John Hughes: Reaching New Levels of Achievement in Hollywood

John Hughes: Reaching New Levels of Achievement in Hollywood David Bordwell (2006) firmly believes that when faced with the challenge of creating, people ask themselves how they can raise the premises to new levels of achievement, or revive a disreputable genre. He argues that people challenge themselves with the question ‘How can I make casual connections more felicitous, twists more unexpected, character psychology more involving, excitement more intense, motifs more tightly woven? How can I display my own virtuosity? Following this quote and my own research, I’ve come to believe that John Hughes is a very significant example of a filmmaker to reach a whole new level of achievement in Hollywood. As the director and writer of several well-known teen movies such as Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), from the mid-1980s Hughes has been respected as one of the more influential figures of Hollywood for redefining an d leaving a long-lasting impression on movies with a teen demographic.Through deeply focusing on new themes and motifs such as social hierarchy, he undeniably changed the teen movie genre forever by creating sympathy and understanding for adolescent characters. In the 1980s, teenager’s attitudes were changing, and many theorists believe music television was to blame. Shary (2005) states that with celebrity appearances, commercials, and a brand-new, fast-paced style, MTV became â€Å"the court where youth culture was told what was cool†.He also believes that the political changes in America also heavily influenced teenagers perspectives, especially after the â€Å"carefree attitudes† of Carter’s presidency turned into the â€Å"peremptory dictates of Regan’s decade†. He states that: â€Å"The new Republican ethos may have won over voters, but at the same time its naive ‘just say no’ approach to serious adolescent choices gave yo uth a renewed sense of irritation for adult authority. † To express their views on America’s politics, the youth became eager to experiment with sex and drugs, and Hollywood felt the effect of the youth’s impact and took note.At this time period, Hollywood was experiencing a transition of sorts, between what was labelled as the Hollywood Renaissance (Schatz,1993), into a more contemporary style of cinema which theorist Geoff King (2002) labelled as ‘New Hollywood Version 2’. To understand the breakthrough of John Hughes’ movies, we must understand that before his directorial debut of Sixteen Candles, films of the 1980s were not sympathetic to teens, and the majority f said films came in the form of slasher movies, or sex-comedies, where audiences would watch teenagers be embarrassed and hurt in various different forms. In this period of transition, these movies would reap in profits, but did not focus on character psychology or emphasise perfo rmance the way earlier examples did. In this transition period, Hughes’ managed, in some form, to stay true to the earlier, character-based films, but still managed to produce a successful profit, without any high-scale production that would turn his films into the newer, blockbuster style pictures.He often worked on more than one movie at once, and released them very close together, in a way that provided more money for the studios, as his reputation as a director became more well-known and his movies became more successful. It’s important to note also, that his films were released at a time where VCR and home videos were becoming more and more popular, which meant that young adults could watch his films over and over at home, and create a personal relationship with the characters.As a director, Hughes knew exactly what he wanted; to show teenagers as important, intelligent, and not the sex-crazed and shallow adolescents that earlier movies portrayed them to be. Gora (2010) proposes that: â€Å"What would set Hughes apart, in an age when other filmmakers were quick to portray teens as vapid, horny, pimpled caricatures, was that he was wise enough to present the teenage experience with the pain, seriousness, and melodrama that so often imbues age. As proven by films such as Losin’ It (1983) and Little Darlings (1980), many movies in the early 1980s revolved simply around â€Å"the quest of teens to lose their virginity† (Shary, 2005). Although Hughes has focused on the theme of sex, it is just one of many different themes and motifs in his films, including the ever-popular idea of social hierarchy, or parental pressure. Sixteen Candles, centres around the story of sixteen-year old Sam (portrayed by Molly Ringwald), whose birthday is forgotten by her family in favour of her older sister’s wedding the next day.This film includes the only completely nude scene of any of Hughes’ movies, and was only included due to pressu re from the network, who insisted that it was needed in order to compete with the other teen films on the market. The scene itself is not remotely sexual however, and exists only to emphasise Sam’s self-consciousness, when she and her best friend spy on the girlfriend of her biggest crush whilst in the shower after gym. It does include many of the cliches, such as the virgin esperate to have sex, the rich teen driving an expensive car which will undoubtedly be wrecked somehow, or a house party where the house is destroyed, but unlike other teen films, it encourages us to laugh with the characters rather than at them. To portray the idea of social hierarchy, where some sort of clique is ‘better’ than another, Hughes’ often uses a form of what Roz Kaveney (2006) entitles the ‘anthropology shot’. Kaveney states that â€Å"such shots establish a number of social groups among high school students and pan between them to demonstrate social division s†.This shot can be effective because despite the fact that we will only really know a few select characters, it is able to establish the kind of environment they are living in. An example of said shot is used in Sixteen Candles, introducing the ‘geeks’ at the dance. Although Hughes’ did not invent the shot, many films have reproduced the way he used it, such as Mean Girls (2004), where the character Janice introduces Cady to the social cliques in the cafeteria.As well as the anthropology shot, Hughes’ also used many low-angle shots in his films to connote the sense of inadequacy teenagers feel when looking at the world. This is also used often when the characters talk to adults, and is especially prominent in The Breakfast Club when the characters talk to the principal. This shows the control Principal Vernon has over the kids, and enforces the belief that because they are young, they aren’t as powerful. Hughes,’ as a director, paid a great deal of attention to setting social background in his films.The opening of The Breakfast Club, the story of five teens of different cliques who must spend their Saturday in detention, uses single shots to give us a feel for each character. Claire, for example, the typical rich and popular ‘princess’ is introduced with the shot of a prom queen poster, although we haven’t officially met her character yet. Similarly, John Bender, the ‘criminal’ problem-child, is introduced using a shot of a vandalized locker with a noose attached.The film officially opens with a glass-shattering transition to an introductory shot of the high school, which could be read as foreshadowing; eventually, the character’s defences are broken down, and they open up to each other to become friends. The writing of Hughes’ films brought a great deal of attention to motifs that hadn’t been paid much attention before, such as the idea of the child acting li ke the parent. A prime example of this is Sixteen Candles, where Sam’s mother apologises to her for missing her birthday. In this scene, Sam, the teenager, is the one to comfort her emotional mother, and say â€Å"It’s okay, these things happen†.Themes also explored were the ideas parental pressure, such as The Breakfast Club, where geeky Brian contemplated suicide because he feared his parents would be disappointed in him for failing his first class, or the theme of money and social classes, which Hughes’ addressed by pairing Claire and Bender together; the rich girl with the poor boy. He also brings a new light to female sexuality, which the character of Alison addresses directly; â€Å"If you say you haven’t you’re a prude. And if you say you have, you’re a slut. It’s a trap. Seeing such touching scenes on screen empowers teens, and helps the audience sympathize with their experiences. Said themes have since been addressed in many teen movies to this date, such as Clueless (1995) or Easy A (2010). The impact that John Hughes has left on Hollywood is undoubtable and everlasting. Despite the fact that it has been over twenty-five years since The Breakfast Club was released, for example, countless references are still made to the film in today’s pop culture, including homages in NBC’s cult TV show ‘Community’ and a mention in CW’s ‘Gossip Girl’ (â€Å"we’re the non-judging Breakfast Club†).Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, is also a huge fan of the film. Bart Simpson’s famous catchphrase ‘eat my shorts’ is a direct reference to John Bender’s line, which he says defiantly to Principal Vernon. Judd Nelson’s portrayal of the character was also the inspiration for the name of Futurama’s temperamental robot Bender. The movie has also been spoofed in many American advertisements, including t he 2008 commercial for chain clothing store JCPenney.The back-to-school line was heavily influenced by The Breakfast Club, and featured teenagers dancing in a library to the most popular song from the soundtrack, ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’. Not Another Teen Movie (2001) was a complete parody of the majority of Hughes’ material, and featured a cameo from Molly Ringwald as an adult who disapproved of teenagers. To this day, Hughes’ is continually paid homage to, and because of the way he changed the portrayal of teenagers, people will continue to do so for a long time. (Word count: 1,643) References & Bibliography Driscoll, C (2011).Teen Film: A Critical Introduction. UK: Berg. Easy A, 2010. [DVD] Will Gluck, United States: Sony Pictures. Clueless, 1995. [DVD] Amy Heckerling, United States: Universal Pictures. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986. [DVD] John Hughes, United States: Paramount Pictures Gora, S (2010). You Couldn’t Ignore Me If Y ou Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and their Impact on a Generation. New York: Crown Publishing Group Kaveney, R (2006). Teen Dreams: Reading Teen Film and Television from Heathers to Veronica Mars. London: I. B. Tauris King, G (2002). New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction.London:  I. B. Tauris Little Darlings, 1980. [DVD] Ronald F. Maxwell, United States: Stephen Friedman/King’s Road Productions Losin’ It, 1983. [DVD] Curtis Hanson, United States: Tiberius Film Productions Mean Girls, 2004. [DVD] Mark Waters, United States: Paramount Pictures Pretty in Pink, 1986. [DVD] Howard Deutch, United States: Paramount Pictures Shary, T (2005). Teen Movies: American Youth on Screen. London: Wallflower Press Sixteen Candles, 1984. [DVD] John Hughes, United States: Universal Pictures The Breakfast Club, 1985. [DVD] John Hughes, United States: Universal Pictures

Black Friday

The phenomenon of Black Friday Bustling city streets, hour-long lines, and retail store chaos: only one scenario explains the commonality between these situations, shopping on Black Friday. For half a century Black Friday has become an unofficial retail holiday in the United States. It is a day that offers incredible discounts and killer deals, and most notoriously, it brings a frenzy of crazed shoppers to local retailers looking to save on purchases.Marketing strategies, paired with consumers’ need to locate the best deals on Christmas gifts has led to Black Friday being celebrated as a consumption ritual comparable in importance to Thanksgiving Day. (Thomas and Peters, 2011) How has Black Friday become the largest retail sales day of the year? What is it that drives people to artificially induced hyper consumption, almost like an annual ritual? Many scientist and psychologists have many different theories and conclusions of why Black Friday has become the biggest shopping da y of the year.In this paper, I will take your through the research and conclusions that many psychologists have produced and the advantages and disadvantages of Black Friday. Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, Ph. D. explored the work of Jane Boyd Thomas and Cara Peters, professors at South Carolina's Winthrop University, who spent two years in research trying to find common traits in Black Friday shoppers. They conducted thirty-eight extensive interviews with â€Å"experienced† Black Friday shoppers and found four recurring themes: 1. Familial bonding (multiple generations and close friends) 2. Strategic planning . The great race 4. Mission accomplished But how do the four themes they came up with relate to one another? Thomas and Peters figured that all the traits when analyzed together showed one commonality. They wrote, â€Å"the traits are coalesced around a military metaphor, and is a bonding activity Shoppers prepare for the ritual by scanning Black Friday ads, and they map out th eir strategy. † (Sarkis 2011) In essence, the family is a type of team that scans adds, plans their route and potential purchases, executes their plans by buying products, and rejoices in their accomplishments.When all of these traits are analyzed individually, they mean little to main the main outcome, bonding. But when all the traits are looked at collectively, they all contribute to the overall success and goal of bonding. Besides giving us a breakdown of bonding activities, the analysis also shows how the average consumer plan for Black Friday. Just as Sarkis found themes that make up this military metaphor, Byun, professor of consumer affairs at Auburn University came up with her own theory on why people react the way they do on Black Friday. Crowds create a sense of competition — such as when hundreds of shoppers are rushing to collect marked-down goods — they generate a different feeling entirely. Competition creates what’s called hedonic shopping v alue, or a sense of enjoyment from the mere process of buying goods. At certain levels, consumers enjoy arousal and challenges during the shopping process. † (Khazan 2011) In essence what Byun is saying is consumers get more enjoyment because the crowds create an obstacle, which hinders the execution of the plans and preparations made. The crowds make getting what they want harder, which creates more value for the goods purchased.Just as Byun noted that crowds contribute to the Black Friday Craze, Kelly McGonigal, Ph. D. describes another factors that plays a big part in the â€Å"Black Friday frenzy†. Retailers, she notes, use innovative designs to lure customers into their stores and keep them there. McGonigal says â€Å"time pressure sales on limited products or scarce resources† triggers a negative physiological affect on the consumer. Scarcity for a certain commodity creates a sense of urgency to act now, a natural instinct to survive. This survival instinct can be related to hunting for some people.Black Friday is â€Å"hunting for women,† said Leisa Reinecke Flynn, professor of marketing and fashion merchandising at the University of Southern Mississippi. â€Å"It’s so much like deer hunting it’s hard to tell the two apart. † (Khazan 2011) Unfortunately, shopping on Black Friday is not motivated by survival instincts or a life in death situation. This paradox stimulates unusual behavior in consumers that creates disadvantages and potential dangers for those that are not necessarily into the hunt. The concept of Black Friday creates a â€Å"perfect storm† for consumer misbehavior.Misbehavior, as defined by Lennon, Johnson, and Lee is, â€Å"acts that violate accepted norms of conduct in consumption contexts. † (Lennon, Johnson, Lee, 2011) This compulsive behavior, or compulsive consumption, feeds off of the idea of scarcity. It induces people to act inappropriately harming others and often the mselves. â€Å"For many, if not most compulsive purchasers, buying is a reaction to stress or unpleasant situations. Compulsive consumption is a type of consumer behavior which is inappropriate, typically excessive, and clearly disruptive to the lives of other individuals. (Ronald, Thomas, and Raymond 1987) Both hunting and shopping hinge on long-standing traditions and generally involve pursuing a goal as a group. Whether the group actually hits its target is secondary to the fun of the chase. Hunting and shopping as shown above are very closely linked and motivated by the idea of scarcity. Just like there are limited deer in the forest, there are limited goods in the stores. The result is paradoxical in nature. People are fraudulently deceived into acting compulsively. (Herpen, Pieters and Zeelenberg 2005)Just as Ronald, Thomas, and Raymond concluded that compulsive behavior negatively affects the lives of others, Peter McGraw, Ph. D. drew a similar connection. He focuses more on social trends and pressures being the root of the problem. In The Link between Thanksgiving Gluttony and Black Friday Insanity, McGraw makes a connection between Black Friday shopping and Thanksgiving Dinner. He explores the idea that once a year, people will consume more calories in one meal, than the average person consumes on a normal day.The next day they wake up, or sometimes not sleeping at all, and go shopping for hours on end. (McGraw and Warner 2011) Dr. McGraw’s research shows us that in a short period of forty eights hour there is over consumption of food on Thanksgiving and the hyper consumption or shopping on Black Friday. McGraw believes that the cause of this phenomenon is social influence and pressure. He writes, â€Å"One of the hallmarks of psychological science is that we are influenced by the actions of others—often more so than we'd like to admit.Sometimes we're impelled to take positive actions, such as switching to reusable bags or cutting down on littering. Other times, social influence can be quite negative. When it comes to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, unfortunately, the influences skew more toward bad than good. † (McGraw and Warner 2011) In other words McGraw places responsibility of hyper consumption on social trends, pressures, and even perhaps familial rituals for the ever-popular Black Friday. Another concept of Black Friday is one of mutual benefit for both consumer and retailer.Consumers’ benefit from large discounts on all sorts of items including clothing, electronics, furniture, and literally any other commodity available on the market. Retailers’ benefit by getting out of the red zone, finally making a profit for the fiscal year. The opportunities available on Black Friday is what drove 212 million shoppers to stores during Black Friday weekend in 2011. (Wilson, 2010) Retailers experience surging sales during Black Friday and the days that follow. This monetary benefit is what drives t heir extensive promotion and deal offerings, further influencing the consumer’s willingness to partake in the shopping frenzy.In a society where a corporation or business’s main purpose is to grow profits for the benefit of its shareholders, a company’s number one purpose is to increase sales, in order to increase profits. According to a New York Times article written by Adam Davidson, approximately one fifth of retailer’s total annual sales are made during the holiday shopping season. (Davidson, 2011) In conclusion, we can see that shopping on Black Friday brings people together in one way or another. For some, it brings people together in a positive way.Families and friends are able to work as a team who plan, prepare and execute their plans to achieve their goals. For others, Black Friday shoppers experience the negative affects of other people’s behavior. There are also advantages and disadvantages for both the consumer and retailer. Consumers get amazingly cheap prices on products while retailers experience a massive surge in sales. However one may look at Black Friday, it is a day that cannot be ignored. It’s influence and popularity are ever growing and expanding. Reference Page Davidson, Adam. The Black Friday Effect: Let’s Stimulate the Economy with Inflation. † The New York Times, 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Herpen, Erica van, Rik Pieters, and Marcel Zeelenberg (2005) ,†How Product Scarcity Impacts on Choice: Snob and Bandwagon Effects†, in Advances in Consumer Research Volume 32, eds. Geeta Menon and Akshay R. Rao, Advances in Consumer Research Volume 32 : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 623-624. Faber, J. Ronald, O’Guinn, C Thomas, and Krych, Raymond. (1987) â€Å"Compulsive Consumption†, in Advances in Consumer Research Volume 14, eds.Melanie Wallendorf and Paul Anderson, Advances in Consumer Research Volume 14: Association for Sonsumer Research, Pages: 132-135. McGonigal, Kelly, Ph. D. â€Å"The Science of Willpower. † Comments on â€Å"Black Friday Shopping: How Stores Use Psychology to Fill Your Cart† N. p. , 19 Nov. 2010. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . McGraw, Peter, Ph. D. , and Warner, Joel. â€Å"The Humor Code. † The Link between Thanksgiving Gluttony and Black Friday Insanity. N. p. , 21 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Ridgwar, Nicole, â€Å"Black Friday Sales Hit Record. † CNNMoney. Cable News Netwrok, 26 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Sarkis, Stephanie, Ph. D. â€Å"Here, There, and Everywhere. † Black Friday: A Collective Consumption Ritual. N. p. , 20 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Thomas, Jane Boyd, and Peters, Cara. (2011) â€Å"An exploratory investigation of Black Friday consumption rituals†, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 39 Iss: 7, pp. 522 – 537 Wallendorf, M. , Arnould, E. â€Å"We gather together: consumption rituals of Thanksgiving Dayâ € , in Journal of Consumer Research, (1991) Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 13-31. Wilson, April. â€Å"By the Numbers: Black Friday Shoppers and Their Impact on the Economy. † The Luckie ReTink Tank. 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct 2012. . Black Friday The three sources to be compared are all in relation to the events that occurred on â€Å"Black Friday†, particularly surrounding the conduct of the metropolitan police. Source 10, taken from â€Å"The Times† newspaper presents the view that the police were more victims of the women and raiders that they were trying to control, and that it took some effort to restrain the women that were protesting on that day.Whereas source 11, taken from a memorandum that was sent to the home office after ‘Black Friday† gives the view that the police were acting violently towards the women protesting and that the women in this situation were the victims. Source 12, a statement from a suffragette who participated in â€Å"Black Friday† presents a similar opinion to that in source 11, indicating that the woman in question received several injuries from a police officer.The events that occurred on â€Å"Black Friday† and the conduct of the police have been under dispute by many historians, which some taking the side of source 10, and others agreeing more with the recollections presented in sources 11 and 12- it can therefore be argued how much sources 11 and 12 challenge the view contained in source 10 about the conduct of the police on â€Å"Black Friday†. Source 10, taken from â€Å"The Times’ newspaper on 19th November 1910 is an extract from a report covering the events of what eventually became known as â€Å"Black Friday†.It presents the view that the police â€Å"kept their temper very well’ towards â€Å"the ladies who flung themselves against (them)†. It also speaks of how â€Å"several police had their helmets knocked off in carrying out their duty† and later mentions that â€Å"one was disabled by a kick on the ankle† and another â€Å"was cut on the face by a belt† therefore implying that the women who were present on Black Friday were acting violently towards the police , and that any rough handling of the police towards the protesters was only in response to the treatment they were receiving.It could be said then, that this article presents the police in a positive light and shows the suffragettes to be the ones at fault on â€Å"Black Friday† which comes as no surprise given that the article comes from â€Å"The Times†- a newspaper that would have been primarily aimed at educated men, and its purpose therefore would have been to share the opinion that women were out of control and lacked the dignity to receive the vote. Source 11 on the other hand disagrees with the view presented in source source 10.It is an extract from a memorandum by the Parliamentary Conciliation Committee for Women’s Suffrage send to the Home Office after â€Å"Black Friday†. It agrees with the source ten in the sense that it admits a â€Å"relentless struggle† occurred between the police and the suffragettes, but it disagrees with source 10 because it presents the view that it was the police acting violently towards the women, who it says were â€Å"flung hither and thither amid moving traffic, and into the hands of a crows which was sometimes rough and indecent†.This opinion is presented because the purpose of the memorandum sent to the home office was to request a public inquiry into the conduct of the police on â€Å"Black Friday†, because they did not follow their â€Å"usual course of action† which â€Å"would have been to arrest the women on a charge of obstruction† but they â€Å"had been instructed to avoid, as far as possible, making any arrests† which is why, the women argue that the police were so violent.Also, this article presents the events of â€Å"Black Friday† in such a different light, because it was written by those who sympathized with Suffragettes and therefore supported them, the Committee was set up in 1910 to encourage support for women’s suffr age, so it would have wanted to make the actions of the police look bad in order to gain support for the women who were protesting. Similar to source 11, Source 12, from a statement by a 60 year old suffragette who had participated in the demonstration on â€Å"Black Friday† is of the opinion that it was the police who acted wrongly during the events, and not the women protesting.The suffragette talks about how she was â€Å"seized by several policemen† and how â€Å"one twisted (her) right arm behind (her) back with such brute force that (she) really thought he would break it†. She also mentions that â€Å"another policeman gave (her) a terrible blow in (her) back, which sent (her) whirling into the crowd†- clearly presenting the view that the police were acting violently and out of conduct towards the women and as a result disputing the viewpoint held in source 10.However, it must be taken into consideration the purpose of this statement, which was a te stament before the Parliamentary Conciliation Committee for Women’s Suffrage, who we know from source 11 sympathized with suffragettes and were trying to gain support from them. Therefore, the women who gave this testament would have been trying to give as much evidence against the police as possible in order for the Committee to have a case against the police and order for an inquiry to be made.In addition to this, it was the aim of suffragettes at time to create as much publicity towards their cause as they could, whether good or bad, they wanted attention, and by complaining about the police it would have prolonged the time that â€Å"Black Friday† was publicized in the media which was what they wanted. In conclusion, sources 11 and 12, which present the view that it was the police who acted wrongly on â€Å"Black Friday† disagree with the view presented in source 10, which is that it was the women who were at fault.This is because the purpose of both sources 11 and 12 was to create sympathy for the suffragettes in order to gain support for their cause, whereas source 10 was aimed at an audience who did not support women’s suffrage, and by publishing an article presenting women in a bad light, â€Å"The Times† newspaper would have been ensuring that it’s readers remained loyal. Although sources 11 and 12 agree with source 10 in the fact that a violent dispute took place, they differ in opinion of who was the victim in the situation, therefore sources 11 and 12 challenge the view presented in source 10 about the conduct of the police on â€Å"Black Friday†. Black Friday The phenomenon of Black Friday Bustling city streets, hour-long lines, and retail store chaos: only one scenario explains the commonality between these situations, shopping on Black Friday. For half a century Black Friday has become an unofficial retail holiday in the United States. It is a day that offers incredible discounts and killer deals, and most notoriously, it brings a frenzy of crazed shoppers to local retailers looking to save on purchases.Marketing strategies, paired with consumers’ need to locate the best deals on Christmas gifts has led to Black Friday being celebrated as a consumption ritual comparable in importance to Thanksgiving Day. (Thomas and Peters, 2011) How has Black Friday become the largest retail sales day of the year? What is it that drives people to artificially induced hyper consumption, almost like an annual ritual? Many scientist and psychologists have many different theories and conclusions of why Black Friday has become the biggest shopping da y of the year.In this paper, I will take your through the research and conclusions that many psychologists have produced and the advantages and disadvantages of Black Friday. Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, Ph. D. explored the work of Jane Boyd Thomas and Cara Peters, professors at South Carolina's Winthrop University, who spent two years in research trying to find common traits in Black Friday shoppers. They conducted thirty-eight extensive interviews with â€Å"experienced† Black Friday shoppers and found four recurring themes: 1. Familial bonding (multiple generations and close friends) 2. Strategic planning . The great race 4. Mission accomplished But how do the four themes they came up with relate to one another? Thomas and Peters figured that all the traits when analyzed together showed one commonality. They wrote, â€Å"the traits are coalesced around a military metaphor, and is a bonding activity Shoppers prepare for the ritual by scanning Black Friday ads, and they map out th eir strategy. † (Sarkis 2011) In essence, the family is a type of team that scans adds, plans their route and potential purchases, executes their plans by buying products, and rejoices in their accomplishments.When all of these traits are analyzed individually, they mean little to main the main outcome, bonding. But when all the traits are looked at collectively, they all contribute to the overall success and goal of bonding. Besides giving us a breakdown of bonding activities, the analysis also shows how the average consumer plan for Black Friday. Just as Sarkis found themes that make up this military metaphor, Byun, professor of consumer affairs at Auburn University came up with her own theory on why people react the way they do on Black Friday. Crowds create a sense of competition — such as when hundreds of shoppers are rushing to collect marked-down goods — they generate a different feeling entirely. Competition creates what’s called hedonic shopping v alue, or a sense of enjoyment from the mere process of buying goods. At certain levels, consumers enjoy arousal and challenges during the shopping process. † (Khazan 2011) In essence what Byun is saying is consumers get more enjoyment because the crowds create an obstacle, which hinders the execution of the plans and preparations made. The crowds make getting what they want harder, which creates more value for the goods purchased.Just as Byun noted that crowds contribute to the Black Friday Craze, Kelly McGonigal, Ph. D. describes another factors that plays a big part in the â€Å"Black Friday frenzy†. Retailers, she notes, use innovative designs to lure customers into their stores and keep them there. McGonigal says â€Å"time pressure sales on limited products or scarce resources† triggers a negative physiological affect on the consumer. Scarcity for a certain commodity creates a sense of urgency to act now, a natural instinct to survive. This survival instinct can be related to hunting for some people.Black Friday is â€Å"hunting for women,† said Leisa Reinecke Flynn, professor of marketing and fashion merchandising at the University of Southern Mississippi. â€Å"It’s so much like deer hunting it’s hard to tell the two apart. † (Khazan 2011) Unfortunately, shopping on Black Friday is not motivated by survival instincts or a life in death situation. This paradox stimulates unusual behavior in consumers that creates disadvantages and potential dangers for those that are not necessarily into the hunt. The concept of Black Friday creates a â€Å"perfect storm† for consumer misbehavior.Misbehavior, as defined by Lennon, Johnson, and Lee is, â€Å"acts that violate accepted norms of conduct in consumption contexts. † (Lennon, Johnson, Lee, 2011) This compulsive behavior, or compulsive consumption, feeds off of the idea of scarcity. It induces people to act inappropriately harming others and often the mselves. â€Å"For many, if not most compulsive purchasers, buying is a reaction to stress or unpleasant situations. Compulsive consumption is a type of consumer behavior which is inappropriate, typically excessive, and clearly disruptive to the lives of other individuals. (Ronald, Thomas, and Raymond 1987) Both hunting and shopping hinge on long-standing traditions and generally involve pursuing a goal as a group. Whether the group actually hits its target is secondary to the fun of the chase. Hunting and shopping as shown above are very closely linked and motivated by the idea of scarcity. Just like there are limited deer in the forest, there are limited goods in the stores. The result is paradoxical in nature. People are fraudulently deceived into acting compulsively. (Herpen, Pieters and Zeelenberg 2005)Just as Ronald, Thomas, and Raymond concluded that compulsive behavior negatively affects the lives of others, Peter McGraw, Ph. D. drew a similar connection. He focuses more on social trends and pressures being the root of the problem. In The Link between Thanksgiving Gluttony and Black Friday Insanity, McGraw makes a connection between Black Friday shopping and Thanksgiving Dinner. He explores the idea that once a year, people will consume more calories in one meal, than the average person consumes on a normal day.The next day they wake up, or sometimes not sleeping at all, and go shopping for hours on end. (McGraw and Warner 2011) Dr. McGraw’s research shows us that in a short period of forty eights hour there is over consumption of food on Thanksgiving and the hyper consumption or shopping on Black Friday. McGraw believes that the cause of this phenomenon is social influence and pressure. He writes, â€Å"One of the hallmarks of psychological science is that we are influenced by the actions of others—often more so than we'd like to admit.Sometimes we're impelled to take positive actions, such as switching to reusable bags or cutting down on littering. Other times, social influence can be quite negative. When it comes to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, unfortunately, the influences skew more toward bad than good. † (McGraw and Warner 2011) In other words McGraw places responsibility of hyper consumption on social trends, pressures, and even perhaps familial rituals for the ever-popular Black Friday. Another concept of Black Friday is one of mutual benefit for both consumer and retailer.Consumers’ benefit from large discounts on all sorts of items including clothing, electronics, furniture, and literally any other commodity available on the market. Retailers’ benefit by getting out of the red zone, finally making a profit for the fiscal year. The opportunities available on Black Friday is what drove 212 million shoppers to stores during Black Friday weekend in 2011. (Wilson, 2010) Retailers experience surging sales during Black Friday and the days that follow. This monetary benefit is what drives t heir extensive promotion and deal offerings, further influencing the consumer’s willingness to partake in the shopping frenzy.In a society where a corporation or business’s main purpose is to grow profits for the benefit of its shareholders, a company’s number one purpose is to increase sales, in order to increase profits. According to a New York Times article written by Adam Davidson, approximately one fifth of retailer’s total annual sales are made during the holiday shopping season. (Davidson, 2011) In conclusion, we can see that shopping on Black Friday brings people together in one way or another. For some, it brings people together in a positive way.Families and friends are able to work as a team who plan, prepare and execute their plans to achieve their goals. For others, Black Friday shoppers experience the negative affects of other people’s behavior. There are also advantages and disadvantages for both the consumer and retailer. Consumers get amazingly cheap prices on products while retailers experience a massive surge in sales. However one may look at Black Friday, it is a day that cannot be ignored. It’s influence and popularity are ever growing and expanding. Reference Page Davidson, Adam. The Black Friday Effect: Let’s Stimulate the Economy with Inflation. † The New York Times, 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Herpen, Erica van, Rik Pieters, and Marcel Zeelenberg (2005) ,†How Product Scarcity Impacts on Choice: Snob and Bandwagon Effects†, in Advances in Consumer Research Volume 32, eds. Geeta Menon and Akshay R. Rao, Advances in Consumer Research Volume 32 : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 623-624. Faber, J. Ronald, O’Guinn, C Thomas, and Krych, Raymond. (1987) â€Å"Compulsive Consumption†, in Advances in Consumer Research Volume 14, eds.Melanie Wallendorf and Paul Anderson, Advances in Consumer Research Volume 14: Association for Sonsumer Research, Pages: 132-135. McGonigal, Kelly, Ph. D. â€Å"The Science of Willpower. † Comments on â€Å"Black Friday Shopping: How Stores Use Psychology to Fill Your Cart† N. p. , 19 Nov. 2010. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . McGraw, Peter, Ph. D. , and Warner, Joel. â€Å"The Humor Code. † The Link between Thanksgiving Gluttony and Black Friday Insanity. N. p. , 21 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Ridgwar, Nicole, â€Å"Black Friday Sales Hit Record. † CNNMoney. Cable News Netwrok, 26 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Sarkis, Stephanie, Ph. D. â€Å"Here, There, and Everywhere. † Black Friday: A Collective Consumption Ritual. N. p. , 20 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Thomas, Jane Boyd, and Peters, Cara. (2011) â€Å"An exploratory investigation of Black Friday consumption rituals†, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 39 Iss: 7, pp. 522 – 537 Wallendorf, M. , Arnould, E. â€Å"We gather together: consumption rituals of Thanksgiving Dayâ € , in Journal of Consumer Research, (1991) Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 13-31. Wilson, April. â€Å"By the Numbers: Black Friday Shoppers and Their Impact on the Economy. † The Luckie ReTink Tank. 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Oct 2012. .

Environmental Regulation and Business Strategy in UK and Scotland Essay

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Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

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Necrotizing Fasciitis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Materialistic Americans Essay Example for Free

Materialistic Americans Essay â€Å"With these words I can sell you anything† by William Lutz and â€Å"At sale at Old Navy: Cool Clothes for Identical Zombies! † by Damien Cave the readings explain how Americans are fooled into purchasing so many unnecessary things that most of the time don’t do what they promise when advertised as well as how the buyers themselves are blinded and don’t realized that they are wasting money, all because of the value of their pride and their need to be better than everyone else yet they are doing the same things as millions of other Americans. Although it seems correct that most people should be materialistic, it’s not a good thing because this form of living is damaging American’s values in many ways and advertisements are just making it worst. In Cave’s excerpt he explains how most Americans have become so materialistic now and that it’s becoming a big issue. 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There are many adults that think that buying so many things for themselves and their families is good because people always want to have the best things that are out there for their loved ones without realizing that they’re just giving money away to things they don’t really need. â€Å"At virtually every opening of Old Navy’s and Ikea’s stores-in the New York, Chicago, and San Francisco areas, for example- tens of thousand of people appeared in the first few days. Even now, long after the stores first opened, lines remain long† (Cave 110). Americans value so much their pride to be over achievers and be better than everyone else they come across but yet they aren’t much different from other people because they spend as much as every other person who might not have that much money because everyone’s values are similar. In Lutz’s excerpt he explains how Advertisements usually don’t promise what they offer and take people for fools but yet people keep buying more. 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Perspectives On The Personality Of Marshall Mathers Music Essay

Perspectives On The Personality Of Marshall Mathers Music Essay Multiple Perspectives on the Personality of Marshall Bruce Mathers III. Marshall Bruce Mathers III emerged from a poor neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan and quickly gained fame as the American, hip-hop music artist, Eminem. Marshall declared himself in My Name Is, the single that announced him as Eminem to the world (Hasted, 2005). His released albums are compilations of rap songs, each with creative rhymed verses about his life and the people in it, composed by Mathers himself. Some may claim that Eminem is a role model, in terms of his artistic talent and ability to overcome lifes hardships. For others, he sets a bad example in society, as he is degrading to women and homosexuals and he is promoting violence through visual outlets. The controversy remains, but perspective can be gained through psychologies different aspects of personality. Neo-Analytic Perspective The central theme of the neo-analytic approach to personality psychology is ego identity. The importance of the ego, a persons individuality, is emphasized as it struggles to cope with emotions and drives on the inside and the demands of others on the outside (Friedman Schustack, 2009). This feeling of self develops through the interactions and conflicts an individual faces during their life, and determines their personality. Unlike many other aspects of personality, neo-analytic theories and theorists agree that ones personality is not predetermined, or stable, and is shaped by encountered experiences. Marshall Bruce Mathers III is a famous personality whose life experiences can be analyzed in the perspective of the neo-analyst, Erik Erikson. Erikson considers the ego to be an influential and independent part of identity formation, and he also brings attention to the effects of society and culture during the process. He developed the theory of life-span development, claiming that there are eight predetermined stages and each involves a certain ego crisis that determines the direction of personality. As Friedman and Schustack aptly phrase, the outcome of each stage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is dependent to some degree on the outcome of the previous stage, and successful negotiation of each of the ego crises is essential for optimal growth (2009). The life-span perspective helps with understanding why Mathers behaves and thinks the way he does. The identity formation of Marshall Mathers began at birth; October 17, 1972 began the first ego crisis Erikson termed Trust versus Mistrust' (Friedman Schustack, 2009). Debbie Mathers-Briggs became Marshalls mother at age seventeen. As an adolescent, she was preoccupied with her own needs of finding out who she was and how she fit into society. Because of her young age, she was unable to successfully satisfy Marshall Mathers needs as a mother, which Erikson considers the most significant relationship of this stage. An infants needs are simple and straightforward, and it is necessary for a mother to contribute mature abilities and social support. Many agree that her parenting was inadequate and unreliable, which did not resolve the Trust versus Mistrust conflict for Mathers. Instead of developing feelings of hope, which is a psychosocial virtue in Eriksons theory, he has since been unable to rely on others, believing that the world is not a safe place. It is during this period of inf ancy that a child develops a sense of trust and hope which arises from the satisfaction personal needs (Friedman Schustack, 2009). Marshalls neediness only grew, though as a direct results of his mothers actions, (Hasted, 2005). She was in her own state of mind, and struggled to understand her son whose upbringing became hard to handle and caused Mathers directionless existence. The ego crisis, Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt, indicates the significance of parents during an individuals early childhood. Eriksons theory, when applied to the Mathers life, shows the negative impact of abandonment at early age. Hasted writes that it was, a consequence of his parents immature love, that led to his fathers decision to leave his wife and son (2005). Marshall Mathers was abandoned by his father; he did not ever see him or communicate with him after the day he left. He was raised by his mother no father image or figure was there (Hasted, 2005). It is during this stage of development that Erikson believes the ego skill, will, is formed. Friedman and Schustack write that, successful negotiation of this stage results in a child who knows the difference between right and wrong, and is willing and able to chose right most of the time (2009). This was not the case for Marshall Mathers, and some of his actions in his later life show this. In accordance to the stage theory p erspective, he was unable to develop self-control and self-esteem because of these matters. Shortly after Mathers was abandoned by his father, Debbie Marshall-Briggs began to live nomadically. Nick Hasted quotes Marshall Mathers, my mother never had a job, so we used to always stay with my family. We would stay until we got kicked out. Some of the relatives stayed in Kansas City, some in Detroit, so we just kept going back and forth (Hasted, 2005). The moving took place during his mid-childhood, which is the optimal time of the Initiative versus Guilt stage. With Mathers father abandoning him as a young child, the responsibility of this child was left to his mother, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. His life so far was lacking stability, and Hasted claims that he struggled to survive in series of elementary schools, (2005). It was difficult for Mathers to develop any friendships that would last longer than the three months he would spend with him before moving again. During Eriksons stage of Initiative versus Guilt, it is crucial for a child to interact with other childre n to learn how to plan and carry out actions as well as how to get along with peers to gain a sense of purpose (Friedman Schustack, 2009). Ones early adolescent is a time where a lot of ones time is spent attempting to fit in with a social group. Yet, what happens to the formation of ones identity if they never have the stability of a school, father, or even a home to help ground them is negative. Marshall rarely had the availability to make friends because of his constant moving and this had him bullied and teased at many of the schools he attended. This had a drastic impact on his identity formation, and is relieved in his thoughts and actions. It was not until Marshall Mathers reached the age of 12 that he began to reside permanently on the East Side of Detroit with his mother. Industry versus Inferiority stage develops competence through the interactions with in the neighborhood and school of an individual. Nick Hasted expresses that Mathers had a reputation as some kind of violent bad boy (2005) at his school. He was constantly bullied by his peers and let down by his teachers. Throughout his schooling, there have been multiple instances that Mathers competence was doubted by his teachers. His attendance was low, and his grades were far from average, which in Eriksons view is an outcome derived from the previous life stages. Educators would single Mathers out and comment that he is unable to make it. He ended up dropping out at a young age, after repeating the ninth grade three times, which was disestablishing to a school-aged child. (Hasted, 2005). Marshall Mathers did not complete tasks, especially academic ones, and f ind pleasure in doing so. His identity formed in this stage to develop the sense of inferiority as he was not able to successfully complete his education. As Marshall Mathers continued into the Identity versus Role Confusion stage of his adolescence, he was beginning to make some friends by being less distant and shy. Friedman and Schustack claim that, at this stage, the adolescent experiments with different roles, while trying to integrate identities from previous stages (2009). Mathers was becoming himself at this point in his life, in accordance to Eriksons theory, and the society is a huge factor to the process. Living in a white minority, victimized and twice almost murdered by blacks, Marshall could be excused for starting to feel racist himself (Hasted, 2005). The goal of the sixth stage of Erik Eriksons theory, Intimacy versus Isolation, is to achieve love during young adulthood (Friedman Schustack, 2009). It is inevitable that the relationship between Kim Scott and Marshall Mathers is significant in the artists identity formation. They became in separable as soon as they met and would later on marry and have a child together. Currently, Marshall Mathers is in the Generativity versus Stagnation stage of his development (Friedman Schustack, 2009). He has succeeded as an artist in the music industry, and is now able to provide for his daughter, Hailie Jade Mathers. He knew he was not going to raise his daughter in the same conditions he grew up in. Becoming a father was a huge turning point in Marshalls life; he knew he had to create something for himself and strives to provide for Hailie. His identity at this point in his life is to be the dad that he never had and he continues to do so (Hasted, 2005). Marshall Mathers life-span development has formed his personality and ego. He has gone through many life changing experiences, both positive and negative, that have shaped him into the man he is today. Erik Eriksons neo-analytic perspective has the goal of understanding what it means to be an individual in a social world (Friedman Schustack, 2009). After living such a difficult childhood and finally making something of himself, Marshall was being changed by the success that he received. Behaviorist Skinnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the study of behavior, emphasize the role of learning in the development of personality, human behavior. Most recognized amoung behaviorist theorists. Emphasize experience and learning as the primary forces that shape human behavior. skinner developed a psychology that concentrates not on the person but solely on those variables and forces in the environment that influence a person and that may be directly observed. Behavior can be understood in terms of responses to factors in the environment. Suggested to concentrate on the environmental consequences that determine and maintain an individuals behavior. Changes in the environment affect the individuals behavior. Internal forces cannot be operationally defined and their intensity cannot be measured. skinner believed that the laws of behavior must apply to each and every individual subject when it is observed under the appropriate conditions at birth, the human infant is simply a bundle of innate capacities, but consequent behaviors can be comprehended in terms of learning skinner derivedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a reinforcement is anything that increases the likelihood of a response. The effect of ones behavior that determines the likelihood of its occurring again. If behavior results in reinforcement. If the behavior does not result in reinforcement. Behave in alternative ways to find patterns of behavior that are reinforced. Process of operant conditioning. originally spontaneous behaviors whose consequences determine their subsequent frequency. Operant conditioning can be systematically described, skinner box, operant conditioning apparatus to train animals and conduct controlled research. Appropriate reinforcement increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. Procedure termed shaping, deliberately mold the organisms behavior in order to achieve desired behavior. Induce to perform. Using behavioral-shaping methods. skinner believed that most animal and human behavior is learned throug h operant conditioning. The process of learning to speak ones native tongue involves reinforcing and shaping of operant behavior. operant behaviors are responses emitted without a stimulus necessisarily being present, they occur spontaneously verbal behavior evolved from signaling, imitating, and other nonverbal behaviors, following the rules of contingencies of reinforcementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦shaping is involved in learning to speak Marshall Mathers has become a famous personality recognized by the music he has created as Eminem. It started in the studio, where he began recording songs that eventually led to his music being played on local radio stations. At the age of 25, Eminem signed his first record deal with a well-known producer and rapper, Dr. Dre. Instantly, they began producing music together and striving to get Eminem out into the public. The hits became world-famous and sparked the beginning of a whole new world that was opened up to Mathers. He was a superstar within the hip-hop culture for his talents of composing and performing (Hasted, 2005). The behaviorist approach to personality analyzes an individuals learning experiences, indicating that the environment solely controls human thought and behavior. Burrhus Frederick Skinner is well-recognized for his efforts in developing the principle of operant conditioning. Friedman and Schustack define operant conditioning as, the changing of a behavior by manipulating its consequences, (2009). The key element of Skinners theory is reinforcement; his approach is that consequences of a behavior determines if the action will or will not occur again (Friedman Schustack, 2009). Many people view Eminem and his music as a very angry person because when he released his first few albums he was very upset and angered at the life he had grown up in. Much of the time his lyrics and rhymes are about actual events that have occurred throughout his lifetime. The way he explains situations is in such a harsh, raw way that people listening to his music are shocked. His lyrics are the way he lets out his desires about his emotions and life in a way where he is not thinking about what other people think, but rather spitting out the words that best express how he feels (Hasted, 2005). The flow of rap music comes easily to him and it became obvious that he has a special talent. Eminem uses music is an outlet to release emotions and sometimes the way he says his lyrics can leave society perceiving him as very negative. When he first was coming out into hip hop music scene, he had very controversial items on his albums. His music producer, Jimmy Iovine explained to Eminem that he would need to change some of the lyrics on his album if it were to be released. He found it difficult to do so, as he did not understand why it was necessary. This characteristic of personality is reflected in his music as he says what he wants to say, when he wants to say it. It was often difficult for him to understand why he would need to change the lyrics of his songs. Eminem grew up in Detroit, where these lyrics would be considered normal (Hasted, 2005). Operant conditioning explains why he has continued to produce music and grow from his fame. According to B.F. Skinner, personality is a repertoire of behavior learned from an organized set of environmental contingencies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ personality is the group of commonly performed responses that a person has learned. Because it is environmentally determined, behavior is therefore very situation specific (Friedman Schustack, 2009). The reinforcements, both positive and negative, establish Eminems personality. Positive reinforcement is a reward to a desired response in the means of a stimulus. Some types of positive reinforcement are good grades and verbal praise, (Friedman Schustack, 2009). Grammy nominations, growing number of fans, and monetary success are some positive reinforcers that have strengthened Eminems behaviors. He learns from the reinforcement that his behaviors are accepted, which leads to increased occurrences. He responds to these stimuli by recording more songs and releasing more albums. There is also a biological reinforcement that plays a role in Eminems personality. The lifestyle of those that reside in Detroit, Michigan complies with that of Eminems. They are accepting to this type of music and way of life. Negative reinforcement is another aspect of Skinners theory that increases the likelihood of behavior. These are stimuli that, when withdrawn, increase desired behaviors, (Friedman Schustack, 2009). Because of his music career, Eminem has been withdrawn from a life of poverty. He struggled all throughout his early life to provide for himself, and his family. The behavior that is reinforced is his fame, and he continues to try his hardest to continue success to live a comfortable life. Eminem has learned a lot from his past experiences and represents them in his music in a way where the outside public can relate to him. He is in touch with his emotions and feelings and it is because of this that he has such a raw personality, and has the ability to show the world how he has become the person that he is.

Answers to Questions on Strategic Human Resource Management

Answers to Questions on Strategic Human Resource Management Due to changes in business environment, the Human Resource gained more roles and activities in the shaping of the strategy of management in organisations. The contemporary literature review provides a number of various definitions for strategy. James Brian Quinns definition of strategy focuses on the integration of goals, policies and practices: A strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organisation major goals, policies, and action sequences into a cohesive whole (Grees 2003, p 207). The Human Resource Management in organisations has been fully integrated with their business strategy. The strategy aims at providing a framework of directions, coordination as well as decision making. Besides, strategy may also have the role of allocating resources. According to William Henn: Strategy is the concentration of resources on selected opportunities for competitive advantage (ibid). William Henns definition refers to the making of crucial decisions that consist of moving resources from less promising projects to areas where the organisation can have more strategic and competitive advantage. Therefore, the Strategic Human Resource Management importance relies largely on its role providing competitive advantage through the effective use and implementation of such resources in such a way that enable the organisation to achieve its strategic requirements and goals. Patrick Wright and Gary McMahan summarise the Strategic Human Resource Management as the pattern of planned human resource deployments and activities intended to enable an organisation to achieve its goals (ibid). Edward et al (2003, p10) highlights the importance of Strategic Human Resource Management by emphasising on the variety of its roles and functions that include: managing change, contribution to strategy, managing the outsourcing of human resource, and operating shared services units. For instance: S.H.R.M is playing a great role in delivering changes in organisations that aspire to reposition itself in the face of changing competitive conditions. This often involves new structuring and new training that deliver the shift to new business context. 1.2. Purpose of SHRM in John Lewis As we briefly discussed above the significance of Strategic Human Resource Management in corporate world, the following analysis will attempt to identify the purpose of S.H.R.M practices in organisations but more specifically as it will examine those practices particularly in one organisation which is John Lewis. However, no doubt that the main purpose of Strategic Human Resource Management in John Lewis may largely apply to any other organisation. John Lewis as being one of the UK largest cloth retailer as well as an upmarket food retailer is always concerned with maintaining a steady growth by adding more value to the services it provides. Hence, for this purpose John Lewis has managed to successfully use the Strategic Human Resource by strongly linking its function with the competitive advantage and that is because all the employees within the company are part owners of the company  [i]  1. The overall purpose of Strategic Human Resource Management in John Lewis can be summarised in the following points: Developing highly skilled employees: John Lewis eagerness to competitiveness and an awareness of the increasing demands for technologically advanced environment showed the companys recognition that distinctive competencies are obtained through developing highly skilled employees. This requires programs of training and development that solidify the employees contribution to the company. Controlling labour costs: S.H.R.M function in John Lewis is very effective when it comes to controlling the companys total expenditure like: wages, training costs, compensationsetc. This function is very important to the company as argued by Edward et al (2003, p204) the pressure to control costs increased general managers awareness of the impact of inefficient use of human resource. Performance motivation: as mentioned above, John Lewis employees are part owners of the company. This strategy aims at pushing employees to become more committed and highly motivated towards their company. Besides, the companys strategy is to address all employees needs whether by rewards or other means. 1.3 Contribution of S.H.R.M to the achievement of John Lewis goals: John Lewis has set its S.H.R.M goals and studied the tools to achieve them. Yet, the remaining question is whether the strategies adopted have contributed to the achievement of these goals. According to John Lewis interim report 2010, the company seems to have achieved a significant growth even within a tough economic environment. We can argue that part of the success is largely owed to the integration of human resource activities within the companys strategy formulation and planning process. John Lewis provides an exemplary practice with respect to the functioning of its human resource. Having its employees as part owners, this strategy has allowed them or rather pushed them to contribute more towards improvement of their companys performance. The Strategic Human Resource Management at John Lewis may represent its main key strength. Through its skilled work force, the company has managed to distinctively position itself in the UK market. On the other hand, according to the classical human resource approach, any companys structure is affected by certain situational factors such as: technology, size and environment. As demonstrated by Pfeffer (1994), best human resource practice should have a structure that places staff members into groups that should have the ability to make their own decisions. John Lewis has adopted this structure by the division of the company into departments. These departments work together as teams to achieve goals and the company gives almost equal rewards to all members of the team. Therefore, adopting a strategic structure of the human resource at John Lewis has enable the company to achieve its objectives and gain more competitive advantage. Task2: 2.1 The Business factors that underpin human resource planning at BT: Human resource planning in current organisations is subject to constant change and development due to the influence of various internal and external factors. For BT, the industry of telecommunication is very challenging from many aspects e.g.: Business changes: BTs human resources has to adapt to the changes of the mature voice and connectivity market which is characterised by a high competitiveness and an increasing demand for reduced operational complexities. Employees development: as technology is at the heart of BTs telecommunication services, there is a constant need for developing highly skilled employees in order to better serve the customers. For instance, BT is working to grow from being a telecommunication company to become a 21st century software-driven organisation  [2]  which requires the development of new capabilities. Economic fluctuation: BT has suffered from an unbalance of financial resources due to the global economic slowdown, which had adversely impacted its human resources performance. As a consequence, BT has reduced last year the number of indirect employees working through agencies or third party contractors by around 1100 and full-time employees by 9000. 2.2 The human resource requirements in a given situation: Due to the complexities facing the sector of telecommunication (discussed above), human resources at BT needed to adopt a new culture of what is known as mobile and flexible working. The key driver behind the new strategy is to reduce operational costs and improve employees efficiency: Cost transformation: through mobile and flexible working, human resources at BT should be able to reduce property, accommodation and travelling costs. Employees efficiency: flexible working can reduce absenteeism, increase demand for new hires and offers employees a better work-life balance which meanwhile helps boosting their efficiency and productivity. 2.3 A human resource plan for BT: If the H.R new plan of mobile working at BT is to be successful, it should provide appropriate tools and set clear objectives. Peter Drucker (1950) used the SMART acronym to define goals that are: specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, time related  [3]  . The H.R should deploy necessary efforts to up-skill employees through: Introducing the plan of mobile working using presentations, reports, web applicationsetc, taking into consideration that the more employees to choose mobile working, the greater the benefits of productivity for the organisation. Designing a process to support the transition: it could be done through 12 weeks of training programs including: skills to use visual display equipments, virtual offices, capability to access automating health and safety systemsetc Ensuring that the management has the appropriate tools to monitor and measure the performance of mobile workers. 2.4 Contribution of a human resources plan to meet BTs objectives: Human resources functions are tied to organisational strategies and must be designed to support the achievement of the business objectives. The new orientation of mobile working that H.R followed at BT reflects new elements of success that can massively contribute to the growth of the company. At this stage, the H.R is not only controlling and mentoring but rather adding value and responding to the global business changes. Besides, the approach has proved beneficiary across different organisations. BTs main objectives are targeting tow areas: the quality of services and the cost transformation. Relatively, human resources at BT have been working in the same context. Their new approach can accelerate commercial benefits that are necessary for BT to take leading position within the highly competitive market of telecommunication. 2.5 The purpose of human resource management policies in organisations: Human resource policies are codified rules and guideline that organisations establish to run their businesses  [4]  . The policies reflect the organisations culture and cover a set of procedures such as: hiring, employee relations, managing risks, corporate governanceetc. through a comprehensive human resource policies, organisations are able to build up their reputation and save valuable resources in case of any emerging crisis within the business. In the UK telecommunication industry for instance, organisations performances are critically dependent on the Data Protection Act (1998) which is concerned about the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information  [5]  . This Act helps organisation to build up trust with their stakeholders and demonstrate commitment to protect their information. On the other hand, many issues related to employees are drawn upon the Employment Act (2008) which deals with procedures for the resolution of employment disputes, compensation for financial loss, application of minimum wages legislation, the right of trade unions, enforcement of offences under the Employment Agencies Act 1973  [6]  .. and many other connected purposes. 2.6 The impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in BT: Human resources policies at BT span the complete business circle, from healthcare and safety of employees to security and copyright. The H.R policies at the organisation ensure the safety of employees and the public exposed to BT operations. BT is also critically concerned with the secure operation of its information systems, networks and data which are part of its major responsibilities as a telecommunication organisation. For this purpose, BT developed a set of policies and measures designed to deal with any catastrophic event such as: cyber-attacks, industrial failures, terrorist attacksetc. human resources management at BT realises that any significant failure to protect the company or customers data could ruin the business reputation and lead financial losses ( e.g. cancellation of contract, penaltiesetc). . Task3: 3.1 The impact of the organisational structure at MS on the management of human resources: Salamen, G and Asch, D (2003, P20) assume that organisational structure refers to the shape of the organisation, the number of levels of management and the nature and number of jobs. Any alterations to any element could lead to a structural change which itself impact on the human resource management. At Marks and Spencer, changes were introduced in the past years in order to keep up with the intense competition in the retail industry. Thus, the company refocused its business on three business values: quality, value, and services  [7]  . The new business strategy has created more challenges for the employees especially when the management opted for a more flatter structure by skipping some layers of authority, placing high centralisation on staff and supporting better coordination between the senior management and the business units. The process of delayering at MS created more business units and assigned more responsibilities to the employees. Therefore, human resources management introduced more programs of training and development. As the flat structure was giving employees more jobs, the management had to ensure that they possess the required technical skills and business competencies to manage ambiguities, and take wise decisions. In sum, the case of MS highlights the link between organisational structure and human resource management. The structure of any organisation has its own needs and requirements that the human resource should work towards fulfilling them. 3.2 The impact of MS organisational culture on the management of human resources: An organisational culture encompasses shared systems of meaning and values  [8]  . As mentioned earlier, MS eagerness to reposition itself in the retail market has led to major organisational changes. MS was determined to change the basis on which it competed by rebranding itself as a service based organisation  [9]  . The key focus of MS cultural change was on changing employees attitudes which clearly represents a strategic issue for the human resource management. Reinforcing desired behaviours requires big efforts and well studied actions. Human resource at MS focused on three key areas: Creating willingness to change among employees by raising the awareness about the necessity of the change, its benefits as well as the pressure that might be associated with the transition process. Communication at this stage is very important and an ongoing process of feedback is essential. Involving people: senior managers need to provide guidance and understand employees concerns. Sustaining the change: through continuous support, increased pay or bonus, develop new competenciesetc Cultural change at Marks and Spencer was dependent on the efficiency of its human resource planning. The H.R management in any organisation plays a great role in the achievement of organisations objectives and depends in the first place on the employees to make that happen. However, introducing any organisational changes always puts H.R management under substantial pressures. 3.3 How the effectiveness of human resources management is monitored: Human resource effectiveness monitoring is essential to enable the employees to focus on their next target role. Marks and Spence has successfully monitor the human resource performance through: Performance appraisals: employees discuss their development with their line managers who decide whether there is a need for further training. Every employee should make a personal development plan to set objectives on the basis of the appraisal feedback. Competency profiling: it also examines skills required for effectiveness as :communicating and influencing, decision making, business leadership, innovation and change, people and resource management, technical skillsetc. 3.4 Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources management: The following is list of recommendations that aims at improving the effectiveness of human resources management in organisations: Promote diversity: which is very important especially for businesses that are growing globally and need to deal with different mindsets. Besides, diversity reflects the commitment of the organisation to its corporate social responsibilities. Support equal opportunities in job descriptions: in order to promote social inclusion. Clearly align the strategies with the organisations objectives: human resource should develop policies and practices that support the achievement of business goals. Develop a well designed pay and reward plans according to exceptional performances and meanwhile recognise the value of all the staff making significant efforts.

Computers and Homeland Security Unite Essay -- Technology Department o

Computers and Homeland Security Unite Homeland security was created by the Bush administration in 2001 as a result of the September 11th events. It is an independent agency in the United States whose mission is to protect the nation from potential terrorist attacks. Together the agency is made up of twenty two agencies and 180,000 employees. Their main focus is â€Å"intelligence and warning; boarder and transportation security; domestic counterterrorism; protecting critical infrastructure; defending against catastrophic threats; and emergency preparedness and response† (Whitehouse 1). The agency could not carry out these important tasks if it were not for the latest in computer technology. â€Å"The Department of Homeland Security is connected to all fifty states† (Whitehouse 1), networking, and the shared information across the US makes it easier to keep everyone informed of the current events which allows them to work together more efficiently. It is their job to inform the American people if they are at risk for terrorism. The agency issues a current and up to date warning level sign for terrorism alerts. In 2003 the United States Homeland Security signed a contract with Microsoft making them the agencies â€Å"supplier of desktop computers and computer software† (gov exec 1). America will spend 90 million dollars to purchase the rights to 140,000 computers for the next five years to ensure that they keep America secure. As a result of the new system from Microsoft the agency was allowed to simplify their network because it is now all intergraded into one system that they did not have in the past. The agency uses computers to organize all the data they have collected by entering it into a computer database. They call the database... ...rrent information in their databases. Today America is continuously up dating and entering information into their databases because they hope to prevent further US destruction. With this new system of security implemented the nation is less likely to suffer another attack like September 11th 2001 because we will have enough time to prepare for potential terrorist attacks in the future with this new system implemented. Works Cited TeleType GPS Homeland Security US Coast Guard Press Release. February 19,2003. TeleType GPS, Http://www.teletype.com/pages/pgs/press/coast_guard_homeland_secuirty.html GovExec. July 15, 2003. National Journal Group INC. http://www.goveexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleeid Homeland Security Home page. July 20, 2005. The White House President George Bush. http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/homeland/

The Use of Computers on Car Crash-Analysis Programs :: Technology Computers Essays

The Use of Computers on Car Crash-Analysis Programs In the world today, computers are used in every field. Be it a major space exploration or a small chore like cleaning our room. The use of computers has made our lives easier but at the same time a computer failure can make our lives miserable too. We trust computers more than we trust anything else these days. We use computers to communicate, share personal information, buy goods online, etc. We also trust computers with our safety. Starting from house alarm systems and other safety devices we have now moved on to using computers to Test Car Crashes. Car crash analysis programs gained wide usage by the late 1980s but ARA (Applied Research Associates) Personnel in the Silicon Valley Office have been engaged in studying the crash response of vehicles, occupant safety, and right-of-way structures since 1971( ARA Website, 25h May). One of the major programs used for this testing is the DYNA3D which was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (A Gift of Fire, Baase). DYNA3D is a computer simulation program that models the interactions of physical objects on impact such as vehicle impacts involving roadside structures such as signs, supports, guardrails and crash cushions. DYNA3D, suitable for solving problems involving rapid change, has had many applications in safety analysis. Laboratory analysts have used DYNA3D to study crashworthiness in a number of vehicle safety studies, where models of complex vehicles impact roadside safety structures and other vehicles, deforming under the impact. The DYNA3D progra m uses a technique called the finite-element method where a grid is superimposed on the frame of a car dividing the car into a finite number of small pieces or elements. The grid is then entered into the program along with data describing the specifications of the materials making up each element such as density, elasticity, etc. While reading the effect of a head-on collision on the structure of the car, the data can be initialized to represent a crash into a wall at a specified speed. The program in return helps compute the force, acceleration, and displacement at each grid point and the stress and strain within each element. Using graphics programs, the simulation produces a picture of the car at intervals after impact.

Outline New World Beginnings

The Ice Age formed a land bridge in the area of present-day Boring Sea, which allowed nomadic groups of people to enter the Americas. B. Group of Nomads 1. Traveled across the Boring Land Bridge and populated the Americas 2. Split into countless tribes and evolved into over 2,000 languages a. Incas- Peru b. Mayans- Central America c. Aztec- Mexico Ill. The Earliest Americans A. Pueblo Indians 1. Constructed Intricate Irrigation systems to water their cornfields. 2. Lived In adobes and pueblos. B. Mound Builders 1. Lived at Iacocca, near present-day East SST. Louis. 2.Built an elaborate pueblo of more than six hundred interconnected rooms at Coach Canyon. C. Eastern Indians 1. Developed the three-sister farming where the beans grew on the trellis of the cornstalks and the squash covering the planting mounds to retain moisture in the soil. 2. Among them were the Creek, Choctaw, and Cherokee. D. Iroquois Confederacy 1. Created by the legendary leader, Hiawatha. 2. Developed political an d organizational skills to sustain a robust military alliance that menaced its neighbors. IV. Indirect Discoveries of the New World A. Blonde bearded Norse from Scandinavia reaches North America. . The Vikings landed around 1,000 C. E. 2. They landed at a place near Leans auk Meadows in present-day Newfoundland. . They soon abandoned the place and their discoveries were soon forgotten. B. Christian Crusaders rank high among America's indirect discoveries. 1 . Tens of thousands fought to regain control of the Holy Land from Muslim control. 2. Foiled in their assaults, the Crusaders craved the delights of Asia. V. Europeans Enter Africa A. Marco Polo returns to Europe in 1295 from China. B. Slave trade begins 1. Arab merchants and Africans had traded slaves before the Europeans arrived. . Millions were wrenched from their home continent after the discovery of the Americas. C. In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Aids rounded the A. Columbus persuaded the Spanish monarchs to outfit him with three tiny but seaworthy ships. B. By heading westward, he thought he would reach the Indies. 1. After six weeks at sea, he thought he reached the Indies when it was the Americas and mistaken the people there as â€Å"Indians. † C. Columbus discovery led too global economic system. 1. Europe would provide the markets, capital, and the technology. 2. Africa would provide the labor. 3.New World would provide the raw materials. VI'. When Worlds Collide A. The Old World and the New World traded things also known as the Columbian Exchange. B. The New World gave the Old World: 1. Corn, potatoes, pineapples, tomatoes, tobacco, beans, vanilla, etc. 2. Gold, silver, and syphilis(SST). C. The Old World gave the New World: 1. Wheat, sugar cane, rice, coffee, horse, cows, pigs, etc. 2. Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague, influenza, typhus, etc. A. Have any immunity in their bodies. B. Thus, around 90% of Native Americans died. VIII. The Spanish Conquistadores The Indians didn't A.Portugal and Spain argued over who got what land and the argument was settled wrought the Treaty of Tortillas. 1. Portugal received territories in Africa, Asia, and Brazil. 2. Spain received territories in the Americas. B. Spanish conquistadores fanned out across the Caribbean. 1. Vases Nuns Balboa- discovered the Pacific Ocean. 2. Ferdinand Magellan- His vessel circumnavigated across the globe. 3. Juan Pence De Leon- Explored Florida looking for the â€Å"Fountain of Youth. † 4. Francisco Coronado- Discovered the Grand Canyon and enormous herds of buffalos. 5. Hernandez De Sotto- Discovered the Mississippi River. 6.Francisco Pizzeria- Crushed the Incas of Peru. C. Encomia system established. . It allowed the government to â€Å"command† Indians to certain colonists in return for the promise to try to Christianize them. 2. Bartholomew De Alas Cases, appalled by the encomia system, called it â€Å"A moral pestilence invented by Satan. † ‘X. The Conquest o f Mexico 1. Montague thought Herman Cortes was the god, Quadruplicate, returning from the eastern sea. 2. Herman Cortes was welcomed into the empire and took advantage by conquering it. 3. A new race of people called messiest is formed, which have a mix of Latin American's European and Indian blood. 4.The Spaniards' greed for gold led Montague to attack the Spanish on niche tries (sad night). X. The Spread of Spanish America 1. Within about half a century of Columbus landfall, Spanish cities flourished in the Americas. 2. Other countries wanted their share of the new lands. A. The English sent Giovanni Cabot to explore the northeastern coast of North America. B. The French sent Giovanni dad Overgraze to probe the eastern seaboard. C. Lawrence River. 3. The Pueblo Indians started an uprising called the Pope's Rebellion against the Spanish in 1680. 4. The misdeeds of the Spanish in the New World gave birth to the â€Å"Black Legend. †