Communication for Managers Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication for Managers Final Exam - Essay Example 23). First, Speaking slowly and clearly is one of the strategies used in global business, to address communication barriers. This is because many people fail to understand what the other person is saying due to speed of communication leading to vague meaning. Thus, this strategy gives an opportunity for foreigners to understand what the native speakers are saying (Guffey, 2009). Second, asking for clarification addresses communication barriers, to gain a deeper understanding of the subject mater. Thus, it is wise to allow one to ask a question to ensure that the intended information has reached the required party (Hogan & Stubbs, 2003, p. 34). Frequently checking for understanding is a third strategy used in avoiding communication barrier. When communicating with someone, ask questions to establish whether the communication objectives are realized (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2011, p. 32). Fourth, defining the basics of business is another strategy of avoiding communication barrier. When the objectives of business are clearly communicated to individuals, then chances of misconception are significantly reduced (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2011, p. 23). Finally, Careful selecting communication media is another strategy used to avoid communication barrier. Some of communication channels used creates communication barriers. Thus, it is essentially for an individual to use proper communication media. For example, when wanting to communicate abroad using of email may be more reliable communication media than use of telephone (Thompson, 2004, p. 56). Globalization of business poses a significant intercultural communication challenges. This is because culture differ across nations; thus, the need to adopt appropriate strategy to enhance effective intercultural communication. These strategies include the following. The organization should educate its staff on various cultural practices present at the

Trifles Case Essay Example for Free

Trifles Case Essay Having to play a certain character’s role in any story or play we should know how to act and especially how to put ourselves in the situation where the character we play is into. We should know how to put ourselves in the position of the character we are playing. We can only play a great role for our character if only we will be able to picture out what is happening in our character and if we can only know what the character is suffering, feeling and all about the character we are playing. Also, a great factor for us to have a great performance in playing a certain character’s role is a great motivation towards the play. As an actor or actress we should be able to know how to motivate ourselves in different situations that the character is undergoing. We should have a great background of the character itself and the situations that the character will be encountering along the play. Different actors and actresses have different ways of motivating their selves depending upon the situation that their character is facing. They motivate their selves depending upon the feelings of the character they are playing. If the character they are playing needs to happy then they should be happily motivated in order to perform well and on the other hand if the character they are playing needs to be sad then they should be sad. Also they should know what struggles their character is facing and they should reflect this to the play by their acting ability. As to the play â€Å"TRIFLES†, the character of Mr. Hale is being played as he was being investigated or interrogated at the start of the play (Maillakais). As a character being interrogated then the one who plays his role must know how to act as a person under interrogation. Being under an interrogation then you should know how does it feel to be interrogated and how to act as one. Being under interrogation then you should know how to answer all the questions being asked by the one who investigates you. Also, you should know how to react as a person being interrogated. You should know how to show people the way you are being nervous under interrogation and how you manage to tell the interrogator what you know about the crime. On the other hand, the Sheriff, Henry Peters, have been motivated as a character that knows how to interrogate a certain suspect or any witnesses relevant to the crime (Maillakais). With regards to the character being played by the actor we can see that the Sheriff really wants to solve the crime and being the Sheriff in the place he shows that he should be respected by the people of the place and so he must be the one assigned and reliable to solve the crime. He as the one interrogating all the possible people who could be relevant to the crime and at the same time he was the one in charge to ensure that the place should be clear and in order as it was before and after the crime had happened. But let us evaluate the two of the more important characters in the play, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Mrs. Hale is the wife of Mr. Henry Hale (Maillakais). She was the one who goes with Mrs. Peters upstairs to get something for Mrs. Wright. As they were upstairs they were talking about the battle of sexes. They also talk about how such crime had happened. Her instincts of being both a wife and as a lady have brought them to a more serious talk about the crime that had happened. Being a role player to such character the actress should be motivated as she knows how it feels to be a wife and hoe does it feel as a lady and how to act as both personas. Being a lady, the actress who plays the role of Mrs. Hale must be someone who have a great knowledge regarding the attitude of a woman and how they look forward to their duties as a woman. The actress should be motivated in a way that she knows how to value her role as woman and as a lady and on the other hand she knows her role as a citizen. Based from the characteristics of Mrs. Hale in the play, the actress should adapt her quality as being a woman who is strict in her gender and knows how to value herself. Mrs. Hale is a woman who has a very strong personality so the actress should motivate herself as being a woman who has a strong personality. Being an actress who will play the role of Mrs. Hale it should be clear to the actress that she has to be at the position of Mrs. Hale. She should know what Mrs. Hale feels as a woman regarding the topic about the idea of the crime which the suspect is a lady. The actress can use some self-made programs like thinking that the situation had happened in her real life before or maybe thinking the same situation that may be close to what had happened in the play. Being able to do such action can help the actress play the role of Mrs. Hale in a more prolific manner and still makes it easier for her to act. As an actress she had to device such plans or ideas where she can easily put herself in the position of the character she has to play. An example of such idea is what actresses usually do to make it easier for them to portray such roles. Actresses rehearse their selves as if they have personally suffered the same situations that the character had gone. They internalize the scene and try their best to put their selves in the mood of the character. As to Mrs. Peters, her characteristics as a character in the play are almost the same as to Mrs. Hale (Maillakais). She is a woman who has a very respect with regards to the dignity and role of a woman in the society they live. She thinks that women have different roles compared to men and that men do not have the right to do what a woman is doing because there are things that only women can do. She is also very bias and very protective when it comes to women’s rights. As to what the writer wants it to be, she have shown in the play the inequality of sexes and with regards to this idea only actresses who have the same point of view as the writer can portray a good acting to the characters in the play. In order to portray Mrs. Peters’ character the actress should motivate herself as a woman who seeks an unbalance treatment between men and women in the society. She has to be a feminist who wants women to be above men in different aspects. She must show in the play that she wants changes that will be an advantage to women. The actress must be very-well motivated to play a character that has a bias opinion upon the battle of sexes. The actress should also think the same as the how Mrs. Peters thinks. The actress should also be a feminist who will protect her fellow women even if it means to trick even your own husband. In the end of the story, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters have found out what had really happened through the clues they find in the house of the Wrights. They have found several clues such as the dead bird and preserved fruits that may lead to their conclusion. That clues may be enough to tell them what had really happened and what brought them to these clues are their instincts of being women. The story shows that no man can ever figure out what had really happened because men do not have the ability to read what is in women’s mind. At the beginning of the story, the two ladies did not judge Mrs. Wright as how the men in the story think. They used casual talking with a bit of curiosity of what the things around them symbolize; while the men looked for clues to prove the guilt of Mrs. Wright for murdering her husband. And also the men in the play overlooked what they call small things such as knotting, worrying over preserved fruits, and household keeping. As what the story implies, the actor or actress that should portray a certain role must understand well how the character requires (Answers.com). They must show how the view of men regarding the case differs from the view of the women. The men should act as if they make conclusion hastily without understanding why the thing happened, while the women should act as if they were depending on feelings and instinct (Talley). Citations: Talley, Chinyelu. â€Å"Facts and Reason Matters.† Making Judgments: the Women vs the Men. 8 June, 1999. http://vccslitonline.vccs.edu/Trifles/women-men.htm Maillakais, Mikes. â€Å"A Woman’s Place: Literary Background for Glaspell’s Trifles†. 30 July, 1996. http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/glaspell.htm#Literary%20Background Answers.com. â€Å"trifles†. 2007. http://www.ans

Tetanus Toxin: Structure and Purification

Tetanus Toxin: Structure and Purification Tetanus is regarded amongst the most severe and fatal disease since ancient times [1]. Tetanus is termed from a Greek word ‘Tetanos’ which means- to contract *. The disease is generally initiated due to deep wounds, cuts, and during catastrophic situations like natural calamities, physical trauma, etc. [a] It was first discovered by Hippocrates in early 19th century *. However it was etiologically described by Carle and Rattone who were first to produce tetanus in animals by injecting pus extracted from an infected human with the same disease in 1884. During this same period Nicolaier also produced tetanus in animals from soil samples. Further research in 1889 by Kitasato revealed that animals were infected by this disease when they were injected with a particular organism isolated from a human patient *. Nocard in 1897 revealed that this disease can be treated by the use of its antitoxin. Moreover in 1924 the significance of toxoid came into existence during World War I which was formulated by Descombey and this passive immunization against tetanus was majorly used during World War II *. Structure of tetanus toxin: The tetanus toxin is of 150kD comprising of three fragments i.e. A,B and C having a molecular weight of 50kD each [n]. Fragments A and B were observed to be non-spastically toxic and also to block the release of catecholamine. It also inhibits the action of synaptic nerves and thus exhibits an important role in the toxicity of the toxin. On the other hand fragment C is regarded as the non-toxic subunit but retaining the required antigenic properties of the toxin. This fragment is seen to bind with gangliosides, motor endplates and synaptic membranes. It also helps in transportation of the toxin from the periphery to the central nervous system [o]. Krieglestein et al. in 1990 stated that tetanus toxin is a 151-kD protein. The complete amino acid sequence is known. The mature toxin is made of two peptide and contains 10 half-cystine residues. Treatment with 4-vinylpyridine in the presence of 6M guanidine converted six of them into s-pyridylethyl cysteine residues are determines by amino acid analysis. When alkylation was preceded by mercaptolysis, all 10 halfcystine residues were recovered in the s-pyridylethylated form. It was therefore concluded that the toxin contains six sulfhydryl groups and two disulfide bond [r] Mode of Action: Rossetto et al. in 2001 reported that the neuroparalytic syndromes of tetanus is caused by neurotoxins produced by bacteria of the genus Clostridium of 150 kDa proteins consisting of three-domains, endowed with different functions: neurospecific binding, membrane translocation and specific proteolysis of three key components of the neuroexocytosis apparatus. After binding to the presynaptic membrane of motoneurons, tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) is internalized and transported retroaxonally to the spinal cord, where it blocks neurotransmitter release from spinal inhibitory interneurons. TeNT cleave specifically at single but different peptide bonds, VAMP/synaptobrevin, a membrane protein of small synaptic vesicles [s]. Kegel et al. in 2002 stated that the 50kD ligh chain subunit comprises of zinc metalloproteases which cleaves synatobrevin that is not involved in neuroexocytosis [t]. Foster in 2009 Stated that TeNT enters the body via wounds and initially binds and internalizes into the peripheral terminals of motorneurons where it is transported by retrograde axonal transport to the motorneuron in the spinal cord. TeNT is transported to somatodendritic postsynaptic sites and is released into the synaptic cleft where it undergoes receptor mediated uptake into the presynaptic termini of the inhibitory interneurons, from where it translocates into the cytosol and inhibits neurotransmitter release. [u]. Starting material for purification of tetanus toxin: Raynaud in 1951 developed a technique of using non-autolyzed toxin direct from the organism i.e. Clostridium tetani [i] .This technique gave an advantage of obtaining a more concentrated form of toxin as compared to that obtained from the filtrates [i][j]. For this purpose the organism was generally cultured and subcultured using Tarozzi medium* and modified Tarozzi medium [j] Latham medium was also widely used for the same reason [j] [k]. M. Matsuda et.al in 1989 also used modified Latham medium for culturing of Clostridium tetani [o]. Muller and Miller in 1954 investigated that pancreatic digest of casein contained some inhibitory content which was solved by charcoal treatment [y]. Toxin was also extracted by treating the bacterial cells in hypertonic solution using 0.1M sodium citrate and 1M sodium chloride as stated by Bernard Bizzini et.al [q] Conventional method to produce tetanus vaccine: The Harvard strain of Clostridium tetani is grown in a fermentor for about a week using a semisynthetic medium. This leads the bacteria to lyze and release the toxin obtained in the supernatant. This method yielded about 60-80 Lf/ml. This yield is then filtered and detoxified using formaldehyde. This reacts with the toxin molecule mainly the amino groups of lysineresulting in imine formation, further reacts with the unstable groups of imidazole or phenol ring finally involves a cross-linking reaction between the both the amino groups. Formaldehyde also affects the 3-D structure, therefore making the toxic conformational epitopes [y]. Purification by HPLC: Kunihiro Ozutsumiet.al. in 1985 used extracts from the organism for purification of tetanus toxin using High performance liquid chromatographic methods (HPLC) [j]. The toxin extracted from the previously described method was initially purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by ultracentrifugation in order to get rid of the unwanted particulate matter by filtering it through a 0.2 um membrane filter. The concentrated sample in the equilibrating buffer at a pH of 7.5 proceeded through a final step of purification by running it on HPLC using a column of a TSK G3000 SW of 0.75 x 60 dimensions. This column was equilibrated using 0.1M sodium-phosphate buffer at a pH of 6.8 and the flow rate was maintained at 0.6 ml/min. The fractions obtained were tested for its protein content at 280nm using a UV spectrophotometer [j]. Further the efficiency of HPLC was compared with another gel filtration method using Ultrogel column [j] [o]. Purification using Sephadex G-100: For large scale production of tetanus toxoid, Alcohol precipitation was used for immunization purpose by Pillemer L. et.al [b]. However, Levine et.al in 1951 used to purify the tetanus toxoid by ammonium sulfate precipitation [c]. Later, further purification and characterization of the toxoid was achieved by filtering it through Sephadex gels using G-100 columns as stated by Williams C. et.al in 1965 [d]. This simplified and low cost method yielded four separable fractions of the toxoid where the first two fractions of 55-65% non dialyzable nitrogen possessed significant antigenic properties. The next fraction obtained was of smaller molecular weight and showed poor antigenecity when injected in animals; however the fourth fraction obtained was not identified but was predicted to be metabolic by-products of the organism and had no significant role [d]. Before running on the column the protein concentration was determined using a UV spectrometer at 280nm. Chromatographic gel filtratio n was performed using a column of 1.2 x 0.062 m dimension. The column was packed and equilibrated with 0.1M phosphate buffer with a pH of 8.5, additionally 1% formaldehyde can be added to inhibit the bacterial growth. The void volume after equilibration was maintained at 800ml at the flow rate was fixed at 80ml/hr. The sample loading volume was around 50ml and was concentrated to about 100,000 Lf. The four fractions were collected and were further seperated by recycling them on the same column [d]. This method gave an efficient insight on how to purify and separate different components of the toxoid. M Matsuda in 1989 carried out the separation of fragment A-B treated with urea by running it on a ccolumn packed with Sephadex G-25, equilibrated with 0.02M tris-HCL buffer containing trace amounts of dithiothreitol and urea [o]. Other gels such as Sepharose 4B and Sephadex G-200 was also used by researchers like Bernard Bizzini, Immunodiffusion test was also carried out using Ouchterlony’s method [o] [p] [q]. Papain Digestion of Tetanus toxin: Further research by Helting and Zwister in 1974 made possible to obtain fragment C from Tetanus toxin which has significant antigenic properties but lack pathogenecity and thus occupies a major role in immunization [e]. Helting et.al stated that Tetanus toxin can be degraded in a specific pattern. The mild papain digestion cleaves the F(ab) region. The papain enzyme breaks the 150kD toxin into two parts, one comprising of the C-terminal of the heavy chain i.e. of 47kD which corresponds to the Fragment C of the toxin whereas the other part of 95kD consists of N-terminal heavy chain subunit along with the lighter chain polypeptide forming the fragment B (refer to Figure 2). This Fragment B was observed to have a toxic effect on mice when injected with a sufficient dose and also has an adverse effect on the nervous system, thus it was necessary to purify and obtain only Fragment C for immunization and to further study its immune response [f]. The purified Fragment C was separated and ob tained by chromatographic methods and by using anti-Fragment C IgG [f]. Ulrich Weller in 1989 performed papain digestion for 16 hours of overnight stirring of the toxin at 25Â °C at a concentration of 40ug/ml. The toxin was suspended in 10mM sodium-phosphate buffer at pH of 6.5 with 1mM EDTA and NaN3 and 10mM cysteine. After the incubation period 0.5mM of Ll-chloro-3-tosylamido-7-amino-2-heptanone was added as a stop solution in order to inactivate papain by further incubating it at room temperature for 30 min and was then cooled to 0Â °C with saturated ammonium sulfate solution at pH 6.5 with further centrifugation. The precipitate was resuspended in the same buffer mentioned. This further proceeded for its separation and purification on Sephadex G-100 column and the fractions were collected at the flow rate of 15ml/hr b*. These fractions were further pooled and contrated using a Centiprep 10 concentrator and the buffer was changed to 0.5 M NaCl with 30mM Tris-HCl at pH 7.5. The fragments B and C showed up homogenously on SDS-PAGE. The fragment C was further dialyzed against 10mM sodium phosphate buffer at a pH of 7.5. The samples obtained were further checked for its protein content at 285nm and was determined by modified lowry method after trichloroacetic acid precipitation. They also ran an SDS-PAGE using rerducing and non-reducing gels and was stained by Coomassie blue-250 and the chains and fragments of the toxin were determined according to their known amino acid sequence b* Other methods developed to obtain fragment C: Fishman et al. (1992) Pointed out that the non-toxic binding fragment of tetanus toxin (fragment C) binds avidly to neural tissue and has a growing number of neurobiological uses. Its current utility is limited by both its high commercial cost and the complex procedure for its preparation requiring highly purified tetanus toxin. A short procedure was developed which prepares fragments of tetanus toxin from crude C. tetani extracts. The resultant proteins are atoxic with molecular sizes and immunological properties closely resembling fragment C. These proteins undergo retrograde axonal and apparent transneuronal transport in a fashion similar to fragment C [v]. Ledoux et al. in 1994 Indicated that tetanus toxin once internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis, form membrane channels in order to traverse the endosomal membrane and enter the cytoplasm of the nerve terminal forming an association between neurotoxin monomers which results in an oligomeric form of the neurotoxin necessary for assembly of a channel through the hydrophobic interior of the endosomal membrane, thereby allowing passage of the neurotoxin or its active fragment through the resulting pore [w]. Technique used to test the specificity of the heavy and light chain subunits: Matsuda and Yoneda in 1975 isolated the heavy and light chain subunits from a toxin reduced by treatment with dithiothreitol-urea[g] [h]. Kunihiro Ozutsumiet.al. in 1985 used the technique of electrophoresis using sodium-dodecyl-sulphate polyacrylamide gel i.e. SDS-PAGE as shown in Figure (3). and was further used to put up a western blot in order to check the specificity of the isolated subunits obtained [l] [m] [j]. SDS-PAGE allowed the toxin to stack at 49kD corresponding to the fragment C subunit and 85kD comprising of the 4heavy chain subunit [j] Goretzki and Habermann in 1985 characterized enzymatic fragments of tetanus toxin by immunoblotting using a set of previously characterized antibodies and a set of novel antibodies. The selected antibodies recognized the light chain, fragment C (ÃŽ ²1) and the complementary piece (ÃŽ ²2) of the heavy chain when blotted on nitrocellulose. All toxin preparations contained intrinsic esteroprotease activity which became manifest in the presence of urea. The main product of papain hydrolysis is fragment C, which appears as a double band under non reducing conditions but is homogeneous when reduced. Chymotryptic digestion hydrolyses the heavy chain well but leaves the light chain largely intact. Tetanus toxin is very resistant against trypsin as compared with other proteases, although this enzyme splits numerous different links [x].

The American Dream in Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun and Arth

Centuries ago, Americans were fighting for their freedom from Britain. Then, the American dream was to have freedom. To American then, being free and having their own individual country was enough. Up until a few decades ago, African Americans were fighting to have equal rights. They thought this was all they needed and they would be truly happy. Somewhere over the course of time; happiness had a new meaning for all Americans. Now material possessions are what it takes to be happy. The American dream is to be rich. A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, and Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, both address the American Dream. Both plays discuss the desire for wealth and how the desire may lead to one’s downfall. However, each play is very different in addressing issues such as race and feminism. A Raisin in the Sun and Death of a Salesman have the same major theme of the American Dream, but address other issues differently along the way. A Raisin in the Sun is about an African American family in Chicago. Living in the same old broken down house is Lena Younger, who is the mother to both Beneatha and Walter, who also live in the house. Walter is married to Ruth and is the father of Travis. As the play begins, the family is about to inherit an insurance check for 10,000 dollars. This money comes from the death of Lena’s husband. Each member of the family wants to do something different with that money. Lena wants to buy a bigger house in a nicer area, and Ruth agrees with her. Beneatha wants the money to go to tuition for medical school. Walter wants to invest the money in a liquor store, so he can own the store, and become successful and rich. He is tired of just being a cab driver. However, Lena inten... ...e almost called Mr. Linder and made that deal with him when he found out that he lost the money, but his family was there to help him figure out that that would not be the right thing to do. On the other hand, Willy’s relationship with his family is what led him to suicide. The role of woman is also handled differently in the two plays, along with the role of age and race. The two plays had similar points, but were also quite different. Works Cited Cleage, Pearl. â€Å" Black Issues Book Review†. Playright’s Choice 3 (1995): 20- 23. Evans, Everett. â€Å"What’s Hot on Stage†. Houston Chronicle. 28 Oct 1994: Pgs 10- 12. Laban, Linda. â€Å"Raisin in the Sun Raisin’s in the Rounder†. Boston Globe. 5 Apr 2001: pgs 8-11. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Penguin Books, 1992. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1949.

Learing Doesnt Ocurin Classroom Essay

â€Å"It has been said: not all learning takes place in classroom. Compare and contrast knowledge gained from personal experience with knowledge gained from classroom instruction. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?Learning takes place not only in the classroom but also in our everyday lives. This is because to learn does not mean just to gain academic knowledge. Rather, learning refers to acquisition of any kind of knowledge that can give us instructions on how we should behave. Information that we get in the classroom is, without any doubt, useful and proven and it can broaden our mind. However, school years are relatively short in terms of a life span, and, therefore, there are a lot more things that can be attained outside classroom and that are equally or even more valuable. First of all, Personal experience is essential for obtaining indelible knowledge. For instance, in an early age of our lives we were thought how to speak, to say please and thank you, things that never depart from us. This is knowledge that was learned from where our learning experience derived from, home, where our basic knowledge begins. Second, the relationship among the people as well as friendship values is not taught by teachers in the classroom. Those relationships have known only by personal experience. Further, the young age people are not aware of love, these things you have to find out for yourself you can’t learn them from somebody else. Finally, some of the new technology and new things were discovered by personal experience and not classroom knowledge. For instance, today’s popular phone was discovered by Alexander Graham bell. It was discovered accidentally. Learning in the classroom although it has many benefits, all knowledge is not obtained from class because subjects are only taught by a teacher. But some lessons, which are pertaining to life, only will demonstrate by personal experiences. Every person should be learning more from real life than class room. I think real life is the best example for learning and obtaining knowledge. Once knowledge is gained by personal experience it is never loss.

The Andes essays

The Andes essays The Andes are undoubtedly one of the greatest mountain systems in the world. The Andes contain some of the worlds highest peaks and more than 50 of them rise 6 000m above sea level. One of them being the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, Aconcagua which rises approximately 6 960m above sea level. The Andes are located on the western edge of the South American continent and extend in a narrow belt for more than 8 000km. They are situated at the longitude of 70Â ° W-80Â ° E and the latitude of 10Â ° N and 57Â ° S. The Andes run from the Caribbean Sea to the southern island, Tierra del Fuego. The mountains intersect into seven countries, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Processes Forming the Mountain Environment The earths interior is composed of several layers, the outer layer being the crust. The crust is divided into eight vast plates as well as smaller ones. Each year theses vast plates slowly travel across the earth. The movement is caused by currents deep within the mantle, known as convection currents. This process is know as Plate Tectonics and lead to the formation of the Andes. As a result of the convection current, the plates move in several directions. All of the worlds greatest landforms were formed as a result of the collision of plates. For example, mountains are formed as two continental plates press against each other and thicken the crust. This results in layers of rock compressing upwards. There are three main types of mountains. Fault mountains, Fold Mountains and dome mountains. The Andes were formed by the process of Fold Mountains. Fold mountains are formed at plate boundaries where one plate is subducted. As a result, one plate buckles, where another plate is forced down into the magma. The Andes were formed during the Cenozoic Era about 138-65 million years ago. The Nazca Plate collided with the South American Plate and was subducted under the wes...

Free Essays on Do Clones Have A Soul

As we learned in class about the different parts of an individual, a very interesting and unanswered question came to mind. Does a clone have a spirit or a soul? I think this question could stir up some very interesting conversations. As for me, I chose this question because it challenges, in some way, Plato’s definition of justice by ways of the individual. As the years go by, cloning has become a more widespread topic within the media. This is due in part because scientists have been getting closer to this huge breakthrough of cloning a human being. Of course, there is no guarantee that the genetic copy of the real individual will be able to develop and grow as we normal humans do. Although this may seem like a big step in science, what many don’t realize is that while achieving to replicate a human being, physically, the clone will probably not be considered a â€Å"whole individual†. According to Plato’s â€Å"parts â€Å"of an individual, to be considered as a whole, one must encompass physical body, appetite, reason, and spirit. Together, the appetite, reason and spirit are the components that make up the soul. So far, a human clone would have achieved only one of the parts of Plato’s theory: the body. In addition, it is possible for a clone to feel hunger and to be able to reason. If so, could it be possible that a clone could have a soul? The fact is, the clone would be lacking the most important aspect of the individual’s soul, and that’s the spirit. Therefore, justice would not exist for the clone since no one truly knows if it has a spirit or a soul. That’s why I believe cloning overall should not be permitted. The interesting point in this situation would be that it seems as though these scientists are trying to play God. I found this to be an interesting point because if God wanted us to be able to replicate ourselves, once we’ve died, then he would have blessed us with â€Å"humanly tools† to do so. I belie... Free Essays on Do Clones Have A Soul Free Essays on Do Clones Have A Soul As we learned in class about the different parts of an individual, a very interesting and unanswered question came to mind. Does a clone have a spirit or a soul? I think this question could stir up some very interesting conversations. As for me, I chose this question because it challenges, in some way, Plato’s definition of justice by ways of the individual. As the years go by, cloning has become a more widespread topic within the media. This is due in part because scientists have been getting closer to this huge breakthrough of cloning a human being. Of course, there is no guarantee that the genetic copy of the real individual will be able to develop and grow as we normal humans do. Although this may seem like a big step in science, what many don’t realize is that while achieving to replicate a human being, physically, the clone will probably not be considered a â€Å"whole individual†. According to Plato’s â€Å"parts â€Å"of an individual, to be considered as a whole, one must encompass physical body, appetite, reason, and spirit. Together, the appetite, reason and spirit are the components that make up the soul. So far, a human clone would have achieved only one of the parts of Plato’s theory: the body. In addition, it is possible for a clone to feel hunger and to be able to reason. If so, could it be possible that a clone could have a soul? The fact is, the clone would be lacking the most important aspect of the individual’s soul, and that’s the spirit. Therefore, justice would not exist for the clone since no one truly knows if it has a spirit or a soul. That’s why I believe cloning overall should not be permitted. The interesting point in this situation would be that it seems as though these scientists are trying to play God. I found this to be an interesting point because if God wanted us to be able to replicate ourselves, once we’ve died, then he would have blessed us with â€Å"humanly tools† to do so. I belie...

Antihero Walter White essay

Antihero Walter White essay Antihero Walter White essay Antihero Walter White essayMany TV shows represent iconic heroes who demonstrate the best traits of their characters to become trustworthy and well-intentioned in social life, but some TV series â€Å"feature antiheroes who test the limits of society† (Landau 27). Many antiheroes are described as rule-breaking characters. Walter White from Breaking Bad show (2008-2013) by Vince Gilligan is one of them. Initially, he was a mild-manners high school teacher, but eventually he turned into a powerful drug lord. In other words, the Antihero of Breaking Bad show is Walter White. According to the plot of the show, Walter White is â€Å"a mild and beaten down high school chemistry teacher who finds himself diagnosed with lung cancer† (Martin 53). He was improperly insured, had problems with providing for his family and failed to become a scientist. Once he was a promising chemist, one of the founders of the multi-billion dollar company Gray Matter Technologies, but he had to lea ve, selling his shares in business for $5,000. He became an unhappy man and dissatisfied high school chemistry teacher. He makes a decision to start manufacturing methamphetamine in order to ensure his family’s financial support after his death. According to critics, â€Å"the underlying project† Vince Gilligan had in mind was ‘a radical extension of the antihero trend that had by then become the signature of the decade’s TV† (Martin 53). The major goal of this paper is to explore the character of Walter White and prove that he is an antihero in the show Breaking Bad. To start with, it is necessary to define the term â€Å"antihero† in order to find some characteristics that can be applied to Walter White’s role. Antiheroes presented in various literary works, or films, or TV shows are not simply â€Å"the antithesis of the hero†. According to Christopher Vogler, â€Å"antihero is a slippery term that can cause a lot of confusio n†(Lively 44). In other words, an Antihero cannot be regarded as the opposite of a Hero, because an Antihero is a â€Å"specialized kind of Hero† (Lively 44).Walter White is represented as an antihero because his behavior, his actions and his ideas characterize him as a specialized kind of hero. According to VanDerWerff, â€Å"the blackness in his soul seeped out until he was ranting at his wife over the phone, a ploy to get the police off her back that conveniently also let him yell about how everyone around him had failed to recognize his greatness† (1). As a matter of fact, Walter White acts as an antihero in many series, performing the victim of his circumstances, including family, society, job, career, addiction, etc. Walter White can be regarded as an agent of free will.Antiheroes should possess some iconic characteristics, both positive and negative. According to critics, â€Å"this polarity provides all series with the right amount of dramatic heat to su stain it over many seasons† (Landau 31). Let’s apply this polarity to the case of Walter White in Breaking Bad series. First, Walter White starts his career in the crystal meth drug trade as a green band. However, he is also a well-trained, highly professional expert chemist who possesses unique professional skills. Thus, the audience evaluates Walter White’s character as â€Å"simultaneously naà ¯ve and smart† (Landau 31). Second, throughout many series, Walter White demonstrates his strong leadership skills that help him to solve various problems, but, at the same time, he becomes increasingly paranoid. As a result, he has no trust in other people’s ideas. His inability to trust others makes him â€Å"a lone wolf†(Landau 31).   Third, Walter White is represented in the show as a loving and kind family man, who values his family and who would never protest against his family’s decisions in order to keep his family together. At the same time, Walter White’s actions, decisions and behaviors become â€Å"more and more dangerous and reckless,† and he is ready to place his wife and his children into danger in order to achieve his self-interested aims (Landau 31). Finally, Walter White can be characterized as a greedy man who is focused on powers of authority. Nevertheless, he leads a secret double life that makes him change his decisions and his true face, throwing off the mask each time he comes to his family. According to Neil Landau, he has no opportunity to show his enormous power, his potential and wealth, â€Å"despite his growing ego and fortune, he continues to live small† (31). So, Walter White possesses both positive and negative characteristics, which make his an antihero.As a matter of fact, Walter White has become an antihero because of his diagnosis that makes his feel the fear of the coming death. According to critics, â€Å"the motivation that got him off his keister in the fi rst place to becoming a criminal was the fear of imminent death† (Landau 37).   Walter White faces serious life problems and ponders over the meaning of life. Once, he said to his brother, â€Å"You know, I used to worry about everything; it used to keep me awake at night. But since, I got my cancer diagnosis, I sleep like a baby† (qtd. in Landau 37). Walter White is ready to start producing crystal meth in order to become a powerful man. He uses his chemistry knowledge, being involved in the life of crime. In other words, Walter is a man dying of cancer, but he himself can be regarded as a cancer.Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that Walter White is an antihero in the show Breaking Bad. In the series of Breaking Bad show, the audience has an opportunity to evaluate Walter White’s progress from the so-called white knight family man into a black soul monster. The audience watches how the main character of Breaking Bad series demonstrates his light and dark impulses. Although Walter White can be characterizes as an antihero, he also acts as a survivor. The audience evaluates his failures and successes, and his desire to never give up. In general, Vince Gilligan has created a complex character because Walter White is an antihero in the show. Walter White, a loving father and a loving husband, who works hard to provide his family members with everything they need, without violating the law, suddenly, makes a decision to sheer off the path of goodness and becomes a monster. Walter White makes a choice to be a bad man than nobody. His decision to become a criminal gives him the power he needs and the relevance he will use in his decisions.

NASCAR Marketing Stategies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NASCAR Marketing Stategies - Research Paper Example The company uses news report advertising genre. The news networks report the race results of the NASCAR race events. The newspaper, radio, television, and internet genre report NASCAR race schedules, results, and other pertinent NASCAR topics. Further, NASCAR embarked on a very aggressive marketing plan. The company’s holding of regular car racing events precipitated to a growing racing fan database. The company’s aggressive marketing plan included the setting up of its online marketing website, http://www.nascar.com. The current and future customers can open the company’s website to get additional information about future race schedules. The current and future customers can also view the company’s websites to get updates of car racing entries, car racing results, and car racing promotional products. The company’s racing events has created a mindset among its current and future customers that watching a car race is like visiting an unforgettable cel ebrity night out. After seven continuous researches on car racing, NASCAR unfolded it architecture race car of the future. The new NASCAR car model promotes higher racing speeds. The new NASCAR car model allows more advanced car racing safety procedures (Solomon, 2008). By setting up its won online website, the company advertises its NASCAR racing events to current and future customers around the world. ... The NASCAR website mentioned that both Frank Sinatra and Brad Keselowski â€Å"did it their way† (www.NASCAR.com). Further, NASCAR racing events are major news topics. Consequently, many people are eager to hear news reports pertaining NASCAR racing events. Many television stations air the NASCAR racing events live. By watching the NASCAR racing event, the television audiences are glued for several hours to the suspenseful NASCAR racing action. During the entire time, the television audience views the NASCAR name. NASCAR race lovers meet to discuss their favorite pastime, watching the NASCAR games. ESPN, a 24 hour 7 days a week television station shows the NASCAR racing events both live and on a delayed show basis (http://espn.go.com/racing/NASCAR/). Furthermore, NASCAR uses the entertainment genre to advertise its brand. The entertainment avenue is sports. The mere mention of the word NASCAR immediately brings to mind the racing sports. The NASCAR advertising scheme is to con nect with the product, NASCAR, with its product consumers. The company targets sports consumers, people who love car racing (Guinn, 2011). Moreover, NASCAR racing started prior to 1959. Colin Chapman joined the Formula 1 car race in the Indy NASCAR racing circuit. Colin Chapman entered his formula 1 car in the NASCAR races. After the tryouts, Mr. Chapman qualified to join the main NASCAR races. Chapman was one of the most successful NASCAR racers of all time. Another NASCAR Racer, Mr. Paul Goldsmith, was inducted into NASCAR’s Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1958. (Wheeler, 2010). Description of the phenomenon that occurs when Companies get their name on a car. When people get their name on a NASCAR Racecar, the name is advertised around the world. The whole world sees the advertised brand

Productivity of Disabled People at Workplaces Essay

Productivity of Disabled People at Workplaces - Essay Example This document is set to discuss the major benefits associated with the hiring and employment of disabled qualified people in different business organizations. Productivity of Disabled People at Workplaces In Canada, an estimated 13% of the total population has a disability affecting their agility, mobility, vision, hearing, and or learning (Canadians in Context, 2006). This estimate is less other disabilities such as psychological, pain, speech, memory and developmental disabilities; which when included sums up to an estimated 4.4 million Canadians with disabilities, which is about 14.3 % of the population (Canadians in Context, 2006). No matter the number one decides to quote, the basic fact still remains that the fraction of the people living with disabilities across the globe has been on a constant increase down the years. Disability is not age conscious and can come at any stage in life, either being temporary or permanent, mild or severe. Once asked, an Ottawa business executive commented that: â€Å"disability is no longer a dirty word. Now we are trying to make the term disability acceptable and another part of business. In the next 10 years, when you say you have a disability, it will just mean that I work differently than you do† (Sobecki, 2007). A 2009 survey commissioned by Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities pointed out that disabled adults are less likely to participate in the labor force. According to the report, only 52.1% of the total disabled women are employed as compared to the 70.1% of the women without disabilities. Furthermore, the ratio is similar in men where the percentage of the disabled men employed was 55.5 while that for men without disabilities stood at 80.2 (Advancing the Inclusion, 2009). Archaic times saw medical conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy perceived or rather viewed as disabilities which hindered the participation and succeeding of people in workplaces (Brightman, 2006). However, Brightman (2 006) asserts that much has been done to eliminate this notion via awareness campaigns, accommodation and accessibility, individuals with various different disabilities have emerged to form an integral part of the contemporary business world. The major reason behind this scenario is that major organizations, governments, employers and co-workers have come to look past such illnesses and are working together with disabled personalities helping them much in their quest for success (Sobecki, 2007). In the USA, the 1990’s Americans with Disability Act (ADA) presents employers with numerous opportunities to tap people with disabilities into their workforce (Barlow and Hane, 1992). According to the ADA, people with disabilities have the same and equal access to employment opportunities and their related benefits just as everyone else is. Other than prohibiting discrimination in employment of the disabled, it also covers other services like public transportation, state and local gove rnment activities, and telecommunications relay services as well (Barlow and Hane, 1992). In essence, the meaning of the ADA is that every person seeking employment is totally free to forward their applications to any job they feel qualified enough to carry on with. The ADA defines a

Uruguay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Uruguay - Research Paper Example In light of this, road users must travel 34.245 kilometres within Montevideo and 18 kilometres within Salto (Distance Calculator. (2014). As of 2013 Salto market had grease monkey competitors including VIP Cars and Rental Car Deals (Talento and Terra 73). In Montevideo, Sixt, Thrifty, Multicar, Budget and Europcar were the primary competitors offering oil replacement and lubrication service (Todd, Martinez and Triunfo 307). Based on the 2013 estimates, Montevideo’s purchasing power parity is $30 billion, while Salto’s is $5 billion (Index Mundi, 2013). According to Distance Calculator (2014), rental car locations in Montevideo are Puerto de Montevideo, west of Montevideo, Carasco located in central Montevideo, Colonia near Atento, along Acevedo Diaz highway, and Colonia Nicolich north of De Carrasco International Airport. In Salto, rental cars are available at the central Salto Itu location, Indaiatuba along the Capinas-Itu highway, Valinhos south of Jardim Sao Francisco, and around Parq Das

Citibank's E-Business Strategy for Global Corporate Banking Case Study

Citibank's E-Business Strategy for Global Corporate Banking - Case Study Example The present research has identified that technology has brought enormous changes to the business practices. Talking about businesses, technology is not restricted to any one kind of business. With the changing technology it has become an essential part of the business practices to adapt accordingly. Changes in technology have been followed globally and by every business sector. One of the most important technologies that have caused the most powerful impact on the businesses is â€Å"Internet†. It has revolutionized the ways of doing business. The most enticing change that it has brought by the â€Å"Internet† is â€Å"E-Commerce†. Firms and industries have shifted towards E-commerce. Many firms have used this technology to set their competitive advantage. Use of internet for conducting business has helped in globalization. It has changed the dimensions of competition throughout the world. Use of internet has transformed the firms’ relationships with the c ustomers, employees, suppliers and other logistic partners. E-commerce is basically the use of internet technology to buy and sell goods. E-commerce has led to the emergence of new markets. It has led to the reduction in costs. Many firms that were unable to adapt the concept of using E-commerce have suffered. As mentioned before, E-commerce is not restricted to any one business sector. Banking is one sector that has faced a huge impact of E-commerce on its business practices; to such an extent that E-commerce has now become directly linked with the profitability (BECKER, S. A. 2008; MEHTA, V., SUDAN, A. S., & DAWRA, S. 2003; MALHOTRA.P &SINGH.B. 2009) Use of internet has changed the customer needs and expectations. It has also influenced the strategic decision-making of the firms. Banking sector had to come up ways in order to successfully adapt to this new technology. They needed a way to translate their traditional strengths into an internet-based business model so it could add m ore value for the customers. Use of internet has changed the infrastructure for the delivering of goods. Is has increased the time-span for the customers. Now they can connect with the bank at anytime and anywhere. This means that there has been an increase in the banking hours and customers can avail the banking facilities at anytime; especially the transaction facilities. Use of internet to facilitate the routine business practices has led to an immense increase in competition between the firms. Even the use of internet has to be done in a differentiated way. This is exactly how the Citibank incorporated this revolutionary technology into its business model. It not only proved to be successful but set an example for all the other firms that are present within the banking sector (BECKER, S. A. 2008; ENGLER, H., & ESSINGER, J. 2000; UNITED NATIONS. 1998) Point of Differentiation At the end of 1990, Citibank made a change to its corporate bank activities. It changed its corporate bus iness strategy form decentralized to centralized strategy. The bank aimed to build a single

Wolfgang keller at konigsbrau-TAK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wolfgang keller at konigsbrau-TAK - Essay Example Moreover, he does only what is necessary and not an inch more. He is not a man that would add extra value to his work out of passion, a man who doesn’t go beyond the call of duty. Keller has been an excellent coach to Brodsky in correctly pointing out his flaws and correcting them. Coaching someone requires precise measuring of a person to identify the flaws and then mold them. Keller rightly points out that Brodsky is too slow in taking effective action, and this habit of his affects overall performance of Brodsky as manager. The position that Brodsky works at requires not only robotic, repetitive work but requires abrupt changes in schedule and Keller realizes that Brodsky can’t handle tight deadlines. This shows when there is a change in formula or the brand. Distant management style of Brodsky does annoy Keller and he points it out. Keller also spots that Brodsky is least proactive, a quality that is very much needed in these competing business environment. There can be many actions that Keller can revert to upon returning to Kiev, however a certain pattern of actions can be taken that would serve the company in the long term. Keller is not supposed to fire Brodsky, as finding a replacement would be much harder and expensive than working on the current commercial director. Clearly there are many issues that Keller is having with Brodsky but he has the potential to improve as he possesses the right skills for this, only a little polishing is required. Reorganizing around Brodsky would sound better but it is not profitable. Market movements and competition don’t revolve around people. They have a mind of their own, its the company people that need to depend on the movement and adjust their actions accordingly. Split marketing and sales is a better option as it will help adjust to the business environment as well as adjustments within the work area. This would require giving Brodsky another chance, and a chance to

''How does the teaching environment (both inside and outside the Essay

''How does the teaching environment (both inside and outside the institution) influence EFL teachers' motivation'' - Essay Example unfold within educational institutions by turning them into analytic objects." (Lave, 1996, p.6) This is where Lave sets the problem of context by building on the basic premise that not all learning needs to be worthwhile. Translated, in this paper, the author has used the premise to show the effects of positive learning in individual so as to come up with a composite model for worthwhile learning within a person's experiences rather than simply within the educational institutions from the perspective of a teacher's motivation in an EFL classroom. This motivation and knowledge base takes a person through a variety of life experiences to help him or her practice a profession, meet people and basically, make a life. Motivation has been further defined as a combination of the following elements, by Kleinginna et al, 1981: Another relevant definition of motivation comes from the fact that motivation is deeply linked with emotion. Izard (1990) believed that motivation and the direction of same is reflected in the facial expression of the learner and the teacher. Further, this has been discussed by Yerkes and Dodson (1908) when they have discussed the inverted U shape curve in studying goal orientation in relation with motivation. Maslow (1971) has laid down important definitions and directions for studying the various areas of extrinsic motivation which have been discussed in the paper. These include Cognitive areas and operant conditioning. This has been furthered by Heirarchy of Needs as laid down by Maslow. This has been studied by Norwood (1999) in coping information and seeking information. Motivational factors have been studied in this paper from various viewpoints and definitions as can be seen in the literature review and research background. Mathes (1981) described self actualisation as a major factor in motivation as did William James (1892). Literature Review and Research Background The literature used for this paper has been exhaustive. It has drawn from the work of various scholars so as to understand the nexus between motivation and learning. This paper discusses the outcomes of energy arousal in the field of education through motivation. From there, it goes into finer details as far as aspects of those determinants in cognitive development are concerned. In this regard, the importance of motivation as laid down by Kleinginna et al (1981) have formed an important research element of this paper. These aspects have to do with general and other competencies. Before launching into a discussion of the same, Lave et al have separated intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation so as to better understand the basis on which the determinants of positive and negative

Citibank's E-Business Strategy for Global Corporate Banking Case Study

Citibank's E-Business Strategy for Global Corporate Banking - Case Study Example The present research has identified that technology has brought enormous changes to the business practices. Talking about businesses, technology is not restricted to any one kind of business. With the changing technology it has become an essential part of the business practices to adapt accordingly. Changes in technology have been followed globally and by every business sector. One of the most important technologies that have caused the most powerful impact on the businesses is â€Å"Internet†. It has revolutionized the ways of doing business. The most enticing change that it has brought by the â€Å"Internet† is â€Å"E-Commerce†. Firms and industries have shifted towards E-commerce. Many firms have used this technology to set their competitive advantage. Use of internet for conducting business has helped in globalization. It has changed the dimensions of competition throughout the world. Use of internet has transformed the firms’ relationships with the c ustomers, employees, suppliers and other logistic partners. E-commerce is basically the use of internet technology to buy and sell goods. E-commerce has led to the emergence of new markets. It has led to the reduction in costs. Many firms that were unable to adapt the concept of using E-commerce have suffered. As mentioned before, E-commerce is not restricted to any one business sector. Banking is one sector that has faced a huge impact of E-commerce on its business practices; to such an extent that E-commerce has now become directly linked with the profitability (BECKER, S. A. 2008; MEHTA, V., SUDAN, A. S., & DAWRA, S. 2003; MALHOTRA.P &SINGH.B. 2009) Use of internet has changed the customer needs and expectations. It has also influenced the strategic decision-making of the firms. Banking sector had to come up ways in order to successfully adapt to this new technology. They needed a way to translate their traditional strengths into an internet-based business model so it could add m ore value for the customers. Use of internet has changed the infrastructure for the delivering of goods. Is has increased the time-span for the customers. Now they can connect with the bank at anytime and anywhere. This means that there has been an increase in the banking hours and customers can avail the banking facilities at anytime; especially the transaction facilities. Use of internet to facilitate the routine business practices has led to an immense increase in competition between the firms. Even the use of internet has to be done in a differentiated way. This is exactly how the Citibank incorporated this revolutionary technology into its business model. It not only proved to be successful but set an example for all the other firms that are present within the banking sector (BECKER, S. A. 2008; ENGLER, H., & ESSINGER, J. 2000; UNITED NATIONS. 1998) Point of Differentiation At the end of 1990, Citibank made a change to its corporate bank activities. It changed its corporate bus iness strategy form decentralized to centralized strategy. The bank aimed to build a single

''How does the teaching environment (both inside and outside the Essay

''How does the teaching environment (both inside and outside the institution) influence EFL teachers' motivation'' - Essay Example unfold within educational institutions by turning them into analytic objects." (Lave, 1996, p.6) This is where Lave sets the problem of context by building on the basic premise that not all learning needs to be worthwhile. Translated, in this paper, the author has used the premise to show the effects of positive learning in individual so as to come up with a composite model for worthwhile learning within a person's experiences rather than simply within the educational institutions from the perspective of a teacher's motivation in an EFL classroom. This motivation and knowledge base takes a person through a variety of life experiences to help him or her practice a profession, meet people and basically, make a life. Motivation has been further defined as a combination of the following elements, by Kleinginna et al, 1981: Another relevant definition of motivation comes from the fact that motivation is deeply linked with emotion. Izard (1990) believed that motivation and the direction of same is reflected in the facial expression of the learner and the teacher. Further, this has been discussed by Yerkes and Dodson (1908) when they have discussed the inverted U shape curve in studying goal orientation in relation with motivation. Maslow (1971) has laid down important definitions and directions for studying the various areas of extrinsic motivation which have been discussed in the paper. These include Cognitive areas and operant conditioning. This has been furthered by Heirarchy of Needs as laid down by Maslow. This has been studied by Norwood (1999) in coping information and seeking information. Motivational factors have been studied in this paper from various viewpoints and definitions as can be seen in the literature review and research background. Mathes (1981) described self actualisation as a major factor in motivation as did William James (1892). Literature Review and Research Background The literature used for this paper has been exhaustive. It has drawn from the work of various scholars so as to understand the nexus between motivation and learning. This paper discusses the outcomes of energy arousal in the field of education through motivation. From there, it goes into finer details as far as aspects of those determinants in cognitive development are concerned. In this regard, the importance of motivation as laid down by Kleinginna et al (1981) have formed an important research element of this paper. These aspects have to do with general and other competencies. Before launching into a discussion of the same, Lave et al have separated intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation so as to better understand the basis on which the determinants of positive and negative

Negro Expression Essay Example for Free

Negro Expression Essay What does Zora Neal Hurston identify as the Characteristics of Negro Expression? In 1933, Zora Neil Hurston wrote Characteristics of Negro Expression to frame the Negro or African-American as she saw him. She saw the results of the Great Migration as terrifying and spasmodic, unbearably inhumane and devastating to those left behind. For Hurston, rural black people were being forgotten; disappearing amidst the heady enthusiasm of the urban New Negro Movement. In Hurstons essay she describes the different concepts of what it meant to be a black American in the South. She sees the new Negro as encompassing theses elements: being dramatic, having the will to adorn, being angular, asymmetrical, dancing, folkloric, having originality, mimicry, non-reserve, having a peculiar dialect, and hanging out at the jook or pleasure house. These are just a few of the compositional elements used to described the forgotten Negro in the south. By reexamining Hurstons essay, critiques will have a proper understanding of these social characteristics and will have a better understanding of the African-American in relation to his identity. Hurston was part of the Talented Tenth, an elite group of well educated African-American professionals who argued that the mission of establishing black identity and thus gaining social acceptance and economic and political stability would be vitally strengthened through arts and letters. Hurstons work and criticism have helped to shape the manner in which black American artists and academics view themselves. Also how they emphasize humanness inherent in black people through referencing the diversity of voices and talents in black America in the South, as well as their essential connection through legacy to the African continent. Hurston begins her essay with the first characteristic of the southern Negro expression Drama, in which she describes almost every phase of African-American existence as being highly dramatized(Hurston 296), She further states that No matter how joyful or how sad the case there is sufficient poise for drama (Caponi 294). To this end, Hurston realizes that African-Americans and their daily experiences are in time and history,  dramatic collective repetitions that are repeated and multiplied many times in many art forms, but why?. As African-Americans live, most naturally leave a mark on most things they come in contact with. For example, Picasso was dramatically influenced by African people and their art on his trip to Africa. His trip was the precursor to the formation of Cubism. Consequently this clearly demonstrates that the African and his presence, usually dramatic, is a phenomenon of their being in the universe, in which other wish to document. Thus, it is up to the artist to find the terms and pictures that will simply clarify those experiences and knowledge for the critic who does not or could not understand what is or was happening to African-Americans, and to future critics who will need to be warned and directed in terms from inside the level we call Africanisms. Another phenomenon and striking characteristic expression of African-Americans in the south is Angularity. Hurston states, Everything he touches becomes angular. For example, his furniture is set at an angle, pictures are hung at angles, and even his posture in dance is constantly at different angles. In almost every expression of life, most African-Americans refuse to be traditional. Brenda Gottchild posits that this is part of African aesthetics when African Americans refuse to be traditional. (Gottchild 13) In the section on Will to Adorn, Hurston sees the African-American as reinventing the English language to suit himself and having his revision accepted by the southern ruling class white man. Hurston views the greatest of this revision as the use of metaphors and similes (thats a rope), the double descriptive (high-tall), verbal nouns (funeralize) and nouns from verbs (she wont take listen). Hurston argues that whatever African-Americans do in violation to the normalcy of life he beautifies. Writer and dance enthusiast commented in Brenda Gottchilds book African-Americans blend the impossible and create beauty (Gottchild 14). This beautification, this revisioning is then accepted by white Americans and assimilated into their vernacular ( Hurston 301). The impact of Asymmetry, Dancing and Folklore are discussed as the next  three characteristics of Negro expression. In Asymmetry Hurston looks into African art and comments that the sculpture and carvings of the African-American artist are full of beauty and at the same time lack symmetry. Additionally, she sees this characteristic encompassing literature, poetry and dancing. Hurston states It is the lack of symmetry which makes Negro dancing so difficult for white dancers to learn (297). Gottchild concurs with Hurston stating Movement may emanate from any part of the body, and two or more centers may operate simultaneously. For example, African-American dance may seem difficult at times but most poses give the impression that the dancer will do much more. In most art forms the African-American is not trying to do all that is conceivable, he is merely giving a realistic suggestion of what is possible. Nothing shows what is possible more than African-Americans willingness to adapt folklore to suit his own use. While most people view folklore as a thing of the past, Hurston examines folklore as something still in the making and talks about the cultural roles of God, the Devil, John Henry and Jack, the greatest culture hero of the south. In the framework of her story Jack has the ability to outsmart the Devil when it seems that God is absolutely no match for him (Hurston 299). Jacks ability to outwit the Devil places him in the company of other prominent culture icons. To this end, Hurston is able to show that African folklore is not works of imitation but innovation. By recognizing the characteristics of Negro expression, Hurston identifies in her essay an understanding that if black artist are to have anything in their own image and according to their own views, African-Americans will have to have a say in which plays, dances, and folklore are in those images. The final characteristics that Hurston focuses on are: Originality, Imitation, Absence of the Concept of Privacy and The Jook. According to Hurston the African-American is the most copied individual on the face of the planet yet it is still said that he lacks originality. His art, music, plays and style are subjects of examination and commodification. Hurston argues, While he lives and moves in the midst of white civilization, everything he touches is reinterpreted for his own use (Hurston 310). In  terms of Imitation the African-American is not an imitator but a duplicator. If he chooses to imitate, it is because he wishes to and not because he wished to be like the one imitated. Historically, there is no Concept of Privacy in the African village. So it is believed that African-Americans kept nothing secret. Thus he keeps nothing in reserve and every aspect of his life is shared with his communal and biological family. Hurstons essay is important because while framing the architecture of the forgotten African-Americans in the South, she retells the narrative of the African men and women which sought to be original in every form of art. She provides her readers with a true representation of the social characteristics of the African-American culture in the South. Hurston directly puts them in the open for all to critique. Hurstons essay gives the reader a clear picture of African-Americans living in the South during the Harlem Renaissance, as well as, their forgotten identity and connects their traits neatly to many African art genres we see today.

Strategic Management Process: Airtel

Strategic Management Process: Airtel Industry: Telecom The Indian telecommunications industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, with about 19 million additions a month. The industry has witnessed consistent growth during the last year on the back of rollout of newer circles by operators, successful auction of third-generation (3G) and broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum, network rollout in semi-rural areas and increased focus on the value added services (VAS) market. there have been several new entrants in the markets lately. This has led to ever lowering tariffs and a decrease in the revenue of existing players. Fresh acquisition of customers is no longer a guarantee to increase in revenue. Consequently, in addition to the lower calling rates, the operators have been forced to provide a host of value added and auxiliary services. To retain its leadership position, Airtel is already leading the way in areas of mobile commerce, banking etc. As the Indian telecom industry enters its third phase, growth in the markets is bound to mirror the growth in the economy. This provides valuable pointers to the next driver of growth the rural India where mobile penetration levels still remain an abysmal 15%. Airtel has been looking to expand and learn in the rural/low income market segment. Airtel has already ventured into providing mobile financial services, mobile money transfers to customers in rural areas, further leveraging its existing base of cellular subscribers. Vision and Mission Vision By 2015, Airtel will be the most loved brand, enriching the lives of millions. Mission We will meet the  mobile  communication  needs of our  customer through   error-free service delivery Innovative Product and Service Cost efficiency Unified messaging solution Objectives/Goals To undertake transformational projects that have a positive impact on society and contribute to the nation building process To diversify into new businesses in agriculture, financial services and retail business with world class partners To lay the foundation for building a conglomerate for future. Environment Analysis Porters Five Forces (Cellular Services) 1. Threat of new entrants MEDIUM TRAI has been following a liberal regulatory regime to encourage greater competition with better quality and affordable prices The government presently allows FDI of 76% in the sector, encouraging foreign players to enter the Indian market. Heavy capex requirements and strict licensing policy hinders entry 2. Bargaining Power of buyers VERY HIGH Lack of product differentiation- There are short term gains that one player may have from innovation/ first mover advantage into a new value added service Extremely low switching costs in moving from 1 service provider to another Multiple service providers- very wide variety of choice for the customers. Competitive landscape implies consistently better offers and deals for customers. 3. Bargaining power of suppliers VERY LOW Airtel outsources most of its operations. Since contracts are allocated to the highest bidder, Airtel only looks at getting the best deal. This mechanism provides Airtel with a high degree of flexibility. For eg. Network outsourcing/maintenance partners: Ericsson(15 circles), Siemens(7 circles), Huawei., IT system partner: IBM, Tower maintenance and other infrastructure: Bharti Infratel and Indus towers. 4. Pressure from substitutes HIGH The communications space is very dynamic with new technology (3G and 4G) and products flooding the market. Mobile services are competing with products such as, Wired-lines ,CDMA, Video telephony, Tata/ Reliance- Walky phones, Internet telephony- Skype, google, fring etc, VSAT phones.Additionally, data services on cellular phones have become an essential product feature. On this front, mobile services face a significant threat from local ISPs, broadband service, leased lines, Blackberry and iPad. 5. Current Rivalry MEDIUM-HIGH Airtel is the current market leader in the mobile service (GSM) sector with 31% market share. Vodafone, BSNL, Idea are its major competitors. Competitive Advantage Airtel has the following competitive advantages: Strategic alliances: Acquisitions and JVs Airtel has been entering into various JVs and acquisitions to increase its footprint as well as global presence. The firm has stake in JT mobiles, Sky Cell etc. With the acquisition of Zain and other players, Airtel has used this strategy effectively to become a global player Outsourcing: Airtel has a clear outsourcing strategy. It outsources all its functions except marketing, sales and finance; this has helped the firm focus on its core competencies. Further due to its market leadership position and volume of its operations, there are multiple bidders; which has ensured high quality service/products for Airtel Supplier Relationships Airtel has strong relationships with its suppliers. It relies on Bharti Infratel for towers, IBM for IT systems etc. It is able to sustain its innovative business model ,by focusing on relationship management with vendors International Presence Airtels global presence and deep pockets are a source of competitive advantage for the firm. Value Chain Analysis The traditional mobile industry value chain basically involved the mobile operator, service provider, device manufacturer and the customer. However the mobile services industry is rapidly evolving with value added services, data services etc. gaining significance. These are a very profitable revenue stream for the service provider. For example in the value added services segment, the network operator keeps about 60% of revenue, the technology/software developer retains about 25%, while the content provider gets about 20% of the revenue from value added services (Source: IMRB Research). With M-Commerce contents becoming increasingly important in the value chain, it is seen that the operator share in the value chain has been declining. Airtel has been tying up with entertainment providers, FMCGs, insurance companies to maintain a share in the value chain. From a strategy perspective, this should be one of the focus areas for Airtel. Business Level Strategy Airtel cellular service follows a cost leadership strategy. The market focus is broad- with the firm catering to 137 million customers as of FY10. Further, since differentiation is very short lived and immediately imitated by competitors; firms attempt to maintain a cost advantage over their competitors. Airtel has maintained its cost leadership by reducing its operational costs and its unique business model- which outsources all major functions except, sales, marketing and finance. Differentiation is also attempted with the help of value added services. While there are several player in the market, including the new entrants, Bharti-Airtel, Rcom and BSNL are the only players to gain a differential advantage on the account of existing infrastructural capability. Differentiation Focused differentiation Cost leadership- AIRTEL CELLULAR Focused Cost Integrated Competitive Scope Narrow Broad Source of competitive advantage Differentiation Cost Corporate Level Strategy Bharti Airtel has been divided into distinct business units, as follows: The Mobile Services division is probably the most valuable division of Bharti Airtel. Airtel offers GSM mobile services in all the 23-telecom circles of India and is the largest mobile service provider in the country, based on the number of customers. It provides numerous value added services such as mobile apps, hello tunes, m-commerce, wireless internet etc. The Airtel Telemedia Services division provides high speed broadband internet and related services. It also provides landline service in 93 cities across India. It also launched its DTH services in 2008 and is present in more than 150 cities now. The Enterprise Services division provides a diverse portfolio of services to large Enterprise and Carrier customers. This division is further divided into two unite: Carrier business unit and Corporate business unit. The Corporate Business Unit provides end to end telecom solutions to Indias large corporate. It specializes in providing customized solutions to address the unique requirements of different industry verticals. The Carrier Business Unit provides long distance wholesale voice and data services to carrier customers as well as to other business units of Airtel. It is present in significant capacity in the International arena as well. Differentiation Focused differentiation Cost leadership- AIRTEL CELLULAR Focused Cost Integrated Competitive Scope Narrow Broad Source of competitive advantage Differentiation Cost The Digital TV Services provides customers with a unique TV viewing experience with a wide variety of channels and programmes and with the on-demand content on Airtel Live. The international business group deals with all of Airtels operations outside India and South Asia. Bharti Airtel has comparatively low levels of diversification, and it follows a Dominant Business strategy. The second quarter financials of Airtel show that its mobile services division had a gross revenue of Rs. 8099 crore, which is roughly 82% of its total revenue of Rs. 9846 crore. Thus its mobile services division is its dominant business. The reasons for Airtel to diversify are purely based on value creation. As all its divisions focus mainly on telecommunication and related technologies, the transfer of core competencies becomes much easier and much more useful. Moreover sharing activities and resources, especially technological knowledge, is very helpful and creates a positive synergy for Airtel. It also gives Airtel to increase its market power by engaging in multipoint competition with competitors such as Tata. Further it provides efficient internal capital allocation opportunities to airtel, as the retained earnings from its hugely profitable Mobile services can be put to good use in other divisions. Value creation through diversification Airtel seeks to create value through diversification by moving across businesses that share both operational and corporate relatedness. With this approach, it expects to achieve high resource sharing and consequently, significant cost reduction. It looks at operational relatedness since a number of its businesses operate across similar technologies and thus the platform for a given product can be used directly for extending the service from a completely new product. As an example, the cables for a telephone connection provided by Airtel can be used to provide broadband service to the customer without any significant change in infrastructure. The skills required from the technicians are also not very different and thus economies of scale are quite possible. The same logic can be extended to exploring the corporate relatedness. All the diversified businesses require similar managerial and technical expertise as can be seen in the example provided above. In pursuing this strategy, Airtel will have to be conscious of the fact that it can lead to diseconomies of scope. This can arise primarily from the very factor which Airtel is banking on similarity across its businesses. A wrong move in any one of the businesses can spill over to its other business and cause repercussions even in the short term. This is the very reason that the organization cannot afford to go easy on any of its domains and needs to keep up to speed in all its businesses. International Strategy Today Bharti Airtel operates in 19 countries throughout the world. Apart from being the largest cellular service provider in India, it is the fifth largest telecom operator in the world. It has about 207.8 million subscribers worldwide 152.5 million in India, 50.3 million are in Africa. This has helped Airtel to increase its global market share and revenues significantly. International Business Level Strategy We will view this in further detail using Porters Determinants of National Advantage model: It is worth noticing here that after the Indian subcontinent, Airtels main region of operation is Africa. It is possible that the company found it attractive to enter Africa because due to its economic conditions, countries there would be lacking in necessary factors of production. Domestic companies in Africa would be lacking in technological resources, human resources, and capital necessary in the telecommunications sector. On the other hand, there is no lack of such resources in India. This is one of the major reasons why Airtel chose to expand there. Although the demand for services provided by Airtel is increasing at a rapid pace in India, there is still a lot of competition and the demand is smoothing out slowly. To further increase its revenues and market share Airtel has to expand to other nations as well. Due to the lack of existence of bare minimum infrastructure in Africa and the slow but steady increase in its economic well being, the demand conditions over there should be very high. The related and supporting industries are also very competitive and there are a lot of players in the telecommunication sector, like Vodafone, BSNL and Reliance. International Corporate Level Strategy The business of Airtel has been divided into two units based on geography. Need for cost responsiveness There are three basic international corporate level strategies availaible to any firm: Need for local responsiveness Airtel has always made it a point to focus on the needs of customers and provide solutions to customers according to their requirements. For example, the mobile services that they offer vary even among the different states of India according to customers preferences. Similarly, the kind of services, offers, plans and value addition that they offer in India is very different than what they offer in other nations. For Airtel, need to address local responsiveness has always been of the utmost importance. On the other hand, the need for global integration is not very high. The two business groups, as shown above, are distinct from each other. Due to the lack of proximity of the locations where Airtel operates, and other strategic factors, it is best for Airtel to have low levels of global integration. Keeping the above points in mind, it is clear that Airtel follows a multidomestic strategy. Organizational Structure Bharti Airtel follows an integrated structure responsible for all aspects of its telecom business in India. Significant reorganization took place in October 2006 in line with the vision of making Airtel, the most admired brand in India by 2010. As quoted by their president, it is their endeavor to build an integrated business, leading to higher synergies efficiencies and creating an organization that has a truly national character in every aspect of business operations. The present structure marks the transition of Airtel towards a customer focused organization while building sustainability scalability to seamlessly manage 100 million customers and beyond. The new organization has been designed to enable strong corporate governance whilst ensuring operational freedom, through functional matrix reporting relationships. Actual Structure Bharti Airtel is structured into four strategic business units Mobile services, Broadband Telephone (BT) services, Enterprise services and DTH services. The mobile business provides mobile fixed wireless services using GSM technology across 23 telecom circles. The BT business provides broadband telephone services in 94 cities. The Enterprise services provide end-to-end telecom solutions to corporate customers and national and international long distance services to carriers. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand. The top level management of Airtel across its four divisions is as shown in the following figure. In the case of Airtel, a matrix organization structure introduces, or at least recognizes, the real life complexity of a business environment. Geography, function, technology, business unit and technology (among others) are the important factors that are recognized in the matrix organizations structure. However, the above mentioned structure also introduces a higher level of internal complexity and some additional people management challenges, so there must be significant advantages that are seen by the organization that outweigh the matrix people management challenges. Matrix organization structures were initially introduced in complex projects such as the airspace industry to cope with complex projects. Since then a number of organizations, often prompted by large strategy consultancies, have adopted or altered the matrix organization structure to help deal with internal and external complexity. In the following figure, a sample matrix organizational structure is shown. In the case of Airtel, the project manager refers to the managers of the different services provided by Airtel across its divisions. It is clear that this allows for sharing of resources across the various projects. At its simplest the matrix organization structure just reflects this external complexity in the internal structure. Airtel is a brand that is aiming for a global presence and realizes that geography is important but so are function, customer grouping, product and technology. Basically, a matrix organization structure is an acknowledgment of the notion that since it is improbable to specify the weightage of importance that can be attributed to these factors, there is a need to allow a structure that is flexible and permits balancing and prioritizing on a daily basis between the various divisions. Thus there is a conscious trade-off for clarity in return for more flexibility. An important issue to consider here is that while the organization structure itself is a good fit for Airtel, a lot of emphasis needs to be laid on the successful coordination of the people and their skill sets within the organization. Advantages As a synopsis, the advantages reaped by Airtel as a result of its organizational structure include: Improved resource accessibility across the old functional and geographic silos. Effective coordination on shared technologies across the organization (extended to a global level) Decentralization of management decisions Improved access to a diverse range of skills and perspectives. increased communication and coordination across the business Flexible as per the needs of global or regional customers Structural Issues Dual reporting structures run a risk of initiating power struggles. Dual lines of authority in the matrix often create power struggles between the vertical and lateral forces as each tries to secure member loyalty and budget rupees. Teams may develop groupitis, the matrix depends on team functioning, there may be an overdependence on group decision-making even where it is unnecessary. This can slow down projects and further be a point of frustration for people managers. It is a widely acknowledged fact that the matrix structure increases administrative overhead, it also ideally suits the progressive development of new ideas into projects. However, when a slump hits, one common tendency is to discard the matrix in favor of more traditional approaches. The matrix can become a scapegoat for inefficiencies. Decision strangulation matrix organizational structures legitimize multiple information flows throughout the organization, creating the danger that too much information will be processed before a decision will be made. Some project managers may feel compelled to check with everyone on every project decision. Corporate Governance Corporate Governance is a set of mechanisms used to manage their relationship among stakeholders and to determine and control the strategic direction and performance of organisations. An organisation is owned by its shareholders but is managed by the ownership (Principal Agent Issues). Many a times the decisions taken by the management may not be in the best interests of the shareholders and thus Agency costs arise. To ensure that such a scenario does not arise it is essential for the firm to have strong corporate governance tools. Bharti  Airtel limited firmly believes in the principles of Corporate Governance and is committed to conduct its business in a manner, which will ensure sustainable, capital-efficient and long-term growth thereby maximising value for its shareholders, customers, employees and society at large. Companys policies are in line with Corporate Governance guidelines prescribed under Listing Agreement/s with Stock Exchanges and the Company ensures that various disclosures requirements are complied in letter and spirit for effective Corporate Governance. As proof of the excellence of Bharti Airtel in the Corporate Governance it has been Rated Level 1 by CRISIL which is the highest Governance and Value Creation rating (GVC). One way to ensure strong corporate governance is by having independent directors on the board of Directors. Their sole purpose is to ensure that the decisions taken by the management are in the best interests of the shareholders. In order to ensure that this corporate governance tool is a sound check, Airtel has ensured the following: The board has 2 executive members and 14 non executive members. 50% of the members of the board are independent directors which is a good sign of corporate governance. The board meets regularly outside the presence of management. The chairman of the board is not the CEO or a former CEO of the firm. Else it may impair the ability and willingness of independent board members to express opinions contrary to those of management. Independent board members have a primary or leading board member in cases where the chairman is not independent. Board members are not closely aligned with a firm supplier, customer, share-option plan or pension advisor. This may lead to a conflict of interest scenario. Another suitable means of aligning the interests of the shareholders with that of the management is by means of changing the structure of executive compensation. Having parameters such as stock options as part of the pay will ensure that management will take decisions that benefit both the stockholders as well as themselves indirectly. This a strategy that is used extensively at Airtel particularly as far as the top management compensation goes. Other Corporate Governance Initiatives taken by Airtel are Shareholders Board of Directors Audit Committee Managing Director HR/ Remuneration Management Operations ESOP Compensation Investor Grievance Corporate Governance Mechanisms at Airtel Audit Committee Six members, two-third of which is independent directors. At least four times a year. (Max time gap 4 months) The Committee Chairman shall attend the Annual General Meeting. To ensure that the financial statements are true and accurate and provide sufficient information. Recommending to the Board, the appointment, re-appointment and, if required, the replacement or removal of the statutory auditor and the fixation of their audit fees. Human Resource (HR)/ Remuneration Committee Six non-executive directors, out of which four members including the chairman are independent directors. Attraction and Retention strategies for employees. Employees Development Strategies. Compensation All Human Resources related issue. ESOP Compensation Committee Constituted in accordance with SEBI Guidelines, 1999. Six members of whom four are independent and all are non-executive Formulate ESOP plans and decide on future grants. Formulate terms and conditions Employee Stock Option Schemes of the Company Investor Grievance Committee Constituted in accordance with Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement. Four members of whom three members including the Chairman, are non-executive directors Ensure speedy disposal of various requests received from shareholders from time to time (within 7-10 days from the date of receipt of complaint). Redressal of shareholders and investor complaints/ grievances. Monthly meeting The above detailed initiatives clearly point towards the importance that Airtel gives to Corporate Governance and this is further reaffirmed by Level 1 rating for GVC by CRISIL again in 2006. Organizational Controls They guide the use of strategy, indicate how to compare actual results with expected results and suggest corrective measures when the difference is unacceptable. It is an important part of the organisational structure and its key to a firms plans to exploit its core competencies. The organisational controls can be broadly classified as Strategic control: It is used to determine the fit between what a firm might possibly do on the basis of opportunities in the environment and what it can do on the basis of its core competencies and competitive advantages. In other words, the process of evaluating strategy, is practiced both after the strategy is formulated and after it is implemented Financial controls: They are used to measure the performance of the firm against set thresholds and analyse the reasons for being unable to meet them if the case by. Such controls generally include measures like Return on Investment (RoI), Return on Assets (RoA). Management control: It focuses on the accomplishment of the objectives of the various sub strategies comprising the master strategy and the accomplishment of the objectives of the intermediate plans. Operational control: It is concerned individual and group performance as compared with the individual and group role prescriptions required by organizational plans. Each of these types of control is not a separate and distinct entity and, in fact, may be indistinguishable from others. Moreover, similar measurement techniques may be used for each type of control. While both Financial and strategic controls are important the extent of importance accorded to each is determined by the firm strategy. Airtel which is following a cost leadership strategy focuses more on financial controls more than strategic ones. However a firm should not get too carried away along just one set of controls as that would hurt the long term sustainability. So if a firm focuses just on strategic controls while giving a cold shoulder to financial ones, it may soon face a scenario wherein it will run out of cash. The organizational control to a very large extent is determined by the Organisation Structure. Recommendations Considering the heavy fragmentation of the Indian mobile market, we propose the following recommendations so as to ensure that Airtel continues to be the market leader in this domain. As the above figure suggests, there has been a heavy influx of new players in this arena of late which has seen the market share of Airtel fall from above 50 % to about 30 % in half a decade. This means that Airtel should look at hereto untapped markets specially in developing countries with low penetration. Thus following the Multi Domestic strategy more aggressively is crucial to continued success Moreover the ARPU (Average Revenue per User) in India is pretty low. Thus more acquisitions like that of Zain telecom (ARPU of $55 vs Bharti ARPU $7) makes sense. There is no point in proliferating the number of subscribers if Airtel cannot charge them at competitive prices Since the competition in India has intensified, most players are engaging a price war which can be deleterious to the companys short term prospects. Herein Airtel should leverage its strong network and brand equity and not engage in a price war and try in move towards an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy. The urban market penetration is about 95 % and hence the only way of expanding revenues from this stream is by introducing quality VAS (Value Added Services). These give high margin services and are going to be in much greater demand as the smart phone market swells. Entry and quality innovations into this niche domain (presently) would give it a big first movers advantage. Forging strategic alliances with mobile phone manufacturers specially those of high end handsets will be a great way to tap the premium segment. This segment often has very high usage and contributes significantly to the revenue stream. By locking them in with Airtel at the point of purchase itself, Airtel guarantees itself a long customer lifetime value. Also given the economic spurt, many such players have expressed their keen interest to enter the Indian markets.