Advanced entrepreneurship - legal and financial decisions Essay

Advanced entrepreneurship - legal and financial decisions - Essay Example Every year thousands of immigrants arrive in New York.The immigrants come with promising talent and academics,high hopes of living the American dream.Along with this,the natural increase in the population of a city resulted in a population growth rate of 5% The inhabitable land definitely does not increase with the same rate and this result into densification of population in the city centers. The two – bed room apartment, with all the traditional bulky furniture, that can be bought in no less than $500,000 can hardly accommodate a family of four, let alone allow them a comfortable living. Hence a problem exists and with it comes new opportunities to do business. The Industry: This business idea is related to furniture industry. A new product called ‘Space Saving Furniture’ is presented to Triangle Solutions as a prospective business opportunity in New York City, Manhattan and similar densely populated metropolitan areas. The art of furniture design combined with the latest technology in engineering yields a broad range of multi-purpose furniture products. The new designs are more comfortable, occupy lesser space, and can be easily modified to fit different needs throughout the day. The catalog of product includes a study table that turns into a two tier beds for kids at night, a superb sofa set that turns in to a double – bed when needed, a shelf that can be disassembled to give four small chairs if required and so on. The list includes a whole range of easy to operate furniture products that can fit into offices, bed rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, study rooms etc. and can serve at least two, if not more, functions at a time. Market Size: There are at least 2.14 million apartments in New York City alone according to a survey conducted in 2008 (DiNapoli, 2009, p. 1). Most of the residents of these apartments suffer with the problems of low accommodation. Compared with the real estate prices and monthly rents, space saving furniture is a financially feasible option for the apartment dwellers to increase their accommodation. Hence it is estimated that the product will be extremely popular with the majority of the population. Competition exists in this market as well. There are a few companies such as Resource Furniture which are already marketing the product. However, we believe that a strong marketing campaign can certainly attract the so far untapped customer base. Team Requirements: The team for this business must consist of following experts. Interior Decorator: To design the aesthetics of the furniture Product and Industrial Design Engineer: For general product design Mechanical Engineer: For material selection, load calculations and hydraulic system design etc. Marketing Manager: For devising marketing and sales strategy and its implementation Director Operations: To manage the production, inventory and general operations. Finance Officer: To manage finances. Scalability of the Product: The product is scalable over a good range of production and sales volume. Looking at the costs break down, we can observe that the product has very high initial, fixed costs and comparatively low variable cost. The initial cost includes the cost of equipments and machinery required for production and the design expenses. The variable costs include the materials, marketing and energy bills. Hence increasing the production and hence the sales volume will result in lesser payback time and greater profits. On the contrary, if low sales are forecasted for a particular product, then the costs can be reduced by using simpler production machinery instead of highly specialized machinery for each product. This machinery will have low initial and running cost but has more production time. Financials: The business can be started by establishing an office / display center at Furniture Market in New York. A small manufacturing facility will be set up close to the display center. The initial capital required for it is $2 5,000. All the

Mexico Country Report Essay Example for Free

Mexico Country Report Essay The measures of economic development in Mexico include per capita GDP of about 9,000 dollars. Mexico has a population of about 110 million people. It has a relatively well developed infrastructure and communication systems. Adult literacy is about 94% for the males whereas 91% for the females. Most of the labor force is concentrated in the agricultural sector (4%), industries (26%) and service industry (70%). The life expectancy in Mexico is about 75. 19% at birth. This encompasses all the races and sexes (Kohler and Tausch, 2002) Dependency theory versus modernization theory Dependency theory describes poverty as a consequence of the manner in which a country is integrated into a system rather than lack of integration. Mexico is mainly involved with other developed countries in terms of exports and the imports as the main economic activities. On the other hand, the developed countries are rarely involved in such activities with the developing countries. They are mainly involved with other countries that are well developed as well as internal trade. This consequently leads to less bargaining power in the world market (Kohler and Tausch, 2002) Religion and politics There has been considerable shift as far as religion is concerned. This also involves the relationship between the church and the state. Mexico is primarily a Roman Catholic nation though there has been continuous expansion of other evangelical churches. Despite the several constitutional bans imposed on the churches, they have continued to involve themselves in political issues. The Catholic Church, for example, has continued to involve itself in sensitive issues which concern the public. Mexico is now a multireligious nation since other evangelical churches have continued to grow in numbers. This can be attributed to the recruitment efforts in the earlier years (in the 1980s and 1990s). There are a number of protestant churches in Mexico today such as Seventh Day Adventist, Assemblies of God and the Mormons. The growth was greatly reported mainly in the south eastern part of Mexico. These areas include Chiapas, Campeche, Quintana Roo and other States in Mexico (Nesvig, 2006). The church state relations in Mexico have been reported to be one of the main causes of confrontations in Mexico. The Catholic Church has continued to play multiple roles in this nation. The government’s effort to curtail this influence has not been very successful. The catholic involvement in several areas (such as charities and institutions) and their rising numbers was seen as a threat to the government. The church’s involvement in politics is currently seen as a move to express their democratic rights and fight for the rights of the citizens. Their aim is to fight for good governance and correct the State. Currently, the relationship between the church and the state is a realistic one. This is due to the abolishment of most restrictions that had been imposed in the past (Camp, 2007). Ethnic-cultural divisions There are several indigenous groups found in Mexico. They belong to different ethnic groups and political affiliations. It is worth noting that the Indians are not just one group but comprise several ethnicities with a common background (historical and the cultural backgrounds). There are several cultural subdivisions in Mexico. One of the main subdivisions identifies the central, south eastern, northern and south Mexico. The northern part of Mexico which had been sparsely populated for a long time is now occupied by a small group of indigenous people. It is referred to as the frontier culture and it has a sparse population. The central and western part of Mexico has dense population. There are a number of indigenous populations in the central parts, coastal plains and the sierras. The culture in Mexico is a diverse one made up of different kinds of identities (Camp, 2007). Women and development It is reported that women participation in economic issues has greatly increased compared to the past. Most women are also involved in other activities in the nation and are paid better wages compared to the past. Despite the fact that men are the main persons in politics, women have also begun to be involved. This has been seen in the leadership roles in certain political parties in Mexico. On the other hand, women have also been involved in other social organizations and movements. Despite the fact that the law clearly advocates for equality between women and men, there is still differences between the two. This can be seen in the types of privileges and their authority. Women are mostly involved in religious issues in Mexico (Roberts and McBee, 2008) Agrarian reform and the politics of rural change The agrarian reforms in Mexico have been one of the main accomplishments in Mexico though it was not an easy task. It is reported that most people had small plots of lands which were not enough to meet their needs. Most of these people were the campesinos. However, most of the privately owned lands were taken and redistributed. The ejido or community plots were the mode of redistribution of the lands. In this arrangement, the government was petitioned by the citizens to seize most of the privately owned properties. The land was owned by the state but every person was free to farm. This was done either individually or as a group but the land could not be sold by the Ejidatarios. They were also compelled to continue using the lands or else the right of use is withdrawn. Every person had the right to use the land including the Comuneros. The current scenario in Mexico is the continued struggle to redistribute the lands to the poor who are landless. This is carried out by most organizations (Roberts and McBee, 2008) Rapid urbanization and the politics of the urban poor The rapid urbanization in Mexico can be attributed to certain policies which had positive impacts ion the industrial sector. They led to an increase in industrial production. Despite the rapid urbanization, several problems have also been encountered. For example, most cities do not have efficient way of distributing water supplies. Secondly, the sewerage system is not a good one in most areas. The factors which have contributed to urban growth are population increase and urban migration. Migration can be due to the search of better opportunities or lifestyle (Roberts and McBee, 2008) Despite the fact that the poverty trends in Mexico have been improving since 2002, the urban poverty has continued to rise. This is the greatest challenge as far as the equitable distribution of resources is concerned. The rural areas have continued to be improved with time and the level of poverty reduced in these areas. Several factors can be attributed to this change. These include; diversified incomes from economic activities and other services like tourism. The main area that needs improvement is the urban areas. Most people in these areas usually toil very hard but are paid less. Most of their incomes are got as a result of manual labor (about 60%). Accessibility of opportunities to the poor has not improved in the urban areas. Revolutionary change/Soldiers and politics The revolution in Mexico began as early as 1910 and it involved several movements. It kept changing from not just a revolt but into a civil war which involved several parties. It led to the establishment of the constitution in 1917 by the representatives. The beginning of the revolution was in 1929 with the establishment of National Revolutionary Party (NRP). It hang on to power until the year 2000 (Hart, 2007). This revolution involved everyone including Mexican women and their impacts were felt during this period. It is reported that they took part in several activities, professions and took part in wars. Some of the famous known women participants were known as the Soldaderas who were closely involved with the militias. It is reported that the main reasons why women joined in such risky affairs was due to fear of being left alone by their husbands. Some were also involved because they saw this as a collective duty. Some of the women who took part in the revolutionary process include Hermila Galindo and Dolores Muro (Jandura, 2009). The political economy of third world development Mexico experiences a wide gap more as far as wealth distribution is concerned. The level of inequalities has continued to rise in this country especially with the introduction of certain economic policies. It has been reported that a lot of people live below the poverty line with a small number of people in the middle class. The level of poverty and marginalization has continued to spread in many parts of the country but are mostly seen in the southern and central parts of rural Mexico. Most settlements do not have the basic services and social amenities. Most of the poorest groups are the Indians who are also highly marginalized (Anderson and Glade, 1963). On the other hand, the wealthiest groups of people are mostly the whites. The differences between the rich and the poor are easily noticed in the modes of dressing and the lifestyles of the people. The usage of facilities also shows a difference. Wealthy people have access to the best facilities and institutions whereas the poor are not allowed to. These differences have led to discrimination in Mexico and ethnic rivalry. Most of the government’s help is directed to the urban areas (Villareal, 2010). References Anderson, C. W. Glade, W. P. (1963). The Political Economy of Mexico. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Camp, R. A. (2007). Crossing swords: Politics and Religion in Mexico. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Hart J. M. (2007). Revolutionary Syndicalism in Mexico. Retrieved on 22 August 2010 from http://libcom. org/library/revolutionary-syndicalism-mexico-john-m-hart Jandura T. (2009). Revolutionary Mexican Women. Retrieved on 22 August 2010 from http://www. ic. arizona. edu/ic/mcbride/ws200/mex-jand. htm Kohler G. and Tausch A. (2002) Global Keynesianism: Unequal exchange and global exploitation. Huntington NY: Nova Science. Nesvig, M. A. (2006). Local Religion in Mexico. Gainesville: University Press of Florida Roberts E. R. McBee G. W. (2008) Modernization and Economic Development in Mexico: A factor analytic Approach. Retrieved on 22 August 2010 from http://www. jstor. org/pss/1152237 Villareal A. M. (March 31, 2010). US-Mexico Economic Relations: Trends, Issues and Implications. Retrieved on 22 August 2010 from http://www. fas. org/sgp/crs/row/RL32934. pdf

Evaluation of Digital and Online Marketing Technology

Evaluation of Digital and Online Marketing Technology Part A Question 1 I believe online marketing tools are part of the marketing mix as channels that can be made use of. There may be diverted focus in regards to digital marketing if it is just used for advertising or promoting a product/service online. Digital marketing can be used in multiple ways whilst we consider facilitating it in an organisations marketing communication mix, rather than focus on 1 form of the marketing communication mix. As technologies are on a rise and the attention span of users is declining, I would suggest investigating marketing tools to help advertising via online content behaviour, understanding ways to inform consumers about the product if for example they were to search a certain product. If we look at the amount of data mining, consumer purchase behaviour and so on via the internet. The organisation can use such data to tap into relevant information that would help accelerate their sales or avail specific products whilst understanding the demand exists. If we look at A mazon and Google, these two organisations tend to have a lot of digital marketing working very well for them, as they have put it into practice in collecting information and monitoring what they purchase and how they purchase it. With such tools an organisation can tailor advertisements towards the users, we can see it more like an On-Demand Advert which would then grab the attention of users who are looking for specific items. There exists many accelerated ways of marketing on the web, with the level of innovation we have adopted, web marketing made it simpler to facilitate the following: Public Relations Investor Relations Customer Service Prospect Qualifications Product Sales Customer Interaction and Feedback Internal Communications With that all being said, the digital world has opened up more opportunities for marketers as to understanding Buyer behaviour, Communicating frequently to the customer, Public relations and so much more. Marketers tend to consider digital marketing to be more time-efficient and is used by the masses, hence it makes it easier to capture a wider reach, whereas the ways they market or allow themselves to be seen by the consumer may need to change as to avoid the click-through behaviour of the customer. I agree that digital marketing will become critical tools in brand building and other forms of communicating to the consumer, mainly Customer Relationships. Marketers can evade ad-blocks and such, if they just spend a bit of time trying to learn a bit about the online content behaviour and yet look out for technologies out there such as Geo-tagging, proximity marketing and so on. Question 2 As a marketing manager, there are 5 steps to evaluating digital technologies: Step 1: I would evaluate the goals of the organisations digital marketing campaigns by understanding the number of social shares our posts are receiving, size of our fan base on social networks, the amount of times Nike is being mentioned on social media, look up the number of positive reviews found online via consumers, check the amount of online traffic we are getting on our webpage as well as how many times links are being diverted to our webpage from other social media outlets. If all these things were done by the previous marketing team, I would look at whether or not the targets are being met, if not I would then revise our goals as to accommodate our objectives. Step 2: I would re-assess the target market, if it is changed I will have to facilitate an information search as to have an idea of the demographics, interests and online activities that the consumers may have, this will allow me to achieve consumer profiling as to marketing reasonable content to them. Step 3: I would have to look at our online digital presence, this means I will have to see how well Nike is doing in the social online environment, are they active or passive when it comes to public relations and customer relationships. Are they utilizing everything the online world has to offer from technologies that can be feasible to adopt? Step 4: I would evaluate the types of messages Nike is communicating to the consumers in digital form. Are they sending the right message to the right consumer? Is the consumer understanding the message and acting upon it, positively or negatively? Step 5: I would evaluate the performance of Nikes digital marketing campaigns. How is Nike benefiting from such channels? Are we making a profit while keeping costs low? Is our rate of investment on digital marketing visible to us, and is it positive? Question 3 I would utilize almost all online marketing tools to allow the visibility of the new product. The common marketing communication tools will be put into effect, such as advertising, promoting the concept in various trade shows, speaking opportunities as to describe the product, joint marketing, co-branding and many more traditional ways that can be broadcasted online via online content ads, which are simple adverts that will pop up due to their relevance whilst consumers maybe be browsing for a new phone for example. Search Engine Optimization. Get the word out there, be noticeable via social outlets. Email marketing is one way to inform the consumers about the product. Google AdWords to help online advertising. Bloggers or social media influencers, by offering the phone for testing by wide reach blogger or youtubers as to mention your product or talk in more detail about it. Online retail stores, you can be selective as to who you wish to sell the new phone and when they can sell it, such as your own website, amazon and the likes of amazon. The strategy would start differing as adoption rates either increase or decrease, if they increase then the organisation will need to be and stay proactive whilst dealing with public relations, enhance customer services and promote customer satisfaction, if they decrease I would then suggest revisiting the product and re-examining the whole process of the marketing communication. Part B Question 1 I would particularly evaluate why should McDonalds introduce a vegetable burger to their store? I will need to define the problem and understand where the information search should start, before developing the needed research, once that is arranged then I would identify the research method. It will either be Primary or Secondary, or both. For this particular scenario, I will explore the secondary data at first since it is cheaper, faster and available whereas this may be biased. For example, in certain region McDonalds can idealise a target market for such a product, such as in place where there exists a great population of vegetarians in compared to non-vegetarians, and see if the product gains popularity, if so they can proceed in furthering the choices of products in different places as to cater to the groups of people who are vegetarian per se. Therefore, I would select Descriptive and Causal research rather than Explanatory research. Once I have found the relevant, impartial, accurate and current data I require, we can advise for testing of the product as to not waste much time in looking for primary data, when such data can be availed to us by promoting the product on trial basis and see how well it does.

Spearfisherman :: Fishing Sports Papers

Spearfisherman As a student in the scuba certification class here at State, I have been taught that if you would like to keep all of your limbs, it is best to keep your hands to yourself under the water. This means that if I saw a 52 pound fish, I probably would not try to stab it with a spear, or play a game of cat and mouse. So what makes a spearfisherman? How does one go about spending their recreational time chasing after fish as big as them? Since the 1940’s, spearfishing, the art of hunting prey without a line, in its own environment, has been a popular sporting activity. How do you learn to spearfish? You must first decide what type of a fisherperson you would like to be. Would you want to hunt with scuba equipment making it easier to dive to greater depths? Or would you like to stay close to the surface without the heavy gear? There are two types of spear fishermen, the people that are freedivers, who dive without the gear, and people that require an air supply, otherwise known as scuba method. The freedive has very little equipment; a mask, optional snorkel, fins, and the speargun of your choice. It is the simplest form of spearfishing, and yet it is said to be the most challenging (Allen Patrick 6). A diver must hold his breath on the surface, â€Å"pike dive† and descend, while trying to clear his ears and equalize pressure(6). The ears must also be cleared with the scuba method, so this is no t only for freedivers. The scuba method, much more gear intensive, first and foremost requires that you have a recreational diving license. Diving by in itself requires skill and education, so it is advisable for a aspiring spearfisherman to obtain a diving license before heading down to the local speargun shop. You must have a mask that properly fits their face, fins, an air cylinder with a regulator that makes it possible to breath, the appropriate weight belt to decrease and increase buoyancy, along with the buoyancy compensator, that holds you cylinder in place (Patrick 11-13). Now that you are in the water and have your gear, you need a weapon.

Culture Clash in “Two Kinds” and “Dead Mans Path” Essay

The culture clash in Two kinds occurs between Amy Tan who has become â€Å"Americanized† and her mother who is still very much under Chinese influence. Amy’s mum believes strongly in â€Å"The American Dream† â€Å"My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America† Shows the large amount of Aspiration and hope in her mother’s mind about the future for Amy. Her mother continues the idea that Amy could be a star in America when she says â€Å"You can be best anything† Not only does the statement reflect her ambitions for Amy and beliefs but also her broken English represents that she is still very much Chinese. Amy takes a rebellious stance when her hair cut goes wrong, and claims she likes it as it was not what her mother wanted â€Å"I liked the haircut; it made me look forward to my future fame† The phrase not only shows her rebellious side but also that she believes what her mother has said about being famous. Amy’s views are filled with a degree of irony in being what her parents wanted her to be â€Å"I was filled with a sense I would soon become perfect† The italics in the phrase represent the irony of it and also the certain amount of insecurity Amy feels. Amy’s mother is also ironic to a degree although she may not mean to be â€Å"Searching for stories about remarkable children† The irony continues as Amy is not remarkable, and her mother thinks she can be. The fact Amy is not remarkable is brought up when she is asked to recall what she remembers from a page in the bible. â€Å"Now Jehosophat had riches and honor in abundance. That’s all I remember ma'† The phrase shows that Amy’s memory is poor and she is not exceptional. Amy soon begins to dislike her mother methods of trying to turn her into a child prodigy, and the cultures start to clash as Amy’s mum still believes that she can be, but the Americanized Amy starts to dislike it. â€Å"I hated the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations† This shows Amy’s dislike of her mother’s methods, and the feeling that she has failed again and again. Amy then begins her rebellion in her feeling that she wont be who she’s not. â€Å"I promised myself, I won’t be what I’m not† This shows Amy’s determination to succeed against her mothers will and not become a prodigy. The view that a Chinese girl could succeed in American is brought back to her mum three months later when she sees a little Chinese girl playing a piano on TV when Amy defends the girl her mother takes the traditional view that she isn’t trying and that’s why she’s failing â€Å"Not the best because you’re not trying† The phrase emphasis’s the mother’s feelings towards her daughter as in traditional Chinese culture it must be the child’s fault. The culture clash is emphasized when Amy refuses to rehearse properly for her performance and play’s badly as a result her mum is deeply ashamed as she has in Chinese terms at least â€Å"shamed the family’s name† her father shares a similar view He says: â€Å"That was something else† In ambiguous phrase, her mum has a look on her face which rattles Amy and brings home what she’s done â€Å"But my mother’s expression was what devastated me: a quiet blank look that said she had lost everything† The phrase is powerful as her mum had lost everything, and Amy was her last hope. Her mum continues her methods of Chinese belief a few days later when in an argument she shouts at Amy on the basis that daughters in China are obedient â€Å"Only one type of daughter can live in this house, obedient daughter!† This is one of the more important lines as it really shows the Chinese culture that children should be obedient and Amy is not. Amy’s American beliefs and nature are brought up when she says â€Å"For unlike my mother I did not believe I could be anything. I could only be me† This emphasizes the fact she is not a traditional Chinese daughter the way her mum wants her to be instead she has her own beliefs and lifestyle. The first line of Dead Man’s Path emphasizes a culture clash, as the headmasters name is Michael Obi. Michael being a western name. So he obviously has western influence. And his clash begins with his views â€Å"He was outspoken is his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less educated ones† Michael is critical of the older generation, which is probably a western influence but in most Nigerian towns the elders are to be respected showing a clash between his and African views. His ideas and views are summarized and appear to be the opposite of the village in which the school is situated when he says â€Å"Everything will be modern and delightful†¦..† The word modern is italicized to show that it is the opposite of the current village and the change Michael Obi wants to create. Michael also tried to disassociate himself with the locals, and make himself sound better. â€Å"We’ve got a chance to show these people how a school should be run† Shows not just disassociation in the phrase â€Å"these people† but arrogance, in believing he can show them how to run a school. Michael’s western influence is also shown in the plants which are planted around school â€Å"Beautiful hibiscus and allamanda hedges† Both the plants are traditionally western showing Michael wishes to westernize the school. Michael’s amazement at the actions of the locals also shows his intolerance for both local traditions and respect for the old â€Å"He was scandalized to see and old women hobble right across the compound† The phrase scandalized shows just how amazed he is that the event has occurred; it also shows his feelings about tradition, that it needs to be removed. To be replaced by his modern ways. Michael then shows his ignorance to their culture by separating the incident and the school and exclaiming â€Å"And what has that got to do with the school?† The phrase is both pompous and patronizing and shows his ignorance in thinking that the two should be divided and religion/culture should be kept away from schools. The priest when talking to Michael has a feeling of power and looks down on Michael. â€Å"Look here my son† The priest uses this opening phrase to create a feeling of inferiority to Michael he also bangs his stick on the ground to emphasize his point. Michael responds to the whole conversation in a very arrogant way, â€Å"Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas† Shows his intolerance towards the priests and villages beliefs, and shows how he plans to change traditional ways. The conversation later grinds to a halt with neither parting with their idea’s or culture â€Å"I have no more words to say† Shows the priest has been defeated by ignorance, and that the conflict between the cultures will not be resolved. Both stories have culture clashes neither ending with particularly happy endings, However I feel that in Dead Man’s Path the culture clash is more straight forward in that it is traditional against modern. However two kinds is slightly more complicated as at first Amy seems to be trying to be traditional and try hard where as Michael never wanted any sort of tradition right from the start. Both culture clashes involve arguments and verbal disagreements, and some degree of action. Amy ruining her piano piece in Two Kinds and the Michael blocking off the path in Dead Man’s Path. These are followed up by more action from the other culture; Amy’s mum continues to make Amy learn claiming she could still be a prodigy whilst the villagers tear the school apart. In Dead Man’s Path it is an antithesis however I feel that Two Kinds is less so and the ideas are more intertwining however I still feel there is a large culture clash. In both stories however it is clear to see that both traditional and modern views find it hard to live side by side.

Reaction Paper on the 11th Hour

The film documentary was most likely called the 11th hour to give emphasis to what would become of humanity in the near future. The latest possible moment – we all must work hand-in-hand to make this a favorable possibility for everyone. It is a challenge we would all face today, but in due time we may reap a great harvest for our fellow people if we persevere. In the field of business, the role of this documentary is to give those in the corporate sector as well as those who own small enterprises an in depth look to why corporate social responsibility is important. They are given the opportunity to look back at the past, present and strive for a future that can still be altered. As the film progresses, the issues on global warming, extinction of species, deforestation as well as the slowly disappearing ocean habitats is depicted giving the viewer the chance to think about what he/she ought to do now. These concerns are actually our country’s own, too. Deforestation as a result of illegal logging had played its part in making matters worse for the past few years – floods had devastated lives, no trees to stop it in its tracks. The drought the country is experiencing – a sign of global warming. Polluted bodies of water had driven out the freshness of the fish as well as other aquatic creatures. Even though it has its share of endangered species, the Philippines however, does not have concerns on the extinction of any at the moment. This is most likely because of many other things the government is busy with. But no matter how we look at it, what is happening to the ecosystem around the world is a large outcry to the acts of the past recurring now.

Maurice Sendak essays

Maurice Sendak essays Maurice Sendak is one of the best known childrens author/illustrators in the world today. This extremely gifted genius was actually cultivating within his childhood many different memories from his youth which influenced the masterpieces he has created. Maurice Sendak was born June 10, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were poor immigrants from Poland who came to America before World War I. Many of his relatives died in the Holocaust which was an important influence upon his childhood. Sendak is the youngest of three children. He grew up under constant fear of his own death because he was very sick during childhood and was not allowed to go outside often. Therefore he was left alone with his imagination. Sendak grew up in a family of storytellers. His father told stories that were considered not for children. They were nightmare stories of death, love affairs, and other Jewish tales. His brother wrote stories and his sister bound them into books which they then sold on the sidewalks. He didnt like school much and wasn't good at sports, but he loved to read and often asked his sister to get him books from the library. His sister gave him his first book; Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. He loves the book and still has it today. As a young adult, he liked adventure stories by authors such as Herman Melville. He began his work as an illustrator while he was still in high school. He helped in drawing the pictures from the comic strip, Mutt and Jeff into comic books (Gregory 2). He went to art school at the Art Students' League to continue his education. When Sendak was only nineteen years old, he co-authored his very first published book, Atomics for the Millions that was published in 1947. He graduated from high school in 1946. It was during this time that Maurice was introduced to the great children's editor Ursula Nordstrom. She was...

Vodafone Strategy, Business Information and analysis

Vodafone Strategy, Business Information and analysis Introduction Vodafone is a United Kingdom based company founded in the year 1984. It has invested in many telecommunication companies, in different parts of the world. This means that its services are used in many countries in the world. It specializes in the provision of telecommunication services such as the voice calls and the messaging system services.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Vodafone: Strategy, Business Information and analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, the company is ranked as the largest in the world in terms of revenue. This is mainly attributed to the idea that it has invested in other telecommunication service providers in the world that have over the years been making huge profits. However, in terms of subscribers, Vodafone is ranked second in the world after the China Mobile. As at 2010 it was estimated that the China Mobile Company had over three hundred million subscribers . The objectives of the paper This paper will try to look at the Prahalad and Hamel’s core competence issues and ideas. That is, the issues that have been raised by the two people in regard to strategic management in corporate companies and organizations. The paper will further look at how Vodafone has made use of these ideas to remain ahead of its rivals in the United Kingdom and the world at large. Vodafone has been chosen as a case study for this paper because it is the leading telecommunication company in the world in terms of revenue and subscribers. In the last section of the paper, the contributions made by Prahalad and Hamel in the field of strategic management shall be addressed. This will involve looking at some of the available theories so that the points can be well illustrated. In the end, a conclusion of the points raised will be given so that a common ground regarding this topic can be achieved. Prahalad and Hamel’s core competencies According to these t wo people the company should have a clear outline of what it wishes s to achieve in a given duration of time. They say that this is very important because it can be used to gauge the growth of the company over time.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They have given examples of two companies, GTE and NEC, which were the greatest rivals in the 1980s and early 1990s. They say that NEC was a smaller company compared to GEC in the early 1980s. However, due to proper planning and organization, they have observed by the late 1980s NEC had out done GEC in terms of sales. On the other hand, they argue that in order to remain competitive in the market, a company needs to diversify and improve on its products. Such a move they argue may go a very long way in making sure that the company remains relevant in this competitive world. For instance, we find that the NEC top mana gement decided to make semi conductors as its main core product. As a result, the company had to make sure that it makes the best semi conductor at a very low cost. This went a long way in making its presence felt in the market in spite of the existence of other players. In order to have a competitive advantage over their rivals, the companies should integrate multiple streams of technologies and have in place a team that is able to coordinate the production of goods in the company. Moreover, they have claimed that production of smaller items able to perform similar tasks makes the company remain at a competitive edge than its rivals. The company’s ability to establish an effective communication is another way of establishing competence. According to them, the company should be able to know the needs of its clients. This can only be possible if it has created an effective line of communication with clients. Moreover, they have observed that it is important for the concerned c ompanies to establish subsidiaries in different parts of the world. They argue that such a move will increase revenue because there will be no tax levied on such goods. As a result, the products will be cheap and hence accessible to many. They have also noted that it is very critical to establish a research and development center. This according to them will help the company address the needs of the people effectively. The research and development centers are meant to help the company develop goods and services that are easily accepted in the market.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Vodafone: Strategy, Business Information and analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The employees who are the main players in the success of the company should not be ignored. In fact, in order to increase their input in the company they need to be paid better wages than the rival companies. This will reduce the chances of another company poaching the experienced staff. Besides monetary issues, employees should be given a good working environment. Many companies have often blamed their employees of laxity while it is the one that fails to provide the necessary environment for them to work under. These are some of the issues that some companies have ignored. As a result, their company does not record any significant growth as others who have adopted the above strategy. According to them, the core competencies are characterized by a number of factors. Firstly, the company must be prepared to provide a wide variety of markets for goods and services. That is, by way of diversifying products and services the company stands a better chance of conquering the markets than its rivals with a single product. Secondly, the core competence of the company should ensure that customers have a positive perception of goods and services. The value of the products must perceived by the customers just as designed in the company. They should see the benefits of the designed products. This means that the clients who buy such products should enjoy the benefits that come with purchasing such other than regret buying it. Lastly, they have argued that core competencies should be difficult to be imitated by other organizations. According to them, a company cannot claim to have core competencies if other companies can easily copy and imitate what they claim to be their core competencies. They acknowledge that although the rival company may copy some features, it should not be possible for such company to get the inner details of such core competencies. The application of Prahalad and Hamel’s core competencies in Vodafone Based on what Prahalad and Hamel have said as the core competencies of an organization, Vodafone has adopted most of them, and this can be explain why the company has remained as one of the major players in the telecommunication industry. According to Scholz (2008), the company has an every - year plan where its growth is evaluated based on its performance in the previous years.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He has observed that, the company’s top brass has to make sure the goals set are realized by allocating each department its own goals. The head of the department further delegates the set goals to each person within his or her department. This means that every person within the company has set goals that have to be realized at the end of the year. As a result, each department is held responsible if has not achieved the set goals. He argues that reports are usually produced at the group level although the senior managers can access them before other members. He has noted that it is the duty of the senior managers to call the departmental heads to enquire why the established targets have not been met. According to him, the company has recently introduced a policy where its members of staff are paid bonuses at the end of the year based on their performance in the entire period. Therefore, there is increased competition amongst staff as each tries to achieve the set benchmark. Th is he says explains why the company has continued to record significant growth year in, year out in terms of revenue and customers base. In addition, Vodafone has diversified its mode of operations. This is according to Gruber (2005) who has stated that mobile phone companies are known for providing calling and messaging services. However, Vodafone has moved a notch higher and has introduced a number of services to its clients, not only in United Kingdom but to the rest of the world where it operates. For instance, he has observed that the company introduced internet services to its customers with internet enabled mobile phones. He argues that this is a major milestone to the company because there will be an increase in revenue from the internet besides the one from voice calls and the messaging system. In addition, he has stated that, the company has introduced the fixed data internet service. This entails providing internet services for use in the computers. This according to him has not only forced the other providers to lower their internet charges but also increase their penetration in the market. The company in the year 2007 introduced an exclusive service to its clients operating under the Safaricom brand in Kenya; it was the MPesa service where people were able to send and receive money using their mobile handsets. According to Amason (2011), this service was designed by Vodafone in the United Kingdom but was tested in Kenya where it has revolutionized the mode of sending and receiving money. This he says earned the company much respect all over the world. He says that the company has continued to be honored by many organizations for such an achievement. The idea of diversifying the products and services offered to the customers has been well illustrated by Prahalad and Hamel. According to Amason (2011), Vodafone has heeded to the advice given by Prahalad and Hamel. He has observed that the company has moved a step further and introduced numerous tarif fs to cater for the different classes of people in the society. He notes that this is a strategic move to capture the poor and the rich in the society. As a result, he has claimed that the company has continued to record an increase in the number of subscribers all the years it has been in operation. Its rivals have been forced back to the drawing board to look for modalities on how to counter the move by the Vodafone Company. Therefore, he argues that having a proper guideline on how the company should be operated and run is very important. Vodafone has created a good working environment for its employees. This is according to Dodd (2002) who argues that the company has a policy of rewarding its top performing staff. He says that this is a positive move aimed at improving the performance of the employees. Moreover, the company has allowed its employees who wish to further their studies to do so. He says that the company has a policy of providing financial assistance to such staff a nd consequently promoting them once they are through with their studies. This he says has enabled a good number of its staff devotes all their energy to the company as a sign of appreciation to what it has done to them. This has gone a long way in propelling the company to greater heights of success. In order to meet and address the needs of its clients fast and effectively, Vodafone has introduced a customer care number where its customers can call and share the issues and the problems they may be having. As Prahalad and Hamel argue, it is very important to have a communication line between the company and its clients. As Hitt (2009) notes, the company records all the queries from its customers so that the problems raised can be addressed immediately. This gives Vodafone a competitive advantage because the problems raised by one customer are addressed so that they do not recur in future. As a result, subscribers will always be satisfied with the kinds of services being offered to t hem by the company and hence remain within the network. This will prevent such subscribers from contemplating any attempts of moving away from the network because, the other networks may not be providing quality services as the one being provided by the Vodafone Company. The company has also introduced a reward system for its subscribers. This is according to Hitt (2009) who says that the subscribers earns points depending on the amount of airtime they spend calling within or outside the network. He says that the company policy is to give back to its customers. He argues that after a subscriber has accumulated a certain number of points he or she is allowed to redeem them to earn talk time, free data or even free messages across all networks within the United Kingdom. He argues that all these services are offered so that the company can retain and add in its customer base. He argues that this service has been spread to all the countries where Vodafone operates or its subsidiaries. I n addition, Amason (2011) has argued that the company has also gone a notch higher and introduced a service for its client to borrow credit in case they run out of the one they have. This service has been welcomed by many people because they do not have to worry of running out of credit along the road. He says that a person is required to dial a specific number to select the amount he or she want credited to the mobile handset. However, he notes that this is not a free service because one has to repay the advanced credit within a stipulated time. An interest of ten percent is charged on every credit advanced. This has made Vodafone make millions of money from these advances. As a result, it has continued to grow in terms of revenue and has been ranked as the leading telecommunication company in the world. We can say that Vodafone Company has fully utilized the points given by Prahalad and Hamel in the Core Competence of the Corporation. Evaluation of Prahalad and Hamel’s wide r contribution to the field of strategic management Prahalad and Hamel have been regarded as the pioneers of strategic management. This is because most of their writings in the early 1990s have inspired many companies to adopt their way of thinking. Strategic management refers to the plans laid down by the senior management team as a path to follow in order to achieve the desired goals. This according to Hitt (2009) entails the utilization of readily available resources so that what the company intends to achieve is realized. He says that an organization needs to have its vision and objectives from the day it began its operations. Woods (2001) argues that Prahalad and Hamel have brought about some ideas that are very useful in the field of strategic management. According to him, the management team should have a vision of how they want the company to be after a number of years. For instance ten years. He says that this is paramount because it helps such people to have proper plannin g as they intend to achieve such a goal. This is also another way of ensuring that the company stays ahead of its competitors because of prior planning. Furthermore, Prahalad and Hamel have brought about the issue of influence within the industry. According to Gruber (2005), a company that wants to remain ahead of its competitors should invent policies that will affect the other players in the market to follow the same trend. That is it should redefine new ways of conducting business. In his remarks, he has said that Prahalad and Hamel see a successful business as a rule maker for the others other than the rule taker. They say that this gives the company a more bargaining power compared to others in any kind of business competition. The other contribution by Prahalad and Hamel in the field of strategic management has been the issue of dangers posed by the upcoming competitors. According to Harrison (2010), the company has to keep on improving the services it offers to its client in order to retain them. He has noted that the new players in the market are offering their services at a cheaper rate in order to poach customers from the already established companies. To counter this effect, Prahalad and Hamel had recommended that, the company needs to introduce other services that will be exclusive for their clients alone. This they said would go along the way in ensuring that customers do not move to other competitors. Another point given by Prahalad and Hamel in regard to strategic management has been the issue of downsizing. They have noted that some companies spend a lot of money in salaries. Owing to the improvement in technology, he says that these companies need to embrace technology which is would help the company cut down its expenses. Strategic intent This is used to refer the objectives of the company as continues with its operation in a given area. According to Harrison (2010), the company ought to have a guideline that will help in the day to day runni ng. Prahalad and Hamel argued that strategic intent involves an active management process that zeroes in on the organization’s attention on the essence of winning, motivating the members of the public by way of informing them the importance of their target. In addition, they have said that it is very important for the company to set up a chasm between the ambitions and the resources. According to them if a company wants to achieve a long term success, it is important for it to remain consistent by sharing the intent within the organization. They say this is a good way of driving a company to greater heights of success. Strategy as related to stretch and leverage in the business environment Prahalad and Hamel have argued that proper planning within an organization can make it the rule maker other than the rule taker. They say that some of the best performing companies in the world today have had big ambitions that they have managed to accomplish. They say that these companies have found a less intensive way to meeting their targets. It is at this point that they say that leverage complements the strategic allocation of resources. They claim that this is only possible if the resources are concentrated around the strategic goals, making sure that the resources are accumulated in an efficient way. In addition, this can happen through complementing some resources with others, as well as taking care of resources whenever possible. According to them, this can happen through the recovery of resources from the market place as fast as they can. Theories A number of theories have been brought forward to explain the strategic management debate. Some of them include the quantitative approach, the system perspective, and the human resource approach. According to Amason (2011), the human resource approach theory emphasizes that people should be managed by way of looking and understanding their psychological make up and needs. This means that the company should not pro vide services or goods that are not of any interest to the people. In the Quantitative approach theory, he argues that the management perceives making decisions based on the opinions of the senior managers. This is a very efficient way because it allows ventilation by all people concerned. The systems theory views an organization as made of inter related parts that have to be involved in every step of decision making by the company. This is because failing to involve one part of the system may result in a negative impact on the company. Conclusion Management of a business corporation requires people with thorough knowledge on how it should be run. We have found that Vodafone has become the world leading Telecommunication Company because of proper planning by its senior management team. It would, therefore, be necessary for other companies involved in this kind of business to try and get some concepts on how well they can run their businesses. Such a move would go along the way in ma king sure that they improve on their performance in the future. Reference List Amason, A., 2011.Strategic Management: From Theory to Practice. New York: Routledge. Dodd, A., 2002.The essential guide to telecommunications. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall, Inc. Gruber, H., 2005.The economics of mobile telecommunications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Harrison, J., 2010. Foundations in Strategic Management. Mason: Cengage Learning Hitt, M., 2009. Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization: cases. Mason: Cengage Learning. Scholz, C., 2008. Human Resource Management in Europe. Oxon: Routledge. Woods, A., 2001. Strategic management: a fresh approach to developing skills, knowledge and creativity. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Academic Success in a K-12 classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Academic Success in a K-12 classroom - Essay Example to continue their education even after they have qualified the â€Å"continuing professional development.† Teachers may acquire a lesson plan to facilitate and help the student learning and prepare them for their future life. In short, it is the teacher who molds the personality of his/her students. (Oxford, Pergamon 1985) A teacher has an important and a significant role in facilitating the students in order to ensure their achievement goals and targets. Helping the students to achieve their long-term and short-term goals is an eloquent and rewarding responsibility. Goal setting is a process that actuates a student to stay focused and to prevent them from spending time on distractions. Once the students develop the manner of setting short-term goals they can more easily follow the path of achieving the life they wish to lead. I, in my class, implemented a few strategies which ensured that all the students achieved the objectives. I did so by making the students understand the term â€Å"critical thinking†, because to achieve different goals and objectives, critical thinking is an important factor to be acquired by the students. I implemented several critical reading strategies which would help the students to learn accordingly. This is to show the students how to implement critical reading str ategies. Similarly I also made the students practice critical thinking techniques in their homework so that they could learn from the lectures that were being delivered. Moreover I also had them to contemplate as to how the process of critical reading would affect their own learning and facilitate them in the future projects. Some students seem eager and ardent about learning, but many require their instructors and teachers to motivate and actuate them. A few strategies that I usually brought into practice to encourage the academically weak students to flourish revolved around increasing their self esteem. I provided these students with positive feedback to animate and

Government Contract Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Government Contract Law - Assignment Example One of the commonest systems used to enforce the existence of propriety and fairness is the code of ethics. There is the code of ethics are enshrined in rules and regulations of companies at the local level. There are others that are put in place laws and policies such as Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). PrintMark Publications is the new firm specializing in publishing and printing that is seeking to investigate how the code of ethics would impact its activities and programs. Evaluating the Raytheon Code of Ethics and relating it to the publishing organization, it can be said that the codes are very effective in avoiding any conduct that may even appear to be unethical. There are two major reasons why this position is taken. In the first place, the Raytheon Code of Ethics is very universal in nature. What this means is that the code identifies all person within the organization and what they are expected to do to avoid conduct that may appear to be unethical or inappropriate. Bowie (2002) lamented that there are organizations that refuse to accept the fact that codes should cover those at the top as well as those at the bottom. Consequently, such organizations only make codes to cover those at the bottom. In such situations, chances that acts of conflict of interest will be engaged in by senior management members are higher. The Raytheon Code of Ethics, however, covers both leaders and employees. The other rationale for saying the code is effective is tha t the code has been structured in such a way that it incorporates Government Accountability Office reports and decisions. This means that adopting such code would ensure that the organization’s ethics fit into the larger public ethical expectation in publishing. As explained earlier, the clauses selected from the Raytheon Code of Ethics will solve the specific ethical issue of the unlawful use of information as has persistently existed in the publishing industry. Within the publishing industry, there seems to be a very huge ethical dilemma when it comes to the interpretation of freedom of information law. There are many who tend to think that because of the existence of the freedom to information law, they can go every extent to access information from other people. Most of the time broadcasters feel that by becoming the first to break news they would become the most preferred destinations for news by the public.  

School Voucher System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

School Voucher System - Research Paper Example Let us look at a graphical interpretation: Now, the initial equilibrium of education lies at the point S1 where the cost of education comes to $3000. Now, for this example we will suppose that the subsidy that will be provided, assuming that it is portable which would ensure that the sorting of schools in the city would not remain an endogenous variable in this matrix, will move the budget line from MN to M'N'. Therefore, with the voucher system the increase in education from S1 to S2 will cost around $200, an amount which will be covered by the subsidy that is provided by the government via this voucher system as the new equilibrium is now at S2. Due to the portability factor of the voucher i.e. the voucher can be used anywhere in the city, the link between the quality of the education that is provided to children and the location of the public school ceases to exist as families do not have to relocate to the urban city centers now in order to ascertain better levels of education for their children. Therefore, the role of u rban housing markets takes greater importance in the decline of cities with the implementation of this policy as the decision to move to an urban housing area does not remain dependent on the level of education provided by the schools in the suburbs. We will now look at an economic model which will shed some light on the role urban housing markets play in the decline for cities: As we can see from the graph, the supply curve of housing is defined from the equilibrium point determined at quantity Q1. This price is the minimum price level that can lead to housing construction which implies that if prices were to fall below the premium then no new housing would be built. Therefore, urban housing markets provide the greater supply in relation to the increased demand for housing due to which the equilibrium shifts to D1. This leads to the greater decline of cities as people move towards the suburban areas created by these urban housing markets. Final Remark: Moving on to the practical side of this discussion i.e. the expected impact of the voucher system on the decline of cities it is clearly evident from the fact that the quality of education plays a significant role in determining where people choose to reside and the voucher system provides an incentive to people which basically eliminates education as a line of argumentation in their decision of choosing their area of housing. In addition, as the proposed vouchers are portable, these can be used in any public educational institution due which there will not be much difference of quality between city schools and suburban schools, therefore, people will not be essentially hard pushed to level the city, due to which we can say that the voucher system will have a positive effect on the proposition of resuscitating central

Masco Corporations Strategic Planning Case Study

Masco Corporations Strategic Planning - Case Study Example The company has successfully developed its product lines for faucets by establishing faucet manufacturing units with advanced business model. In 1986, Masco Corporation developed its vision statement, which reflected its desire to become "Procter & Gamble of consumer durables" (Harvard Business School, 1998). The very vision statement has propelled the company to diversify its business into other consumer durable goods. Alongside, the company has also extended its tentacles to enter the market of oil-field equipments, drilling tools and transport related products like gear shift levers, engine exhaust system etc. The company has even restructured its organizational structure and implemented other methods to reduce its overall cost of production. However, the primary obligation of the company is to enhance its research & development, and manufacturing ability so that the above stated concerns are addressed to. For acquiring technological breakthrough, the company has entered into contracts with research firms like MTI. For optimising the productivity of each manufacturing division, the company has developed formal organiza tional chart aimed at facilitating communication and exchange. In order to reduce the cost associated with its R&D various cost reduction programs were undertaken. This coupled with innovative working procedures and methodologies have helped the company to produce high quality innovative products at a lower cost. Masco's resources The resources of Masco Corporation can be categorized into two types i.e. tangible and intangible. Since its inception, the company has been constructing its manufacturing units in numerous locations that produce a wide range of consumer durable products. This attest the fact that the company is well equipped with necessary plants, machineries, inventories etc. Its intangible resources include its expertise in metalworking. The company has a sound experience in technology, driven by proficient technicians that constantly strive to design and create new products. With its existing resources, Masco can easily enter the $14 billion household furniture industry. The company has already curved out a niche in the mind of its customers by virtue of its quality products. Hence it is expected that the products manufactured by the company will find a ready acceptance. Another vital resource of the company is its high profitability. The company can use its retain-earnings for investments purposes in the furniture industry. Masco's Strategy for entering the furniture industry Before entering the furniture industry, Masco Corporation must implement only those strategies that match with the organizational structure and compatibility. It is of paramount importance for the company to analyze the internal and external factors. The internal factors include the strength and weaknesses of the country whereas the external factors include Porter's five forces of competition and macro-environmental factors like economy, demography, legal etc. Only when the company has successfully scanned these factors, it will develop its strategy focusing on particular areas.

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words - 1

Research Paper Example The study comprises an evaluation of the existing literature to understand the current status of the use of technology and the benefits that derive to learners and teachers. Besides, it also attempts to delineate the improvement that emerging technology can bring to this field. The study, further, encompasses a survey of a sample population to ascertain the effectiveness of the use of technology, which confirm that technology creates an interesting environment for learners and make the learning process easy for them. Language acquisition is a significant activity in human life as proper language skills are crucial not only for every day communication but also for academic careers and profession. Language is the basic tool of communication and without adequate language skills people cannot attain success in their studies or jobs. Most of the educational systems across the world prescribe the study of one or more language, other than the mother tongue of the country, as part of the academic curriculum. Second language learning aims at expanding the knowledge of students in an additional language so that they can understand and appreciate another culture. Besides, it can also help them get job opportunities in other countries as well as communicate with people from other regions. Thus, in the modern world, where humans are living in a globalized environment, the learning of at least one second assumes high significance. Words are the most important component of language and, therefore, in order to attain adequate skills in the use of language a person needs to develop vocabulary in that language. So far the learning of words and their context occurs in the first language incidentally as people receive the opportunity to interact with others right from their childhood. On the other hand, second language cannot be learned in this manner as it may not be in use in the social environment of the person who learns that language. Second language

Analysis of Music and Lyrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Music and Lyrics - Essay Example This song begins with the background of Joy, laughter and merry making on the occasion of Mammy Jinny’s Jubilee or her 2nd year of being an Octogenarian, i.e. 82 years of age. Then they realise that Mammy Jinny is turning 82 and they are very happy to know that. As it turns out to be in the later verses of the song, it becomes a day of celebration, with people coming over with gifts to greet Mammy Jinny and wish her a happy birthday. The singer urges the audience, i.e. the other members around him to sing and dance because â€Å"This is Mammy Jinny’s Day†. He is boisterous and in high spirits asking the girls to hurry up and come along to see the â€Å"sweet birthday cake† that took nearly ten people to bake. The other singer says to count the candles and see if there are only eighty two. He also asks how he would like to have a cake like that baked for him someday. Then the most interesting part begins where the singer narrates that every time the doorbel l rings, there’s some guest or well wisher who is waiting with gifts and presents for Mammy Jinny. From the second verse onwards the lyrical narrative transits into the finer aspects and deeper details of the celebrations. The brand new red bandana that Mammy Jinny is wearing is looking bright and pretty just like Mammy Jinny who seems to be in an elated state. She stood all the while near the door with a smile on her face as the guests and well wishers kept pouring in. Despite being so aged, she still had the energy and spirit of a young woman and greeted everyone with a smile. The narrator is enthusiastic and asks if the people care for some music and dance, then they should â€Å"put their glad rags and come along†. The song is on a high note towards the end with an urge and a temperament to sing and dance with music. History: The song Mammy Jinny’s Jubilee was written almost a century ago in 1913 by Lewis F. Muir (music) and L. Wolfe Gilbert (words). This so ng was written and recorded in 1913, and was a song characteristic and contemporary of its time. Some other recordings of its time are as follows: â€Å"The Band Played On† by Dan W. Quinn, â€Å"After the Ball is over† by George J. Gaskin, â€Å"Paddle your Own Canoe† by Arthur Collins and Bryon G. Harlan. The song like most others by Collins and Harlan Duo represents the African American thought and lifestyle. Similar to our chosen song of â€Å"Mammy Jinny’s Jubilee†, the songs portray the day to day events and emotions of a particular community; they depict tastes and perceptions of different occasions and the way they are celebrated by the African American people. As can be seen from the sheer mirth and joy reflected through the composition and lyrical verses of the song, it shows the importance, love and affection that are showered on the elderly members of the community. A feeling of brotherhood and sharing of common joy is seen through enth usiastic participation of the community members in Mammy Jinny’s eighty-second birthday. They all sing together and bring gifts for Mammy Jinny, and talk about how merrily she greets the guests each time every year, by standing at the door with a smile on her face and a rare energetic burst of youthful spirit even at such an age. Relationships to other music of the time: Some of the other compositions by Lewis Muir and L. Wolfe Gilb

Masco Corporations Strategic Planning Case Study

Masco Corporations Strategic Planning - Case Study Example The company has successfully developed its product lines for faucets by establishing faucet manufacturing units with advanced business model. In 1986, Masco Corporation developed its vision statement, which reflected its desire to become "Procter & Gamble of consumer durables" (Harvard Business School, 1998). The very vision statement has propelled the company to diversify its business into other consumer durable goods. Alongside, the company has also extended its tentacles to enter the market of oil-field equipments, drilling tools and transport related products like gear shift levers, engine exhaust system etc. The company has even restructured its organizational structure and implemented other methods to reduce its overall cost of production. However, the primary obligation of the company is to enhance its research & development, and manufacturing ability so that the above stated concerns are addressed to. For acquiring technological breakthrough, the company has entered into contracts with research firms like MTI. For optimising the productivity of each manufacturing division, the company has developed formal organiza tional chart aimed at facilitating communication and exchange. In order to reduce the cost associated with its R&D various cost reduction programs were undertaken. This coupled with innovative working procedures and methodologies have helped the company to produce high quality innovative products at a lower cost. Masco's resources The resources of Masco Corporation can be categorized into two types i.e. tangible and intangible. Since its inception, the company has been constructing its manufacturing units in numerous locations that produce a wide range of consumer durable products. This attest the fact that the company is well equipped with necessary plants, machineries, inventories etc. Its intangible resources include its expertise in metalworking. The company has a sound experience in technology, driven by proficient technicians that constantly strive to design and create new products. With its existing resources, Masco can easily enter the $14 billion household furniture industry. The company has already curved out a niche in the mind of its customers by virtue of its quality products. Hence it is expected that the products manufactured by the company will find a ready acceptance. Another vital resource of the company is its high profitability. The company can use its retain-earnings for investments purposes in the furniture industry. Masco's Strategy for entering the furniture industry Before entering the furniture industry, Masco Corporation must implement only those strategies that match with the organizational structure and compatibility. It is of paramount importance for the company to analyze the internal and external factors. The internal factors include the strength and weaknesses of the country whereas the external factors include Porter's five forces of competition and macro-environmental factors like economy, demography, legal etc. Only when the company has successfully scanned these factors, it will develop its strategy focusing on particular areas.

Analysis of Music and Lyrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Music and Lyrics - Essay Example This song begins with the background of Joy, laughter and merry making on the occasion of Mammy Jinny’s Jubilee or her 2nd year of being an Octogenarian, i.e. 82 years of age. Then they realise that Mammy Jinny is turning 82 and they are very happy to know that. As it turns out to be in the later verses of the song, it becomes a day of celebration, with people coming over with gifts to greet Mammy Jinny and wish her a happy birthday. The singer urges the audience, i.e. the other members around him to sing and dance because â€Å"This is Mammy Jinny’s Day†. He is boisterous and in high spirits asking the girls to hurry up and come along to see the â€Å"sweet birthday cake† that took nearly ten people to bake. The other singer says to count the candles and see if there are only eighty two. He also asks how he would like to have a cake like that baked for him someday. Then the most interesting part begins where the singer narrates that every time the doorbel l rings, there’s some guest or well wisher who is waiting with gifts and presents for Mammy Jinny. From the second verse onwards the lyrical narrative transits into the finer aspects and deeper details of the celebrations. The brand new red bandana that Mammy Jinny is wearing is looking bright and pretty just like Mammy Jinny who seems to be in an elated state. She stood all the while near the door with a smile on her face as the guests and well wishers kept pouring in. Despite being so aged, she still had the energy and spirit of a young woman and greeted everyone with a smile. The narrator is enthusiastic and asks if the people care for some music and dance, then they should â€Å"put their glad rags and come along†. The song is on a high note towards the end with an urge and a temperament to sing and dance with music. History: The song Mammy Jinny’s Jubilee was written almost a century ago in 1913 by Lewis F. Muir (music) and L. Wolfe Gilbert (words). This so ng was written and recorded in 1913, and was a song characteristic and contemporary of its time. Some other recordings of its time are as follows: â€Å"The Band Played On† by Dan W. Quinn, â€Å"After the Ball is over† by George J. Gaskin, â€Å"Paddle your Own Canoe† by Arthur Collins and Bryon G. Harlan. The song like most others by Collins and Harlan Duo represents the African American thought and lifestyle. Similar to our chosen song of â€Å"Mammy Jinny’s Jubilee†, the songs portray the day to day events and emotions of a particular community; they depict tastes and perceptions of different occasions and the way they are celebrated by the African American people. As can be seen from the sheer mirth and joy reflected through the composition and lyrical verses of the song, it shows the importance, love and affection that are showered on the elderly members of the community. A feeling of brotherhood and sharing of common joy is seen through enth usiastic participation of the community members in Mammy Jinny’s eighty-second birthday. They all sing together and bring gifts for Mammy Jinny, and talk about how merrily she greets the guests each time every year, by standing at the door with a smile on her face and a rare energetic burst of youthful spirit even at such an age. Relationships to other music of the time: Some of the other compositions by Lewis Muir and L. Wolfe Gilb

Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship Essay Example for Free

Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship Essay The songs or lieders made by Hugo Wolf and Franz Schubert, although of the same origin, are totally different when analyzed side by side. For a brief history, the song is from the poem â€Å"Do you know the land where the lemon trees bloom? † and is written as a part of the novel Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship. This was the script for the actor of Mignon, a lady whom Wilhelm encounters on his travels. The two composers perfectly created a melody each distinct from each other, showing their vast differences in terms of style, knowledge, and even understanding of the poem itself. In listening and discerning these pieces, one must understand the two composers had different theories and practices pertaining to composition. This would help in understanding the songs even better. A very noticeable fact, even for first time listeners would be the difference in the overall structure of the songs. Franz Schubert’s song seems to be composed of two main parts, a verse followed by a chorus, then repeated again for a number of times. But it can’t be helped to notice that the chorus is of a different mood, and totally contrasting to the preceding verse. The verses have hints of sorrow, and mystery to it while the chorus is almost like a jolly tune in terms of melody and rhythm. Hugo Wolf’s piece on the other hand was slow, mellow and dark all throughout. The whole song also seemed to flow continually, with different melodies happening every time. There was still a chorus type of part, which was repeated for about three times during the song. But unlike Schubert’s contrasting themes, Wolf’s chorus only intensified the dark and minor theme of the song. In Wolf’s composition, the use of a very thick texture is dominant in the chorus. The piano plays the bass part heavily, while his use of the hamper pedal occasionally brings up a very striking minor melody. It is also more chromatic compared to Schubert’s, which is predominantly diatonic. On Schubert’s side, there is a lesser change of texture during the parts of the song, but more on rhythm change. There are some instances however, like when the chorus ends, where a very appropriate change in volume occurs that signifies the end of that part. Although the sudden return of the verse gives away the sense of texture that could have occurred. In a whole, Schubert’s song seemed to be played straightforward, but his change of mood gives the listener a type of excitement. The two songs also differ greatly in the vocal parts sung by the singer. In Schubert’s arrangement, the voice seems to be very attached to the piano’s melody. Almost as if the piano was playing the exact melody the singer is singing. There is also less change in power, but more of, as said earlier rhythm change. The singer shifts from legato lines to staccato-like phrases beautifully but keeps her volume and projection at an almost constant level, except for the ends of the choruses where she follows the rising tone of the accompaniment. The singer also had a wider range of notes to work with. In contrast with Wolf’s piano lines, the melody only seems to support the singer, to provide a cushion on which the singers sing on. This is very evident during the chorus parts where the melody played a stream of sad notes completely off with the singers rhythm. The singer stayed at a constant feel, increasing the projection and power as the accompaniment does. I can say that in Wolf’s song, the singer would have worked harder in hitting those notes with the right amount of power. The range of notes are very much wider than that of Schubert’s. These and many more differences on the two compositions show a much deeper idea in composing other than just scales and notes. By thoroughly understanding the poem and the two song arrangements, we can make a conclusion regarding the view of the composers in regard with the said poem. In summary, the poem seems to be questions by the singer to a certain someone. The singers hopes of finding a place, somewhere where the lemon trees blossom and the roof rests on the pillar of the house. Franz Schubert may have viewed this as a two mood poem – the solemn, sad part where the singer asks the questions and a happy one where the singer got a kind of excitement in knowing that the place was found. This is very much portrayed in his composition. By using two totally different rhythm and modes, he is able to allow the listener to perceive a change in the singer’s mood. It is as if the singer found hope in her questions. The continuously sad atmosphere of Wolf’s piece on the other hand may suggest that Wolf sees Mignon as a woman of a dark and mysterious background. Something where happiness may be drawn out of her, and the questions asked were in hope of desperation. Finally, the songs differ in terms of their effect to the listener. Schubert’s song kept on resolving every time the chorus was sung. It is evident that there are only two major parts, and a very well made fake ending covered the real one. It is as if the song had been repeating after the first set was done. This leaves a distinction of hominess, where the listeners tend to feel relieved, safe, at home. The diatonic nature of the song and the frequent tonic tone heard helps in providing this certain feeling. But for Wolf, the chromatism and dissonance created a lot of tension during the songs. Wolf is known for avoiding resolving at the home key when not needed. This song shows much of this character, as there is a sense of floating when one hears it. Wolf also tries to avoid the common strophic type of songs. He likes building his melody as he goes along, making verses differ from each other. These two songs are great manifestations of their composers’ ideas. Each has different structures and quality, none of which is inferior to the other. By analyzing these, we can conclude that composers not only compose the melody, but they also create a certain atmosphere on which the listeners can submerge to, by using different styles. And Franz Schubert and Hugo Wolf’s songs are great examples of these.

Celtic Christian Art Origins and Development

Celtic Christian Art Origins and Development How Celtic was Celtic Christian Art? The art of the Early Christian Period has been regarded as an Irish phenomenon representing the survival in Ireland of La Tene artistic traditions. (Laing, 1975, 339) It has gained considerable attention due to its wealth of ornamental metalwork, illuminated manuscripts and stone structure. However there is still the debate How Celtic is Celtic Christian Art? The term must first be analysed in order to understand the characteristics of Celtic Christian Art. The high point of this Insular art of the early Christian era was the creation of a series of illuminated Christian manuscripts, notably the Book of Durrow (c.650) and the Book of Kells (c.800), as well as such metalwork masterpieces as the Ardagh Chalice, the Derrynaflan Chalice, the unusual Moylough Belt Shrine, famous processional crosses like the Tully Lough Cross and the Cross of Cong, and the secular Tara Brooch. Within this essay I will attempt to summarise the origin and development of Celtic art in Great Britain and Ireland. As a result, this would assist my analysis on the significant influence Christianity had on Celtic art. A breakdown on examining Celtic art, is to begin defining the term. The term Celtic Art is defined by the people who spoke the Celtic language and embraced their traditions. Thus explains the characteristic decorative motives, for instance the divergent spiral were of foreign origin. However, one must understand that the conversion of the inhabitants of Britain from Paganism to Christianity was a gradual process, extending over a period of several hundred years. Therefore the evidence for the existence of Romano-British Christianity is scarce. Out of the several hundreds of inscribed and sculptured monuments belonging to the period of the Roman occupation of Britain there are hardly any which bear Christian symbols or show traces of Christian art.(Allen, 2001, 162) Moreover another misinterpretation about the term was that many believed the term came from art found in a church or a specific object. The term usually means art which embraces the character of Christianity. A number of problems must also be considered such as assessing beyond the religious aspect of the Celtic Christian tradition, creates a challenge as distorts the image of the range of material which may once have existed. Robert Lloyd Laing supports this view as he suggests that the Early Christian Art is a complex amalgam of artistic traditions which became blended together in the fifth to seventh centuries.(Laing, 1997, 339) Another issue of reliability of using other sources (for instance the La Tene Art), to assess the Christian Celtic Art, as it creates some imperative variations. Whilst La Tene art is undoubtedly of the same genus as that of the early Christian Celts, the variety in vogue after the fourth century AD was markedly different.(Laing, 1987, 5) These difficulties must therefore be interpreted by using the Celtics traditions and its influences from outside elements. This would allow a descriptive analysis of the origin and changes within Celtic Christian Art. Ireland was one of the very few countries that were never colonized by Rome. Unlike Britain and Continental Europe Irish Celtic art was neither influenced by Greek or Roman art. Between the end of the Iron Age and the gradual emergence of Christianity in Ireland a prominent feature within the Irish culture was its unbroken tradition of Celtic culture influenced only marginally by Roman art. Furthermore, Christianity gained more attention with the arrival of St. Patrick in the 5th century CE. This along with the significant introduction of the renaissance of Hiberno- Saxon style or Insular art which was caused by the mission of Aidan of Iona in the 630s to the ancient kingdom of Northumbria, were was especially important in the later development of insular Celtic art and changed the Celtic Christian art. The spread of Christianity throughout Ireland introduced the Irish monastic art. Archaeological evidence such as the monasteries became the principal artistic centres which aid archaeologists, to understand the origin and development of Celtic Christian art. Thus emphasises the impact of Christianity on Irish art and should not be underestimated. A renaissance in the arts was created due to the close connection of the network of monasteries throughout Ireland, Britain (especially Northumbria) and parts of Europe. All these monasteries combined acted as centres of learnin g and artistic craftsmanship as well as places of religious devotion. Thus resulted to the illumination of manuscripts and the enhancement of Celtic designs taken from jewellery and metalwork produced for the Irish secular elite, but most insular art came about because of the patronage and direction of the Catholic Church. Christian Celtic art can generally be summarised by looking at stone crosses, illuminated manuscripts, and metal objects such as chalices, shrines and reliquaries. The art of this period utilized traditional Celtic curvilinear designs enriched with foreign influenced brought back to Ireland by returning missionaries-motifs such as the Saxon use of entangled, interlocking animal forms in geometric decorations. The art of the Anglo-Saxons came into contact due to the Irish missionaries. They practised the traditional colourful animal style in metalwork which became a significant aspect within Celtic art as they associated the animals to individual gods and myths. This is supported by Paul Jacobsthal who analysed that The Scythian animal style expresses a Eurasiatic beast-mythology, a totemism which was all its own. (1935, 113) This shows a subtle influence Christianity had on Celtic Art as the people of the time are beginning to assess animals with religion. However there are limitations with using the animal designs for understanding the changes within Celtic art. Allen suggests that Animal forms are comparatively rare in Late-Celtic art, as they are not interlaced, so that it is almost useless to seek for the original inspiring idea in this direction. (2001, 250) Nevertheless we could still establish a connection with the La Tene compositions and the animal ornaments. For instance from Donore a disc was found; it demonstrated an elaborate composition of trumpet scrolls in tinned bronze, placed against a richly textured background. The sophistication of this striking pattern may be compared to the great Chi-Rho page of the Gospel book, the Book of Kells, which was preserved at the nearby monastery of Kells, Co. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-images/kells-chi-rho-page.jpgMeath for many centuries. The Early Christian Mediterranean artistic traditions would be similarly seen amongst the Frank and Lombards in which these missionaries would have travelled. In addition this connection would have produced a shared manuscript for illuminators, metalworkers and later, monumental sculptors which enabled the basic houses to foster a new art form in northern Britain and Ireland. The most notable artefacts of Christian Celtic Art were dominated by ornaments such as trumpet scrolls, fine spirals often designed to be seen as a reserved line of metal in a field of red enamel. This pattern is best exemplified on the escutcheens of a series of vessels called hanging bowls. These bowls are most likely to be found in Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in eastern and southern England. In addition these bowls have a distinct decoration which is more likely to be Celtic in character. Allen suggests that The closest resemblance between the spiral decoration of the Pagan period and that of the Christian period is to be found on the discoidal ornaments with patterns in champlevà © enamel, forming the attachments of the handles of certain bronze bowls, several examples of which have been discovered from time to time in different parts of England.(2001, 243) the distinctive Celtic character is often argued, for instance some archaeologist believe that it represented booty taken by the conquerors from the Celtic lands and others believe it was uniquely religious. Another important artefact of the time was the Book of Durrow. It is another illuminated manuscript of the Insular style. There are unique textual peculiarities which create a similarity with the Book of Kells. It was seen as one of the most outstanding early manuscripts in the history of Irish art. The illuminated text includes the four Gospels of the New Testament, along with the six surviving carpet pages (which were believed to have been devoted for decoration). It is furthermore suggested that it was linked with the earlier patterns of Celtic metalwork. Unusual symbols are assigned to the gospels which do not follow tradition: a man for Matthew, but an eagle for Mark (instead of the traditional lion), a calf for Luke, but a lion for John (instead of the traditional eagle). These symbols along with the cross which unites them amplify harmony if the Gospels and the argument that early Christian art had influences from the Celtic tradition. This is furthermore supported by the interlace pattern-work, spirals, zoomorphic triskeles, and knots, which were all derived from Celtic art. OSullivan agrees with this argument as they suggested that In Durrow it is followed by a page of abstract design based on Celtic ornament, the first of five so-called carpet-pages, one of which originally faced the opening of each gospel. (2005, 526) In the late 7th to early 8th century, Irish missions in Europe produced the most impressive Celtic Christian art in Europe. This is shown in the illuminated manuscripts of the Bible, which were embellished with decorative borders and astounding intricate, inventive lettering. The complexity of the twining geometric designs dominated previous art, the rare representations of human faces and figures were abnormally stylized. Another book which was considered just as important as the Bible and was seen as a masterpiece of its time was the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells shares the monumentality of its conception with some of the later Pictish cross-slabs, decorated with a wealth of biblical and secular scenes (Laing, 1979, 168) This book was deemed as the most famous, finest group of manuscripts of the 6th through to early 9th centuries, in the monasteries of Ireland, Scotland and England. The book had many similar features to the bible, it included the iconographic and stylistic traditions and the decorated letters, which were usually found in incipit pages for the Gospels. Large stone crosses were also seen as a significant aspect in evaluating how Celitc Celtic Christian art was during its time. During the later eighth and ninth centuries the form of the ringed High Crosses came of great importance. Many of the crosses are devoted to Christian scriptural themes but one early group, probably mostly ninth century in date, is dominated by abstract interlace ornament, the La Tene animal interlace, and key- and fret-patterns. Pure ornament plays a major part also on the crosses with figured scenes and frequently occurs in the form of bossed fleshy scrolls. These sculptural works reached their high point during the early tenth century, as evidenced by Muiredachs Cross at Monasterboice, County Louth, and the Ahenny High Cross in Tipperary. The free-standing crosses, in which the outline of the stone corresponds with the outline of the cross, are the most highly developed type of Celtic sculptured monument of the Christian period, and are therefore presumably the latest, with the exception of those of the decadent period just before and after the Norman Conquest.(Allen, 2001, 188) These crosses were vital in understanding the Celtic Christian art, they were carved with interlacing relief decorations such as ceremonial religious objects, which ornamented with gold filigree and coloured enamel stud. An example of this type of cross would be the Ardagh Chalice. The Ardagh Chalice largely conceals its Christian symbolism, but it carries two medallions on its bowl that contain prominent crosses of arcs.(Duffy, MacShamhrian, Moynes, 2005, 141) This highly sophisticated design is considered one of the finest works of Insular art. Stokes suggested that The Tara brooch and the Ardagh chalice offer the most perfect examples of the use of this peculiar spiral that have been found in the metal-work of Irish Christian Art;(2004, 63) The Ardagh Chalice itself is made from a silver-bronze alloy and its main features include delicate gold filigree work, ornate handles and the use of semi-precious and coloured stones and enamels. The overall impression is that of a master craftsman at work and probably dates from the eight century. Another significant chalice was the Derrynaflan Chalice which was considered to be one of the most outstanding religious artworks in the history of Irish art. It was made in the eigth and ninth century by Irish metallurgists. These were highly skilled craftsmen who had superlative artistic skills during the Insular Art period (c.650-1000) in the ultimate La Tene style. Duffy, MacShamhrain and Moynes analysed that the Derrynaflan Chalice is less colourful than the Ardagh Chalice however its filigree is of great interest because it shows elements of common Christian iconography griffons, birds, beast, and quadrupeds, probably lions that are widespread in early medieval European sculpture and metalwork as part of the Tree of Life and related motifs. (2005, 141) Brooches are also very useful in examining How Celtic is Celtic Art? In Ireland, the Celtic brooches were a perfect example of the type of jewellery the high-status people used to wear. Many of the brooches features include symbols that have come to epitomize the Celtic culture; examples such as Claddagh, the Brigids cross, the Celtic hound and the classic example of Celtic interlace are typical patterns for Celtic art. The most popular Celtic brooch is the Tara brooch design. The Tara brooch design and the Hunterston brooch are considered to be two of the most important evidences in Celtic Christian art. Hourihane suggests that It has long been recognized that while both brooches show elements from the native Celtic La Tene repertoire, their design also reflects outside influences and incorporates many foreign elements.(2001, 211) The Tara brooch is a classic example of an artefact from early Christian-era Ireland. It dates around 700AD and features an embellished circle with a long, straight pin. It is a representation of the Celitc peoples brilliant craftsmanship. The Hunterston brooch is one of the earliest examples of decorative brooches from Britain and Ireland. Solid silver with gold and silver filigree and amber studs compose the head and pin of the brooch. The style of the brooch derives from the Pictish tradition in its presentation of zoomorphic creatures.Brooches can be found on monument al sculpture of the Mullaghmast stone, in which they appeared to be used for carrying variants of the early hanging bowl style. Moreover during the period of 800-100AD, silver became exceedingly popular with the Irish and Anglo-Saxon metallurgists, thus led to the creation of well-noted brooches. In conclusion Celtic Christian art was very Celtic as just like all art, it was inspired by religion. The Celts paganism was different to that of the Greeks and Romans as it was supported by the authority of druids, who were the guardians of writing, teaching, culture and most importantly religion. Their polytheistic ideas manifested themselves through animals, various monsters and collective goddesses, (Gods and demigods were usually depicted on coins). Thus, this explains the popular use of zoo morphology in their art. In addition to understand Celtic art we must analyse the unity between the materials and techniques the people of the time used. For instance Celtic art consists of hard or hardened objects such as metal, stone, wood, leather, glass and clay. There is no painting (except on pottery), no wax, no wickerwork and virtually no weaving. Iron engraving and abstract sculpture in bronze both derive from the Ancient Celts who combined the techniques of engraving and sculpting most effectively. Their strong point was the creation of tiny sculptures, particularly for the embossed engraving of coinage. Another form of unity was their common use of animals. Frequent subjects such as the quadrupeds, birds, fish and reptiles are often represented, along with the merge of plant designs which lend themselves into transformations. The Celts favoured using animals and plants than those depicted humans, thus makes it simple for an archaeologist to identify Celtic Christian art. The very human representations which were found are usually a form of an imaginary being for instance a monster, as though everything in the world were metaphysically linked. The treatment of these subjects is a source of bafflement for, in each case, the Celts present us with riddles. In conclusion, to answer the question How Celtic is Celtic Christian Art? an archaeologist must look at the common traditional themes which continued through to the Early Christian art. The complex, twining geometric designs predominated; the rare representations of human faces and figures were abstract and stylized, would assist us in judging how Celtic, Celtic Christian Art was at the time. Bibliography Allen J. R., 2001, Celtic Art in Pagan and Christian Times, Dover Publications Inc, General Publishing Company Ltd, 30 Lesmill Road, Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario Duffy S., MacShamhrain A., Moynes J., 2005, Medieval Ireland: an encyclopedia, Routledge, 2 Park Square Miton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN, U.K. Dumbleton W. A., 1984, Ireland, life and land in literature, State University of New Yotk Press, State University Plaza, Albany, N.Y., 12246 Hourihane C., 2001, From Ireland coming: Irish art from the early Christian to late Gothic period and its European context, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeston University, Princeston, New Jersey, 08540 Laing R. L., 1975, The Archaeology of Late Celtic Britain and Ireland, c.400-1200AD, Methuen Co Ltd, 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P 4EE Laing R. L., 1997, Later Celtic Art in Britain and Ireland, Shire Publications Ltd, Cromwell House Church Street Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire HP27 9AA UK OSullivan, 2005, Manuscripts and Palaeography in A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early Ireland, Oxford University Press, New York Stokes M., 2004, Early Christian Art in Ireland, Kessinger Publishing,