The Social Developmental Value of Theater Arts

Applied Theatre is an umbrella term used to describe theatre and drama based practices with the aim of social development. The topics can range from targets of community building, protest, cultural awareness and sensitivities, harm reduction, religion, health, socio-economic representation, and educational purposes. Within Applied Theatre, there are no set traditional theatrical methods but a preference towards innovative and interactive methods where actors often have the freedom to engage with the audience and where audiences shape the philosophy as well as the content of the piece. As once said by Augusto Boal, a famous Applied Theatre practitioner who spearheaded a creative arts movement called â€Å"Theatre of the Oppressed;’’ â€Å"Theatre is a form of knowledge; it should and can also be a means of transforming society. Theatre can help us build our futures, rather than just waiting for it’’ This philosophy is a statement of artistic humanitarianism where creative and performance arts reach the height of their power to create and inspire, as performance is combined with everyday people and represents individuals and their society rather than fulfilling a goal of entertaining, thrilling, and profit making. This is using theatre as an investment in the social economy. To look more in-depth at the educational value and social significance of Applied Theatre, major concepts of the field could be examined through three diverse applications. These applications will include culture, harm reduction, and protest. Culture From primitive story telling, to Shakespearean cultural-political representations of Elizabethan society; the performing arts has historically always been a part of most cultures. Nowadays where cultures are highly mosaic in nature and where we find ourselves in the midst of fusing and evolving identities, and an influence of masses of media and technology; the need for cultural identity is more crucial than ever. This is greatly apparent in the North American indigenous population that throughout history has suffered copious amounts of underrepresentation, abuse, and annihilation. Rooted in the 16th century European explorations, the Native eople of North America have always undergone ill treatment. The historical European desire to colonize and assimilate foreigners was carried out up until the end of the 20th century where indigenous peoples’ children were sent to concentration camp-style schools run primarily by the catholic church under rigid government policies concerning Natives which was referred to as â€Å"Indians affairs. ’’ The children were stripped of their language, culture, religion, and traditions and forced to behave in a foreign way. This caused domino effects amounting to Canada and America’s current situation where Native people continue to suffer from social disorders, and be at a high risk for alcoholism, drug-use, prostitution, poverty, and subjection to adoption and fostercare as well as a lack of community resources. In recent years, great efforts have been put in place to restore Native culture that was once outlawed. Traditionally their history was an oral tradition recorded through story telling. This was seen as a unique opportunity to apply theatre arts to a suffering population in hopes of gaining cultural identity and applied to the greater North American population to raise awareness and understanding towards Native people. In the Eastern Canadian province of Ontario in the small town of Manitowaning there is a theatre group called the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig. This name comes from the indigenous languages of Cree and Ojibway meaning â€Å"Story Tellers. The company is non-profit and community based and currently produces a number of performances including children’s performances and interactive theatre using their own unique creation/writing process and methodology with the purpose of representing and showcasing the local indigenous culture and engaging in home-grown solutions to their own challenges for cultural and social development. They’ve done numerous productions and tours of shows with unique titles such as â€Å"The Indian Affairs’’ and â €Å"New World Brave,† whose titles themselves exemplify the content of their aim. The productions often encompass the stories of their traditions, religion/spirituality, history, language, and survival and are often intertwined with modern day cultural challenges. The company has also done improvisation projects with topics such as careers and fetal alcohol syndrome as well as other outreach programs to foster artistic engagement in the community. The works of this company sum up the power of theatre arts in a culturally applied sense and continue to educate, inspire, and engage a generation as well as harmonize and restore a once lost people and their culture into modern society. Harm Reduction Harm reduction is a term, which refers to policy put in place to cut down the practice of human-behavioural activity that may produce harmful effects. This includes a range of topics including illegal, and risky/dangerous practices. For example, harm reduction public policy could be attributed to things such as Drugs including illegal substances, needles, alcohol related issues, Tobacco, and drug crime, as well as Sex including topics such as safe sex, STI’s, HIV, AIDS, prostitution, as well as more psychological and less intensive topics like mental health, self-harm, and bullying. By analyzing the works of Sponsored Arts For Education, known as S. A. F. E. , a Kenyan non-governmental organization with the mandate of delivering social change by addressing controversial topics. They primarily focus on social aspects, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and safe sex and family planning, but also include topics such as peace, female circumsicion, and female rights/empowerment, water and health, prisoner outreach, environmental issues, Drug use, and LGBT topics. All of these outreach topics are delivered through creative mobile theatre performances targeting rural areas of Kenya where social stigma, the lack info technology and education are hindering people’s health and safety and contributing to the expanse of the aforementioned issues. S. A. F. E. , started by British actor Nick Reding, is a proactive charity whose philosophy states it’s belief that dance, music and theatre break down barriers and draw people in thus creating social change. In 2012 Coronation Street writer Damon Rochefort collaborated with S. A. F. E. with a vision that the dramatic effect of a soap opera in Britain could have the same effect anywhere with any culturally differing social circumstances. Soap operas play on issues and emotions that reflect real people’s lives in the cultural sense of the viewers, and they perform long running dramatized renditions that offer a real insight into each characters’ lives. Thus, they are drawing the viewers into long time subscription and allowing them to experience a sense of escape. During the collaboration, the cast of Coronation Street visited Kenya to create a unique soap style piece of drama that plays on life changing messages in the sense of local cultural and the issues and struggles that face their society. The team visited Bangala, a slum of 20 000 people, one of the nation of 1. 5 million HIV positive people’s hardest hit areas. Most people don’t know how to prevent the spreading of the disease and usually don’t know their own status. There is a huge social stigma about HIV and families known to be positive are demonized and alienated. Infected mothers pass the virus to their children because there is a lack of knowledge about drugs for pregnant women that block the passing, and the children face barriers to education and freedom because they too are infected. The virus continues to be spread because of stigma, ignorance, and unavailability of condoms. The cast of Coronation street had to use these issues to train Kenyan actors and collaborate to put on a rehearsed non scripted (improvised) production. The finished product was a story about two local families who have to come to terms with a series of events consisting of whatever life threw at them (in a local context) including relationships, rape, child prostitution, family planning, female courage, health, and violence. They portrayed positive ways of dealing with and preventing these things and used comedic effect to break stigma and engage the audience and set them at ease. The production was done with the use of a mobile theatre that consists of a large vehicle, which has been fitted to store a stage, which retracts out of the side of the vehicle forming a large raised platform, and fitted with speakers. This is a very pure and original form of theatre, which is intimate and innovative. A perfect fit for the unique and original concept of applied theatre. Analyzing the creation a such performance, it is apparent that copious attention to detail is necessary to create the right effect. Dealing with such serious opics it is important to know how to combine the right amount of comedy with the right amount of seriousness. In utilizing this form of theatre correctly it is possible to realize the full potential of the arts and reduce harm to the masses. After the Coronation Street/S. M. A. R. T. show, counseling services and resources were available such as a condom tent and family planning tutorials. After a one year tour of one S. M. A. R. T. applied theat re tour in Kenya, an audience of 80 000 people would have viewed the show and 18 000 would have learned their HIV status as a result. Protest The early formations of applied theatre are apparent through the theatrical practices of classical drama and the politically motivated arts movements of 18 and 19th century Europe. Most notably, the French Revolution had a largely politically fuelled theatre scene. During France’s period of the ‘’Ancien Regime’’ where France was under monarchial rule, theatre was highly regulated by the monarchy and only three approved theatres existed in France. These displayed works that were highly censored and apolitical. After the fall of the monarchy, there was more freedom, which allowed for more theatres to be put up and a more vivid dramatic arts scene emerged, but continued to be censored. In 1791 a law was passed called the Chapelier Law which gave theatres the right to operate free from governmental oversight. Immediately following this the number of theatres boomed and theatre began to be seen as an arena of new French ideology and a pillar in the community. This period, known as the Enlightenment, fifty three new theatres opened and were constructed with vast audience space whilst new plays were constantly being written. There was an area of the theatre known as the ‘Parterre’ where were the working class would react and interact with their emotions towards what was being portrayed on stage quickly became a melting pot of political ideology and national identity and emotion. During the Enlightenment, plays were so politically fueled that French newspapers would criticize plays which lacked political representation saying that they were anti-revolutionary and a distraction from the pressing issues of society. For example, a famous and elaborate dramatic opera by Paisielo performed in Paris and was condemned, publicly petitioned against and reported to the National Assembly because of the general opinion of it being sensuous blasphemy with no significance or respect towards political fuel, national identity or democratic flow of interest. In fact, the importance of political theatre was so grave that the law even stated that any theatre that ‘’performs works attempting to undermine public spirit and to revive the shameful superstition of royalty will be closed, and the directors will e arrested and punished to the full extent of the law. ’’ This type of theatre was labeled as ‘Pieces de circonstance’ or more literally translated, Pieces representing the circumstances. Plays such as ‘’The Fall of Toulon’’ by benoit Picard used a story line based on true events and speeches by notable French figures such as Robespierre, whils t incorporating fuel for national pride, the national anthem, and a portrayal of overcoming struggle, freedom of expression, and comedy to make a mockery of the plight once faced in regards to the old monarchial system. These innovative pieces gave the ever so changing nation pride, courage, and esteem to address issues facing the build of their new society, as well as a safe place to discuss political feelings and national identity. The role played by the more scripted and political classical French drama from the Enlightenment period of the French Revolution, was pivotal in producing direct effects upon society and can be used as inspiration for modern theatre applied to modern day struggles. Now with an added creativity and freedom, with aspects such as improvisation, and deliberate engagement with the audience, the ower to be mobile, and more insight to the diversity of issues that perturb the human race, theatre can be used as a perfect tool for engaging a society in forms of protest and movements in a peaceful and democratic manner. These early works gave way for modern practitioners to fulfill their own philosophies using theater as a catalyst in an ongoing protest for change. Augosto Boal, a Brazilian applied theatre pioneer spent a lifetime producing social change via dramatic arts. In his early life he felt the need for the underclass of his nation to up rise through peaceful means. He recognized the social iniquities and racial divide facing them. He felt that his own social class, race, and social status impeded the progression of a generation of people subjected to life in the slums of his city. His philosophy was that change came from within the target group rather than an imposition of change upon them. His slogan was a quote from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet stating that ‘’theatre is like a mirror that reflects our virtues and defects equally. ’’ Boal went on to start the Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed. This organization had as an objective the study, discussion, and expression of social issues. They used this to protest and up-rise against diverse issues such as citizenship, culture, and oppressive policy all by means of theatricality. The works of Boal through the Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed even gained a feat of having a law passed protecting crime victims and witnesses in Brazil, a valuable asset in the society of the oppressed people represented by the organization. Boal wrote many books including Theatre for the Oppressed, Games for Actors and Non Actors, The Rainbow of Desire: The Bo al Method of Theatre and Therapy, and Legislative Theatre. In Games for Actors and Non Actors, Boal outlined a nearly every dramatic exercised he applied during his career. From this stemmed new kinds of innovative theatre such as the following: Newspaper Theatre is a technical system allowing an audience to make use of local news articles and other non-dramatic pieces of literatre, and apply them into becoming a theatrical scene. Legislative theatre is a form that provides an opportunity for local voters to voice and protest their opinions in dialogue with government and institution using theatrical methods. The formulation of a piece is created based on proposed laws and policies. The audience may join in as actors and express their views thus impacting the creation of the local policy. Forum Theatre is a highly interactive form of theatre where audience members could call upon a piece to pause, where mistreatment or oppression was evident in the storyline or amongst character interactions. Audience members would formulate solutions for a rational and preferred means of addressing and dealing with the subject. The audience shaped the course of which the piece would take. Invisible Theatre is the pursuit of an ambiguous performance in a location unsuspecting of a performance such as in a public setting. This tricked spectators into thinking that a real event was taking place but the theme would always address social issues. It is a means of getting a message across to an audience who may not normally be open to view a such performance. It also allowed for public interaction into the piece. Boal’s work went on to creating a practice called Drama Therapy based on the aforementioned principles. It is apparent that by drawing upon classical methods and applying dramatic aims into aims of social development; that theatre can be used as a catalyst for change in modern society. Innovation in theatrical forms are endless, and as long as creativity is used with enough insight into social needs, a powerful fusion is developed. Whether the goal is to educate to reduce harm in a developing country and within vulnerable communities, or to build a sense of community and culture, to gain political interest, or to revolutionize a nation, the power of the dramatic arts is an unparalleled tool where possibilities are endless. Task List 1) The topic for my research is the social developmental aspect of theatre. The aim is to look at the diversity in which theatre can be used as an applied tool. The research will analyse Applied Theatre methods, history, and applications. My reasoning for choosing this topic was because of a personal career specific interest. The only limitation was my inability to find live performances to gain a first hand experience as there were none in my area. I was also limited to choosing only a few possible applications of applied theatre as the lists are endless as it is a creative process rather than a set method. 2) My sources of info are listed in detail in the bibliography. I used books and Internet. Primary sources are sources of information that offer first hand knowledge of the subject. They are created during the time and within the direct context/environment of the subject. Secondary sources are continuations of primary sources, they are analysis, continuation, and interpretation of subjects, and events out of direct context/period. 3) I chose to use books mainly and internet to look more in depth at concepts discovered in my readings. I will acquire my books from the Central Vancouver Public Library where there is the largest collection of books in Canada as well as a wealth of resources. (I used the system to earch keywords such as: social change, applied theatre, theatre for change, political theatre, social drama, sociological drama, democratic drama, drama for change, theatre in the third world, humanitarian theatre. ) When using Internet I will verify sources prior to relying on their information. I will check the credibility of the authors and publicists. 4) Choose topic on the day asked by the instructor, find practical examples to broaden my perspective, select sources, gather notes and source details in a clear and concise method including brain tools such as mind maps and connections logs, analyse notes including primary and econdary information, choose a format for the final piece including the desired form of presentation, compose piece based on chosen format and information, proof read, edit, submit/present. 5) Do the research and write up project 6) Present project 7) Evaluation of Aims and Methods – Drawing on personal interests, my aims of showing the breadth of applications of theatre, its educational value, and its ability to impact society by bringing about social change, became very easy. I feel that the sources of my information applied directly to my aims and that breaking down my aim into three subcategories of culture, protest, and harm reduction- made for a more concise way of getting my point across. These three subcategories embodied the initial aim and each showed the educational value of theatre for that specific application. This happened through using practical examples, historical events, and practitioner profiling. My time table was effective as everything came together easily and on time. My time table was more of a checklist instead of a dated series of events. My sources were very clear and understandable, as well as verified for credibility. Looking at websites, I always checked the name of the author and searched them on google, as well as the date of their publication to get the most up to date examples. Also when looking at the study of Applied Theatre I found that referring to university prospectuses aided myself in personally understanding its researchable value.

Dalton: University and College Sports

Persuasive Essay Language I 4th hour Dalton Wright Should College Athletes Get Paid? Do you think college athletes should be paid while they are in season? If you do think that college athletes should be paid by the University to play a sport or sports, then I disagree. You are probably thinking that I am crazy for saying that college athletes should not get paid, but just here me out on why I think they shouldn’t be paid. They get full ride scholarships! College athletes get full ride scholarships that include: great medical plan, free housing, free food, tuition, sometimes maybe even a computer.So why should they get paid when they get all this stuff? Well they don’t have enough to work in order to clothes and necessities? Some colleges even pay for that. They should already have clothes to wear anyways. Also they can work when they are not in season. They still might have practice or workouts and what not, but they can still fit in work, school, and Sports. If they r eally need money that bad I am sure they have siblings or family that could loan them some money. Not paying the players is going to teach them to be more responsible about managing their time.When you decide to go to college to play a sport, you are going hoping that you are good enough to go to the pros and then get paid there. Paying the athletes is going to alter their motivations for going to college for a sport. Athletes are going to college to learn their field so they will be good at what they do. Then they get paid for it when they get out of college. Paying the players sounds good on paper but will never happen without a series of incidents and scandals. If universities pay their players three hundred dollars this year they are going to want one-thousand dollars next.They are going to keep demanding more money. This is not the pros. The pros get paid and the amateurs are still learning. There for they should not be paid for learning their field. College athletes pay is the ir full ride scholarship that pays their tuition, board, books, food, etc. It is going to hurt the players integrity by giving them more than what is needed. If you start paying athletes who generate the most revenue, what will happen to the college sports that don’t make as much money for universities?Will participants in women’s sports be docked because they don’t historically generate as much money as a college football program? These are the important questions we must ask when considering this. If the universities pay the football players and not the other athletes, it will not be fair and the other athletes will go on strike. There are just too many issues with paying the athletes. The women’s sports do not generate enough revenue to pay the women athletes. If the athletes got paid then college sports would lose a lot of fans.The players would not be as hyped as they are when they aren’t paid. College athletes have this hype that is unlike pr ofessional athletes. This is why college sports are so much more popular. They generate just as much money as the professionals and the tickets are cheaper. Paying these athletes would ruin a long on going culture. This is why college would lose so many fans. Athletes will start to play for the money and not for the love of the game. This will change the mood and tone of the stadium. It is called college sports because the athletes that play in it are students and not professionals.Another big reason why college athletes should not be paid is because colleges are paying enough money to build facilities, pay coaches, give scholarships, and pay athletic directors to make sure that they have the best chance of winning. If colleges pay their athletes, there will not be as much money to go around for any of these things. Also, in a bad economy like this, they can’t afford to pay athletes. If a school wants to pay a big-time coach, they can’t pay their players. Also, they ar e already helping their players get into the school by giving them their scholarships so that they can make school as affordable as possible.People forget that college athletes are also called student athletes. Student means learning. In college they are students just like everyone else except they play a sport. Students don’t paid to get good grades or do well on a test or activity at school. You are supposed to learn how to manage your life and grow up. You are expected to get a job to support yourself and learn what it takes to survive in this country in its day and age. On top of that how are coaches supposed to discipline there players when they screw up a play or decide to take a day off if the players know that they are still going to get payed.Another reason many people love college sports is because they are students just like you. They are in the classroom and you see them on campus. Other students feel closer to them because they are part of the community just like them. Paying college athletes separates them. It takes all of the buzz out of it. Bibliography: http://bdlsports. net/2011/07/19/college-athletes-should-not-be-paid/ http://www. theatlantic. com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/college-athletes-should-not-get-paid/245390/

Regulation of financial reporting by large listed companies in the UK Essay

Regulation of financial reporting by large listed companies in the UK - Essay Example Let us start with interpretation of Standards. Different companies have interpreted the standards in different ways; and it appears that this interpretation aspect is the major cause of inconsistency or lack of uniformity appearing the implementation of IFRS among companies. Uniformity and creditability are highly essential for financial reporting and its regulation ensures that directors and auditors provide reports that are credible by giving them guidance to point out instance relevant rules when certain policies are considered appropriate.(Barry Elliot and James Elliot, 2005)4 IFRS is considered a principal- based system. â€Å"The advantage of a principle based system is that it offers the accountant possibilities to adapt the reporting of transactions to their unique economic settings. A high portion or flexibility increases the possibility to provide a fair presentation of transactions†. (Wyatt, 2005)19. But this advantage is coupled with limitation of different interpretations in order to achieve fair presentation as far as possible, and thereby the inconsistency creeps in affecting the comparability. If a review is made of notes to financial statements of large companies, it will be revealed that most of these are either declaration of accounting principles and policies or other necessary disclosures required to be made under IFRS. Out of such detailed and It would be sufficient if companies make only one line declaration that policies and procedures have been followed as laid down in IFRS manual, except for the principles and procedures detailed in the notes. In other words notes to financial statements of larger companies should contain disclosure of those policies and procedures that have not been followed by the company knowingly or otherwise. Matez Bosnak12, partner of Ernest & Young in Slovakia has, while assessing the first year implementation of IAS, rightly stated that â€Å"typically, IFRS financial

Analysis of Consumers Behavior Is an Important Strategy in Marketing Research Paper

Analysis of Consumers Behavior Is an Important Strategy in Marketing - Research Paper Example Major marketing activities entail advertisement and supply of goods and delivering services to the people. Consumer behaviors such as thoughts, feelings, environment, attitude and self-concept were among the challenges encountered when purchased a laptop from the Samsung Company recently. I realized that factors such as attitude, reference group, self-concept and satisfaction play a crucial role in decision-making process. Employees working in the marketing department of a business unit are tasked with creating a good relationship with the customers and selling the brand of the company. For a firm or a company to function well in the competitive market then issues such as thoughts of consumers, consumer environmental influence and consumer motivation should be put into context (Chartrand, 2009). Companies have to invest in gathering knowledge about the behavior of the consumer. The behavior of the consumer is based on how they dispose of, use and purchase of the products. Consumer’s use of the product is of interest to the organization. Studies on consumers’ behavior are relevant to society. Purchase of high-fat food by most people will affect the health of the people in the area. Marketing does not necessarily deal with sales and advertisement as many people think. It involves all the activities in the company aimed and extending and creating long term relationship with the consumers who are the main point of focus (Dijksterhuis et al, 2012). Some of the small tasks such as responding to a client’s call, organizing forums that invite customers to witness the progress of the company and informing the consumer of the new products in the market are important in stabling along term relationship with the client.  

Compare the great depression and to the great recession Essay

Compare the great depression and to the great recession - Essay Example After the speculative boom of the 1920’s, Americans invested great amounts in the stock market. However, these were primarily financed through loans and almost two-third of the nominal value of stocks was represented by loans in 1929. Accelerated share prices motivated greater investment as people speculated that share prices would continue to escalate. Consequently, an economic bubble developed and the margin buying meant that investors would incur great losses if the market took a downturn. Similarly, the Great Recession resulted from speculation about mortgages and securities. It was a consequence of providing loans for homeownership to uncredit-worthy people. Mortgage loans were secured with mortgaged securities; so because of margin buying, banks were on the verge of bankruptcy when the market went into recession. Milton Friedman in his book, A Monetary History of the United States advocates that the Great depression was not a consequence of the economic cycles, tariffs o r the Wall Street Crash (Friedman and Schwartz). In fact, what thrust the country into depression was the collapse of banks and financial institutes. Apparently, the same can be said for the Great Recession. More than the actual effects of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the psychological effects deterred investment in the capital markets. In turn, business security affects job certainty so that is why a decrease in capital investment led to a decrease in consumption. However, the Wall Street Crashes did cause bankruptcies, restriction on credit, failing businesses, rising unemployment, decreased money supply and the like. Likewise, the Great Recession led to a decline in international trade, increased unemployment, and dropping commodity prices. The chain of events from significant federal spending to tax increases only aggravated both the crises. Thus, the leaders targeted the scapegoats such as the Wall Street Bankers for the crises.

Civil engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Civil engineering - Essay Example The main goal of site assessment is to conduct preliminary a evaluation of the potential development and provide screening analysis. Here the construction company develops a site feasibility checklist in order to provide basic information required to determine if a site meets basic requirements and to provide basic economic analysis. This process also identifies strength and weakness of the retail project and to determine whether or not to pass to the next stage of retail development. (Plummer, F. 2007) There are stages followed in site assessment in the construction of a retail project and they include planning for site assessment, Data collection, data analysis and finally plan development and project layout. Planning for Site Assessment is important stage before designing and laying out the retail project. This will be vital for the Plan Engineer in making informative decisions about the project. Data collection about the site is the next important stage in site assessment. This stage involves a collection of resourceful information pertaining to the site. This information can be obtained from maps, existing publications and other resources. Going to the site to have a visual appreciation of the site and site features is valuable. Important information collected includes vegetative cover, soil information, topographical information, hydrological information and evaluation of adjacent properties and their land use. Analysis of the collected information on the parameters listed above to identify various needs and modification the site may require .Evaluation of the impact of that parameter may help to reduce the negative economic burden and environmental impact of the project. As data analysis takes place the Civil Engineer should be to determine the permits required for the retail project. (Plummer, F.

Toyota Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota Case Study - Assignment Example This may be seen as one of the key models for Toyota to consider in recognising the need for change, here the case study points to an organisation which is relatively closed, the company losing touch with its customer base and management team focusing upon internal interactions and change initiatives. Adoption of the open systems model for viewing an organisation may allow the company to concentrate to a greater extent upon the needs of its customers, rather than focusing upon internally hard systems issues. 2.0 Recommendations for Change Having analysed the case study and conducted the relevant situational analysis, it would appear that Toyota suffers from a number of major issues. The single two biggest issues which the company may be seen as facing are poor internal communications and a disconnect between the company and its customers in the market. Such issues have lead to poor product quality in recent years and the failure to develop new products which have a clear demand in so me local markets. In considering how Toyota is to overcome these problems, the report recommends a program of radical hard systems restructuring. Here Toyota should consider adopting a regionally based business model and move away from the current centralised model operated from Japan. The benefits of implementing such a change initiative would be that Toyota would be closer to its customers both geographically and from a communications perspective (Griffin and Pustay 2009). This would allow the company to develop products which are suited to localised needs, rather than developing a set of international products which are designed to appeal to a global market. In addition, Toyota would also be able to detect any problems within a local market in a much shorter space of time, than where communications as at present have to filter back to the head office in Japan. As such, the recommendation of this report is that Toyota should set up one head office function in each key national mar ket, each to be run as a separate strategic business unit. In making the changes, the researcher recommends that Lewin’s (1957) three stage model of change should be used. Here the model advocates three stages, namely â€Å"unfreeze† â€Å"move† and â€Å"Freeze.† In short, the unfreeze stage represents a preparatory stage in which members of the organisation are encouraged to both see the need for change and then move towards the planning required at the implementation stage. The move stage represents the actual implementation stage of a change initiative, finally the freeze stage represents a consolidation stage in which managers ensure changes to processes and practises are embedded in the organisation and old ways of working are not slipped back into. While Lewin’s (1957) three stages of change is a widely accepted model, it is not the only model which Toyota may consider. Another similar model is that of Kotter’s (1996) eight stage mode l for creating change which includes: Establishing a sense of urgency Creating a guiding coalition Developing a vision and strategy Communicating the change vision Empowering employees for broad based action Generating short term wins Consolidating gains Anchoring new approaches

Globalization and Canada. Globalization and free trade Essay

Globalization and Canada. Globalization and free trade - Essay Example Globalization of business and economies has changed societies in all countries and Canada is no exception. In fact, the term "global village" to denote the effect of globalization was coined by a Canadian journalist, Marshall MacLuhan at the dawn of the 21th century. Free flow of capital in and out of Canada, free trade and the existence of multinational companies have together linked Canada to the rest of the world's economies. In addition, Canada has become a part of continental integration through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that has already exposed the trading and business community of Canada to the United States. As a result of the interaction of a global business environment and a multicultural population, the Canadian society is undergoing a change that needs to be explored further. Besides, globalization has had an impact on the sovereignty and democracy of the country as Canada's economy as well as its culture has got integrated with that of the United St ates. In this paper, I will discuss the economic, social and cultural effects of globalization on Canada and propose a methodology for further questions.Inter-linkages between economies across different geographies have existed for centuries but it is only recently that the world has become truly integrated into a 'global village' rather than in a state of one group of countries exploiting the other. Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution had its roots in technological innovations like the power looms and railroads in Britain in the middle 19th century but it soon spread across Europe and North America, allowing for growth in commerce (Chirot, 2000). The modernization of the European and North American economies was aided to a large extent on the availability of raw materials (cotton from India in the case of Britain) and labor (African slaves for North America) from the colonies. By the advent of the 20th century, however, the limits of the capitalist development had been reached , leading to the Great Depression of the 1920s in North America and Europe (Giddens, 1986). The two World Wars changed the global economic power balance, with most of the colonies gaining independence over the period and Soviet Russia becoming more powerful and dissociated from the western powers. Post war reconstruction, growing urbanization and technology improvements revived the North American and European economies while Soviet Russia too developed technological capabilities. However, the world got bifurcated between the capitalist (mainly North America and Europe) and the socialist (mainly the USSR) camps while the Third World countries (the developing or underdeveloped nations, most typically erstwhile colonies of European powers) aligned themselves to either of the two camps. The 1950s saw a boom in the United States economy, much as a result of Fordist automation of industries and growth of consumerism, and US multinational companies endeavored to invest in other countries, the nearest neighbor, Canada, being the most convenient. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, even the capitalist economies, Canada being an important example, largely believed in economic sovereignty and foreign ownership was not seen as favorable (Smythe, 2001). The global economic order has significantly changed since the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s. As the divergence of the world between the two superpowers and their respective beneficiaries in the so-called Third World disappeared, the world has now become a 'global village' that is increasingly inter-linked for mutual benefits. The processes of production and consumption have undergone significant globalization, aided be the nearly free flow of capital and technology across political barriers. Over the years, multinational companies (MNCs) have ruled world business and governments have had limited roles to play. A survey by Institute for Policy Studies in 2000 found that the world's top 200

Women's study lesson9 discussion board comment Article

Women's study lesson9 discussion board comment - Article Example Women not only get scared by it (they change their patterns and routines so as to avoid the harasser), but they also get traumatized by the harassment (AAUW 3). As per statistics published by the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (http://www.slc.edu/offices-services/security/assault/statistics.html), at least 1 in every 4 women will be sexually assaulted during her time at college. I find this number to be too high. What is more, I think that this is another way in which women may end up getting discouraged from moving ahead with their education. As, according to the AAUW report, women who are harassed find their college experience disappointing (3), it is perhaps only logical to assume that they will associate negatively with their educational experience as well. Do you not agree that such misogynistic views about women’s capabilities in science and technology are a reflection on just how little society has changed when it comes to viewing women? Also, do you think that when women have to face sexual harassment on top of such attitudes, it makes it harder still to make headway in education for them? Will it have a negative impact in their outlook on life? And would it discourage them from pursuing further

Manage Recruitment, Selection & Induction Essay Example for Free

Manage Recruitment, Selection Induction Essay Question 1: Explain the role of probation as part of the recruitment process. All new staff employees are required to serve a probationary period. The probationary period allows the Department and the employee the opportunity to assess each others suitability. It is the responsibility of the Supervisor to continually review the services of staff on probation. An employee must be consulted if there are any problems with performance. Question 2: Explain the term ‘merit selection’ and its implication on equal employment opportunity. Selection based on merit is where the best possible match is made between qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities and relevant experience of the applicants, and the selection criteria in the Position Description. When assessing applicants, only selection criteria are taken into account; that is, unlawful discrimination based on other applicant characteristics must not occur. In the case of casual and sessional staff, merit is determined by assessing applicants qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience against the duties to be performed. Question 3: Explain the relevant terms and conditions of employment. Not every code of practice of the employer which is referenced within the contract may have any force, but rather, can be used as a guideline. Therefore, when considering whether or not a specific document imposes contractual obligations, the test to be applied in determining intention, is whether a reasonable person would come to the conclusion that the person making the promise, had the intention of being bound by the statement. Question 4: Explain at least 2 valid psychometric testing that you can use in your selection process. Aptitude or Ability Tests Aptitude or ability tests provide information on a person’s ability to perform certain tasks and their potential to learn and understand new information and tasks. The tests cover skills such as: Verbal reasoning (critical evaluation of written information) Comprehension/grammar Numerical reasoning (logical interpretation of numerical and statistical information) Abstract, mechanical or spatial reasoning (pattern recognition) Information checking (checking errors / attention to detail tasks) IQ (how quickly you can learn and master a new task) They can be designed to indicate suitability for specific tasks eg computing, keyboard or foreign?language skills. Work style questionnaires (personality/motivation/Emotional Intelligence) Work style questionnaires or inventories are concerned with how you typically behave, such as?the way you relate to others or the way you approach and solve problems. They generally?explore personality characteristics relevant to the world of work. To answer the questions you often need to think about what you would do in a work situation. If you have no formal work experience, think about how you behave in similar situations such as voluntary work, university activities or when you are participating in your hobbies. Work style questionnaires look at factors such as: Ways of thinking, feeling and acting in different situations Interpersonal style, conflict style, leadership style Patterns of coping with stress Interests how much do you like carrying out various types of activities at work. Motivations – look at the energy with which you approach your work, and the different conditions which increase or decrease your motivation. Work values– what factors make work worthwhile for you How you interpret your own and others emotions and behaviours Question 5: A. Explain the term outsourcing? Outsourcing is the act of one company contracting with another company to provide services that might otherwise be performed by in-house employees. Often the tasks that are outsourced could be performed by the company itself, but in many cases there are financial advantages that come from outsourcing. Many large companies now outsource jobs such as call center services, e-mail services, and payroll. These jobs are handled by separate companies that specialize in each service, and are often located overseas. b. What functions can Human Resources outsource in terms of recruitment selection and induction, please states advantages and disadvantages of each. Functions include: – Employee assistance/counseling – Retirement planning help – Pension administration – Temporary staffing – Background checks – Training and management development programs – Executive development and coaching – Health care benefits administration – Employee benefit administration – Payroll – Risk management – Executive staffing – Employee relocation – HRIS selection, training implementation – Recruitment – Executive compensation and incentive plans – Policy writing – Administration of compensation/incentive plans Wage and salary administration Advantages Brings new ideas/talent into the organization get needed competencies Helps organization get needed competencies Provides cross-industry insights May reduce training costs Helps organization meet equal employment opportunity/affirmative action goals Disadvantages May result in misplacement s? Increases recruitment costs? May cause morale problems for internal candidates? Requires longer orientation or adjustment time Question 6: Research the following links to assist you in your answer. a) What is the role of the HREOC? Leading the promotion and protection of human rights in Australia by: Making human rights values part of everyday life and language. Empowering all people to understand and exercise their human rights. Working with individuals, community, business and government to inspire action. Keeping government accountable to national and international human rights standards. Securing an Australian charter of rights. b) What types of complaint can you make to the Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission can investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination, harassment and bullying based on a person’s: Sex, including pregnancy, marital status, breastfeeding, family responsibilities and sexual harassment Disability, including temporary and permanent disabilities; physical, intellectual, sensory, psychiatric disabilities, diseases or illnesses; medical conditions; work related injuries; past, present and future disabilities; and association with a person with a disability Race, including colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, immigrant status and racial hatred Age, covering young people and older people sexual preference, criminal record, trade union activity, political opinion, religion or social origin (in employment only) c) Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 Grounds of discrimination Breaches of human rights by any Commonwealth body or agency and discrimination in employment on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction, social origin, age, medical record, criminal record, marital status, impairment, disability, nationality, sexual preference, trade union activity. Areas covered Commonwealth body or agency; employment and occupation. Process for decision making Complaint must be in writing. It is then assessed and if within jurisdiction is investigated. If complaint is not declined, conciliation is attempted. If it cannot be conciliated, the Commission prepares a report to the federal Attorney General who then tables the report in Parliament. Question 7 : Summarise the national 10 privacy principles. There are ten National Privacy Principles (NPPs) that regulate how private sector organizations manage personal information. They cover the collection, use and disclosure, and secure management of personal information. They also allow individuals to access that information and have it corrected if it is wrong. NPP 1: collection – Describes what an organization should do when collecting personal information and what is told to the individual on collection. NPP 2: use and disclosure – Outlines how organization discloses and uses individual personal information. Under certain conditions and organization doesn’t always need the individuals consent to disclose personal information. NPPs 3 4: information quality and security An organisation must take steps to ensure the personal information it holds is accurate and up-to-date, and is kept secure from unauthorised use or access. NPP 5: openness An organisation must have a policy on how it manages personal information, and make it available to anyone who asks for it. NPP 6: access and correction Gives individuals a general right of access to their personal information, and the right to have that information corrected if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date. NPP 7: identifiers Generally prevents an organisation from adopting an Australian Government identifier for an individual (e.g. Medicare numbers) as its own. NPP 8: anonymity Where possible, organisations must give individuals the opportunity to do business with them without the individual having to identify themselves. NPP 9: transborder data flows Outlines how organisations should protect personal information that they transfer outside Australia . NPP 10: sensitive information Sensitive information includes information such as health, racial or ethnic background, or criminal record. Higher standards apply to the handling of sensitive information. Question 8: List the elements contained in a contract of employment. The full name of employer and employee The address of the employer The place of work The title of job or nature of work The date the employment started If the contract is temporary, the expected duration of the contract If the contract of employment is for a fixed term, the details Details of rest periods and breaks as required by law The rate of pay or method of calculation of pay The pay reference period for the purposes of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 Pay intervals Hours of work That the employee has the right to ask the employer for a written statement of his/her average hourly rate of pay as provided for in the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 Details of paid leave Sick pay and pension (if any) Period of notice to be given by employer or employee Details of any collective agreements that may affect the employee’s terms of employment

Analysis of StratSim

Analysis of StratSim The StratSim is a growing and a wider spread industry around the global among the automobile sellers. Notwithstanding the economic and energy instabilities, that led to decreased vehicle demand, sales revenues strongly increased as Gross Domestic Products (GDP) increase from period 1- 4, and remains constant in period 5, and inflation rate decreased from 2.5% period 1 to 1.0% in period 3. However, in some circumstances, sales were increased and/or decreased since firms started making decisions. These 7 competitors were; firm A, firm B, firm C, firm D, firm E, firm F and firm G. In StratSim, there are 7 vehicle classes; Minivan (M), Family (F), Sports (S), Luxury (L), Utility (U) Economy (E), and Truck (T). Vehicle attributes being; performance, styling, quality, interior and safety. Furthermore, advertisement plays a significant role especially when firms striving to create brand image, awareness as well as interests to target customers. Dealerships contributed in generating revenues through sales of ranges of vehicles which in turn enabled the firm to increase its market share while maximising shareholders wealth. Firm B has had 3 vehicle classes; Boss -Truck Boffo Family and Buzzy Economy. 2.0 Strategic Analysis According to (Johnson et al, 2006, p 9), strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through the use of resources and competence with the aim of fulfilling shareholder expectations. Figure 1. Processes by which strategy is described and executed. Source:http://www.12manage.com/description-deliberate-strategy.html. In a competitive business environment such as StratSim, analysing firms strategies is vital in order to enhance performance and customer satisfaction. 2.1 Firm Bs Strategic Intent Firm Bs mission was to become the leader in automobile industry worldwide by offering highly innovative vehicles to diverse customer segments that will consistently satisfy their dynamic needs. 2.2 Objectives 2.3 Basic Strategy Our strategy was to provide good quality vehicles at premium price trying to differentiate our vehicles from incumbents while avoiding price war from our competitors. By doing so, we became the leader twice in economy (Buzzy) car, period 2 and 5. To meet diverse customer taste and preferences, we made minor upgrades to our vehicles during decision periods, e.g. technology, promotion, advertising, etc. 2.4 External Analysis Scanning the macro-environment is vital since there are several factors that hinder firms performance and growth. In order for managers to come up with effective and suitable strategies that will enable the firm exploit overt and hidden opportunities while overcoming threats, those factors need to be thoroughly tackled before decisions are made. The external analysis comprises; The Michael Porters five forces. PESTEL analysis. Opportunities and Threats (OT) from SWOT analysis, And Critical Success Factors (CSF). 2.4.1 PESTEL framework PESTEL framework is a useful tool that is used by organisations to analyse the complexity of macro-environment variables. It also provides a picture on how these key factors may influence firms success or failure of its particular strategies in future, so that managers can find ways of overcoming. PESTEL refers to; political, economic, social, technology, environment and legal. Figure 2 the PESTEL Framework Source: (Johnson et al, 2006. p 68) The Organisation Political Taxation policy Government stability Social welfare policies Foreign trade regulations Legal Health and safety Competition law Product safety Employment law Economic factors Business cycle Inflation Interest rates Unemployment GNP trends Money supply Disposable income Environmental Environmental protection laws Waste disposal Energy consumption Sociocultural factors Population Demographic Socio mobility Consumerism Income Distribution Lifestyle changes Level of Education Attitudes to work and leisure Technological Government spending on research Speed of technology transfer New discoveries/developments Government and industry focus on technological effort Rates of obsolescence Political/Legal Since 1960, laws and government regulations have affected the automotive industry (Highfill et al, November, 2004). Political changes may favour or hinder the firms production since anti-pollution laws and taxes may be imposed, so, firm B should continuously pay special attention to any rules, codes and regulations regarding carbon-dioxide emissions. Economic During simulation, firm B had experienced unstable economic growth. Its variables like inflation, interest rates, gas prices, and material costs were fluctuated, these have affected firm profitability. Social Due to increased health awareness, people tend to change their lifestyles, while turning to low-emission vehicles, also income distribution and demographic population both affect vehicle production either positively or negatively. Technology Rapid change in technology has provided both opportunities and threats to the automotive industry. Those who employ it effectively, it facilitates them in enhancing firms efficiency by producing vehicles that appeal to customers whilst lowers costs. So far, internet and firm websites as part of technology have been used by many buyers as a reference tool before making purchases decisions. 2.4.2 Critical Success Factors (CSF) Johnson et al (2009) defined CSF as those product features that are particularly valued by a group of customers and, therefore, where the organisation must excels to outperform competition. CSF comprises; threshold features and differentiators. Source: Johnson et al (2009) CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSF) THRESHOLD FEATURES DIFFERENTIATORS Threshold features These are features that customer values mostly, and they are likely not to buy a product or service that lack one among them. In StratSim industry, threshold features are; quality, performance, safety and size. Differentiators These are customised or added qualities some customers may/may not consider before purchasing a service or products. During our simulation, price, styling and interior were regarded as differentiators. In reality, differentiators have had given a difficult moment to distinguish what they prefer most, since many vehicles were similar among competitors after modifications being made during decisions. Lastly, firms should take it seriously, creative and keep innovating in these CSF in order to outwit its competitors through customer satisfaction. 2.4.3 Porters Five Forces model The 5 competitive forces model was developed by Michael Porter in 1980 (Johnson et al, 2006). Since then, the model is used by firms as a tool to analyse the attractiveness (profit potential) while determining the intensity of competition (threats) of an industry, and finally come up with the right strategies that will support in exploiting opportunities, neutralise threats and hence grow. Figure 3 Porters Five Competitive Forces model SUPPLIER POWER Switching costs of firms in the industry Presence of substitute inputs Threat of forward integration Supplier concentration Importance of volume to supplier Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation Differentiation of inputs Cost relative to total purchase in industry BARRIERS TO ENTRY Government Policy Capital requirements Access to distribution Economies of scale Switching costs Proprietary learning curve Access to inputs Expected retaliation Brand identity Absolute cost advantages Proprietary products BUYER POWER Price sensitivity Threat of backward integration Substitutes available Bargaining leverage Buyer concentration vs industry Buyer information Buyer volume Buyers incentives Brand identity Product differentiation www.scribd.com DEGREE OF RIVALRY Brand identity Exit barriers Switching costs Product differences Industry growth Fixed cost/ value added Diversity of rivals Industry concentration Corporate stakes Intermittent overcapacity RIVALRY THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES Buyer inclination to substitute Switching costs Price-performance trade-off of substitutes Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants in automobile industry is low, since barriers to enter are very high, such as high amount of start-up capital required. Moreover, incumbents have; adequate experience curve, distribution access, economies of scale, strong research and development (RD) and even brand and customer loyalty. These become difficult for new entrants to manage as Incumbents can produce at mass to cover potential and existing customer needs. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers power in automobile industry is low, since producing a car/vehicle requires a range of inputs (parts) from diverse suppliers. If some inputs not found in one supplier, it is easy to switch from one supplier to another finding a substitute for the required input due to low switching costs. Threat of Substitutes Substitute threats in this industry is likely to be moderate and depends much on customer geographic location, other customers like walking, taking train or riding bike. But in Dar es Salaam city for example, people prefer public transport, motorcycles (BAJAJ known as rickshaw in India) as alternative means to automobile due to increased congestion. Bargaining Power of Buyers In this industry, buyers power is a bit high. Low switching costs from one firm to another seeking for substitutes since most of the customers are price sensitive. For the case of the simulation game we played, most of the products were undifferentiated, so that, buyers can easily shifts to an alternative producer as well as products. Competitive Rivalry The intensity of competition in automobile industry is high due to lack of differentiation strategy and innovation among incumbents especially to the three vehicle classes, i.e. family, economy and truck because most of the firm use similar strategies like price, this reduces market growth as well as profitability. 2.4.4 Opportunities and Threats Opportunities: Advanced technology Firms can use it more efficiently in enhancing product features that can appeal to the eyes of customers. Also use e-commerce to advertise and sell globally. Bargaining power of suppliers. Low supplier power is an advantages to an automobile firms since they can set input prices, and hence be able to enjoy cost advantages while offer good quality products that will satisfy customers. European Union (EU) Automobile manufacturers can use the EU to sell their products. Diversification Diversification can be done to widen the market to other untapped segments like high income earners or internationally and also locate the firms near raw materials where they can enjoy location economies. Differentiation strategy In order to sustain customers, after satisfaction is being met, differentiation strategy can be used as a weapon in delivering a range of added values that surpass those of competitors, since most of the firms use similar strategies. Threats: Bargaining power of buyers Strong bargaining power buyers associated with low switching costs to alternative products, force suppliers to an increased competition in order to provide the best that will satisfy their customers. Increased gas prices Gas being one of the operating energy, increased price will also affect firms production as well as profitability e.g. in simulation that we played, period 1 $/gal was 3.15 rise to 3.50 in period 5. New laws New rules and regulations on carbon-dioxide emissions in environmental protection hinder production of cars that use petrol engines. World economic recession Recession discourages consumption of luxury goods, and streamlines production while people turn to public transports. High competition Initially, all firms in the StratSim industry were in similar position e.g. financially and other resources; these prove difficult in making decisions on how to create demand in order to enhance market shares as well as profits. Each firm was competing. Inflation Inflation has started to increase in period 4 from 2.0% to 2.5%, this will affect consumer prices. Fuel price instability. Rapid change in technology This threatens vehicle production since other substitutes to vehicles may be produced. 2.5 Internal Analysis 2.5.1 Resources and Capabilities These are those which will create a strategic fit in order for the firm to survive and prosper even in a competitive business environment. Lucino Noto, (2007, p 125) Analyzing resources and capabilities: The interface between strategy and the firm THE FIRM Resources and Capabilities Goals and Values Structure and System STRATEGY THE INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT Customers Competitors suppliers The firm-Strategy Interface The Environment-Strategy Interface Organisation resources are divided into two categories (Johnson et al (2009); Tangible Resources These are firms physical assets. Firm B physical assets were; Three vehicle classes, each of these represents a unique configuration while targeting different customer segments like value seekers, families, singles, high income and enterprisers (the StratSim case, 2010). Financial resources, at period 0, each firm were given sales amounted to $ 15.5 billions (the StratSim case, 2010), which enabled firm B to diversify into different segments. Manpower, firm B had 4 competent human resources who made diverse valuable decisions and hence became twice the leader of economy car (Buzzy). Intangible Resources These are non-physical resources such as; information, reputation and knowledge i.e. intellectual capital. (Johnson et al, 2008). Firm B holds a number of unique competences over its rivals. Firm B capabilities were; Quality. Safety. Performance. Style. Interior. 2.5.2 V.R.I.O Are criteria that are used to assess the sustainability of an organisation resources and capability that will enable the firm achieve durable competitive advantages. V.R.I.O stands for Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Organisation. (Johnson et al, 2008). Value As the game started, firm B had enough resources and capabilities i.e. unique brand name that facilitated it in formulating and implementing different strategies to meet customer needs. But due to increased market demand, demand exceeded production in the periods around since the firm lacked efficiency. Rareness At the beginning, all firms had similar starting point which led them to have a low degree of rarity. This positioning by StratSim made firm B to create more appealing strategies like vehicle enhancements and improvements in terms of its attributes which allowed it to come with things which turned out to be less common among the firms. Inimitability During simulation game, product imitation was very high since previous results and almost all modifications and other statistics were openly published for other firms to see. This means that competitors can possibly copy other firms techniques. Organisation In StratSim industry, there were 7 firms producing identical vehicles, because they used similar strategies, lacking differentiation. Due to these, it became easily for customers to switch from one firm to another if satisfactions have not met. 2.5.3 SWOT- SW SW is a tool that is used in identifying or analysing firms internal strengths and weaknesses and enables it to use the available strengths to minimise or turned those weaknesses to strengths. SW means Strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: Unique brand name Best Motor Works. Unique product names like Buzzy, Boffo, and Boss. Twice leader of Buzzy-Economy car, period 2 and 5. Reliable dealerships. Innovation, almost every decision period, firm B upgraded its vehicle attributes to meet emerging customer needs. Weaknesses: Weak financial position. Unstable growth of market shares. Limited product lines, this means that firm B did not exploit the available opportunities of unsatisfied and potential new customers to launch any new vehicle that will satisfy their needs. 3.0 Decisions 3.1 Technology Firm B upgraded its technology capabilities during decision periods considering dynamic business environment and customer tastes and preferences, while special attention given to economy (Buzzy) and family (Boffo) cars. Investment in technology facilitated firm B in enhancing its production capacity as well as vehicle attributes that appealed to target customers and hence satisfy their emerging needs. 3.2 Marketing Firm Bs marketing mix was to create leverage with customers and build strong brand loyalty which will enable customers purchase our products even in intense competition as in StratSim industry. Firm B unique selling price USP was quality. Quality being the key in our products while charging premium price enable Buzzy (economy) car to become the leader in period 2 and 5. Despite this success, it was hard for firm B survive in just a success of one car and become the market leader. Though the marketing mix was thoroughly applied by adding or reducing the number of dealers in each area, increasing dealer discounts and product promotions attracting customers, firm B marketing share was increased and decreased during decisions due to overspending. (For more marketing and distribution details for period 5, see appendix 1 2) 3.3 Finance During simulation, firm B financial performance was somehow poor despite a slightly increase in sales ($), net income was negative during period 2 and 5 results. We discovered that one of the problems could possibly be overspending, however, (Firm B performance summary period 5, see appendix 3). 3.4 Production In the year around, production was increased as well as vehicle attributes to meet customer demand. Though Boss (truck) and Buzzy (economy) vehicles were upgraded in period 4, there were some shortages on Boss; this means that if we were given a chance to continue making decisions, we could probably increase production to meet the demand (see appendix 4). 4.0 Conclusion Firm Bs mission was to become the leader in automotive industry offering highly innovative vehicles to different customer segments that will satisfy their emerging needs. Unfortunately, firm B did not meet its expectations. Though it became the leader twice in Buzzy (economy) car, this means that its strategies fits in economy market, having success in one vehicle does not guarantee survival, thus why firm B income and market share fluctuated. We were not pretty sure of what contributed in unstable financial performance, though we speculated that overspending was one of the problems. 4.1 What I Have Learned I learned that, in the business, taking risks is the way of success. In StratSim industry, almost each period, market research has identified some potential new customers whose needs were not yet satisfied by current vehicle (the StratSim case, 2010). But firm B overlooked to take advantage of launching new vehicle in order to exploit these opportunities and hence increase our turnover and margins due to being risk averse. 5. Reference and Bibliography: Johnson G, Scholes K, and Whittington R, (2006), Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition, Prentice Hall. Johnson G, Scholes K, and Whittington R, (2009), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall. Highfill D, Baki M, Copus S, Green M, Smith J and Whineland M, (November, 2004). Automotive Industry Analysis-GM, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Ford, Honda, overview of industry analysis, available at http://www.academicmind.com/unpublishedpapers/business/management/2004-11-000aaa-automotive-industry-analysis.html. Accessed on 19/11/1010. The StratSim Case (2010), Automobile industry. Lucino Noto, (2007), Analysing resources and capabilities: the interface between strategy and the firm, available at. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/grant/files/CSAC05.pdf . Figure , Porters Five Forces Available at www.scribd.com/doc/16998313/Diagram-of-Porters. Accessed on 20/11/2010. 6. APPENDIXES 1. Technology Capabilities Period 5 Firm Ratings (1=low capability) Dev. Centers Interior Styling Safety Quality Max. Feasible 5 11 12 11 12 Firm A 3 4 6 4 7 Firm B 3 4 6 5 7 Firm C 2 4 7 6 6 Firm D 2 4 6 5 6 Firm E 2 6 8 6 8 Firm F 2 4 6 4 6 Firm G 3 5 8 7 9 Tech Dim Considerations Interior flexibility of cargo space Styling general curb appeal, styling, handling, finish Safety structural design, braking system, safety features Quality overall reliability, durability, consistency of products StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2. Marketing Detail Period 5 Firm B Consumer Budget (mill.) Company Owned /Fleet Budget (mill.) Regional Corp. Adv. $48 Direct Sales Force $0 Direct Mail $6 Direct Mail $0 Public Relations $12 Total $66 Total $0 Vehicle Val Mkt Share MSRP Dealer Disc. Avg Sell Price Adv. (mill.) Adv. Theme Promo. (mill.) Days Inv. Buzzy 2.4% $11,550 12.0% $10,572 $33 Quality $20 18 Boffo 9.4% $20,400 15.0% $18,749 $34 Safety $29 0 Boss 3.2% $20,499 13.0% $19,859 $28 Perform $15 0 Total $95 $64 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2.1 Product marketing period 4 Vehicle Platform MSRP Dealer Disc. Adv. (mill.) Adv. Theme Promo. (mill.) Boffo No Change $20,400 15.0% $34 Safety $29 Boss Upgraded $20,499 13.0% $28 Perform $15 Buzzy Upgraded $11,550 12.0% $33 Quality $20 Total $95 $64 2.3 Distribution Detail Period 5 Firm B North South East West Total Full Coverage 200 250 150 200 800 Established Dealers 137 137 133 133 540 Coverage 69% 55% 89% 67% 68% Planned Openings 10 9 11 12 42 Support/Dealer (000s) $150.6 $150.6 $153.2 $153.2 $151.9 Units/Dealer 2,187 2,284 2,389 2,756 2,401 Sales/Dealer (mill.) $36.9 $38.9 $40.2 $46.3 $40.5 Service/Dealer (mill.) $1.4 $1.5 $1.6 $1.7 $1.5 Gross/Dealer (mill.) $3.3 $3.6 $3.6 $4.1 $3.7 Dealer Rating 59 60 60 61 60 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2.4 Product Contribution Period 5 Firm B Product Contribution Vehicle Units (000s) Dealer Sales (mill.) Direct Sales (mill.) COGS (mill.) Gross Margin (mill.) Adv Promo (mills.) After Mkting (mill.) Boffo 734 $12721 $0 $9797 $2924 $63 $2861 Boss 234 $4179 $0 $3262 $916 $43 $873 Buzzy 329 $3342 $0 $3319 $24 $53 $-29 Total 1,297 $20242 $0 $16378 $3864 $159 $3705 Note: Dollar amounts are in millions. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2.5 Vehicle Classes Period 5 Class Mfr Sales Retail Sales Unit Sales %Chg (units) Num. Veh. Leader Economy $17,296 $17,904 1,726 +5% 7 Buzzy Family $84,734 $91,128 4,816 +4% 7 Efizz Luxury $0 $0 0 NA 0 Sports $0 $0 0 NA 0 AEV $0 $0 0 NA 0 Minivan $4,950 $5,421 220 NA 1 Goofy Utility $0 $0 0 NA 0 Truck $29,506 $32,278 1,669 -1% 7 Ace Total $136,486 $146,732 8,431 +6% 22 Efizz Note: Dollar amounts are in millions, units in thousands. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 3. Performance Summary Period2- 5 Firm B Per. 2 Per. 3 Per. 4 Per. 5 Sales ($) $14,800.9 $17,418.6 $18,244.8 $20,242.1 Sales (000s units) 912 1,088 1,144 1,297 Market Share ($) 13.5% 14.9% 14.2% 14.8% Market Share (units) 13.6% 15.0% 14.4% 15.4% Net Income $-897.1 $249.1 $494.4 $-239.3 Cum. Net Income $-373.6 $-124.5 $369.9 $130.6 Stock Price $18.95 $22.74 $26.42 $26.46 Market Value $9,472.5 $11,370.3 $13,208.4 $13,232.1 Return on Sales -6.1% 1.4% 2.7% -1.2% Return on Assets -10.0% 2.6% 5.1% -3.3% Firm Preference 15.2% 14.9% 13.5% 15.0% Dealer Rating 57 58 60 60 COGS 74.4% 76.2% 77.7%

Intelligence and Character Essay -- Careers Teaching Education Essays

Intelligence and Character â€Å"What do you want to be when you grow up?† Everyone has been asked this question at some point in their life. In fact, I am still being asked this question during this time in my life. Although the questions are in a more mature format, such as, â€Å"What are you majoring in?† and â€Å"What are you going to do with your life?† I have always answered this question with the same response. I want to be a teacher. Throughout my entire life I have respected and looked up to all of my teachers, as well as admired my parents, who are both educators. However, during my lifetime of playing â€Å"teacher† I have never actually thought about my personal educational philosophy. Yet, I can look back now on my schooling experiences to see what has been important to me and to identify the major concepts and beliefs I posses in order to form my own teaching philosophy. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, â€Å"Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.† I believe this single statement reflects my entire philosophy of education. I do not believe that any student can gain intelligence and a true character without being introduced to a variety of teaching philosophies and styles. Education, at any level, needs to encompass the needs and learning styles of all students; therefore, I intend on incorporating certain elements into my classroom from three main educational philosophies: Essentialism, Existentialism, and Progressivism. First and foremost, I will definitely use parts of Essentialism in my teachings. Because my goal is to become a secondary English and Language Arts teacher, I know it will be necessary to use this philosophy in order to teach classic... ...r in secondary English education and English, I plan on obtaining my Masters degree so that I can be the best teacher possible for myself and my students. I want to have the main role in my classroom at times, but I also want my students to feel as if they have an important voice as well. Combining parts of each of these methods will successfully make my classroom both a teacher and student oriented classroom. The students will of course learn their English skills and increase their intelligence, but they will also have a feeling of independence and respect, which will lead to the development of or addition to a personal character. Throughout this philosophy statement I have stressed the importance of accomplishing intelligence and character training in the classroom, and according to Martin Luther King Jr., my students will gain a true education in my classroom.

Aristotle :: essays research papers

To the modern reader, Aristotle's views on astronomy, as presented in Metaphysics, Physics, De Caelo (On the Heavens) and Simplicius' Commentary, will most likely seem very bizarre, as they are based more on a priori philosophical speculation than empirical observation. Although Aristotle acknowledged the importance of "scientific" astronomy - the study of the positions, distances and motions of the stars - he nevertheless treated astronomy in the abstract, linking it to his overall philosophical world picture. As a result, the modern distinction between physics and metaphysics is not present in Aristotle, and in order to fully appreciate him we must try to abandon this pre-conception. Aristotle argued that the universe is spherical and finite. Spherical, because that is the most perfect shape; finite, because it has a center, viz. the center of the earth, and a body with a center cannot be infinite. He believed that the earth, too, is a sphere. It is relatively small compa red to the stars, and in contrast to the celestial bodies, always at rest. For one of his proofs of this latter point, he referred to an empirically testable fact: if the earth were in motion, an observer on it would see the fixed stars as moving, just as he now observes the planets as moving, that is from a stationary earth. However, since this is not the case, the earth must be at rest. To prove that the earth is a sphere, he produced the argument that all earthly substances move towards the center, and thus would eventually have to form a sphere. He also used evidence based on observation. If the earth were not spherical, lunar eclipses would not show segments with a curved outline. Furthermore, when one travels northward or southward, one does not see the same stars at night, nor do they occupy the same positions in the sky. (De Caelo, Book II, chapter 14) That the celestial bodies must also be spherical in shape, can be determined by observation. In the case of the stars, Arist otle argued that they would have to be spherical, as this shape, which is the most perfect, allows them to retain their positions. (De Caelo, Book II, chapter 11) By Aristotle's time, Empedocles' view that there are four basic elements - earth, air, fire and water - had been generally accepted. Aristotle, however, in addition to this, postulated a fifth element called aether, which he believed to be the main constituent of the celestial bodies.

History and Methods of science Essay

Isotope, one or two or more species of atom having the same atomic number, hence constituting the same element, but differing on mass number. As atomic number is equivalent to the number of protons in the nucleus, and mass number is the sum total of the protons plus the neutrons in the nucleus, isotopes of the same element differ from one another only in the number of neutrons in their nuclei. Source: â€Å"Isotope,† Microsoft Encarta 2006 (DVD), Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation 2005. Atom, tiny basic building block of matter. All the material on earth is composed of various combinations of atoms. Atoms are the smallest particles of a chemical element that still exhibit all the chemical properties unique to that element. A row of 100 million atoms would be only about a centimeter long. Understanding atoms is key to understanding the physical world. More than 100 different elements exist in nature. Each with its own unique atomic makeup. The atoms of these elements react with one another and combine in different ways to form a virtually unlimited number of chemical compounds. When two or more atoms combine, they form a molecule. For example, two atoms of the element hydrogen (H) combine with one atom of the element oxygen (O) to form a molecule of water. Source: â€Å"Atom,† Microsoft Encarta 2006 (DVD), Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation 2005.

Mla Format – Abortion

Jean Lin Ms. Kasababian Language Arts Honors 30 November 2012 Abortion In 2008, twelve women taking resident in the U. S. died due to legal abortions performed during the second or third trimesters of pregnancy. Abortion should be available to all females living in the United States, but must be a legal citizen to have late abortions, which are during the second or third trimesters of pregnancy. Abortion is a right that women have, and the Fourth Amendment â€Å"Search and Seizure† supports it.Fewer women will exercise abortion if it is kept legal in the U. S. Late abortions are dangerous, so only legal citizens of the U. S. may have second or third trimester abortions. In the 1820’s, various ideas against abortions began forming in the United States. Connecticut passed a statute targeting apothecaries who sold poisons to women for purposes of abortion, and New York made abortions a felony eight years later. The criminalization of abortions accelerated throughout the 18 60’s all the way to the 1900’s.Some states did allow abortions to generally protect a woman's life or pregnancies due to rape or incest. The famous Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade in 1973 legalized abortions throughout the U. S. The Court argued that the First, Fourth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual’s zone of privacy. On Jan. 24th, 2005, Hillary Clinton made a speech addressing her thoughts about abortion. â€Å"Let’s defend the right to an abortion while doing all we can to ensure that fewer and fewer women exercise it. The Fourth Amendment, â€Å"Search and Seizure,† applies to a woman’s right to have an abortion: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person s or things to be seized. (Mount 1) Note that the fourth amendment specifies that authorities must have a warrant to scour a person of his/her belongings.The baby belongs to the mother, and therefore she has a right to decide whether to have an abortion (to have a doctor â€Å"search† her) or not. NARAL Pro-Choice America (National Abortion Rights Action League) â€Å"believes in keeping abortion legal and safe. † NARAL also believes in lessening the need for abortion, which means keeping the access to contraception, or birth control, wide open. Even pro-life persons believe in access to birth control. Hillary Clinton stated in her speech in 2005, â€Å"The pro-life Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, has a bill called the Prevention First Act that would expand access to birth control. Access to birth control does not act in the same way as an abortion does, however. Many CPCs (Crisis Pregnancy Centers) mislead women into thinking that abortions cause breast cancer, t hat birth-control pills cause abortions, and that abortion can lead to sterility. CPCs do anything to talk a woman out of having a legal abortion. Late abortions are performed during the second or third trimesters. A method of late abortion is a saline injection. This is when a needle is inserted into the uterus through the abdominal wall.Amniotic fluid, which is the â€Å"egg white† that provides nutrients for the baby, is drained from the uterus and replaced with concentrated salt water to kill the fetus. The amniotic fluid drained is said to be dangerous if it were released into the woman’s body. The woman can die, but has a very low risk of being infected. One idea brought up by pro-life activists is that abortion is murder. According to the 14th Amendment, people born and naturalized as citizens in the U. S. are protected under the law. A fetus is not yet born.Just because it has a life doesn’t mean the fetus is protected under the law. The mother is, but t he â€Å"unborn baby† is not protected as an individual. Therefore, abortion is not murder, and abortion is not illegal. Everyone, either pro-choice or pro-life, wants to lower the amount of abortions practiced: According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control, since 1990 the number of reported legal abortions dropped from 1. 4 million a year to 853,000 in 2001. The number of abortions for every 1,000 live births dropped from 344 to 246. Sullivan 1) Abortion should be a right and privilege for every woman, but it also comes with great risk and responsibility. Works Cited â€Å"Abortion – When and How Abortions Are Performed† JRank. 2008. Abortion – When And How Abortions Are Performed Haeberle, Erwin J. â€Å"The Sex Atlas. † 1983. ; http://www2. hu-berlin. de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/abortion_methods. html ; McBride, Alex. â€Å"Roe v. Wade (1973). † No date. ; http://www. pbs. org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_roe. html; Sullivan, Andrew. â€Å"The Case for Compromise on Abortion. † Time 27 Feb. 2005

Earth Buddies

ANALYSIS The five partners i. e. Rabie, Harary, Varadi, Michelle and Austin form what we call a team. A team is â€Å"a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common objective and are accountable to one another. † This common purpose was to make ‘Earth Buddies’ and the company a success. The Five-Stage Model can be used to describe the standard sequence of stages that groups go through. These are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning.However, for the five partners, performing will be the last stage for development as it is a permanent workgroup. Once these stages are achieved, the team learns to resolve conflicts and develop norms which enable them to perform. Because of the team’s ability to resolve conflicts in friendly ways and perform, they made ‘Earth Buddies’ a huge success in a relatively short span. Each individual had their role. The roles were both task-oriented (initiating, clarifying, providing info and opinions) and maintenance roles (harmonizing, compromising, encouraging).When balanced well, these two roles contribute to effective team functioning. When meetings took place between the five partners, these two roles were playing a significant part. This helped them to stay focused towards the objectives and also resolve conflicts if any. Motivation and leadership have also played a vital role in the success of the product. Production grew to 17,000 buddies a day from 5,000 buddies. The goal was to achieve 16,000 to meet K Mart’s order. The executive team worked well with the employees and motivated them to work towards the common goal.

Singing in the Rain

Singing in The Rain Brianna Walsh The Use of Singing and Dance in Singin’ In the Rain Singin’ In the Rain is a fantastic movie that shows the transition between silent films and â€Å"talkies. † This film, however, would have no impact what so ever if it were not a musical. The dancing in the movie gave it something different making the movie a classic, while the singing gave the premise of the movie. Lina Lamont would be the first problem with a normal film. If the movie did not have singing, the impact of how bad her voice really was would not be heard. The shocking shrill of her voice is really the premise of the whole movie.To really be appreciated, Lina waited a little before talking in the movie creating anticipation in the viewers. Her lack of dancing abilities just furthered her distance from the â€Å"talkies† and made the audience root against her. Kathy Selden really shined in this movie because of the singing and dancing. Her voice was fantasti c and her dancing, especially paired with Don Lockwood, was better than many audiences had ever seen before. Without these two aspects in place, Kathy would not have been as likeable and her position as the underdog would have affected how the audience viewed her.Don Lockwood swooned all the ladies in this film with his charming singing and amazing tap dancing. He was really the star, in my eyes, of both of the categories. He was impossible to look away from because of his complicated choreography with his co-stars. Don would be nothing in this film if not for the singing and dancing. His part in the film would lessen immensely and he wouldn’t have made such an impact with the viewers. This film is a classic in American history solely because of the singing and dancing scenes. If these two things were not included in the film, it would have been lost among other movies of the time.

Discuss the dramatic significance of Feste in Twelfth Night

â€Å"Feste is an observer. He sees through people. Though he's a kind of entertainer, who will only perform for money, what he chooses to sing to people is intentionally relevant. People find the truth very hard to deal with: ‘†¦Peace, you rogue†¦here comes my lady'. This story shows people avoiding the truth at every level; Feste's insight† Ben Kingsley on Feste: Twelfth Night by Trevor Nunn Fool. Clown. Words incessantly linked to someone who isn't taken seriously. This is the case with Feste. For example, ‘fool' in King Lear was constantly being threatened with hangings and beatings, but this was only as he was a ‘witty fool'. Again, with Feste in Twelfth Night, who also is threatened with hangings, due to his absence. Feste doesn't fear this threat, and in fact makes a joke of it; mocking Maria and using a sexual pun at the same time, e.g. ‘many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage' This confidence comes from the fact that it wasn't their job to simply provide amusement, but to also make critical comments and provide advice, as Olivia asks him: ‘What's a drunken man like, fool?' and since he is an ‘allowed fool' he was able to say what he thinks, without fear of punishment: ‘there's no slander in an allowed fool'. Feste and Olivia have the most personal relationship, as Feste knew her father. Olivia uses Feste as a friend, advisor and joker. She says ‘Take the fool away†¦y'are a dry fool', signalling she has no use for him as he cant amuse her, but accepts him when he is humorous, ‘†¦doth he not mend?' She seeks out ‘What's a drunken man like fool?' and once answered, she immediately acts on it: ‘Go thou and seek†¦' Feste is connected only to Olivia's household. The audience are told ‘Lady Olivia's father took much delight in him' and after a long journey, it is her household that he retreats to, and her reference to his ‘fooling growing old' gives the impression of him being around for a long time-a time for which they have been friends. Read this – Puns in the Importance But he also has the ability to distance himself from everyone, such as ‘living by the tabor': unsociable, and the way he speaks; ‘I go†¦' ‘I will', ‘I can yield'- he doesn't need assistance. Moreover, he is constantly mocking people with puns and soliloquy-playing the part of the fool-but his interaction is again limited by the way he is always exiting scenes- 1:v, 3:i and 2:iv. As well as being comic, Feste is probably the most perceptive character in the play. He comments on people in ways other characters over look, whether be their appearance or their ‘mind'. For example, in Act ii: iv, he point blank tells Orsino what he thinks of him, saying his ‘mind is very opal' and ‘the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta' (a silk which changes colour). The joke here is Feste telling Orsino that he is very fickle and has a very changeable mood, so changeable that he should have matching clothes. These mood changes echoes lines, ‘Enough; no more†¦' where Orsino sings to us of his love sickness. Feste goes on to say that he is so changeable that he would sail around the world to justify purposeless busyness and courage. Feste hardly knows Orsino, who in turn scarcely knows Feste, but for Feste to cast this view shows his perceptiveness. This view is so accurate, that it leads Orsino to make Cesario go to Olivia's and tell her that his love is ‘more noble than the world'. Furthermore, he suspiciously notices Viola, and is the only one to start suspecting her, ‘send thee a beard' he says, hinting that he knows of her ‘such disguise'. Feste's perception was reinforced in Trevor Nunn's production of Twelfth Night, where- at the end of the play- Feste gives Viola a necklace, A necklace she abandoned in Act 1:ii -on the seacoast, showing he has always known of Viola's situation and was always playing along, again showing his nature. Feste's Language: The sophisticated way Feste speaks allows him to climb the social ladders of Illyria and be able to talk with Lord Orsino, Sir Toby and Fabian. Which becomes significant when he is able to get himself out of situations or even to make other people react, which may otherwise be tricky and use his language skills to make mockery. Such as the ‘the more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your brothers soul†¦' This scene is the first with Feste, and he has proved to the audience that he is nowhere near being a ‘fool'. So far from it, in fact he has proven someone of a higher social status to be one! This echoes the quote ‘there is no slander in an allowed fool': that- even though Olivia is in mourning for her brother and father- fools would be allowed to make these daring jokes. However, Feste has proved two things here, the first is that he is not ‘dry' and the second that he can provide the humour if is someone does ‘minister occasion to him' or invites him to ‘make that good'. Another key figure of Feste's language is his uses of Latin. The few times he talks and refers in Latin are in the presence Olivia or Orsino, again proving his versatility of talking appropriately with people and it also demonstrating his education to the audience. All his Latin sayings convey messages. For example, the first to Olivia: ‘cucullus non facit monachum', referring to an overriding theme in the play; don't judge by outward appearances, prepares her for his foolery. Another Latin reference is to Orisino in Act 5. ‘Primo, secundo, terito is a good play†¦' although simply begging for a third coin he does it in such a manner, that he deserves it. Feste's songs do hold a dramatic function, which change depending on the scene: they hold meaning and are sung for a reason. Such as when Feste asks, ‘would you have a love song or a song of good life?' The choice reflects the audiences' and the characters' mood at this current moment in the play, or as he said in his final song ‘†¦And we'll strive to please you every day.' Feste's songs seem to have a significant meaning, either used to create dramatic effects or represent/ echo his feelings about a situation in a scene. In Act 2, Feste sings ‘Come away, Come away, death†¦', a melancholy song to Orsino about a lover who dies for love, which echoes Orsino's mood and his situation. The listener can read into this as Orsino being the lover and Olivia being the ‘maid', making sense as the lover is ‘slain'. The words that are used mirror what Orsino has already said, such as ‘My part†¦share it' hold similar meaning to that in ‘If music be the food of love†¦' Orsino then immediately acts on the song and tells Viola/ Cesario to go to Olivia's. This is one example of the role of Feste; do we value what he says or laugh at what he says? Orsino valued what he said (we know this as he sends Viola to go to Olivia and tell her ‘that nature pranks her in attracts my soul not her money'). However, after the song is finished, Feste casts a point blank insight of Orsino, which creates tension, especially with the use of words like ‘corpse', ‘pain' and ‘†¦bones shall be thrown'; words that are associated with death. Causing a melancholy atmosphere in the scene. It's as if the song(s) introduced the sadness, and set the way for Orsino and Viola to discuss love, ‘Our shows†¦will' and ‘pang of heart'. Here's a good example of the dramatic significance of Feste- creating tension. With the next scene starting in comedy, the drama in each scene seems heightened due to the immense contrast. Feste's appearance in the play is held off until act 1:iv. His contribution to the play is revealed through: â€Å"Wit, an't be thy will†¦a foolish wit†. Indicating Feste's presence is not merely comic relief through foolish acts and show that the role of the fool requires much intelligence, or being a ‘wise man', ‘a church man' or someone has all their wits about them: ‘I wear not motley in my brain'. Feste's most significant song comes at the end. He is left alone on stage to sing it- that seems unusual as he's always sung for people. The situation might echo his actual feelings present in the song: loneliness, toleration, and rejection. In Trevor Nunn's version, the song was evidently melancholy which I felt this was a good insight as it draws a logical link to pathetic fallacy: ‘the rain it raineth every day' and ‘wind'. The sense of journey through the song is reinforced with links of Viola and Sebastian's journey- which ends in ‘lovers meeting' The meaning of this epilogue suggests that every person goes through life, with its vicissitudes, but he/she must remember that ‘it raineth every day' or there is always unpredictability. Feste's contribution to the themes of love is essential to the understanding of the play's messages. The clown's most profound comments often take the form of song: ‘O mistress mine, where are you roaming?†¦Youth's a stuff will not endure.' It's in this song where we could possibly see Feste uncovering Viola and dictating the whole play. ‘Trip no further, pretty sweeting;' where the ‘pretty sweeting' may be Viola, and the ‘wise man's son' is Feste. If this is so, then it suggests that Viola-Orsino may end up as ‘lovers'. This song is performed due to the requests of Sir Toby for a â€Å"love-song†, which plays on the events of Twelfth Night itself by echoing the cheerfulness of this play and how the uncertainty of ‘what's to come' shouldn't be a negative prospect as ‘in delay there lies no plenty'. Feste foresees events that will occur later in the play, when he speaks of journeys ending â€Å"in lovers meeting,† he hints at the resolution in which characters are married. At the end of the play, Shakespeare provides an epilogue, like other plays, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and All's Well That Ends Well. However, unlike these, Feste sings it. The song is about Feste growing up, about being tolerating in childhood, rejected in adult hood, unsuccessful in marriage and drunk in old age†¦but nothing really matters, the actors will always try and please- talking directly to the audience. A slight re-iteration of the song: ‘What is love†¦youth's a stuff will not endure', telling the audience that we should enjoy the present because the futures is as unpredictable as the weather: it could be good e.g. Viola-Orsino and Sebastian-Olivia, or it could be terrible e.g. Malvolio. Feste's ability to gain gender specific favour is distinct when encouraging Sir Toby to indulge in ridiculing Malvolio: ‘O no, no, no, no, you dare not' (where an Elizabethan audience would of received ‘no, no, no, no' and ‘yes, yes') -no matter their social status. The reiterating it: ‘four negatives makes your two affirmatives'. His sexual puns, such as ‘he that is well hung†¦' would have gone down well with the men too. Feste can use word play, or puns, at specific points in the play to make the audience laugh or even add to the tension so far. A good example is in Feste's first scene: ‘he that is well hanged in this world needs to fear no colours'. The first interpretation of this pun is the word ‘colours' which can mean enemy or war. So, logically, someone who is already dead can't fear. However, an Elizabethan audience could have heard it as ‘collars' (hangmen's nooses) so they don't fear them. The Elizabethans enjoyed such punning jokes, and with Maria threatening Feste with death, and then Feste making the whole audience laugh, the dramatic significance of Feste is apparent. The role of Feste: Feste's intuition is comparable only to the perception of Viola. As both characters are involved in both houses (Orsino's and Olivia's) they rival each other in their knowledge and putting their wits against each other. Namely Act 3:i, where, they both delight in using word play, ‘a sentence is but a cheveril glove to a good wit-‘ and later Viola saying ‘I understand you sir', showing him that she is just as clever. Viola seems to be the only character that recognises Feste's true intelligence: â€Å"This fellow is wise enough to play the fool†¦quite taint their wit†. Exhibiting Viola's awareness of Feste's ability to read people in order to say the right thing at the right time. Through this keen observation by Viola, she is acknowledging that may seen through her own disguise. Although Feste never openly claims to know of Viola's deceptive dress, it is indicated that he might be on to her: â€Å"Now Jove†¦send thee a beard†. Feste's ability to control the audience becomes apparent wherever Shakespeare wanted to portray thoughts or morals, as he would make Feste tell the audience puns or songs. In Act 1:v, he says: â€Å"many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage† communicates as if you are well ‘hung' then you need not love, and if we look back, to Act 1, the Latin quote refers directly to how Shakespeare felt- therefore reinforcing Shakespeare's values. Therefore, it is possible that Feste was the voice of Shakespeare, and if Shakespeare wanted to make the audience happy, for dramatic effect or other, then he might use Feste to sing a song, When Feste says lines 359-354 in Act 5:i, he quotes the things that Malvolio has said, and a feeling of ‘what goes around comes around' is created. The putting down of Malvolio would of been particularly enjoyed by the audience, because of his puritan no-fun nature, and therefore have a very comical affect for them. The plot in Twelfth Night is convoluted. So fools might of been used in this play; to underline and reinforce important parts of the plot for the audience, and make their songs and folly draw parallels to the play. In Twelfth Night, Feste sings to Malvolio ‘†¦She loves another'. Feste has seen through Malvolio and knows of his affection for Olivia, and crudely tells him there is no likelihood for him, moreover, he already must know of Olivia's affections for Viola. The fool in ‘King Lear' informs King Lear of the goings behind his back, where he is oblivious to them, but even though he is informing the king, the audience may of also received the message. Conclusion: The ‘Twelfth Night' was known as the â€Å"Feast of Fools†, which is very similar to â€Å"Feste the Fool†. Making it extremely significant, as the Feast of Fools was a time where a â€Å"Lord of Ridicule† was appointed. An Elizabethan audience would of received this (intentional) similarity and therefore see Feste as this Lord of Ridicule. If Feste were this lord, then he would become the master of the household, for this short holiday period, and organise dances, folly, pranks and deceptions, in order to entertain the rest of the household. If which case, it would explain Feste's songs, drunkenness and of course dressing up as Sir Topas- all roles similar to that of a fool. Ironically, Feste is the only person not to be seen as the fool. Olivia is the fool, as she has fallen in love with a woman, Orisino is seen the fool, because Viola has tricked him into thinking she is a man. Sir Andrew comes across as the fool because of his foolish remarks, like taking the word ‘ass' literally and believing ‘Pigrogromitus'. Malvolio is the fool for dressing up in ‘yellow†¦cross-gartered' stockings In conclusion, what makes the audience happy is the same thing as that which makes them sad, and Feste accomplishes this flawlessly. With his irony, puns, soliloquy, his songs and criticisms- he directs the play in a moving omniscient manner.