Comparison of Alphaville with Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison of Alphaville with Today - Essay Example The plot unleashes gradually when a secret agent is sent to catch Alphaville who is controlled by a computer Alpha 60 and the creator of this invention, Professor Von Braun (Constantine and Karina, 1965). This movie is basically symbolic of the fact that human beings have been dominated by the scientific inventions. They have lost their ability to feel and think. They have become robots like Alphaville and their behavior is termed as â€Å"outlandish†. In this scenario the relationship between Natacha Von Braun and Lemmy Caution, the secret agent, is quite significant because Natacha is unable to voice her feelings. It is not that she does not want to. She just doesn’t have the words to describe what she feels. On the other hand the poignancy of the scene touches the audience immensely where Natacha tells Lemmy that he is looking at her in a strange way to which he agrees. Then she asks if he is waiting for her to say something to him and to this also he agrees. Here, N atacha admits that she is clueless because she has never been taught the words to say what is expected of her here and that Lemmy should help. Lemmy replies that he will not be able to help her because she needs to help herself; that is the only way she will be saved. However, if she doesn’t, she would be â€Å"as lost as the dead ofAlphavile† (Constantine and Karina, 1965). ... The fact that a person, Alphaville, is being controlled by a computer also reflects the concept of totalitarianism. This is a concept or phenomenon according to which a state or government has the right to interfere with the private life of the citizens and the opinion of the citizens do not matter. The same idea has been portrayed in the 1965 film. The computers decide what is good and bad for the human beings and the human beings are not allowed to have any say in their own lives. According to Professor Bon Braun who is the creator of Alpha 60, everything is in control of science and machines(Conquest, 2001). It can be said that this movie was way ahead of its time but it still managed to capture the very essence and causes of the human decline, which is evident today. This movie made it clear that there is a very thin line between the human world and machine world and that time is not very far away when this line will be crossed by the human beings. A famous essayist,Professor Sus an Greenfield opines that people will have to wake up from their gadget-drugged and â€Å"pharmaceutically enhanced† slumber that has made their brains immune. According to him, soon there will be little if any difference between humans and machines. This quote can be related to â€Å"Alphaville† as well. The characters portrayed in the movies are expressionless and emotionless. They even talk like robots, without pausing and without much feeling with a poker face. Like Natacha Van Braun speaks rarely and whenever she does, it is on the professor’s command. For instance, when she is asked about how she is, she says, â€Å"I’m very well thank you you’re welcome.†(Greenfield, n.d.). If on one hand, this film is

The Essence of Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Essence of Arguments - Essay Example These rules include distinguishing the premises and conclusions, presenting the ideas in a natural order and use of reliable premises (Weston, 2009). They also entail the use of definite and concrete language, as well as consistent terms and a single meaning for the terms used. Weston also addresses common logical fallacies in the final chapter of the book including ad hominem, ad populum, ad ignorantiam and ad misericordiam. I found A Rulebook for Arguments to be very informative and thought provoking. The non-Christian bias presented when arguing the existence of God was a little distracting for me. However, the book is an excellent guide to improving ones argument strategies applicable in both personal and professional environments. Managers are in a position that requires presentation of ideas to be adopted by the workforce. Therefore, it is necessary for managers to think critically, construct a sound argument and communicate their position effectively. In addition, the book is useful to any manager who intends to improve on their argumentation skills. The book is applicable to problem-solving since it emphasizes critical

Software engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Software engineering - Essay Example Development of programming languages was at the initial stages and much work has to be in field of software technology. The hardware equipment used in programming were huge and weighed in tons. To operate one computer more than 10 persons were required. The space required for it was just like an auditorium. The expenses on maintenance were sky high. It was very time consuming effort for even to do simple mathematic calculations. Research on development of software technologies was given more importance and works on these issues were employed. Many companies realized the importance of development of software technology and many research institutes were developed accordingly. After the development of some programming languages like FORTRAN the importance of programming concepts were realized and companies like IBM, Microsoft, Apple, etc., invested heavily on the development of these technologies. The problems faced by these companies were: Development Time problem: In the development of large systems sometimes technology goes through a generation change from the time it was first conceptualized to the tie of delivery. Sometimes systems have to be reprogrammed completely. System User Interface problem: At the time of initial designing of the technology many associated operational procedures were neglected. This resulted in delay in the development process and need of other additional requirements. Additional hardware as well as software was frequently needed to meet the requirements. These problems can be prevented through operational timelines. Test and Integration problem: In the early stages of software development insufficient thought was given to integration and testing. Appointing experienced programmer and conducting tests at all levels can avoid problems. Maintenance problem: The expenditure was huge for the maintenance. The best way to cut costs is to design the code in such a way that changes can be accommodated frequently. Software development life cycle (SWDLC) models were used in developing a software product. SWDLC models helps in understanding the problem, design of a solution and tests on the solution can be performed in an operational environment. Some of the SWDLC are generic waterfall model, department of defense model, spiral model, NASA model, incremental developmental model, evolutionary prototype model, reuse and automated development models, etc. SWDLC process goes through five phases. They are (1) requirement analysis, (2) design specification, (3) coding and unit testing, (4) test and integration and (5) acceptance test. The people involved in software development process are: 1. Operators/Users: These are the end users who use the final products of the software system. Directly or indirectly users are involved in the development of software products. Keeping user's requirements in mind companies develop the final product. Since users are the key to the success of the final product most of the companies takes user's conceptions and develops the product accordingly. 2. Client: Client may be a person or a firm

Loneliness in Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Loneliness in Of Mice and Men Essay These are just a few of the times in which Candy has shown thoughtfulness. The last character John Steinbeck has developed, Curleys wife, shows loneliness for three reasons. For one, she states, I get lonely. You can talk to people, but I cant talk to nobody but Curley on page 87, which shows that she has loneliness because she doesnt have anyone to talk to but Curley. Specifically, people wont talk to her because they know that Curley will get jealous and want to start a fight. In another reason, she says, Im looking for Curley on page 31, which shows that she, made up an excuse to find adult conversation. Candy does not seem to have a dream until he meets George and Lennie. He is swept up in the plausible reality of this dream, a dream he would probably be too scared to initiate by himself. Candy is not happy with his life on the ranch, but he doesnt think that there is anything else that he can do. He has one arm and is quite an old man, he used to have a dog that was also very old and someone else shot it for him. He was very miserable after the death of his dog and he said, I ought to have shot that dog myself, George. I shouldnt ought to have let no stranger shoot my dog. His dog was the only precious possession he had at the ranch and it was taken away from him. He overheard George and Lennie talking about their dream and later approached them and told them his generous offer. He had more than half of the deposit money and George was very grateful of that and let him in on their once unattainable dream Steinbeck was of German and Irish ancestry. Curleys wife tries to get the men to feel sorry for her but also has a powerful and mulipative side to her by threatening Crooks. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it isnt even funny. Curleys wife is abusing her power by using it to threaten Crooks and make him understand what kind of position he is in. She says this by threatening to get Crooks lynched, the hate of black people during this time is unimaginable. The men in the barn would rather listen to a white woman over a black man. He helps them get closer to actually owning the ranch because he has a lot of money saved away in his bank and offers it towards the ranch. Crooks is also crippled in his back and because of this he works as a stable buck. Like Candy he also has nothing to look forward to. When Lennie tells Crooks about his and Georges dream of owning a ranch, he is very cynical; Every damn one of ems got a little piece of land in his head. An never a god damn one of em ever gets it. Crooks mentions how George and Lennies dream will be unattainable but after hearing what Lennie has to say, he wants in but.. But after a while he believes that they might actually get their ranch and decides he also wants in. His hopes are soon crushed by Curleys wife taunts and changes his mind George and Lennies dream to buy a plot of land is a powerful symbol of the American Dream, Steinbeck uses Candy as a narrator. At the start he gives commentary of the characters to introduce them, he says how curleys wife is a tart, curley hatred for big guys and what the boss said in the morning and what he is like. Candy seems to know about Curleys wife and her giving the eye to Slim and Carlson. I seen her give Slim the eye, An I seen her give Carlson the eye. If he was white he would have such a nicer life on the ranch, knowing this he is depressed therefore like many people the great depression. Crooks is a nice person but being black the reader finds it hard to see that he has feelings and also his arched back makes him look twice as bad of an outsider. Steinbeck has written this novel in the hope that people would understand what happened back in his child years. He also wanted to convey his feelings of the violence and anger in the 1930s he had experienced. In the novel the violence mentioned is where curly exhibits himself in the bunk house because he does not like big people. There was a ranking system in America that was similar to an unwritten law. This ranking was used on the ranches and unfortunately put Crooks at the bottom. In America black people were oppressed and were not allowed to prosper. On the ranch Crooks had his own bunk and kept himself to himself. However, any sympathy that we might have felt for Curleys wife is reduced because of the cruelty she shows when talking to the men and by the way she treats Crooks. She is contemptuous of Candy, Crooks and Lennie, referring to them as a nigger an a dum-dum and a lousy ol sheep and she laughs at their dream of having a ranch of their own, dismissing it as Balony. Far worse though is the way she removes all Crooks pride and dignity when he dares stand up to her and saying how she can get him lynched. would say that loneliness is one of the main themes throughout the novel and I also think that Crooks is defiantly the loneliest. He is a Negro stable buck and the only reason he does not get beaten up is because the ranch the hands are not aloud to use their feet to fight because Crooks has a bad back. I aint wanted I cant play because I am black Those quotes show that Crooks is feeling lonely Says George in a way that says I know I cant force you but I dont want you here. This is of course because of what Curly did. She is taken aback by this, she is used to being ignored but not told to leave by anyone other than her husband. I just want some one to talk to. She says. you got a husband, go talk to him George replies. yeah I got a husband. She says almost in a disappointed way. She then asks how Curly got his hand broken. To which George lies and says he got his hand caught in a machine. But this doesnt fool her so seeking an answer she asks Lennie who she knows wont have the mental capacity to make up a lie. how did you get those scratches on your face? she asks. Lennie looks to George and then looks away saying, he got it caught in a machine. He answers. is that so? She says with a look that is trying to work out how Lennie thinks. Almost as if she is concerned for him. She then quietly leaves. In this scene we begin to see that she isnt stupid she can work things out. Also that she doesnt like Curly and being married to him. The possibility that all she wants is some one to talk to is again present. it differs the way Curleys wife is perceived in the film and book, we dont see how clever she is and how she uses her knowledge, power and position to be malicious. In the book, there is a quite surreal scene towards the end, when Lennie is by himself in the brush. He gets agitated with himself over what he has done and all of a sudden, a short, plump lady appears, his Aunt Clara. She starts speaking to him in Lennies voice. Then after she is finished disappears. Then, a giant rabbit scuttles out of Lennies head and starts shouting at him. Unfortunately, this is never visually seen as it is left out of the film. It would have been a funny scene and with it being right near the end, would have spoilt the mood; therefore, it was left out. Another scene left out so not to detract the mood, was when Lennie has his dead puppy in his arms after he has killed Curleys wife, and he has the idea of throwing the pup away so it wouldnt look so bad. The last two scenes would have caused undue laughter in the middle of two important and emotion parts of the film, which would have lessened the viewers emotions. Along with missing out scenes, a fair number of scenes were added. For example, in the film there is a scene when Lennie enters the bunkhouse with the bib of his dungarees puffed up and him cradling it. As Lennie had tried to sneak his pup into the bunkhouse before, Lennies suspicious behaviour hints to George that he is trying to do it again. After George scalds Lennie for his attempt to sneak the pup in again, Lennie lies on the bed and slaps the bib of his dungarees, flattening it, and finishing the joke. An amusing practical joke obviously thought up purely by Lennie showing he does have an intelligent and a funny side. John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men expresses George and Lennies relationship brilliantly just like a marriage, not in a sexual manner but in a mutual loving relationship. This occurs throughout the novel.(then examples) Curley has a very poor attitude in that he believes beating up people that are bigger than himself would make him a hero, however if the bigger person beat him up people would call the bigger person a bully and be sympathetic towards Curley. This backfires horrendously one day when seeing that Lennie has a childs mind he tries to pick a fight on him only to find that Lennys reaction left him with a badly broken hand. Due to this event, Curley then bares a grudge on Lenny throughout the play and the death of Curleys wife fits in nicely as it gives Curley an excuse to go after Lenny. Steinbeck does this cleverly so that there is already bad blood between Lennie and Curley before the death of Curleys wife. More than anything, Curley has his wife as a trophy wife. At no point in the book does he show any sort of love or affection toward her. Steinbeck does this so when his wife is found dead he isnt bothered about mourning hes focused on getting Lennie. eorge had told him not to speak, so he didnt answer. Curley really got angry. George answered for him and he answered, An you wont let the big guy talk, is that it? He wants to be big and tall. He picks fights with anybody that is larger, in a way superior to him. He only has respect for Slim; we know this because he listened to Slim. I think you got your han caught in a machine. He knows what really happened. He didnt want to get laughed at either, so he listened and obeyed Slims instruction. But you jus tell an try to get this guy canned and well tell ever body, an then will you get the laugh. Curley agreed to this statement, otherwise he will be laughed at for starting the fight and then losing it. Even though Curleys hand was totally ruined, and Lennie got a couple of bruises and cuts nobody got in any more trouble. When his wife was killed he was really mad. Not mad for losing a loved one. He was mad at Lennie for killing her, and instead of staying with his wife, he hurried off to find Lennie and to kill him. We notice that although Curley was very protective over his wife, he didnt show any interest in her, and showed no signs of love. Nobody liked Curley, not even his wife. Curleys wife was an outcast, because she is the only female on the ranch and wore a lot of red.

SWOT Analysis of Dominos Pizza in India

SWOT Analysis of Dominos Pizza in India The case described below is about Dominos Pizza and its position in the market by analyzing it through different framework of analysis like the SWOT and the PORTERS FIVE FORCES. Dominos is one of the leading pizza makers all over the world and is acquiring a very good position in the market but is facing a very tough competition from its main competitor pizza hut which is better than it in a no of things due to which it captures a major share of market. Using the low price strategy it is growing in the market and expanding its business all over the world but still it has to work on a no of things in order to come up to the expectation of the customers. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: Dominos Pizza currently operates in more than 60 countries across the globe. It owns a well-knitted network of both company owned as well as franchise stores worldwide. It is one of the leading and most popular pizza delivery companies in the USA. The 8773 global outlets are spread across all the USAs states and the 60 countries of the world. Currently about 10,500 people are employed at the Dominos pizza. Dominos Pizza India Ltd. was incorporated in March 1995 as the master franchisee for India and Nepal, of Dominos Pizza International Inc., of USA. Moreover, the company holds the master franchisee rights for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh through its wholly owned subsidiary. Mr.Shyam S. Bhartia and Mr. Hari S. Bhartia of the Jubilant Organosys Group were the promoters of the company. (Kaul, n.d.) Since inception, Dominos Pizza India Ltd. has proceeded to become one of the largest and fastest growing international food chains in South Asia. The first Dominos Pizza store in India opened in January 1996, at New Delhi. Today, Dominos Pizza India has grown into a countrywide network around 250 outlets in 49 cities and is the leader in the fast food delivery segment. Ever since it was established, Dominos Pizza India has maintained its position of market leadership with its constant product innovation and maintenance of stringent service standards. In the year 1973, dominos began a guarantee scheme that its pizzas would be delivered in 30 minutes or less of ordering failing which the customer would receive the pizza free. So it has established a reputation for being a home delivery specialist capable of delivering its pizzas within 30 minutes to its community of loyal customers from its entire chain of stores around the country. Customers can order their pizzas by calling the countrywide Happiness Hotline 1800-111-123 and 44448888 which is valid only for NCR, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. (Patel, 2010) WHY DOMINOS PIZZA? Dominos mission is focused on Exceptional people on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world!Dominos is committed to bringing fun and excitement to the lives of our customers by delivering delicious pizzas to their doorstep in 30 minutes or less, and all its strategies are aimed at fulfilling this commitment towards its large and ever-growing customer base. Dominos constantly strives to develop products that suit the tastes of its customers, thereby bringing out the Wow effect (the feel good factor). Dominos believes strongly in the strategy of Think local and act regional. Dominos Pizzas topped with cheese and happiness, Dominos is committed to put an extra smile on its customers faces with this mission. (Anon., 2010) 30 MINUTES AND DOORBELL! The first thing that comes to your mind after hearing HUNGRY KYA! (Are you hungry.?) Is of course Dominos? Dominos managed to become the PIZZAS KING of South Asia. Heres how an ordered pizza covers the journey from shop to our home, while chomping our favorite pizza, we never thought how it always got home within 30 minutes of placing the order on phone? And how time could never beat the friendly delivery boy even by a minute, crushing our free pizza dream? Well, heres why. They do scientific survey of city traffic to ensure delivery of our pizza within 30 minutes. Revealing how they are able to ensure delivery within half an hour? they prepare master plan to reach the destination within time. They send out their senior managers on bikes and check high traffic hours and calculate the actual time of delivery, all their employees are duly trained to deliver pizza safely. And snags? Even changes in traffic scenario, like construction of bridges and closing of passengers are taken into account and the schedule is changed accordingly. they are able to deliver pizza within 30 minutes in 99 percent cases, else is give free to the customer. Heres another surprise: A few people know that they do not allow an employee to drive the bike at the speed of more than 40 km/ph. Their safety is paramount to them, (Kaul, n.d.) That is why they call them Safe Delivery Persons (SDP). Informing that they have 3,000 bikes on the Indian roads for delivering pizza, Slogan before leaving for delivery: You have to drive safe. I also find out that soon every bike will have a speed control meter to further check SDP. LITERATURE REVIEW: MODELS: To find out the market position of Dominos Pizza we should know about the models like SWOT, PESTEL.PORTERS FIVE FORCES which we can apply: SWOT ANALYSIS: SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats inside a company, project, or a business venture. It involves identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable/ unfavorable for business to succeed. So it is four factors analysis. PESTEL ANALYSIS: It is to analyze the broad macro-environment of organizations in terms of these factors: Political Economic Social Technological Environmental and Legal PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS: It is to define the attractiveness of industries and sectors for investment and to identify their potential for change. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH: Dominos have strong service facilities like 30 mins NAHI TO FREE (otherwise FREE): dominos were the first to start the trend of 30 minutes otherwise free that means they will deliver your order within 30 minutes otherwise they will give you for free and they are very honest with this concept as they do what they say but they never let their employees to drive the bike so fast in order to reach before 30 minutes and all the employees have to follow this rule strictly and they reach any place before 30 minutes. So it has good door step services within half an hour. Low price menu: In India Dominos is trying to attract the middle class and lower middle class people who are interested to spend their money on pizza but in low price. Those people are eager to go for an outing in any festival and want cheap and best family restaurant. Dominos would be most preferable. They do not need high class ambiences or amusement in the shop so the establishment cost is low for the dealers and the price of pizza is very reasonable for the customers. Variety of Pizzas: Dominos Pizza has a lot of varieties like vegetarian and non-vegetarian. In vegetarian lots of pizzas are available as well as non-vegetarian too. (Adam, 2010) Quality of Pizzas: the quality of Dominos Pizza is also very good. The taste of all the pizzas are very yummy. More outlets- Even in smaller towns: dominos have its outlets even in the smaller towns its popularity and pizzas are not limited to big cities but small cities also due to which people know it more whether from a metro city or from small city. Quick service at outlets: the service at the outlets of dominos is very fast and customers dont have to wait for long for their order which makes the brand even better because low price along with good service as a very rare combination. Excellent offers: The Dominos pizza franchise constantly keeps on inventing ways through which it can make a greater impact on the fast food market. That is how the fast food franchise came up with Fun meal is four offers. Through this method, the pizza franchise is able to produce more variety in the food delivered to its customers at their door steps. Through its Fun meal for four pack the Dominos pizza India offers four pizzas at the rate of Rs. 180. This means charge of one pizza will be just Rs. 45. Dominos mainly offers are more attractive for the students and middle class people and they are the main customer which they targeted. Dominos also regularly introduces sell-in-schemes like promotional schemes for dealers, promotional coupon, festival offers etc. Sometimes they also give great discounts to the customers. (Prasso, 2007) They are strong presence in the market as a brand name: they have a very strong presence in the market and through its long presence in the market and continuous loyalty toward the customer providing them a great service at a cheaper rate it really have created a very good reputation and brand name. So it makes Dominos Pizza better than its competitors. WEAKNESS: Dominos just has delivery outlet but does not have an eating outlet, where the consumers could enjoy themselves. This has provided pizza hut with a competitive edge over Dominos. Dominos also do not have any fixed customer through they are one of the main competitors of the pizza hut. Pizza hut is also an internationally known chain of pizza outlet that entered the Indian market towards the end of the 20th century. Its target audience is basically the youth and the families who like socializing. They are initially targeting only the metropolitan cities as they have positioned themselves as an outlet for rejuvenating lost relationship and socializing as they have an excellence ambience to boost it. Thus pizza hut emphasizes more on the ambience, it provides rather than the product it offer. As far as the price is concerned, pizza hut products start at around Rs 160. It is priced much higher than dominos pizzas but they justify it on the basis of the service and the ambience they provide their customer at the outlet. Pizza Huts marketing strategy is basically aimed to make the consumer feel very important. It actually wants the consumer to believe that Pizza Hut is the ultimate outlet for celebrating anything and everything. It has created an ambience to ensure that customers start finding excuse to the outlet. Dominos has a major threat from Pizza Hut in this aspect. With the increasing number of professionals and increased exposure to western style of eating outdoors frequently, Pizza Hut may quickly score over Dominos. In addition the great interiors, the music and the overall service at the pizza hut outlets create an atmosphere which tempts you to visit the place again. So Dominos have to do something to overcome this problem. Leaving aside the local restaurant and a few local brands like Smokin Joes gracias etc, Dominos mainly faces competition between two players Pizza Hut and Smokin Joes. (Jones, 2008) They dont have dine-in facility: they dont have the dine in facility in their outlets that gives its competitors advantage over it and because its main competitor pizza hut have this facility and dominos is facing the main competition from pizza hut. Outlets lack space: the outlets lack space which creates the problem of limited sitting space for customers and sometimes customers have to wait for the seats to be vacant for them. Ambience not up to expectations: it is not so successful in creating an environment which reflects its brand and reputation as dominos being a brand should come up with a different idea which influences the customer. No option for birthday parties and corporate lunches: instead of being such a big brand in the fast food industry dominos lack the facility of birthday parties or meetings which is a very big weakness as its competitor pizza hut is very good at all these things. (Shreshtha, 2010) OPPORTUNITIES: New restaurant at busy places: it should open its new restaurants at busy and crowded places where it can attract more customers. Capturing the new customer through low price menu: it offers a low price menu which is an advantage to it and it should take the proper benefit out of it growing fast food market-scope for expansion: fast food market is growing very fast along with the time as the new generation all are very fond of fast food and pizza is on top of the list hence making it a great opportunity for the company to expand its business and make profit. Introduce more varieties: it should introduce more varieties of pizzas and add more food items along with the pizza. Bigger outlets: it should increase the size of its outlets as its outlets all being smaller than the competitors hence giving less space for customers to sit and enjoy the meal. Take away counters: it should include take away counters to its outlets so that people feel more comfortable and easy to bring back. (Boyer, 2007) THREATS: From their competitors: it is facing a very tough competition from the existing competitor pizza hut as pizza hut have some of the better facilities with it is regarded better than dominos and hence really affects the market of it distributing the consumers. Pizza hut main competitive advantage over dominos is dine-in facility: the main competitor pizza hut has a unique dine in facility that makes it different and much better than dominos. Emergence of Papa Johns Worlds Pizza makers: new entrants entering the market are coming as a big threat for dominos as it is facing a hyper competition situation from pizza hut and it this scenario a new entrant can make the situation worse and make it loose market. Better quality and variety of competitors: dominos being a low price pizza seller than its competitors that gives it an advantage but at the same time the difference in quality can be seen and that makes the difference. No take away counters for pizzas: doesnt have any take away counters which in turn harms its own market and the consumers coming to it. (Jones, 2008) PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS: Analyzing the above using the five forces framework we can see that in the above discussion it is stated clearly that the threats of new entrants is quite high and a no of new competitors are entering into the market like the papa johns and the pizza being an all time favorite of humans everyone knows that its profitable to invest in it and hence can enter in the market with high hopes. We can also see that it is in a hyper competitive situation with its existing competitor pizza hut. And Smokin Joes also giving a tough time to it hence making the situation even difficult due to which we can say that the threat of rivalry within the industry is too high. We also know that pizza being an all time favorite for people its very normal that instead of going to dominos pizza they can switch to any nearby confectionary or bakery in order to enjoy pizza and hence can harm the business of dominos because a lot of time people prefer not to order and wait for the delivery to come or waste so much of time going there and prefer to go and buy the cheaper pizza from the nearby confectionary or shop which taste same or sometimes better. Hence we can see that Dominos faces threat of substitute products and can be affected from it not so highly but still will have medium affects. RECOMMENDATION: The dining conditions have to be changed drastically if Dominos have to target the Premium segment of customers. They are way behind Pizza Hut in the dining experience. Some of the Dominos Restaurants lack even basic amenities. Due to this a condition can occur where customers judge the quality and taste of the Pizza with respect to the restaurant environment and ambience. Thus to have a greater market share and tap premium segment of the market, Dominos can provide good quality restaurants. There should also be provision for music, TVs, kids zone etc in the restaurant. By doing this they can even charge a little bit more on the food items. CONCLUSION: This assignment is based on Indian pizza market. Now in global market where they are stand in recent scenario. The main objective is increasing the number of customer base of Dominos Pizzas. This also has talked about the entry of various giants in Indian pizza industry. It has touched various aspect of pizza industry such as product line, comparison, strategy, competition, etc Dominos pizza industry is purely based on home delivery service industry. Dominos is the current market leader in India, but may soon face very tough competition from both McDonald and pizza hut. So to improve their brand image and consolidate their position in the market, they need to take up some innovative approach very soon. Special area of dominos is home delivery 30 mins concept, using this punch line they grow their business in various segment like opening dine-in facility, all over the India. , Also starting the new restaurant with new innovative products as well as opening the new segment for Dominos pizza.

UPS Delivers the Goods :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Jordan Colletta joined UPS in 1975, fresh out of school and newly married, he wasn’t thinking about building a career. He just wanted some security. Now not only is he still a faithful UPS employee, but the former tracking clerk has come a long way—he’s vice president of the shipper’s e-commerce sales team. His advancement in the company was steady, the result of careful planning though UPS’s career-development program. By putting resources into such programs and helping reps set goals and develop skills, businesses can allow employees to grow within their organizations and reduce turnover rates in the process, as UPS has found: Its turnover rate among full time managers in 4 percent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Developing salespeople starts with a clear mission. At UPS, employees meet annually with managers to identify their strengths and decide what skills they need for a new job within the company. â€Å" We lay the foundation for future development and map out immediate, midterm, and future goals,† Colletta says. â€Å" When I was a tracing clerk, I told my supervisor that my goal was to became a district sales manager. I then became a driver, then a salesperson, and in 1986 I reached my goal.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Career development entails implementing training programs and Internet career centers that can help companies grow their staffs. Employees take courses in order to acquire the pedigree that will make them candidates for management positions. But learning isn’t just in the classroom. Mentoring programs in which managers coach lower-level employees are also valuable. â€Å"Mentors are especially important,† Colletta says. â€Å"They help you understand the opportunities that are out there. They helped me see what I couldn’t because I couldn’t look that far ahead yet.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Progress must be routinely monitored. Employee reviews and 360-degree reports are good ways to track improvement. So is a manager’s involvement. â€Å"Have an open door policy to keep the communication lines open,† he says. UPS Delivers the Goods :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Jordan Colletta joined UPS in 1975, fresh out of school and newly married, he wasn’t thinking about building a career. He just wanted some security. Now not only is he still a faithful UPS employee, but the former tracking clerk has come a long way—he’s vice president of the shipper’s e-commerce sales team. His advancement in the company was steady, the result of careful planning though UPS’s career-development program. By putting resources into such programs and helping reps set goals and develop skills, businesses can allow employees to grow within their organizations and reduce turnover rates in the process, as UPS has found: Its turnover rate among full time managers in 4 percent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Developing salespeople starts with a clear mission. At UPS, employees meet annually with managers to identify their strengths and decide what skills they need for a new job within the company. â€Å" We lay the foundation for future development and map out immediate, midterm, and future goals,† Colletta says. â€Å" When I was a tracing clerk, I told my supervisor that my goal was to became a district sales manager. I then became a driver, then a salesperson, and in 1986 I reached my goal.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Career development entails implementing training programs and Internet career centers that can help companies grow their staffs. Employees take courses in order to acquire the pedigree that will make them candidates for management positions. But learning isn’t just in the classroom. Mentoring programs in which managers coach lower-level employees are also valuable. â€Å"Mentors are especially important,† Colletta says. â€Å"They help you understand the opportunities that are out there. They helped me see what I couldn’t because I couldn’t look that far ahead yet.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Progress must be routinely monitored. Employee reviews and 360-degree reports are good ways to track improvement. So is a manager’s involvement. â€Å"Have an open door policy to keep the communication lines open,† he says.

Chinatown Essay example -- China Culture Cultural Essays

Chinatown A bus pulls up to its stop on College Boulevard and passengers stream out. Cars are flowing steadily through the streets as I stand perfectly still on the street corner in an attempt to greedily absorb the smells, sights, and sounds. The green hand shaped light appears and I proceed to cross the street with an increasing sense of discovery. There were signs everywhere; mostly in Chinese characters. Some of the signs in English read: Dim Sum Lunch $3.50, English Books about Chinese Herbs, China Kung Fu Acupuncture Treatment Center and Chinatown 2002. Looking at people walking along the sidewalks, the restaurants, bakeries, auto-repair shops and bookstores, I get the distinct impression that this is a place of great importance in almost every imaginable context. What saddens me is that I also understand how ill equipped I am to understand the magnitude of its import. In an effort to gain a rudimentary understanding of what Chinatown represents from a cultural, social, political and historical context, we will examine the historical background of the area, basic geographical data, contemporary situation and a few of the major issues facing this community. Chinatown first began in an area know as Sonoratown, where the notorious street Callae de los Negros (, named for the dark deeds committed there and the individuals who committed them,) was located. By 1870, it is estimated that about 200 Chinese laborers, servants, road-builders, and small shopkeepers shared the block long area located near the plaza in El Pueblo with gamblers, drifters, and outlaws. (Rasmussen: 4). Despite their important contributions to the Southern California economy, Chinese communities were faced with anti-Chinese legislation a... ...nd rich cultural tradition. Bibliography â€Å"Chinese Americans in Los Angeles." Retrieved Oct. 6 2002. http://www.camlas.org/history.htm. Hamilton, Densise. â€Å"Immigration and Molestation Service: How the INS mistreats Refugees.† Los Angeles Times. 14 March 2002. â€Å"Map of Chinatown in Downtown Los Angeles.† Retreived Oct. 6 2002. http://www.csun.edu/~hbgeg069/LA/chinatown.html. Marquez, Sandra. â€Å"California immigrants thrive where little English is spoken.† The Associated Press & Local Wire. 30 August 2002. State and Regional. Parrillo, Vincent. Strangers to These Shores. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Rasmussen, Cecilia. â€Å"Violence, Bias Mark Chinatown’s Evolution.† Los Angeles Times. 25 November 2001, Home ed.: Page 4. Yu, George. â€Å"Open Air-Shelter Would Hurt Chinatown.† Los Angeles Times. 27 November 2001, Home ed.: Page 10. Chinatown Essay example -- China Culture Cultural Essays Chinatown A bus pulls up to its stop on College Boulevard and passengers stream out. Cars are flowing steadily through the streets as I stand perfectly still on the street corner in an attempt to greedily absorb the smells, sights, and sounds. The green hand shaped light appears and I proceed to cross the street with an increasing sense of discovery. There were signs everywhere; mostly in Chinese characters. Some of the signs in English read: Dim Sum Lunch $3.50, English Books about Chinese Herbs, China Kung Fu Acupuncture Treatment Center and Chinatown 2002. Looking at people walking along the sidewalks, the restaurants, bakeries, auto-repair shops and bookstores, I get the distinct impression that this is a place of great importance in almost every imaginable context. What saddens me is that I also understand how ill equipped I am to understand the magnitude of its import. In an effort to gain a rudimentary understanding of what Chinatown represents from a cultural, social, political and historical context, we will examine the historical background of the area, basic geographical data, contemporary situation and a few of the major issues facing this community. Chinatown first began in an area know as Sonoratown, where the notorious street Callae de los Negros (, named for the dark deeds committed there and the individuals who committed them,) was located. By 1870, it is estimated that about 200 Chinese laborers, servants, road-builders, and small shopkeepers shared the block long area located near the plaza in El Pueblo with gamblers, drifters, and outlaws. (Rasmussen: 4). Despite their important contributions to the Southern California economy, Chinese communities were faced with anti-Chinese legislation a... ...nd rich cultural tradition. Bibliography â€Å"Chinese Americans in Los Angeles." Retrieved Oct. 6 2002. http://www.camlas.org/history.htm. Hamilton, Densise. â€Å"Immigration and Molestation Service: How the INS mistreats Refugees.† Los Angeles Times. 14 March 2002. â€Å"Map of Chinatown in Downtown Los Angeles.† Retreived Oct. 6 2002. http://www.csun.edu/~hbgeg069/LA/chinatown.html. Marquez, Sandra. â€Å"California immigrants thrive where little English is spoken.† The Associated Press & Local Wire. 30 August 2002. State and Regional. Parrillo, Vincent. Strangers to These Shores. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Rasmussen, Cecilia. â€Å"Violence, Bias Mark Chinatown’s Evolution.† Los Angeles Times. 25 November 2001, Home ed.: Page 4. Yu, George. â€Å"Open Air-Shelter Would Hurt Chinatown.† Los Angeles Times. 27 November 2001, Home ed.: Page 10.

Development of Tourism in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, also often called the â€Å"The Pearl of the Indian Ocean†. Tourism in Sri Lanka has had its ups and downs. Such things like the civil war is now over, but for the past thirty years that the war was ongoing, a lot of people feared to travel to Sri Lanka and the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . But despite all these events, the tourism in Sri Lanka is still one of the major profit generating industries. Sri Lanka may be a small island, but it has a lot to offer. From its beautiful beaches, to their exotic foods and diverse cultural heritage.The tropical weather in Sri Lanka is all year round except for the monsoon season which usually ranges from mid-year to the end of the year. Foreigners visit often to be in the warm weather. Sri Lanka has so many beautiful beaches that are still untouched and not commercialized. Over half a million tourists came to Sri Lanka in 2006. Other up and coming tourist attractions are precious stone mining in Ratnapura, â€Å"The Gem City† as it is known and also ecotourism. Travelers today like the idea of travelling while also doing their part to help preserve the environment.Buddhism has the biggest influence in molding Sri Lanka’s diverse cultural heritage and also a big factor in drawing in the crowds to Sri Lanka. From temples, relics, religious landmarks and Ayurveda. Sri Lanka has started its campaign on ecotourism and spa-like ayurvedic treatments, banking on the diverse flora and fauna found there. No matter what natural disaster or civil war comes upon Sri Lanka, its beauty and purity have made its mark on the world. There is no doubt that Sri Lankan tourism today is expected to reap the benefits after thirty years of struggle and the tragic tsunami, with hope and bright prospects on the horizon.

Development Plan Reflection Essay

Whilst reading various sources on the importance of reflecting after an experience I came across some wise words, that of Aitchison and Graham cited in Stoobants et al (2007:30) that say, â€Å"We do not learn from experience. Experience has to be arrested, examined, analysed, considered and negotiated in order to shift it to knowledge†. With these words in mind I began to see why it is important to reflect on my first MBA assignment. I see the MBA course as a learning journey, it is through reflecting on my past experiences that I will easily identify my strengths and weaknesses and thus easily identify areas that I should concentrate on developing during my MBA journey. In this assignment you will read about an experience that happened during the early stages of my career as a manager. I will analyse and discuss how this experience has led to where I am today and how it has affected my plans going forward in both my personal and working life. This was in year 2010. I was asked to act in the role of Management Accountant as my manager at that time resigned. I was then already hungry for more challenges and so I gladly accepted without hesitation as I was determined to prove that I am ready for it. Later that day it suddenly dawned on me that it was going to be challenging with the many vacancies in the team (Refer to Appendix 1 for the team structure). With this challenge in mind, I rearranged the team in order for it to work better. We embarked n the annual budget process later that year which did not go well as we did not complete the budget presentation within the stipulated timelines, did not get to analyse the critic all the numbers thoroughly and as a result the region was not ready for presenting the annual budget on time to Head Office. Post the experience below are the key things that I took out of that experience that I thought would enable me to manage teams better going forward: * Ensure that adequate training on the system is provided and requesting the business to provide more IT support people even outside of business hours during the budget process. Learn to lead and delegate and know that I cannot juggle my role and others as I can only achieve so such myself as I was doing most of the work that needed to be done by the Financial Planner: Benrose. * Seek advice from manager and not be afraid to ask for coaching. * Plan better around the timelines to take into account inexperience of some of my team members e. g. Plan a trial run presentation * Be more assertive as I realised that as a manager I could have negotiating additional resources since our headcount was lean so as not to compromise our deliverables. After having been through my first workshop at Henley, I liked Belbin (1981)’s team role model that was presented and in his book where he goes on to look at why management teams succeed or fail which I ironically discovered lying in my parents study and till now never bothered to even look at. He identifies 9 team roles in 3 categories. The action orientated people (Shapers, Implementers and Complete finishers). The thought orientated people (Co-ordinators, Teamworkers and Resource investigators). The last group are the people orientated (Specialists, Monitor evaluators (MEs) and plants). Had I applied his model to understand my team dynamics prior to starting the budget process, I would have seen that I had gaps in key roles that prevented us from completing the task on time. Please note the below roles assigned to my team members are just based on my own perception based on how I know them not based on the questionnaire that is normally completed. AFP – Implementer and Resource Investigator (She was the organiser for the team and was good at providing new knowledge or something new discovered whilst working on the new system and she would share it with the rest of the team) * FP Midrand – Plant and Resource Investigator (He was creative and generally looked at issues, he was cheerful and enthusiastic individual but was easily distracted and would want to start looking at new things without completing a task) * Me – Specialist and Monitor Evaluator. These were my top 2 roles from the results of the questionnaire I completed for my first workshop at Henley. I was a specialist in the team because I had more knowledge of the business and finance than my team. In retrospect, I would have been able to easily match the correct people with the rights tasks. I also could have put plans in place to ensure the following: * I had no shaper in the team. Belbin describes a shaper as generally someone able to drive a team and give direction – not having this I think contributed to us missing the deadline. So in requesting additional resources (e. . a temp person the business would have allowed) I could have ensured that I selected someone who is a shaper or developed more of shaper qualities in myself. * As we did not get to critically analyse the numbers prior our submission, if we had someone strong on being a completer finisher in the group chances of us submitting quality information would have been high as this role is effectively used at the end of a task, to â€Å"polish† and scrutinise the work for errors. I would definitely use this to my advantage going forward in my team tasks going forward.

My parents My role model Essay

Many times in life, we come across a tough, influential person who leaves a great and powerful impact on our lives. When you hear the words â€Å"role model in your life†, who or what do you think of? When I hear it a string of actors, musicians, athletes and, celebrities Over the years, the concept of a essay on  role model has changed from fictional â€Å"heroes† seen in movies, comics, and stories to average people that make an exceptional impact on someone’s life. A role of parents in our life model need not necessarily be a celebrity. A role model in life  can be family, teacher, friend or just a stranger, social worker, a leader etc. who did something that changes your thoughts and decisions about life. And for me my role model are my parents in this essay. My father is my role model are my parents because they posses the quality of a good parent. I know, they are not perfect but they carry the virtue and quality of a parent that everyone could wish for . see more:muet speaking tips Importance of parents in our life My parents are very responsible, good provider, committed to their duties and responsibilities, loving and determined in pursuing their plans to nurture us with good values and norms so that we will became responsible,well-disciplined, God-loving and taught us to love others, as we grow old. my parents make sure that they provide us what we need and they do their best, even in the midst of hardships. They do not stop or even pause in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities as a parent. They always seek a solution or find ways to keep our life better and meaningful. My parents always show and teach us the good values so that we can past it on to the next generation. They are always there to support us in our endeavor and in pursuing our dreams. They are very supportive especially when I need to decide on my own, they are always there on my side, not to be hindered in my plans but instead to give advice and support that I needed most. My parents make sure that they are on my side in every step of the way of our life. My role model speech My parents are essay on my role model because I want to be like them, the way they nurtured us Parents are the first role models for their children. Children look up to their parents with love and trust and at least in the formative years they try to follow closely the example set by their parents. It is imperative that parents be positive, pro-social models that lead by example so that their children learn to be emotionally intelligent and deal with all kinds of people while nurturing loving relationships as they grow up. In a busy world that is becoming increasingly indifferent to the weak, the old and the vulnerable, parents should show  their children that honesty, courage, mercy, love and tolerance are as important as brilliant feats of mind and body are to retain the worlds sanity. We owe it to our children. Works Cited Ostermann, Samuel H. Role Model. Hamilton, N.Z., X Street Two, 2010. â€Å"Role Model.† Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_model.

Bypass the Story of a Road Analysis Essay

McGirr takes virtually every detour possible and in doing so seems to suggest that life’s journey is at its most interesting when one strays from the central path. It is in the towns and rest stations that McGirr encounters individuals with interesting stories to tell – stories that give McGirr’s narrative its essential variety and ‘life’. McGirr’s interest is not only in what lies off to the side of the ‘main road’ in a literal sense. He is attracted by the lives of ‘ordinary’ people who are not famous or even particularly successful. Even when relating incidents from his life as a priest he enjoys telling stories that would otherwise never appear in print: attending the wrong wedding reception; seeing a bride answer a mobile phone. He does occasionally refer to famous or powerful people; even here, though, his preference is for the little known incident over the important, nation-shaping decision – such as John Curtin’s midnight pot of tea in a Gundagai cafà ©. In short, McGirr suggests that, although the highway itself is valuable, we must not forget or neglect places and lives that the highway bypasses, for these too constitute the ‘life-blood’ of the nation. And similarly, although the nation’s central story or history is important – that of, say, the Anzacs, the explorers, the two world wars – the stories that lie off to the side of the historical mainstream are equally worth knowing, are equally valuable. As narrator and author of this narrative, McGirr has a lot of control over how he depicts himself. Indeed, ‘the power of the person who gets to tell the story’ (p.19) is considerable, as he notes when discussing Hovell’s power over Hume in that regard. McGirr is depicted as a fairly affable, if occasionally bumbling figure whose decision to leave the Jesuit order after twenty-one years is a life-changing one. The decision prompts him to experience a number of ‘firsts’: he buys property in Gunning; embarks on an intimate relationship with Jenny whom he subsequently marries and has children with; and decides to travel on a bike down the Hume Highway and document his progress. McGirr might come across as something of an ‘everyman’ figure but his life-experiences mark him as someone rather eclectic (unusual). McGirr displays a capacity for droll humour throughout the narrative, and also a willingness to reflect deeply on his experiences and those of others. His reflective tendencies see him discuss his struggle to sincerely uphold the vow of obedience when he was a member of the Jesuit order (p.173), and also his feeling of being alone when he first joined the order (p.229). It might be argued that McGirr is depicted as someone who thinks a little too much: the discussion of his dilemma about buying orange juice with the money allocated to new Jesuits for ‘emergencies’ (p.228) is an example. Fortunately, his capacity for reflection does not make the text too ponderous. McGirr’s accounts of his developing relationship with Jenny and his self-deprecatory asides about his weight (p.31, p.98), snoring (p.227), age (p.32) and tendency to lecture others (p.142) depict him as a jovial, likeable bloke. Bypass, a hybrid work of creative non-fiction is a memoir, travel story, social history, romance and road story. The literary devices used in Bypass enliven and enrich the writing with sparkling wit. For example: ‘Hovell had been a naval captain. On land, however, he was all at sea.’(p 19) ‘They were like fishermen who were prepared to dam their own river rather than let it starve them.’(p 48) ‘A roadhouse is a place where everything that can’t be eaten has been laminated, and not all the food can be eaten.’(p 66) ‘Guerrilla warfare is the opposite of God who, for some unknown reason, makes his or her absence felt even when present.’(p 81) ‘I came to Gunning to hide, but people kept finding me.’(p 97) ‘Sturt went blind trying to see what none had seen before.’(p 170) McGirr’s anger at some social problems is often expressed in blunt metaphors, for example, when discussing gaming machines in Goulburn he writes: ‘They are abattoirs of the human spirit.’(p 90) His love for language is reflected, for example, where the text is an extended reverie on arcane words and their meanings eg panier (p 98), or in his jovial attempt to find a word to describe a group of prime ministers (pp 153-4). Humour is one of the most appealing features Bypass, for example the discussion of caravans with a fellow traveller (pp 110-1). Michael McGirr is masterly in creating punch lines to end his stories. eg ‘I don’t believe in washing your dirty laundry in public.’(p 263) The Hume Highway: The Hume Highway runs for over eight hundred kilometres inland, between Sydney and Melbourne. Early settlers, such as Charles Throsby and Hume and Hovell, made journeys overland that eventuated in the Hume Highway being developed. The road, initially sometimes called the Great South Road in New South Wales and Sydney Road in what became Victoria, has been re-routed, extended and improved over time. In 1928, it became officially known as the Hume Highway. A number of towns originally on the Hume Highway have now been bypassed to reduce both travel times and the amount of traffic (especially trucks) passing through town centres. The meaning of bypass: The term bypass means to go around something; a road bypass normally goes around a town or the centre of a town. There are many such bypasses on the Hume Highway, allowing the traveller to avoid built up areas and suburban streets. However, although Bypass is the story of a journey along the Hume Highway, the title makes it clear that McGirr’s main interest is in how the road goes around places and people, and what the effects of this might be – both positive and negative. For more about McGirr’s engagement with the notion of a bypass, see the section on Themes, Ideas and Values. The main idea in the novel Bypass is the idea of a journey. In literal terms, Bypass: the story of a road tells the story of a physical journey from one point to another: in this case, from Sydney to Melbourne. However, McGirr makes clear that a journey can have qualities that are more metaphorical. The literary references to Don Quixote and Anna Karenina, in particular, suggest very different types of journeys. The quotation from Don Quixote, ‘there’s no road so smooth that it ain’t got a few potholes’, implicitly signals Sancho’s philosophical take on the nature of relationships and life more generally. This attitude towards the vicissitudes of life clearly informs the text as a whole. For instance, McGirr comments about the degree to which his ‘silly adventure’ might impact negatively on his relationship with Jenny (p.137). Likewise, the comments he makes about the truckies whose marriages can suffer from their long hours on the road (p.52), suggest that physical journeys and emotional journeys are closely intertwined. The frequent references to Anna Karenina also signal McGirr’s interest in the romantic and tragic dimensions of life. The flirtatious comments about McGirr’s relationship with Anna Karenina, his predilection for relinquishing (and then recovering) the text from time to time and the inevitable decision to place her in close proximity to a railway (p.260) work symbolically as a comment on life more generally, as well as on the plot of Tolstoy’s novel. After all, Tolstoy’s Anna throws herself in front of a train. McGirr is all too aware of the fragility of life – both on the road and beyond it. In this novel, death and memorial are also an important theme. The ultimate destination in life’s journey is death. McGirr does not shy away from discussing the fragility of life and makes much of the memorials on the Hume Highway. Death is something that cannot be bypassed and, like ‘the road [which] has no respect for persons or status’ (p.158), it comes to us all. As McGirr notes when reflecting on the cemetery in Gunning, ‘even a long life is short’ (p.7). For McGirr the Hume Highway is ‘sacred space’ (p.15); it is ‘lined with countless reminders of death’ (p.178) and memorialises both those who have died on it and those who have died at war. While McGirr is respectful and interested in the memorials dedicated to the war dead, his main priority is to acknowledge that death comes to all and that the lives of all ordinary Australians – including soldiers – are worth acknowledging and commemorating. Indeed, this is clearly conveyed by his juxtaposition of the near-death experience of Kerry Packer (p.40) and the funerals of the Queen Mother (p.255) and the Princess of Wales (p.256) with the experiences of less well-known individuals. Packer’s blunt assertion that there is no life beyond the grave is contrasted with the more positive reflection of a woman who believed that her husband had ‘gone to the great swap-meet in the sky’ (p.41). Similarly, the vast amount of coverage and ceremony afforded the funerals of the Queen Mother and the Princess of Wales is diametrically opposed to the more poignant account of the interment of Anton, a lonely old man whose funeral was attended by three people: the undertaker, Anton’s neighbour and McGirr in his role as priest (p.256). McGirr says of those like Anton, ‘At least God knew this person †¦ even if nobody else did’ (p.256). McGirr’s accounts of death or near-death experiences are most chilling when he considers those who have endured harrowing experiences on the road. His discussion of the murders committed by Ivan Milat (pp.70–4) and by bushrangers (pp.77–83) brings home the fact that ‘the Hume has a dark side’ (p.70). Not wanting to sensationalise – or justify – the actions of these men, McGirr nonetheless provides some background details to depict them in ways that are complex, non-judgemental and at times unnerving. ENTRY SEVEN: PHILOSOPHY IN BYPASS Given McGirr’s work as a priest for much of his life, it is not surprising that this text is largely preoccupied with issues of faith and philosophical ponderings about life more generally. McGirr makes clear his continued belief in God (p.174) but is not heavy-handed in his discussion of faith. The gently humorous and respectful way in which he recounts Jenny’s aphorisms (wise sayings) about life is a case in point. His recollection of Jenny’s remark that he should ‘just accept [the Hume Highway] for what it is †¦ you’ll enjoy it more’ (p.155) is exemplary. His discussion of Jenny’s view that there is a concave (negative and convex (optimistic) way of looking at the world (p.170) – and that he ‘might be right’ (p.170) in thinking that he has a concave approach to the world is similarly light-hearted in tone but relevant to the book’s overall interest in forms of belief. The light-hearted banter continues when McGirr discusses his acquisition of the Chinese philosophical text, Tao Te Ching. Its pithy words of wisdom are for McGirr redolent of the bumper sticker sayings that he has liberally peppered throughout his narrative. At times, McGirr’s discussion of philosophical matters takes on a more earnest tone. His discussion of how, as a priest, he subscribed to the vow of obedience in an effort to ‘make up a sense of purpose which I otherwise lacked’ (p.173) and his related anxiety that he would reach the ‘point at which you can no longer recognise yourself in the things you are starting to say or do’ (p.173) signal his need to be honest with himself as well as with others. His comment that ‘the secret of being human is learning how to enjoy our limitations’ (p.301) suggests that honesty and humility are part and parcel of a reflective existence, McGirr is also interested in the ways in which others concern themselves with spiritual matters. His discussion of the House of Prayer in Goulburn shows how prayer provides respite from the manic nature of everyday life and celebrates those like Catherine who dedicate their lives to helping others in need find peace (pp.85–6). In a very different and secular vein, McGirr recounts the belief Liz Vincent has in ghosts – of people and of the road. Although Vincent does not believe in God, McGirr seems fascinated by her stories and sensitively recounts her belief that ‘the people we love can scarcely bear to leave us and sometimes hang around as ghosts’ (p.59). Perhaps more interesting is Vincent’s claim that the old Hume Highway near Picton has a ‘ghostly presence of its own’ (p.59), appearing before unwary drivers’ eyes and beguiling them into believing that the phantom road they are following is the real thing (p.59). ENTRY EIGHT: THE POLITICS IN BYPASS In some ways Bypass is a book about power – about who has it and who does not. As McGirr writes, ‘Roads are political. Building them is a sign that somebody is the boss’ (p.14). McGirr’s discussion of the impact on Merri Creek of the F2 freeway into Melbourne (p.284), the ensuing court case and the verdict that ultimately endorsed the freeway project, exemplifies the political nature of road-making. The very essence of a bypass, for instance, is a political act and McGirr makes this clear when discussing the difficulties surrounding the decision to create an internal or an external bypass for Albury in the late 1990s (pp.203–6). Concerns about the economic effect of a route directing traffic away from town are weighed up with concerns about the impact of noise and pollution that a new road near or through a town invariably brings. Tussles between federal and state governments, as was the case with the Albury bypass, certainly highlight the political nature of road-making, as do arguments between different interest groups. The issue of the Albury bypass, along with the 1979 truck blockade staged between Camden and Picton on a notorious stretch of road known as razorback (pp.47–51), illustrate power struggles of very different sorts. McGirr also points out that the amount of money spent on roads as opposed to public transport is a political act. He writes that ‘in the last ten years, for every dollar spent on laying rail in Australia, eight dollars have been spent on highways’ (p.92). This pattern of spending is, he continues, ‘a symptom of something deeper because government spending decisions simply mirror the interests of voters’ (p.92). Bypass: the story of a road is particularly concerned with the way the highway has been the backdrop for various well-known and not so well-known aspects of Australia’s history. From Hume and Hovell’s early markings of the Hume Highway, to the increased tea ration bargained for by Jack Castrisson when John Curtin visited the Niagara Cafà © in Gundagai, to Ned Kelly’s exploits, to the antics of the humble, ordinary Australians who travel on the Hume year by year, McGirr celebrates the way aspects of Australia’s history are part and parcel of the Hume Highway’s rich narrative. McGirr’s interest in Australian history is, however, not indicative of a desire to celebrate or endorse conventional representations of Australia’s past. In a number of instances, McGirr wants to query the legitimacy of idealistic views of the nation’s evolution. McGirr challenges the idea that Australia is an egalitarian nation, for example, and claims tha t this view is a ‘myth’ (p.200). He also reminds readers of the fraught relationship between colonisers and Indigenous Australians when he discusses the life and death of an Aboriginal man named Bill Punch who survived a massacre as a baby and went on to fight for the Allies on the Western Front in World War I (pp.246–7). McGirr’s willingness to temper some representations of Australia’s past is underpinned by an appreciation of the power of language. He notes that those who are in a position to write about the past can have more agencies in their lives and also more control of history than those who don’t (p.19). This awareness allows him to ponder on the way bushrangers and explorers have been depicted over time, and how being literate can impact on the type of individual one becomes (pp.77–8). McGirr is attentive to the idea that some histories are not told and that those that are relayed are not always definitive. Bypass: the story of a road offers a quirky exploration of the Hume Highway and the personalities of the people whose lives have been touched by the road in one way or another. At the age of 40, former Jesuit priest, Michael McGirr – armed with not much more than a copy of Anna Karenina, some spare clothes and a less than state-of-the-art Chinese built bicycle – set out to ride the 880 kilometres (547 miles) of the Hume Highway which links Sydney and Melbourne. While the ride forms the backdrop to McGirr’s book Bypass: The Story of a Road, like all good travelogue’s the ride itself is really just a frame to hang the real story around, which as the title suggests, is the story of the Hume Highway. From its humble beginnings as a rough track across the Great Dividing Range, to its current state as a modern dual carriageway, the Highway continues to serve as the major thoroughfare linking Australia’s two largest cities. Bypass took me on a wonderful jo urney covering the history of the Hume, and the politics that helped shape it. Along the way you meet some great – and not so great – Australian characters that have helped imprint the name of the highway into the Australian psyche. People like the 61 year old Cliff Young (great), who in 1983 won the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne foot race against competitors half his age. And men like Ivan Milat (not so great) who was convicted of the murder of seven young backpackers and hitch-hikers, all of whom he buried in the Belanglo State Forest. Then there are the explorers Hamilton Hume (after whom the Highway was eventually named) and William Hovell, who in 1824 along with at least six others, set of from Appin (near the present day Sydney suburb of Campbelltown) for the first successful quest to reach Melbourne. Through the novel, I also met truckies; the bushrangers Ben Hall and Ned Kelly; and the poets ‘Banjo’ Paterson and Henry Lawson. I attended a Catholic Mass in Tarcutta – officially the halfway point between Sydney and Melbourne – where apart from the priest and two parishioners, the only other people in attendance are the author of Bypass and his companion Jenny, who has by this tim e joined him on his ride to Melbourne. Reading this book, it seemed like I visited almost every country town along the route of the Hume Highway, and learn something about each of them. Towns like Goulburn, famous for the Big Merino and Goulburn Jail (where Ivan Milat is currently serving seven life sentences). I visited Holbrook and learn why the outer shell of the Oberon Class submarine HMAS Otway now sits in a public park in the middle of town. In Chiltern we pass by the childhood home of the Australian writer Henry Handel Richardson, and learn that Henry’s real name was Ethel Florence. I learned too, that like other female writers have done throughout history, Ethel wrote under a male nom de plume because at the time it was felt that women didn’t have what it took to be great writers. And I also visited the town of Yass, and drop by the Liberty Cafà © for a meal before continuing on the journey, and turning page after page. Across its many short chapters, Bypass also introduced me to some of the thousands of bumper stickers that adorn the rear ends of many Australian vehicles. In fact, McGirr uses stickers as chapter headings to introduce the readers to every aspect of his journey. Thus, the bumper sticker THE OLDER I GET THE BETTER I WAS, allows him to explain some of his own personal story and the reasons for his decision to ride the Hume Highway. In the chapter THE GODDESS IS DANCING, McGirr introduces us to his riding partner Jenny, and in DEATH IS THE MANUFACTURER’S RECALL NOTICE, we pause to learn about some of the many roadside memorials that mark the sites of fatal road accidents that line the Highway. To conclude, the book is immensely readable, always entertaining and informative, often surprising, and constantly filled with odd facts and humorous anecdotes. These keep the story moving along smoothly and effortlessly – which cannot always be said of Michael McGirr’s monumental bike ride.

Recruiting and selecting staff for international assignments Essays

Recruiting and selecting staff for international assignments Essays 109 Introduction Hiring and then deploying people to positions where they can perform effectively is a goal of most organizations, whether domestic or international. Recruitment is defined as searching for and obtaining potential job candidates in sufficient numbers and quality so that the organization can select the most appropriate people to fill its job needs. Selection is the process of gathering information for the purposes of evaluating and deciding who should be employed in particular jobs. It is important to note that recruitment and selection are discrete processes and both processes need to operate effectively if the firm is effectively to manage its staffing process. For example, a firm may have an excellent selection system for evaluating candidates but if there are insufficient candidates to evaluate then this selection system is less than effective. Both processes must operate effectively for optimal staffing decisions to be made. We shall return to this point later in the chapter. Some of the major differences between domestic and international staffing are first that many firms have predispositions with regard to who should hold key positions in headquarters and subsidiaries (i.e. ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric and geocentric staffing orientations) and second, the constraints imposed by host governments (e.g. immigration rules with regard to work visas and the common Chapter Objectives The focus of this chapter is on recruitment and selection activities in an international context. We will address the following issues: The myth of the global manager. The debate surrounding expatriate failure. Factors moderating intent to stay or leave the international assignment. Selection criteria for international assignments. Dual career couples. Are female expatriates different? Recruiting and selecting staff for international assignments 5 CHAPTER 31017_05_Ch05_p109-136.qxd 9/7/07 12:15 PM Page 109 requirement in most countries to require evidence as to why local nationals should not be employed rather than hiring foreigners) which can severely limit the firms ability to hire the right candidate. In addition, as Scullion and Collings1 note, most expatriates are recruited internally rather than externally, so the task of persuading managers (particularly if they are primarily working in a domestic environment) to recommend and/or agree to release their best employees for international assignments remains a key issue for international HR managers. In this chapter, we will explore the key issues surrounding international recruitment and selection, with a focus on selection criteria. Implicit in much of the discussion and research about selecting staff for international assignments is that there are common attributes shared by persons who have succeeded in operating in other cultural work environments that is, the so-called global manager. Our discussion on this topic centers around four myths: that there is a universal approach to management; that all people can acquire appropriate behaviors; there are common characteristics shared by global managers; and there are no impediments to global staff mobility. We then consider various factors such as expatriate failure, selection criteria, dual career couples and gender that impact on the multinationals ability to recruit and select high calibre staff for deployment internationally. For convenience, we will use the term multinational throughout this chapter, but it is important to remember that the issues pertain variously to all internationalizing companies regardless of size, industry, stage in internationalization, nationality of origin and geographical diversity. We continue to use the term expatriate to include all three categories: PCNs (parent-country nationals), TCNs (third country nationals) and HCNs (host-country nationals) transferred into headquarters operations, although much of the literature on expatriate selection is focused only on PCNs. Issues in staff selection The myth of the global manager Multinationals depend on being able to develop a pool of international operators from which they can draw as required. Such individuals have been variously labeled international managers or global managers. The concept of a global manager appears to be based on the following myths or assumptions. Myth 1: there is a universal approach to management. The view that there is a universal approach to management persists, despite evidence from research to the contrary, and many multinationals continue to transfer home-based work practices into their foreign operations without adequate consideration as to whether this is an appropriate action. The persistence of a belief in universal management may be evidence of a lingering ethnocentric attitude or perhaps an indicator of inexperience in international operations. However, as we discussed in Chapter 1 in relation to the convergencedivergence debate, work practices have, to a certain extent, converged through the transfer of technology and best practice and this process is supported by the global spread of management education programs that reflect the dominant Western approach to management. Linked to this process is the belief in the power of organizational culture as

Opernball essays

Opernball essays F Geboren am 5.Juli 1955 in ZwettlNiedersterreich. F Studierte Philosophie, Theaterwissenschaft und Germanistik in Wien. F 1976-92 Mitherausgeber der Literaturzeitschrift "Wespennest". F Gemeinsam mit Karl-Markus Gauß Herausgeber der Werke Hugo Sonnenscheins. F 1986-89 Generalsekretr der Grazer Autorenversammlung. F Lehrauftrge an den Universitten Kassel, Innsbruck und Wien. F 1989-90 Writer-in-Residence und Gast-Professor am Oberlin College, Ohio. F 1986-94 gemeinsam mit Kurt Neumann Organisator der "Wiener Vorlesungen zur Literatur". F Literarisch-musikalische Performances. F 1992 Mitbegrnder von "SOS Mitmensch". F Lehrbeauftragter an der Universitt Leipzig. F Lebt in Wien und Leipzig Deutschland. 1980 Dritter Preis des Literaturpreises des Autorenwettbewerbs der Zeitschrift "profil" Staatsstipendium des Bundesministeriums fr Unterricht und Kunst fr Literatur Frderungspreis fr Literatur des Theodor-Krner-Stiftungsfonds zur Frderung 1984 Frderungspreis der Stadt Wien fr Literatur 1986 Anerkennungspreis des Landes Niedersterreich fr Literatur 1988 Dramatikerstipendium des Bundesministeriums fr Unterricht und Kunst 1989 Preis der Salzburger Literaturzeitschrift "erostepost" 1990 Buchprmie des Bundesministeriums fr Unterricht und Kunst 1992-1993 Elias-Canetti-Stipendium der Stadt Wien 1994 Frderungspreis des Landes Niedersterreich fr Literatur Ein ungeheures Verbrechen ist geschehen. Eine kleine Gruppe von Fanatikern hat whrend des Opernballs Gas in die Staatsoper geleitet. Kaum jemand hat berlebt. Unter den Opfern ist auch ein junger Kameramann, Sohn des in Wien lebenden Starjournalisten eines internationalen Nachrichtensenders. Der Vater lßt nun die Geschichte ihrer Beziehung Revue passieren, die Geschichte eines Mannes, der seine Kar...

Operation Management Essay example

Operation Management Essay example Operation Management Essay example C H A P T E R Location Strategies 8 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. FedEx’s key location concept is the central hub concept, with Memphis selected for several reasons, including its being in the middle of the country and having very few hours of bad weather closures. 2. The major reason for U.S. ï ¬ rms to locate overseas is often lower labor costs, but as this chapter and Chapter 2 suggest, there are a number of considerations. 3. The major reason foreign ï ¬ rms build in the U.S. is to satisfy the demand for foreign goods in the United States while reducing transportation cost and foreign exchange risk; in addition, U.S. locations allow foreign ï ¬ rms to circumvent quotas and/or tariffs. 4. Clustering is the tendency of ï ¬ rms to locate near competitors. 5. Different weights can be given to different factors. Personal preferences are included. 6. The qualitative approach usually considers many more factors, but its results are less exact. 7. Clustering examples in the service sector include fast-food restaurants, shoe and jewelr y stores in a shopping mall, and theme parks. 8. Factors to consider when choosing a country: I I I I I I I Environmental regulations Incentives Proximity to raw materials/customers Land/construction costs 10. Franchise operations may add new units per year; Exxon, McDonald’s and Wal-Mart add hundreds of units per year, almost a daily location decision. For such organizations, the location decision becomes more structured, more routine. Perhaps by repeating this process they discover what makes their strategic locations decisions successful. 11. Factors affecting location decisions: labor productivity, foreign exchange, changing attitudes toward the industry, unions, employment, zoning, pollution, and taxes. 12. The center of gravity method assumes that cost is directly proportional to both distance and volume shipped. For service facilities, revenue is assumed to be directly proportional to proximity to markets. 13. Locational break-even analysis three steps: I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Exchange rates Government stability (political risk) Communications systems within the country and to the home ofï ¬ ce Wage rates Productivity Transportation costs Language Tariffs Taxes Attitude towards foreign investors/incentives Legal system Ethical standards Cultural issues Supplies availability Market locations Corporate desires Attractiveness of region Labor issue Utilities I Step 1: Determine ï ¬ xed and variable cost for each location. Step 2: Plot the costs for each location, with costs on the vertical axis of the graph and annual volume on the horizontal axis. Step 3: Select the location that has the lowest total cost for the expected production volume. 14. The issue of weight or volume gain and weight or volume loss during processing is important, and supports the manufacturing side of the saying (weight loss during mining and reï ¬ ning, for example, suggests shipping after processing). But JIT may be more easily accomplished when suppliers are clustered near the customer. And some services (such as Internet sales) can take place at tremendous distances without sacriï ¬ cing close contact. 15. Besides low wage rates, productivity should be considered also. Employees with poor training, poor education, or poor work habits are not a good buy. Moreover, employees who cannot or will not reach their place of work are not much good to the organization. 16. Service location techniques: regression models to determine importance of various factors, factor rating method, trafï ¬ c counts, demographic analysis of drawing area, purchasing power analysis of area, center-of-gravity method, and geographic information system. 17. The distri butor is more concerned with transportation and storage costs, and the supermarket more concerned with proximity to markets. The distributor will focus more on roads, overall population density (store density), while the supermarket will focus 9. Factors to consider in a

Free Essays on Science

Global Warming Most of the world today regards the â€Å"global warming† as both real and dangerous. Many aspects, however, have already been discounted by the scientific community. Fears of massive sea level increase, accompanied by many early discussion about global warming. Scientist afraid the sea level would increase onto land due to the melting of ice. It is now widely agreed that even the potential contribution of warming to sea level rise would be swamped by other more important factors (Moran, 1999). These factors include hazardous gases and pollutants. We are entering a period of global warming as a result of burning vast amounts of fossil fuels. By burning fossil fuels, â€Å"we are putting into the air more gases that act like a globe of glass around the planet† (National Geographic, 1990). The ‘globe of glass’ is a mixture of all the fuels that remains permanently on the surface of Planet Earth. It is called glass because it prevents cooling air from entering causing the Green House Effect. Many scientists believe that human processes are contributing to global warming regardless of impact of natural cycles also causing climate change (Keller, 1999). The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed. Although uncertainty exists about exactly how earth’s climate responds to these gases, global temperatures are rising. Scientists on Hawaii’s Mauna Loa have recorded steady increase in human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Most believe that the rising CO2 level will lead to higher global temperatures and significant climate change (National Geographic, 1990). Some scientists do not be... Free Essays on Science Free Essays on Science Global Warming Most of the world today regards the â€Å"global warming† as both real and dangerous. Many aspects, however, have already been discounted by the scientific community. Fears of massive sea level increase, accompanied by many early discussion about global warming. Scientist afraid the sea level would increase onto land due to the melting of ice. It is now widely agreed that even the potential contribution of warming to sea level rise would be swamped by other more important factors (Moran, 1999). These factors include hazardous gases and pollutants. We are entering a period of global warming as a result of burning vast amounts of fossil fuels. By burning fossil fuels, â€Å"we are putting into the air more gases that act like a globe of glass around the planet† (National Geographic, 1990). The ‘globe of glass’ is a mixture of all the fuels that remains permanently on the surface of Planet Earth. It is called glass because it prevents cooling air from entering causing the Green House Effect. Many scientists believe that human processes are contributing to global warming regardless of impact of natural cycles also causing climate change (Keller, 1999). The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed. Although uncertainty exists about exactly how earth’s climate responds to these gases, global temperatures are rising. Scientists on Hawaii’s Mauna Loa have recorded steady increase in human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Most believe that the rising CO2 level will lead to higher global temperatures and significant climate change (National Geographic, 1990). Some scientists do not be...

Areitos Ancient Caribbean Taino Ceremonies

Areitos Ancient Caribbean Taino Ceremonies Areito also spelled areyto (plural areitos) is what the Spanish conquistadors called an important ceremony composed and performed by and for the Taà ­no people of the Caribbean. An areito was a bailar candanto or sung dance, an intoxicating blend of dance, music and poetry, and it played a significant role in Taà ­no social, political, and religious life. According to 15th and early 16th-century Spanish chroniclers, areitos were performed in the main plaza of a village, or in the area in front of the chief’s house. In some cases, the plazas were specifically configured for use as dancing grounds, with their edges defined by earthen embankments or by a series of standing stones. The stones and embankments were often decorated with carved images of zemis, mythological beings or noble ancestors of the Taà ­no. The Role of Spanish Chroniclers Almost all of our information concerning the early Taà ­no ceremonies comes from the reports of Spanish chroniclers, who first witnessed areitos when Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola. Areito ceremonies confused the Spanish because they were performative art that reminded the Spanish of (oh no!) their own ballad-narrative tradition called romances. For example, the conquistador Gonzalo Fernandez de Ovideo drew a direct comparison between the areitos good and noble way of recording past and ancient events and those of his Spanish homeland, leading him to argue that his Christian readers should not count the areitos as evidence of Native American savagery. The American anthropologist Donald Thompson (1993) has argued that the recognition of artistic similarities between the Taà ­no areito and Spanish romances led to the obliteration of detailed descriptions of song-dance ceremonies found throughout Central and South America. Bernadino de Sahagun used the term to refer to communal singing and dancing among the Aztecs; in fact, most historical narratives in the Aztec language were sung by groups and usually accompanied by dancing. Thompson (1993) counsels us to be very cautious about much that has been written about the areitos, for this exact reason: that the Spanish recognized conflated all kinds of rituals containing song and dance into the term areito. What was an Areito? The conquistadors described areitos as rituals, celebrations, narrative stories, work songs, teaching songs, funeral observances, social dances, fertility rites, and/or drunken parties. Thompson (1993) believes that the Spanish undoubtedly witnessed all of those things, but the word areito may well have simply meant group or activity in Arawakan (the Taino language). It was the Spanish who used it to categorize all kinds of dancing and singing events. The chroniclers used the word to mean chants, songs or poems, sometimes sung dances, sometimes poem-songs. The Cuban ethnomusicologist Fernando Ortiz Fernandez described areitos as the greatest musical artistic expression and poetic of the Antilles Indians, a conjunto (gathering) of music, song, dance and pantomime, applied to religious liturgies, magical rites and the epic narrations of the tribal histories and the great expressions of collective will. Songs of Resistance: The Areito de Anacaona Eventually, despite their admiration for the ceremonies, the Spanish stamped out the areito, replacing it with sacred church liturgies. One reason for this may have been the association of areitos with resistance. The Areito de Anacaona is a 19th-century song-poem written by Cuban composer Antonio Bachiller y Morales and dedicated to Anacaona (Golden Flower), a legendary Taà ­no female chief (cacica) [~1474-1503] who ruled the community of Xaragua (now Port-au-Prince) when Columbus made landfall. Anacaona was married to Caonabo, cacique of the neighboring kingdom of Maguana; her brother Behechio ruled Xaragua first but when he died, Anacaona seized power. She then led native revolts against the Spanish with whom she had previously established trade agreements. She was hung in 1503 at the order of Nicolas de Ovando [1460-1511], the first Spanish governor of the New World. Anacaona and 300 of her serving maidens performed an areito in 1494, to announce when Spanish forces led by Bartolome Colon met with Bechechio. We dont know what her song was about, but according to Fray Bartolome de las Casas, some of the songs in Nicaragua and Honduras were songs of explicit resistance, singing about how wonderful their lives had been before the arrival of the Spanish, and the amazing ability and cruelty of Spanish horses, men, and dogs. Variations According to the Spanish, there was lots of variety in the areitos. The dances varied a great deal: some were step-patterns that move along a specific pathway; some used walking patterns that went no more than a step or two in either direction; some wed recognize today as line dances; and some were led by a guide or dance master of either sex, who would use a call and response pattern of song and steps wed recognize from modern country dancing. The areito leader established the steps, words, rhythm, energy, tone, and pitch of a dance sequence, based on ancient clearly choreographed steps but continually evolving, with new adaptations and additions to accommodate new compositions. Instruments Instruments used at areitos in Central America included flutes and drums, and sleigh bell-like rattles made of wood containing small stones, something like maracas and called by the Spanish cascabels). Hawkbells were a trade item brought by the Spanish to trade with the locals, and according to the reports, the Taino liked them because they were louder and shinier than their versions. There were also drums of various sorts, and flutes and tinklers tied to clothing that added noise and movement. Father Ramà ³n Panà ©, who accompanied Columbus on his second voyage, described an instrument used at an areito called the mayouhauva or maiohauau. This was made of wood and hollow, measuring about a meter (3.5 ft) long and half as wide. Panà © said that the end that was played had the shape of a blacksmiths tongs, and the other end was like a club. No researcher or historian has since been able to even imagine what that looked like. Sources Atkinson L-G. 2006. The Earliest Inhabitants: The Dynamics of the Jamaican Taino. Kingston, Jamaica: University of West Indies Press.Leà ³n T. 2016. Polyrhythmia in the Music of Cuba. Polyrhythmia in the Music of Cuba. Diagonal: An Ibero-American Music Review 1(2).Saunders NJ. 2005. The Peoples of the Caribbean. An Encyclopedia of Archaeology and Traditional Culture. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.Scolieri PA. 2013. On the Areito: Discovering Dance in the New World. Dancing the New World: Aztecs, Spaniards, and the Choreography of Conquest. University of Texas Press: Austin. p 24-43.Simmons ML. 1960. Pre-Conquest Narrative Songs in Spanish America. The Journal of American Folklore 73(288):103-111.Thompson D. 1983. Music Research in Puerto Rico. College Music Symposium 23(1):81-96.Thompson D. 1993. The Cronistas de Indias Revisited: Historical Reports, Archeological Evidence, and Literary and Artistic Traces of Indigenous Music and Dance in the Greater Antilles at the Time of th e Conquista. Latin American Music Review / Revista de Mà ºsica Latinoamericana 14(2):181-201. Wilson SC. 2007. The Archaeology of the Caribbean. New York: Cambridge University Press.