Classical political economists Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classical political economists - Assignment Example Karl Marx (1818-1883) is considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time, and a lot of modern day economics are based on his theories. One of his notable contributions is the modern political economic theory. Karl Marx spent a lot of time studying the capitalist system, after which he viewed it as one that deprives the working class off their rights and advocated for a commun ­Ã‚ ­ist system (Hunt 17). One of the most notable characteristics of Marx’s theories is the influence Smith and Ricardo had especially when it came to theories about value and profits. According to Marx, most thinkers lacked historical perspective. He held the idea that production was a social activity taking various forms and modes based on the formation of social organization as well as their corresponding production techniques (Hunt 36). All epochs of production had similar characteristics, and their failure to differentiate what they had in common and what they did not have led to confusions and distortions among the thinkers. Most important among them was the claim that capital among all production systems it was a universal element and that all economic activity could be reduced to a series of exchanges. This was because capital had one feature that was universal in all production and one feature particularly specific to capitalism â€Å"production†. Marx admitted that the claim (capital was a universal production element) was not possible without an instrument of production nor their production without stored up past labour. Capital is among other things, also an instrument of production, also objectified past labour. Therefore capital is a general, eternal relation of nature; that is, if I leave out just the specific quality, which alone makes â€Å"instruments of production† and â€Å"stored up labour† into capital†(Hunt 73). Karl used this dialectal materialism theory to describe capitalism in that, within the dominance of the social class their

Architectural History, Theory & Criticism Essay

Architectural History, Theory & Criticism - Essay Example In all the dialogue, we need to distinguish the terms and notions of postmodernism. Even so, according to Jencks (2010), Postmodernism is deepening of modernism. It is a combination of modernism and other things, a slide away from its parent rather than an act of parricide. It is considered a loyal opposition rather than a movement that is anti-modern. On the other hand, Ronald Nash refers to postmodernism as a present-day movement that rejects dogmas, allegedly taught during the age of enlightenment by thinkers, and by proponents of those ideas, who assisted in producing the movement we now know as modernism (Proctor, 2012). Post-modernism has returned as a major movement in the arts since the millennium post-modernism. This has happened with the revisiting of landmark sculptures and the explosive growth in iconic buildings, and ornaments and pattern making in architecture and the arts. Most post-modern concerns of the 1970s and the 1980s have become central to the society (Jencks, 2012). Jencks states that a typical post-modern building is one that is hybrid and one that dramatizes opposing trend mixtures, of the past, present and future to create a miniature city. Thus, it is based on numerous codes, combining modern universal technology and local culture, in a double coding that is characteristic. A typical building that is post-modern speaks at once on several levels to both high and low culture. It also recognizes the global situation where no single culture can speak for the whole world. Conferring with Vartola (2012), postmodernism concept is in three-fold. First, postmodernism is quoting Umberto Ecos the age of the lost innocence that is characterized by double-coding, ambiguity and irony and a transition to a post-industrial or late-capitalist social order in the Western culture in the late 20th century. However, its temporal borders are disputable. Next, postmodernism, is a thought orientation and acts as a headline for numerous critical

Shareholder Vs Stakeholder Theory Management Essay

Shareholder Vs Stakeholder Theory Management Essay His views reflect Adam Smiths view that firms operate solely for the purpose of making a profit which contributes to the overall well being of society. Any business activity is justified as long as it increases the value of the firm to its shareholder (Cochran, 1994). Friedman (2005) acknowledges one reason for the existence of firms and that is to make a profit for its shareholders. According to Friedman, firms do not exists to change the world or to do good. He pushes the Shareholder Theory to the extent that he declares as theft or violation of management responsibility any form of donation by the firm, be it in time, in kind, or in monetary measures, by the managers from the investors o the firm (Ruf et al, 1998). Shareholder theory has been widely misinterpreted and quoted in its extreme sense. Carroll (1998) qualifies that although Friedman does insist that the only responsibility of the firm is to record profits for its shareholders, he goes on to state that the firm must operate within acceptable legal and societal parameters. The Shareholder perspective of a firm has been widely challenged over the past years. Authors such as Low and Cowton (2004) and Agatiello (2008) argue that the sole mission of firms to be profit maximisers is incorrect and inappropriate. Todays modern organisation is so complex that reducing it to such simple terms and motivations oversimplifies the same nature of the commercial organisation. Spence (2001) writes that the Stakeholder Theory has emerged as an alternative for the Shareholder Theory of the firm. According to Freeman (1984), the term stakeholder can be traced back to management literature of 1963 when the term was defined as those groups without whose support the organisation would cease to exist. Stakeholder theory recognises that firms have a much wider base of interested parties other than the shareholders and holds that the firm must honour its duties and responsibilities towards all of the parties. The shareholders are simply one group of the several groups which has a claim on the firm (Heath and Norman, 2004). Deck (1994) gives an interesting interpretation of the Stakeholder Theory. While he recognises that the objective of an organisation is to create wealth and distribute this amongst its investors, he explains how the investors are not only represented by the shareholders, but, in fact can and do take the form of other groups such as employees and the society in general, who invest knowledge and skills in the firm. Indeed Halal (2000) argues that the resources invested by stakeholders are roughly tenfold that invested by the shareholders. Post et al (2002) claim that risk is not only limited to financial exposure but also includes risks to employment, career opportu nity, environmental impact and quality of products and services. If a firm fails, employees lose their jobs and possibly also their retirement plans. In line with this argument, firm benefits should not only be distributed to the financial investors, but profits should be divided amongst all those bearing risk within the organisation. 2.2 The Triple Bottom Line A win-win outcome for organisations and stakeholders is that created by the Triple Bottom Line (Elkington, 1998). This is an attempt to shift business towards a stakeholder-based approach. The idea behind the 3BL paradigm is that a corporations success should be measured not just by the traditional financial bottom line, but also by social/ethical and environmental performance (Norman and MacDonald, 2004). The People, Planet, Profit triangle postulates how profit is to be perceived from three perspectives. A positive triple bottom line reflects an increase in the companys value, including both its profitability and shareholder value and its social, human and environmental capital (Savitz, 2006). Even if the three aspects of sustainability environmental, social and economic already existed, Elkingtons principle played a crucial role in shaping initiatives such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (Berkovics, 2010). The novelty of the 3BL lies i n the contention of its supporters that the fulfilment of its obligations to communities, employees, customers and suppliers should be measured, calculated, audited and reported, just like financial performance had been for the past hundred years. The major fallacy of the 3BL approach is that whilst authors speak of the benefit of measuring the benefits accruing from three perspectives, no one has suggested how to use the data on social performance to calculate some form of net social bottom line. Adding up the financial pluses and deducting the minuses is much easier than summing up the environmental achievements and shortcomings of a firm (MacDonald and Norman, 2004). 2.3 Defining CSR In his seminal work entitled Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, Bowen (1953) defined CSR as the entrepreneurs obligation to pursue those policies, to make those decisions or to follow the lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of society. It is because of this work that authors such as Carroll (1999) and Windsor (2001) have declared Bowen to be the Father of CSR. In todays world of increased globalisation, environmental awareness, recessionary pressures and high insecurity, there are increasing pressures on entrepreneurs and organisations to deliver increased societal value (Jenkins, 2006). Weber (2008) posits that although the concept of CSR is widely discussed, a universally accepted definition still needs to emerge (Turker, 2009). Further Van Marrewijk (2003) claims that a one solutions fits all explanation of CSR is virtually impossible as the concept takes on a different meaning for each organisation, depending on the levels of awareness and ambition of the firm itself. In the 1970s authors of the subject began to indicate that the emphasis on responsibility implied accountability. That, according to Carroll (1979) was too narrow and static an interpretation in order to fully picture the social efforts of the firms. As a result of this criticism two new concepts emerged: Corporate Social Responsiveness (CSR2) and Corporate Social Performance (CSP). CSR2 links CSR with strategic management and stresses the proactive approach required from companies. CSP offered a managerial framework to deal with CSR and attempted to measure it. Frederick (1994) refers to CRS2 as a conceptual transition from the philosophical aspect of CSR to the more action-oriented approach. Several authors such as Ackermann and Bauer (1976), Vallentin (2009), Sethi (1979) also support this view. Others like Carroll (1979) however argue that the term responsiveness is not an appropriate replacement for responsibility. He argues that any action which is not the fruit of reflection and responsibility is not exactly a refinement of a concept which merely encourages responsibility. Firms may indeed be responsive and irresponsible! CSP emerged as a multidimensional concept which embraced the interaction of social responsibility, social responsiveness and the policies corporations designed to address such issues (Watrick and Cochran, 1985). CSP therefore focuses attention from corporate motivations to corporate action and implementation. Although the term CSP tends to give a more dynamic and pragmatic interpretation of the concept it has not been left uncriticised. Authors such as Davenport (2000) look at CSP as a theoretical creation of the scholars. The terms CSR, CSR2 and CSP are often used interchangeably and today, much of the literature simply uses the single term CSR to mean both the firms acceptance of responsibilities and the actions and policies it undertakes in the area (Ciliberti et al 2008). The writings of McGuire (1963), Davis (1960), and Sethi (1975) all concur that CSR describes the responsibilities of a firm which extend beyond what is the legal obligations of the firm. In other words, CSR starts where the law ends. Carroll (1979) is also in support of this view and in his work in 1991 presents a Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibilities to include all, economic, legal, ethical and discretionary responsibilities which emanate from the existing operations of organisations. Although Carroll presents his model in the form of a pyramid with the economic concerns of the firm as the base, he tells us that his model does not, in fact portray a continuum and that the four facets of organisational responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Discretionary Responsibilities Be a good corporate citizen Ethical Responsibilities Be ethical Legal Responsibilities Obey the Lay Economic Responsibilities Be profitable Figure 2: The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility Carroll (1991) In 2003 Schwartz and Carroll presented the different facets of CSR in a different format. This time they moved away from the pyramid structure which seems to have implied some form or natural progression from one level to another and presented their model in the form of a Venn diagram. Furthermore they only included three of Carrolls earlier CSR aspects. Schwartz and Carroll (2003) represented the economic, legal and ethical responsibilities but omitted the discretionary category. Indeed it is inappropriate to regard discretionary and philanthropic activities as responsibilities. Purely Ethical Purely Legal Purely Economic Ethical / Legal Legal / Economic Ethical / Economic Legal / Economic / Ethical Figure 3 : The Three-Domain Model of CSR Schwartz and Carroll (2003) 2.4 A Modern Interpretation of CSR In 2001 The European Union presented a Green Paper entitled Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility. In this paper CSR was defined as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Pivato et al (2008) argue that this is one of the most common interpretations of CSR and it is consistent with recent academic literature. Stakeholder theory gained importance in the 1990s and continues to maintain its position as a focused area of study in CSR (Wang, 2008). More recently, in October 2011, the EU Commission published a new policy on CSR wherein it states that for a firm to meet its social responsibility it should have in place a process to integrate social, environmental, ethical and human rights concerns into their business operations and core strategy in close collaboration with their stakeholders . The EU also put forward a new definition of CSR as the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society. The EU intends that firms will abide by their responsibility when they respect the applicable legislation and aim for collective agreements between social partners. Another important aspect of the new EU approach to CSR is the fact that the emphasis is not only on the private sector firms only, but the maximisation of the creation of shared value for society is now also expected of public sector firms. This new policy advances an action agenda for the three year period up to 2014 covering eight distinct areas which detail how the EU intends ensuring that firms embrace this CSR concept. This action plan aims to enhance the visibility of CSR and the dissemination of good practices; improve and track levels of trust in business; improve self-and co-regulation processes; enhance market reward for CSR; improve company disclosure on social and environmental information; further integrate CSR into education, training and research; emphasise the importance of national and sub-national CSR policies and better align European and global approaches to CSR. The EU commission reports that small and medium sized firms are the predominant form of enterprise in the European Union (EU Commission, 2012). The EU further claims that if Europe and its enterprises are to reap the full benefit of CSR, then it is imperative that SMEs engage fully in CSR and are recognised for their initiatives. This is very challenging as CSR has traditionally been the domain of the corporate sector, but recognition of the increasing importance of the SME sector has led to an emphasis on their social and environmental impact (Jenkins, 2004) 2.5 CSR and SMEs Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are the engine of the European economy. They are an essential course of jobs, create entrepreneurial spirit and innovation in the EU and are thus crucial for fostering competitiveness and employment (Verheugen, 2005). In 2003 the EU revised its 1996 definition of an SME and within the 27 member states, today an SME is a firm with fewer than 250 employees and with a turnover of less than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬50 million or balance sheet totals of less than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43 million. Apart from these quantifications, firms must be independent, i.e. separate from an economic group that is stronger than itself. Medium Sized Firms Small Firms Micro Firms Enterprise Category Head Count (Annual Work Unit Turnover Balance Sheet Totals à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43 million OR OR OR OR Figure: 4 EU Definition of an SME Source: EU Commission (2003) The EU reports that even in 2012 SMEs have kept their position as the backbone of the European economy, with around 20.7 million firms accouting for more than 98% of all enterprises of which 92.2% are firms which employ fewer than 10 people (Wymenga et al 2012). Wymenga (2012) reports that in 2012 SMEs accounted for 67% of total employment, at around 87 million people and 58% of gross value added. The Maltese economy is one of the smallest economies in the EU: this implies that the relevance of SMEs for the domestic economy is indeed crucial. There are a little less than 30,000 firms in Malta, and with the exception of 44 large firms, the rest employ less than 250 workers. In fact, the economy is dominated by micro-sized firms (95.1%). Small and Medium-Sized firms in Malta account for 4.7% of business organisations, employ 41.8% of the labour force and account for 38.3% of the islands value-added. Micro firms employ 34.4% of the labour force in Malta and account for 26.3% of the value added (EU Commission, 2012). Medium Sized Firms Small Firms Micro Firms Enterprise Category Head Count (Annual Work Unit Turnover Balance Sheet Totals à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43 million OR OR OR ORFox (2005) contends that all organisations impact on society and the environment in a number of ways through their operations. For this reason, CSR is important in large and small firms alike (Moore and Spence, 2006). The importance of SMEs in CSR literature has, however been overlooked (Perrini and Minoja, 2008; Ciliberti et al, 2008, Moore and Spence, 2006 ). A study carried out by Jenkins in 2004 reveals that much of the thinking about CSR in SMEs is based on unfounded assumptions. It is erroneously assumed that large companies are the norm and therefore, as a consequence all CSR approaches have predominantly been designed and are intended for large firms. Further, it has been presumed that small firms are little large firms differentiating themselves from large corporations merely on the basis of size (Jenkins, 2004). It is clear that SMEs are not miniature large companies, and as such the same practices which have been designed for large firms are difficult to fit to small org anisations (Williamson et al, 2006). A study of Swiss multinational companies (MNCs) and SMEs reveals that contrary to what is perceived by much of the literature on the subject, small firms possess several organisational characteristics that could promote the integration of CSR practices as core business functions, while MNCs possess the disposition to enhance communication and reporting on CSR. CSR is therefore not a function of company size, but rather of company characteristics (Spence, 2011 et al). Structure is one of the factors that distinguishes large from small firms. While large firms tend to organise themselves with a bureaucratic structure and formalisation, small firms are characterised by loose informal working relationships (Perez-Sanchez, 2003). The behaviour of small firms is strongly dependent on the characteristics and management style of the owner himself, whilst in large firms this is not so strongly felt (Tilley, 2000). Perrini (2006) argues that small firms are mostly owner-managed and are run on personal relationships. Gond and Igalens (2008) pin the level of CSR commitment by SMEs as directly dependent on the personality and personal convictions of its managing director. Age plays a significant role here, with the younger owner/managers display greater CSR awareness; gender has no impact on CSR deployment (Ede et al, 2000). Some authors are in disagreement as to whether the educational background of the owner/manager has any bearing on the level of CSR activ ity. (Ede et al, 2000; Spence et al, 2000). Spence et al (2007), confirm this claim and go one step further by asserting that it is the directors vision for the future of his business and his understanding and perception of internal resources which determine CSR engagement in SMEs. Bonneveux et al (2012) report that the capacity of a director to locate and integrate new resources is fundamental to the integration of CSR measures and initiatives. The correlation between CSR engagement by SMEs and the perception and motivation of the firms director and how he sees and reacts to CSR issues is thus reinforced. Ownership and management in large firms are more separate and distinct than they are in small firms. In small firms, control remains in the hands of one of the owners, possibly putting him in a position where he can make personal choices with respect to the allocation of resources (Spence and Rutherfoord (2001). Given this particular management characteristic, the choice of CSR engagement in SMEs is mostly determined by the personal attributes of the owner/manager. A study of US SMEs employing between 5 and 500 workers suggests that efforts to influence owners and managers to implement environmental CSR initiatives such as for example waste reduction need great focus on changing individual attitudes (Bennington et al, 2012). Stewart et al (2011) also confirm the link between leadership and the successful uptake of CSR and sustainability in SMEs. According to the shareholder perspective postulated by Friedman (1970) the owner of a small business has the right to follow their own ethical beliefs in the allocation of organisational resources as they own the business and therefore it follows that they are using their own funds to finance any CSR activity. This is not so in large firms where ownership and control are separate and the investor of the funds does not have any say on how the funds he has contributed are being divested. In support of CSR engagement even based on a shareholder perspective of the firm, Stewart et al (2012) report measurable results in terms of business performance which can be directly attributable to the SMEs greater social and environmental engagement. The study highlights the relationship between learning, the development of organisational values that underpin CSR and improved business performance within the SME context. Perrini (2006) contends that SMEs are, at many times stretched by multitasking, troubled by the limited cash available, and controlled by an informal mechanism. On the other hand, large firms are more likely to engage in carefully planned, formal, strategic management (Jenkins, 2004). Jenkins (2004) tells us that most SMEs are more likely to be concerned about the day-to-day survival then by understanding concepts such as CSR. He contends that the term CSR alienates some of the small firms and that the language used needs to be simpler. In this respect, the European Commission has propo9sed the term Responsible Entrepreneurship in lieu of social responsibility of SMEs. Jenkins research however reveals that small firms regards CSR as an all embracing concept involving three pillars: sustainability; awareness of and responsibility towards a range of stakeholders, the relative importance of whom varies from one firm to another. This implies that most SMEs describe CSR on the lines of the stakeholder theory. Jenkins (2004) reveals that SMEs are consistent in their identification of stakeholders and point towards the environmental management, employees, the community/society, and the supply chain. It is not at all surprising that SMEs focus their initiatives on the loc al community. SME owner/managers usually live in the same area in which the firm operates (CSR Europe, 2003). SMEs, in fact, rely much more that large firms on the prosperity of the community in which they operate as most of their customers and employees come from the surrounding area. Castka et al (2004) confirms that SMEs and large firms are not only different in nature but also in the way in which they approach CSR. They found that small businesses approach CSR informally and do not usually have pre-determined objectives or formal procedures for measuring the performance of objectives to external stakeholders. Further, large firms are more likely to adopt formal instruments to design CSR initiatives such as codes of conduct, ISO certification and social reporting (Graafland et al (2003). Large firms tend to integrate CSR as part of their business operations whilst SMEs consider CSR as an add on activity (Jenkins, 2004) and conduct CSR on an ad-hoc basis usually unrelated to their business strategy. Jenkins (2004) argues that the motivation for CSR engagement differs between large and small firms. Jenkins (2006) explains that the growing visibility and the increased impact of large firms globally have called for greater accountability and transparency. On the other hand, small firms remain largely invisible and are not driven by external pressures, but rather by an internal drive to do the right thing or putting something back or showing entrepreneurial spirit (Jenkins, 2004). The force which drives SMEs to engage in CSR activities is therefore more ethical rather than commercial. Gupta et al (2012) conducted a study of Indian SMEs in which they highlight the many benefits which accrue to SMEs engaging in CSR initiatives. Small and medium-sized firms actively engaging in CSR were reported to enjoy an endless list of advantages amongst which were improved image, reputation, trust and understanding. Firms also secured a better market position and improved financial performance; in creased attractiveness to potential recruits, increased employee motivation, cost savings and increased efficiency, efficient risk management systems and more business overall. CSR can be the stimulus for increased motivation and productivity amongst a firms workforce (Salquin et al, 2007; Berger-Douce, 2008). An awareness and understanding of the challenges posed by CSR can actually form an excellent basis for organisational differentiation and competitive advantage (Kechiche et al, 2012). Not all academics concord and Jenkins (2006) asserts that SMEs undertake CSR simply for its own sake and refrain from using it as a method of self promotion as the large firms do. According to Fassin (2008), CSR is a rather informal action, and therefore more intuitive rather than strategic and for this reason, SMEs will hardly enjoy all the benefits that CSR engagement implies. Jenkins (2004) emphasises that owner/managers of small firms are mainly preoccupied with the economic viability of their firms and spend a large part of their time and energy focusing on this aspect of their business. One main feature of SMEs is that the owner/manager is the person who deals with the day-to-day operations of the firm as well as other projects. This is distinct from large firms, where there is a dedicated CSR department with resources being specialised for this function. For this reason, time and resources are identified as the greatest constraints which SMEs face with respect to investing in CSR initiatives. Gupta et al (2012) also claim that the initial cost of CSR is at times higher for SMEs as they conduct small business and they justified request for government assistance and support in the implementation of CSR in the firm. The owner/managers of the UK firms studies by Jenkins revealed that they difficulties trying to convince reluctant employees to involve them selves in CSR activities. Furthermore, the excessive number of short term projects, the lack of information (Berger-Douce, 2008), the problems with measuring intangible benefits and the difficulties of making connections in a small community where other common adversities faced by SMEs. SMEs also meet difficulties which are related to the market, particularly restrictions in applying environmental and/or societal legislation because of its complexity and the rigidity of procedures. SMEs complain of the lack of adequate support services and infrastructure (Kechiche et al, 2012). Despite the adversities faced, Castka et al (2004) reveal that SMEs acknowledge that there is a need for them to conduct business in a socially responsible manner. When researching Swedish SMEs, Pettersson et al (2012) found that CSR activities become more important for some stakeholders, particularly in times of difficulties and revealed an increased need for CSR engagement. They report that SMEs can strategically use CSR activities in order to develop a competitive advantage through differentiation by creating societal advantage. They claim that CSR activities become more important for some stakeholders, particularly in times of difficulties. Jenkins (2004) posits that SMEs are often active members in their community. In support of this Perrini (2006) reports that 50% of European SMEs are engaged in socially responsible activities. He explains how there is a positive correlation between the degree of involvement and the size of the enterprise with 48% of very small firms, 65% of sm all and 70% of medium sized firms being engaged in CSR activities. A study of Danish SMEs carried out in 2005 (Danish National Labour Market Authority) identified seven areas of CSR deployment, namely, the workforce, the environment, stakeholder engagement, marketplace activities, supply chain activities, internal management activities and charitable and voluntary activities. The study revealed that work-force related CSR activities were most diffused with 54% of all CSR activities, environmental activities occupied 51% of all initiatives and supply chain activities only occupy 22% of all initiatives. On the other hand, the barometer of sustainable development within French SMEs (CROCIS, 2007) reports that 96% of firms in the Paris area had implemented sustainable development measures while 47% of these firms had good links with the community through sponsorship deals, charitable events, back-to-work/employability schemes etc. Other academics, (Saulquin et al, 2005; Berger-Douce, 20 08) are in support of this picture and confirm that employees appear to be well treated in the majority of SMEs. Fox (2005) reports that the most likely reason for SMEs to engage in environmental management is when this becomes critical in attracting and retaining business either locally or internationally. Saulquin et al (2010) affirm this by reporting that there is great sensitivity by SMEs to the wellbeing of their employees and their community links. In support of this, other authors claim that large companies influence the behaviour of small firms in their supply chain in particular in relation to environmental protection, labour and human rights, health and safety (Jorgensen and Knudsen, 2005). Worthington et al (2006) tells us that UK SMEs invested in a range of CSR activities and the most common forms of CSR deployment ranged from donating to local causes and charities, sponsorships of local events and organisations, support for local schools and colleges, environmental init iatives, ethical purchasing and staff related activities. 2.6. Capability Maturity Model Fassin (2008), contends that most SMEs regard CSR as rather informal action and refers to it as an intuitive initiative rather than strategic process. On the other hand, Spence et al (2011) affirm that MNC are often seen to assume responsibility by implementing CSR-related organisational practices and structures which permit them to interact directly with civil society. Further, however, MNCs are often accused of using CSR as a front to cover up the more real business practices. Indeed it is important to analyse the depth and effectiveness with which organisations embed CSR within their operations so as to distinguish between CSR talk and CSR practice (Spence et al, 2011). The Capability Maturity Model is an organisational model which describes five evolutionary stages in which a firm manages its processes. An organisation which treats CSR as an ad hoc activity will be at the initial stage. As the firm matures in its approach to CSR and embraces CSR more and more as part of its core business practice it starts to progress through the next four levels, namely: managed, defined, qualitatively managed, optimizing. The maturity levels offer a structure to the discipline needed for continuous improvement. This paradigm is useful to determine the reason behind different levels of organisational CSR commitment and what it takes for a firm to progress to the next level of commitment. Level 1 INITIAL Level 2 MANAGED Level 3 DEFINED Level 4 QUANTITATIVELY MANAGED Level 5 OPTIMIZING Process unpredictable, Poorly controlled and reactive Processes characterised for projects, and is often reactive Processes characterised for the Organisation and is proactive Process measured, and controlled Focus on process improvement Figure 5: The Capability Maturity Model Humphrey, 1989

Scandals :: essays research papers

Contemporary society is always portrayed as a civilized society, in which the sense of democracy has come to woven throughout the fabric of our lives. Thanks to the mass media, the public has become more informed about what is happening in the world, from the political field such as the state and national government to the business area such as the international stock market. At the same time, people are paying more attention to the leaders. Some insist that since the major mission of the leaders is to lead the whole group to succeed in the intense competition, a leader should try every means to achieve his goal rather than care much about the ethic and morality. Those from the other camp hold a strong belief that to be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards. As far as I am concerned, I prefer the latter point of view. In the following discussion, I would like to present several evidences to support my standpoint. First and foremost, a public official with high ethical and moral standards will set a good example for the society as a whole which does good to the improvement of the morality of the public. From ancient times to the present world, the public leaders always serve as a focus of the ordinary that treat the words and actions of the leaders as a sign of right. So what and how the leaders say and do would produce a far-reaching effect on the public. A case in point is Gandhi, the greatest leader in Indian history. He led a simple and hard way of living all his life and never wasted even one coin, , and this encouraged all citizens of India to spare no effort to work hard for a better further of their country and no one pursued a luxury material life. This illustrates that a leader with high ethical and moral standards promote a good ethos in the society. Meanwhile, high ethical and moral standards embodied in the words and actions of a public official would help him or her to gain the trust and support of the public especially of his or her subordinates which make his or her policy to be implemented more effectively and efficiently. Take Mao Zedong, the founder of our new China for example: in the period of hardship, he advocated that all Chinese should tie up their belts and try every effort to go through this difficult time.

Management Is an Integral Part of the Work of Everyone

Human resource management is an integral part of the work of everyone in a managerial post and therefore line managers are the key drivers of Human Resource Management practices and systems BMAM702: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Executive Summary HRM may have many good thing to offer and line manager and perform many of it’s duties. Some line manager thing they are doing lot of HR duties and they are don’t mind doing it. However, other agrees that they don’t have enough knowledge and experience to carry put some of the action. Also they see these actions as waste of their time.Table of Content Introduction1 Who is line manager? 1 The role of line managers in implementing HR processes2 Relationship between HR and the line2 Devolving responsibility down the line2 Impact of line manager behaviour3 Managing line managers4 Recommendation:5 Conclusion5 Reference5 Introduction This report will look at the how HRM can be incorporated to HRM. The involvement of line manager i n HRM has been noted in literature from early 80’s. this report will try to show the role of line manager in implementing the role of HR and possible obstacle they may face due to this.Who is line manager? Front Line manager usually promoted from normal employees. As a result, they are experienced and know the general employee well, while they may not have any formal management education. CIPD have given a typical role of a front line manager, which may include the followings: * Day-to-day people management * Managing operational costs * Providing technical expertise * Organisation of work allocation and rotas * Monitoring work processes * Checking quality * Dealing with customers/clients Measuring operational performance. Increasingly, line managers are taking new responsibilities such as undertake performance appraisals, handle disciplinary activity also provide coaching and guidance. Moreover, in many companies line manager carry out responsibility such as recruitment and selection along side with HR. To answer the question why line managers are important? Sisson (1994, pp. 7-8) have given four principles of HRM, which includes beliefs and assumptions, managerial role, organisation design and personal policy.Sisson also defines the role of top-manager, where it was stated that top-managers should establish organisation’s mission and values, and shearing their future vision and success with other employee and provide transformational leadership. Where as when describing the role of middle manager Sisson states that they should be able to â€Å"inspire, encourage, enable and facilitate change by harnessing commitment and co-operation of (the organization’s) employees; they also see the development of employees as a primary role† (Sisson, 1994, p. 8).Hence, it can be said that Sisson trying to say every layers of management has important part to play in implementing the HRM approach in an organisation. The role of line managers in i mplementing HR processes Relationship between HR and the line Research has shown front line managers play more central role in implementing people management policies, because they have influence in employee’s attitude and behaviours. Which, in turn affects the performance of an organisation (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003). Although line manager have some input in this area but many HR directors have shown concern about the ffectiveness of line manager in implementing people management policies (Hutchinso, 2008). When a line manager was asked about their role â€Å"one manager interviewed remarked ‘you are the piggy in the middle’ – on the one hand expected to be the voice of management and yet on the other the champion of the team’s interests† (Hutchinso, 2008). Storey (1992) have made the role of line manager clear and cleared the idea that HRM is not another alternative title for Personal Management; rather it is very unique approach. Store y has identified 3 elements that connects HRM and line manager.The first element is to agree that HR of a company is the ones that â€Å"make the differences†. Connected to the first, the second element is as a result HR needs to be managed in a strategic way. Therefore, Storey states â€Å"people-management decisions ought not to be treated as incidental operational matters or be sidelined into the hands of personnel officers† (Storey, 1992: p. 26). Connecting first and second element, Storey stated his third element, which requires line managers to be aware of HR and Strategic direction of an organisation as stated by top-level managers.Thus, the management of people have to be done accordingly by the line managers. Devolving responsibility down the line In late 80’s and early 90’s the use of the term human resource management (HRM) gave rise to pool of literature to be written in order to establish the definition and differences of HRM compare to Perso nal Management (PM). Among many others Armstrong (1987) was saying â€Å"The game was changing and it was useful to have a new name and a new language to encapsulate what was taking place in the world of work. Even though, there were lot of disagreement about HRM and PM, however many have agreed that the new proposed HRM system increased the role of line manager. Hence, numerous articles and reports have been written on the involvement of Line manager in HRM. Currie and Procter (2001) presented in their report that, recently line manager is playing more central role to HRM because of the fact that some HR works is ‘devolved’ to the line manager. The researches carried out by CIPD have shown that, there are positive feelings amongst the employee when the line manages plays significant role in implementing some of the HR policies themselves.As a result, employees have higher level of commitment and satisfaction in their job, which gives higher performance. Cunningham et. el (1999) have stated that devolution of responsibility between line manager and HR consultants, enables release of HR professional â€Å"from the burdensome toil of conducting routine techniques†. As a result they can focus more on strategic business decision (Whittaker, and Marchington, 2003). Impact of line manager behaviour Line managers have significant effects on employees. Their behaviour and practice will affect the level and focus of employee commitment.The goal of HRM is to achieve employees’ commitment to the organization, with the aim of making these employees â€Å"more satisfied, more productive and more adaptable† (Guest, 1987, p. 513). That is only possible with having a strong line manager who can recognise, and appreciate the work of employees. Research shown that generally line managers are relatively happy in completing some HR work, one of the managers said, â€Å"If there wasn’t any personnel [function] I’d need to do person nel work anyway, because it’s my job (Power Business, Utility Co. †. However, same time they agree that they are on their own inadequacies in HRM. Another manager have made remark such as: â€Å"Look at sickness absence, there are those line managers that will do that without being reminded, there are those that will do that because they care, and there are line managers that just will not do it unless they are actually pushed into doing it. I think the more HR that we push down to the line managers, the more uncontrolled it will become (Generation Business, Utility Co. )† (Renwick, 2003).Renwick (2003) have done extensive research on line manager involvement in HRM, and listed many positive and negative of HRM perctices withing line managers. Some of these are listed below (1) Positives: * The line are taking on responsibility and accountability in HR work. * Flexibility is forthcoming from the line to do HR work. * The line are keen to take part on doing HR wor k. * The line are managing large numbers of employees. * The line take a professional and serious attitude to doing HR work. * Line managers are relatively happy doing some HR work. The line are considerate of employee needs and wishes. * The line see HR as positive helpers in HR work. * The line see career bene? ts for them in doing HR work. (2) Negatives: * The line have many duties, and lack time to do HR work well. * The line do not see themselves as experts in HRM. * Doing HR work dilutes the line’s generalist managerial focus. * Signi? cant line inadequacies in handling HR work. * Tensions between line and HR over transfer and completion of HR duties. * The line need to re? ect and be critical of their performance in HR work. The line are reliant on HR to do HR work properly. * Differing line commitment and discipline levels to doing HRM. * The line have responsibility and accountability in HRM, but little authority. * Little appreciation of line ? exibility in doing HR tasks from ? rms. After the research Renwick summarised it with saying line managers â€Å"acknowledge that they shared the completion of HR work with HR. † However, although line are doing well in some HRM practices, but still they lucks the expertise, knowledge and experience to carry out full HRM duties.Moreover, many aspects of HRM line dislike doing. Redman’s (2001) finding shows that some line will complete employee performance appraisal over phone call. Managing line managers To get best performance from the line manager they have to be managed in right way. The relationship line manager enjoys with from their manager will reflect on how line manager conducts themselves with others. The graph below shows how senior management felt about HRM and effect it will have on value added activities.The trends shows that the move towards strategic HRM mean that an ef? cient and professional service will be delivered within agreed time-scales with an ensured consistency o f approach, (Sisson, 1994). Fig 1. The road to achieving a value-added function (Sisson, 1994). The figure and the report have show that line managers are happen to carry out some of the duties, however, they do feel long and bureaucratic process of HRM is waste of their time. Recommendation: I feel line manager should perform some HRM actions.Such as , undertaking performance appraisal. This process will enable them to learn more about the employee, hence they will be able to relate to the employee and show consideration for them. Since, line manager is the first level of contact with employee they should take the responsibility to overlook the employee‘s training and couching. Moreover, line manager should be the role model and shows how to balance work-life. Conclusion Although HRM practices show benefit to an organisation, however there are still many areas need more clarity.Although line manager understand the importance of HR work but they still require training and unde rstanding some of the practices of HRM. Line manager have the most influence, performance and commitment of employee greatly depends on how line manager conduct themselves with employees. Reference Armstrong, M. (1987. Human resource management: a case of the emperor’s new clothes?. Personnel Management, Vol. 19 No. 8, pp. 30-5. Cunningham, I. and Hyman, J. (1999), â€Å"Devolving HR responsibilities to the line – beginning of the end or a new beginning for personnel? †, Personnel Review, Vol. 8 No. 1-2, pp. 9-27. Currie, G. and Procter, S. (2001). Exploring the relationship between HR and middle managers. Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 53-69. Hutchinson, S. (2008). The role of front line managers in bringing policies to life. Bristol Business School. Hutchinson, S. and Purcell, J. (2003). Bringing Policies to Life: The vital role of front line managers. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Renwick, D, (2003) â€Å"Li ne manager involvement in HRM: an inside view†, Employee Relations, Vol. 25 Iss: 3, pp. 262 – 280 Richbell, S. 2001), â€Å"Trends and emerging values in human resource management: The UK scene†, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 261-8. Sisson, K. (1994), â€Å"Personnel management: paradigms, practice and prospects†, in Sisson, K. (Ed. ), Personnel Management – A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice in Britain, 2nd ed. , Blackwell, Oxford. Storey, J. (1992), Development in the Management of Human Resources, Blackwell, Oxford. Whittaker, S. Marchington, M. (2003) â€Å"Devolving HR responsibility to the line: Threat, opportunity or partnership? â€Å", Employee Relations, Vol. 25 Iss: 3, pp. 245 – 261

Gothic art Essay

n 1250, the European art was totally transformed in what today we call Gothic art. This architectural style has three periods: The transition from Romanesque to Gothic from the 12th and 13th centuries, the height of its period in the 13th and 14th centuries, and the fall or decadence in the 15th and 16th centuries. Of these, the period that maybe the most difficult to understand is the transition period. First, the Gothic style is like a continuation of the Romanesque. This causes confusion when you want to distinguish the end of Romanesque and the start of the Gothic period. Second, many monuments have important characteristics of both styles. Therefore, many of these monuments do not have their own style, and certain conflicts exist about what style is really being used. The architecture used is what best defines Gothic, by this is what starts the movement. The two basic elements of the architecture are the pointed arches and the vaults made of many pointed arches. If Romanesque art is a classic art, the Gothic for me would be considered an extravagant, passionate, and romantic art. For that reason I believe that it is one of the favorites in the 19th century. The Gothic architecture is much more complicated than the Romanesque, this is probably because the period was full of religious competition and very fine materials. The kings and many important people had fortunes, the people started to get out of their misery and develop strong groups, and this richness and power made the Gothic art happen. Gothic art as resulting of the medieval period starts to use the art of architecture, paintings, and sculptures trying to accomplish the religious values. The cathedrals become the new stone evangelists, who tell stories with paintings, statues and scenes in stained glass windows from the life of Christ, the Virgin, the Saints and the Old Testament. The people, most of the times have a tendency to enjoy the familiar things that they have and see in their life. In the 13th century the most familiar was the Romanesque, and for that the Gothic style was identified as savage and barbaric. The beauty of this style wasn’t really discovered until the end of the 18th century. The Gothic style uses the ideas of the Romans, for example the arch, they are now made to be structurally perfect so they last longer and have more strength. This is done by having done a pointed arch that made it easier for the construction of tall cathedrals, with its towers that look more like skyscrapers. Although the pointed arch is seen by many people as very beautiful, its function was not so much for to please the eye, but more to be structurally necessary. In addition to the pointed arches, the columns also helped support these immense Gothic cathedrals. The Gothic cathedrals were the tallest monuments that were ever constructed, and this fact began a type of competition in Europe. Many described these cathedrals like medieval miracles, and between 1050 and 1350, 80 cathedrals from this style were constructed. It seemed that every king wanted his kingdom with the highest cathedral, and they built immense cathedrals that ended up collapsing to the ground. This obsession resulted in the building of many useless cathedrals that had no use. The Gothic style is also very famous for its stained glass windows. These large windows also had the shape of the pointed arch, and allowed a lot of light to enter the cathedral. The stained glass windows were a very different site to those who were used to the smaller windows from the Romanesque style. These were decorated with biblical stories and with other daily life stories. Another type of typical Gothic windows was the round ones. These round windows are located above of the main door in the fai ade of these cathedrals. Another difference to the simplicity of the Romanesque style is the large quantity of decoration that the Gothic style has. The fai ade of the cathedrals are full with sculpture that many describe it as extravagant for its great detailed work. The towers also have detailed sculpture that cannot be appreciated because it is not within the reach to see it with your eyes. The reason that they put the sculpture on the towers was as they believed that God can see them and enjoy them. I chose this style of art because I always thought of Gothic art as being dark, many dragons, crosses and mythical creatures. I guess how TV sometimes portrays â€Å"Gothic† is probably something else but when we went through it in class and after watching all the pictures in books, reading the history and looking at some webpage’s it was really interesting and now I have a different view of Gothic art and its architectural monuments. I will be also majoring in architecture and by looking at all these monuments and very little or no technology back then, I really respect the architects and workers who build these immense cathedrals that are still standing for everyone to appreciate them.

Emergency Lesson Plans for Elementary Teachers

Emergency Lesson Plans for Elementary Teachers There are going to be times when you will be absent from school due to unforeseen circumstances. To ensure your classroom continues to run smoothly, you should plan ahead by creating emergency lesson plans. These plans will provide the substitute teacher with what should be covered throughout the day. Its a good idea to keep these lesson plans in the main office or mark where they are located somewhere in your substitute folder. Here are a few ideas that you can add to your emergency plan folder: Reading/Writing Provide a list of writing prompts and have the students use their creative writing skills to develop a story based on the prompt they chose.Provide the substitute with a few books to read to the students and have him/her choose any of the following activities for the students to complete:Write a paragraph telling what character was your favorite.Write a paragraph telling what your favorite part of the story was.Discuss a book that was similar to the one that you just heard.Make a bookmark and include the name of the book, the author, the main character and a picture of an important event that happened in the story.Write an extension of the story.Write a new ending to the story.Write what you think will happen next in the story.Write spelling words in ABC order.Have students answer questions from textbooks that you normally would not have the students answer.Provide a copy of the book Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson and have the students use the ready strategy Sketch- to-Stretch to re-tell the story. Have students use the letters in their spelling words to make sentences. For example, if they had the spelling word Storm they would use the letters to write the sentence, Sally tasted only red MMs. Games/Art Play bingo with spelling words. Have students fold paper into squares and write one spelling word on each square.Play the game Around the World with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, spelling words or states.Play Spelling Relay. Separate students into teams (boys vs girls, rows) then call out a spelling word and the first team to write it correctly on the front board gets a point for their team.Play the Dictionary Game. Make sure you have enough dictionaries for all students or at least for teams of two. Then hand out a worksheet with at least 10 words on it for the students to find their meaning and write a sentence about it.Have students draw a map of their classroom and provide a key for it.Make a poster of your favorite book. Include the title, author, main character and main idea of the story. Quick Tips Make lessons that are simple and easy to do. You never know the expertise of the teacher that will be in your classroom.Make sure plans cover ALL subjects. Your best bet is to have these lessons be review lessons because the substitute will have no idea where you are in your curriculum, and you will not know when the emergency will occur.Include a few easy worksheets or Scholastic News magazines that the students can read and discuss together as a class.Prepare a theme for the day folder and place related activities in the folder. Ideas for themes are space, sports, bugs, etc.Allow the substitute to offer the students an extra 15 minutes of free time at the end of the day if the students behaved appropriately.

Huck Finns real father essays

Huck Finns real father essays In Mark Twains novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn young Huck seems to have two fathers. Pap, his biological father, and Jim, the runaway slave who befriends Huck and acts the way a real father should. Pap (Hulks biological father) is an alcoholic who treats Huck very poorly. He beats Huck whenever he is hitting the bottle and only returned to Hucks life when he found out Huck was left a large sum of money. Jim was only in Hucks life to help him and thats is why he was a true father to Huck. Early in the story Pap kidnaps Huck and locks him in the house for several days . As a result of this monstrosity Huck decides to escape and fakes his death( Twain-33). He floats down the Mississippi on a canoe he found. He stops at Jacksons Island, a small island in the middle of the river. It is there where he meets up with Jim who had just runaway from his master. To cook their food and do other things they built a fire and decided to keep it burning all night. To keep it burning they decided to take turns watching it as the other person slept. One night Jim stayed up all night watching the fire and keeping a look out. When questioned about his actions he tells Huck that he felt bad waking him because he looked so peaceful. To me that is something only a true father would do. Another reason why Jim was more of a true father to Huck was through his actions. Pap would teach Huck the morals of southern society. One of these morals was racism. Although Huck knew in his heart that this was wrong he believed in it because of the way of society. Jim attempted to instill in Huck good, righteous beliefs. That is another way in which Jim was a true father. In conclusion, Jim was more of a true father to Huck then Pap for several reasons. These reasons were: (1)instilling beliefs that are right, (2) The way he treated Huck and (3)the things that he did f ...

How to Choose an Online High School

How to Choose an Online High School Choosing an online high school is a challenge. Parents need to find a virtual program that offers an accredited diploma and provides academic support for students, all without breaking the bank. Asking the right questions will help you find the online high school that best meets your needs. Here are twelve of the most important questions to consider: What type of online high school is this? There are four types of online high schools: private schools, public schools, charter schools, and university-sponsored schools. Being familiar with these school types will help you sort through your options. Who accredits this school? An online high school that is regionally accredited will have the widest acceptance. Diplomas and credits from regionally accredited schools are generally accepted by colleges and secondary schools. Some colleges and high schools may also accept national accreditation. Keep an eye out for unaccredited and diploma mill schools – these programs will take your money, leaving you with an inferior education and a worthless diploma. What curriculum is used? Your online high school should have a time-tested curriculum that meets your child’s academic needs (remedial, gifted, etc). Ask about additional programs such as special education, college prep, or advanced placement. What training and qualificatio ns do the teachers have? Be wary of online high schools that hire teachers without a college diploma or teaching experience. Teachers should be credentialed, know how to work with teenagers, and be comfortable with computers. How long has this online school existed? Online schools come and go. Choosing a school that has been around for longer can help you avoid the trouble of trying to transfer schools at a later date. What percent of students graduate? You can learn a lot by an online high school’s graduation track record. If a large percentage of students drop out, you may want to reconsider. Be aware that certain types of schools (such as academic recovery programs) will always have a smaller number of graduates. How many students go on to college? If college is important to you, choose an online high school that sends a lot of its graduates to college. Be sure to ask about services such as college counseling, SAT preparation, and admissions essay assistance. What expenses can be expected? Most private schools charge tuition by the semester. Public programs may provide classes free of charge, but require parents to pay for expenses such as computers, software, and internet connections. Ask abou t additional charges for curriculum, technology fees, graduation fees, and all other expenses. Also, ask about discounts, scholarships, and payment programs. How many students does each teacher work with? If a teacher is assigned too many students, he may not have time for one-on-one help. Find out what the student-teacher ratio is for most classes and ask if there is a better ratio for essential subject such as math and English. What additional help is available for struggling students? If your child is struggling, you need to know that help is available. Ask about tutoring and individual assistance. Is there any extra charge for additional help? What distance learning format is used? Some online high schools require students to work independently and turn in assignments by email. Other programs have virtual â€Å"classrooms† that allow students to interact with teachers and peers. Are any extracurricular activities offered? Find out if there are any clubs or social events available to students. Some schools offer extracurricular virtual programs that engage students and look good on a resume. In addition to these twelve basic questions, be sure to ask about any further concerns you may have. If your child has special needs or an unusual schedule, ask how the school will be able to accommodate these issues. Taking the time to interview online high schools can be a hassle. But, enrolling your child in the best possible program is always worth it.

Five network management categories that make up the FCAPS model Essay

Five network management categories that make up the FCAPS model - Essay Example These five functionalities are summed up into a five lettered work FCAPS and this is how they are usually referred to. FCAPS NETWORK MODEL Management Network has coined FCAPS. According to The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia (2011), FCAPS is described as, â€Å"(Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, Security) The ISO framework for network management. If an organization does not bill customers, accounting is replaced with "administration."† Thus, it is the ISO Telecommunications /management Network model for network management. The five heads, each recognized by their starting letter, are The tasks performed by a network model, as interpreted by the ISO and are given the name FCAPS. Their brief description is stated as follows: Fault management The problems being faced by a network and the means and methods by which they are being resolved are referred to as fault management. Fault management detects and highlights any discrepancies hat may occur in the normal functionin g of a network. The resolution of the discrepancies prevents them from reoccurring. This functionality is also a part of fault management. Fault detection is essential for the successful running of a network. The fault detection mechanism of a network usually incorporates the trend analysis strategy. In accordance with it a comparison is made with earlier fault occurrences and their successful resolutions.

Industry - Strategic Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Industry - Strategic Analysis - Research Paper Example Industry-Strategic Analysis This industry comprises of a number of establishments known as ‘Home Centers’ that are primarily engaged in retailing of products relevant to the repair and maintenance of homes. Such goods include lumbers, plumbing, electrical goods, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden supplies. Home centers also provide building materials and other consumer goods relevant with the repair and maintenance (census.gov). These goods are either purchased from domestic or international manufacturers of suppliers. Operators then retail these goods to the ultimate consumers through their stores (IBISWorld, 2006). Industry’s Dominant Economic Features This industry has a vast market size which is the dominant economic factor of the industry. Other economic factors are significantly affected by the market size in the industry. The annual sales of the industry are estimated at $135.4 billion. As the products offered by home centers are utilized by consumers in all the segments of the market, therefore the market size is extended to all the levels of the market. The business conducted in the industry is comparatively easy to operate therefore the industry is growing at a very fast pace. This scenario has initiated a stiff competition within the industry and major home centers are increasing at an unprecedented rate at the expense of smaller entities in the industry (Sinderman, 1997). The number of rivals within the industry is high. Since the goods produced by the industry are not dependent upon technology therefore the abrupt technological changes do not affect the operations of the industry to a significant extent. This allows the industry sufficient time to acclimatize with the changing trends. The products in the industry are mostly of a generic nature therefore there is not much differentiation between the products. The segments within the industry include specialized home stores that retail specialized goods only such as stores speci alized for plumbing, electronic goods etc. Such stores do not retail any other goods other than the specialized goods. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces analysis is conducted to determine whether an industry is attractive for entrepreneurs (Hitt, 2009). In order to analyze the home centers industry, the analysis is being conducted on Home Depot. Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement products. Home Depot is the largest retailer of home repair and maintenance products in the US therefore it is one of the most important constituents of the industry (Form 10-K, 2010). Following is the Porter’s Five Forces analysis of Home Depot. Threat of Substitute Products Threat of substitute products outside the industry is low because there are no or less substitutes for the home repair and maintenance products. It was determined by the following facts. In case of plumbing, there is not other industry that produces such goods. Similarly, in case of good s like carpets, home decor goods, and other electronic goods for home maintenance, there are no substitute goods produced by any other industry. Therefore home depot has a low threat of substitute products. The main products produced by the company are tools, shelves, indoor and outdoor

Probability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Probability - Essay Example However, based on this ranking Judge Hellen comes in last followed by Paul, who comes in second last and finally Dianne was third last based on the probability of appeal. However, based on probability of cases being reversed Judge John comes in as the best judge followed by Angela and then David Friedman. Based on this ranking Paul Feinman comes in last and the second last position is taken by Sallie Manzanet-Daniels. Based on the probability of reversal given an appeal, then Karia Moskowitz is the best performing judge followed by Judith J. Gische. However, judge Darcel D. Clark is the least performing judge based on this system. Finally, the overall ranking of these judges is as shown in figure 4 above, it is, therefore, evident that Judge Sallie Manza is the best performing judge followed by Judith and then Peter Tom who completes the three best performing judges. From the figure above it can be seen that Judge David has the least probability of appeal therefore making him the best performing judge followed by Darcell and the least performing judge under this category is Rosalyn and then John comes in second last Judge on this category. In conclusion, this investigation has revealed that in the Court of Common Appeal Judge Sallie is the best performing Judge followed Judge Judith. However, Judge Angela comes in last in the overall ranking. On the other hand on the municipal category Judge Leslie is the best performing judge while Judge Edward is the least performing Judge overall. Finally, in the Municipal Courts Judge Angela is seen to be the one carrying out her duties diligently making her the best performing judge overall while Leslie is the last judge under this

Journal Entry #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal Entry #3 - Essay Example That is the reason why we have the law, a set of principles, duties and obligations articulated by the peoples’ representatives. Because people are essentially different, not everybody agrees with the law; but for the law to work, everybody must abide by it. Yes, it is true that in this great country of ours, each person is free to abide by the dictates of his conscience; but this has a limit, and the limit is fixed by law. If people were excused from following the law because they did not believe in it, then the law would be useless, and anarchy would result. The latin maxim, Dura lex sed lex, is thus highly appropriate in this regard; it means, â€Å"The law may be harsh; but it is the law.† When a country is made up of people of the same race, religion, cultural background, and other such attributes, then the conflict among them would fall along personal traits. But where differences in race, religion, cultural background, and other such attributes exist, then there is added basis by which to perceive imagined injustices. The affirmative action law, however, is different in that it makes the differences in racial, cultural, or even gender attributes the basis for making a favourable decision on employment. No longer is it just to state that â€Å"no distinction must be made,† bit that a distinction should be made precisely on that basis, except where the distinction used to be negative because of prejudice, it is now mandated to be positive by force of law. This is where injustice is alleged. In the bigger picture, however, it appears that at least for now, we do need affirmative action. Even today, our managers in multinational corporations still harbor, sometimes unintentionally, stereotypical images of people who differ in race, creed or nationality (Egan & Benedick, 2008, p. 388). The hardwiring of centuries of cultural programming have ingrained in the privileged

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Project management - Essay Example Planning involves the certain establishment of policies, process and systematic methods to aim for achieving the goal associated to the project management. Planning is continuous phenomenon and should be progressed as the project progresses. The planning of the project as the part of the project management involves the scheduling of the project, budgeting of the project, directing the project and controlling the project. Each part of planning requires the managers to systematically control the project. There are mainly three types of business planning; strategic, tactical and operational. The strategic planning has most often a period of about 5 or more years. The business employing the tactical planning often restricts the planning to a period to 1 to 5 years. However, the operation planning regarding the project management is planned to implement at the time of planning and at the place of planning. Long term strategic plan having a span of 10 years is often utilized in business. While, three years plan and this year budget plan are the plans that are also employed by businesses. The planning as the part of project management is acquired to various level of the organization. Managers try to motivate the individuals to work better for the good of the organization. At this stage, managers plan of themselves and for the other individuals. However, team or group planning is also an important level for the working environment. The upper level managers plan for the organization and set the goals of the organization that comes in the Strategic project planning level. A good manager should have good communication and should be responsive to deal with the planning problems. A project manager should know how to deal with the situation to be a successful project manager. According to Kerzner, the nine steps involve in the planning of the

Describe a model project to upgrade security at YOUR facility (or a Research Paper

Describe a model project to upgrade security at YOUR facility (or a fictional facility) using the process identified in the three part Security Architecture and Engineering series - Research Paper Example Security is based on three aspects that are enacting preventive obstructions purposed at deterring potential invaders, using surveillance measures to notify intrusions and methods to be used in apprehending the intruders. Upgrading of a security mechanism is essential in the sense that it averts the possibility of the incident of the risk protected against by creating the security measures stern thus reducing the incidence of the danger. This is a gauge that follows a comprehensive study of the safety system to make sure whether the system requires upgrading or substitution depending on the susceptibility of the system to be undermined (Atlas, 2005). This is aimed at protecting the asset from theft or any other risk that the owner of the asset needs security against .This is a research paper that involves a description of model project to upgrade security at a facility. The reader would be able to understand the importance of security upgrade after going through this paper (Fennelly, 2013). A successful security concept for safeguarding facilities nowadays emphasizes a growing alertness of technological advancements and emphasizes the incorporation of architectural perspectives, security systems and manpower and procedures so that they can be more efficient. Crimes comprising terrorist activities are the artifact of intentions other than means. Technology assists facilities detect the means interlopers use but not their objectives. The human part of the security force must establish the purposes and take actions to counteract them. The key expression describing risk control in todays world is incorporation (Atlas, 2005). Facilities require security upgrade to ensure the dynamic threat types are put at bay at all time and systems upgraded to counterbalance security measures. Computer security ideas and systems are measures employed in countering security threats within a facility. Concepts and

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Project management - Essay Example Planning involves the certain establishment of policies, process and systematic methods to aim for achieving the goal associated to the project management. Planning is continuous phenomenon and should be progressed as the project progresses. The planning of the project as the part of the project management involves the scheduling of the project, budgeting of the project, directing the project and controlling the project. Each part of planning requires the managers to systematically control the project. There are mainly three types of business planning; strategic, tactical and operational. The strategic planning has most often a period of about 5 or more years. The business employing the tactical planning often restricts the planning to a period to 1 to 5 years. However, the operation planning regarding the project management is planned to implement at the time of planning and at the place of planning. Long term strategic plan having a span of 10 years is often utilized in business. While, three years plan and this year budget plan are the plans that are also employed by businesses. The planning as the part of project management is acquired to various level of the organization. Managers try to motivate the individuals to work better for the good of the organization. At this stage, managers plan of themselves and for the other individuals. However, team or group planning is also an important level for the working environment. The upper level managers plan for the organization and set the goals of the organization that comes in the Strategic project planning level. A good manager should have good communication and should be responsive to deal with the planning problems. A project manager should know how to deal with the situation to be a successful project manager. According to Kerzner, the nine steps involve in the planning of the

Gender Differences in Computer-Mediated Communications Essay Example for Free

Gender Differences in Computer-Mediated Communications Essay â€Å"On the Internet, no body knows you’re a dog. † Herring (2003, p. 205) mentioned this caption of a cartoon bearing published in the New Yorker (July 1993). May be in this age with the internet evolution it’s hard to know it’s a dog, but what about distinguishing user’s gender in computer-mediated communication (CMC) is it easy or not. This essay tries to shade the light on some of these gender differences in computer-mediated communication (CMC). This essay gives an idea about computer-mediated communication (CMC) modes and the gap between CMC expectations and the fact that there are gender differences in CMC. Then it gives an idea about gender differences in traditional communication followed by exploring gender differences in CMC. First, it’s important to have an idea about CMC different modes. According to Herring (2003, p. 205), â€Å"computer mediated communication (CMC) comprises a variety of interactive socio-technical modes†. She gave some examples of these modes such as: e-mail, discussion lists and newsgroups, chat, MUDs (Multi-User Dimensions) and MOOs (MUD, Object Oriented), IM (Instant Messaging). Dalampan (2006) classifies CMC modes into: synchronous and asynchronous (Figure. 1). The synchronous mode requires communication in real-time. However, the synchronous mode doesn’t require interlocutors to be online at the same time. (p. 59) According to Dalampan (2006), the field of computer-mediated communication (CMC) continues to generate interest from sociolinguists who are concerned with whether the traditional gender differences in face-to-face interaction are carried over into online discourse (p. 59). The problem that all studies tried to investigate is the gap between earlier high expectations for CMC concerning providing an environment that creates equity and the fact that gender differences still existed even in CMC environment. Li (2006) saw that many educators and researchers had high hopes for CMC, believing that it provided more equal access to information and communication and would ultimately lead to greater equity. Also, Hendry (2001, p. 3) mentioned that earlier research in computer-mediated communication (CMC) found that CMC promoted social equity. She explains that this could be due to predictions by many researchers that CMC would democratize communication and mitigate gender differences. Despite these claims that the relative anonymous communication on the Internet would break down traditional gender binaries, research has identified gender differences in computer-mediated discourse, similar to differences observed in spoken discourse. (Herring, 2006) In order to determine whether the language used by males and females in computer-mediated communication (CMC) reveal gender related differences or not, many studies were conducted. However, according to Li (2006) research findings concerning gender differences in CMC are mixed. However, this essay will explore some of these gender differences in CMC in some related studies. Linguists have long recognized gender as a factor that may affect person’s linguistic productions (Baron, 2005, p. 8). â€Å"Sociolinguists have written extensively about stylistic differences they have observed between males and females in spoken and written language† (p. 4). Based on these previous studies, Baron (2005) mentioned some gender linguistic differences such as: females tend to use more politeness indicators than males, whereas males more frequently interrupt woman than vice versa; in general, women tend to use language as a tool for facilitating social interaction, whereas males are more prone to use language for conveying information; on average, women’s speech reflects standard phonological, lexical, and grammatical patterns more than men’s does (p. 8). Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has attracted more and more researchers’ attention as a due to the dramatic increase in the use of the Internet in recent years (Li, 2005, p. 382). According to Baron (2003) linguists and other scientists have been studying CMC for we over a decade (p. 4). The essay now will give some examples for gender differences in CMC. Herring (2006, p. 4) reported a tendency for women to be more polite, supportive, emotionally expressive, and less verbose than men in online public forums. Conversely, men are more likely to insult, challenge, express sarcasm, use profanity, and send long messages. Also, Baron (2003) listed some gender differences such as women tend to use more affective markers, more hedges, more politeness markers, and more tag questions. However, men are likely to use more referential language, more profanity, and fewer personal pronouns than women. (p. 9) A study conducted by Li (2006) showed that gender is a considerable factor in the context of mathematics and sciences learning using CMC. Concerning gender communication patterns, findings show males students are more likely to present their opinions and explanations, but less likely to make specific suggestions; whereas female students tend to ask for a lot of information, but are less likely to provide explanations or opinions. Also, female students tend to initiate conversations, while male students are more likely to enter the dialogue at later stages and respond to previous discussions. Li (2006) presented a meta analysis for some studies in gender differences in CMC. Her analysis provided answers for three main questions: first one, what are gender differences in users’ communication patterns in CMC? Results show that on average, female users had a significantly higher frequency of collaborative instances using CMC than males. Also, females had a significantly higher frequency of challenging others and were more personal oriented. Males, on the other hand, used more authoritative statements. Second one, to what extent do male and female differ in their interaction pattern in CMC? Results indicated that, on average, there was a small but significant gender effect on users’ participation pattern, male users had a significantly higher frequency of posting messages or having longer access to the Internet than female users, also, male users have better access to CMC environments. Third question, who would enjoy CMC environment, males or females? Results showed that, on average, there was a moderate but significant gender effect on users’ enjoyment of CMC. Male users enjoyed more CMC environments than their female counterparts. According to Bernard (1998), males tend to dominate group discussions, even when they are in the minority. They even tend to generate more aggressive and often caustic interactions to the extent that they often marginalize female communications to the point of being excluded from the CM interactions. Savicki and Kelley (2000, p. 817) examined whether men and women communicate differently using CMC. They found that gender composition of the groups is the variable that has the strongest relationship to communication style. Results found that women in small task group developed a significantly different style of communication than men did using CMC with other men. They explained that women in female-only groups were able to overcome the limitations of the text-only format of CMC with self-disclosure, use of â€Å"I† statements and through directly addressing their message to other group members. On the other hand, they found that men in male-only groups ignored the sociomotional aspects of group functioning and were more likely to engage in a collective monologue approach to discussion with the addition of mild flaming. Men in MO groups were less satisfied with the CMC experience and showed lower levels of group development. (p. 817) Herring (2003) (Baron, 2005, p. 15) found that on many-to-many asynchronous CMC mode (listservs and newsgroups), males tended to be more adversarial and to write longer messages than females, whereas females tended to be more supportive in their postings with shorter messages and more apologizes than males. On the other hand on synchronous many-to-many CMC mode (chat and social MUDs and MOOs), males were more aggressive and insulting, whereas female had more aligned and supportive discourse. By studying IM conversations of college students, Baron (2005) concluded that there are significant gender differences in IM conversations. She found that male-male conversations tend to be shorter and have more of a spoken character, while female-female conversations tend to be longer and have more of a written character. Males use more contractions than do females. (p. 14) On the other side, Dalampan (2006) added the context factor or dimension he concluded that males and females language use seems to be influenced more by the context of use than their gender this may be because both males and females in his sample were scholars so they were acting like scholars not as males and females. He also concluded that despite the claims of previous research that females used more linguistic qualifiers, hedges, and personal pronouns, the associations were not found to be strong. (p. 65) Another study conducted by Abdul Kadir and Din (2006) shows that there are no significant gender differences in CMC learning mode orientation and learning style. (p. 50) At the end, however research findings may appear to be mixed but findings showed that computer-mediated communication (CMC) couldn’t eliminate gender differences as expected after all it is another communication environment. These gender differences are somehow similar to gender differences in spoken and written language. Some findings didn’t show significant gender differences this could be due to other factors such as the presence of the instructor in the Dalampan (2006) study. Also, findings were different depending on CMC mode either being synchronous/asynchronous or one-to-one/one-to-many. References Abdul Kadir, R. Din, R. (2006). Computer Mediated Communication: A motivational strategy toward diverse learning style. Journal Pendidikan, 31, pp. 41-51. Retrieved March 16, 2008 from http://pkukmweb. ukm. my/~penerbit/jurnal_pdf/jpend31_03. pdf Baron, N. S. (2003). Instant Messaging by American College Students: A case study in computer-mediated communication. Retrieved March 16, 2008 from http://www. american. edu/tesol/Baron-SeeYouOnlineCorrected64. pdf Baron, N. S. (2005). See You Online: Gender issues in college student use of instant messaging. Retrieved March 16, 2008 from http://www. american. edu/tesol/Baron-SeeYouOnlineCorrected64. pdf Bernard, M. L. (1998). Gender Interaction Differences Using Computer-Mediated Communication: Can the Internet serve as a status equalizer?. Retrieved March 16, 2008 from http://psychology. wichita. edu/mbernard/articles/GenderInternet. html Dalampan, A. E. (2006). Gender Issues in Computer-Mediated Communications. TESL working paper, 4 (2). Retrieved March 16, 2008 from http://web1. hpu. edu/images/GraduateStudies/TESL_WPS/10Dalampan_Gender_a17241. pdf Hendry, J. (2001). E-gender or Agenda: Are women getting what they want?. ANZMAC 2001. Retrieved March 16, 2008 from http://smib. vuw. ac. nz:8081/WWW/ANZMAC2001/anzmac/AUTHORS/pdfs/Hendry. pdf Herring, S. C. Paolillo, I. C. (2006). Gender and Genre Variation in Weblogs. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 10(4). Retrieved March 16, 2008 from http://www. blogninja. com/jslx. pdf Herring, S. C. (2003). Gender and Power in Online Communication. In: J. Holmes and M. Meyerhoff (Eds. ), The Handbook of Language and G

Michelangelo Antonioni and Women in Film

Michelangelo Antonioni and Women in Film Michelangelo Antonioni was an Italian film director, he was born In Ferrara, northern Italy, 1929. With Fellini he belongs to a so called provincial wave of Italian neorealist filmmakers,  not so distant from the metropolitan colleagues De Sica, Rossellini and Visconti. (Chatman 1985, Tinazzi 1994) While not initially fully appreciated by the tradition audience for his excessive intellectualism and pessimism. ( Crowther 1960, Hawkins 1960, Barthes 1994) Today, Antonioni is regarded one of the most influential personalities in Cinema. (Grenier 1960, Manceaux 1960, Fink 1935, Chatman 1989, Koehler 2015) His most remarkable works concern the sense of anguish and fragility of the modern society. (Di Carlo 1964, Lucantonio 2011) The characters belong to the idle rich society of the Italian post war, their boredom and sense of ennui robbed them of their ability to express their feelings and reduced them to speak in a feeble manner in attempt to conceal their sense of futility.(Chatman 1985, Pomerance 2011) Women, play leading roles Antonioni emphases womens ability to be more honest with human relations. A capacity virtually lost by intellectual men who are unable to supply any sort of sensitiveness. Not given by their inability to provide an alternative to boredom,  but by their complete unresponsiveness.(Pomerance 2011) Alberto Moravia in his Boredom (1960) wrote: Boredom is not the opposite of amusementboredom to me consists in a kind of insufficiency, or inadequacy, or lack of reality. it originates in a sense of the absurdity of a reality which is unable, to convince me of its own effective existence To modern man, the means to restore a link with reality is given by sexuality, however, if sexuality provides only a physical relief Eros is sick Antonioni (1962) says It is a symptom of the emotional sickness of our time [] man is unease, something is bothering him. And whenever something bothers him, man reacts, but he reacts badly, only on erotic impulse, and he is unhappy. Embodying many of the philosophical concerns associated with European existentialists Antonioni exposed the existential dilemma of modern man.(Barthes 1994, Darke 1995, Giannetti 1999, Holden 2006, Tomasulo 2008, Bortolini 2011) Antonioni dehumanized his characters of their personality and used them as devices to show the high psychological complexity of the unstable neurotic personalities of our time. (Lunn 1982, Melzer 2010) Melancholia, incommunicability, emptiness, alienation. All elements that characterize a life lacking in purpose and a general sense of spiritual vacuity Themes that are well represented in LAvventura (1959) and Il Deserto Rosso (1960). (Hoberman 2006) Lavventura, set amongst the remote Sicilian seashore, sees the search for a missing person Anna, disappeared during a boat trip. Sandro, her fiancà ©e, and Claudia, her best friend, start a search in a vain attempt to find her during which become attracted to each other and the search for Anna turns into a desire to not finding her anymore. Il Deserto Rosso, set in the overly industrialized outskirt of Ravenna, sees Giuliana, a neurotic woman, in the desperate attempt to keep a link with reality. Her troubled personality is split between a worried mother for her son Valerio, who fakes to be paralyzed at one point and adulterousness with a Corrado, a business associate of his neglectful husband, Ugo. Claudia and Giuliana seek for utopian ideals into dystopian worlds. From a side the sentimental ideal of Claudia: morally discomforted by choosing between finding her lost companion or keeping the shallow affair with Sandro. And on the other the existential ideal of Giuliana: in the desperate attempt to survive her depression in a sort of Darwinist mechanism of natural selection (Melzer 2010) To the neurotic personality everything appears absurd in life: family, work or even driving a car. Giuliana is a paradigmatic example of it. Jean Paul Sartre (1989) would say she lives in bad faith Living in bad faith means living not authentically, convincing oneself that there are no alternatives and pretending that something out there has meaning. Indeed, she bought a shop in Via Dante Alighieri, but she does not know what to do with it or she escapes by fantasizing about azure lagoons and warm beaches. (Salinari 1960) Giuliana is not frightened by modernity, she is not in tune with the industrialized world that oppresses her stimulus. Giuliana adjusted to this world, and learnt how to circulate in it and even though everyone around her accepted it, she refuses to respond to it Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity Freud stated (1977) The agonizing malaise of Giuliana, is given by her inability to tolerate a world that does not support her ideals and obliged her to accept her faith In contrast Ugo and Corrado have embraced the spirit of the XIX Century The industrial progress proceeds by neglecting the family bond or slowly crumbling it. Corrado has the spirit of the traveller and sees objects through the landscape in motion. For Corrado it means where to go, what to buy, who to hire, it is all about progress. For Giuliana it means where to stay, who to make boundaries with She needs to see things for their presence and perspective In LAvventura Claudias desire to find Anna is sincere. In spite of Sandro that has no real desire to find her. He would rather leave the mystery unsolved and move on. The characters vagabondage plays as an ephemeral mechanism of self relief to avoid further anxiety or sense of guilt by not even try (Chatman 1989) Both couples communicate through a sense of mutual pity. They try to explain their problems in virtually psychotic terms, though they fail to communicate to each other as they struggle to communicate with themselves first. They suffer from existential anxiety they are in desperate need to fulfil their sterile lives but, they dont know how. As much as Sandro and Corrado try to be supportive they at the end surrender to sexual temptation. Their emotive instinct degraded in consequence of repression and has been endlessly replaced by substitute-objects. (Chatman 1985) Corrado and Sandro are emblematic examples of the Freudian dyad of the modern manwhere the only two concerns of life are work and sex. Their sexual fulfilment is unsatisfactory and guilt ridden, eroticism is used as an anodyne to their moral dilemma and an outlet for frustration. (OLesser 1964) For modernists, sex is a contest and they would swap their beloved to the same extent they would accept or decline a work offer The room where they just spent hours talking about eroticism has no less meaning for them than for us, it can be taken apart to feed the fire as effortlessly as they can meet in there for a party. (Pomerance 2011) The dystopian realities depicted by Antonioni are environments that prevent emotions to flourish and the characters seem almost affected by a shapeless pain that withers their response to emotions. (Chatman1985) Anomie As called by the French sociologist Emile Durkheim(Slattery 2003) He described it as a malaise of the individual which absence of values and associated feelings of alienation lead him to a general sense of purposelessness in life. A concept that Albert Camus perfectly summed in the opening of his The Stranger (1942) Anomie is common in those societies that have gone through a period of significant economic changes and no exception is the post war Italy of the miracolo italiano Industrialization led men to bring together all their knowledge and strength into a sort of Nietzschean superhuman creation where the efficient modern man now, extension of the machine, seems to be at one with life but not less alienated, just unaware of his own condition. Modernity promoted an ideological discrepancy The ever-increasing split between moral man and scientific man [leads to the prevalence of eroticism as] a symptom of the emotional sickness of our time Antonioni (1962) said Modern man does not have the moral tools to match his technological skills and he is incapable to set authentic relationships with either his surrounding or fellows. It is true that Antonioni translated through abstract images the Marxist theory of alienation in order to explain the sense of frustration and rejection of todays society. Nevertheless, it is too simplistic to say that Antonioni is condemning modernity to have created such an unhuman world where the individual is led to neurosis Antonioni (Brunette 1998) intended to translate the poetry of the world where even factories can be beautiful The complexity of lines, shapes and colours merge into a steampunk dichotomy of functional beauty The sublime beauty of such brutalistic architectures matches what George Orwell wrote in The Road to Wigan Pier (1937): All round was the lunar landscape of slag-heaps [] you could see the factory chimneys sending out their plumes of smoke. The canal path was a mixture of cinders, frozen mud []and pools of stagnant water []It seemed a world from which vegetation had been banished[].   But even Wigan is beautiful [].I do not believe that there is anything inherently and unavoidably ugly about industrialism. A factory or even a gasworks is not obliged of its own nature to be ugly, any more than a palace or a dog-kennel or a cathedral. Of all the contributions Antonioni gave to cinema the most important relies in his ability to correlate character to environment. (Tassone 2002, Antonioni 2007) Antonioni was a long-time student of architecture and all his filmssince his early documentaries of Gente del Po (1947) and Nettezza Urbana (1948) show a keen interest in public and private spaces. (Di Carlo 2002) The social and economic changes of post war Italy led to his attentionthe relation existing between place and individual. Movies like LAvventura would be unconceivable without its images of ordinary Sicilian life. Antonioni shows the complex transformation of modernity through modernist aesthetics and uses the socio political situation of Italy as device to show the self awareness of the film. (Reyner 2013) Explanatory dialogues are minimized and architecture, whether natural or artificial, gains its own narrative autonomy. The use of pre diegetic and post diegetic shots also known as temps mort enhances the simulacral quality of the topographics that through their contemplation reveal their implicit meaning. (Chatman 1978, Lefebvre 2006, Bruno 1997, Reyner 2013) The sublime, merciless and bare beauty of inimical Lisca Bianca. The omnipotence and cosmic indifference of cold and distant industrialized Ravenna. The haptical influence of such places on the plight of the characters resonates with strong expressive analogy. (Cuccu 1973, Antonioni 2007) Dialogue and architecture play as co-metonyms, they not only symbolize modernity but they are crude examples of it. The buildings reflect the characters psyche by association. At the beginning of Lavventura Anna speaks to her dad, she is identified through the noisy new building, and similarly her father is matched with the magnificent dome in the distance. The uncanny battlefield of industrial wastage and the jet of steam and flames act as Giulianas repressed inner force which neurosis synthesized in self destructive attitude. (Bruno 1997) The inhospitable rock of the Aeolian Islands stresses the strangeness of the characters to this environment. The haunting silence of Noto resonates with an existential sense of non-belonging. The Euclidean geometry and surface of modern materials dwarfs our characters. Modernity is reflected by the solid appearance of these facilities. And if the sense of security should be provided by their appearance What security does modernity provide if it only causes unease? A place built by man that rejects man. The space lost its true very own essence to be dwelled. This place has become absurd: stripped out of its functionality there is nothing left but a mere cluster of stones and concrete. The camera movement is perversely spectral and fascinating. The city has become a rational entity. A hostile alien force that seems to reject the characters. A composition that evokes De Chiricos metaphysical period. (Antonioni 1961) Even though De Chiricos paintings suggest that this now inhabited town, once occupied, will be dwelled again, in Lavventura the town seems as it has never been lived. As if a premonition warned the Sicilians to have nothing to do with it. (Costa 2002, Tassone 2002) Finally the epilogue of Lavventura reaches the climax in the evolution of the couple in crisis. The composition is emblematic, split in between a void and a fill. The far sight of a volcano island and an empty wall. The will to forgive and the inability to reason own existence. This frame shows all the uncertainty and suspension upon which the movie ends. Antonioni does not reveal in these places cataclysmic sceneries. He rather makes a commentary on the personal problems that bad building and misused spaces created and are afflicting modern man. The macabre visions of environmental exploitation and building speculation revealed the collapse of safety of our surrounding and have become concrete manifestation of the emotional sickness of our time When Lavventura was published it was said of giallo alla rovescia, or noir in reverse. (Cuccu 1973) While De Sica would have uncovered the drama of these individualsAntonioni instead uses his exceptional dispassionate photography to dedrammatize the events. (Cuccu 1973) This is why it no longer seems to me important to make a film about a man who has had his bicycle stolenit is important to see what there is in the mind and in the heart of this man how he has adapted himself, what remains in him of his past experiences.(Bondanella 1943) This does not mean his movies are not dramatic, but on the counterpart the events do not follow a conventional chain of causalities. The common cinematic technique of resolution suggests that Anna will eventually be found and Giuliana will recover. Antonioni does not offer any solution to act on the present. (Nowell-Smith 1995) Using ellipses the temporality of the events is preserved and their reality enhanced however, the events are not strictly related by a cause-effect succession but rather linked by contingency. As matter of fact we are not given any further information when Giulianas depression started or when Anna decided to leave to never come back again. Each event is no less accidental and casual than the others. As casual as the disappearing of Anna and the complete abandon by Claudia and Sandro that revealed at the end a cold and unforgiving disappearing of a disappearance. We are not given to know what has been of Anna or whether Claudias hand resting on Sandros head in the most delicate of all acceptances means she forgave Sandro or if she was consenting him. We cant be sure about Giuliana either, whether she recovered from her depression or if she adapted to the modern world as explains to Valerio how birds adapted to that poisonous environment. (Chatman 1985) The events we expect to happen never happen. The title shows its ambiguity as it works symbolically and not visually. The Red Desert, the desert of the alienated things, the aridity of the human emotions. The adventure, the journey Anna undertakes swimming overboard, the sentimental adventure of Sandro and Claudia. And even the intentions behind the films are ambiguous: We cant really tell if Lavventura and Il Deserto Rosso are about moral decay or an outcry about the effects of technology on the humans sensitiveness. Whether the inhabited rock of a Sicilian island or the outskirt of an industrialized city, Antonioni was capable to film modernity through the bare appearance of things. (Gilman 1962) Although, it is difficult to tell what Antonionis movies are about, Antonioni himself after a visit to Mark Rothkosaid: Your paintings are like my films-theyre about nothingwith precision. (Gilman 1962) Antonioni was a poet of the form and the meaning of his works comes from the interaction between suggestive architectures and the ambiguity of the human emotions. He depicted a utopian desire to regain a sense of human connection with the environment. His shots offer nothing more and nothing less than the sheer wonder of existence. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READINGS Antonioni, M., 1961. Fare un film per me à ¨ vivere. Scritti sul cinema. Ed. 2009. Venice: Marsilio Editore, 43. Antonioni, M., 1962.A talk with Michelangelo Antonioni. Film Culture, 24 (1962): 51. Antonioni, M., 2007. The Architecture of Vision: Writings and Interview on Cinema. Chicago: University of Chicago Barthes, R., 1994. Caro Antonioni. In: Barthes, R. Ed. 1997. Sul cinema. Genoa: Il Nuovo Melangolo, 172-173. Bondanella, P., 1943. Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present. Ed. 1984. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co, 108. Bortolini, F., 2011. Forme dellesperienza e del linguaggio. Camus, Sartre, Bergman, Antonioni. Milan: Unicopli. Bruno, G., 1997. Site-seeing: architecture and the moving image. Wide Angle, 19 (4), 8-24. Brunette, P., 1998. The films of Michelangelo Antonioni. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 96. Camus, A., 1942. The Stranger. New York: Vintage Books. Chatman, S. 1989. LAvventura. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. Chatman, S., 1985. Antonioni, or the surface of the world. London: University of California Press. Costa, A., 2002. Il cinema e le arti visive. Torino: Einaudi. Crowther, B., 1961. Italian Film Wins Cannes Top Prize. The New York Times [online], 5 April 1961. Avilable from: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9400e0db133de733a25756c0a9629c946091d6cf [Accessed 21 October 2016]. Cuccu, L., 1973. La visione come problema: Forme e svolgimento del cinema di Antonioni. Rome: Bulzoni. Darke, C., 1995. Lavventura. Sight and Sound, 5 (12), 55. Di Carlo, C., 1964. Michelangelo Antonioni. In: Fink, G., ed. 1983. Michelangelo Antonioni, identificazione di un autore: gli anni della formazione e la critica su Antonioni. Parma: Pratiche Editrice, 74-75. Di Carlo, C., 2002. Il cinema di Michelangelo Antonioni. Milan: Il Castoro. Fink, G., 1983. Michelangelo Antonioni, identificazione di un autore: gli anni della formazione e la critica su Antonioni. Parma: Pratiche Editrice, 103. Freud, S., 1977. Inhibitions, Symptoms, and Anxiety. New York: Norton Company. Gente del Po, 1947. [film, DVD]. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Italy: Artisti Associati ICET. Giannetti, D., 1999. Invito al cinema di Antonioni. Milan: Ugo Mursia Editore. Gilman, R., 1962. On Antonioni. Theatre Arts, 46 (1962), 7. Grenier, C., 1960. Reflections on the Parisian Screen Scene. New York Times, 20 November 1960. Hawkins, R. F., Focus on an Unimpressive Cannes Film Fete. The New York Times, 29 May 1960. Hoberman J., 2006. Seeing and Nothingness: A Must-see Retrospective Celebrates the Works of a Modernist Master. Village Voice [online], 30 May 2006. Available from: http://www.villagevoice.com/film/seeing-and-nothingness-6418576[Accessed 30 October 2016]. Holden, S., 2006. Antonionis Nothingness and beauty. The New York Times [online], 04 June 2006, Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/movies/04hold.html[Accessed 28 October 2016]. Il deserto rosso, 1964. [film, DVD]. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Italy, France: Film Duemila. Koehler, R., 2015. Great wide open: LAvventura. Sight and Sound [online], 20 April 2015,Available from: http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/greatest-films-all-time/great-wide-open-l-avventura[Accessed 3 November 2016]. Lavventura, 1959. [film, DVD].Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Italy, France: Cino del Duca. Lefebvre, M., 2006. Landscape and Film. London: Routledge. Lucantonio, G., 2011. Lavventura > Michelangelo Antonioni. Rapporto Confidenziale [online], 07 January 2011, Available from: http://www.rapportoconfidenziale.org/?p=11578[Accessed 5 November 2016]. Manceaux, M., 1960. An Interview with Antonioni.   Sight and Sound 30 (1) 5-8. Melzer, Z., 2010. Michelangelo Antonioni and the Reality of the Modern. Offscreen. [online], 14 (4). Moravia, A., 1960. Boredom. Milan: Valentino Bompiani Co, 5. N.U -Nettezza urbana, 1948. [film, DVD]. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. 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