Neorealist Aesthetics on Rome Open City and 8 1/2 Essay

Introduction To critically evaluate the influences of neorealist aesthetics on Rome, Open City (1945) and 8 ½ (1963) I believe there are several measure I have to take. First of all, I believe it is essential to get a clear understanding of Italian neorealism and the common aesthetics of neorealist films. Once I have that established it will enable me to critically evaluate the influences of neorealist aesthetics on Rome, Open City and afterwards, 8 ½, drawing them both together in the conclusion. The end of World War II, and Mussolini’s fascist regime in 1945 enabled a national film movement to flourish in Italy. This movement was branded ‘Italian neorealism’, and with its unique aesthetic style and themes it produced, arguably, some of the most influential films ever made. Neorealism was seen to be a perfect way for Italian filmmakers to portray the misery and suffering they, and the entire nation experienced throughout this period of repression. Martha Nochimson describ es Italian neorealism as: A strong form of filmic poetry that aims for truth in its stories about the poor and the working class, without using the glamorizing techniques that Hollywood prefers, (that) can only be fully understood within the context of Italian social and political history. Italian neorealism has distinctive stylistic qualities that give it an almost documentary, ‘newsreel’ feel to the films. Neorealists believed this greatly added to the authenticity of each film and depicted life at that time in a more realistic way. Common characteristics of neorealist films are that they are shot on location, use non-professional or relatively unknown, inexperienced actors, have plain and simple mise-en-scene, avoid complex editing, have a straight forward, feely moving documentary style of photography and have a loosely plotted narrative. Martha Nochimson summerises this perfectly in stating that: Neorealists insisted on taking their cameras into real locations, using natural light and sound, and stripping their characters of synthetic enhancements. They frequently experimented with using non-professional and young unknown actors in order to avoid the carefully calculated mannerisms of the star. As well as having  a distinctive style, neorealist films also tended to have thematic similarities too. They generally placed emphasis on the contemporary situation, focused on the struggles of the lower class, marginalised population within society and often avoided the conventional Hollywood, ‘happy-ever-after’ endings. Rome, Open City is considered by many to be one of the most influential films ever made, and as a result it firmly put Italian neorealism on the map in world cinema. Due to the production starting virtually immediately after the occupying Germans departed, Peter Brunette described, ‘that the making of the film was carried out in the worst possible conditions’. Because Rome was still recovering from the devastating impact the war had on the city Rossellini had no other choice but to use real locations as the film studios within the area had either been bombed, or were being used as shelter for refugees affected by the destruction of the city. Marcus Millicent points out other obstacles Rossellini faced during the production, he states, ‘the lack of studio space, the absence of sophisticated equipment, and the scarcity of film stock forced Rossellini to adopt the simplicity of means that was responsible for the authentic and uncontrived look of his finished product.’ These conditions, resulting in the need for improvisation, were also true for most films produced during the height of neorealism up until its rapid decline in the early 1950s. However some critics argue that the conditions Rossellini faced have been exaggerated, especially in regards to the poor film stock he was believed to use. Christopher Wagstaff points out, ‘The ‘look’ of Rome Open City has been attributed to poor film stock, yet the film was beautifully photographed by Ubaldo Arata on entirely appropriate film stock, one kind for interiors and another for exteriors.’ One of Rome, Open City’s main neorealist characteristics is the thematic issue’s the film covers. Typical the neorealist films, Rome, Open City depicts the struggle of the poor, working class people within society at that time, in this case, as they try and resist the German occupation. Despite the obvious neorealist theme, critics have argued that Rossellini has deviated from neorealism within the narrative as he relies heavily on the use of melodrama within the plot and uses techniques to over dramatize the ‘epic’ moments he has created within the film, for example the use of none diagenic sound during the scene of Pina’s death is not a technique that is typically used in neorealist as  it defers too much from reality itself. Stephen Hanson even goes as far a stating, ‘its plot is highly melodramatic in the worst sense of the word.† Peter Brunette supports this view, he argues that Rossellini, â€Å"pawns off his   fictions as if they were realities in the best tradition of Hollywood. Not only do critics argue that Rossellini over dramatizes the plot, they also believe that he adopts a more linear narrative compared to the typical neorealist film. Peter Brunette argues that Rome, Open City is, ‘one of Rossellini’s most conventional films, at least in terms of its narrative and dramatic structures.’ He believes this conventional narrative style bears no benefit to the film and even goes on to state, ‘Here, unlike in his previous films, all elements of the mise-en-scene, lighting, dialogue, and everything else, however â€Å"realistic†, are rigorously enlisted in the service of a linear narrative.’ Rossellini’s use of mainly non-professional actors is a clear neorealist aesthetic within the film, however Peter Brunette argues that Rossellini did not abide by this neorealist trend entirely, as he points out, ‘(Anna) Magnani (who plays the role of Pina) was hardly a newcomer to the screen-she had already some sixteen films to her credit since her first role in 1935,’ and continues to add that she was, ‘well know to Italian audiences.’ A final neorealist stylistic quality Rossellini used in Rome, Open City, that seemingly can’t be disputed is the non-elaborative mise-en-scene. Each character’s costume was typical of what would have been wearing at the time the film was set, as we can see in ‘figure 1.’ of Pina, just before her death, with several other women. In contrast to Rome, Open City, 8  ½ varies greatly in regards to neorealism, however, Federico Fellini had strong connections to the neorealist movement and these influences can be seen in certain aspects of 8 ½. One of his first roles in cinema was to work alongside Rossellini for Rome Open City and Paisa (1946) as a scriptwriter, which progressively led to him making his own films. Although Fellini’s first films were considered neorealist, (For example, ‘Variety Lights’ (1950) and The White Sheik (1952)) he soon moved away from neorealism and with 8 ½ he produced a film that devotes much more effort to dreams, fantasy and imagination than it does to reality. However, if you look solely at the scenes that are set in Guido’s reality you can soon identify the influence neorealism has had on Fellini’s work. The free  moving camera style that gave neorealist films a ‘documentary’ feel to it is also evident in 8 ½. During the scen e where Guido enters the hotel and is consistently bombarded and hassled by everyone, unable to get a moment’s piece is a perfect example of how Fellini adopts this style. Throughout this scene the shots are also considerably long, (which is another stylistic quality many neorealist films possess) as the camera tracks Guido making his way through the hotel lobby. It can also be argued that 8 ½ has a greater neorealist quality to it than Rome, Open City in regards to the narrative and plot. Many neorealist films are not hung up on plot, and are more interested in providing a realistic ‘slice of life’ of the characters world (for example, ‘Bicycle Thieves (1948)). As well as the lack of a non-linear story, Fellini is influenced greatly by neorealist aesthetics as he uses real location throughout 8 ½. Although particular scenes in 8 ½ have aesthetic similarities and influences derived from neorealism, the film as a whole is has little relevance to neorealism in most aspects. For example there are very little thematic similarities as a typical neorealist film concentrates in portraying the poverty, suffering and oppression of the working class, 8 ½ is a semi-biographical film Fellini has based on himself. Jack Hirschman describes 8 ½ as, â€Å"Fellini’s most directly autobiographical statement.† Another key variation from neorealist aesthetics is the fact that Fellini expresses imagination, fantasy and dreams at the expense of realism. To conclude I believe that the two films discussed in this essay are not the only respective two of their kind, in regard to neorealist films deviating from the traditional aesthetic qualities expected of it, (for example De Sica’s neorealist film, Miricale in Milan (1951) explored fantasy, at the expense of its realist qualities,) and Fellini’s 8  ½ is of course, not the only film to be influenced by neorealism. Some critics even question neorealist aesthetic qualities further and argue because of the very nature of film production it is impossible to create an entirely realist film, Christopher Wagstaff questions a film’s realism by arguing: Within the narrative of a film, meanings can be signified indexically: if a little boy bursts into tears in a given narrative context, the meaning might be that he is frightened, disappointed or angry- the emotion caused the behaviour; but in ‘reality’ the actor (whether ‘professional’ or not) cried because the director told him to. Peter Brunette even goes as far as stating, â€Å"the only  valid subject for realist cinema is the impossibility of realist cinema.† Bibliography 8  ½ / Otto e mezzo, dir. by Federico Fellini (Colombia Pictures, 1963) Aumont, Jacques, Aesthetics of Film (Austin: University of Texan Press, 1992) Bicycle Thieves/ Ladri di biciclette, dir. by Vittorio De Sica (Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche, 1948) Bondanella, Peter, The Films of Federico Fellini (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2002) Brunette, Peter, Roberto Rossellini (Berkeley: Univerity of California Press, 1996) Forgacs, David, Sarah Lutton and Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, Roberto Rossellini: Magician of the Real (UK: British Film Institute, 2000) Gottlied, Sidney, Roberto Rossellini’s Rome open city (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004) Hirschman, Jack, ‘Film Reviews’, Film Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1, (1963) Hanson, Stephen. L, Roma, città   aperta (2012) < http://www.filmreference.com/Films-Ra-Ro/Roma-Citt-Aperta.html> [accessed 20th March 2012] Millicent, Marcus, Italian Film in the Light of Neorealism (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1986) Miracle in Milan/ Miracolo a Milano, dir. by Vittorio de Sica (Criterion Collection, 1951) Nochimson, Martha. P, World on Film: an introduction (UK: John Wiley and Sons, 2010) Rome, Open City/Roma, città   aperta, dir. by Roberto Rossellini (Minerva Film Spa, 1945) Sparshott, F. E, ‘Basic Film Aestheics’, Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 5, No. 2, (1971) The White Sheik/ Lo Sceicco Bianco, dir. by Frderico Fellini (OFI, 1952) Variety Lights/ Luci del Varietà  , dir. by Federico Fellini (Capitolium, 1950) Wagstaff, Christopher, Italian Neorealist Cinema: An Aesthetic Approach (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007)

Fashion and Art Essay

A controversial debate that has existed for many years, and will probably still be argued for many years to come, is the relatively close relationship that fashion and Art has. People in both the fashion and art industries (or as some artists like to call: ‘art world’) have very mixed opinions and ideas on the collaboration of fashion and art and how one may influence the other in the industry we live in today. â€Å"Art is Art and Fashion is an industry†, as quoted from in Michael Boodro’s ‘Art and Fashion’ (2007), he believes that Fashion is just a ‘man made’ craze that has only been popularised by the many followers in public that are cloned to consume the ideas of fashion. Boodro also believes that â€Å"†¦ fashion comes with no illusions attached† He believes that there isn’t a depth to fashion as there is in art, he believes art is an academia with vast depths of knowledge involved as to fashion, which is a shallow and very monochrome in it’s appearance, with no hidden messages. He goes on to explain that the interest in fashions first started in the late 1800s/early 1900s when only the rich and wealthy could afford artwork, in a form of portraits, then these painters created elaborate fashions in this paintings, learning the art of drapery and how to portray fabrics in the best possible light, For example: â€Å"Gustav Klimt, portraits of women, ‘designed’ dresses that were more prominent than his subjects†. Following on from this, Boodro then goes on to highlight some interesting links between art and fashion in how the artists has always formed the inspiration for the designer, such as: â€Å"Valentino has taken black and white geometric motifs from the Viennese artists Josef Hoffman and Koloman Mosen and embroided them in sequins and dresses† Many other examples there to highlight that a key to a designers success is by taking inspiration from previous art work by innovative and creative artists, which supports Boodro’s opinion that fashion is a follower and a form of art. â€Å"Clothes were placed in an extra-artistic sphere- where the most part they have remained†. This is taken from a contrasting piece of writing from ‘Fashion and Art’ by L. Svendsen (2006). As you can see, the Title ‘Fashion and Art’ is a reverse to Boodro’s ‘Art and fashion’, this is because, as quoted above, Clothes (fashion) were placed in an ‘extra-artistic sphere’, meaning that he sees Fashion as a seperate category to Art, and not a branched off form of art itself. Svendsen has a much more equal opinion for both sides of the opinion, he can pick out where Art and Fashion do merge into one, and also how Fashion has separated itself from art. He stated that in the early 1900’s, Fashion was very limited and boundaries were strict due to â€Å"Freedom was rather restricted, as the creations had to appeal to the aesthetic preferences of the customer†. Even though artists and art critics will strongly disagree that Fashion is a form of Art, even iconic designers such as Paul Poiret, one of the first iconic fashion designers of the early 20th Century stated â€Å"I am an artist, not a dressmaker†, designers hated how critics would limit their title to just a ‘dressmaker’, limiting their skills and talents instead of creative s that they dream to be acclaimed for. Another controversial quote though from a famous designer, Martin Margiela who insists that â€Å"fashion is a craft, not art† Moving into the 1920s and 30s with the Cubism perception in artwork replacing realism, Fashion also in turn started to become more abstarct, and this was when Haute Couture was born, designs became more elaborate and the previous boundaries that existed were lifted, giving designers a vast playground in which they could experience with their work and ideas. â€Å"Many Fashion Designers have used strategies normally associated with contemporary art rather than the world of fashion, by creating clothes that are better suited to exhibitions in galleries and museums than for actual wear†This shows a great link between fashion and art, it was evolving to become so abstract and outrageous that the best way for them to be displayed to their best potential was in galleries and museums, the same way as artwork would be, For example now in Museums such as the Victoria and Albert in London, there is now Fashion Archives, and many international designers have homed themselves there for one-off elaborate exhibitions. To conclude I think that I would categorise Fashion as a form of art, but not a direct result of art, I think many people have similar opinions of the two because they are such broad topics with an almost unlimited amount of space for creativity. I do agree that some of fashions many successful collections and campaigns stemmed from the innovative ideas of previous artists but some of the more successful fashion moments have been solely down to the creative minds of the designer If I had to categorize the fashion industry and the Designers work, I would place it under craftsmanship and creativity, as previously quoted by Martin Margiela. To finalise though I believe that art and fashion shouldn’t be labelled and the two should be able to intertwine to create magical and awe-inspiring pieces.

Nora in a doll’s house: behind gendered lines

In classic Victorian marriages, the prevailing norm stereotypes roles in marriages that typify the male-dominated society classic of the era- women serving as decorations or as we know it today, trophy wives, to successful men.This prevailing status quo is what the society in Europe particularly Norway where A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen was set, sees as the order it needs to be free from confusion and disarray that could threaten the very foundation of the society.Nora is the personification of an emancipated female in that era- at first, the picture of an obedient wife whose very existence revolves around her husband but in the end, showing that women are not dolls who can be bribed to be the kind of persons their husbands want them to be. Nora therefore represents the modern-day empowered woman- strong, perceptive and willful to find her own happiness.II. ThesisThis paper argues that human rights entail a dynamic reorganization of society and its norms fuelled by both men and women alike. First, women like men are subjected to stereotyping of roles that defines their roles that they may not like.Nora and Torvald are both trapped in their roles. Second, it is the degree to which women and men embrace the deception and forgery that signifies their willingness to be emancipated. By the latter part of the discussion, it is evident that Nora had recognized her need to find herself and be educated in order to educate others and live happily free from deception. Third, women’s rights are human rights because in the process of liberating women, men are also liberated.III. IntroductionIn Victorian times, the very concept of women’s rights is revolutionary and appalling. A Doll’s House represented what most women in Victorian era in Europe experienced- though they were not subjected to harsh working conditions or sexual abuses, they are nonetheless abused (Coomaraswamy 16). However, to confine that it is only the women who are imprisoned i n a world of lies and deception would be a gross misunderstanding of Ibsen’s play.This essay evaluates the classic play that disentangles the organization of European society (and most countries as well) to bring it into order. A Doll’s House by Ibsen is critically analyzed on its perception of women’s right vis a vis human rights and how it had been fuelled by disguise and forgery. Moreover, an evaluation on Act III particularly the virtues of idealism and cynicism will be examined in lieu with the central theme of women liberation.IV. Nora in Ibsen’s PlayFirst, let us start with the role of Nora and Torvald Helmer. In Act I, Nora comes home with Christmas shopping while her husband emerges from the study. Note that Torvald had called Nora a â€Å"little lark twittering† (Ibsen, pp.2) and â€Å"little squirrel bustling† (p.2) as a metaphor on how he had treated her in the whole play- a display and a doll that he can manipulate to whatever h e wants to. Torvald by calling Nora such names establishes his authority within the family. Nora as his wife is his pet to whom he shelters.

Compare and contrast societies of medieval China, Arabic Caliphate, Essay

Compare and contrast societies of medieval China, Arabic Caliphate, and Christendom (Western Europe) - Essay Example The discussion of class structure shall encompass status symbols and interactions between members of different social classes. Utilizing such literature as â€Å"Po Hsing-chien,† â€Å"Su Shih,† â€Å"Ssu-ma Kwang,† â€Å"Marco Polo,† â€Å"The Hunchback† and â€Å"The Man who Never Laughed Again† from 1001 Nights, the Qu’ran, â€Å"Al-Farabi,† the Black Death reading, Matthew, Acts, Romans, The Life of Charlemagne, Chaucer’s Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, and the Magna Carta, conclusions can be drawn that will aid in the comparison of these three societies.. First to be compared among the previously stated societies is religion. One determining factor of any religion is the belief in the metaphysical or supernatural, such as a God or Gods. In medieval China, common was the belief in a multitude of spirits with different powers. For example, Miss Li and her lover in Po Hsing-Chieng visited the spirit of the Bamboo Grove in order to receive assistance in conceiving a child. (Po Hsing-Chieng, 303). Arabic Caliphate embraces a belief in one God, known as Allah. (Qu’ran). According to the Biblical book of Acts, Christendom encompassed a belief in a holy trinity, which included the Holy Spirit, God the Father and God the Son. (Acts, 2). Both Arabic Caliphate and Christendom were considered monotheistic religions, meaning they believed in one God, while medieval China seemed to embrace a belief in many spirits. It is also practical to examine each society’s members’ relationships to their God(s). Evidence from literature provides that people in medieval China thought they were consistently being watched and judged by the gods in terms of honor and morale. In â€Å"Po Hsing-Chien,† Miss Li tells her mother that they need to help the young man because the spirits would not be on their side for the bad things they had already done to him. (Po Hsing-Chien, 305). In Arabic Caliphate trust was placed in the will of

How Does Paid Employment Affect Your Identity Essay - 3

How Does Paid Employment Affect Your Identity - Essay Example Our identity also changes as our surroundings and our roles in it changes, which then translates that it is also what we chose to prioritise, what we rationally chose to fulfil, and what we may prefer to be concerned about (Martin and Barresi, 2003). In another setting, different kinds of people can come together under one larger and unified group that has similar visions and goals. Often called the organisation, it is both an entity and a concept in itself, which links together identity, power, inequality, freedom and knowledge all under a conceptual framework (Knights and Willmott, 2007). The behaviour and interaction of people working within an organisation is called organisational behaviour. It addresses broadly the interaction of people within all types of organisations like business, government, university and service organisations (Singh, 2010). To understand how an individual would behave in a group setting, there is no magic bullet to solve all kinds of organisational kinds. Also, humans have different identities, which would make the study of organisational behaviour even more erratic and unpredictable, hence the need for a multidisciplinary approach which borrows ideas from behavioural sciences, management and other disciplines (Singh, 2010 and Knights and Willmott, 2007). For example, an individual can be studied without considering the organization. But because the organization influences and is influenced by the individual, there is also the need to study something about the organization (Knights and Willmott, 2007). Organizations influence more or less the lives of many people. They provide rules and regulations (governments), source of income (workplace), where individuals are raised and trained (schools, universities), among others (Griffin and Moorhead, 2010). We can also have multiple roles in different organizations (consumers, employees, suppliers, students, owners, etc.). For that, the study of organizational behaviour is deemed important. In an organization, there are employment relations, hierarchy, a division of labor, as well as a degree of permanence or continuity (Knights and Willmott, 2007). Knowing what a person’s role would be in an organization would dictate his or her roles, which would more or less be the same with persons of the same rank in the ladder. The formation of small groups within an organization helps in affirming the roles of members within a particular rank. It also has a powerful effect on the morale, attitude, motivation and work performance of the group members (Singh, 2010). Members of a group associate themselves with their group and this shapes their attitude and behaviour with regards to the organisation. The formation of such groups, when fully harnessed by the top management, will provide the necessary workforce that would have highly effective members with high performance goals. Thus, the participation in such organisations by individuals with different roles would help in d eveloping and confirming their sense of identity within the group (Knights and Willmott, 2007, and Singh, 2010). In an organizational setting, many cultures and ideas are often taught to all, if not most members. For example, a culture of autonomy implemented in a certain workplace could give a sense of empowerment for their employees since they experience a sense of discretion or freedom

Global Warming and New Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Warming and New Technology - Essay Example These gases, especially carbon dioxide, or CO2, trap the heat coming from the sun, and keep this heat on earth. This heat eventually builds up and becomes a phenomenon known as global warming. According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the effects of global warming are already happening – sea levels rising, glaciers shrinking, growing seasons lengthening, ice on lakes and rivers freezing, and the permafrost thawing (â€Å"Basic Information,† EPA). Moreover, technology, especially in the field of IT, also contributes to global warming. If, therefore, the harm caused by global warming and new technology is left unchecked, all of earth’s ecosystems will eventually be destroyed. Global warming can indeed cause significant changes in global temperatures which can actually cause many other negative environmental effects. According to GlobalIssues.org, due to the ever increasing amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, the earth is getting warmer and warme r every decade, and that the 1900s is the world’s warmest century in 1,000 years (â€Å"What are the Impacts†). ... Nevertheless, we cannot even tolerate a 4 °C, according to the UK Met Office, which is the national weather service of the United Kingdom (â€Å"What are the Impacts†). In fact, according to the UK Met Office, this rapid change in the temperature due to the increasing amount of CO2 in the air will eventually lead to a decrease in the agricultural yields of all major cereal crops and this will also cause a significant reduction of the Himalayas glaciers, but this is not all (â€Å"What are the Impacts†). Since the increase in temperatures of the world will naturally heat up the oceans, particularly the Arctic regions, what is expected is not only the gradual disappearance of the Himalayas glaciers but also more hurricanes and drought, long periods of intense rain or extremely dry heat, and freezing weather especially in Northern Europe (â€Å"What are the Impacts†). Global warming may therefore affect the ocean currents and with the extreme amount of heat emanat ing from the oceans, the currents that bring hot air to Northern Europe may then be disrupted. In fact, the world’s oceans are rapidly â€Å"approaching 27 °C† every summer and this phenomenon alone contributes greatly to the occurrence of strong storms and hurricanes (â€Å"What are the Impacts†). The heating up of the oceans, which bring about these storms and hurricanes, are actually caused by the greenhouse gases trapping huge amounts of solar energy, and when this trapped solar energy needs to be dissipated, what results is higher winds and more intense precipitation, which both define a storm and a hurricane (â€Å"What are the Impacts†). In fact, in a period of just 30 years,

Business research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business research methods - Essay Example In order to study this topic, the researcher would make use of primary as well as secondary data and analyse them using quantitative approach as well as qualitative approach. Statistical analysis of the data would help in understanding the relationship in a robust way and also allow illustrating the results in a visually comprehensive manner. Qualitative analysis of the data would help in gaining deep insights regarding employee behaviour that leads to the concerned level of organizational effectiveness. Aim of the Research The research work would be done with the aim of analyzing the impact of innovation on the level of organizational effectiveness in terms of organizational performance and efficiency of business strategies. Introduction Innovation has become the key to success and survival in the modern business world. During the late 1970s organizations faced a spacious business field with much lesser competition than the current business scenario. In the present business scenario , companies are operating in an intricate and complex external environment and a highly volatile market place (Vuuren, 2013). This paper aims at studying the level of organizational innovation and assessing the impact it casts on organizational effectiveness. To serve this purpose a global business firm has been chosen. The chosen company is Dell Computers. This company has a strong history of innovation and it is one of the leading companies in the field of technology. Research objectives In the current business platform, companies are required to make efforts to move beyond simple modification of their operating processes and take real innovative actions in terms of product features and service quality. Dell has a proven track record of making huge investment in its research and development department that enables the company to come up with ground breaking innovations. The company competes with the global leaders in the industry and ranks third after Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) and Lenovo. Dell makes constant innovations and utilizes modern technological knowhow in order to throw steep competition for its rivals. The company also updates itself with the changing preferences of its customer base. This fine tunes the new innovations of the company with demands of the market, which in turn increases organizational effectiveness. There are three research objectives of this study. The primary research objective is mentioned below, followed by the secondary and tertiary research objectives. To critically evaluate the theories of organizational innovation and study the manner in which organizational innovation might influence organizational effectiveness To investigate the company’s decision making in the context of their plans to expand their product range, other than computers, in the field of Information Technology To identify the strategies that might help Dell to beat the position of Hewlett Packard and become the leading supplier of personal computer s in the world market Research questions The central topic that is being explored in this paper is the relationship between organizational innovation and organizational effectiveness. To study this topic the researcher has framed three research questions. These have been mentioned below: What are the implications of current business strategies on Dell’s current level of research and deve

Cap and Trade System vs. Carbon Tax System Research Paper

Cap and Trade System vs. Carbon Tax System - Research Paper Example The call for robust action on climate change is coherent and urgent. It is obvious to any environmental conservationist that without firm action the effects from heat waves, droughts, flooding, hurricanes and other adverse weather occurrence will always keep worsening, creating even disastrous human and economic effects (Environmental Justice Matters 2). There are basically some approaches to be opted for:   a direct carbon tax and a cap-and-trade approach.  Ã‚   Climate change critiques have so far seen success in stopping adoption of whichever of these appears to have any momentum (Environmental Justice Matters 2). With cap-and-trade, they not only managed to disorganize and finally prevent enactment of the Waxman-Markey bill in the 110th Congress, but were able to tar cap-and-trade as a critically uncalled for strategy in the general political dialogue – notwithstanding its prior consensus success with SO2 and NOX (Environmental Justice Matters 2). Economists hold the v iew that, if the market is left to operate freely, greenhouse gas emissions will be too much, since there is not enough incentive for firms and households to cut emissions. Out of that, they propose the polluter pays principle and fixing a price on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (Hedges 1). This can be made possible through either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade scheme. A carbon tax imposes a tax per unit of greenhouse gas emissions and gives firms and households, an incentive to cut pollution if doing so would cost less than paying the tax (Lavelle 4). Because of that, the size of pollution reduced is a factor of the chosen level of the tax. The tax to be paid is arrived at by assessing the cost associated with each unit of pollution and the costs of controlling that pollution. Setting the tax level too low will cause the firms and households to probably opt for paying the tax and continuing to pollute, above what is optimal for society. Very high and the costs will esca late higher than necessary to cut emissions, impacting on profits, jobs and end consumers (Lavelle 4). On the other side, a cap-and-trade system sets an optimum level of pollution, a cap, and disburses emissions permits to firms that produce emissions. Companies should have a permit to cover each unit of pollution they produce, and they can get these permits either through an initial allocation or auction, or through trading with other firms. Since some firms suddenly find it cheaper to cut pollution than others, trading occurs (Klare 12). While the maximum pollution quantity is put in place in advance, the trading price of permits vary, becoming more expensive when demand is high relative to supply and cheaper when demand is lower. A price on pollution is therefore come up with as a result of setting a ceiling on the overall quantity of emissions. As time passes, the limits become stricter, cutting pollution simultaneously until the desired reduction goal is reached. This is typica l example of the cap and trade program enacted by the Clean Air Act of 1990, which cut the sulfur emissions that cause acid rain and it met the target at a much lower cost than industry or government anticipated (Klare 12). It will therefore turn out to be cheaper for some firms to reduce their emissions below their permitted limit than others. These more dynamic companies, who emit below their allowance, can trade their extra with companies that are not able to make reductions as easily. This leads

Tourism in Gig Harbor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tourism in Gig Harbor - Essay Example These events aim at increasing economic activities at the Gig Harbor through overnight lodges, meals provision, sale of souvenirs and gifts and building tourist sites and facilities. I chose this RFP because Gig Harbor has maintained its tourist sites and developed strategies that successfully increased and maintained growth of tourism in Washington State. For example, it offers various activities that suit a diversity of people such as children, families and groups (Garrett, 2010). The strategies that I will use to build trust with my clients will include knowing the client’s expectations. Asking the client about their expectations will enable me to satisfy them and hence, retain the client for current and future business. Fulfilling promises is another strategy that determines one’s ability to gain and retain trust with clients. Develop credibility by maintaining professionalism and deliver on all the made promises (Garrett, 2010). Open communication is a key strategy in developing trust. Discuss all the details with the client and disclose all terms of the contract. Disclose good and bad communication and allow an open discussion with the client. Offering the best solution is a great strategy to gain trust. Listening to clients’ needs and offering them a working solution shows that you care for their needs. Energizing the clients by asking good questions and then listening as they give answers is a strategy that builds trust (Claycomb & Martin, 2002). Active listening shows the clients that you care about them. Look at things from the client’s perspective is another strategy that will enhance trust as it shows your empathy and willingness to help clients’ obtain the best solutions for their needs I will use several tactics to manage client expectations. First, communicating regularly and addressing client’s needs directly. Regular communication will build a strong relationship that will overcome all the setbacks and

Personal statment Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Statment - Personal Statement Example I would still love to continue my learning phase and for this reason, I have planned to do my PhD as well. Studying MBA will help me in learning about business knowledge and it will assist me in my long term goal which is to start my own business in real estate sector. My aim is to start my own business in my own country and help my country to prosper. By starting my own business, I will be able to help my country grow and create employment. Even if I have to work for few years to gain knowledge and gain professional experience of real estate industry, then I am open for such challenges as well and ready to get any job to gain experience. I have already worked as a Librarian in University of Business and Technology, Jeddah. This working experience was also helpful and I have learnt a lot from my job experience. In future, I am open for new challenges and ready to explore myself. However, for this I want to start my MBA