War Photographer and Stealingby Carol Anne Duffy Essay Example for Free

War Photographer and Stealingby Carol Anne Duffy Essay In Both the War Photographer and Stealing By Carol Anne Duffy the occupations of the narrator play a leading role even the titles are names of the occupations they both partake in. This is interesting because it seems that their jobs are their life and feeling even so they both share an extent of guiltiness related to their occupations, In War photographer he is guilty that he is at home in comfortable quiet rural England and all the people he photographs are still suffering. But in Stealing the guilt is underlying, less obvious and more of a guilt to himself like he owes himself a life without stealing or boredom. This shows a degree of selfishness which is evident when he takes pleasure in knowing the the children will cry in the morning he then goes on to say lifes tough like he had to harden to the world at a young age and so should they, he shows a bitterness towards the children as they have a childhood and he didnt and this bitterness seems to be aimed at all outsiders in both the poems . The Thief and the writer are issolated form society and therefore resent society as they see it and most of the suffering in the poems is blamed on the people The readers eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre lunch beers. Because the people see the suffering and carry on with their on lives the narrator thinks the readers dont care so their portrayed as heartless and cold. Carol Anne Duffy seems to have a flair for writing poems from other peoples point of view this is most evident in Stealing were she tries to understand the narrators motive and attempts to make the reader sympathise and justify what he does when normally he would be portrayed as the bad guy . The thief wallows in self pity throughout and even says he is better of dead and is so lonely even a snowman is good enough to be his friend I wanted him, a mate The snowman is a metaphor for what he has had in his life he steals it then dustructs it like he is destructing himself. The stealing is a ploy for attention he wants to be caught or noticed as he would have a reason to have contact with people eventhough he insults the people or outsiders in the poem sometimes I steal things,I dont need. I joy ride cars to nowhere, break into houses just to have a look. It is hard to establish what the message is in the war photographer at times he is praising the war photographers job And condeming the people he works for at other time he shows compassion to the victims he encounters but in the last line The narrator seems numb to what he witnesses as he works From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where he earns his living and they do not care This line defeats what he has said before when he developed the films the feelings the images conjured up made him remember the suffering he encountered but that was soon forgotten on the way to his next job he is turning in to what he condemns. The use of the word they signifies his view of society, the people that read newspapers he puts them all in the same cattergory and labels them accordingly. The war photographer is set in four regular stanzas which emphasises the pattern of the war photographers day. The poem opens with the Photographer coming home from his job and ends with him flying out to another job this implies his life runs in a cycle. It is also written in present tense which make the events more realistic and shocking to the reader. Stealing is also in equal stanzas this time five . And ocaisionly the end of one line falls into another (enjambment) which help the reader to enact the incidents which occur. A sense of mystery surrounds the narrator in stealing you dont know if he is male or female or his age and background although many assume the narrator is a man due to stereotypical criminal gender.In War Photographer we are told the narrator is male this is the only information surrounding the narrator intrestingly there is no desriptions of the physical attributes of the narrators or outsiders which poems usually include to help the reader relate to the charactors within the poems. In the War photographer photographical launguage is used as metaphors to shocking images the war photographer encountered ; spools of suffering set out in ordered rows conjures images of body bags holding victims of war laying side by side. The only light is red the colour red is used to remind the reader of the blood shed during war. These metophores seem to be effective by shocking the reader I think Carol Anne Duffy has intended the reader to start to think of the effects of the war not only on the victims but on the people who work their such as the War photographer, newsreaders or charity workers who arent necessarilly thought of being affected by war. In stealing the thiefs motive seems to be lonliness and this is explored subtbly but although theres only traces of lonliness it seems to be the main theme in both the poems. Although they resent outsiders it is only because they wish they could be like the outsiders as their not doing a job which issolates them from society this jelousy also seems to be one of the themes which explain how and why the outsiders are portrayed. I cant decide if I like these poems or not I dont really feel anything for the characters Carol Anne Duffy hasnt made them likeable by not describing them and showing the bad traits of their personality which makes the poems seem gritty. There is many hidden messages which seem obvious but effective but the fact that I had to read them both five times before they made sense put me off right away.But maybe thats because im The cat in the hat rhyming poem kind of a girl !

Work Of Stanley Kubrick Film Studies Essay

Work Of Stanley Kubrick Film Studies Essay Stanley Kubrick became an amateur photographer after getting a camera as a gift. He became an associate photographer at Look Magazine after selling an photograph of a newsstand after Franklin Roosevelt. After several years as an photographer he went into moving pictures, directing and producing his first piece entitled Day of the Flight in 1950. After this he went on to create two more documentaries entitled The Flying Padre and The Seafarers . Then he started doing feature films starting with Fear and Desire, a film that he later sought out all prints of so that no one could watch them. A film is or should be more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, whats behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later Stanley Kubrick Some of Stanley Kubricks films use music especially classical to develop an idea. As with Richard Strausss  Also sprach Zarathustra throughout the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Classical music dominates the film and some argue that the music tells the story not the characters dialogue. The first and last 20 minutes of the film are consumed by classical music. A Clockwork Orange also effectively uses classical music, the film focuses on Alex Delarge, portrayed by Malcolm McDowell, is a deviant who gets conditioned to become a functioning member of society. The government brainwashes Alex with the Ludovico treatment which conditions him to associate horrific crimes with his favorite symphony Beethovens Ninth until the final scene where he discovers he is no longer under the treatments effect. Sometimes Kubrick used music ironically like in A Clockwork Orange Alex sings Singing In the Rain while raping a woman in front of her husband. And  his film Dr. Strangelove ends with  images of nuclear holocaust are accompanied by Vera Lynns version of the WWII song Well Meet Again. The final scene in Full Metal Jacket has the battle hardened Marines singing the theme to The Mickey Mouse Club. One of his signature shots was The Glare a characters emotional breakdown is shown by a close-up shot of the actor with his head tilted slightly down, but with his eyes looking up usually directly into the camera. Kubrick also employed wide angle shots, character tracking shots, zoom shots, and shots down tall parallel walls. Entrapment is a theme of Kubricks films. The characters almost always succumb to their inner demons or assailants. Alex DeLarge is rehabilitated as an ultraviolent thug with the help of the government. Jack Torrance is finally conquered by the overlook hotel. The doomsday device kills everyone. Happy endings are clearly not acceptable in a Kubrickian fable. Visually, the classic corridor shot is the prime indicator of being completely overwhelmed and dwarfed by your surroundings. Its such a striking technique that communicates so much.   Man vs. Technology the ultimate battle is to prove our humanity is superior to machinery. Like with the conflict between HAL 9000 and the scientist.. the Ludivico technique in clockwork is again an effort to dehumanize alex by obliterating his primal rage through a highly scientific and experimental technique. Full Metal Jacket was Kubricks take on the military turning men into killing machines. The sergeant finds Gomer in the bathroom and screams What is your malfunction! as if he were not a human with severe emotional trauma, but a robot. Kubrick  commonly the theme of dehumanization because he was fascinated with the dark side of human nature and not because he thought all humans were basically evil.   Some prime examples of his trend are The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket.   These films explored dark side of the human psyche and the violent nature of human beings. The Shining is about a family that stays at a hotel during the off season to take care of the place.   Jack Nicholson plays the father, Jack.   Staying with Jack at the hotel is his wife and son.   Their son, Danny, has a special psychic abilities which he calls shining.  Ã‚  Jack eventually starts to go insane after spending a few months stuck inside a hotel with his family.   As the film progresses we see Jack continually break down mentally until he finally snaps and tries to kill his family.   The hotel where they stay is haunted and Jack begins to see things and people who arent supposed to be there.   These supernatural entities a re the ones that push Jack over the edge.  Ã‚  He was already disturbed before he saw any ghosts but it was the ghosts that influenced him to kill his family.   The isolation that Jack felt made him paranoid and he believed he had to kill his family because they  were trying to interfere with him and his job as the caretaker of the hotel.  Ã‚  One camera shot in particular displayed Jacks descent into madness.   It is the glare shot which is a common shot in Kubrick films which tend to show a characters emotional meltdown by showing a close up of the actor with their head tilted down slightly and their eyes looking up straight into the camera.   In the Shining, the glare shot occurs when Jack is staring out a window and viewing a snow covered ground.   The camera slowly zooms in on Jack who has demented look on his face. In the first half of Full Metal Jacket, the sergeant, played by R. Lee Ermey, is brutal to the trainees.  One trainee in particular gets the brunt of the drill sergeants punishments.   Nicked named Private Gomer Pyle, who is played by Vincent DOnofrio, is overweight and slow which makes him a target of the drill  instructor.   The whole point of the drill  instructor is to make the trainees capable of killing.  Ã‚  The drill instructor pushes Pyle so hard that Pyle begins to go insane and eventually he shoots the drill  instructor and then  puts the gun to his head.   The film shows how Private Pyle is systematically conditioned to become a killer.   He loses the innocence that he had before arrived at training camp  and becomes a psychotic killer who kills himself. The second half of the film jumps abruptly to Vietnam, following Joker played by Matthew Modinet. The film climaxes in a battle between Jokers platoon and a sniper hiding in the rubble, who is reveal ed to be a young girl. She almost kills Joker until his reporter partner shoots and severely injures her. Joker then kills her to put her out of her misery. This film was seen by some as a sad example of dehumanization in film. Many of Stanley Kubricks films were nominated for Academy Awards in various categories, including Best Picture for  Dr. Strangelove,  A Clockwork Orange, and  Barry Lyndon, and Best Director for  2001: A Space Odyssey,  Dr. Strangelove,  A Clockwork Orange, and  Barry Lyndon (seven overall nominations), and 2001: A Space Odyssey  received numerous technical awards. He would be the first director to use the now oft used Steadicam .He would endlessly researching his topics, and going on to produce documentary style films that were shockingly real and acknowledged by the people who were there, especially with Full Metal Jacket, in which Lee Armey a distinguished military veteran served as technical advisor. Kubrick was notorious for his attention to detail. Reportedly, when working on The Shining he would sometimes film a scene a hundred times. His desire for perfection lead to the delay of some films and others were never made. Like the Napoleon film or the delays in filming Full Metal Jacket. The only film that Kubrick didnt have full auteur control over was Spartacus Kubrick , Stanley Full Metal Jacket , 1987 , Warner Bros. Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 2001 A Space Odyessey 1968, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The Shining, 1980, Warner Bros. Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ A Clockwork Orange, 1972 Warner Bros. Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Dr. Strangelove, 1965 Columbia Pictures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Barry Lyndon 1975, Warner Bros. Pictures Ronson, Jon Stanley Kubricks Boxes, 2008 , World of Wonder Pipolo, Tony. The Modernist the Misanthrope: The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick..  Cineaste  Spring 2002: 4-49. Patterson, David W.. American Music, Fall2004, Vol. 22 Issue 3, p444-474 Ronson, Jon. The Guardian Newspaper Saturday 27 March 2004 Perel, Zivah. Literature Film Quarterly, 2008, Vol. 36 Issue 3, p223-232 Galenson, David W.; Kotin, Joshua. Historical Methods, Winter2010, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p29-44

Fordism and Post-Fordism: Concepts of Capitalism

Fordism and Post-Fordism: Concepts of Capitalism Understanding Dawn Dusk:  The Evolution of Capitalism from the Perspectives of Fordism and Post-Fordism. The pursuit of profit was not a science born perfect. Instead, as one technological or organizational invention after another led to ever increasing rates of incremental improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the enterprise. These improvements either reduced the cost structure, increased the market demand or both. It was just such an ‘incremental’ improvement in the early twentieth century that led Henry Ford and his Model T to begin an era of ‘namesake’ capitalism that dominated until the 1980’s and persists even today. The methods that began the period of capitalism known as Fordism was not so much just the additional of an assembly line but rather a line that moved to the worker rather that the other way around. This technology of this method was not new, having been utilized in Chicago slaughterhouses since at least the 1890’s but it was the first time that it have been used on such a scale to consumer goods with the end effect of making the automobile affordable. Perhaps even more importantly, the application of this method to automobile production, enabled the use of additional organizational technologies to be deployed. For example, bottlenecks and other production issues could be readily identified and solved and it became possible for a smaller number of managers to ‘control’ the output of a larger group of workers (Grint, 1991, p. 294-295; Clarke, 1992, p. 17). Because of the organizational paradigm shift, these methods were quickly and successfully adopted at other companies in a many different industries. Together, changes introduced in technology and management paved the way to broader sociological changes. At the heart of these was the rise of â€Å"management† as controlling influence upon workers. While Taylorism implemented strict measures of control and efficiency to the workers, the organizational impact of Fordism harnessed individual productivity back into the firm. In some ways, practices at the Ford Motor Company were quite progressive such as his â€Å"Five Dollar Day† policy by which workers were paid for their time. While significant from a labor perspective, it also merits commented on based on the fact that this was compensation. Not just â€Å"pay† but rather compensation for becoming a cog in a wheel and a so-called ‘factor of production’ under somewhat harsh conditions. While some might consider Ford to be generous to pay his employees so a sum, others might not that it could also be viewed as a particularly shrewd means to decrease absenteeism, work interruptions, poor quality and perhaps most importantly, as a means to fend off interest in trade unionization by workers. In fact, once instituted, the results were dramatic as the following were observed, â€Å"absenteeism fell from 10% to less than 0.5% turnover fell from nearly 400% to less than 15%. productivity rose so dramatically that despite the doubling of wages and shortening of the workday production costs fell† (Clarke, 1992, pp. 20-21). With regards to organization and sociological implication, in the past, the dominant method of work was the â€Å"craftsman† who was a skilled worker and spent [his] time on creating specialized and unique projects and the family was, in a sense the primary economic unit of production (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 191). Ford needed relatively few craftsmen but rather he needed many comparatively unskilled workers that were willing to submit to Tayloristic-type management in exchange for â€Å"†¦regularly rising wages†¦ as well as general guarantees of employment security† (Freidman 2000, p. 60). The widespread employment of an emerging American middle class by a growing number of large, vertically integrated oligopolistic firms bred the beginning of mass production. With ever increasing levels of productivity as a result of newer technologies and greater organizational control, more goods were produced at even lower cost levels. Not surprisingly, in return, this bro ught about new levels of mass consumption of mass-produced products by the burgeoning ranks of the working class (Friedman, 2000, pp. 59-60). This produced a cycle that was both self-reinforcing and self-entrenching. As the system of Fordism perpetuated itself, it began to create a bit of a monster. Almost by definition, Fordism is epitomized and stereotyped by very large corporations. For example, General Motors, employing the same tactics as Ford (General Motorism does not have quite the ring to it of Fordism), became the largest corporation in world in the 1950’s to the extent that this one firm had a macroeconomic impact on the US gross national product (think of Wal-Mart today with over $250,000,000,000 in annual sales). These companies that made their profits on economies of scale on the consumption of goods that were mass-produced and mass-consumed until they hit a bit of a ‘speed bump’ in the 1970’s. These speed bumps took on the form of a number of historical events as well as growing trends. For example, the oil crisis of the 1970’s, a wheat shortage and unrest among organized labor groups in addition to a â€Å"saturation of the market in consumer dur ables† let to the beginning of the end of what had came to be known as the Fordism era. The economy-wide, these changes were greatest for the types of companies that profited most from the technological and organizational developments that created them. Thus, the changes for ‘big’ corporate America came about through the combined phenomena of changes in markets and changes in labor, ironic but fitting as the very things that made them were undoing them, or, at least, causing them to learn to re-make themselves as conditions changed (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 181). As America consumers had consumed about all they could, firms began to logically seek out new markets such as Latin America, Asia or European regions that had yet to be hardly touched with regards to US produced consumer goods. This globalization of business introduced a number of ‘new’ concepts to US firms. Perhaps most importantly, that simply selling the same widget may not be a path to profit. Interestingly enough, the corporate giant General Motors, in the now ubiquitous tale, was one of the first to discover this lesson as management noticed very disappointing sales for the Chevrolet Nova automobile south of the US border. Only later did they learn that â€Å"No va† exactly translates to â€Å"no go†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ a hard but valuable lesson as America goes global. Within the borders of the US, it was not that consumers no longer wanted to make purchases, rather, they wanted new products. Listening to the market was not a strength of the Fordist system. As Henry Ford himself said in regards to the Model T, â€Å"†¦ any color you want, as long as its black†, mass production was not noted for being flexible. The idea of flexibility became central to the emergence of what has come to be known as the post-Fordism era. â€Å"Flexibility† is reflected in post-Fordism in a number of ways. In regards to employment, in an effort to cope with changes in demand, corporations began to turn to the notion of flexible employment arrangements in order to avoid the high fixed costs of maintaining a large workforce in times of low demand. This was reflected by a small, core workforce that was supplemented by subcontractors and part-time workers and, temporary workers, if needed (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 183). This is much in contrast to the masses of employees who, either through the employer or the Union, operated on the premise of life-time employment. Another means by which post-Fordism employed the concept of flexibity in employment was the introduction of ideas such as ‘cross-training’. Rather than having a one person – one specific job mantra, the new era of productivity espoused employees who were trained to do any number of tasks. This flexible functionality in production employees was adopted by companies with the idea of being able to adapt faster to changing demand and by employees in order to enrich jobs and to gain increased employment security (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 187); Grint, 1991, pp. 296-297). In addition, firms began to outsource non-core functions such as cleaning or security in order to achieve lower costs and reduce the size of bureaucracies often accompanying large companies (Friedman 2000, p. 71). Overall, the change in markets and market pressures as well as the shifts in labor strategies that began to be noticeable in the 1970’s, marked the transition of the dominance of a few oligopolistic firms from a half century reign of mass-production to the current period of ‘mass customization’. Seemingly at odds with one another, the terms â€Å"mass customization† reveal an dynamic tension that is as evident on the factory floor and is in the market place. As technologies emerged that made it possible to store and analyze large amounts of data collided with the ability to precisely control manufacturing processes, the reality of being able to cost effectively introduced customer-requested variances in the processes of production heralded the birth of mass customization. In stark contrast to a ‘one-option’ Model T, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler (the ‘Big 3’) offered a plethora of models and options ranging from color, upholstery and interior appointments, engines, transmissions and more all for largely the same cost as one ‘off the rack’. This flexibility is easily reflected by a conversation with any US person over age 25 when asked what ordering anything but a ‘stock cheeseburger’ was like in the eighties. Now, the experience is much different with Burger King even going to far as to adopt the slogan, â€Å"We do it your way.† While mass customization continues to grow and flourish, mass production is not dead by any means but continues to be redefined in ways that â€Å"modify traditional [Fordism] relationships between capital and labor† (Pietrykowski 1999, p. 194). At the heart of Fordism is the congruence between large, vertically integrated firms competing in oligopolistic markets by striving for cost efficiencies through mass production principles. In contrast, post-Fordism is a combined economy / method that makes great use of the ability to deliver relatively customized goods on a large scale by using multi-skilled workers in firm that is strives to be market-sensitive so as to be able match demand (Friedman 2000, pp. 59-60). Though in many ways Fordism and post-Fordism could be viewed as being antagonistic to one another, by understanding the progression of early management styles and the accomplishments in productivity achieved, the idea that one is the necessary precursor to the other can not be overlooked. And so, in seeking greater understand of these concepts as periods of time during which there is a changing of dominant paradigms, the analogy of â€Å"night and day† is not so appropriate as perhaps â€Å"dawn and dusk† in that they are two perspectives on the same entity of the path to profitability. Works Consulted Clarke, S. (1992). â€Å"What in the F‘s Name is Fordism†. Fordism and Flexibility. (Gilbert, N., Burrows, R., Pollert, A., eds.). St. Martins Press: New York, New York. Friedman, A. (2000). â€Å"Microregulation and Post-Fordism: Critique and Development of Regulation Theory†. New Political Economy, (5), 1, pp. 59-76. Grint, K. (1991). The Sociology of Work. Polity Press: Cambridge, UK. Pietrykowski, B. (1999, June). â€Å"Beyond the Fordist/Post-Fordist Dichotomy: Working Through The Second Industrial Divide†. Review of Social Economy, (LVII), 2, pp. 177-198.

Gothic Genre: The Red Room versus The Monkeys Paw Essay -- essays res

The Red Room was written in the late 19th century by H.G Wells. During this time the gothic genre was incredibly popular with every type of person as it was a great form of entertainment due to the fact they didn't have a television or a computer back then. The gothic genre started becoming most popular in 1837 and continuing untill 1901 during the Victorian period, they appeared in magazines as short,cliffhanger ending,eerie stories. The most famous examples of gothic stories are "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly and "Dracula" by Bram Stoker which most people have heard of. The Red Room is a prime example of a gothic story. It shows typical characteristics that would be included in a story of the gothic genre. Even the title of the book "The Red Room" has a certain darkness about it. "The" makes it sound unique as though there is only one red room which sounds very different to saying "a" red room and by chosing to do this there is a sense of weirdness before the book has even been read. "Red" makes us think of blood, anger and evil. There is also alliteration in the title with the hard sounding "r" . The story starts off with a rainy, gloomy,candle light or fire light setting, very typical opening features of a story written in the gothic genre. H.G Wells describes a fire-lightened room and straight away ghosts and the supernatural are mentioned by the main character, this gets the reader involved straight away where it starts with speech. After this the reader meets the strange characters of the story - the old people.When the narrator meets the old people we see his arrogence towards them as he describes them in a sense that he is actually mocking them and their suspicions to do with the red room. When infact the old people... ...ey have a mind of their own and they are out to get the narrator. The ending of the story tells the reader that there was nothing in the red room, all that time the reader was convinced that there was some sort of ghost or spirit present at the time so because you find this out the tension level goes down. The tension also increases as the old man describes how fear is what he discovered in the red room describing it as "a power of darkness". This spooks the reader. H.G Wells, the author of "The Red Room" has used certain writing techniques in order to create and build up tension in his story. Techniques such as imagery, alliteration, repitition, choice of language and punctuation in order to create a tension build up or decrease. I think the story is a typical one of the gothic genre as it explores each idea of being trapped , darkness and fear very well.

Satire in Pride and Prejudice Essay -- essays research papers

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen satirizes the entire premise of social statuses and how they affect the people around them in her book Pride and Prejudice. To make her characters look ridiculous she evinces the folly of them by using satirical tools: irony of situation, verbal irony, and dramatic irony. Jane Austen utilizes these distinct satirical tools throughout Pride and Prejudice tools to help point out the ridiculousness of the characters and to point out how the different social statuses affect how the characters act around the each other. Irony of situation is one of the most prevalent tools of satire used in Pride and Prejudice. Mrs. Bennet is full of ridiculous statements that contradict what she should actually be saying or doing. One example is after Elizabeth had declined the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins, her mother went on to say, ?I told you in the library, I should never speak to you again, and you will find me as good as my word. I have no pleasure in talking to undutiful children? (99). The irony in the situation comes from the fact that Mrs. Bennet makes such an effort to tell her daughter she doesn?t want to talk to her daughter, yet she goes on and on talking about how she is the target of so many complaints from her daughters. Verbal irony is also widely used throughout the book. After Charlotte marries Mr. Collins she is introduced to Miss Catherine de Burgh, who is regarded in the highest form by Mr. Collins, but unfortunately Charlotte merely tolerates her and her husbands? seemingly obsessive interest in her wealth and dignity. This tolerance is evidenced when Catherine has just heard her husband speak extravagantly about his benefactress she says to him, ?Lady Catherine is a very respec... ...rs. Bennet?s ridiculousness comes from the scene where Jane has become ill and is at the Bingley residence, learning of this Mrs. Bennet says, ?As long as she stays there, it is all very well? (26). This shows that Mrs. Bennet is completely serious when she says that it isn?t a big deal if her daughter is sick as long as she is in the company of a rich man who could possibly marry her. The characters take a completely serious tone towards things that the reader knows to be irrational and ridiculous. Jane Austen uses various satirical tools?irony of situation, verbal irony, dramatic irony?to point out the many issues that her characters have. Pride and Prejudice uses these tools to show how ridiculous the characters really do become in their pursuit of either a higher social status or to show the absurdity in the way the characters interact with each other.

Research Method on Culture

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 0Introduction In order to provide a clear insight into this study, this chapter starts with the background of the study, problem statement, purpose of the study, research objective, research question, research hypothesis, significance of the study, study of framework, and the outline for chapter 2 and chapter 3. This chapter outline about an overview of managing cultural diversity among employees toward the effectiveness working environment in hotel industry in Malaysia. Subsequent sections deal with contribution of the study to the literature and discuss the structure and the research design of the proposal. 1. Background of the study Cultural diversity has become a hot-button issue when applied to the workplace (Kimberly Amadeo, 2012). What is cultural diversity in the workplace? Culture refers to the values, norms, and traditions that affect the way a member of a group typically perceives, thinks, interacts, behaves, and makes judgments (Alpert, 1992). Di versity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to ages, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, 1995).Hence, cultural diversity is when differences in race, ethnicity, language, nationality, religion, and sexual orientation are represented within a community. A community is said to be culturally diverse if its residents include members of different groups. The community can be a country, region or city (Kimberly Amadeo, 2012). Malaysia is one of the most culturally and economically diverse regions of the world (Fisher, 1996). Malaysia is one of the most diverse countries in terms of ethnicity, religion, spirituality, language, and culture (Malaysia Info, 2009).Ethnicity refers to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set apart one group of people from another (Cliffnote, n. d . ). The population of Malaysia consists of three main ethnic groups—Malays, Chinese, and peoples of the South Asian subcontinent (Encyclopedia of the nations, 2012). Religion originates in an attempt to represent and order beliefs, feelings, imagining and actions that arise in response to direct experience of the sacred and the spiritual (Connelly, 1996). The official religion of Malaysia is Islam, and is practiced by the majority of Malays, and a portion of the Indian community.Under the constitution, other races are free to practice any religion in an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance. The other main religions include Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity (Expatgomalaysia, 201). The essence of spirituality is the search to know our real self, to discover the true nature of consciousness (Russell, 2006). Language is a human system of communication that uses arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols ( Nordquist, 2012). Hence, managing diversity in the workplace is a challenge for any manager, but it can be accomplished using some basic tools.Managers need to go above and beyond their comfort level to develop knowledge about cultural difference and sensitivity to diversity issues. Take a leap and establish relationships at work with individuals who are different from them. The more natural thing is for people to surround themselves with individuals who are similar to them. By building relationships with individuals with different backgrounds, they will learn about the talent and knowledge they can add to the organization ( Noe, 2009). Cultural diversity is broad concept in hotel industry in Malaysia.Employing a diverse workforce give benefit in higher productivity, lower employee turnover, better understanding of client, and enhanced corporate reputation (Employing a diverse workforce: making it work, 2008). Managed well, diversity provides benefits that increase effectiveness in working environment. However, when ignored or mismanaged, it brings challenges and obstacles that can hinder the organization’s ability to effective (Gardenswartz & Rowe, n. d. ). 1. 2 Problem statement Managing cultural diversity is becoming an issue in the hotel industry especially to Human Resource manager (Holaday, 2007).The improper managing cultural diversity among employees will create less effective in working environment. When ignored or mismanaged, it brings challenges and obstacles that can hinder the organization’s ability to effective and success (Gardenswartz & Rowe, n. d. ). The previous researcher Al-Jenaib said that diversity can also lead to miscommunication, dysfunctional adaptation behaviors and the creation of barriers that reduce the benefits diversity can bring to the organization (Al-Jenaib, 2012). Plus, cultural diversity can create stereotype perception and exclusive work environment.Area of concern about this study is to managing cultural diversity among employees to improve the effectiveness in working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area. Numerous studies have been conducted in other countries outside Malaysia in managing cultural diversity among employees but there is limited studies were found regarding managing cultural diversity among employees towards the effectiveness working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia only that focused on Kuala Lumpur area.This study is importance to provide benefits to the organization in Kuala Lumpur area that come from the diverse employees to give the effectiveness working environment. The previous studies highlighted that managing workplace diversity has become a priority concern among organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is under increased pressure to appropriately employ and manage people of diverse cultural and racial backgrounds (Walck, 1995).Furthermore, there is as more and more minority groups enter the hos pitality industry of the United States, such as the group generations of African American, Hispanic Origin, and Asian, managing cultural diversity is becoming a challenging issue in this industry, especially to HR managers (Holaday, 2007). Yi Gong, (2008) has mentioned in his studies that related study needs to be conducted to facilitate the industry to understand the opportunities and advantages of successfully managing cultural diversity.Meanwhile, the program of action to increase general awareness of cultural diversity should be created to support the company policy (Baum, 2007). They should also be given training to increase their knowledge and skills to dealing with people having different cultural backgrounds (Baum, 2007). 1. 3 Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to determine managing cultural diversity among employees towards the effectiveness working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area.Four major related variables be ing tested in this research consists of create an inclusive work environment, avoid stereotyping, applying training program and communicating with staffs for the effectiveness in working environment. 1. 4 Research objective As the issue of the study had been identified, the objectives of the study that had been derived are as follows: 1. To identify the major factor in managing cultural diversity among employees that give effect to the effectiveness working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area 2.To explore the benefit in managing cultural diversity among employees that give effect to the effectiveness working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area 1. 5 Research question In conducting the research and based on the objectives above, there are several questions identified which are: 1. What are the major factor in managing cultural diversity among employees that give effect to the effectiveness working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area 2.What are the benefit in managing cultural diversity among employees that give effect to the effectiveness working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area 1. 6 Significance of the study This study contributes to the theoretical advancement in the field of hotel industry by empirically testing a structured model to managing cultural diversity among employees toward the effectiveness working environment in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area.This study can help the organization in managing cultural diversity that will enhance the company benefits in return such like higher productivity, lower employee turnover, better understanding of client, and enhanced corporate reputation (Employing a diverse workforce: making it work, 2008). By having strategic inclusion plan in work environment, this gives benefit to the employees. The diverse staf fs know they are valued and feel they belong.The staffs are more likely to feel that way when they are treated with respect the leader and their peers, given the chance to use their talents to the fullest and assured of equal opportunities to move ahead (Employing a diverse workforce: making it work, 2008). This study also can help university to expand the body of knowledge by providing some useful information regarding the cultural diversity management in working environment and the research from students can be as one of the sources and references for other students to conduct research or assignments. 1. 7 Study of framework Create an inclusive work environmentAvoid stereotyping Effectiveness working environment Managing cultural diversity Apply training program Communicating with staffs 1. 8 Outline The next chapter will be the second and third chapter of the research proposal. Chapter 2 will Start with the literature review of the four variables which is create an inclusive work environment, avoid stereotyping, apply training program and communicating with staffs. Chapter 3 will start with the process of conducting the research such as data collection method, research design, measurement of variable, sample frame, sample size, sampling techniques, and followed by data analysis techniques.CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW. 2. 0Introduction In this chapter will clarify about related theories from past researcher regarding this study. This study is explain about the literature review. It is also based on findings that are collected through journal, article and also website. 2. 1 Literature Review Literature review is process that involves the identification of published and unpublished work from secondary data sources on the topic interest, the evaluation of this work in relation to the problem and the documentation of this work.It also provides the foundation for developing a comprehensive theoretical framework. 2. 2 Stereotyping in Cultural Diversity. Stereotypes lead to assumptions and conclusions based on a person's race, gender or sexual preferences. Making these assumptions and conclusions then leads to discrimination. Stereotypes can be about race, religion, gender, age, disabilities, income, geographical locations. ( A. Sahar, 2011 ) . Stereotype threat refers to being at risk of confirming, as a self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's social group (Steele & Aronson, 1995).In general, the conditions that produce stereotype threat are ones in which a highlighted stereotype implicates the self though association with a relevant social category (Marx & Stapel, 2006; Marx, Stapel, & Muller, 2005). Stereotype also defined as a cognitive link between two social or personal concepts (e. g. , the Self, social groups, identities, attributes, traits, behaviors) that are not defining features for one another (Allport, 1954; Devine, 1989). For example, if dark skin is the defining feature for being Black, then the link between dark skin and the Black racial group is not a stereotype.But, a link between Black and poor is a stereotype, even if there is a correlational, causal, or cultural connection. Stereotyping is the application of a stereotype (Bodenhausen & Wyer, 1985; Devine, 1989; Hamilton & Sherman, 1994), inferring one characteristic (e. g. , worthless) from the other (e. g. , me). A stereotype can be almost any thought that oversimplifies a person or group, although will be focus primarily on negative, well-rehearsed, automatically activated stereotypes.There are several relevant characteristics of stereotypes to note: Stereotypes can be socially shared (i. e. , consensual, collective) or exist in the mind of only one person (i. e. , nonconsensual, individual; see Ashmore & Del Boca, 1979; Stangor & Schaller, 1996). Stereotypes can be based on a prominent group membership (e. g. , a woman stereotyping herself as nurturant because of her gender), based on a mundane characteristic (e. g. , someone stere otyping a man as Irish because he has red hair), or be unrelated to social group (e. . , a wife stereotyping her husband as lazy). Stereotypes can link people to characteristics that are negative (e. g. , criminal), neutral (e. g. , enjoys basketball), or positive (e. g. , good at math). Even positive stereotypes can have undesirable negative sequelae, because they set up unfair expectations (see shifting standards; Biernat & Vescio, 2002; McCabe & Brannon, 2004). 2. 3Create an inclusive work environment. INCLUSION: A PHILOSPHY WE BELIEVE IN â€Å"Our diversity mission is to be one company, one team, all-inclusive†¦It's about bringing out the best in each of us, so that we can achieve great things together. † It's about listening to the voices of our employees and partners to help shape our future. It is through this process that we set goals and develop a strategy that will hold us accountable for making Lockheed Martin a place of â€Å"institutionalized inclusion. â⠂¬  (Robert, 2012). The term inclusion is also used to describe the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity—in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical).Inclusion describes the ways in which individuals might connect that increase one’s awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and emphatic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions. (www. aacu. org/inclusive_excellence/index. cfm). Diversity and inclusion is about creating a work force that represents the global communities in which we live and work and ensuring an environment in which every individual’s contributions are valued.A diverse and inclusive environment challenges our way of thinking by bringing together a variety of talents, backgrounds and experiences, and serves as a catalyst for new ideas and innovation. ( Conocco). 2. 4Applying training program. T o meet the cultural diversity challenges, companies in the hospitality industry must have sensitivity to differences (Clarke, 2007). Diversity training and education are necessary and essential to help companies in the industry to become competitive and successful (Christensen, 1993).The increased globalization of hospitality industry has made it necessary for international companies in the industry to work effectively in foreign environments. Diversity management training program such as cross-cultural training can help international managers to learn knowledge about different cultures and help them to develop skills of managing cultural diversity issues, which can therefore significantly reduce the potential costly failure caused by cultural difference problems (Caudron, 1991).For international hospitality companies, preparing current managers and future expatriate mangers with cross-cultural sensibilities is important. To diminish cultural barriers that managers of international hospitality companies may encounter in foreign countries, they will have to aware their own ethnocentric viewpoints and have the willingness to go beyond them and learn about a different cultural environment (Canen, 1999). The cross-cultural training section should be added into the training program to direct and help the trainees to understand the cultural expectations and their additional nonverbal behavioral manifestations.Diversity management training and multicultural education teach employees about various cultures. These training programs help to diminish stereotypes and allow trainees to see the cultural differences and the truth about other cultures. By the training, employees will show more respect to other people with different cultural backgrounds, and achieve more understanding of others’ beliefs and their traditions (Fernandez, Kleiner & Sturz, 2005).The training program emphasizes communication and educational training, which has positive impact to both minorit y and non-minority employees (Weaver & Wilborn, 2002). Since multicultural workforce includes every job position from the top management down to low-level employees (Elmuti, 2001), diversity management training should be conducted in all levels in the hospitality industry but not only in the entry-level or low-skilled level (Weaver & Wilborn, 2002). Say, specific training programs aiming at managing cultural diversity should be carefully designed, continually enforced, and gradually improved.Moreover, it cannot be ignored that for any training program that has the chance of long-term success, upper level management must be involved to ensure the implementation of diversity practices (Ahmed, 2006). 2. 5Communicating with staff. Different languages and various cultural backgrounds increase the difficulty of communication between employees in the workplaces. Language is always viewed as a crucial one among all the cultural features that make up cultural identity (Ganen, 1999).As Geert Hofstede, the famous writer of Culture’s Consequence, an influential book published since 1980, said in an interview, â€Å"I would say that understanding of other languages is almost a necessary, albeit insufficient, condition for the understanding of the phenomenon of culture (Powell, 2006, p. 13)†. Language differences often result in miscommunication. Rather than coming naturally, communication competence is a learned process like some other skills, which therefore increases the difficulty employees with different backgrounds to understand each other quickly and correctly.In addition, an intercultural communication may encounter more specific problems than a communication with one culture does. With different knowledge or experience, people in an intercultural communication have more difficulty to interpret others’ behavior, which increases their uncertainty of how other persons will respond to the communication (Baum et al, 2007). Employees of a company wit h diversity environment are therefore often poorly prepared to manage the high uncertainty experienced in intercultural communication.For example, an immigrant worker from Asia might be lack of knowledge or experience in dealing with a local American employee who was born and brought up in the United States. Different cultural backgrounds often engender misunderstanding when communication becomes unsuccessful or inefficient (Baum el al, 2007). Not only the workers, to effectively manage team members with diverse cultural backgrounds, line managers also need to be sensitive to the cultural differences that may affect the working relationship of employees.The ability to work effectively with people who have diverse backgrounds is one of the essential skills that hospitality managers require but may often lack (Baum, et al), which increases the possibility of miscommunication in the workplaces. Particularly, when individuals fail to conduct an effective cultural communication, they may feel themselves excluded. At the same time, some feelings may be provoked such as suspicion, lack of confidence, and even hostility. In many oversea properties of the international hospitality companies, problems causes by communication difficulty seem more prominent.Take the expatriate mangers for instance, communication difficulties can negatively influent their everyday life, which makes them unhappy with their current situation and prevents them from successfully adjusting to the host country and its culture. Obviously, proper cross-cultural training can help employees to cope with intercultural communication obstacle. For expatriate managers, effective communication helps them to become more efficient in the workplace, reduce their emotional stress, and ultimately aid them to complete the cultural adjustment successfully (Seymen, 2006).The following section will discuss more on methodology. At methodology researcher will highlight about the method that will be used to collect data. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3. 0Introduction This chapter is exploring about the methodology of this research. It involves the process of conducting the research which is research design that consist of purpose of the study, types of investigation, study setting, unit of analysis, sampling design, data collection method, measurement and data analysis technique. 3. 1Purpose of study In this research, it falls under descriptive research.Descriptive research is undertaken in order to ascertain and be able to describe the characteristics of the variables of interest in a situation (Sekaran, 2010). Here, this study will try to determine and describe the major factor that influence effectiveness working environment among employees. It undertaken to understand whether managing cultural diversity among employees can create effectiveness working environment by apply training program, inclusive work environment, avoid stereotype and increase communicating skill among employees. . 2Type of inv estigation Correlation study involved in this study which is researcher interested in explaining the important variables associated with the problem. In this study researcher wants to investigate whether the independent variable have relationship with dependent variables. 3. 3Study Setting This study falls into non-contrived setting category. Non-contrived known as a research can be done in natural environment where work proceeds normally.Researchers do the research to know the effectiveness in managing cultural diversity among employees on the working performance by avoid stereotypes, give effective training program, inclusive working environment and lastly, communicating skills with staff. 3. 4Unit of analysis The unit of analysis refers to the level of aggregation of the data collected during the subsequent data analysis stage (Sekaran, 2010). Here the unit of analysis is an individual. The problem statement focuses in managing cultural diversity among employees, either it is eff ective or not.For this purpose, data will have to be collected from each individual staff member works in hotel industries in Malaysia through questionnaire answered by them. 3. 5Sampling Design Sampling is the process of selecting a sufficient number of the right elements from the population, so that a study of the sample and an understanding of its properties or characteristics make it possible for us to generalize such properties or characteristics to the population elements (Sekaran, 2010). 3. 5. 1PopulationAccording to Sekaran, (2010) population refers to the entire group of people, events or things of interest that the researcher wishes to investigate. In this study, the population is employees who worked in the hotel industry in Malaysia that focused on Kuala Lumpur area. The researchers want to select only from difference 3 types of hotels in Kuala Lumpur area that consists of 3, 4 and 5 Stars of hotel. 3. 5. 2Sample Size Sample is a subset of the population that compromise some members selected from it. It is not all but only some elements of the population from the sample (Sekaran, 2010).In this study, the sample size determined based on Uma Sekaran. Sample for this study are 60 employees in 3 hotels that we have been selected which mean 20 samples of employees from each of the hotel in Kuala Lumpur area. 3. 5. 3Sampling Techniques 3. 6 Data collection method 3. 7Research Instrument 3. 8Data analysis techniques This research will use one of the statistical analysis packages that are Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) to analyze the data will be collected from respondents. By using this software, it will help the researcher in determining the best statistical techniques. CONCLUSIONCultural diversity has become a hot-button issue when applied to the workplace (Kimberly Amadeo, 2012). What is cultural diversity in the workplace? Culture refers to the values, norms, and traditions that affect the way a member of a group typically perceives , thinks, interacts, behaves, and makes judgments (Richard T. Alpert, 1992). Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to ages, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et al. 1995). Hence, cultural diversity is when differences in race, ethnicity, language, nationality, religion, and sexual orientation are represented within a community. A community is said to be culturally diverse if its residents include members of different groups. The community can be a country, region or city (Kimberly Amadeo, 2012). Literature reviews starting with create an inclusive work environment, avoid stereotyping, and apply training program and communicating with staffs for the effectiveness in working environment.In methodology section, it involves the process of conducting the research such as data collection m ethod, research design, measurement of variable, sample frame, sample size, sampling techniques, and followed by data analysis techniques. References 1. Gong, Yi. (2008). Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Retrieved from http://digitalscholarship. unlv. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1510&context=thesesdissertations&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. google. com. y%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dmanaging%2520cultural%2520diver sity%2520in%2520hospitality%2520industry%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26ved%3D0CDUQFjAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalscholarship. unlv. edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent. cgi%253Farticle%253D1510%2526context%253Dthesesdissertations%26ei%3DNnPXUOnpMMLrrQeVjYGICw%26usg%3DAFQjCNHirR665qOBrjsRIylCrArc7q6hYQ#search=%22managing%20cultural%20diversity%20hospitality%20industry%22 2. Gardenswartz, L. , & Rowe, A. The effective management of cultural diversity Retrieved from http://www. agepub. com/upm-data/26078_pt2. p df 3. Al-Jenaibi, B. (2012). The scope and impact of workplace diversity in the United Arab Emirates – A preliminary study. Geografia online Malaysia Journal of Society and Space(1), 1-14. 4. Human resource strategies for employers. (2008). Employing a diverse workforce: making it work. Retrieved from http://alis. alberta. ca/pdf/cshop/employdiverse. pdf 5. Amadeo, K. (2012). Cultural diversity. Retrieved from http://useconomy. about. com/od/suppl1/g/Cultural-Diversity. htm . Green, K. A. , Lopez, M. , Wysocki, A. , & Kepner, K. (2012). Diversity in the workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Managerial Tools. Retrieved from http://edis. ifas. ufl. edu/hr022 7. Syed, J. , & F. Ozbilgin, M. (2010). Managing Cultural Diversity in Asia: A Research Companion (pp. 556). Retrieved from http://books. google. com. my/books? id=bKW8_RhVwkEC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=Malaysia+is+one+of+the+most+culturally+and+economically+diverse+regions+of+the+world+(Fisher,+1996). amp;source=bl&o ts=Mr_CoDtCTd&sig=c2mPgfMMHlH0KKAR1MS9jhwiCUs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=YITXUIiGLYrirAe7joDwBw&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Malaysia%20is%20one%20of%20the%20most%20culturally%20and%20economically%20diverse%20regions%20of%20the%20world%20(Fisher%2C%201996). &f=false 8. Malaysia – Ethnic groups. (2012). In Encyclopedia of the Nations. Retrieved from http://www. nationsencyclopedia. com/Asia-and-Oceania/Malaysia-ETHNIC-GROUPS. html#b 9. Dhunna, R. (2009). Managing Diversity. Available from http://www. slideshare. net/humaapkeliye/managing-diversity-1280026

Nike Inc. Business Executive Essay

Nike, Inc. is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of all different types of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide range of sports as well as fitness activities. As far as the locations of where Nike, Inc. sells and distributes, the company licenses its products in approximately over 200 countries around the globe, focusing its products under seven different key categories including running, basketball, football, soccer, men’s and women’s training, Nike sportswear, and secondary Affiliate Brands (Converse, Inc., Hurley International LLC, Jordan Brand, and Nike Golf). Currently, Nike, Inc. is operating segments in over six different global locations including North America, Western Europe,  Central Europe, Eastern Europe, China, and other emerging markets. As far as Nike consumer products go, Nike operates as a company that specifically specializes in fast pace industries concerning various different types of athletic footwear, clothing, and equipment. Right now, this industry is right on point in its competitiveness, exposing Nike to the risk of falling behind to its competitors or by not meeting the demanding innovation standards that are demanded by customers. In order for Nike to stay on top of customer demand, the company must continue to revolutionize and predict consumer preferences. Other companies that are in this industry such as Adidas and Reebok rely on a strong reputation and creative brand images in order to obtain worldwide recognition. If, in the rare occurrence, Nike, Inc. was to attract any negative publicity through the press, it would substantially affect the company’s revenue as well as growth rates. As far as Nike’s strategy goes, it is shooting to achieve a long-term revenue growth by creating various different types of innovative, â€Å"must have† products that will build a deep personal connection with its consumers. As far as Nike’s brands go, the company strives to deliver comp elling consumer experiences through not only retail stores, but online avenues as well. Being the global leader in athletic sportswear, Nike is no longer considered a stranger to the increasingly distinctive and unstable environment of the global economy that has been experienced through recent years. All of Nike’s products have now been subject to the risks that have been associated with overseas outsourcing as well as manufacturing and financing. In lieu of the decline of global capital and credit market conditions that have been threatening to Nike’s business, Nike stands strong in remaining focused on its business strategy, and the company continues to expand long-term growth for its stakeholders. One may wonder exactly how Nike plans to do this in a variety of difficult conditions. The answer is innovation. Innovation and constant improvement at Nike is all about how the company leverages its new ideas and expands them into new parts of the world by driving through barriers and in short, thinking outside of the box. Disregarding the ongoing challenges the harsh economy throws Nike’s way, somehow the company is still able to continue delivering a record revenue in the fiscal year of 2012, continuing to outperform its past five fiscal years. Nike’s r evenues had grown from 16% to $24.1 billion and net income has increased by 4% to  $2.2 billion in fiscal 2012. Looking back at Nike’s past four fiscal years, the company has continued to deliver a positive return on net income despite being subject to the economy’s unstable tax and currency rates. As mentioned previously, in fiscal year 2012, Nike’s revenues increased among all operating segments, specifically North America, contributed to over 7%, while other emerging markets as well as China contributed only 4%. Provided with the information, it is now visible how the brand Nike, Inc. continues to be the powerhouse of revenues by generating $13.4 billion alone. Throughout the years, Nike continually invests into innovative strategies the company believes will continually raise annual growth. As a result of the company’s optimism, in 2012 Nike signed an agreement to sell two of its affiliate brands: Umbro and Cole Haan. Despite Nike parting ways with these two developed brands, that action now enabled the company to focus on the highest possible opportunities to d rive a maintainable, profitable growth margin for its shareholders. With the provided information above, it is clear to see exactly what a powerhouse Nike, Inc. is when it comes to athletic sportswear. Although this statement is correct, the interworkings of the company are much more complicated than they seem and more importantly, Nike still has plenty of room for work and improvement. From an operations analysis standpoint, this paper will include specifically how Nike is an effective company. Specifically the main topics will include: products and services, operations and management, alignment of operations, business strategy, and finally just a brief summary of everything and recommendations that are hypothesized to make Nike a better company. History (Robert Leoniy) The two men that started this athletic powerhouse were Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. Bill Bowerman was a nationally recognized track and field coach at the University of Oregon and Phil Knight was a talented middle-distance runner who ran for Bill Bowerman’s team in the Fall of 1955 at the University of Oregon. Between 1950-1959 is where everything all started. In 1964, the first deal for Nike had been made. At that time Nike had not been called Nike. It had gone by the name of Blue Ribbon Sports. The first deal was on a mutual handshake, $500, and mutual trust between both partners and the first order of 300 shoes was placed in January 1964. Between 1970-1979, the birth of the Nike Brand had emerged. Around 1971, the company decided to expand being just a footwear distributor to designing and selling an original line of shoes. Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, selected and made the brand mark known today as â€Å"the swoosh† in January of 1972. The logo was then unveiled at the U.S. Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon. They then needed an athlete to promote Nike. They chose Mr. Steve Prefontaine, a young man who was a track athlete from the small coastal town of Coos Bay, Oregon. He also challenged Knight and Bowermann to become more and more creative. He died tragically in 1975 at the age of 24, but is still considered by Phillip Knight as â€Å"the soul of Nike.† Since the ‘80s, Nike has continued to grow and become an innovative company in the athletic industry. Phillip H. Knight is still the Chairman of the Board of Directors while Mr. Mark Parker is the current President & Chief Executive Officer of Nike, Inc. They have grown immensely from just footwear and will continue to do so through innovation. Mission/ Business Strategy (Brian Frederick) Nike’s Mission, as stated on its website is, â€Å"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world† (Nike.com). The asterisk that goes next to athlete in the mission and on the bottom of the mission statement signifies, â€Å"If you have a body, you are an athlete† (Nike.com). Bill Bowerman, co-owner of Nike, is the one who formed this quote. This is a smart marketing and business strategy for Nike Inc. because some people might not feel that they are athletes if they have not played sports or anything of that nature. It can be a boost of confidence for those people that do not consider themselves to be athletic. It also can be sense of motivation and that start that they need to become active. If a well-known athletic brand like Nike Inc. tells consumers that everyone is an athlete, then people will get motivated and want to live a healthier more athletic lifestyle. Also, when people live a healthier and more athletic lifestyle, it helps Nike, Inc. become more and more successful. Nike is all about athletic apparel. They range from athletic clothing to athletic shoes to athletic accessories, etc. They have a Nike Sector for almost every sport. They have Nike Football, Nike Basketball, Nike Soccer, Nike Golf, Nike  Running, Nike BASEBALL, Nike Sportswear, Nike Women’s, and many more. Nike indeed caters to every different kind of athlete. That is part of the reason why Nike does so well. They are an extremely diversified company in terms of the athletic market. They cover all ranges making them attractive to all kinds of people. Although the company has many different avenues, Nike Inc. is most famous for their shoes. When you think of Nike, you think of the swoosh symbol and their shoes. The two most popular types of shoes are their running shoes and their basketball shoes. They definitely have created the most revenue and have been the most successful sector within Nike Inc. over the years. These shoes, especially the basketball shoes, have a lot of celebrity endorsements. Professional basketball players, like Lebron James, have their own shoe lines. People wait in line for hours to get these special edition shoes. While considering basketball players with their own shoe lines, it is relevant to mention how Nike differentiates itself by retaining some wholly owned affiliates. Converse, Inc., Hurley International, LLC. and Nike Golf are all affiliated with Nike, Inc. As of the first quarter for 2014, Converse is recorded separately while Nike Golf and Hurley International are included in the overall financi al statements for Nike. Continuing from the statements above, Nike owns Jordan Brand. Jordan Brand was created by Michael Jordan, who is said to be the best basketball player that has ever lived and played the game. Signing Michael Jordan to his own brand of Nike basketball shoes did wonders for Nike. The celebrity endorsement has lead to great exposure for the company. Because of Michael Jordan having his own Nike brand, the basketball shoes sector of Nike grew a tremendous amount. While Nike has the swoosh symbol that is very well know, Air Jordan has the jump man symbol that has become very popular. It is almost as recognizable as the swoosh symbol. With Jordan Brand, Michael Jordan has been able to gain many basketball superstars and give them their own shoe lines. This has been something that has been very popular for Nike in the past and this prospect seems it will continue to become more and more successful. Jordan Brand already has superstars like Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Lebron James with full-fledged lines of basketball shoes and the l ist will only grow. Nike’s main goal has been its ability to develop  and mature. They have always been innovative in the athletic department. They are always developing new kinds of athletic materials whether it is a new kind of shoe, a better shirt, or a new accessory. All of their products are developed and made with the idea of optimizing each and every athlete’s performance. The company tries to help an average athlete feel that he or she can make it to the next level if he or she chooses Nike products. Nike ties in its business strategy of optimizing athletic performance with its marketing tactics by doing this. Not everyone is a super-athlete, but if Nike can help a consumer feel that he will be the best athlete possible and perform his best while using Nike products. Also, on its website Nike has an article titled Our Sustainable Strategy with the subtitle The game has changed, forever. It states, â€Å"Our vision is to build a sustainable business and create value for Nike and our stakeholders by decouping profitable growth from constrained resour ces† (Nike.com). They have taken this strategy and will apply it with much research. Because they have â€Å"sustainable strategy,† that does not mean that Nike will not continue to be innovative. They will continue â€Å"sustainable innovation† where the company will improve its products that it has, but will also continue to make newer and better products. SWOT Analysis (Brian Frederick) An article on valueline.com, shows a SWOT report of Nike, Inc. The article is titled NIKE:A Short SWOT Analysis and was written by Justin Hellman on March 10, 2014. The first strength talked about in the chart was talked about earlier when talking about Nike’s business strategy. That strength is product innovation. The article states, â€Å"Nike has a long tradition of staying ahead of the technology curve, which has helped it attract loyal followers and influential endorsements from professional athletes, from Michael Jordan to Tiger Woods† (Hellman Paragraph 3). Like stated before, Nike continues to improve their products to help athletes all over the world perform to their best abilities while have major superstars endorse their products. The second strength is strong cash flow. Nike often has a good amount of cash on hand which can help itself a lot when it wants to buy back stock and increase its stock price. Justin also stated, â€Å"The company generates a lot  of free cash flow, a good portion of which it uses to enhance shareholder value,† and later states, â€Å"There’s ample cash, in the meantime, for NI KE to maintain a large R&D budget† (Hellman Paragraph 4). Nike has a lot of cash to increase the stock’s value but it also uses that money to help continue its innovation procedures. Nike’s only real big weakness is it’s high advertising costs. Justin states, â€Å"Part of the company’s marketing strategy involves locking up major sports stars in lengthy endorsement deals† (Hellman Paragraph 4). All of the major celebrities that NIKE endorses do take a hefty amount of their revenues to pay. Their advertising expenses are high because of the major celebrities but Nike shows that the feel spending the extra money on those celebrities helps them out in the overall scheme of things. Justin Hellman states two major opportunities for Nike also. He states that there are â€Å"favorable industry trends†, â€Å"direct to consumer†, and â€Å"emerging market growth†. Two major things play into the favorable industry trends opportunity. Consumers now have a desire for, â€Å"minimalist footwearà ¢â‚¬  where they want the lightest shoe possible which also links to the increased popularity of running (Hellman Paragraph 5). There is also an increase in the want for fashion in the athletic apparel industry and Nike already has a very well developed logo to go with its name. The next opportunity is â€Å"direct to consumer† (Hellman Paragraph 6). Ecommerce is a major factor in this opportunity and is expected to multiply by almost four times going from $540 million to $2 billion. Also, â€Å"At present there are over 750 retail units worldwide, including over 300 in the United States† (Hellman Paragraph 6). While there are already 750 retail units worldwide, Nike is planning on expanding that number in the future. The other opportunity is â€Å"emerging market growth† (Hellman Paragraph 7). China is definitely a key opportunity that Nike would like to enter. Hellman states, â€Å"But China, with its huge population and emerging middle class, still represents and excellent long-range opportunity for the company† (Hellman Paragraph 7). Nike might not emerge in China just yet but, if it can, that would be a great boost to Nike profits. Also, Justin talks about how Brazil presents a great opportunity with its large population and passion for sports. Finally, there were two major threats stated and those were â€Å"heightened competition† and â€Å"product cost inflation† (Hellman Paragraphs 8 & 9). In recent years, companies have increased the quality of their products and such. There have  also been more companies that have been created and have given good competition to NIKE. The most notable company has been Under Armour that went public in 2005. The price of materials has also increased since the beginning of NIKE and seems that it will continue to increase. â€Å"Rising raw material costs are apt to be a long-term headwind, with the developing world continuing to use up more commodities. Labor inflation will likely be an issue too† (Hellman Paragraph 9). As the prices and costs to make the products of Nike, Inc., increases so will the price of the products Nike provides. Overall, Nike still seems to be a company that will be successful in the future. Most of the strengths and opportunities seem to outweigh the weaknesses and threats. The threats that Nike, Inc. has might damper the profits of the company a little but not anything too significant. Also, with the pr oblems of inflation and increased competition, Nike is not alone in the fact that all companies have to deal with all of those factors also. Nike, Inc. will still be a competitive force and can still be a leader in the athletic industry. Company Operations (Catherine Aloise) Because Nike is such a large and complex company, the operations that go with the day-to-day and long-term operations are extensive and multifaceted. The operations management strategy decisions that are generalized for every company can be applied to Nike just as well as any other company, but as stated above, each decision and step to the strategy contains many parts that correlate to the vastness of the worldwide company. Competitively known for the array of sports equipment, the design of Nike products and services is crucial. Nike is known as a modern brand that appeals to the younger generation. A waltz through a busy night of exercise at Montclair State’s very own recreation center will show any passer-by how truly popular and trendy Nike’s products really are. Good looks are not Nike’s only concerns, fortunately. Through considered design, Nike is reducing waste throughout the design and manufacture of products by using environmentally ideal materials and removing toxins. Nike encourages its designers to make smart, sustainable choices at the start of the creative process. Nike wants designers to choose to achieve design breakthroughs and reduce unwanted impacts through ways that are safe for the environment and  safe for consumers. This concept goes hand-in-hand with managing the quality of goods and services (â€Å"Designing Products† 1). Furthermore, Nike is responsible for maintaining products that are of good value and quality to consumers. The company cannot afford to lose business on malfunctioning shoes because of manufacturing problems and product defects. In the event of a customer purchasing a product defect, he or she is directed to the website where he or she is able to return the product and then choose from a list of options including the approval of a full refund, Nike credit, or a complimentary product of equal value. Nike cannot mess around with customer approval like this which is why quality is valued with utmost regard within the company. If Nike was to lose its consumer base, Nike’s top competitors like Asics, Reebok, and Adidas would sweep the market. Next, location and layout strategies are key in Nike’s business strategy. These two business strategies have a lot to do with marketing. When speaking about layout, every shelf and hanger must be placed according to what appeases the customer’s eye when he or she walks into a Nike store. The placement of the register and the spacing of the displays in the store must also be selected strategically. If a customer walks into a store and feels cramped and crowded by the tightness of space to move around the store, he or she will not linger for too long when grazing through the store. NIKE employees must also consider the seating and dressing rooms for customers to try on clothing within the store. A businessman stopping by the Nike store in a nearby mall will not be seen hopping up and down on trying to maneuver the latest Nike free run onto his aching foot after a long day of work. He will not be seen as a fool in the presence of other customers and Nike employees. This is why chairs must be placed near shoe displays and fitting rooms. Similarly, as businessmen may pass a Nike store in the mall neighboring the office park, corporate Nike employees must think about the location of each store. It is not wise to place a Nike store in a lower-class town that has a low average disposable income. People that reside in towns of this nature  will not be able to afford high-end Nike products and the store would flounder and eventually be closed down. It is wise, however, to build a store located in an urban city such as New York City where there are many middle and upper class consumers bustling around on a daily basis. The same concept is applied on a national level. Nike is wise to sell lots of products and have many locations in the United States and England because countries like these are known to spend money on products Nike sells. Meanwhile, Nike would do well to reconsider the thought of expanding to third-world countries in Africa because inhabitants of these countries can barely afford water, let alone high-end exercise equipment. With all of the countries that are actually able to afford Nike’s products, this leaves the company with more jobs to take care of, one being to keep track of the inventory. In early 2000, Nike had some major inventory management problems. The company lost around $100 million in sales due to these issues. Fortunately, following this failure, Nike developed an improved inventory management solution to solve their problems rapidly. In 2001, Nike implemented a modernized version of their inventory management software. Based on historical sales data of different products, and based on some market growth estimates, Nike would first prepare a demand forecast for different families of products. This demand forecast is then used to determine optimal inventory levels, reorder points, material lead times etc. And the entire manufacturing plan for months is determined using these numbers produced by the inventory management software (â€Å"Nike’s Inventory Management Solutionâ₠¬ ). Computer systems that predict how to manage inventory must be maintained in a certain way so that problems and malfunctions do not arise. There are also computer systems used in human resources and scheduling. Error-prone human beings no longer make schedules. Fortunately, there are many options for companies large and small to use when seeking software to create schedules. It is simple and mistakes are few to none. Like everything else, maintenance is required. Alignment of Operations with the Strategy (Catherine Aloise) As stated above, Nike has many ongoing operations within the company but  only one outlook and aim when selling products. Nike is selling a lifestyle. With advertisements on television, consumers get an image of an athletic, motivated regime that will help each individual associated with Nike become a better person. This is a very important strategy because what Nike has a strategy to sell an intangible item: a lifestyle that makes people want to â€Å"just do it†. This is the design of goods and services. Once this image of Nike is sold to consumers, the physical products will sell themselves. In order for consumers to be on board and spend money on Nike products, the consumers must then fall in love with all the different avenues offered by Nike. This part of the operation can be seen in the layout strategy. If someone from the nearby country club is in a Nike store looking for golf clothing, he might come across a nice pair of biking shorts that would be great for the upcoming spring weather. Once the Nike biking section is in full view, the opportunities of purchases are endless. Summer is just around the corner so why not invest in a nice flattering pair of Nike swimming trunks as well? The five pounds gained from Easter dinner will just melt right off after all that biking and the trunks will fit like a glove. Once this innocent young man has left the store with his wallet considerably lighter, a small smile lingers on his face as he mutters the phrase â€Å"just do it† subconsciously under his breath as he walks to the car. This strategy is more common than one may think. The layout strategy can be seen in the short story above simply by the way a Nike store is set up and what catches a customer’s eye. The inventory management and design of goods and services go hand in hand with the expansion of athletic and sporting clothing offered by Nike and the innovation of currently existing products. Designers for Nike are always looking for new, innovative ideas to put on the market like the Nike+ fitness application available for smart phones. This application was once just a gleam in the eye of a Nike Designer before it went viral in the iTunes store. The application map individual runs, tracks progress, and get the motivation needed to keep going. The Nike+ Running app tracks distance, pace, time and calories burned with GPS, and gives audio feedback during a run. Users can automatically upload to nikeplus.com to see past runs, including routes, elevation and NikeFuel  (â€Å"Join Me on Nike+†). Summary/Recommendations (Collaborative) Nike, Inc. is definitely one of the most successful athletic companies in its market and industry today. The company continues to be the industry leader and does not seem to be slowing down. If there were to be any recommendations, it would have to be to keep doing what they are doing and not to lose sight of innovation. If Nike continues to be inventive and groundbreaking and continues to introduce new products on a consistent basis, they should be able to maintain success in the market. Nike, Inc. seems to have all the right tools to do well in today’s economy. Works Cited â€Å".† . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Designing Products.† NIKE, Inc. -. N.p., n.d. Web. . . Hellman, Justin. â€Å"Research Hub.† NIKE: A Short SWOT Analysis. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Nike’s Inventory Management Solution.† Ordoro Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. . . â€Å"Nike. Just Do It.† Nike.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Strategic Analysis of Nike, Inc.† Strategic Analysis of Nike, Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .