Saturday, August 31, 2019

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER SEVEN FARMER

FARMER Stor Gendibal jogged along the country road outside the university. It was not common practice for Second Foundationers to venture into the farming world of Trantor. They could do so, certainly, but when they did, they did not venture either far or for long. Gendibal was an exception and he had, in times past, wondered why. Wondering meant exploring his own mind, something that Speakers, in particular, were encouraged to do. Their minds were at once their weapons and their targets, and they had to keep both offense and defense well honed. Gendibal had decided, to his own satisfaction, that one reason he was different was because he had come from a planet that was both colder and more massive than the average inhabited planet. When he was brought to Trantor as a boy (through the net that was quietly cast throughout the Galaxy by agents of the Second Foundation on the lookout for talent), he found himself, therefore, in a lighter gravitational field and a delightfully mild climate. Naturally he enjoyed being in the open more than some of the others might. In his early years on Trantor, he grew conscious of his puny, undersized frame, and he was afraid that settling back into the comfort of a benign world would turn him flabby indeed. He therefore undertook a series of self-developing exercises that had left him still puny in appearance but kept hint wiry and with a good wind. Part of his regimen were these long walks arid joggings – about which some at the Speaker's Table muttered. Gendibal disregarded their chattering. He kept his own ways, despite the fact that he was first-generation. All the others at the Table were second – and third-generation, with parents and grandparents who had been Second Foundationers. And they were all older than he, too. What, then, was to be expected but muttering? By long custom, all minds at the Speaker's Table were open (supposedly altogether, though it was a rare Speaker who didn't maintain a comer of privacy somewhere – in the long run, ineffectively, of course) and Gendibal knew that what they felt was envy. So did they; just as Gendibal knew his own attitude was defensive, overcompensating ambition. And so did they. Besides (Gendibal's mind reverted to the reasons for his ventures into the hinterland) he had spent his childhood in a whole world – a large and expansive one, with grand and variegated scenery – and in a fertile valley of that world, surrounded by what he believed to be the most beautiful mountain ranges in the Galaxy. They were unbelievably spectacular in the grim winter of that world. He remembered his former world and the glories of a now-distant childhood. He dreamed about it often. How could he bring himself to be confined to a few dozen square miles of ancient architecture? He looked about disparagingly as he jogged. Trantor was a mild and pleasant world, but it was not a rugged and beautiful one. Though it was a farming world, it was not a fertile planet. It never had been. Perhaps that, as much as any other factor, had led to its becoming the administrative center of, first, an extensive union of planets and then of a Galactic Empire. There was no strong push to have it be anything else. It wasn't extraordinarily good for anything else. After the Great Sack, one thing that kept Trantor going was its enormous supply of metal. It was a great mine, supplying half a hundred worlds with cheap alloy steel, aluminum, titanium, copper, magnesium – returning, in this way, what it had collected over thousands of years; depleting its supplies at a rate hundreds of times faster than the original rate of accumulation. There were still enormous metal supplies available, but they were underground and harder to obtain. The Hamish farmers (who never called themselves â€Å"Trantorians,† a term they considered ill-omened and which the Second Foundationers therefore reserved for themselves) had grown reluctant to deal with the metal any further. Superstition, undoubtedly. Foolish of them. The metal that remained underground might well be poisoning the soil and further lowering its fertility. And yet, on the other hand, the population was thinly spread and the land supported them. And there were some sales of metal, always. Gendibal's eyes roved over the fiat horizon. Trantor was alive geologically, as almost all inhabited planets were, but it had been a hundred million years, at least, since the last major geological mountain-building period had occurred. What uplands existed had been eroded into gentle hills. Indeed, many of them had been leveled during the great metal-coating period of Trantor's history. Off to the south, well out of sight, was the shore of Capital Bay, and beyond that, the Eastern Ocean, both of which had been re-established after the disruption of the underground cisterns. To the north were the towers of Galactic University, obscuring the comparatively squat-but-wide Library (most of which was underground), and the remains of the Imperial Palace still farther north. Immediately on either side were farms, on which there was an occasional building. He passed groups of cattle, goats, chickens – the wide variety of domesticated animals found on any Trantorian farm. None of them paid him any mind. Gendibal thought casually that anywhere in the Galaxy, on any of the vast number of inhabited worlds, he would see these animals and that on no two worlds would they be exactly alike. He remembered the goats of home and his own tame nanny whom he had once milked. They were much larger and more resolute than the small and philosophical specimens that had been brought to Trantor and established there since the Great Sack. Over the inhabited worlds of the Galaxy, there were varieties of each of these animals, in numbers almost beyond counting, and there was no sophisticate on any world who didn't swear by his favorite variety, whether for meat, milk, eggs, wool, or anything else they could produce. As usual, there were no Hamish in view. Gendibal had the feeling that the farmers avoided being seen by those whom they referred to as â€Å"scowlers† (a mispronunciation – perhaps deliberately – of the word â€Å"scholars† in their dialect). – Superstition, again. Gendibal glanced up briefly at Trantor's sun. It was quite high in the sky, but its heat was not oppressive. In this location, at this latitude, the warmth saved mild and the cold never bit. (Gendibal ever. missed the biting cold sometimes or so he imagined. He had never revisited his native world. Perhaps, he admitted to himself, because he didn't want to be disillusioned.) He had the pleasant feel of muscles that were sharpened and tightened to keenness and he decided he had jogged just long enough. He settled down to a walk, breathing deeply. He would be ready for the upcoming Table meeting and for one last push to force a change in policy, a new attitude that would recognize the growing danger from the First Foundation and elsewhere and that would put an end to the fatal reliance on the â€Å"perfect† working of the Plan. When would they realize that the very perfection was the surest sign of danger? Had anyone but himself proposed it, he knew, it would have gone through without trouble. As things stood now, there would be trouble, but it would go through, just the same, for old Shandess was supporting him and would undoubtedly continue to do so. He would not wish to enter the history books as the particular First Speaker under whom the Second Foundation had withered. Hamish! Gendibal was startled. He became aware of the distant tendril of mind well before he saw the person. It was Hamish mind – a farmer – coarse and unsubtle. Carefully Gendibal withdrew, leaving a touch so light as to be undetectable. Second Foundation policy was very firm in this respect. The farmers were the unwitting shields of the Second Foundation. They must be left as untouched as possible. No one who came to Trantor for trade or tourism ever saw anything other than the farmers, plus perhaps a few unimportant scholars living in the past. Remove the farmers or merely tamper with their innocence and the scholars would become more noticeable – with catastrophic results. (That was one of the classic demonstrations which neophytes at the University were expected to work out for themselves. The tremendous Deviations displayed on the Prime Radiant when the farmer minds were even slightly tampered with were astonishing.) Gendibal saw him. It was a farmer, certainly, Hamish to the core. He was almost a caricature of what a Trantorian farmer should be tall and wide, brown-skinned, roughly dressed, arms bare, dark-haired, dark-eyed, a long ungainly stride. Gendibal felt as though he could smell the barnyard about him. (Not too much scorn, he thought. Preem Palver had not minded playing the role of farmer, when that was necessary to his plans. Some farmer he was – short and plump and soft. It was his mind that had fooled the teenaged Arkady, never his body.) The farmer was approaching him, clumping down the road, staring at him openly – something that made Gendibal frown. No Hamish man or woman had ever looked at him in this manner. Even the children ran away and peered from a distance. Gendibal did not slow his own stride. There would be room enough to pass the other with neither comment nor glance and that would be best. He determined to stay away from the farmer's mind. Gendibal drifted to one side, but the farmer was not going to have that. He stopped, spread his legs wide, stretched out his large arms as though to block passage, and said, â€Å"Ho! Be you scowler?† Try as he might, Gendibal could not refrain from sensing the wash of pugnacity in the approaching mind. He stopped. It would be impossible to attempt to pass by without conversation and that would be, in itself, a weary task. Used as one was to the swift and subtle interplay of sound and expression and thought and mentality that combined to make up the communication between Second Foundationers, it was wearisome to resort to word combination alone. It was like prying up a boulder by arm and shoulder, with a crowbar lying nearby. Gendibal said, quietly and with careful lack of emotion, â€Å"I am a scholar. Yes.† â€Å"Ho! You am a scowler. Don't we speak outlandish now? And cannot I see that you be one or am one?† He ducked his head in a mocking bow. â€Å"Being, as you be, small and weazen and pale and upnosed.† â€Å"What is it you want of me, Hamishman?† asked Gendibal, unmoved. â€Å"I be titled Rufirant. And Karoll be my previous.† His accent became noticeably more Hamish. His r's rolled throatily. Gendibal said, â€Å"What is it you want with me, Karoll Rufirant?† â€Å"And how be you titled, scowler?† â€Å"Does it matter? You may continue to call me ‘scholar.'† â€Å"If I ask, it matters that I be answered, little up-nosed scowler.† â€Å"Well then, I am titled Stor Gendibal and I will now go about my business.† â€Å"What be your business?† Gendibal felt the hair prickling on the back of his neck. There were other minds present. He did not have to turn to know there were three more Hamishmen behind him. Off in the distance, there were others. The farmer smell was strong. â€Å"My business, Karoll Rufirant, is certainly none of yours.† â€Å"Say you so?† Rufirant's voice rose. â€Å"Mates, he says his business be not ours.† There was a laugh from behind him and a voice sounded. â€Å"Right he be, for his business be book-mucking and ‘puter-rubbing, and that be naught for true men.† â€Å"Whatever my business is,† said Gendibal firmly, â€Å"I will be about it now.† â€Å"And how will you do that, wee scowler?† said Rufirant. â€Å"By passing you.† â€Å"You would try? You would not fear arm-stopping?† â€Å"By you and all your mates? Or by you alone?† Gendibal suddenly dropped into thick Hamish dialect. â€Å"Art not feared alone?† Strictly speaking, it was not proper to prod him in this manner, but it would stop a mass attack and that had to be stopped, lest it force a still greater indiscretion on his part. It worked. Rufirant's expression grew lowering. â€Å"If fear there be, bookboy, th'art the one to be full of it. Mates, make room. Stand back and let him pass that he may see if I be feared alane.† Rufirant lifted his great arms and moved them about. Gendibal did not fear the farmer's pugilistic science; but there was always a chance that a goodly blow might land. Gendibal approached cautiously, working with delicate speed within Rufirant's mind. Not much – just a touch, unfelt – but enough to slow reflexes that crucial notch. Then out, and into all the others, who were now gathering in greater numbers. Gendibal's Speaker mind darted back and forth with virtuosity, never resting in one mind long enough to leave a mark, but just long enough for the detection of something that might be useful. He approached the farmer catlike, watchful, aware and relieved that no one was making a move to interfere. Rufirant struck suddenly, but Gendibal saw it in his mind before any muscle had begun to tighten and he stepped to one side. The blow whistled past, with little room to spare. Yet Gendibal still stood there, unshaken. There was a collective sigh from the others. Gendibal made no attempt to either parry or return a blow. It would be difficult to parry without paralyzing his own arm and to return a blow would be of no use, far the farmer would withstand it without trouble. He could only maneuver the man as though he were a bull, forcing him to miss. That would serve to break his morale as direct opposition would not. Bull-like and roaring, Rufirant charged. GendibaI was ready and drifted to one side just sufficiently to allow the farmer to miss his clutch. Again the charge. Again the miss. GendibaI felt his own breath begin to whistle through his nose. The physical effort was small, but the mental effort of trying to control without controlling was enormously difficult. He could not keep it up long. He said – as calmly as he could while batting lightly at Rufirant's fear-depressant mechanism, trying to rouse in a minimalist manner what must surely be the farmer's superstitious dread of scholars – â€Å"I will now go about my business.† Rufirant's face distorted with rage, but for a moment he did not move. Gendibal could sense his thinking. The little scholar had melted away like magic. Gendibal could feel the other's fear rise and for a moment But then the Hamish rage surged higher and drowned the fear. Rufirant shouted, â€Å"Mates! Scowler he dancer. He do duck on nimble toes and scorns the rules of honest Hamish blow-for-blow. Seize him. Hold him. We will trade blow for blow, then. He may be firststriker, gift of me, and I – I will be last-striker.† Gendibal found the gaps among those who now surrounded him. His only chance was to maintain a gap long enough to get through, then to run, trusting to his own wind and to his ability to dull the farmers' will. Back and forth he dodged, with his mind cramping in effort. It would rat work. There were too many of them and the necessity of abiding within the rules of Trantorian behavior was too constricting. He felt hands on his arms. He was held. He would have to interfere with at least a few of the minds. It would be unacceptable and his cancer would be destroyed. But his life – his very life – was at hazard. How had this happened? The meeting of the Table was not complete. It was not the custom to wait if any Speaker were late. Nor, thought Shandess, was the Table in a mood to wait, in any case. Stor Gendibal was the youngest and far from sufficiently aware of the fact. He acted as though youth were in itself a virtue and age a matter of negligence on the part of those who should know better. Gendibal was not popular with the other Speakers. He was not, in point of fact, entirely popular with Shandess himself. But popularity was not at issue here. Delora Delarmi broke in on his reverie. She was looking at him out of wide blue eyes, her round face – with its accustomed air of innocence and friendliness – masking an acute mind (to all but other Second Foundationers of her own rank) and ferocity of concentration. She said, smiling, â€Å"First Speaker, do we wait longer?† (The meeting had not yet been formally called to order so that, strictly speaking, she could open the conversation, though another might have waited for Shandess to speak first by right of his title.) Shandess looked at her disarmingly, despite the slight breach in courtesy. â€Å"Ordinarily we would not, Speaker Delarmi, but since the Table meets precisely to hear Speaker Gendibal, it is suitable to stretch the rules.† â€Å"Where is he, First Speaker?† â€Å"That, Speaker Delarmi, I do not know.† Delarmi looked about the rectangle of faces. There was the First Speaker and what should have been eleven other Speakers. – Only twelve. Through five centuries, the Second Foundation had expanded its powers and its duties, but all attempts to expand the Table beyond twelve had failed. Twelve it had been after Seldon's death, when the second First Speaker (Seldon himself had always been considered as having been the first of the line) had established it, and twelve it still was. Why twelve? That number divided itself easily into groups of identical size. It was small enough to consult as a whole and large enough to do work in subgroups. More would have been too unwieldy; fewer, too inflexible. So went the explanations. In fact, no one knew why the number had been chosen – or why it should be immutable. But then, even the Second Foundation could find itself a slave to tradition. It took Delarmi only a flashing moment to have her mind twiddle the matter as she looked from face to face, and mind to mind, and then, sardonically, at the empty seat – the junior seat. She was satisfied that there was no sympathy at all with Gendibal. The young man, she had always felt, had all the charm of a centipede and was best treated as one. So far, only his unquestioned ability and talent had kept anyone from openly proposing trial for expulsion. (Only two Speakers had been impeached – but not convicted – in the hemimillennial history of the Second Foundation.) The obvious contempt, however, of missing a meeting of the Table was worse than many an offense and Delarmi was pleased to sense that the mood for trial had moved forward rather more than a notch. She said, â€Å"First Speaker, if you do not know the whereabouts of Speaker Gendibal, I would be pleased to tell you.† â€Å"Yes, Speaker?† â€Å"Who among us does not know that this young man† (she used no honorific in speaking of him, and it was something that everyone noted, of course) â€Å"finds business among the Hamish continually? What that business might be, I do not ask, but he is among them now and his concern with them is clearly important enough to take precedence over this Table.† â€Å"I believe,† said another of the Speakers, â€Å"that he merely walks or jogs as a form of physical exercise.† Delarmi smiled again. She enjoyed smiling. It cost her nothing. â€Å"The University, the Library, the Palace, and the entire region surrounding these are ours. It is small in comparison with the planet itself, but it contains room enough, I think, for physical exercise. – First Speaker, might we not begin?† The First Speaker sighed inwardly. He had the full power to keep the Table waiting – or, indeed, to adjourn the meeting until a time when Gendibal was present. No First Speaker could long function smoothly, however, without at least the passive support of the other Speakers and it was never wise to irritate them. Even Preem Palver had occasionally been forced into cajolery to get his way. – Besides, Gendibal's absence was annoying, even to the First Speaker. The young Speaker might as well learn he was not a law unto himself. And now, as First Speaker, he did speak first, saying, â€Å"We will begin. Speaker Gendibal has presented some startling deductions from Prime Radiant data. He believes that there is some organization that is working to. maintain the Seldon Plan more efficiently than we can and that it does so for its own purpose. We must, in his view therefore, learn more about it out of self-defense. You all have been informed of this, and this meeting is to allow you all a chance to question Speaker Gendibal, in order that we may come to some conclusion as to future policy.† It was, in fact, even unnecessary to say this much. Shandess held his mind open, so they all knew. Speaking was a matter of courtesy. Delarmi looked about swiftly. The other ten seemed content to allow her to take on the role of anti-Gendibal spokesperson. She said, â€Å"Yet Gendibal† (again the omission of the honorific) â€Å"does not know and cannot say what or who this other organization is.† She phrased it unmistakably as a statement, which skirted the edge of rudeness. It was as much as to say: I can analyze your mind; you need not bother to explain. The First Speaker recognized the rudeness and made the swift decision to ignore it. â€Å"The fact that Speaker Gendibal† (he punctiliously avoided the omission of the honorific and did not even point up the fact by stressing it) â€Å"does not know and cannot say what the other organization is, does not mean it does not exist. The people of the First Foundation, through most of their history, knew virtually nothing about us and, in fact, know next to nothing about us now. Do you question our existence?† â€Å"It does not follow,† said Delarmi, â€Å"that because we are unknown and yet exist, that anything, in order to exist, need only be unknown.† And she laughed lightly. â€Å"True enough. That is why Speaker Gendibal's assertion must be examined most carefully. It is based on rigorous mathematical deduction, which I have gone over myself and which I urge you all to consider. It is† (he searched for a cast of mind that best expressed his views) â€Å"not unconvincing.† â€Å"And this First Foundationer, Golan Trevize, who hovers in your mind but whom you do not mention?† (Another rudeness and this time the First Speaker flushed a bit.) â€Å"What of him?† The First Speaker said, â€Å"It is Speaker Gendibal's thought that this man, Trevize, is the tool – perhaps an unwitting one – of this organization and that we must not ignore him.† â€Å"If,† said Delarmi, sitting back in her chair and pushing her graying hair backward and out of her eyes, â€Å"this organization – whatever it is – exists and if it is dangerously powerful in its mental capabilities and is so hidden, is it likely to be maneuvering so openly by way of someone as noticeable as an exiled Councilman of the First Foundation?† The First Speaker said gravely, â€Å"One would think not. And yet I have noticed something that is most disquieting. I do not understand it.† Almost involuntarily he buried the thought in his mind, ashamed that others might see it. Each of the Speakers noted the mental action and, as was rigorously required, respected the shame. Delarmi did, too, but she did so impatiently. She said, in accordance with the required formula, â€Å"May we request that you let us know your thoughts, since we understand and forgive any shame you may feel?† The First Speaker said, â€Å"Like you, I do not see on what grounds one should suppose Councilman Trevize to be a tool of the other organization, or what purpose he could possibly serve if he were. Yet Speaker Gendibal seems sure of it, and one cannot ignore the possible value of intuition in anyone who has qualified for Speaker. I therefore attempted to apply the Plan to Trevize.† â€Å"To a single person?† said one of the Speakers in low voiced surprise, and then indicated his contrition at once for having accompanied the question with a thought that was clearly the equivalent of: What a fool! â€Å"To a single person,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"and you are right. What a fool I am! I know very well that the Plan cannot possibly apply to individuals, not even to small groups of individuals. Nevertheless, I was curious. I extrapolated the Interpersonal Intersections far past the reasonable limits, but I did it in sixteen different ways and chose a region rather than a point. I then made use of all the details we know about Trevize – a Councilman of the First Foundation does not go completely unnoticed – and of the Foundation's Mayor. I then threw it all together, rather higgledy-piggledy, I'm afraid.† He paused. † Well?† said Delarmi. â€Å"I gather you†¦ – Were the results surprising?† â€Å"There weren't any results, as you might all expect,† said the First Speaker. â€Å"Nothing can be done with a single individual, and yet – and yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And yet?† â€Å"I have spent forty years analyzing results and I have grown used to obtaining a clear feeling of what the results would be before they were analyzed – and I have rarely been mistaken. In this case, even though there were no results, I developed the strong feeling that Gendibal was right and that Trevize should not be left to himself.† â€Å"Why not, First Speaker?† asked Delarmi, clearly taken aback at the strong feeling in the First Speaker's mind. â€Å"I am ashamed,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"that I have let myself be tempted into using the Plan for a purpose for which it is not fit. I am further ashamed now that I am allowing myself to be influenced by something that is purely intuitive. – Yet I must, for I feel this very strongly. If Speaker Gendibal is right – if we are in danger from an unknown direction – then I feel that when the time comes that our affairs are at a crisis, it will be Trevize who will hold and play the deciding card.† â€Å"On what basis do you feel this?† said Delarmi, shocked. First Speaker Shandess looked about the table miserably, â€Å"I have no basis. The psychohistorical mathematics produces nothing, but as I watched the interplay of relationships, it seemed to me that Trevize is the key to everything. Attention must be paid to this young man.† Gendibal knew that he would not get back in time to join the meeting of the Table. It might be that he would not get back at all. He was held firmly and he tested desperately about him to see how he could best manage to force them to release him. Rufirant stood before him now, exultant. â€Å"Be you ready now, scowler? Blow for blow, strike for strike, Hamish-fashion. Come then, art the smaller; strike then first.† Gendibal said, â€Å"Will someone hold thee, then, as I be held?† Rufirant said, â€Å"Let him go. Nah nah. His arms alane. Leave arms free, but hold legs strong. We want no dancing.† Gendibal felt himself pinned to the ground. His arms were free. â€Å"Strike, scowler,† said Rufirant. â€Å"Give us a blow.† And then Gendibal's probing mind found something that answered – indignation, a sense of injustice and pity. He had no choice; he would have to run the risk of outright strengthening and then improvising on the basis of There was no need! He had not touched this new mind, yet it reacted as he would have wished. Precisely. He suddenly became aware of a small figure-stocky, with long, tangled black hair and arms thrust outward – careening madly into his field of view and pushing madly at the Hamish farmer. The figure was that of a woman. Gendibal thought grimly that it was a measure of his tension and preoccupation that he had not noted this till his eyes told him so. â€Å"Karoll Rufirant!† She shrieked at the farmer. â€Å"Art bully and coward! Strike for strike, Hamish-fashion? You be two times yon scowler's size. You'll be in more sore danger attacking me. Be there renown in pashing yon poor spalp? There be shame, I'm thinking. It will be a fair heap of finger-pointing and there'll be full saying, ‘Yon be Rufirant, renowned baby-smasher.' It'll be laughter, I'm thinking, and no decent Hamishman will be drinking with you – and no decent Hamishwoman will be ought with you.† Rufirant was trying to stem the torrent, warding off the blows she was aiming at him, attempting weakly to answer with a placating, â€Å"Now, Sura. Now, Sura.† Gendibal was aware that hands no longer grasped him, that Rufirant no longer glared at him, that the minds of all were no longer concerned with him. Sura was not concerned with him, either; her fury was concentrated solely on Rufirant. Gendibal, recovering, now looked to take measures to keep that fury alive and to strengthen the uneasy shame flooding Rufirant's mind, and to do both so lightly and skillfully as to leave no mark. Again, there was no need. The woman said, â€Å"All of you back-step. Look here. If it be not sufficient that this Karoll – heap be like giant to this starveling, there must be five or six more of you ally-friends to share in shame and go back to farm with glorious tale of dewing-do in baby-smashing. ‘I held the spalp's arm,' you'll say, ‘and giant Rufirant-block pashed him in face when he was not to back-strike.' And you'll say, ‘But I held his foot, so give me also – glory.' And Rufirant-chunk will say, ‘I could not have kiln on his lane, so my furrow-mates pinned him and, with help of all six, I gloried on him.'† â€Å"But Sura,† said Rufirant, almost whining, â€Å"I told scowler he might have first-shrike.† â€Å"And fearful you were of the mighty blows of his thin arms, not so, Rufirant thickhead. Come. Let him go where he be going, and the rest of you to your homes back-crawl, if so be those homes will still find a welcome-making for you. You had all best hope the grand deeds of this day be forgotten. And they will not be, for I be spreading them far-wide, if you do make me any the more fiercely raging than I be raging now.† They trooped off quietly, heads hanging, not looking back. Gendibal stared after them, then back at the woman. She was dressed in blouse and trousers, with roughmade shoes on her feet. Her face was wet with perspiration and she breathed heavily. Her nose was rather large, her breasts heavy (as best Gendibal could tell through the looseness of her blouse), and her bare arms muscular. – But then, the Hamishwomen worked in the fields beside their men. She was looking at him sternly, arms akimbo. â€Å"Well, scowler, why be lagging? Go on to Place of Scowlers. Be you feared? Shall I company you?† Gendibal could smell the perspiration on clothes that were clearly not freshly laundered, but under the circumstances it would be most discourteous to show any repulsion. â€Å"I thank you, Miss Sura†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The name be Novi,† she said gruffly. â€Å"Sura Novi. You may say Novi. It be unneeded to moresay.† â€Å"I thank you, Novi. You have been very helpful. You be welcome to company me, not for fear of mine but for company-pleasure in you.† And he bowed gracefully, as he might have bowed to one of the young women at the University. Novi flushed, seemed uncertain, and then tried to imitate his gesture. â€Å"Pleasure – be mine,† she said, as though searching for words that would adequately express her pleasure and lend an air of culture. They walked together. Gendibal knew well that each leisurely step made him the more unforgiveably late for the Table meeting, but by now he had had a chance to think on the significance of what had taken place and he was icily content to let the lateness grow. The University buildings were looming ahead of them when Sura Novi stopped and said hesitantly, â€Å"Master Scowler?† Apparently, Gendibal thought, as she approached what she called the â€Å"Place of Scowlers,† she grew mare polite. He had a momentary urge to say, â€Å"Address you not yon poor spalp?† – But that would embarrass her beyond reason. â€Å"Yes, Novi?† â€Å"Be it very fine like and rich in Place of Scowlers?† â€Å"It's nice,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I once dreamed I be in Place. And – and I be scowler.† â€Å"Someday,† said Gendibal politely, â€Å"I'll show it thee.† Her look at him showed plainly she didn't take it for mere politeness. She said, â€Å"I can write. I be taught by schoolmaster. If I write letter to thee,† she tried to make it casual, â€Å"how do I mark it so it come to thee?† â€Å"Just say, ‘Speaker's House, Apartment 27,' and it will come to me. But I must go, Novi.† He bowed again, and again she tried to imitate the action. They moved off in opposite directions and Gendibal promptly put her out of his mind. He thought instead of the Table meeting and, in particular, of Speaker Delora Delarmi. His thoughts were not gentle.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Essay on Venture Capital †Motivations For Corporate Venturing

1. Introduction Traditionally, the interest of companies in creating venture funds was influenced by the venture capital climate. Increased rates of corporate venturing activity recorded in the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s were in correspondence with the flourishing venture capital investments (Narayanan et al., 2009). Despite the deterioration in private equity investment owing to the fall of the dot-com sector in early 21st century, corporate venturing is still considered to be an important business activity in large business organisations (Gailly et al., 2014). However, corporate venturing is marred with complexity including the disconcerting array of existing corporate venturing forms (Guerrero & Pena-Legazkue, 2013). As Garg (2013) argues, for many years, large business organisations have been cautious about the idea of corporate venturing. Some have witnessed a failure of their venture initiatives while others have given up so easily. Generally, the lifespan of corporate venturing initiative is aro und one year (Basu & Wadhwa, 2013). Even business organisations with a strong capital base have struggled to utilise knowledge that is gained from start-up initiatives (Basu et al., 2011). Certainly, it is not easy to run a corporate venture capital successfully. However, as the rate of discontents in research and development increase, corporate venturing is gaining respect and appreciation in the business world (Masulis & Nahata, 2009). To clearly position the reasons that motivate organisations to consider corporate venturing, it is imperative to analyse the concept of growth and development as a result of the effectiveness of research and development initiatives at the organisational level. 2. Venturing and Firm Innovativeness Ideas that are innovative can be produced via internal R&D or access externally through activities such as corporate venture capital initiative. Companies must not limit themselves to in-house R&D as a source of innovativeness. In spite of the high prevalence of internal R&D as a source of innovativeness in many business organisations from a historical perspective, a decision to limit an organisation to sourcing its innovativeness from internal R&D has its limitations (Srivastava & Agrawal, 2010; Guerrero & Pena-Legazkue, 2013). As research on economic-based industries suggests, monopolies lack efficiency which results in the costs associated with inefficiency being passed down to the final consumer (Narayanan et al., 2009; Napp&Minshall, 2011). This idea is also recognised in corporate entrepreneurship research. Specifically, Gaba and Bhattacharya (2012) argued that elevated R&D expenditure at the organisational level is an indicator of internal inefficiencies and elevated agency co sts rather than successful innovative initiatives or antagonistic risk-taking approaches. Therefore, it is necessary for corporations to eliminate the monopoly enjoyed by their R&D units. Economics positions the existence of competing players as a source of efficiency when compared to a monopoly state (Basu et al., 2011). At organisational level, structuring of corporate innovative initiatives can be realised through the development of several R&D centre or supporting various technological initiatives through approaches such as corporate venture capital. Furthermore, research has raised concerns over the possibility of collusion pitfalls in cases where the number of players is limited (Napp & Minshall, 2011; Basu & Wadhwa, 2013). This can be addressed by offering a significant geographical dispersion of R&D centres. Indeed, according to Gaba and Bhattacharya (2012), having numerous research sites that are geographically distributed enhances corporate innovativeness by providing assistance in disabling organisational inertia, offering variety, and ultimately speeding up th e development of new capabilities and technological advancement. The option of multiple technological activities that is founded on corporate venture capital initiatives is also common among various leading companies on a global scale in the recent past. A decision to introduce the concept of competition in processes that generate organisational innovativeness has been found to eliminate inefficiencies in organisational innovativeness activities (Maula et al., 2009). Agency theory emphasises on inefficiencies that emanate from contracting associations between a firms engaging another firm to undertake certain activity on its behalf, which entails a decision to delegate a significant decision-making authority to an agent (Srivastava & Agrawal, 2010). The consideration, in this case, is that both players in the contract are rational, self-interested, risk-averse, and opportunistic. Consequently, the opportunistic behaviour of the agent may not be in agreement with the best interests of the principal (Garg, 2013; Bruneel et al., 2013). The agent†™s opportunistic behaviour is manifested via adverse selection, moral hazards, and hold-up (Cumming & Johan, 2010). In addition, any form of misalignment that exists between the principal’s and the agent’s interests implies enduring loss by the principal (Maula et al., 2009; Souitaris & Zerbinati, 2014). A typical situation where an agency problem is applicable is the case of a relationship between business managers and owners (Cumming & Johan, 2010). However, this situation can easily be applied to the relationship between a firm’s R&D unit and its top management. In this case, the internal R&D unit is positioned as an agent of the firm’s top management that is involved in technical advancement. Therefore, selection process that is adverse may be a significant issue if the R&D unit initiates a project that extends beyond its expertise. The issue of moral hazards is common in cases where actions taken by an agent cannot be verified which is a common occurrence in complex research and development projects, where observable results rather than behaviours that cannot be verified is the solution (Narayanan et al., 2009). Hold-up challenges may emerge when internal projects that are not successful are not suspended from corporate funding even when the outcomes are useless in spite of significant corporate expenditure. Therefore, a decision to create a corporate venture capital initiative is a solution to some of the problems associated with agency challenges. Specifically, corporate venture capital plans provide internal R&D units with a significant challenge over their monopoly on generating organisational innovation. According to a research done by Basu et al. (2011), challenging the monopoly by internal R&D unit on innovation production has assisted several business firms to directly move into successful business initiatives that would have been assumed under normal internal R&D situation. As much as corporate venturing is considered to be dangerous due to the threat of opportunism (Garg, 2013), a decision to limit innovative activities to internal R&D unit is more problematic (Cumming et al., 2009). The challenges associated with monopolies are just part of the challenges. Without sufficient level of diversity, strategic renewal, which is considered a major entrepreneurship, can never be reali sed. Development of corporate venture initiatives is, therefore, significant in minimising moral hazards and adverse selection (Maula et al., 2009). Allocating an organisation’s funds to a corporate venture is a significant threat to the availability of funds that can be applied in internal R&D projects, which spurs competition based on the economic perspective analysed above. 3. Motives that Drive Corporate Venturing Research has established that a corporate venture capital fund is more flexible, can move faster, and is generally cheaper when compared the conventional research and development in assisting an organisation in the process of responding to changes in business models and technologies (Maula et al., 2009; Napp&Minshall, 2011). According to Garg (2013), such a fund can be used in the process of stimulating demand for a firm’s products. Furthermore, corporate venture capital is an investment that may earn a company a return that is attractive. It is, therefore, a tool that is used by a firm in capturing ideas that ultimately influence the future of an organisation. There are various benefits that come with venture capital including faster response, better analysis of business threats, easier disengagement, enhanced investment impacts, increased demand, and higher returns.3.1. Venturing and Business ResponseThrough offering an inside perspective of new technological areas as well as an approach that can lead to possible ownership and use of novel ideas, corporate venturing allows businesses to swiftly respond to changes in the market. In a study done by (Narayanan et al., 2009) about venturing initiatives, it was established that companies that were able to make successful financial investments experienced better success levels. Consequently, such development capabilities that are experienced under venture capital initiative take a longer period of time to be realised if done by a firm on its own and is generally more expensive (Souitaris & Zerbinati, 2014). Given the resources and time needed to modernise research facilities and recruit researchers with the right skills and expertise, expanding a firm’s internal research and development can be generally painstaking (Phan et al., 2009).3.2. Venture Capital in Threat ManagementVenture fund can be used by an organisation as an approach to gathering intelligence, which assists the firm in protecting its elf from emerging threats to its competitiveness in the market. For instance, Analog Devices, the silicon-chip specialist formulated a venture program in the 1980s focused at investing in a variety of competing technologies (Basu et al., 2011). The goal, in this case, was to collect strategic information at a lower cost. The process resulted in a discovery that it was difficult and expensive to make chips using non-silicon materials. This resulted in a hike in Analog’s market valuation. In this case, the decision to utilise corporate venturing program offered the company a source of insurance. In this case, if the alternatives that the company had opted to explore had been viable, it was covered from the risk of being faced out of the market by its competitors. Conventional approaches to research and development does not offer data that can be used in predicting sources of competitive forces. Specifically, most corporate research and development units focus on projects that a re narrow which can result in neglect of areas that can cause a significant disruption from external competitors. Accordingly Phan et al. (2009) argue that most business managers in firms with versatile internal R&D functions face challenges when it comes to determining whether their companies are blindsided with regard to new innovative developments that may threaten their competitiveness3.3. Venturing and Easier DetachmentAnother positive aspect of venturing that is related to the ability of a firm to speed up its response to threats and change is that it offers organisational management a faster approach to detach from investments that appear to be doomed to fail. In particular, many firms find it challenging to abandon innovations that are not very good but are developed internally (Rohrbeck et al., 2009). Such projects can remain in a firm’s product development for many years resisting termination. This can well be illustrated by Nokia’s continued focus on develo ping its mobile phones based on the Symbian operating system even when most of its competitors had opted to go into free fall, which negatively affected the competitiveness of Nokia in the market. The relationship that exists between firms and their venture funds which is arm’s-length is advantageous in this respect. In particular, as much as a firm may be reluctant to terminate an initiative that is unpromising, the presence of co-investors provides a platform for forcing the decision.3.4. Venture Capital and Increased Impacts of InvestmentVenture Capital provides business firms opportunities for combining their capital with other venture capitals, which results in the magnification of the effects of an investment to a firm. These benefits are particularly apparent in cases where technological uncertainty is significantly higher. The iFund, which was supported by Apple Company and introduced in the market by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a venerable VC firm, provides an illustration of this case. This investment enabled Apple to build applications for its new mobile phone products at the lowest cost possible. This was in contrast to the case of Nokia, which was a major market rival to Apple Company whose operating system, Symbian was unsuccessful and very costly. As a result of the success of the iFund, similar such initiatives have been positioned by many other companies including famous venture capital developments such as Facebook and Research in Motion.3.5. Venturing and Market DemandVenture firm provides a firm with several sources of leveraging. This can be illustrated by the iFund case. In particular, a decision by venture capitalists to promote the development of technologies that were reliant on the parent firm business platforms results in increased demand for the firm’s products. This approach was considered by Intel Capital in the late 1990s when it founded a capital that speeded the adoption of Intel’s next generation c hips in the market (Rohrbeck et al., 2009). This fund was invested in numerous hardware and software makers who were mostly Intel competitors and their products capitalised on the power presented by the new chip developed by Intel. These investments resulted in the accelerated adoption of Intel chip within a short period of time. Intel capital was also involved in seeding firms that were developing wireless internet products founded on a platform that had been championed by Intel. This resulted in rapid adoption of wireless products from Intel in the following years, which illustrated the success of the company in applying corporate venturing in creating a network of wireless actors.3.6. Venturing and ReturnsResearch has also established a financial benefit that is associated with venturing. Specifically, the main objective of any venture capital initiative is to generate revenue for the partners. With regard to corporate venture capital, the main goal is gaining a strategic advant age in the market, which ultimately culminates in increased profitability as much as the initial income generated as a result of the venture itself is insignificant with regard to the bottom line of corporate firms (Masulis & Nahata, 2009). Business organisations introduce value in start-ups that they find, which is commonly in the form of resources, skills, and reputation (Phan et al., 2009). This also changes the perception of the new entity’s prospects in the face of external investors. Public and private equity investors generally believe that start-ups that are founded on venture capital will be absorbed by the investors at an attractive valuation. Accordingly, Basu et al. (2011) established that business start-ups that are funded by corporations are more likely to attract more attention among high-quality players in the market when compared to ordinary start-ups. It also emerged that such start-ups that are backed by corporate venture funds have a better performance wit h regard to stock price when compared to those that are backed by traditional investment groups. 4. Conclusion The analysis of the corporate venture capital and its significance in the business world demonstrated a clear picture of its implication in growth, development, and competitiveness of business organisations in the wake of a globalised business environment. Specifically, it was apparent that corporate venture capital initiative could be applied by business organisations in increasing their innovativeness and the general firm efficiency and ultimately their competitiveness. Consequently, corporate venture capital initiatives demonstrate entrepreneurial aspects that are associated with significant effects on business corporations. Consequently, based on the deeper analysis of the strategic aspects of corporate venture capital investments, this paper has affirmed that it plays a strategic role in competitiveness and sustainability of corporate entities in the contemporary business settings hence an attractive initiative in most corporations. 5. References Basu, S., & Wadhwa, A. (2013). â€Å"External venturing and discontinuous strategic renewal: An options perspective.† Journal of Product Innovation Management, 30(5), pp. 956-975. Basu, S., Phelps, C., Kotha, S. (2011). â€Å"Towards understanding who makes corporate venture capital investments and why,† Journal of Business Venturing, 26(2), pp. 153-171. Bruneel, J., Van de Velde, E., & Clarysse, B. (2013). â€Å"Impact of the Type of Corporate Spin?Off on Growth.† Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 37(4), pp. 943-959. Cumming, D., & Johan, S. (2010). â€Å"Venture capital investment duration.† Journal of Small Business Management, 48(2), pp. 228-257. Cumming, D., Fleming, G., &Schwienbacher, A. (2009). â€Å"Corporate relocation in venture capital finance.† Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(5), pp. 1121-1155. Gaba, V., & Bhattacharya, S. (2012). â€Å"Aspirations, innovation, and corporate venture capital: A behavioural perspective.† Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 6(2), pp. 178-199. Gailly, B., Da Gbadji, A. G., & Schwienbacher, A. (2014). â€Å"International analysis of venture capital programs of large corporations and financial institutions.† Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Forthcoming. Garg, S. (2013). â€Å"Venture boards: Distinctive monitoring and implications for firm performance.† Academy of Management Review, 38(1), pp. 90-108. Guerrero, M., & Pena-Legazkue, I. (2013). â€Å"The effect of intrapreneurial experience on corporate venturing: Evidence from developed economies.† International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 9(3), pp. 397-416. Guerrero, M., & Pena-Legazkue, I. (2013). â€Å"The effect of intrapreneurial experience on corporate venturing: Evidence from developed economies.† International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 9(3), pp. 397-416. Masulis, R. W., &Nahata, R. (2009). â€Å"Financial contracting with strategic investors: Evidence from corporate venture capital backed IPOs.† Journal of Financial Intermediation, 18(4), pp. 599-631. Maula, M. V., Autio, E., & Murray, G. C. (2009). â€Å"Corporate venture capital and the balance of risks and rewards for portfolio companies.† Journal of Business Venturing, 24(3), pp. 274-286. Napp, J. J., &Minshall, T. (2011). â€Å"Corporate venture capital investments for enhancing innovation: challenges and solutions.† Research-Technology Management, 54(2), 27-36. Narayanan, V. K., Yang, Y., & Zahra, S. A. (2009). â€Å"Corporate venturing and value creation: A review and proposed framework.† Research Policy, 38(1), pp. 58-76. Phan, P. H., Wright, M., Ucbasaran, D., & Tan, W. L. (2009). â€Å"Corporate entrepreneurship: Current research and future directions.† Journal of business Venturing, 24(3), pp. 197-205. Rohrbeck, R., Dohler, M., & Arnold, H. (2009). â€Å"Creating growth with externalization of R&D results—the spin?along approach.† Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 28(4), pp. 44-51. Souitaris, V., & Zerbinati, S. (2014). â€Å"How do corporate venture capitalists do dealsAn exploration of corporate investment practices.† Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 8(4), pp. 321-348. Srivastava, N., & Agrawal, A. (2010). â€Å"Factors supporting corporate entrepreneurship: an exploratory study.† Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 14(3), pp.163-171.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Advanced Financial Reporting and Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Advanced Financial Reporting and Theory - Essay Example This accelerated growth is a result of advancements in information technology. There are two different aspects of information technologies which have affected the global business scenario. These technologies have made micro management of businesses very easy and secondly they have totally revolutionized communication. Systems like SAP make it possible to micro manage organizational divisions from thousands of miles away using information technology communication tools. All multinationals have adopted these systems and through these systems have been able to expand all around the globe. Moreover organizations strive to compete in international markets and adapt to changing market needs. Thus to compete with international conglomerates, local organizations have to evolve themselves according to global systems. Similar to organizations other stakeholders of financial information are also becoming global; these include financial investors, financial analyst, auditors etc. Global financia l houses such as Goldman Sachs etc. have presence all around the global. Similarly companies such as Deloittes, KPMG, PWC and Ernest & Young are present in almost all countries of the world. Direct users of financial information o i.e. shareholders are also becoming more and more global. Most exchanges whether currency, stock or bond have online trading systems. These trading systems allow investors to invest anywhere around the globe. The financial troubles of the US and European economy are another factor encouraging investors to adopt global investment options in emerging markets such as China, Brazil etc. The financial crunch in the global capital markets is also forcing local regulatory bodies to adopt financial practices which would encourage more international investors to invest. The primary concern for international investors in regard to financial regulations, is the reliability of the financial information being provided. The recent financial crisis has raised many object ions of financial reporting standards of financial bodies such as banks and investment houses. Therefore to attract more international investments, efforts are being made to make the local financial systems more stern and risk free. The ultimate aim of these efforts is to increase the understanding, comparability and reliability of financial information. The discussion shows that users of financial information require accounting standards which are global. As the organizations, shareholders, investors and analyst go global, the accounting standards all need to be global. The cost in translating financial statements from standard to the other is very high considering the current recession. Similarly the movement towards increased transparency requires standards which are more strict and provide greater amounts of objective information to shareholders. This is the very reasons that a global movement towards harmonization and globalization of Financial Reporting Standards has materiali zed. The International Financial Reporting Standards have become the global financial reporting standards and would totally overcome the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The biggest advantage of IFRS thus has been the globalization of accounting standards by formulating standards which are efficient and effective in different cultural and operational environment. These standards are more transparent in their reporting requirement and encourage economic stability over a long period of time. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) The IFRS are Financial Reporting Standards created by the International Accounting Standards Board. These standards

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Law- jurisprudence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law- jurisprudence - Essay Example Self – interests, include the acquisition of pleasure and happiness. A society is a group of individuals who strive hard to obtain the maximum benefit from the resources at their disposal (Utiliatarianism, 2000). The relationships they form with other individuals are aimed at achieving the objective of happiness. The concept of utilitarianism states that deriving pleasure and happiness from life is the best way to lead one’s life (Utiliatarianism, 2000). Utilitarians, in addition to promoting this way of life, declare that if individuals strive to use their rational self – interests, then it will benefit society at large. Jeremy Bentham was a renowned British thinker and reformer. He propounded a moral theory, which promoted the thought that the outcome of human action determined the value of such action. Consequently, humans undertake acts that provide them with happiness, whilst avoiding pain or suffering. The hedonistic value of any act could be determined by considering various factors, such as the intensity of the pleasure experienced, the time for which such pleasure lasts, and the possibility it holds out for avoiding collateral harm (Kemerling, 2002). According to Bentham, the happiness of any community is the sum of its individual human interests. The utilitarian principle provides a definition of the moral obligation of individuals. The happiness of a community is based on the actions of its members, which can be harmed by the actions of individuals in the community. Bentham conjectured that social policies could also be evaluated in a similar manner (Kemerling, 2002). It was his considered opinion that these could be assessed by their effect on the well being of the community and the individuals living in it. The objective behind inflicting punishment on criminals was to reduce crime. Punishment effectively reduces crime as it discourages individuals from committing criminal acts. As such, punishment drastically alters the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Awakening by Kate Chopin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Awakening by Kate Chopin - Research Paper Example The controversial ending of the novel shall also be looked into and problematized. Its implications and how it shapes the critic’s response to the character shall be analyzed in this paper. Critical responses drawn from famous essays on The Awakening shall shape the views put forth by this paper which shall be sought to be modified and incorporated. These views shall be used to support and further the arguments that shall be put forth in this paper. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening Kate Chopin’s work, at the time of its publication (the late nineteenth century), created quite a stir. It was one of the first novels that portrayed a woman, comfortably placed in life, who chooses to rebel against the lack of choice that life presents her with. Chopin’s protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is a woman who is married to a wealthy businessman, who according to a patriarchal society, would be considered to be a dutiful and loving husband. He provides Edna with every material comfort imaginable and is a very caring husband; still, Edna chooses to rebel. Conservative reviewers of the time could not digest such an action by the protagonist of a well-known author. Edna’s rebellion, however, is not against the comforts that her life provides her; it is against a system that refuses to accord her the kind of respect that she feels she deserves: that which is given by the society to an artist, a respect different in its nature from that which was provided to a woman merely for the fulfillment of maternal and wifely duties. Critics like Margo Culley have talked about how Edna is a â€Å"solitary soul† (Culley 247). She talks of how Edna’s solitude leads her to explore new areas of activity that eventually lead to her sexual awakening. This leads her to enter into relationships with other men, in what she initially believes to be steps that are liberating. However, she later realizes that she represented nothing but a conquest for men like A lcee Arobin. This, Culley remarks, forces her back to her solitude that follows a recognition of the failure of both forms of awakening, social and sexual, to free her from the oppressive social framework that she inhabits. Edna’s awakenings are thus always accompanied by a disillusionment with the mode of awakening that she adopts. This problem needs to be analyzed at length. Going over the main events of the novel might be helpful, in this regard. Edna Pontellier, disillusioned with her life as a married woman who seeks fulfillment only through her roles as a wife and mother, distances herself from her husband and from her motherly duties. She undergoes a sexual awakening that leads her to extra-marital affairs that fail to fulfill her needs. She moves into another house in order to lead what she considers an independent life. This attempt too, fails her. She eventually commits suicide, driven to desperation by her failed attempts to attain respectability in a society that refused to provide women with it. Edna’s problem can be seen as the problem of a woman who fails to break out of the life that she creates for herself. In as much as this is true, Edna is as much of a culprit as the society. Edna, throughout the novel, is unwilling to break free of the luxuries that life provide for her. Even when she chooses to move into a new apartment, she does so using her inheritance from her father, which is again, patriarchal wealth, part of a social system that Edna tries to break out, in the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Modernism and Postmodernism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modernism and Postmodernism - Research Paper Example The researchers of modernism have always noted a special interest of its members in creating new forms, defiantly opposed to the harmonic forms of classical art, as well as emphasis on the subjectivity of the modernist worldview. The first modernists are the people of the late 19th century raised by the general crisis of European culture. Many of them rejected the methods of social and political radicalism in the change of lifestyle, but they were all ardent supporters of the spiritual revolution, which, in their view, was inevitably born by the crisis of the old world. Spiritual revolution, as a new quality of consciousness and a new concept of life, demanded a new ideological platform. This platform was formulated on the basis of Henri Bergson’s intuitionism, Nietzscheanism, Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology, Sigmund Freud’s and Carl Jung’s psychoanalysis, Soren Kierkegaard’s and Martin Heidegger’s existentialism. The works of these authors no t only cemented the ideological platform of modernist art searches in the period, but allowed this artistic school to act retrospectively, capturing the events of preceding culture, and prospectively, leaving the field for experiments in the future (postmodernism). Modernism, fighting for liberation and renewal of forms in art, could not exist without common ties with the history of culture, recognizing in this way the principles of historicism in its own trend: â€Å"the creation of a usable past was a key means of both coming to terms with and keeping at bay the pressures and the alleged chaos of the modern world at the turn of the twentieth century†.... ly confronted with the further development of the qualities generated not by modernism, but by the Romantic era of the French Revolution and radical sentimentalism of Johann Herder and Gotthold Lessing. This, for example, is the emphasis on the place of the individual consciousness in life in the cosmos. However, the romantic individualism of the 18th century and modernist individualism are fundamentally different phenomena. In romanticism the individual was either the owner of all spiritual riches of the universe, or this individual grieved about the unavailability of absolute values and universal ideals not denying the possibility of their existence. Modernists, on the contrary, recognized the insolubility of these issues, came to a denial of the spiritual and moral â€Å"absolutes.† At the same time, they tried to revive the myth-creating method, which, in their opinion, was able to restore the integrity of the organic and human life in a single cosmological system by the m eans of art. The poetry of modernism had a deep sympathy to the ideas of a new, mystical ideas and myth. In the effort to speak the language of new images the symbolists did not reject the traditions of classical poetry, but on the contrary, tried to build a new language based on ancient archaic images. Modernist poets paid a lot of attention to classical mythology (Paul Valery, Thomas Eliot), national folkloric characters (William Yates), ancient esoteric teachings and their modern modifications, like theosophy or anthroposophy (Yates, for example, created his own mystical system). The foundation of the modernist prose was laid by the Austrian writer Franz Kafka. According to him, the whole world order is most tragic and hostile to man, who is powerless and doomed to suffer. Plots of Kafka’s

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Small Business Innovation Research Programs Case Study

Small Business Innovation Research Programs - Case Study Example Towards this direction, it is noted that ‘a framework based on wisdom rather than knowledge alone provides strategic options for paradigm development in the field of small business and entrepreneurship research’ (Mathys et al., 2005, 657) - a field similar with the one to which the article under examination refers. The current paper focuses on the analysis of the article ‘Technological Entrepreneurship and Small Business Innovation Research Programs’ by Kropp, Fredric, and Zolin, Roxanne. The above article was published in 2005 in the academic journal Academy of Marketing Science Review. In accordance with the authors’ statement, the above article focuses on ‘the conceptual role that government technology programs can play in facilitating the process of technological entrepreneurship’ (page 1). The case of the ‘Small Business and Innovation Research (SBIR) program - United States’ (page 1) is used as an example of the potential support of the stage to the small businesses. The article shows the various methods available to small businesses that are interested in using governmental programs for the development of their performance - it is also explained how these programs could lead to the increase of profitability of firms in various industrial sect ors. The overall effectiveness of these programs is criticized - the authors suggest potential measures that could be used by firms that need to improve their performance – either in the short or the long term – through relevant governmental programs. The value of the article cannot be doubted; however, there are a few points that should be reviewed. Suggestions are made and relevant criticism is developed making sure that any assumption is appropriately justified with reference to the text and to academic material with similar content. The authors use a specific theoretical model, the one created by Lumpkin and Dessin 1996 in order to show the effects of government programs on the improvement of performance of firms that operate in the technology sector – the special reference is made on the firms of small size.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Verification of MBTI Type Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Verification of MBTI Type - Essay Example The ESFP personality profile was also chosen as the hypothesized one based on the description of the ESFP given by Myers and Briggs – â€Å"Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.† The test results that came back were ISFP – which matched the hypothesized profile on all but the first variable. The MBTI measures an individual's preferred modes of experiencing stimuli, and responding to them along four dichotomous variables. Each alphabet of the personality profile code stands for the dominant aspect of one variable. The first variable is Extraversion – Introversion; which attempts to understand the direction of focus of the individuals’ attentions. The report shows a preference towards introversion; signifying a tendency to look within and share significant events with a few close people rather than many acquaintances. The results also suggest that the individual would prefer to work alone, and prefer their own space. The hypothesised result on this variable was Extraversion – an assumption not supported by the test results.

Database Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Database - Assignment Example A class can either have no bookings as minimum or 10 bookings as maximum (cardinality marked as (0, 10) near CLASS/VISIT entity). A booking must always have a class related to it and one class is the maximum (cardinality marked as (1, 1) near BOOKING entity). BOOKING and OWNER An OWNER can have several BOOKINGs and a one BOOKING have a single corresponding OWNER. Hence, one to many relationship exits between these entities (Marked with 1 and M near the respective entity). An OWNER may always have a booking and a booking should always have owner. It is considered a BOOKING and OWNER are mandatory for each other. An OWNER at least has one booking in minimum or many bookings (cardinality marked as (1, M) near OWNER entity). A booking must always have a owner related to it and one owner is the maximum (cardinality marked as (1, 1) near BOOKING entity). OWNER and DOG An OWNER can have several DOGs and a DOG have a single OWNER. Hence a one to many relationship exits between these entities (Marked with 1 and M near the respective entity). An owner may always have at least a dog and a dog should always have owner. Hence it is considered a BOOKING and OWNER are mandatory for each other. An owner at least has one dog or many dogs (cardinality marked as (1, M) near OWNER entity). ... A composite entity ‘attend’ was introduced as the linking entity (marked as 1:M on either side of the composite entity). A class may always have a many dogs attending or no dogs attending a class (marked with a circle on the composite entity). A dog should always attend a class. Hence it is considered a DOG is optional for a CLASS/VIST. A class can either have no dogs attending or 10 dogs as maximum (cardinality marked as (0, 10) near CLASS/VISIT entity). A dog must always have at least a class related to it and one class is the maximum (cardinality marked as (1, 1) near BOKING entity). BOOKING and INVOICE An INVOICE can be related only for a one BOOKING and a one BOOKING have a single corresponding INVOICE. Hence a one to one relationship exits between these entities (marked with 1 and 1 near the respective entity). An invoice always has a booking and a booking should always have an invoice. It is considered a BOOKING and INVOICE are mandatory for each other. An INVOICE always has one booking or many bookings as minimum and maximum (cardinality marked as (1, 1) near INVOICE entity). A booking must always have an invoice related to it and one invoice is the maximum (cardinality marked as (1, 1) near BOOKING entity). The primary and foreign key relevant to each entity is presented in their entity definition table as PK and FK respectively. Entity DEFINITION Entity Name: CLASS/VISIT Â   Entity Description: The details of the Classes and Visits are recorded here Attribute Name Data Type Field Length Required Y/N Validation Rule Primary Key / Foreign Key class_id text 50 Y Not Null PK class_name text 100 Y Â   Â   class_day text 15 Y Â   Â   class_max capacity integer 2 Y Â   Â   class_start_date date 20 Y Â   Â   Entity DEFINITION Entity Name: BOOKING Â   Entity Description:

Friday, August 23, 2019

Written Play Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Written Play Reports - Essay Example George Cuckor's direction is stunningly elaborate and his skilful handling ensures that none of the script's acerbic wit and irony is diminished under the fluff of the musical numbers. The execution of the musical is indeed praiseworthy and a truly befitting tribute to the George Bernard Shaw's classic 'Pygmalion'. Apart from the main protagonists, the actors playing Eliza Doolittle's father and Professor Higgins' mother, stand out for their acidic sharpness of dialogue and dialogue delivery. 2. Write a paragraph talking about the set design, the lighting, the costumes, the special effects, and the overall effect of the play. The film has sumptuous well lit sets of royal ballrooms where every pixel on screen appears buffed up and polished, with men and women draped in regal finery in sharp contrast to the threadbare and dirt encrusted faces of the poor folks at the shabby flower market. The set of Higgins' library stuffed full of hard bound books and recording instruments seemed quit e realistic for a professor of his stature. The background score backed by a full orchestra credibly supports and carries the play through its many moods. The costumes, scenery and production design-the handiwork of Cecil Beaton- was indeed successful in the challenge of intricately recreating London of a bygone era and ensuring that the characters and sets were not reduced to caricatures. It is known that an entire sound stage was converted into a hair, make-up and costume area for prepping for the famous Ascot sequence. 3. Write a paragraph describing the script of the play. Talk about which of the following aspects of the play are important to this script. You may not have to talk about all of these aspects in your paragraph, just the one's important to this play: subject matter, style, point-of-view, language, characterization, theme. While the story may be of a cockney girl's transformation into a lady on the back of a wager between an arrogant misogynistic phonetics professor and his friend- the genial interlocutor Col. Pickering, the subtexts run significantly deeper and are rife with satire and social commentary on how language and dialects create barriers and restrict social mobility; and a lowly flower girl's grit to break that barrier and to obtain a better station in life and be a respected lady as articulated by her in 'Isn't it loverly?' and an arrogant professor whose interest in the matter is entirely selfish. It is the style of presentation and articulation of these thoughts through intelligent verbal duelling and lyrical jousting like that of the pompous Prof. Higgins, the blatantly immoral Alfred DO little that entertains and enlightens the audience throughout. Despite perpetuating cultural stereotypes the musical remains non judgemental and largely fair and the watching the metamorphosis of Hepburn's Eliza Dolittle is quite enthralling. The film succeeds in showing the audience how accents and language reflects class and upbringing and how it can affect a person's life and lifestyle. 4. Who would you recommend see this play? This musical for all its attention to detail, its extravagant costumes and witty banter would appeal to the most discerning of audiences of all ages and watching the story unfold from a third person perspective is quite interesting, the story line itself being refreshing for a transatlantic audience. But even if these fail to impress, who can resist the charm and grace of Audrey Hepburn and the hope that the character of Eliza Dolittle holds out. Sound of Music 1) The movie in its appearance and content has more or less lived up to the source or origin, the autobiography of Maria Von Trapp (The Story of the Trapp Family

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Antisocial Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Antisocial Behaviour Essay In Britain antisocial behaviour between young people is a widely argued subject in the British media. More and more Brits at the age 13-18 are dropping out of school or work-based training and refuse to return. These young people are more than likely to face criminal action possibly leading to a fine or community sentence. But when we are talking about the term â€Å"Anti-social Behaviour†, then we need to know what it exactly means. The British â€Å"crime disorder act† of 1998 describes the term n anti-social manner, that is to say, in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons So to simplify, Antisocial behaviour is when a person is forced by his or hers environment to cause harassment to one-self or the persons surroundings, and as far as I understand the subject antisocial behaviour does not have to be of criminal nature, but it is more than likely to be so. In 2007 the percentage of 16 to 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training was 9 percent. It is exactly these young people who are the targets for becoming antisocial. So how do you make sure that these unfortunate teenagers don’t end in this so unfortunate situation and is it possible to force the teenagers to behave in a more civilised way? There are actually many suggestions for a solution to this nationwide problem. Some of them are quit controversial and are more likely to stop antisocial teenagers doing crime, than to prevent teenagers to not at all become antisocial. One of these alternative solutions is the â€Å"Mosquito† which is a sonic device that gives out a piercing noise audible only to teenagers and people in there early twenties. This device has been installed as a â€Å"yob† (slang for an antisocial person) deterrent at nearly 3,000 locations such as grocers and shopping malls across Great Britain. This Mosquito is a camouflaged speaker box not larger than shoebox and it sends out a pulse at 18 kilohertz which in the last end will give the young people acting antisocial in front of the store a terrible headache so they quickly leave the store. This method of fighting antisocial behaviour among teens has been shown very effective. In some stores in the UK crime outside the stores had dropped by 83 % since the device was installed. The device has actually earned so much respect among shopkeepers and government officials that some are considering that the Mosquito should be obligatory by law in most public places by night. So it is quite obvious to see all the positive aspects but not all are so enthusiastic. Chief constables in Britain say they are scared the Mosquito is going to infringe human rights. Authorities say that the device is indiscriminating and that people should consider the effects on the young people, because not all young people are antisocial yobs. So you can see that the meanings about the Mosquito vary quite a lot. The device is very effective against the teens that already are in the antisocial environment but the device is not at all preventive. So what could be done if you the British teenagers to not even think about becoming antisocial. The British former PM Tony Blair wants to force errant schoolchildren back to school by using dedicated truancy officers which will be deployed in the 200 schools with biggest yob and truancy problems. This plan spans over using more than ? 70m to stamp out antisocial behaviour, as well as 24,000 community support officers will also be conducting these truancy sweeps so they can force the teens back to school. The plan does also include tougher punishments to the yobs when they get caught. This is of course a very controversial method to tackle antisocial behaviour but it could be showing really effective because it is preventive and helps the teenagers in trouble before they become antisocial yobs. But of course as mentioned by opponents of the plan, the plan is so ambitious and expensive that it more looks like â€Å"a mish-mash of gimmick and spin† than an actual plan, which within realistic measures would be preventive without costing the country enormous amounts of money and labour. So here we have two very different plans which in two very different ways will deal with two very important parts of the subject antisocial behaviour among British teens. I do not think that there is any exactly solution to this very important problem in British cities, small towns and schools but of course the Mosquito has already proven its worth in more than 3,000 locations with success and has made it safer for those people being harassed by the yobs in the public. But unfortunately the Mosquito does not help educating the teens; it just makes the yobs find an other place for them to be at. The most important factor in this case is that you need to stop the antisocial behaviour in its process and not when it already has affected the young teenagers. So perhaps Tony Blair’s plan is the right way to do it, though I personally believe that the plan is way too focussed on hard punishment than in are pedagogical way. I don’t believe that tough punishment is the way of teaching youngsters today.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Simone De Beauvoir: Gender and Sex

Simone De Beauvoir: Gender and Sex Simone de Beauvoir’s Insights Towards Gender and Status Is there any wonder that Simone de Beauvoir rejected the idea that gender  has innate characteristics from birth? As a woman philosopher living in a man’s world I believe she fully understood what she was talking about. The writings in her world renowned book ‘The Second Sex’ written in 1947 give us a historical and cultural lesson of what women have had to overcome to exist as women in a man’s world. Men and women are both influenced by their conditioning the main difference is that man has been attributed the leading role. Times are changing and Simone de Beauvoir has played an important role in our attempt to undo the erroneous programming. Today’s leading ladies have proven their capacities at playing the part. Simone de Beauvoir’s example of what a woman that is intelligent can do in life by her straightforward, honest approach may be the stepping stones for other women to fearlessly do the same. As far back as the 10th century ideas of antifeminism have haunted the women of the world. The handful of women that were in the limelight were usually obliterated for witchcraft as in the case of Jeanne D’Arc or publicly ridiculed or at worse martyred. Women as the lesser sex have been depicted as temptresses from Bible days which at the same time undermined their intelligence. This dual image which has conditioned women to see themselves as passive beings who lie in wait for men to save, them or come and love them and their counterparts the devouring temptresses who take what they want and leave the rest behind including their intelligence is what Simone de Beauvoir sees as our conditioning. This conditioning starts at a very early age when there are no apparent differences between baby girls and baby boys. They are both at this early age totally in need of nurturing and physical contact which they thrive upon. This loving care is exactly the same up until a certain moment w hen the baby is weaned. According to Simone De Beauvoir from that point on boys are taught to become little men and they receive less physical contact and affection than their girl counterparts; They are also a product of their conditioning just as we are. This is an important thing to remember throughout this reading. Boys and girls alike are part of their environmental conditioning through family heritage, cultural traditions, religious beliefs and historical beliefs. As children we all have the same attitudes of temper tantrums, pouting, charming our parents then we are in fact the same until our environment gives us another outlook upon ourselves. Little girls quickly learn that they need to be careful. They need to act like little ladies not climbing trees and skinning knees as their brothers are encouraged to do. This myth starts very early with the family attitude about the physical differences between sexes. Boys have an outward expression of their masculinity which turns th em rapidly into having something to be proud of. This expression of self that has, in the eyes of the parents, a value becomes what the boy measures himself to other boys with. It’s a tactile indicator of their manliness and gives them the instinct of measurability. How long their sex is and how far they can urinate. The inevitable presence of their extension gives them a power of object. Women are inwardness. All of their discoveries are inward and therefore left unsaid. You can’t see much of the sex of a little girl so it is not made a fuss over as boy’s sexes are. Girls try to express their transfer towards an object to a doll for example. This treating a doll as herself gives her the idea that the substance is the same and therefore she is someone to dress up to cater to, that has an existence because others make her exist. Later on in life she will eventually become that doll thing that sits home waiting for her husband and children to pick her up and do as they please with her. Just as she idled away her childhood she idles away the hours of her parenthood, or wifehood at home staving off boredom with no particular goals or worlds to conquer. Boys grow up with the idea that they are going somewhere and have something to accomplish and will assume responsibilities along the way. They learn at around 13 yrs. old that the answer may not come out in words but through violence. A girl wills repress her own violence because girls don’t do that sort of thing. This violence turns into neurosis which in part is violence unexpressed which comes back to oneself eventually. Simone De Beauvoir was avant guard when she recognized the fact that women have their own part of violence at that age but we do not allow ourselves to express it. We are simply not encouraged socially, historically or culturally to express it. Where progress has been made is that more and more women are training in martial arts which are a positive way to express their inner violence. What upset our mothers, and depending on what conditioning you were also given, was the pre- established path chosen for us no matter what we would like to become. Once the path was set then fear was quickly to follow. What path? The path that says no matter what education you receive you will end up a wife and mother then grandmother. This is a frightening aspect of the growing girl’s plight. She will not only have to learn to become a woman, a wife, a mother and a grandmother. She can study all that she would like but there is no real asking of her to do so or to assume the responsibilities that this implies. She’ll marry then stop working to have children and her husband’s career will prevail and take on the traditional role of breadwinner. Perhaps today’s economy has obliged young women to be career assertive but maybe not for the right reasons. Career minded because families are not withstanding without two good salaries to support them. The outer exp ression of sexual pride may still be baring the road. The fact that a young woman can be a productive and important member of our society and that she also has her contribution to make does not seem to impress upon girls as it does on boys. There are so many frightening biological events in the life of a young girl who is becoming a woman that possessing her own inward sexuality is a complicated task. Young men can see theirs, be proud of it, and use it where as young girls have to deal with what biologically is imposed upon them. Their menstrual cycles which alter their characters for several days a month is in itself part of the mystery of womanhood. The changes in her body that may lead her to withdrawal because now she is becoming the object so desired by men. The doll has come of age and can now be manoeuvred accordingly. This is a moment in time when many young women become anorexic keeping their bodies at bay and stopping the menstrual cycle as if time would stand still. The onset of an eventual pregnancy, abortion risk, risks during pregnancy, menopause and all the choices that implies has made being a woman probably more complicated than being a man. What is very interesting to remark according to statistics there are a large majority of women that would prefer being men. Men in a very small minority if they had the choice would have preferred being a woman. There is the unfortunate, radical, feminist view of continuously proving that women can be more or better than men by doing the same things and acting the same way.. I find this unfortunate. If we want equality then we should be striving for equal respect and equal rights not superiority and domination which are what has made us suffer from the ages. Women finding ways to be assertive, well-balanced, brilliant, and effective is what can give us our strength in today’s world. It was unthought-of at the time of French sculpt rice Camille Claudel that a woman could surpass the master. Camille Claudel would never have broken through the layers of men to get to where she did in the arts if she hadn’t had the support of her father firstly and Rodin. Once Rodin retracted she lost all prestige and control over her life. There is the great Mexican artist Frida Kahlo who also had the support of her father interestingly enough and that of a great Mexican artist as well. Both fathers in these two examples gave their support to their daughters which were probably what they would have received if they were sons instead of daughters. In the face of talent and genius these men were supportive and able to recognize potential. How many other Sunday morning painters got left by the roadside because they were not recognized in virtue of their talents but because of their gender? What did the world wars teach us about women? It taught us that in the absence of brothers, cousins, fathers, and husbands they were capable of running a country from industry to education the national health Women kept their families fed, clothed, and sheltered during the war. We are not warriors are heart but have the same potential. There are examples in history like Amazons and Jeanne d’Arc of women capable of leading armies and warring. We could have been cultivated as war lords also but weren’t. Women are givers of life and that is probably what gives us the incentive to promote peace culture instead of war. No woman wants to see her sons, daughters, husband, brothers or sisters go off to war and not come back. The peace movement has a majority of women supporters and that seems to go with the fact that life giving is still our realm. The political world has opened up it’s doors to women within the last twenty years. Before that time there was usually a woman behind a great man in the shadows and there to decorate the photographs for the press more than for her opinions. In France there were three woman ministers elected in the late 70’s. This was a turning point. The paradox comes in when women fought in the French resistance showing their bravery and didn’t obtain the right to vote until two years after the war was over. The equality act was also pronounced shortly after women’s right to vote. This maintaining of women in a conditioned status has been painful for us and is now becoming painful to our male counterparts who are seeking the limits of their own identity. Women are now brought up and beginning to think for themselves, what they want out of life, what they are going to do to get what they need. This is a true cultural revolution. If the conditioning has begun to change then women shall become women and know themselves. Thus knowing themselves they will become decision makers, and active citizens not through man’s making but through their own. This fundamental step has been operating since May 1968 even though precursors since ancient times have been trying to change this. Simone de Beauvoir succeeded in starting the league for Women’s Rights and was a militant for family planning. Giving back to women the right to do what they need to do with their own bodies was an essential step in accepting the responsibilities that are incumbent for every human being either man or woman. The big waking up of our society started with her book and has continued to live on inspiring women to take the responsibility for their lives as a person and an equal which gives them a lot more freedom than it did our mothers. The social role was encouraging us look pretty but please don’t say anything. Mediocrity amongst woman rose as her only idea of self was stemming from what others mirrored her. Her husband and her family were her only mirrors and connection with the world. He went out in the world she quietly stayed home or followed in the shadows. If an intelligent woman did express herself she was ridiculed in public and could not be accepted for her thoughts. The Marie Curie’s and other thinkers are a small handful of the potential that women have been suppressing since the beginning of time. Women are beginning to realize that no matter what their conditioning since birth they can change the course of events in their lives. Taking their own responsibility for their own lives and what is to become of them is the next chapter in our evolution. Women are finally starting to be raised to believe in themselves and their capacities. Ask a little girl today what she wants to become later and she might surprise you and answer â€Å"an astronaut, a research worker, an architect â€Å". We are far from the days of Simone de Beauvoir’s struggle to live in a man’s world. I think that men are having trouble adjusting to this change. They are becoming more and more aware of women’s presence in the work field and their contribution as fellow citizens. Their own identity has been questioned and ours is beginning to grow and develop. This cleavage will be difficult to stabilize  since all related gender problems have finally come to the surface, the debate is whether or not women that are raising their children can make the ‘shift’ to raising their sons and daughters alike. The story perhaps begins and ends with women. Are we going to keep attributing to ourselves the role models that went before us? Or are we finally going to break the bondage of what we have been made to think of ourselves? There has come a time when the individual man or woman will begin to raise his consciousness and choose him or herself first. Not in and egotistical way but to ask oneself the question ‘†What do I need for myself right now to be in agreement with myself?† When finally women and men have worked on themselves enough to be able at any moment to ask themselves that question then it is definitely not a question of gender but autonomy. Do women want their autonomy? Is the easy way out or women to continue a mediocre existence to take the easy way out and let this be a man’s world and a state of dependency and submission? Men take their independence and unfortunately women think or have been taught to think theirs is to be earned. Men believe it is their right from the beginning. Women ask permission for it and in most circumstances and it never comes. Leaving behind all the social prejudice and family prejudice and historical and cultural prejudice can only be the choice of women. Simone de Beauvoir showed us that a woman is herself and can dare to be herself if she so chooses. Although this idea will not appeal to some, women are running for presidential office these days and hold important functions within our highest auspices while Simone’s message has probably hit home. Women are accepting to be themselves without asking permission to do so. Men are battling with their own conditioning and their own identity problems due to this conditioning. In order to create a balance it will take time and courage. Women for peace, for children’s rights, for non-vi olence, for equal education and career rights have united all over the world to speak their piece. A beautiful French song that implies women as being men’s future. could hold a lot of truth in these words. Thinking back on the historical events and cultural ideas about gender it must have taken great incentive for a woman like Simone de Beauvoir de openly and honestly explore the femaleness and the contradictions of our times. It is also easy to comprehend why men find it so difficult to understand us when we are on the brink of finding ourselves as people and as women. Perhaps if our own opinion of self changes then the worlds opinion can also evolve. Starting with individual awareness can only lead to universal awareness in time. Simone de Beauvoir in her rejection of gender has put back the sparkle in the eyes of women and helped us overcome the conditioning of the years. References Simone de Beauvoir ‘ Le Deuxieme Sexe’ Galiard, Paris 1947 Nancy Bauer Contributor ‘Simone de Beauvoir Philosophy and Feminism’ Columbia University press N.Y. 2001 Isabelle De Courtivron Contributor ‘ New French Feminism’ An Anthology ED. Elaine Marks ED. Publisher University of Massachusetts press,Amherst ma. 1980 www.lang.soton.ac.uk/students/french/FrenchThought/beauvoir/ Reference to song written and sung by Jean Ferrat ‘La Femme est l’avenir de l’homme’

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Impact of globalization theories in managing cross cultural issues

Impact of globalization theories in managing cross cultural issues Introduction to the research Globalization is a favorite catchword of politicians and journalists. It also became the key idea for business practice and theory, and enters the debates of academic. People mean the globalization often confusing and confused. Here there is a description of some key concepts about the theory of globalization and also describes the experience of globalization [Beck, 2000]. Globalization is used in a short way to describe the connectedness and spread of technologies, communication and production across the world. That spread involves the interweaving of cultural and economic activity.  Globalization is also used to refer the efforts of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and others to create a global free market for services and goods. This political project is potential and significant  for damaging the poor nations which means to exploit the large process. Globalization is the sense of  connectivity in cultural and economic life across the world that was growing for centuries. Many believe that the present situation is in a different order to what has gone before. The speed of the exchange and communication, the size and complexity of the networks involved and the swerve volume of risk, interaction and trade gives the label a force for globalization [Carter F, 1996].  Ã‚   With the increase in economic interconnection the deep-seated changes of politics and the poor countries has become more dependent on the activities in central economies such as the United States of America where the technical and capital expertise tend to be located. There are shift in the power which is away from the nation and argues towards MNC. It is also witness the rise and brand of the globalization. The large corporations operate in many different countries and they are marketed and developed products that could be sold in Washington. The various brands like Sony, Nike, Coca Cola and the host of others have become a part of the fabric of wide numbers of lives of people.   Globalization also involves the diffusion of technologies, practices and ideas. Globalization is something more than the universalization and internationalization. It is simply the westernization or modernization. It is also the market liberalization. The globalization describes the social relation intensification of worldwide which links the distance places in such a way that the simple occurrences are shaped by the event which occurs with many miles away. This also involves a change that understands the experience localness and geography. The globalization has powerful social, cultural, economic and political dimensions [James, 2000]. The 4 themes that appear with regularity in the literature are:   Supraterritoriality and De-localization;   The power and speed of associated growth of risk and technological innovation;   The rise of MNC; and   The extent to which the creation and the move towards the free markets to lead the division and instability. Aims and objectives of the study Primary Objective: To understand the concept of globalization To study in detail various theories of globalization. To identify the cross cultural issues existing in various multinational corporations in India. To analyze the impact of globalization theories on managing those cross cultural issues. To evaluate the effectiveness of application of globalization theories in resolving cross cultural issues. Secondary Objective:  Ã‚   To create awareness about globalization theories in various multinational corporations in India. To emphasis the application of globalization theories in resolving cross cultural issues existing multinational corporations To assist the various multinational corporations in managing cross cultural issues. Review of literature There are 4 theories of globalization. They are: World Economy theory, Third way theory, Regional Bloc theory and World culture theory. World-Economy Theory: The description of world economic theory is: The process by which the capitalist world-system is spread across the whole globe. The Global marketplace is becoming so integrated and advanced so that the nation-state is becoming waste. The good thing about this theory is that the market is more rational than the governments [David S, 2000]. The bad thing about this theory is that the corporate power is less sympathetic than government. The completion of the process begins late in the 1500s and early 1600s by the explorers of Europe. The World-economy comprise of single labor force and mobile and single world market. The core countries have strong armed forces. Consume high profits, high skills and capital production of intensive. The perceived countries have weak armed forces, low-skill, extraction of raw materials, labor intensive production and weak [Anthony M, 2000]. The Semi-perceived countries have more diversified economies, less dependent on the core than peripheral areas and strong military forces than the perceived countries. Third Way Theory: The description of the third way theory is: This theory seeks to find the relationship between the processes of economy occurring in the local and global scales. This theory is also called as view of transformationalism because it looks the ways for transforming the power of nation to cope up with the pressures of globalization [Thompson P, 1999]. This theory does not focus on the global forces which reduces the powers of nation. The challenge existing institutions are used to restructure/reform or encourage great local autonomy. This theory is linked to agenda of politics. This theory also maintains the diversity in the face of forces of economy that encourages the uniformity. Regional Bloc Theory: The description of Regional Bloc theory is: This theory disagrees strongly with the hyper globalist. In this theory only one world market exists. The growth in the internationalism of investment and trade is the growth of regional economic blocs [Robert J, 1999]. The growth of the regional trading blocs has benefited some countries. There is no single institution or government to guide the process. This theory also inquisitions the acceptance of capitalism which is the root problem. The financial efficiency and emphasis competition of capitalism care for the disempowered and oppressed people. World-Culture Theory: The description of world culture theory is: This theory desire to celebrate and preserve the differences against the cultural homogenization. This theory differs from all other theories because it sees more globalization broadly, to increase the uniformity of culture across the world from the perspective of economics. This theory is also different because the previous theories view the growth of the single world culture which is possible as a consequence of globalization, while this theory view this as an important part of globalization. This theory deep roots the traditions of Europeans [Richard G, 1998]. In this theory the progress of continuation begun from several 100 years ago, with the settlers of Europeans. This theory has established control of politics and also brings new models for central government. In this theory the ideas of individuality and citizenship will spread across traditional boundaries of culture by replacing the traditional priorities of communities in many cultures. How World Culture Theory works: Glocalization: The universal processes and ideas involved in the globalization necessarily are absorbed and interpreted differently according to the history of specific groups and vantage point. The glocalization catches the way in which the heterogenization and homogenization join [Robertson, 1992]. Relativization: Each unit in the emerging world takes the shape similar to the others that surround it. For example as the nation becomes a subject for the universal standards which are derived from the common formation of citizenship, humankind in those societies becomes relativized. Similarly, the Real politics are common in the international system becomes relativized as the principles of humanitarian who invent this concept. The relativization of societies of the inter-state system occurs particularly in the concerns about identity of nations. Interpenetration: Particularly the particularism and universalism are becoming a part of single nexus, united in terms of universality of the experience and, the increase in the expectation. In globalization, the universal is made concrete and specifically it becomes endlessly avoided. Hence globalization is a form of institutionalization of the 2 fold process which involves the particularization of universalism and the universalization of particularism. Emulation: Though the globalization does not create common culture in which everyone holds the same values and beliefs so that it does create single ground in which all factors pursue their goals by comparing with others, by using at least some common standards. The early cases are Great Russia and Peter and Meiji Japan. Emulation takes the form of choosing the ideas of incorporating from the global ground [Danny M, 1992]. Contestation: The ideologies of globe-oriented advocate a tight integrated world while others define the difference. Since the religious movements and traditions are involved prominently in producing the images of world and the religion is a difficult site for these contestations. How World Culture Theory change: The world culture Theory can be changed by: Permanent globalization dynamics: The theory of World culture describes the open ended and ongoing process. All the features of the theory of world culture require continual change. The conflict of culture is the common mechanism. Deregionalization Movements: The globalization provokes resistance/ reaction. The globalization that produces the world equal cultures and substitutes of fundamentalism has its own vision of global. The fundamentalist defines the global fundamentals and operate in terms of global ideas [Waters M, 1995]. Multiple sources: While the theory of world culture emphasizes the role of worldviews and reflexivity in the globalization the principle change can originate anywhere. The theory of world culture is agnostic [Mary K, 2001]. Research methodology The systematic gathering recording and analyzing of the data about the problems, which formulate the hypothesis and suggested organizing, collecting and evaluating data, reaching conclusion and making corrections by testing carefully the conclusions to determine whether they fit to formulate the hypothesis Two forms of research are undertaken in order for the purpose of satisfying the objectives of the study: Primary Research: Data collected through first-hand sources Secondary Research: Second-hand data collected through different sources Primary research- Quantitative Research Quantitative research method will be followed in order to create a detailed analysis of consumers perception regarding emails and direct mails as marketing medium in India. Quantitative research offers several advantages to the study: Brower et al (2000, pg. 366) assert that quantitative researchers pursue- and insist that they generate- value-free, unbiased data. Similarly, McLaughlin et al (2002) highlight the following uses of quantitative approach: Research and establish explicit hypotheses Uses accurate measures of concepts Uses tests of statistical significance Uses controls for other explanatory variables Provides a clear theoretical context Secondary Research Secondary data is the information what was collected in the past for some other purpose. Usually, researchers start their investigation by studying a rich variety of already accessible data, to see if they can make a breakthrough in the study partly or wholly, without the use of expensive, time-consuming first-hand research. The following forms of secondary data will be used to research purpose: Books Journals and articles Newspapers Magazines Online web portals Annual Reports Government Agencies Independent Agencies Government official reports Research Design This study will be descriptive in nature. Sampling design Target population: The target population in this research refers to the top multinational corporations that have been prevailing for more than a decade in India. The respondents are employees designated at managerial level. Sample size This study takes into consideration ten different multinational corporations of India. Sampling unit The sampling units are the following ten multinational corporations and their managers. Samsung Reebok Hyundai Motors LG Vodafone Ford Motors Accenture Voltas Panasonic ABN Amro Bank Sampling method The sampling technique is taken for the study is Convenience Sampling. Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling technique where subjects are selected because of their convenient accessibility and proximity to the researcher [Joan Joseph Castillo, 2009]. In convenience sampling, the subjects are easy to select for the study since they are available ready. This technique is highly preferred by many because it is fast, easy and inexpensive. Size of Sample Survey A sample size of 10 respondents (one for each multinational corporation) will be considered for this study. Sampling plan: The data will be collected by mailing them the questionnaires to their workplace. Questionnaire Design: The questionnaire will consist of both open-ended and close-ended questions. Data Analysis and Interpretation The data collected from primary research will be analyzed and interpreted using statistical tools. It is suitable to the study over other tools, because: It provides both subjective as well as objective results, of which subjective can be converted into numbers/scores It can be used to identify and understand the hidden attributes or constructs which would otherwise (in case of direct analysis) have been unapparent It is inexpensive and easier to implement than other tools. Limitations of the study This concentrates on the impact of globalization theories on managing cross cultural issues in multinational corporations and does not involve any other issue. This study focuses exclusively on multinational corporations in India. This study analyzes only the cultural impact created in multinational corporations by globalization theories and does not involve any other impact. This study is applicable for multinational that have been successfully sustaining in the market for more than a decade.