The Role of Media in the Music Industry Essay - 849 Words

The Role of Media in the Music Industry When musicians produce albums, they want people to listen to the albums. There is not one specific way for a band or single musician to gain an audience and promote their music. Musicians use many different kinds of media to promote their music. They use visual media as well as strictly listening media. The radio, television, and the internet are all different types of media musicians use to promote their music. The radio is the oldest use of media for music. It has not lost its importance in spreading music though. Bands today still rely on the radio to help spread their music so people will want to but their albums. For a band to gain an audience and to get people to buy their albums they†¦show more content†¦Both MTV (Music Television) and BET (Black Entertainment Television) do not just play music videos. They also have interviews with musicians. This is another way for a musician to be recognized. Even if the audience doesn’t even hear a song from the musician being interviewed, they have still been introduced to the musician and the next time they are out buying CDs they may come across a CD from that musician and want to try it out. Shows dedicated to music also usually have a top ten countdown. To make it to the top ten countdown, the musician already has a lot of people listening to their music, but can still gain a lot more listeners. Just because it’s on the top ten doesn’t mean everyone has heard it, so if someone watching sees the video for the first time the musician may have gained another listener to buy the album. The internet is the one media that brings up the most controversy in bands spreading their music. Whether they promote it or not their music is downloaded for free on the internet. Most bands do not like that their music is downloaded for free, but they can’t do much to stop it. In a way downloading music for free could bring the musicians even more money. If a person likes one of the songs they downloaded off of the internet they may be inclined to buy the entire album or at least the single. After the person buys the latest album they may even buy earlier albums from the same artist if they like the music enough. The internet hasShow MoreRelatedEssay On Music Business Practices1744 Words   |  7 PagesEffective Music Business Practices The future of the music industry is currently undetermined as the technological development brought significant changes to the traditional music business environment and consequently the new music business practices are to be developed. The Australian music market is one of the largest in the world, being the sixth largest market in terms of revenues and the seventh in the digital sales (Music Australia, 2017). Live performance plays the important role in the music sectorRead MoreThe Impact Of Digital On The Music Industry902 Words   |  4 Pages The music industry has gone through some rough transitions with the exponential increase of newer technologies. Traditionally a music artist would become successful in signing a record deal and selling their album in stores. Music labels would play crucial roles in the success of artists facilitating the process of the many aspects involved with making a successful artist. However, today CDs seem to be virtually non-existent with the intr oduction of more convenient platforms such as, MP3s and theRead MoreThe Documentaries Killing Us Softly 4 Essay1252 Words   |  6 Pagesin mind, media, particularly the music video and advertisement industry, are essential parts of contemporary socialization, especially involving the perpetuation of gender roles in our culture. 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The action of Taylor Swift removing allRead MoreCase Study : Apple Inc.1349 Words   |  6 Pages Executive Case Summary As the billion dollar home entertainment industry, specifically within music, continues to grow and evolve at record rates, there seems to be some clear trends of availability, accessibility, manageability, portability and economic factors playing vital roles in the requirements to remain competitive in the digital music industry. Through time, the competitive nature of this industry has weeded out the weak competition and the strong have definitely bubbled to

Main Features Of Traditional Japanese Business - 2026 Words

With Japan’s economy coming in at the third largest in world its economic success has often been credited to the distinctive corporate business systems that it favours. Following the First World War Japan experienced huge economic growth which was known as the post war miracle due to the increased focus on industrial and economic goals rather than defence spending. However, this era of booming economic growth passed with its growth of gradually beginning to slow down and stabilise. This, in turn, led to Japan’s economic recession and so called bubble economy which led Japan into its lost decade, with Japan struggling to sustain economic growth since the burst of the bubble economy. Although having recovered Japan’s economy has never seemed to return to what it once was, with the unemployment rate steadily climbing and national debt increasing. Consequently, could this slowing of growth be due to Japans reluctance to engage in major organisational restructuring an d avoid radical innovation? In this essay I will be exploring this idea further by looking at key features of the traditional Japanese business model and exploring some of the darker sides of BLABALBL. I will then go on to look at the vari TOYOTISM FORDISM? Since the post-war economic miracle Japan has heavily relied on its distinctive corporate business system with JOHN stating that it ‘has been widely praised for its massive contribution to Japan’s strong economic growth.’ JOHN argues that the key to this businessShow MoreRelatedThousands of years worth of events has shaped one of the worlds most fascinating cultures, which is1500 Words   |  6 Pagesmost fascinating cultures, which is still today filled with essences from the past. The Japanese culture as seen today, still holds features from centuries ago. 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In addition, Gree offers a platform for developers at which developers can create new games and market it to the consumers by paying a proportion of their income to Gree (Cotton, 2011). PROBLEM STATEMENT The case is based in the year

Saving Water Free Essays

The Solution is in the Tips of our Hands. â€Å"We think this water may one day be lost to us forever,† a phrase said by Mohanbhai G. Patel, a hopeless well owner from India mentioned on the essay Water Pressure, presented in the book Green. We will write a custom essay sample on Saving Water or any similar topic only for you Order Now This essay portrays a great understanding of how humans can change the water scarcity problem in remote places, such as villages in India and Africa, by just spreading their knowledge and showing methods that will decrease the effect of this ceaseless issue. Some of us do not have the capacity and resources to help third world countries, but we do have the ability to change the community we live in; and it all starts at home. A simple, sustainable method we could practice is running the clothes washer and dish washer only when full. This concept may seem extremely appealing to members of a household but the actual idea of practicing the method might turned out to be unrealistic. In order to make this water saving practice effective, one person should begin the trend of implying the practice in their daily life, demonstrating to the people surrounding him/her it’s not difficult to become a guardian of this crucial element. The conception on how the problem should be faced are based on my beliefs and inexperienced perception of human action, for this reason I consulted my grandmother’s judgment on this matter. Agueda grew up in the Cuban countryside where washing machines didn’t even exist less than a decade ago. If you need three pieces of clothes for the next day, just fill a little bucket with water, place the items inside, and let it sit there for thirty minutes; your clothes would be as wearable as if you wash it twenty times in the washer. †(Delgado) It was important taking into consideration the concerns of person my age and how water shortage worldwide was affecting his life. One of my classmates, named Carlos Garcia, who see ms very passionate about this issue, was the perfect candidate to provide some information on this method. I asked him about the dishwasher and how he believed using this machine only when needed as going to make a change. He laughed at the fact that people actually use them as an instrument for washing dishes. â€Å"Just because a person got a patent on an invention do not means is useful at home,† Carlos quoted. From his point of view having a dishwasher at home is a waste of space, water, and electricity. His mother, who is the main user of the dishwasher, stores kitchen appliances and has never turn power button on. The author of the essay presented earlier, Fen Montaigne, shows a variety of approaches on how to solve the water deficiency problem and demonstrates how this water distress affects different regions of the world. The story starts as he travels throughout India with a popular dam constructor that has built, with his movement, an estimated of 4,500 dams in about 1000 villages. This break of events illustrates how a person can impact thousands of people by just showing them how to work together to alleviate the great necessity of water sources that were nonexistent to this time. Now how do I relate his experiences to my sustainable practice at home? We start conserving water using a simple method will then expand our horizons little by little when we get our families involved, and later on our community. Judging on the opinion of an elderly person, a college student, or an educated writer should not be well structure evidence on how the problem should be confronted. You would make your own decision according to your beliefs, and understanding of the concept. By investing on researching any of the earlier stated methods and creating greater knowledge, anyone can help to promote water preservation, and anyone can help to halt this international crisis. How to cite Saving Water, Essay examples

Swot Analysis for Apple Inc free essay sample

Analysis on Apple Inc. Strengths Apple has a very strong and well recognised brand. All of Apple’s products have a very high level of brand awareness and are recognised in all of the markets in which it operates. The evidence of this high brand recognition and awareness can be found by taking a look at the at the sales figure and revenue that Apple generates, For example, the iPad managed to gross in about $5 billion and unit sales of about 7. 5 million in 2010, going on to sell a further 7. 33 million units in the first quarter of 2011. Another example is the 93% rise in the net sales of the iPhone to generate revenue of about $25. billion in the year 2010. Apple’s brand recognition and awareness enables the company to set premium prices and generate major demand for its range of products. Industry sources place Apple as the fourth largest company in the global mobile phone market and third in the smartphone market with market shares of 5% and 18. 5% respectively. Apple’s unprecedented success with every product it has launched is the reason why the company had an upward drive in market share over the past few years. In the years 2004 and 2005, Apple’s iPod held a 48% mp3 player market share with its closest competitor being SanDisk’s Sansa occupying about 8%. In 2011, the iPod held about 75% market share with about 300 million units sold since its launch. The first iPhone launch showed Apple’s relative obscurity in the smartphone market with only about 3. 4% market share in the beginning of 2007 to about 19% at the end of 2011. Apple was able to capture 75% of the profits in the smartphone industry with only a rise of 9% market share from the previous year highlighting the company’s pricing power. Apple’s entry into the tablets market saw them selling 14. 8 million units in 2010, 75% of global tablet PC sales, going on to control 70% of the tablets markets in the United States. The success of its products enabled the company to continue to grow while commanding premium pricing. The company’s success would be very hard for companies to emulate leaving Apple in a very strong place with outstanding brand position. Apple’s pursuit of both horizontal and vertical integration has enabled the company to become an intimidating competitor. The width in the range of products it offers is nothing short of impressive as they cover a lot of markets such as digital media, personal computers, tablets and smartphones to name but a few. Also, hrough the use of vertical integration, Apple has managed to offer hardware, software, content all the way down to retailing enabling it control its supply chain as well as making the customer dependant on only their operating systems making it hard to switch to competitors. An example of how Apple tie down their customers with horizontal integration can be seen with products such as iTunes and iCloud which essentially al low the customer to share media and documents across its range of products. This gives the company a considerable amount of competitive advantage. Apple prides itself on innovation and has a very strong emphasis on persistent investment in research and development which is vital in the development and augmentation of an innovative product range. In order to capitalize on the merging of various technologies such as the personal computer, mobile communication and digital electronics, Apple has developed a unique ability to design and make its own, hardware, operating systems, software and services to create innovative, exciting products that have its users in mind, providing them with top quality, easy to use devices that integrate seamlessly with each other. Apple has spent significant amounts on research and developments as they look to further develop the Mac range of Personal computers, the operating systems Mac OS X and the iOS, application software for their range of products as well as the development of new products. Research and development has enabled the company to launch new products as well as enhancing present ones. For example, the iPad 2 was launched in March 2011 with a completely new design which was 15% lighter and 33% thinner than the previous version. Apple’s keen involvement in research and development has earned Apple the status of innovative market leader, continuously launching products that enhance its brand image, safeguarding its position in their operating markets. Weaknesses The 2011 financial year figures show that 62. 3% of the Apple’s revenue was from two products namely the iPhone and iPad. These two products have been the reason why there has been a surge in growth, revenue and market share for the company and even though figures show that they are on the rise, its constitutes a major business risk for a company like Apple to rely on two products to provide a major part of its revenue in a very volatile and fast-paced technological market. Another weakness of Apple is that it does not have different products at different price points which limits it from targeting a larger market compared to its competitors such as Samsung and LG. The competition has products at different price points allowing it to target bigger market base as well as price sensitive consumers. Price, at the moment is the only advantage that the competitors have on Apple. There is also the issue of Apple only providing smartphones while its competitors provide both smartphones and normal mobile handsets meaning that Apple is restricted to the 5% market share it holds in the overall mobile handset market. Apple products as well as services have experienced quality problems occasionally. Apple offers a complicated range of software and hardware products and services that might have faults developed in the manufacturing or design stage, or sometimes due to deficient components acquired from third parties which apple has no control over. This can cost the company a lot in warranty and exchange costs as it did in 2010 with the failure of the antenna in the iPhone 4 as well as the ultra-compact power adapter in 2008. These defects can very well harm the company’s reputation and incur significant financial harm. Apple’s close competitors Nokia and Motorola have currently filed complaints to the US International Trade Commission and US District Courts of Florida, Illinois and Delaware for patent infringement. Nokia alleges that there are infringements on its patents for mobile phones, music players as well as computers. Any verdict that does not favour Apple might affect the company and harm their financial situation and operational capabilities, as well brand positioning and market share stability. Opportunities The forecasts made show considerable growth for the worldwide smartphones market in the future. The number of expected smartphone shipments is estimated to be around 850 million by the end of 2013. As Apple is the third largest firm in the smartphone market, there are a lot of opportunities for the company to grow even further in the smartphone sector. The tablet market is apparently also on the rise with experts estimating demand at the end of 2013 to be at around 150 million units. Apple is currently the strongest company in the mobile applications market, with applications numbering at about 350 000, a hundred thousand over its closest competitor, the android arket. Apple will be in a very good position as it is estimated that the applications market will be worth $9 billion by 2014. With the innovative products range that Apple possesses, it is in an enviable position where it can easily increase its market share in the smartphone and tablet markets which it operates in. Apple has considerable opportunities to utilise enterprise, governments and the education markets. A sur vey in 2011 showed that about 96% of businesses in the US have at least one iPad in use. The popularity that Apple products enjoy is inevitably spilling more into the business environment as well as government agencies as more businesses and agencies are giving employees more freedom on which devices to use. Market estimates show that there will be considerable annual growth of 50% in the enterprise market for tablets in the years 2011-2016, increasing sales figures from about 13 million units in 2011 to about 97 million units in 2016 while enterprise smartphone sales will rise from 20 million units in 2010 to 54 million units in 2016. This shows that enterprise will become one of Apple’s key customer groups and drive the company’s growth. Another market where Apple have the opportunity to generate more revenue is the global mobile advertising market which is forecasted to be worth about $25 billion globally, boosted by the increase in use of smartphones in developed as well as emerging nations. After acquiring ad platform Quattro wireless to gain some traction in the ad market, Apple launched iAd in April 2010. Ad combines the sensation of traditional Television advertising with the interactivity of the internet to give advertisers an innovative, vibrant and effective way to advertise to mobile consumers. iAd has already launched campaigns for various big firms and the future looks secure as there is a very good growth opportunity. Due to price sensitive customers and other issues such as lack of carrier subsidies, Apple has not yet achieved its full potential for growth in emerging markets. With smartphone penetration in countries such as China and India at about 20-30% compared to the developed countries’ 60%, it is obvious that Apple has the opportunity to realise its full potentials. Factors that will help Apple in its quest to grow in emerging countries are the popularity of the company, the improvement in the standard of living in emerging countries and also the market forecast that shows that there will be an increase in the emerging market from 36% to 46% of the worldwide shipment of tablets. This will mean that there is considerable growth opportunities for Apple in the emerging markets. The launch of the Apple TV is predicted to penetrate the unexploited potential for linked devices providing another opportunity for Apple. There is a growing customer need for connected devices and this will likely boost the demand for the Apple TV. Estimates indicate that 20% of Televisions sold in 2012 would be smart televisions with the figure expected to rise to 40% the following year. As the product is close to its launch date, demand is said to be quite high especially in the high end TV market. The success of Apple’ s previous product launches have driven growth in the past and there is every indication it will be the same with the Apple TV and there is a potential for it to drive the company’s growth in the near term. Threats The Google Android operating system is growing in status and approval, becoming the iOS’s closest rival. Google claim that about 350 000 android phones are activated everyday compared to the 150 000 iPhones activated per day. This threat to the iOS’s market share is also coupled with the fact that a number of Apple’s competitors such as Samsung, HTC, Sony and Motorola use the Android operating system. Although the Android OS came in very late into the market, it is proving to be a very good rival for the iOS and this can affect Apple’s market share. There is also a threat to Apple’s revenues and profitability as affluent as well as seasoned competitors like Google and Microsoft launch successful products, earning market share while decreasing Apple’s market share and revenue. With the android operating system already threatening to match the iOS in terms of popularity as well as Google’s take-over of Motorola in order to replicate Apple’s vertical integration, the company faces daunting competition from all angles which could stall market shares, revenues and profitability. Another threat to Apple is the dependence on third parties to provide certain important components for its products and occasionally, these components are exposed to industry wide scarcities which makes the company susceptible to certain risk that may harm the company’s operations. The impact of the death of Steve Jobs has been challenging at Apple as he is the creative and enigmatic founder who led Apple to its current state. An example of how important he was to the company could be the period after it was announced he was leaving on a prolonged medical leave in 2008, company share prices fell about 8%. Apple may need more active innovation if it wants to continue expanding in the absence of Steve Jobs.

Analysis of the first sequences of the film Punch Drunk Love Essays

Analysis of the first sequences of the film Punch Drunk Love Essays Analysis of the first sequences of the film Punch Drunk Love Paper Analysis of the first sequences of the film Punch Drunk Love Paper Essay Topic: Film Punch-Drunk Love is above all a portrait of a personality type. P.T. Anderson utilizes many techniques to synchronize the experience of the protagonist, Barry, and the viewing audience, in order to effectively immerse the viewer in the universe Punch Drunk Love inhabits. Barry Egan has been damaged, perhaps beyond repair, by what he sees as the depredations of his domineering sisters. It drives him crazy when people nose into his business. He cannot stand to be trifled with. His world is entered by alarming omens and situations that baffle him. The character is vividly seen and the film sympathizes with him in his extremity. Music was an important mise en scene element through out this film. Music in this film plays two main roles: representing Barry Egans crippling,sometimes violent, anxiety and First scene starts with fade in to show the contrast between the large area and the small desk which is located in the corner of the large empty area. A wide angle lens is emphasizing Barrys smallness in it. Limited light emphasizes on Barry, and the limited light and limited colour will be important during the movie to show the abstract meanings. The first sound of the movie is heard by the Barrys phone conversion with the Healthy Choices representative to take advantage of the loophole in the promotion campaign of the firm. The phone calls are important during the movie which show the isolated Barry from the community and show the way of communication with people. He expresses himself clearly via telephone then contacting with face to face. The shade of blue on the warehouse wall and on the suit Barry wears are nearly same colour. Concept of the colour is an important mise en scene fort his movie, that is why some basic colour is used during the whole movie. While he is on the phon e he hears something. When he hangs up he picks up his thermos and walks across the room to understand the reason of the sound. The camera follows him into what seems like complete blackness while he is walking from the corner of the room to the door. Then the abrupt, rackety sound of the large metal door opening upward fills the soundtrack, and we see the dirty blue haze of a Los Angeles dawn. Barry shuffles outside and the camera swoops around his head, making sure to capture the tranquil ambiance of the morning atmosphere, and looks in the direction Barrys looking. The parking lot is out of focus, but after a few beats, the focus pulls back and we see everything that Barry sees. He looks down a long alley, which leads to a main road. It introduces the audience to its unorthodox presentation of its maladroit main character, startling noises, quirky humor, suggestive lighting, alternately static and sweeping camerawork, and complete spatial reorientation. Barry is then shown at the mouth of the driveway, looking out at the road. The color of his surroundings has become dull and darker than they first appeared. The street is deserted, and the cameras perspective is now assumed to be Barrys. As the ambient noise dies down, the audience now views the street from the protagonists point of view, fixed on two cars approaching from the distant left corner of the screen. Suddenly, one flips without warning, loudly tumbling closer to the viewer as the camera follows it down the street. The accident, a taxi immediately pulls up to the driveway, leaving a harmonium. Stunned and confused, Barry walks up to it and examines it for some time. Once more, the ambient noise fades away, and he is shown in an extreme longshot from the other side of the street. Suddenly, a truck noisily passes by, prompting Barry to quickly pick up the Harmonium and run to his office. The second secene starts with Barry (Adam Sandler) is making a business talk over the phone on his desk. After his phone call, he goes outside to look for the piano. In the mean time a car entered to his offices garage. This is the time when Barry meets Lena Leonard (Emily Watson) with her attractive red drees. She asks him to look after her broken-down car (In the future he meets Lena Leonard again. She is introduced to Barry by his sister Elizabeth, one of her co-workers). It seems like she dropped her car off because she wanted to see him after seeing a picture of him with Elizabeth. When Lena leaves the garage, Barry he hides back of the door and gasps of breath. Scene ends with when Barry watching Lena from back the door. It seems like he is attracted from her. Second scene starts with Barrys phone call with a medium shot giving an impression of the Barry expressions. The shot emphasizes the color blue the visual backdrop is slightly tinted, and Barry`s suit is also dark blue. Then the camera moves tracking forward when Barry walks out of his office. A long shot is made when Barry is looking to the piano and with the enterance of Lena`s car. At the mean time the audience hears natural sounds like the voice of the brake. The camare stopped at the medium shot to show Barry`s and Lena`s conversation and their acting more clearly. The audience sees that Barry is acting weird (it was like he gets excited). Steadicam shot follows Lena from behind as she is walking away from the camera, but Anderson holds it for longer than we expect and through it we somehow understand all we need to know about this woman. Then Lena turns back to see Barry and a subjective shot made from Lena`s point of view. Camera exits from subjective shot and turned into a long shot. A cut made and camera starts to show Barry in a dark corner. Again we heard the sound of klaxon of the truck (natural sound). Anderson is using the sound as an additional form of expression, used to heighten the connection with Barrys emotional and psychological feelings. So the audience understands that something happens in the emotions of Barry. A shallow focuses (the opposite of deep focus, which keeps only one plane in sharp focus, Direct the viewers attention to one element of a scene) used which makes audience`s attention to Barry with an extreme close up to his eyes. Anderson uses a different visual technique in the second scene is the lens flare. When Lena and Barry is talking a lens flare appears (looks like a rainbow) with a mixture of colors red, blue, white, yellow. Anderson is embracing the lens flare as a form of expression in this film. The lens flare is does heighten the emotion of a particular scene. Ultimately the lens flare is representing the presence of love. Through the use of the lens flare, Anderson is heightening the feeling Barry and Lena have for each other as an additional form of visual expression In the scene the most important mise en scene element is the blue suit or the blue color. Blue is used throughout the film as an indication of Barrys emotional state of loneliness. Obviously the most notable example is the blue suit Barry is seen wearing throughout the film. Blue is found in both Barrys home and at his office, and very much represents a part of him. This scene is the first time that Barry feels something to woman (meta movement). Additionally this scene foreshadows that the life of Barry will change after meeting with Lena Leonard, the loneliness will end. However the audience can have absolutely no idea what will happen next. One more interesting thing that the clip shows is after the main theme starts To swell; the film cuts to several slowly moving, colorful, nondiegetic images. Over The colors, a collage of all the different types of music can be heard. In a way, this Scene gives away the whole movie (at least musically), which implies a sort of fate For Barry and Lena. The artwork (even in short moments) is beautifully breathtaking, and seem to work perfectly within the mood and flow of the films narrative. Anderson is essentially stretching the boundaries of cinematic narrative with this visual expression. Aside from Blakes artwork, Anderson uses several key colors to express the emotions and narrative of the film. The most obvious is the use of Blue, Red, and White. Throughout Punch-Drunk Love, Anderson places these colors within the emotional and physical environment of Barrys character Punch-Drunk Love (2002) Analysis of excerpt [09:35-10:35] The movie Punch-Drunk Love, tells the story of a small-business owner, whose mundane life starts to become interesting after he finds a harmonium and meets a woman, with whom he then falls in love. The excerpt consists of two shots. The first shot takes place in an office, where the main character is in a dialogue with a supporting character. The shot begins with a Medium Long Shot and becomes Medium Close Up as the main character moves towards the camera. The character is centered and the camera follows the character from inside the office to the outside, which is actually a warehouse. The cam seems to be a steady cam, because the image seems stable, it is probably a Dolly cam. The door of the warehouse was observed to be open in the previous scene, so while we were only hearing a slow background music at the beginning, it is then mixed with the street-noise, as the main character gets out of the office, into the warehouse. After that, we hear the sound of another person, a possible customer, who just entered the warehouse and took the attention of the main character. He then, turns to the camera, which is an example of Frontality. The scene decor consists of ordinary office equipments and in contrast to that, a harmonium in the middle, which is the point of interest of both the characters in this shot. The light looks like a natural light without much contrast difference, it can even be considered as dark. The costume of the supporting character is daily work clothes, but the main character wears a suit, which surprised the supporting character in the previous scene. This shows that the main character put extra effort on that day, because of a certain reason. The second shot is basically, a continuous change of images and colors, fading, changing forms and colors, then changing into an image, which looks like a sky full of stars, that shine spontaneously and then again fades and changes to a different type of color shapes. This shot can have different meanings, but considering the next scene, where the characters have the same clothes on, but seems like a different time; this shot shows that it is just an ordinary day, just like the other days, no distinguishable differences. It just indicates a time difference in the same day. The music in the background is still the same as the previous shot; a slow-music, which sort of moves with the changing colors and images. But the noise from the street is filtered in this shot.

Organizational Behavior Structure, Development and Change

Organizational Behavior Structure, Development and Change Abstract Being an interdisciplinary area under discussion, organizational behavior includes sociology, management, psychology, and other disciplines. A number of the features of organizational behavior explained in this research paper consist of organizational structure, organizational development, and organizational change.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Behavior: Structure, Development and Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The study of organizational behavior tests the control that structures, change, and development possess with regard to performance within a business or organization. In a bid to enhance maintained existence, development, and success of businesses in the contemporary aggressive and varying business settings, organizational change has become an obligation. Nevertheless, workers are slow in embracing change since they usually see it as invasive and disruptive element o f the practices and social affiliations previously relied upon to realize essential undertakings. Managing change successfully in an organization is a very difficult undertaking due to employees’ resistance to the change endeavors. Some of the methods that managers can employ in successfully bringing about change in an organization include building resources and communicating facts to employees with the intention of winning their support and loyalty. Introduction The study of organizational behavior examines the influence that structures, change, development, persons, and groups give on performance within a business or organization. Being an interdisciplinary subject, organizational behavior comprises sociology, management, psychology, and other disciplines. Organizational behavior harmonizes the scholarly learning of managerial theory (concentrating on organizational as well as intra-organizational subjects) in addition to studies on human resource (more functional and busin ess-centered). Some of the aspects of organizational behavior discussed in this research paper include organizational structure, organizational development, and organizational change (Hitt, Miller, Colella, 2010, pp. 125-146).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organizational change signifies the progress of an organization to move out of its current situation and head towards a preferred future situation to boost its competence and success. This research paper discusses organizational behavior before focusing on resistance to change and the way to manage change successfully in an organization. Problem definition For continued existence, development, and success of businesses and organizations in the current competitive and varying business setting, organizational change has become a requirement. Business setting includes different constituents like clients, creditors, suppliers, rivals, governments, investors, and societies. Because these constituents are dynamic, businesses have to change to keep pace with their settings. Managing change in an organization could be among the most difficult undertakings due to employees’ resistance towards change implementation (Kumar, 2012, pp. 11-15). Managing change in an organizational is the practice of designing and executing the change wisely with an aim of minimizing resistance of workers in addition to outlaying business, while as well maximizing the efficiency of change attempt. It is a difficult undertaking for managers due to the resistance to changing the status quo. The resistance might take place at any level of the hierarchy in an organizational. The employees at higher ranks oppose change attempts due to the fear that the process might be a risk to their supremacy, interests, and management of resources. For employees at lower ranks, resistance arises since change brings doubt, which generates insecurity. As a result of resistance, in numerous instances, which are approximated to be as several as 50 per cent of the entire change attempts, organizational change does not deliver anticipated results or meet planned objectives. Organizational Structure A structure in organizations involves actions like duty distribution, harmonization, and management that are concentrated towards the attainment of organizational goals. Organizational structure could as well be viewed as the mirror or viewpoint via which employees observe their organization in addition to its setting. Organizations represent a modification of grouped entities, which could take up different structures in diverse manners depending on their aims (Thompson, 2008, pp. 58-60). Organizational structure decides the approaches in which a firm functions and carries out its endeavors. Organizational structure facilitates in assigning different duties to the different sections of an institution.Advertisin g We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Behavior: Structure, Development and Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The structure of an organizational influences the organizational feat in a couple of critical ways. First, it offers the basis where standard working practices and schedules lie. Secondly, it decides which employees take part judgment making practices, and thus to what degree their opinions form the achievements of the institution. Organization Development Organization Development (OD) signifies the orderly use of behavioral discipline at different stages like groups, businesses, and organizations to lead to the desired change. The aim of OD is a superior excellence of work-life, yield, flexibility, and success. It achieves these objectives by altering approaches, conducts, values, policies, practices, and structures for the organization to become accustomed to competitive accomplishments, tech nology advances, and the quick rate of change in the surroundings. OD is the practice of bettering organizations. In a bid to benefit the business, workers, and investors, the practice is circumspectly designed and executed. The customer organization might be a public agency, corporation, non-profit organization, aid group, or a smaller fraction of a bigger organization. The change course maintains development of the business or organization all together. Customers and specialists work jointly to collect statistics, define subjects, and settle on an appropriate line of operation (Thompson, 2008, pp. 61-65). Organizations are evaluated to generate a comprehension of the present state and discover chances for change, which will rally business goals. The difference between OD and traditional consulting lies in the fact that in OD, client participation is supported all through the entire course. The manners in which individuals converse and work jointly are addressed alongside the techn ological matters that require resolution. Importance of organizational development Excellence of work life, productivity, efficiency, and confidence are elements of interest to the majority of organizations since they influence attainment of organization objectives. There is a rising tendency to make the most of the investment of an organization in its workers. Jobs that formerly necessitated physical sleight now necessitate additional psychological effort. All organizations desire to act smarter and make use of creative plans. The labor force has as well changed. Workers anticipate more from the work of a single day than only a days salary. They desire challenge, appreciation, a feeling of achievement, valuable undertakings, and evocative associations with their bosses and colleagues. Failure to satisfy these requirements results to decline in performance (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2004, pp. 86-99).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The modern customers should constantly improve quality, quick delivery of product or service, quick spin instance on changes, reduced prices and additional aspects that are best accomplished in complex settings by inventive organizational processes. The successful organization should deal with the challenges of each day. Therefore, flexibility, responsiveness, and OD in general are vital for any organization to survive and prosper. Organizational Change Organizational change denotes alterations of the present work habits and policies that influence an entire organization and has become a key center of attention in literatures on change management. Whether the consequence of unification, or merely the requirements of an aggressive marketplace, considerable organizational change is a difficult strategy to execute. Organizational change keeps occurring at a great rate in contemporary organizations. A recent study of international companies accounted that organizational managers hold th at just a third of organizational change plans succeed. Even if there are certainly a range of contributing justifications for the high proportion of failure that happens in organizational change endeavors, management studies have progressively come to a conclusion that workers play a key function in the achievement or failure of organizational change (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2004, pp. 86-99). Prior experimental researches have verified the declaration that the responses of workers to change perform a critical function in its achievement. In this regard, the dedication of employees to change has obtained growing consideration as a significant contributor to change associated organizational results. Resistance to change Workers are frequently hesitant to assent to organizational change since they characteristically see it as invasive and disruptive aspect to the habits and social affiliations previously relied upon to carry out essential work undertakings. Employees might as wel l experience raised workloads ensuing from the handling of new work assignments in addition to existing ones, the necessity to change to new work associations, and very frequently, the institution of fresh strategic objectives. Prior studies substantiate the reality that participation in designed change in an organization is a lengthy, psychologically forceful, demanding, and fatiguing practice for the majority of employees (Miner, 2002, pp. 23-26). The constancy of such results has made a number of scholars to suggest that the severe negative sentiments experienced by most workers during the execution of change in an organization make them become reluctant to change and unwilling to enact encouraging conducts towards achieving objectives set by the leaders of different organizations. The view of change is terrifying to the majority of employees, whether logically or otherwise. The resultant terror of change frequently generates resistance in organizations during the anticipation or pronouncement of change. If executives do not sufficiently foresee or prepare for the reactions from their juniors to a planned change, the change might be far more unsettling than is necessary (Miner, 2002, pp. 27-36). Nevertheless, the agents of change have the chance to groom the employees in the organization for the intended change, and hence minimize possible organizational distraction and manage the condition as a chance for competitive restructuring and development. Managing change Build resources One technique of boosting and maintaining dedication of workers to change is by building up their personal resources before the commencement of the process of change. An example of building resources is coming up with coalitions to serve as a policy that frequently occurs all through the entire phase of executing the change (Jaros, 2010, pp. 79-81). Support is collected from every corner that will be involved in the change process and from various levels within the organization. A reward plan that strengthens the desired conduct is as well vital for a successful program of change. The build up resources can help in reducing the tensions and pressures often related to organizational change. The resources could also drive the dedication of employees to change. Such resources might not just have a constructive influence on worker mindsets and conducts, but might as well generate encouraging organizational results through these mindsets and conducts (Jaros, 2010, pp. 81-84). Therefore, it appears quite significant that managers study the function that individual workers play in determining their dedication to, and participation in, the process of change. Communication Workers often see the process of change as unsettling. A triumphant change plan necessitates that workers comprehend why the necessity for change is essential so that they accept the change plan. With lack of understanding, employees think concerning how change will profit or perhaps harm them. By g iving exact information to each employee simultaneously, chances for rumors that cause resistance are eradicated. Failure to communicate facts to employees before execution of change is the worst blunder an organization could make (Jaros, 2010, pp. 85-98). Communication helps in reducing anxiety and worry. In the case of organizational restructuring, it is vital to explain new roles with the intention of raising concerns in a neutral way and evade disorder when change is in progress. Finally, change has to be carefully managed to produce sustained outcomes. Conclusion The study of organizational behavior checks the control that structures, change, development, persons, and groups bestow on performance within a business. For maintained existence, development, and success of businesses and organizations in the contemporary competitive and varying business setting, organizational change has become a requirement. Workers are frequently hesitant to embrace organizational change since the y normally see it as invasive and disruptive of the habits and social affiliations previously relied upon to carry out essential undertakings. Managing change in an organization could be a very difficult undertaking due to employee resistance to the change attempt. Some of the ways that managers can use to bring about change in an organization include building resources and communication in a bid to win the support of the employees. Nevertheless, Jaros (2010) insists that change has to be well managed for employees to embrace it willingly. References Hitt, A., Miller, C., Colella, A. (2010). Organizational behavior (3rd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley Sons. Jaros, S. (2010). Commitment to organizational change: A critical review. Journal of  Change Management, 10(1), 79–108. Kumar, S. (2012). Challenges of Managing an Organizational Change. Advances in  Management, 5(4), 11-15. Miner, J.B. (2002). Organizational behavior: Foundations, theories, and analyses. New York, NY : Oxford University Press. Schermerhorn, R., Hunt, G., Osborn, N. (2004). Core concepts of Organizational  Behavior. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons. Thompson, L. (2008). Organizational behavior today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Performance Appraisals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Performance Appraisals - Essay Example She points out that many managersdo not pay much attention to filling appraisal forms something that has some negative effect on the morale of the employees who work under them (Quast, 2013). However, she points out the importance of managers paying much attention to performanceappraisal because it is part of their work. She goes ahead andgive seven tips that can help managers in making performanceappraisal more meaningful to their organizations or groups. The first tip is paying more attentive to the preparation process. Lack of proper preparation has often been pointed to as a major contributor to unsuccessful performance appraisal. Through preparation a manager can be able to know the exact message that they want to communicate to the employees. This means that performance appraisal should not be handled like just a one hour thing. The second tip that a manager can get from this article is always make considerations for the logistics of the discussion. For instance, a manger should hold performance appraisal in place that whatever is discussed will remain confidential. A small conference room will be highly ideal for this purpose. The third tip that Lisa givesis that managers should always make sure that they open the discussions with the agenda. This will help in putting the employees at ease. The four primary areas that a manager should make sure that the performance appraisal cover include: the current performance of the company; the past performance of the company; the goals and objectives of the company; and the company’s development plans. The forth tip is to encourage a two way discussion whereby all the participants will be allowed to contribute. Getting the employees’ point of view will make it easier for them to be included to the achievement of the company’s goals. The fifths tip encourages managers to give praises whenever there is any meaningful contribution by an employee (Murphy &

Legal Aspects of Safety and Health Research Paper - 1

Legal Aspects of Safety and Health - Research Paper Example For OSHA to certify a state plan it needs to fulfill certain requirements; have adequate legislation on occupational safety and health, rules and procedures, adequate enforcement capability, penalties and enough manpower that is fully qualified in this field. A state is supposed to have come up with all the above within 3 years for it to be certified (OSHA, 2010). It is important to note that this certification is in regards to only the structure of the plan being complete but not its performance. The state should show that it is able to inspect and enforce standards within its limits while offering continuous training programs on occupational safety and health. After initial plan approval OSHA suspends various direct supervisory roles within the state and this usually is under an operational status agreement which offers the state considerable independent in supervision and enforcement. After this a state is given the final approval whereby OSHA withdraws its operations from that

Analysis and your opinions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis and your opinions - Essay Example Yet, he is the one to produce conscious moral difference between good and evil. Uncontrollable and shameless desires make him insane eventually and that is the main point Socrates presents in his theory. Callicles also elaborated a philosophical notion for us, desires if satisfied can generate happiness and if they can not satisfy some of the desires or wishes then power produces insanity. The insanity to attain the unattainable by any means and this perspective is guilt proof, which produces further fantasy based ideas. Gaddafi would be called a servant of his desire, who would jump from one desire to the other to gain happiness and would eventually end up being more frustrated instead of contended. The logic I comprehend in this response is that happiness is neither linked to power nor to the achievement of desires. Secondly, soul or morality of a person defines his comprehension of justified acts. When one person has dissuaded his soul with persistent torturing and violent acts, how would he be able to feel joy or pleasure and when he will not be able to feel it, he will indulge in more devilish acts to attain the sentiment of happiness. Student 2: The desire is the main criteria of measuring the evilness of the dictator. Illicit sexual desires and advances also lead to illegal attainment of such pleasures. Again, when such actions are taken by a person he never gets enough of it, the desire increases and the spiral (of desires) against him gets

Islam in Indonesia

Islam in Indonesia Islam in Indonesia Modern Indonesia is known for having the largest Muslim population by percentage of any country in the world.   Coming to Indonesia in the 13th century A.D., Islam has continued to spread, and approximately 90 % of the current population considers itself to be Muslim. Nevertheless, many forms of Islam practiced there combine animist, Hindu, and Buddhist elements from the countrys rich and varied religious past, creating an Islamic faith that looks different from that of the Orthodox Islam of the Middle East.   With over 17,000 islands spanning 3,000 miles along the equator, Indonesias Islamic variations differ significantly not only from other countries but also from one part of its own land to another. Still, while Islam dominates the political and social structure of Indonesia, the country still maintains its other religious roots; as one critic notes, â€Å"Indonesias civilization is like a marbled layer cake.† Convergence of Religions Before the introduction of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam into the country, early Indonesians were prominently animists who practiced ancestor and spirit worship. This form of religion, generally described as superstitious and ritualistic, believes that plants and animals, all living things, have a soul.   For instance, many Indonesians consider the waringin tree as sacred and a symbol of the â€Å"vital essence.† Thus they often bury animal sacrifices at the roots of the tree and no one is permitted to cut down the tree or its branches, otherwise severe punishment or even death ensues.  Ã‚   As another example of animism, many Indonesians still believe hair to have a magic quality called mana.   Young men, therefore, are encouraged to send girls a lock of their hair in order to seduce them. Furthermore, the Indonesians hold many rituals regarding life and death; some very important for appeasing the dead souls or assisting them through the underworld.   Although this d edication to the god and spirit of nature changed somewhat with the arrival of other religions, the natives usually just incorporated elements of their animist culture and superstitions into the new religions. In 1,500 A.D., the Hindu and Buddhist faiths came to Indonesia and meshed with the primitive animism of the country. The Indonesians accepted and accommodated these new beliefs by mixing them with each other, as well as with their own culture.   In fact, in many parts of Indonesia, the natives combined all three religions to create something of a new Hindu-Buddhist animism.   A great relic from the ninth century called the Borobudur temple on the island of Java evidences this unique blending of faiths.   As the largest Buddhist monument in the world, this great structure holds almost fourhundred images of Buddha, while simultaneously displaying many Hindu, Hindu-Buddhist, and animist sculptures.   With its conglomeration of different deities in one temple, Borobudur manifests the Indonesians unique combination of separate religions. As one example of a specifically Hindu-Buddhist convergence, Shiva, a Hindu god, was transformed into something of a Buddha image, while still ke eping the Hindu name of Shiva.   As seen later, the Shiva god eventually adopts the Islam faith as well. The Shiva-Buddhist cult poignantly reflects the Indonesian mindset toward the variety of religions offered.   Despite these convergences, some places, such as the island of Bali, became solely Hindu and remain so to this day.Following the fusion of Hindu, Buddhist, and native religions, Islam appeared and lay yet another brick on the religious structure, which was held together by a mortar of deep cultural roots. Introduction of Islam Traveling to Indonesia by way of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, Muslim traders and mystical literary figures first brought Islam to the country in the thirteenth century. Coming from India, this was the mainstream Sunni variant, which was initially founded in Arabia. Scholars speculate that the mystical Sufi tradition influenced this Islam, which could have been easily fused with the native Indonesian culture.   Sufi holy men are described as â€Å"devout Muslim mystics renowned for the beauty of their music, poetry†and their internal spiritual focus, rather than for seeking to impose their religion on their surroundings or onto politics.   As one scholar notes, although no evidence of Sufi communities from early centuries in Indonesia exists, Indonesians would have been more likely to accept the more mystical form of Islam than the strict, law-bound versions. One similarity between the Sufi and Indonesian cultures was the idea of having a teacher who formed around him a small group of disciples to pass on higher wisdom.   Also, the Indonesian and the Muslim both seemed to focus more on the correct ways in which to communicate to god instead rather than on the nature of god.   Furthermore, Indonesian tantric mantras were means of meditation similar to that of the Muslims, as the Muslims often recited the Koran or other Arabic texts. This form of Islam, therefore, could be easily incorporated into the native culture.   Because of the traders traveling routes, Islam spread most rapidly in the northern parts of Sumatra, Java, and the eastern archipelago.   Evidence of this beginning Islamization comes from Marco Polo.   In 1292 he landed in Sumatra where he found an Islamic town named Perlak.   Although Perlak was already Islamic with a Sunni monarch, Islam was not found within its surrounding towns.   One of the larger cities, Melaka, was a major impetus for the spread of Islam.   This rich port city controlled the Strait of Malacca and much of the archipelagos trade throughout the fifteenth century.   Iskandar Syah, a prince converted to Islam, founded Melaka, and through his rule, his successors, and the trading fleet he extended the religion to various parts of the archipelago.   Islam not only offered a simple message of personal faith and hope, but it could also give one favor and therefore success in trade or nobility; thus Indonesians had a double incentive for conversion.   S till some regions were resistant to Islam, such as Bali and parts of Java that kept a more strictly Hindu culture. Islamic Expansion Islam branched out further in the sixteenth century, when Muslims began establishing Islamic kingdoms.   The Aceh kingdom, formed on the western part of Sumatra, was a region of major Islamic allegiance in the early sixteenth century and today is a part of Sumatra where â€Å"Islamic character of population is most pronounced.†Ã‚   Also in the early 1500s the Portuguese came to Indonesia; although they intentionally brought Catholicism with them to Christianize the islands, their efforts inadvertently aided Islamization.By closing off the central ports to Indian Muslims, they pushed the Muslims with their Islam faith to smaller ports across the islands.   Islam, then, was taken to some of the more remote pockets of the widespread country. Nevertheless, Java still did not easily accept the faith. There, Majapahit was the last and greatest of the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms that predominantly controlled the archipelago and surrounding regions in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Islamic port towns conflicted with Majapahit power, however, and under the challenge of Islamization Hindu Javanese leaders fled to the small island of Bali to keep their faith alive.   Bali, as an exception in Indonesia, remains untouched by Islam to this day.   Those inland on Java eventually accepted Islam but only as a â€Å"formal legal and religious context for Javanese spiritual culture.†Ã‚   In Java, Islam was allowed to exist only on Javanese cultural terms.    That is, only as in a form mixed with previously held religious beliefs.   Although most early conversions were peaceful, one scholar says that converted Islamic states sometimes waged war against traditional Hindu-Buddhist regions.   The same scholar also recognizes that because of inadequate historical records and evidence, the process of Islamization in Indonesia is somewhat unclear.Although some believe Hindu princes converted to Islam because of their desire for power, commerce, and riches, the legend of Sunan Kalidjaga offers a different perspective on the eventual conversion of inland Java. Kalidjaga was a prince in Java who grew up in the traditional Hindu-Buddhist culture of the Majapahit kingdom.   In a conversion experience similar to that of the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, Kalidjaga had a vision of a Muslim religious leader who instructed him to spread the doctrine of Islam.   Consequently, the prince converted to Islam and began peacefully sharing the faith throughout Java.   He was thus able to bridge the two religions; for t he Javanese, his life is â€Å"the meaningful link between a world of god-kings, ritual priests, and declamatory shrines and one of pious sultans, Koranic scholars, and austere mosques.†Ã‚   Kalidjaga is considered, therefore, to be one of the wali sanga, or nine apostles, who helped bring peaceful conversions to Islam in Java. Because of the differences between Indonesian culture and the Islam of Mecca, however, conversion usually meant an acceptance of Islam wherein the faith would be combined with traditional and indigenous beliefs. Versions of Islam Most Indonesians, when converting to Islam, synchronized the new religion with their personal mixture of one or more of Hindu, Buddhist, or, animist religions, while a minority switched completely to Orthodox Islam.   Therefore, like the many diverse cultures of the islands, Islam began to take on different shapes across the country.   The two distinct versions of Islam, Orthodox and the blended , were in tension with one another.   A believer in Indonesia who became exclusively Muslim and adhered strictly to Mecca-oriented Islam and the laws of the Koran is called santri.   Santri can also signify a person who removes himself from the secular surroundings to devote himself to Islamic schools called pesantren, which translates literally as â€Å"the place of the santri.†Ã‚   The second form of Islam commonly identified is called kebatinin.   This version is a mixture of Hindu-Buddhist beliefs, animism and Islam practices.   Kebatinin is also called kejawen, agama J awa, Javanism, or abangan.One case of this blend of religions was described earlier in the Hindu god Shiva who adopted Buddhist characteristics.   As Islam spread through the culture, the Javanese claimed Shiva went to Mecca and also embraced Islam, thus creating a god of three faiths combined. Because Hinduism never completely reached the eastern islands, a more pure, orthodox form of Islam formed in the east, while the western part of Indonesia tended to more often combine Islam with its Hinduism or other ancient belief systems. Political History By the end of the sixteenth century both the Dutch and British had gained interest in the â€Å"Spice Islands† (Indonesia) and its wealth of trade.   The Dutch East India Company was formed in 1602, which attempted to take over all trade control with Indonesia from other European countries, thus creating a commercial monopoly.   This monopoly served to shape the foundation of the Dutch territorial empire.   Historians mark this time, which is disputed to be either 1511 or 1600, as the commencement of European control and influence that would last up to the twentieth century.   The time between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries has been generalized as an â€Å"age of commerce† both for Indonesians and foreign traders.   The Dutch East India Companys involvement did not remain limited to trade, however, but instead it became a political force among the islands.   Although opposed by certain Islamic leaders in Java, such as Sultan Agung and his successor Amangkurat II, the Dutch eventually dominated all of Java and then spread its empire into Sumatra and other surrounding areas.With this Dutch influence extending into Indonesia, the face of Islam underwent various changes.   For instance, the native trading peoples were forced further inland.   Holding a strong Islam faith, they brought their beliefs with them and began to rely more and more on the pilgrimage to Mecca as their connection with the larger Muslim world.   Consequently, they formed and spread an Islam somewhat orthodox but still mixed with the deep traditions of Java culture. After the Napoleonic Wars, the Dutch decided to try to make its governed lands at least self-sufficient, but they met some unexpected challenges.   In 1825 the Java War began, due in part to protest of Dutch rule on the island.   The war was supported by many Muslim leaders in Indonesia who also recognized the Korans promise of a coming Madhi, a messiah or â€Å"Just Ruler† that would bring peace and harmony to the territory.   In the years of 1826-30, a man who was overthrown from Javanese rule by the Dutch claimed himself to be the Madhi of Islam and he began a jihad, or Holy War, against the government. During the Java War, another battle began in Sumatra called the Padri-War.   This conflict began between the traditional leaders of the community, called the adat, and the revivalist Muslim leaders; some of the orthodox revivalists killed a royal family of the more Indocized Islam.   As a result of the battle, Dutch authorities called for a military invasion, which served to strengthen Dutch administration in the area. By the end of the nineteenth century, the Dutch were able to make the islands into a â€Å"unified colonial dependency,† which formed the basis for the future republic of Indonesia. By this time, western thought began to pervade Islamic circles, forming a modernist strain of Islam.   Furthermore, Indonesian nationalism began to develop, and with it, an organization called the â€Å"Islamic Association† or Sakerat Islam, the largest nationalist party of the time.   After World War I, many more of these types of associations were formed, most of which were aimed toward nationalism.  Ã‚   Inner conflicts between the conservative and communist leaders in 1921 caused the decline of Sakerat Islam, and a new nationalist movement rose to prominence: the Indonesian Nationalist Party, formed under the leadership of Sukarno, the rising president of Indonesia.   As a result of World War II, Indonesia fell from the clasp of Dutch rule and into the hands of Japan.   The Jap anese allowed the rise of both Muslim and nationalist leaders, including Sukarno, who began establishing himself as the leader of the nation.   After an Indonesian revolution, Japan gave Indonesia its independence in the year of 1945. Role of Islam in Politics After gaining independence, the Indonesians needed to decide on the role of Islam in the nations government.   After heated disputes, the leaders agreed to keep religious freedom and to create â€Å"a civic code instead of an Islamic one.†At the same time, one current of Kebatinin, the more indigenous-type of Islam, became legitimized by the government.   Sukarno then became the first Indonesian president of the Republic.   Because he disliked the divisions among Muslims and other religions (specifically Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian) of the nation he propagated a somewhat disguised, authoritarian form of government called the â€Å"Guided Democracy.†Ã‚   His successor, Suharto, introduced a similar type of rule named â€Å"The New Order.†Ã‚   Some scholars say both of these rulers showed â€Å"their Javanese religious-cultural bias against Islam†and made sure that Islams political influence was limited by various forces, including the military.   Both Sukarno and Suharto, therefore, restricted political freedom throughout the nation.   In response to the bias against Islam, Islamic and nationalist organizations united to create parties against Suhartos government.   The â€Å"red-green† alliance, in existence today as the Wahid-Megawati administration, was one political coalition of the nationalist- Islam that helped to defeat the dictatorship of Suharto.  Ã‚   Suharto, upon realizing the threat to his rule, turned to a militant form of Islam.   This led to much violence across the nation, and religious groups who had formerly lived in peace, such as Muslims and Christians, began to fight against one another.  Ã‚   This more militant, violent form of Islam instigated by Suharto became a lasting part of Indonesias various branches of Islam. Branches of Islam Today The two most influential Muslim organizations of Indonesia society today are the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), made up of the traditionalists, and the Muhammadiyah, or, the modernists.   The traditionalists tend to be organized around Muslim boarding schools (the pesantren) while they preserve traditional Islamic education.In fact, the name of the organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, literally translates as â€Å"renaissance of Islamic scholars†, and the thirty-five million involved with this Islamic orientation follow charismatic religious scholars. The Muhammidiyah, on the other hand, embrace modern thought and culture while keeping to orthodox Islamic theology.   Founded in 1912, this modernist organization was aimed to create social institutions, such as orphanages and hospitals, in order to compensate the Protestant and Catholic efforts.  Ã‚   With about twenty-five million followers, it has less participation than the NU Modern Muslim Culture According to the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, 210 million inhabitants of Indonesia today consider themselves Muslim.   Many of these believers, however, practice Islam in profoundly different ways.   The Unreached Peoples Prayer Profiles provides information on various modern Muslim groups in Indonesia.   The profiles show an incredibly diversified Islam with many lasting effects of animism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.   For instance, ninety-nine percent of the 800,000 Komering who live in Sumatra today claim Islamic faith, yet they mix their beliefs strongly with animism and superstitions.   In order to keep evil spirits away, for example, many Komering wear good luck charms that contain verses of the Koran.   Also, some believe that â€Å"whistling indoors at night entertains demons, or that walking around on your birthday will bring bad luck.† Thus, although Islam remains prevalent and maintains a strong influence on the culture, the Komering still incorporate old religious beliefs. The Sekayu is another tribe of mixed religion.   Found spread throughout southern Sumatra, they consider themselves devout Muslims.   Indeed, they pray five times a day toward Mecca and reject common sacrificial rituals, believing only Allah gives true redemption.   Nevertheless, they still maintain some of their ancient animistic beliefs.   For example, many Sekayu visit a â€Å"soothsayer,† or dukun, in order to contact the dead spirits or have their fortune told.   They claim, however, that they do not pray â€Å"to† the dead spirits, as others do, but instead they pray to Allah â€Å"for† the benefit of their ancestors.The Sekayu, therefore, practice dedication to Allah while still sustaining animistic beliefs.   The Alas-Kluet Batak people of the Aceh province in northern Sumatra, on the other hand, have very little concern for or devotion to Orthodox Islam even though they have been considered Muslims since the 1600s.  Ã‚   This tribe directs their religious practices toward what they consider good and bad ghosts who must be appeased through cult rituals and exorcist healings.   For instance, at a childs birth, the parents shave the childs head, leaving only a small lock of hair.   If the child then becomes ill, they cut the remaining lock of hair believing that bad luck will also be removed.   The people of Alas-Kluet Batak, then, remain Muslim only in name, not in practice. The Bajau, as another example, are mostly Sunni Muslims who live mainly in the coastal districts and islands of Sulawesi.   These â€Å"Sea Gypsies† consist mostly of nomadic boat dwellers who often lack mosques for worship. Consequently, they rely on different communities on shore to visit a mosque.   Islamic religious status is very important to the Bajau.   For instance, they show special honor to descendants of Mohammed, or salip, and â€Å"variations of Islamic practices are associated with the relative status of different groups.†Although the Bajau uphold Islamic religious piety and learning for individual prestige, they continue to practice traditional forms of spirit worship.   At least once a year, they hold a â€Å"public sà ©ance and nightly trance dancing†while the spirit mediums assemble to contact the spirits.   The Bajau call on the spirit mediums particularly in times of illness to remove evil spirits from the community.   They accomp lish this by putting a â€Å"spirit boat† adrift in the ocean.This people group, therefore, does not hold to a pure worship of Allah, but instead also looks to other supernatural powers. A Country of Mixed Islam Since the 13th century, Islam has filtered into the corners and remote pockets of Indonesian civilization.   Coming into a religiously mixed world of animism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, Islam began taking on forms different than that of Middle Eastern orthodoxy.   The majority of Indonesian Muslims today shape the Islamic religion to fit their traditional superstitions and other religious beliefs, while the minority strives for orthodoxy.  Ã‚   These various forms of Islam combine to dominate both the cultural and political aspects of the nation and give Indonesia the largest Muslim population of the world.   Yet in reality, rather than being unified under a pure Islam, this population truly is a â€Å"marble layered cake† of mixed religious belief.

Panama Canal Essay -- essays papers

Panama Canal Essay The canal was the best thing that ever happened to Panama. The Panama Canal was started under President Roosevelt and completed by his successor, William Howard Taft. The canal was built across an isthmus, a narrow body of land that connects two larger land areas, which connects North and South America. In some places in Panama the isthmus is only 50 miles across. The French started the canal in the late 1800’s. They had just built the then famous Suez Canal with relative ease. The Suez Canal, unlike the Panama Canal, was a straight canal on level ground, in a relatively dry climate. The French had failed in building the Panama Canal because of the tropical climate, in which deadly tropical diseases consumed their workers, and because of the mountain range in which they could not cut through. He had planned to build the canal in the way of the Suez Canal, straight and sea level. You can see the trouble with trying to cut out that much land, through the mountain range, making i t at sea level. The Americans tried their hand in the early 1900’s. Three main people helped made the canal a success. Teddy Roosevelt was one of those people; he saw the military importance of a canal. He called for the cruiser, Oregon, to sail around South America from San Francisco to Cuba so it could be present in the battle at Santiago Bay. The entire journey took ten weeks. He was the driving force in getting the permission to build the canal because he realized the importanc...

Alcoholism as the Plot Builder of Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned Essay

To echo Fitzgerald’s postulation of Antony Patch’s messed up life, â€Å"†¦As winter approached it seemed that a sort of madness seized upon Anthony. He awoke in the morning so nervous that Gloria could feel him trembling in the bed before he could muster enough vitality to stumble into the pantry for a drink. He was intolerable now except under the influence of liquor, and as he seemed to decay and coarsen under her eyes, Gloria’s soul and body shrank away from him†¦CITATION Fit02 p 111 l 1033 (Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 111)† This is a depiction of a desperate man’s life that has turned to alcohol after experiencing multiple frustrations in life all through his adulthood and a wife who is drawn away from him for this reason. How Antony Patch’s character is molded and developed in the novel is just but a reflection of the messed lives of many uber-rich adults who were lucky enough to be born in rich families but ended up blowing up lifet ime opportunities in wasteful escapades of lavish spending during the excessive drinking and partying Jazz Era of the 1920s. Ideally, The Beautiful and Damned is about Anthony Patch who is married Gloria Gilbert and they are hypnotized with the party life. They lead an extravagant life where they enjoy throwing and attending parties which eventually develops to a habit of drinking o a daily basis. Such was the life of Anthony Patch who had mastered the art of laziness leading a valueless life only eager for his grandfather to pass on so as to inherit his multimillion fortunes .Patch’s drinking habits were picked while at school in Princeton where his initial life was tied around books but due to peer influence channeled through his schoolmates who thought of him as being dull and a hopeless romantic, he besought to drinking just like the rest of his peers and vowed to explore the world and party using his family fortune. At some point in life, Anthony Patch is enrolled into Camp Hooker during the war years but he proves to be mentally disoriented as he spends his days in the camp getting drunk and t o cap it all picked up a mistress. Though the move of enrolled into Camp Hooker is considered as a patriotic one, his friends at the camp are another worthless lot who gratify and support his drinking tendencies by indulging in the same with him. His drinking trysts make him a favorite among his camp buddies for he is treated respect for the incessant parties he throws while at camp thus putting to light contemptibility and stupidity of his friends CITATION Mau22 l 1033 (Maunsell, 1922). Patch then meets Gloria Gilbert who beauty is impeccable and he is quickly swept off is feet as he vows to pursue his romantic desires to his life’s death with Gloria. Gloria herself is a replica of Antony for her dogma is satisfaction of worldly pleasures as she selflessly puts it herself, â€Å"If I wanted anything, I’d take it†¦ I can’t be bothered resisting things I want†¦ (Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 235)† It is with the same creed that she detests her husband’s inability to continuously sustain her lavish and innumerable cocktails. Just like everyone else, this couple turns to alcoholism to camouflage their life frustrations to the extent that Anthony cannot do without a taste of the bottle described in Gloria’s own words, â€Å"Oh no, he doesn’t show it anymore unless he can hardly stand up, and  he talks alright till he gets excited. He talks much  better than he does when he’s sober. But he’s been sitting here all day drinking-except for the time it took him to walk the corner for a newspaper†¦ (Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 398)† This entry at towards the end of the novel shows how despicable and dependable Antony patch’s life has been on alcohol after missing out on his grandfather’s fortune and the same being directed towards a servant. Perhaps, Patch’s party and drinking habits were fueled by the fact that he was heir to a rich empire built by his rather strict disciplinarian grandfather who gave no room to unvalued morals. An event where he walks into one of Gloria and Antony’s raucous wild party at their apartment is a representation of his disgust and vilification for irresponsible behavior. His body language and events that transpire after this speaks volumes about his disciplinary antics; at the party, he stares at a white-faced Antony with disgust and in disbelief and utters five denouncing words to the young man in front of him, â€Å"†¦Well go back to Suttleworth..(Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 235)† The mood in the mood is all somber, both Gloria and Patch are frightened by Cross Patch’s presence but he silently walks out of the room after his works. Repercussions that follow are that gets disinherited of his grandfather’s fortune and it is directed towards a servant. They co ntest the decision after his grandfather’s passing but it only makes them more miserable as they entrenched deeper into alcoholism to drown their sorrows. The Damned and beautiful closes as tragic story of an individual who had it all but wasted the opportunity through lavish parties and alcoholism to end up in a wheel chair by age thirty three. References   Fitzgerald, F. S. (2002). The Beautiful and The Damned . New York : Simon & Schuster . Maunsell, F. L. (1922, March 5). Latest Works of Fiction: The Beautiful and The Damned . Retrieved October 11, 2014, from The New York Times : http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/24/specials/fitzgerald-damned.html Source document

Voodoo essays

Voodoo essays Voodoo and Its Misinterpretation in America Voodoo is a religion rich in heiratage and founded in faith and community. The religion has been villianized by western culture and has been wrongly protrayed as malignant and dangerous. The religion is not founded in any of the black magics or fear popularized by Hollywood films, but rather it is based on balance and tradition. The religion is not something which should be encountered with inhibition or fear induced from childhood horror stories, but embraced for its strength and history. Voodoo (also known as Vodun, Vodou, Umbanda, Quimbanda, and Candomble) originated as an amalgam of African religions during the slave trade. As slaves were shipped from Africa to the Carribean and America, groups of slaves sharing a similier heretage were broken apart to prevent any since of community or bond between them. With no connection beyond the tortures of slavery, the slaves had little chance to establish any relationship to thier fellow captives. Hailing from lifestyles and cultures far removed from each other, the only opportunity for a common bond came from sharing their deep faiths. Though different religions, the intense faiths allowed an intellectual exchange and common bond. With several different religions present in any given group of slaves, the majority of slaves adapted by holding a service which accepted all lineages and respected all ancestreal lines of faith, both aspects being of primary concerns in African religions. These services were effective in blending the rites and practices of many religions into one combination religion. This adaption effectively created a new religion, Voodoo, which translates to spirit in several African languages. This new religion gave the slaves a since of alliance with their nieghboring slaves and, with that alliance, a since of community. This new found unity was viewed as a threat to the French ...

Visa O para trabajar en USA - habilidad extraordinaria

Visa O para trabajar en USA - habilidad extraordinaria Entre las visas que autorizan a  trabajar en Estados Unidos se encuentra la O, que se conceden a personas con habilidades extraordinarias. Este artà ­culo se explica cules son los puntos bsicos que deben tenerse en cuenta para considerar si es la visa apropiada y que, por lo tanto, debe buscarse. Adems, al final se hace referencia a cules son otras opciones de visa, para el caso de que la visa O no resulte la apropiada. Campos en los que es posible la visa O No todos los profesionales pueden optar a las visas O. Y es que estn limitadas a profesionales con habilidades extraordinarias y que adems estn encuadrados en los siguientes  campos: CienciasDeportesArtesEducacià ³nNegociosCine y la Televisià ³n En los cuatro primeros casos se tendrà ­a una visa O-1A, mientras que para los profesionales del cine o de la televisià ³n la visa es la O-1B. Aunque es comà ºn considerar que esta visa es, principalmente, para artistas, no es asà ­. Entre los profesionales que han recibido esta visa se encuentran: AgentesChefsDeportistas y entrenadoresDirectores de MarcaDirectores de mercadeoDirectores de publicidadEstilistas de cabelloFotà ³grafosGaleristasMaquilladoresPintoresProductoresSommeliersRestauradores de muebles, etc. Quà © se entiende por habilidad extraordinaria para la visa O Las visas O requieren que la persona extranjera que se beneficia pueda ser considerado como un profesional con una habilidad extraordinaria. En el caso de las visas O-1A no es necesario haber ganado el Premio Nobel pero sà ­ hay que ser una persona con un historial de trabajo de excelente calidad y respetada en su campo y que es considerada como que  figura entre los mejores en su campo de actuacià ³n. Esta circunstancia se puede acreditar mediante premios nacionales o locales de renombre o documentando membresà ­a en organizaciones profesionales de reconocido prestigio. Tambià ©n son vlidos como prueba los artà ­culos publicados en revistas profesionales de prestigio. En el caso particular del mundo de los negocios se puede demostrar que la capacidad de una persona ha sido crà ­tica para establecer la reputacià ³n de una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a o que tiene dotes de gestià ³n reconocidos. En todos los casos, un salario alto puede probar la habilidad laboral especial. En cuanto a la visa O-1B, los artistas deben probar que han alcanzado un nivel de distincià ³n dentro de su campo. Es decir, deben tener una reputacià ³n sobresaliente  que se puede acreditar mediante  premios de renombre, las crà ­ticas en la prensa, contratos, evidencia de à ©xito comercial o ingresos altos en relacià ³n a otros profesionales. En general se considera que es ms difà ­cil probar el carcter excepcional en  cine y televisià ³n que en el de las Artes. Visas O derivadas para personal de apoyo y para familiares Entre las visas derivadas se encuentra la O-2 para personas que con habilidades reconocidas y experiencia trabajando con el titular de una O-1 para quien su labor resulta imprescindible y no puede ser realizado por un trabajador con permiso de trabajo en EU. Estas visas sà ³lo se dan en los mbitos deportivos y artà ­sticos. Por à ºltimo, el cà ³nyuge y los hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os del titular de una visa O-1 y de una O-2 pueden viajar a EU con una visa O-3. Durante su estancia  no podrn trabajar. Adems, el titular de la visa O podrà ­a solicitar una B-1 para sus empleados domà ©sticos, siempre que se cumplan los requisitos. Cà ³mo se solicita la visa O La forma de solicitar este tipo de visa es presentando ante el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS) por sus siglas en inglà ©s, el formulario I-129 de Peticià ³n de Trabajador Extranjero. Debe enviarse al menos 45 dà ­as antes de la fecha de inicio del contrato. Este tipo de visa permite el pago de una tarifa extra para acelerar su tramitacià ³n. Adems, este formulario debe presentarse junto con documentacià ³n de apoyo, entre ella lo que se conoce como consulta. Una vez que se solicita la visa es posible verificar su estatus online.  ¿En quà © consiste la consulta y cundo no es necesaria? Es una opinià ³n dada por escrito por una persona o un grupo, como por ejemplo un sindicato, que es considerado como un experto en el campo de la persona para la que se solicita la visa O. En dicho escrito se validan sus habilidades. Se recomienda que esa consulta està © en papel de carta con marca de agua para acreditar su autenticidad. Sin embargo, se considera que no es necesaria esta consulta en dos casos. En primer lugar, cuando el peticionario de la visa pueda demostrar que no existe ni persona experta ni grupo para dar su opinià ³n. Y, en segundo lugar, cuando el beneficiario de la visa ya hubiera realizado una labor similar en Estados Unidos y exista una consulta al respeto de menos de dos aà ±os. En este caso se debe solicitar una exencià ³n al requisito de la consulta.  ¿Quià ©n puede ser solicitante de una visa O? ¿Es posible auto-emplearse con visa O? Aunque es frecuente creer que es posible que un trabajador extranjero se patrocine a sà ­ mismo una visa O, lo cierto es que la respuesta es negativa. Se necesita alguien que patrocine, que puede ser: Una empresa o empleador con base en los Estados UnidosUn agente Y necesariamente se debe trabajar para quien patrocina. Esto es asà ­ con independencia de si se tiene la consideracià ³n de trabajador en sentido estricto o si se le paga como contratista independiente, utilizndose en este caso la planilla 1099. En ocasiones puede darse el caso de que una persona extranjera funde una empresa en Estados Unidos y que esta empresa pueda contratarlo a travà ©s de una   visa O-1A. Estas son 7 opciones ms. Y entonces,  ¿por quà © se conoce a la visa O como una visa freelance? Hay que decir que no lo es. De hecho, en Estados Unidos no hay una visa para freelance. Lo que sucede es que si el patrocinador es un agente pueden darse situaciones que pueden dar la apariencia de freelance.   Por ejemplo, si el agente es el empleador, pero tiene contratos con varias empresas distintas y entonces el beneficiario de la visa O realiza trabajos para distintas empresas. Pero lo importante es entender que aà ºn en esta situacià ³n el patrocinador-empleador es el agente. Duracià ³n de la visa O Una visa de trabajo es siempre necesaria, aà ºn asà ­ sea para trabajar sà ³lo medio dà ­a. Si se trabaja sin un documento que lo permita se estarà ­a cometiendo una violacià ³n migratoria con posibles consecuencias. Las visas O se conceden  por un mximo de tres aà ±os, aunque puede ser por sà ³lo unos dà ­as. En teorà ­a, pueden renovarse sin là ­mite hasta el fin de la actividad laboral de su titular. Esto en la prctica equivale a que algunas personas desarrollen toda su vida laboral con este tipo de visa. Cà ³mo interactà ºa la visa O con otros tipos de visa Puede ocurrir que una misma persona podrà ­a solicitar distintas visas o que la visa O no sea realmente una buena opcià ³n por no cumplirse los requisitos. Para decidirse sobre cul pedir, debe saberse cules son sus objetivos y cules son las ventajas de unas visas sobre otras y cules son los requisitos. En este punto es importante familiarizarse con los puntos bsicos, pero asesorarse con un abogado migratorio experto en este tipo de visas. Por ejemplo, la visa O es muy parecida a la visa EB-2. La gran diferencia es que con esta à ºltima se emigra a USA con carcter permanente y, en consecuencia, se obtiene una tarjeta de residencia. En esta opcià ³n podrà ­an encajar las personas con estudios avanzados ms all de la licenciatura y aquà ©llas con una habilidad excepcional  en el campo de las Ciencias, las Artes o los Negocios. Otro camino para la green card pero sà ³lo abierto a las personas que puedan calificar como lo mejor en los campos de Deportes, Ciencias, Artes, Educacià ³n y Negocios es la visa de inmigrante que se conoce como EB-1. En cuanto a otras visas no que conviene conocer est  H1-B  para profesionales. La gran diferencia es que en el primer caso, excepto para el supuesto de los modelos, se exigen estudios de licenciatura. Adems, con la visa la visa H-1B puede haber el problema de los cupos por aà ±o fiscal. Esta inconveniencia obliga casi todos los aà ±os a tener que celebrar una loterà ­a para determinar quà © solicitantes de H-1B vern su visa tramitada, si bien hay excepciones por categorà ­as, empleador e incluso por paà ­ses, siendo Chile un caso a tener en cuenta. Adems, en los casos de las profesiones que permiten solicitar la visa TN, à ©sta puede ser una buena opcià ³n para los mexicanos y los canadienses. Este es un articulo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.