronics business, provided JV cooperation and performance support for the arrangement of Infiniti Retail. Tata strategic management group also worked on the whole plan for the Tata Sky satellite television service project. Quite a few of these experience opened new opportunity, enable Tata strategic management group to move out of its satisfied home lawn into other Tata companies. Last economic, other Tata industry comprise 10 to 15 per cent of company At present, non-Tata production is more than 50 per cent and is projected to make more than 70 per cent at the end of the next year. From 2005, on the start of capability developed in-house, Tata strategic management group start offering few of its services to hard markets such as the America and the London. It has three aid for that markets. One is strategic study for sympathetic country compilation markets, competitor approach, etc. The second is financial research, which includes work on opinion, equity, fixed income, etc. Third is mathematical optimisation or an analytical solution, which comprises risk modelling and projecting modelling, like fraud in telecom or risk study in insurance. With its new business model and internationalisation strategy well on track, Tata strategic management group has comprehensive its core competencies and is rousing into completely new areas of process. No doubt that the company is being motivated and dreaming big for the future. Section 3: Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the leadership development plan 3.1: Assess the achievement of outcomes of the plan against original objectives It is very essential for an alive organization to appraise the effectiveness of the leadership development. In the market every organization has its competitors and it becomes very difficult for it to beat from it or maintain its position in the market among the others. The best way to maintain its standing or position among the other competitors is to check the effectiveness of the strategies the steps taken by the organization. Sometimes it becomes necessary the evaluation for the benefit of the company. Example: In case of TSMG, they had their own space to move with. This also guided them to compete with existing giants in their own field of serving companies for strategies primarily of deciding the group of companies they can cater. Detailed contents: Although the only Indian management consulting packed in of significance, Tata strategic management group have created a place for the company, and enjoys a private positioning. But the journey has not been an easy one. Even if the anxiety enjoyed by the Tata brand did offer the right qualifications and helped the corporation set up its lineage the real challenge has been judgment customers from the combination. In like to Tata group companies, for example, were reluctant to work with Tata strategic management group, have a threat of a difference of notice and in view of the number of areas the 93-corporation cluster has an incidence in, this has been a massive handicap. But Tata strategic management group did find out a way out, by touching into part where the group was not represented. 3.2:Evaluate the impact of the attainment of the of objectives on strategic ambitions At the final examination, this restriction has proved to be a support in costume. Tata strategic management group put in an extra effort to piece out a balance and corroborate its bravery Of path, being an Indian company with Tata main beliefs had its recompense too because next to a McKinsey or a Deloitte, customers were pleased to work with a company that delivered quality, was easy to get to during the grounding and operation stages of the mission, and was sensible too. 3.3:Review and update the leadership development plan Bobby Pauly, an engagement manager at Tata strategic management group, explains that the â€Å"Indian customers rapidly exposed the soothe of working with a coalition of consultants which had an added connected view of their society, markets and people, and an ability to relay to them. Tata strategic management group open actionable solution, in its place of providing them a western view of the world. Section 4: Be able to advocate staff welfare environment that supports organizational values 4.1: Evaluate the impact of corporate commitment to staff welfare on organizational values In any association there should be a proper message between peak level management and the bottom line employees. Because if there is some gap between them then employees get unhappy within the unit this leads to discontent and it ultimately leads the strategies of any business open to many. In the strategic management there is a chain of strategies and once the link is broken it creates a big problem for any organization. The achievement of goal of the organization becomes very difficult. Strategies involve many long processes and once it affected at one stage it vanish the process till the end stage. It is the duty of a strategic manager to provide the environment in the organization which is more comfortable in terms of competitions and cooperation. The employees must be aware of organizational value rather than personal growth too. The team work in the organization is therefore a unique feature of such strategies to be successful. The strategic manager should think of the followin g criteria: A healthy competition Cooperation Money involved Learning opportunities Opportunities of growth Work appreciation Safety at wor 4.2:Discuss how a staff welfare environment can affect achievement of organizational objectives For any organization it is very significant to create s staff benefit atmosphere for the employees because if there is no proper working environment then they can not achieve well and it became hard for the organization to achieve the goal and objective of the company. To create a welfare staff atmosphere company should have to provide some training to the staff. It should have to provide some technical knowledge in order to get better their technical information which helps them to make job easy. They have to create some training program in the house or out side in other organization. They have to provide some extra information like physical condition and safety or medical check up etc. To inspire the employees company have to provides some extra services to the employees like free somewhere to stay , subsidy , free power , free teaching for the children etc. this all steps will help to organization to create a staff benefit atmosphere and it also help to achieve the objectives of t he organization. 4.3:consider the influences of a corporate commitment to staff welfare on the development of organizational values Every association has to do some promise in order to get better the staff welfare on the growth of organizational value. Tata steel has shared 378.4 million of wealth to make the welfare of the staff during the reporting year. They have exceeded their targets on employee key performance measures like employees satisfaction and economic value addition. They are also targeting on customer satisfaction as well. Company have no hesitation on creating a better off, cleaner and happier for the staff but they also recognize that there is yet considerable scope for improvement. Another main point is Tata steel is contribution its all vision and goals with the every employees of the organization that is why if the vision is clear for everybody it will help to get success and also help to create more value of the organization in the current market. Incorporation with TECS A march in this approach was the up to addition of Tata Economic Consultancy Services (TECS) with Tata management group services in April 2006. TECSs skill dishonesty in savings not obligatory infrastructure and control sectors and totally complement the knowledge Tata strategic management group has in rule. Tata strategic management group lacked a spotlight in infrastructure and government perform a gap that Tata monetary Consultancy Services can block. Together their knowledge could drag in a huge number of road and rail network projects. Communications spend have by now seen an increase in India and Tata strategic management group (along with TECS) has been engaged in no fewer than six SEZ homework. While Tata planned management group look after of condition and brand, the techno-possibility aspects — include plan strategy and the structure of the capability — are manage by TECS. The going away is good now, but what dishonesty ahead? Consulting is a chronic industry related to in general fiscal situation. What does it mean for the organisations growth plans? Binge is silently convinced, The pressure is there, but we have been capable to ease them by as long as a broad variety of solutions to consumers adding up new offerings in company analytics, and rising in the global liberty. Tata Strategic Management Group, it appears, is prepared to take centre step. Conclusion: Strategic management plays a extremely important position in any organization development within very less time period and for that following points are very important: Effective role of strategic manager in the organization He should be able of recognize his ambition, view, strengths and weaknesses. Strategic manager should be a good leader in the organization and make strategies for the achievement of goal of the organization. He should be a good assessor to check whether his strategies are gainful for the company or not, whether the strategies followed by the organization becoming productive for the employees or not and also maintain position of the organization in the market. The ideal model of SWOT is something which is of necessity needed to be unstated and applied by any Strategic Manager to get the success. Attractive problems, Inventive solutions Tata strategic management group has undertaken some consult project for few of the top names in corporation. These contain British Telecom Tata strategic organization group do a customer insight plan for their business assistance. British Telecom was looking at international clientele, to effort and understands their data network needs. A progressive work out it appears as one of the best practices of consumer thoughtful, and has been useful in dozens of their international companies. Rolls Royce Rolls Royce comes to Tata strategic management group with a stimulating problem. The plant of Rolls Royce Norway had reached its full ability and they were look for a new global developed centre in India or China. Tata strategic management group complete the India case, and certain the company that India is better in compare to China. Mumbai Railway Corporation The central rail section of Mumbai was preparation to construct an innovative 80,000 sq metre position structure at Carnac Bunder, to give out as a second position linked to the main railway station of the city named Chhatrapati Shivaji in Mumbai. Tata Economic Consultancy military is supporting Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation to go into at the finest land use mix for commerce growth along with architectural plans for a Global class railway station.

Reviewing The Tragical History Of Doctor Faustus English Literature Essay

Reviewing The Tragical History Of Doctor Faustus English Literature Essay My third chapter proposes a threefold analysis of the major characters in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita. First, by comparing Faustus and Margarita, I show how their individual features as well as their relationships with the other characters are marked by elements of feminism, psychoanalysis, Renaissance humanism, affective geography, and role-play. Then, I put forth a parallel between Woland and Mephostophilis meant to reveal that-in both literary works-the devils embody a necessary evil that actually reinforces divinity. Last but not least, an insight into some of the most significant supernatural episodes of these books shall demonstrate that magical realism and Bakhtins theory of carnival laughter offer readers the Faustian myth with a twist. Margarita and Doctor Faustus Starting from the premise that man is created as Gods reflection, in a twofold embodiment of the masculine and the feminine principle (Sergei Bulgakov 150), one might easily assume that both The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita underline the harmonious union between male and female elements-hence Bulgakovs title of his novel and also its dual structure; yet instead, nothing could be farther from the actual ponder of masculine over feminine aspects in both books. In this sense, feminist critics and theoreticians base their approach to either of these two literary works on issues of gender-segregated societies, appellatives, transgender identity, androgyny, and linguistically codified male discourses. Both Marlowes England and Bulgakovs Stalinist Russia are worlds segregated in terms of gender. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick explains: male friendship, mentorship, admiring identification, bureaucratic subordination, and heterosexual rivalry (quoted in Chedgzoy 247) are all forms of homosocial connections that pervade both Marlowes play and Bulgakovs novel. Thus, Faustus aspirations are foreshadowed at the beginning of the play when he fantasizes about exotic sites, colonial exploitation (attributed to men exclusively), and violent ambitions: Ay, these are those that Faustus most desires. / O, what a world of profit and delight, / Of power, of honour, of omnipotence (Marlowe 52). Faustus deems knowledge the way to gain power. His is not a singular view; rather, it represents the exponent of Marlowes epoch according to historians: during those times, this segregation extends even to theatres where actresses are not admitted and universities where men alone are granted access. Bulgakovs work o f fiction account for a role reversal, although the circumstances are somewhat similar. Margarita-the female Faustus of the twentieth century and therefore the one who assumes a anti-hegemonic role-is swept off her feet by the Master, a God-like figure who is not satisfied with writing about Yeshua (hence the identification with the latter that confers him divine authority) but carries his artistic mission further, which acquires metaphysical connotations. The Master remains unnamed and thus represents a universal symbol of Bulgakovs literary times. He is the exponent of one of the major Moscow literary associations, called Massolit (Bulgakov 11) that rarely if ever includes women writers among its members. Even if this is the case, women are belittled twice: first rejected as writers or second fiercely censored by the state. Feminists seek to rebel against such a misogynistic structure of masculinity; they find the key figures to do that in exactly the same female characters who are initially submissive and oppressed. Both Margarita and Helen of Troy disrupt the authoritative discourse of masculinity. On the one hand, the second part of Bulgakovs novel casts away the Master and brings into focus the beautiful Margarita: She was beautiful and intelligent. () many women would have given anything to exchange their lives for the life of Margarita Nikolaevna (Bulgakov 166). She is now the active protagonist, whereas the Master is the passive one. She is willing to sacrifice body and soul in the name of love, acknowledging her role entirely. On the other hand, Marlowes tragedy depicts Helen as the demolisher of masculine power; her name Helen may be read as made up of the core Hel (referring to hell and destruction) and the particle -en. That is why Helens image is associated with the downfall of Troy but also of Faustus and Wittenberg here. Furthermore, an equally significant element that brings about the subversion of masculine authority is love. Both Faustus and the Master single-mindedly surrender to their mistresses, although this aspect is more obvious at Marlowe. In Bulgakovs book, the Master owes Margarita his salvation and recuperation, whereas in Marlowes tragedy, the play of significances has a greater depth. Doctor Faustus and Helen engage in an androgynous role-play: he plays Semele and Paris: I will be Paris, and for love of thee / Instead of Troy shall Wittenberg be sackd, / () When he appeard to hapless Semele (Marlowe 106), while Helen assumes the prototype of feminine beauty but also the role of Jupiter: Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter (106). A few lines afterwards, by being associated with Eve, Faustus becomes aware of his sin but he is also left with an undermined masculinity: that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus (108). In The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita alike, even episodic characters or those of lesser importance see women only as a medium of power, as objects rather than agents. Hence Valdes ironic observation: Sometimes like women or unwedded maids, / Shadowing more beauty in their airy brows / Than in the white breasts of the queen of love (Marlowe 54) or Robins declamatory fantasy: Ay, there be of us here that have waded as deep into / matters as other men (73). Mephostophilis himself turns the concept of marriage into an antisocial act because he offers Faustus a devil disguised as woman instead of a wife. Bulgakovs text describes the meeting between Azazello and Margarita on which occasion the former reckons that women are superficial beings: saying ironically: Difficult folk, these women! (174). Another character, Hella-Wolands maidservant-is analogised to Helen of Troy through her name (note the particle Hell): she represents the feminine side of Hell. Twentieth century feminists fight against such patriarchal empowerment. This is the case of Helene Cixous who upholds the idea that gender relations are inscribed in the language we use. Consequently, Cixous turns the invisibility of women back against men, who become the other of the other and hence are cancelled out (Hedges 106). Following in the same line, Luce Irigaray argues that man obliterate differences between them and women as a result of their belief that women represent their reflected opposites; therefore, womens otherness is denied (Hedges 105-6). Additionally, the two protagonists of these literary works are linked by features of humanism. Doctor Faustus definitely embodies the exponent of the perfectible man of the Renaissance whose intellectual curiosity, aspiration for power, and nationalism are expressed rhetorically in the first person singular: Ill have them (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) / Ill levy (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) / Ill make (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) (Marlowe 53). In this respect, Faustus is an overreacher according to Harry Levin as he reaches out to the unconscious, to supernatural forces that might help him remedy the intellectual bases of his age which he perceives as faulty (quoted in Mitchell 55). Although he aims to gain fame through his powers and he aspires to be more than a man, he is permanently haunted by an uneasy consciousness; hence the opposition between the Good and the Bad Angels but also the Seven Deadly Sins that reveal the scholars inner flaws. Margarita too is a representative of twentieth century humanism. She does not seek to gain power through knowledge but through love. Similarly, her being an overreacher is evident in the desire to explore new environments and her acceptance to obey occult forces. Marlowes Faustus and Bulgakovs Margarita are both folk protagonists since they are considered dissidents of their times, in spite the fact that their endeavours target very distinct goals. Paul de Man describes this type of character as the one whose path is strewn with those parts of himself that he had to abandon in the process of his own becoming (398). Faustus symbolizes the opposition brought about by the protestant belief that every individual is responsible for his / her own salvation or damnation. Margarita denotes the opposition against the rigid moral and social rules dictated by the communist regime. The scholars unorthodox practices and his extended travels shed light on the ultimate results which he bargains for: knowledge, fame, and control over other cultures, whereas Margaritas is a more limited aim-she is not at all domineering (although she is appointed queen for a night) but looks for affective fulfillment. However, these central characters are brought together by the development of all their individual possibilities, so that, by being put to test in the world, they might penetrate, come to know, and dominate reality (Lukacs quoted in Hedges 92). Faustus and Margaritas personalities extend to more than their individual scope, they represent a literary reaction to the ardent issues of their times. Moreover, these protagonists are depicted as torn between their affective and their intellectual make-up all throughout the texts. Obviously, the combo of emotion and reason is much more stringent in Faustus case: the oscillation between enjoying life and attaining knowledge reveals that for the scholar, the body is more important than the soul, as he himself puts it: This word damnation terrifies not him (Marlowe 58). Nevertheless, Faustus existence stands not under the sign of eros, (like Margaritas does) but of thanatos (Hermand quoted in Hedges 94)-since his quest leads to death whereas Margaritas grants her access to atemporal bliss. Ultimately, the construction of Marlowes and Bulgakovs central characters is informed by the setting where they are portrayed. Garrett A. Sullivan, Jr. speaks about an affective geography (231)-for instance Faustus study or the Master and Margaritas rented apartment-that shapes the protagonists identity. He further explains that the notion of geography is defined as a conceptual structure through which social and spatial relations are simultaneously materialised and represented (Sullivan 236). In these two literary works, there exists a cyclic sequence of broadness and enclosure. We find Faustus alone in his study both at the beginning and in the end of the play, although he travels extensively during the twenty-four years of the pact, while Margarita swings between the remoteness of her Masters apartment-A completely private little apartment, plus a front hall with a sink in it, little windows just level with the paved walk leading from the gate (Bulgakov 109)-Moscows expansiveness, and the seclusion of their eternal refuge. Thus, the relationship space-identity acquires new dimensions; locations become part of the characters emotional make-up: The axis mundi passes through [Faustuss] Wittenberg study and the Muscovite abode; on it lie Heaven and Hell (Kott quoted in Sullivan 240). Overall, Marlowes play and Bulgakovs prose present two multidimensional characters who-if carefully analysed-are more similar than different in terms of questioning patriarchal discourses through feminist techniques, in terms of revealing humanistic features, and in terms of attaching emotional connotations to their setting or background. The Evil Suite The archetype of the dichotomy good-evil permeates human discourses as well as literary creations since the beginning of time. Evil has forever been opposed to and traditionally vanquished by good forces, regardless of the culture adopting this model. Nonetheless, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus as well as The Master and Margarita put forth an innovative perspective: not only does evil stem from good, but it also reinforces divine laws and teaches moral lessons. Both Christopher Marlowe and Mikhail Bulgakov deal with metaphysical issues in their works, issues that question the relationship between Heaven and Hell and Gods intervention in humans lives at the same time. In this context, Wolands emergence in Moscow and Mephostophilis in Faustus study foreshadow the obvious religious themes whose manifold interpretations are disclosed in these two works. Wolands mission is to point to the moral collapse of the Stalinist 1930s Moscow through the use of satire and supernatural whereas Mephostophilis task is more limited in scope because it refers to a single individual, Doctor Faustus. However, both demons appear as God-sent messengers swinging between Heaven, earth, and Hell. In Marlowes tragedy but also in Bulgakovs novel, the forces of good and evil are not in competition but coexist on more or less equal terms (225) as Laura D. Weeks tells us in her article Hebraic Antecedents in The Master and Margarita: Woland and Company Revisited. The black magic professor, Woland seems inseparably united with God even from the very beginning of the novel, when the motto taken from Goethe exposes this timeless link: I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good (Bulgakov 11). The same may be said about Mephostophilis who-when asked about his origins-replies: FAU. Was not that Lucifer an angel once? / MEPH. Yes, Faustus, and most dearly lovd of God. () FAU. And what are you that live with Lucifer? / MEPH. Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer (Marlowe 59). Thus, Woland appears as an intricate and profound character while Mephosto is less thoughtful and more servile. Additionally, having the status of Gods opposites, the two devils actually strengthen His goodness and prove once more that they are His envoys. In Bulgakovs novel, Woland claims to have been an incognito observer of Yeshuas trial; it is paradoxical how-by recounting this first installment to Berlioz and Ivan Homeless-Woland in fact reasserts Gods existence: Theres no need for any points of view, the strange professor replied, he simply existed, thats all' (Bulgakov 18). Likewise, Mephostophilis reconfirms the divine authority when he admits his origins and confesses the sin of having Conspird against our God with Lucifer (my emphasis, Marlowe 59). Moreover, both Woland and Mephostophilis have immense powers, yet they are aware these are limited in comparison to Gods. For instance, when Margarita asks that Frieda be forgiven, Satan admits: Each department must look after its own affairs. I dont deny our possibilities are rather great, () But there is simply no sense in doing what ought to be done by another as I just put it department (Bulgakov 216). Mephosto similarly gives away his limitations when he refuses to tell Faustus who has created the world: Now tell me who made the world. / MEPH. I will not (Marlowe 69) or during all the episodes when he urges the scholar to renew his bond for fear Faustus might be forgiven by God. However, in their attempt to attest Gods existence, both Marlowes and Bulgakovs demons actually want to reinstate theirs. Wolands and Mephostophilis is a peculiar status since they seem to embody both good and evil. On the occasion of the Great Ball when Woland is willing to grant Margarita a wish, the power of mercy surfaces: I am talking about mercy, Woland explained his words, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) It sometimes creeps, quite unexpectedly and perfidiously, through the narrowest cracks. And so I am talking about rags' (Bulgakov 216). Mephostophilis does not mention mercy but regret and despair when he contemplates his everlasting doom in Hell: Thinkst thou that I, who saw the face of God / And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, / Am not tormented with ten thousand hells / In being deprivd of everlasting bliss? (Marlowe 59) or when he advises the scholar: O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, / Which strike a terror to my fainting soul (ibidem). Under these circumstances, there arise questions about the ambiguous, opposites-marked personalities of Woland and Mephosto; Radha Balasubramanian further explains: the two literary works complicate the matter further by concentrating on the nature of the Devil, raising questions as to who the Devil is, and how he came out being angelic. He is a wanderer, without a name and without a home? Does he also resemble God? Are they the same? Do devils exist as a contrast to God? Are they two sides of the same coin? (1995: 41) Therefore, besides the dominant feature of demonism, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita endow their devils characters with versatile attributes. The demons incorporate multiple valid truths (Emerson 179), acting as coordinators and bridging the different plans of the two books. In so doing, Woland and Mephosto bring about a multiplicity of perspectives and remind the reader of Mikhail Bakhtins heteroglossia, although Marlowes devil is less distant than Bulgakovs: Except when he is the mouthpiece for an installment of Christs Passion, Woland is a taciturn man. This is appropriate. He shows rather than tells (Emerson 179). Another equally significant aspect is related to the parallel that the two authors draw between devils and religion. Hence, the satire of the Stalinist Moscows society is acquired through a review of the Yershalaim narrative. The same may be averred about a satire of Catholicism at Marlowe through a post-Reformation approach. Whereas the parallel between Wolands visit in Moscow and Yeshuas Passions in Yershalaim indicates time condensation-Moscows literary time became a mythical time that can be structurally correlated with the mythical dimension in the Yershalaim chapters (Balasubramanian, 2001: 90)-there is no such analogy or time contraction in Marlowes tragedy. Instead, the dramaturge describes the meeting between Faustus, Mephosto, and the Pope as the only occasion when the Pope is punished by the devil. In this way, Catholicism is downplayed as the Pope is mocked for failing to exorcize the troublesome ghost (Marlowe 83). Here, religious dissidence is also backed up by newly em ergent ideas of predestination and original sin as advocated by the Elizabethan church. By opposition, the sole religious dispute occurs in the incipit of Bulgakovs novel between Ivan Homeless, Berlioz, and Woland. Furthermore, there are additional thought-provoking implications that seem to pervade only Bulgakovs novel but not Marlowes play. For instance, certain scholars question the source and the narrator of the novel at the same time, attributing these alternatively to Bulgakov, the Master, the Devil, or God (Balasubramanian, 1995: 44). It is evident that endowing Woland with the premise of authorship is an idea reminiscent of Bulgakov himself who has originally planned his novel as a Gospel According to the Devil' (Emerson 178). In this respect, Christs story is defamiliarized by transposing narrative points of view from the apostles to the devil (Balasubramanian, 1995: 44)-the habitual Christian perception is disrupted and the gospel acquires novel undertones. In general, good and evil are the inseparable components of the human nature differentiated only by mans free will. There is no preeminence of evil over good, although there can be no good without evil: Kindly consider the question: what would your good do if evil did not exist, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it? (Bulgakov 274). By this account, both Woland and Mephostophilis appear as the most reliable source of knowledge in these two literary works but equally as troubled allies of God. Supernatural Encounters At the beginning of the nineteenth century, E. T. A. Hoffmann-a leading representative of German Romanticism-uses the fantasy genre with macabre undertones in combination with realism. A century later, the theoretician Mikhail Bakhtin defines his work as a Menippean satire, fundamentally satirical or mocking in nature and seeking to ridicule different intellectual attitudes and philosophical postures (Cuddon 504). The two literary works herein under scrutiny draw on the category of supernatural and on comedy to give the Faustian myth a twist, although humour serves distinct purposes in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita. The use of humour and farce in the two books is treated differently by critics. On the one hand, in Marlowes play, the comic scenes have not received that much critical consideration over the years. One reason for this aspect might be the fact that there is still ardent debate nowadays over the authorship of these comic scenes: There is almost unanimous agreement that the scenes of clownage (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and the comic scenes at the papal, imperial, and ducal courts (Jump 22) are not Marlowes but someone elses-hence the variation in length and style between the A-version (1604) and the B-version of the text (1616). Regardless of their origin, humourous scenes do permeate Marlowes play. On the other hand, Bulgakovs comedy episodes have been the focus of much more critical interpretation due to the conviction that, in this case, Bulgakov himself is the author of these scenes. Bulgakovs fiction does not employ humour and pranks only for the sake of comic relief but also to underscore a deeper connotation: the Stalinist Moscows small-mindedness, gluttony, and moral degradation. Certain commentators such as Marie-Hà ©là ¨ne Besnault in Belief and Spectacle at Early Performances of Doctor Faustus (2009) separate humourous episodes into low-comedy and clowning scenes (19). The former category occur in Vatican and at Charles-the German Emperors-court, have Faustus as protagonist, depict people pertaining to the social elite, and are further divided into sub-scenes with a larger number of characters (Besnault 19-20): dukes, attendants, cardinals, and others. The most relevant instances of low-comedy scenes centre on the moments when Faustus and Mephosto steal the Popes food or beat up the friars: POPE. How now! Who snatchd the meat from me? / POPE. My wine gone too? Ye lubbers, look about (Marlowe 82). By opposition, the protagonists of the clowning scenes are Robin, Dick, the horse-courser and their suite (in fact, all of them embodying archetypes of clowns), although the main topic of discussion remains Faustus. Besides, these episodes have a less intricate course of events as well as an equally uncomplicated spatial and temporal frame. Examples that best illustrate this case present Faustus tricking the horse-courser or Robin and Dick being changed to animals: For apish deeds transformed to an ape. / MEPH. And so thou shalt: be thou transformed to a dog, and carry him upon thy back. Away, be gone! (Marlowe 85). Similarly to Marlowes low-comedy that parallels the major events of the play, Bulgakovs novel contains buffoonery scenes meant to counterpoint the main plot. For instance, Natashas metamorphosis into a witch parallels Margaritas: Completely naked, her dishevelled hair flying in the air, she flew astride a fat hog, who was clutching a briefcase in his front hoofs, while his hind hoofs desperately threshed the air (Bulgakov 185). Then, there is also the correspondence between Behemoths noble-like manners and Wolands aristocratic personality: There was now a white bow-tie on the cats neck, and a pair of ladies mother-of-pearl opera glasses hung from a strap on his neck. Whats more, the cats whiskers were gilded (Bulgakov 195). Both Marlowes tragedy and Bulgakovs narrative dwell on the connection between belief and disbelief when presenting supernatural occurrences. T. S. Coleridges willing suspension of disbelief (Biographia Literaria, 1817) justifies the emergence of supernatural, seemingly inexplicable actions in a literary work. Thus, despite being taken aback by multiple extraordinary, uncanny events, the readers of these two books are willing to believe and acknowledge such scenes as literary conventions. Berliozs severed head as predicted by Woland, Behemoth traveling by tram with a paid ticket, Faustus invocation of Alexander the Great, or Wagners summoning devils are all examples that illustrate the abovementioned hypothesis. Unlike Bulgakovs fiction however, Marlowes play draws on an extra element which reinforces the suspension of disbelief (ibidem), namely the fact that the comic scenes seem open to further editing, alterations, or adjustments according to the taste of the audience who watches t he performance of the play onstage. Additionally, magical realism informs The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita alike. In The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (1998), J. A. Cuddon enumerates some of the key aspects which characterize this literary trend: Some of the characteristic features of this kind of fiction are the mingling and juxtaposition of the realistic and the fantastic or bizarre, skillful time shifts, convoluted and even labyrinthine narratives and plots, miscellaneous use of dreams, myths and fairy stories, expressionistic and even surrealistic description, arcane erudition, the element of surprise or abrupt shock, the horrific and the inexplicable. (488) In the two literary works analysed here magical realism establishes a link between the books reality and a mythological, distant past. In this way, supernatural episodes are bordered by easily recognisable locations and characters that offer readers a dose of certainty. Behemoth alludes to Charles Perraults story The Booted Cat (1697) when he claims: A cat is not supposed to wear trousers, Messire, the cat replied with great dignity. Youre not going to tell me to wear boots, too, are you?' (Bulgakov 195). Koroviev himself hints at various titles as he walks pass the Griboedov House: and a sweet awe creeps into ones heart at the thought that in this house there is now ripening the future author of a Don Quixote or a Faust, or, devil take me, a Dead Souls. Eh?' (268). Furthermore, humour at Marlowe and Bulgakov is not exclusively employed for purposes of comic relief during moments charged with narrative or dramatic tension. Rather, it also mocks, it satirizes individual and social flaws, being marked by ironic undertones. In Bulgakovs novel, the fascination with the folkloric, the demonic and the grotesque (Jones 27) actually indicates a satire of the Stalinist society that has discarded individual reliability and awareness. In this situation, the mockery seems to be directed especially towards people of the artistic sphere: writers, critics, or theatre employees. By comparison, in Marlowes dramatic work readers come across entertaining episodes fraught by sinister underpinnings-for example, Robin and Dicks metamorphoses in animals parody the degradation of the human nature, its reduction to primeval instincts. Moreover, Mikhail Bakhtins theory of carnival laughter may be applied to both Marlowes play and Bulgakovs narrative. In the article entitled Carnival and Comedy: On Bakhtins Misreading of Boccaccio, Adrian Stevens explains that For Bakhtin, carnival is a manifestation of folk laughter; it embodies a folk based culture defined by its antipathy to the official and hierarchical structures of everyday, noncarnival life (1). Bakhtin believes that carnivals influence the various types of comic works in literature by deferring daily constraints and thus liberating humans and also by bringing opposites together. In Bulgakovs and Marlowes books comic scenes unite masters and servants (Faustus and Mephosto-Wagner and his suite; Margarita-Natasha; Woland-his retinue), the righteous and the sinful (Yeshua-Woland; Pope-Mephosto; Good Angel-Bad Angel) but equally the wise and the fool (Faustus-Benvolio; the Master-Ivan Homeless). On the whole, the third chapter of my paper has shown how the personalities of the protagonists in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita are shaped by elements of feminism, humanism, and affective geography. Afterwards, I have compared the evil entourages in these two works only to reveal that Woland and Mephostophilis are an integrant part of goodness. Finally, by contrasting the supernatural and the comic episodes in Marlowes play and in Bulgakovs novel, I have exposed the fact that humour may acquire deeper implications besides the visible comic relief at the surface.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Overcoming the Constraints of Society Essay -- literary Analysis, Kate

he focus of this paper will be to examine Kate Chopin’s The Awakening chapter ten, specifically paragraphs five to ten. Throughout The Awakening Edna is constantly fighting with the expectations of society and her desire to be a free woman. As a woman, Edna is expected to be the perfect wife and mother, however she longs to embrace and free her creative self. Because of this battle within herself she shows many of the characteristics of depression. The passage mentioned above is very symbolic of Edna’s fight to overcome her mental illness. The thesis of this paper is that Edna’s yearning to swim is a metaphor for her longing to overcome depression, patriarchal expectations and societal constraints. By taking an in-depth look into the author’s word choice, a parallel can be found between learning to swim and the ability to overcome the depression within. The water mentioned in the passage is symbolic of Edna’s depression, and the fact that she had been trying to learn how to swim shows that she is trying to conquer it. Edna’s inability to swim shows that she was struggling to defeat her depression, however she was actively trying to find help by asking others for assistance. Edna describes that â€Å"A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water† (Chopin 73), this shows her fear of succumbing to the depression but also her anxiety to rise above it. By giving in to the depression Edna would accept society’s expectation of her, she would have to become the perfect mother and wife at any cost. Meanwhile, in order for her to rise out of the depression she would have to give in to her desire to be free of these expectations. Before Edna was able to swim, she describes herself as a â€Å"tottering, stumbling, clutching chi... ... the water in this passage, and her decision on whether or not to conform to the expectations of society. Her inability to swim in the beginning exhibits how Edna has been conforming to the expectations of society by becoming both a wife and mother, and as a result has developed the depression. Edna was able to defeat her depression, represented by her learning how to swim, by choosing the more solitary path. It can also be seen that Edna’s hold on her depression is very unsteady and wavering, which shows that she might not be able to control it. In the end she was â€Å"reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself.†(Chopin 74), which shows that she is unable to contain her creative self within and she is looking for an escape from society. It also represents that she cannot keep control of her depression and that she is also looking for an escape from life.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Corporate Downsizing Essays -- essays research papers

Downsizing has become an extremely popular strategy in today’s business environment. Companies began downsizing in the late 1970’s to cut costs and improve the bottom line (Mishra et al., 1998). The term â€Å"downsizing† was coined to describe the action of dismissing a large portion of a company’s workforce in a very short period of time. According to online encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org downsizing refers to â€Å"layoffs initiated by a company in order to cut labor costs by reducing the size of the company.† Downsizing became a familiar management mantra in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. In fact, three million jobs were lost between 1989 and 1998 (Mishra et al., 1998). More than 350,000 jobs were lost in 2001 (DeSouza & Donaldson, 2002). Downsizing has become almost a way of life for U.S. companies. Typically, the first round of job cuts are followed by a second round of cuts a short time later. Not everyone agrees with t he reasoning behind downsizing. According to an article in the Journal of Banking and Financial Services, downsizing is merely â€Å"a short-sighted business strategy motivated by arrogant CEO’s eager to appease shareholders (Unkles, 2001). Others feel downsizing is a necessary tool to ensure business survival in the face of a changing economy. Regardless, the costs of downsizing are high, and the payoffs of downsizing are mixed at best. This paper doesn’t serve as an approach to downsizing, rather, it explores the many aspects of downsizing, from when it’s time to downsize to what steps that can be taken to avoid the process altogether. Corporate Downsizing: An Overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many reasons why a company downsizes. Layoffs began as a way for companies to offset a decline in earnings, but quickly became a popular practice even in companies that were doing well financially. A 1994 survey by the American Management Association found that two-thirds of all workers who were laid off were college-educated, salaried employees (Downs, 1995). Today, the term downsizing is used to refer to a narrow effort to reduce the workforce and also to broaden efforts to improve work systems or redesign the total organization. Companies may downsize to increase capital, as a result of a merge with another company (where additional staff are not needed), poor cash flow (which results in payroll issues), changes in technology, and lastly due to a chang... ...k Enterprise. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.findarticles.com Downs, A. (2005). Corporate executions: the ugly truth about layoffs-how corporate greed is shattering lives, companies, and communities. New York: AMACOM-American Management Association. Hoskisson, R., & Hitt, M. (2004). Downscoping: How to tame the diversified firm. Oxford University PR on Demand. Krepps, M. (2007). Industrial inefficiency and downsizing: A study of layoff and plant closures. New York: Garland Publishing. Mishra, K. E., Spreitzer, G. M., & Mishra, A. K. (2008, Winter). Preserving employee morale during downsizing. Sloan Management Review. Unkles, j. (2009). The downside of downsizing: after almost a decade of surging economic growth and booming share markets, many corporate and financial managers are getting their first look at a downturn in the business cycle. Journal of Banking and Financial Services, 115(6), 2. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from Baker College Web Site: http://web2.infotrac.galegroup.com Zimmerman, E. (2007, November). Why deep layoffs hurt long-term recovery (HR's tools for recovery). Workforce. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from http://www.findarticles.com

Friday, August 2, 2019

Communication: Interviewer Essay

INTRODUCTION An interview is generally regarded as the kind of meeting which occurs when someone applies for a job. This is certainly an important kind of interview which many people encounter during their work life. All interviews need careful preparation, which should cover areas like, considering the purpose of the interview, gathering the necessary information, planning a suitable setting for the interview and thinking of the people who will be involved. Contaminants refer to those that which render impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture. There are various factors that contaminate the interview process. An effective interviewer is responsible for reducing the contaminants to the interview process. Most often, the greatest obstacle to an effective interview is the interviewer him/herself. The interviewer is supposed to focus on the subject as the person who will provide him with the information he seeks. The interviewer concentrates on establishing rapport, listening effectively, analyzing the subject verbal and non-verbal communication and grading how much or how little the subject is telling you. The aspects that are going to be covered include that which are caused by the interviewer and the person being interviewed and how they affect the interview process Some statistics suggest that as little as 10 to 20 percent of our communication is made up of our words, 30% by our sound while 60% is by body language. The greater influence will come as a result of non-verbal communication Circumstances the situation in which an exchange takes place has a lot to do with the impression you convey and thus the overall message which the other person receives, circumstances include factors such as the amount of preparation you have done for the discussion, whether you have arrived late for an interview, have not read relevant letters or papers. Whenever you arrange an interview or a meeting then make sure that the circumstances are such that there will be no interruptions, that you arrived on time and you have done the necessary preparations Arrangement of the room The interviewer should arrange the physical layout of the room so that the difference in ranks between him and the interviewer is empahsized.if on the other hand the two sit at the table or in easy chairs in a different room the air of equality will be created and it will impact negatively on the interview. Another essential point is that all participants should be able to see the other. Eye contact should be possible for everyone who takes part otherwise communication will be very limited and ineffective. Physical appearance ‘Dress like a professional and you are likely to be treated as one† (yate, 1986) the moment we set our eyes on someone, our minds make evaluations and judgments with lightening speed. The same is true for potential employers and employees. The interviewer should wear appropriate clothing for the interview, the interviewer can dress up or dress down too much.bussiness attire can send signals of formality and professionalism. Overdressing sets a serious mood which may contribute to stress on the part of the subject.one of the goals of the interviewer is to minimize stress and develop rapport. Appropriate attire vary from industry to industry, in all instances, our clothing are sending a message about our image, and the image we want to convey is one of reliability, trust and attention to detail. Grooming is important and it makes an important first impression about the interviewer’s attitude toward the subject†¦Ã¢â‚¬ how you dress makes an important statement not only about what you think of yourself but also how you regard the person or the people you are talking to†(sillars 1988) Most of us are far more adept at recognizing the dress mistakes of others than at spotting our own sartorial failings. When we do look for a second option, we often make the mistakes of asking only a loved one. It’s not that our loved ones don’t lack taste in clothing or attire, this people are more in tune with our positive qualities than the rest of the world and so, frequently, they do not recognize how essential it is to recognize those qualities in our dress. Better candidates for evaluation of your dress are trusted friends who have proved their objectivity in such matters. Hand written notes It might be at times advisable not to write down notes at the ties the individual tells the interviewer something sensitive. The interviewer might consider devoting his attention to the subject and writing down the sensitive information after the conversation has moved away from the sensitive area. As part of developing rapport, it might be best to at least initiate an interview without taking notes. This can enhance the communication process. If the circumstances dictate that the interviewer not take notes during the initial phase of the interview, the interviewer can review the relevant facts with the subject and make notes of those facts at the time of the review†¦Ã¢â‚¬ a lack of response clarity and poor grammar were  among the most often cited communication inadequacies observed during employment interviews† (Peterson, 1997) Multiple subjects or interviews The interviewer should not attempt to interview two or more people at a go unless there is no any other option. It is more difficult to control an interview with two or more subjects. One subject may be more embarrass themselves in front of a peer. The environment for confidential communication will adversely be affected. Unless there is a matter that requires two or more interviewers, it is advisable that one interviewer conduct the interview. It is not possible to establish rapport and the same level of confidence in two interviewers at the same time. Interview schedule and length The length and the number of times an individual may be interviewed sends signals to the balance of the group interviewed in situations where the interviewees are from the same organization As the interviews are conducted, factors such as the length of the interview, the sequence in which the individuals are interviewed and the number of times the interviewer conducts follow-ups may impact on the interview. Conclusion The main purpose of an interview is to get your views on a topic or to gain a general idea of how the interviewees view your company, organization or establishment. Giving a false impression will make the potential employees lose faith and trust that they had for that company and qualified candidates may turn down a job on the virtue of not having confidence in you. Sending the right nonverbal signals and showing interest without anxiety will convey a sense of involvement and commitment. Most often, the greatest obstacle to an effective interview is the interviewer him/herself. The interviewer is supposed to focus on the subject as the person who will provide him with the information he seeks. An effective interviewer is responsible for reducing the contaminants to the interview process. Everyone needs to be aware of the elements and the principals involved. The interviewer concentrates on establishing rapport, listening effectively, analyzing the subject verbal and non-verbal communication and grading how much or how little the subject is telling you. _References_ _Baran, (2004) introduction to mass communication, McGraw hill companies New York_ _Harter, nelson, Pearson, titsworth (2003) human communication, McGraw hill companies New York_ _Michael gamble, Teri gamble, (2002) how communication works, McGraw hill companies New York_ _Sillars (1988), success in communication, john Murray (publishers) ltd, London_ _Sillars (1981) communication rules ok! John Murray (publishers) ltd, London_ _Yate, (1986) great answers to tough interview questions 7th edition, kogan page limited, London_

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Leadership and Theory Essay

Kirsty and several colleagues set up a new company when they left Mr Bakes, a medium sized bakery company. Kirsty had members of her Senior Management Team which are all females, mid-twenties and with no experience in the company management. However, Kirsty made a decision to set up a new innovational company and set standard requirements for the company. After that, she perceived three main problems in the initial phase after the foundation of the factory. First of all, there is a serious financial burden forced on the Senior Management Team. Second, some fractures have appeared in the SMT’s riendship at the initial stage of establishing a market. Third, there are some negative treatments from their competitors. To sum up these three main issues, Kirsty commented on her way of seeing the company through the start-up phase. She said that she had a vision and tried to make it clear to staffs to make them going the same way towards one goal. Otherwise, she not only devoted herse lf to dealing with all problems that the staff had but also trusted her staffs to be fully committed to what they wanted and was open to any idea on how to make that vision come true in reality. In view of the ways of Kirsty’s leadership, it is not hard to find out the three modern leadership theories and approaches in her comments. This report will make a critical analysis of the strength and the weakness of Kirsty’s leadership for The Sandwich Factory by using the knowledge in leadership. Main Section: Leadership Theory Development On the basis of the leadership conception we can defined that â€Å"leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal† (Northouse 2007:3). This definition emphasize on three key points — ‘process’, ‘influences’, and ‘common goal’. Moreover, leadership is giving direction aligning people to the vision and helping them cope with changes. For instance, the CEO of Apple Incorporated, Steve Jobs was a leader who provided the strategic vision as the managing director to his whole company. With the development of leadership theory, some academics put forward a few methods of leadership step by step, from the original Trait Approach to the current Ethical Leadership Approach which has experienced several periods of evolution. People seek more information to answer what makes a good leader and how to be a good leader. Most of them believe that owning the ability of leadership could improve their social positions, personal cultivations of ideological morality and the quality of life. Many successful leaders are well equipped with good personal traits and comprehensive professional knowledge. In addition, they hold their opinions with persistence and bravely face new challenges and changes. In this case study, the principal theory is modern approaches of leadership. It contains path-goal theory, leader-member exchange theory and transformational versus transactional theory. Then, it will make a particular analysis on these theories in the following sections. Path –Goal Theory Path-goal theory first appeared in the leadership literature in early 1970s. It builds on behavioral and contingency approaches which are concerned with how leadership behavior can motivate the satisfaction and performance of a follower in an organizational surrounding. It emphasizes the relationship and leadership behaviors between subordinate’s characteristics and task characteristics. The main challenge of a leader in organizations is to use a leadership style that best satisfies followers’ motivational needs and to steer followers along a path to achieving the common goal, which seems attractive and increase followers confidence. House and Mitchell (1974) described four styles of leading subordinates which consist of â€Å"Directive Leadership, Supportive Leadership, Participative Leadership and Achievement-oriented Leadership†. It is used to analyze complicated relationships in an organization. The path-goal theory has several effective features. First, it explains how various leadership behaviors interact with followers and task characteristics and how to choose an appropriate leadership style to affect subordinates’ satisfactions and work performances. Second, path-goal theory is that â€Å"it attempts to integrate the motivation principles of expectancy theory into a theory of leadership† (Peter G. Northouse, 2010, p. 133). A third positive feature of path-goal theory is that it affords a very practical model. Although path-goal theory has these positive features, it also has some opposite sides. First of all, this theory is so complex and broad which includes so many different correlative conditions. Therefore, with a specific organizational context, it is so difficult to use it to ameliorate the leadership process. A second criticism of this theory is that â€Å"it does not give equal attention on all relevant aspects and the research results do not provide a full and coincident conclusion of the essential suppositions and consequences† (Evans, 1996). This may be due to the imperfection of measuring method in leadership behavior and measurement scale in work structure. What’s more, this approach attaches importance to ‘people’ factors, whether leaders or subordinates are all complex man and there are many factors to influence them. This will definitely affect the full play of the transformational leadership. The transactional leadership is different from transformational leadership which does not focus on followers’ personal development. It was put forward by Hollander in 1978. Hollander deemed that â€Å"leadership happened in a given situation, leaders and followers maintain a transaction process. Leaders by a clear task and persona’ needs to guide and motivate subordinates to complete the organization’s goals†. â€Å"Transactional leaders are influential because it is in the best interest of subordinates for them to do what the leader wants† (Kuhnert & Lewis, 1987). Transactional leadership could become a tool for private gains. It could be excessive emphasis on ‘bottom line’, thus become a ‘short-term behavior’, only consider the pursuit of efficiencies and the maximization of profits and ignore some long-term things. It could also make followers to fall into an immoral and irrational zone with the powerful pressures, excessive rewards and punishments. The most deadly is transactional leadership only knows to use of tangible and intangible conditions to exchange values with subordinates for getting the leadership. It is not able to give employees the significance of work. Thereby, the transactional leadership could not arouse the enthusiasm of employees or develop their creativities. On the basis of these two theories, it caused a new thinking but it is difficult to have an absolute answer about which leadership approach is better. Transformational leadership has its applicable conditions and transactional leadership also has its stage. So, with a contingent method, it should apply to a special situation. The most important thing is the balance of transformational leadership versus transactional leadership. It is about being transactional in a transformational way. The case study five points out that Kristy had protection, motivation and vision at the same time and totally trusted her subordinates. The followers accepted and enjoyed the devolution and the responsibility. Kristy is not a control freak. She made the challenge in a constructive way. Now the company has new customers every week and broke into new markets. The change never stops in The Sandwich Factory. Kristy used the transformational and transactional theory to finish the process of satisfaction between she and subordinates. She made subordinates recognize the responsibility and the signification of their tasks, and also gave high expectation to inspire them to achieve the common goal. She cared about the demand, ability and desire of followers. Otherwise, she listened, developed and guided her subordinates to grow up in challenges. Conclusion To sum up the whole report, it would appear that every leadership approach has its benefits and drawbacks. Leaders have to choose and combine some useful aspects form these leadership styles and use it to fit for the company. All of the leadership approaches enhance the prospective of company and the relationship between leaders and followers. Therefore, knowing the subordinates’ traits is the primary responsibility. Then, balancing subordinates’ demands with organizational targets is to make sure the organizational development in a straight way. Furthermore, the relationship between leaders and followers is complex and contextual. No leader could predict with any certainty how changing circumstances and events might affect the relationship with followers. The emotional connection with staffs is one of the effective ways to complete the leadership role in an organization. Not only pay attention to the business profit margins, but also concern with the subordinates’ work-life balance and well-being. The leader with high emotional intelligence could be easier to influence their staffs. Making staffs in one group and concentrate their efforts in organizational aims. In conclusion, the creator of The Sandwich Factory has her special personalities and managerial methods. She used three modern leadership theories and put them together to lead subordinates. At the end of Kitsty’s comments, she indicated that ‘change never stops’. Facing the change in interior and exterior circumstances, leaders should change their styles in a positive direction especially being true to followers which could help leaders easily get the dependence from followers.