A Comparison Between the World of Beowulf and Modern America :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

A Comparison Between the World of Beowulf and Modern America Despite numerous cultural and technological advancements, life in modern America continues to bear resemblance to the Anglo-Saxon world. Although it may take time and some loss of pride to admit it, since characteristics of human nature have stayed the same, from work place to personal relationships, the similarities between the two worlds are uncanny. Comitatus, an agreement between a lord and his thanes, may seem a little strange at first. However, a closer look reveals a striking similarity between that code and today's work place. A lord or the modern-day boss chooses the best thanes/workers in the land through their experience in battle or a resume of previous employment. The lord/boss provides his thanes/employees with a share of his wealth/salaries. In return, a thane/employee promises to remain loyal to his lord/boss, ready to die in battle or at the office, finishing a project before a deadline. If a battle is won or a deal is closed, an ideal lord/boss, whose greatest characteristic is generosity, will divide the treasure among his thanes, or award a big bonus check to his employees. A violation of this agreement results in the exile/firing of the thane/employee, and a loss of livelihood followed by shame and embarrassment. The Anglo-Saxon standards of a good leader can be further seen in the modern American political process. The quotation referring to the good prince who "by giving splendid gifts while still in his father's house makes sure that later in life beloved companions will stand by him, that the people will serve him when war comes" ( Norton p.27 ) provides a formula for political success. People tend to favor and vote for candidates who seem to offer the greatest rewards, such as tax cuts or needed legislation. Furthermore, those who support a candidate expect favors in return if that candidate is elected, just as gifts and bribes have become a way of retaining loyalty and trust. Even the idea of a smear campaign existed in Anglo-Saxon culture and can be seen when Unferth twists the truth about Beowulf's competition with Breca: "for he would not allow that any other man of middle-earth should ever achieve more glory under the heavens than himself." ( Norton p.33 ) Throughout the poem, similarities between personal relationships then and now are evident. Betrayal within a family, murder caused by jealousy, and marriage for the wrong reasons are all themes in Beowulf, yet a look at today's soap operas, talk shows, and movies reveals that little has changed.

Essay on an Analysis of Horror Movies Essay

Horror has been a long time one of the most popular categories of films in the movie industry. People liked to watch horror films to be afraid and to outdo their fears: â€Å"On a psychological level, the horror film dramatizes our nightmares, so that we can confront them† (Sigmund Freud, p.644). Gradually, because horror films became too repetitive and too numerous, people got used to watching them and were no longer terrified. Even if horror films do not scare us, why do we continue to watch them? The reason is very simple: horrors films became so unrealistic, so ridiculous and, in return, very funny to watch. Firstly, this essay will focus on how the serial killer (the bad guy) is ridiculous by his invulnerability, due to his power. Secondly, it will focus on how the characters are ludicrous, silly by their stupidity and on the setting which is over-exaggerated. To conclude, it will be shown how the female portrait is so demeaning, unrealistic and absurd. Examples from horr or films Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Friday the 13th (Part 8) and Freddy VS Jason will be used to prove these points. First of all, the serial killer (bad guy) in horror films is most of the time very powerful, very strong and seems invulnerable to injuries from their victims. For example, in a scene from Friday the 13th (Part 8), a young black teenager tries to escape from Jason by going on the roof of a building. Of course Jason finds him and, seeing that he is trapped, the young boy decides to fight Jason with his fists. He incessantly punches Jason, yet the serial killer does not seem affected. Tired, the boy stops to hit and Jason punches his head causing it to fall off and fly through the air. It is funny to see this absurd scene which is impossible to do in the real life. â€Å"The horror film offers to see all kinds of frightening events, to feel something of the same fear and terror as the characters on the screen, [†¦]† (Ira Konigsberg, p.469). There is nothing frightening in this idealistic scene because the killer is too strong, too ridiculous and people will laugh. Another example of ridiculous killers is Freddy Krooger. â€Å"Freddy is most like a comic book superhero – aggressive, resourceful, and unbeatable – he gets what he wants. Freddy says, â€Å"I am eternal,† and he can become anything he wants: a bathroom, a puppet, a showerhead, a motorcycle, a diving board, a huge snake, a cartoon character, and so on. His identity is one of absolute power. [†¦]Stalkers like Freddy, Jason, [†¦] cannot be  stopped.†(Gary Heba, p.106) In short, the evil character (Jason, Freddy, etc.) in horror films are always ridiculous and funny to watch because they are too powerful, too strong and too invulnerable. Also, the characters and the settings are other elements which make horror films so hilarious. Most of the time, the characters have stupid reactions while dealing with the murderer. By example, in a scene of Freddy VS Jason, a girl teen escapes from Freddy in her dreams. She enters in a big room and hides herself in a locker thinking that Freddy will not find her. She is so noisy that Freddy easily finds her and kills her. Everything seems to occur by chances in horror films but is calculated in reality. For example, in Friday the 13th (Part 8), a young woman escapes from Jason in the woods, falls and finds a knife on the ground that she picks up to defend herself. The chances that it happens in the real life are very minimal. In a few words, the characters are often unrealistic by the way they act and the setting is too calculated. These things make horror films out of reach and very witty. Another factor that makes the horror film so unrealistic and not scary is the female portrait. In horror movies, most of the ladies are very hot and are often naked. Women are perceived as sexual objects because they are usually used in sexual scenes to attract the attention of the male audience. The girls seem to have all their assets in their body and none in their head. Generally, the slaughterer in horror films is a male and most of the victims are young women. â€Å"Critic and researchers have claimed that movies such as Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, [†¦] feature acts of extreme violence [†¦], women singled out for injury and death [†¦] and scenes of explicit violence juxtaposed with sexual or erotic female images. It has been argued that females are more frequently the targets of violence in slasher films.†(Barry S Sapolsky, p.28). For example, in the Friday the 13th (Part 8), there is a couple who are having sex in a boat. Quietly Jason goes aboard the boat, picks up a harpoon gun and goes in the bedroom where the couple is. Quickly he harpoons the couple who was copulating. To sum up, the female portrait is very demeaning in horror films and it makes these films very absurd, improbable, unintelligent and very comical to watch because the  women would never act as ridiculously in real life. To sum up, people like and continue to watch horror films because they are ridiculous, unrealistic and very funny in return. Many factors make these films like that: the serial killers who are always too powerful, too strong and too invincible (like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krooger); the characters who act so stupidly and the setting that is so improbable; and the female portrait which is very demeaning because the women are perceived most of the time as sexual objects; most of the women are not like that in the real life. Maybe one day the movie industry will understand that people want to be scared when they go to watch a horror film and not to burst out in laughter.

How Personal Can Ethics Get? Essay

The level of ethics competency is determined by the individual’s ability to identify elements of ethics, assess issues with ethics that arise, apply knowledge and regulations when making ethical decisions, and communicate those decisions to others. As stated by Curry in his discussion of workplace ethics: Ethics are about making choices that may not always feel good or seem like they benefit you but are the â€Å"right† choices to make. They are the choices that are examples of â€Å"model citizens† and examples of the golden rules. We’ve all heard the golden rules: Don’t hurt, don’t steal, don’t lie, or one of the most famous: â€Å"Do unto others as you would have done to you. † These are not just catchy phrases; these are words of wisdom that any productive member of society should strive to live by. (Curry, n. d. ) Organizational ethics depends on the culture of the company or organization and the extent of the importance of codes of ethics within the company. Organizational ethics is the company’s codes and procedures that manage the actions and decisions of its employees and leadership. Personal difference and preference can impact this, however. There are occasions when organizational ethics and personal ethics are not in line with one another. A lot of times employees do not know how to balance the personal side with the business side. In businesses there are several factors that influence the morality of individuals. Those factors are peers, company policies and procedures, and superiors such as management. In our personal lives there are factors as well. Those factors include family and friends. Ethics are thought of by many people as something that is related to the private side of life and not to the business side. In many businesses, having ethics is frowned upon or thought of as a negative subject. This is because business is usually about doing what’s best for number one, not about what’s really the right thing to do. (Curry, n. d. ) With this in mind, there are occasions when business decisions are not made simply because the decision is really the right thing to do. Businesses are created for a number of reasons, but to stay in business the company must practice good decision making and make a profit. Over time, in the long run, the business that finds a way to balance personal differences and preferences with organizational ethics will last longer and be more profitable. Mary White, the co-owner of MTI Business Solutions addresses business ethics in her article. In one particular point White states: Companies and businesspeople who wish to thrive long-term must adopt sound ethical decision-making practices. Companies and people who behave in a socially responsible manner are much more likely to enjoy ultimate success than those whose actions are motivated solely by profits. Knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing what is right is the foundation for ethical decision making. In many cases, doing the right thing often leads to the greatest financial, social, and personal rewards in the long run. (White, n. d. ) Often times, individuals in leadership positions put their own goals and preferences before that of the company. For example, a CEO might accept a deal with another company that includes an extra incentive or reward that solely benefits the CEO and deny a deal with another company because there is nothing extra that benefits the CEO. Although the company benefits by accepting another client, the ethics of the organization is compromised. Although the company with no included incentives may provide more value in the long run for the company looking to make a deal, the CEO may lose the opportunity to gain a deal in the future. When any individual becomes a part of a company, their own personal differences and preferences do not only impact the individual, but everyone around them including the company. Organizational Policies and Procedures and the Impact on Ethics In addition, organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics. The policies and procedures put into effect by businesses provide guidelines in efforts to allow the business to run smoothly. These procedures and policies set by the organization provide a means of what is right and what is wrong. This is the company’s code of conduct or set of organizational ethics. The organizational policies and procedures can either benefit the company or hinder the company. The purpose of setting this code of right and wrong is so that the company is providing employees with guidelines in hopes that employees will follow. The benefit is all employees are working towards a common goal in a common matter. This provides a sense of order within the business. Every position has its own guidelines so that employees know exactly what is expected. When an employee violates a code that is clearly documented in the company’s policies and procedures, the employee cannot state that he or she did not know what was expected. In the same sense, just as the organizational policies and procedures can benefit the ethics of the company, the policies and procedures can also produce a negative outcome. This can occur when employees refuse to follow these procedures. An employee may choose not to abide by policies when he or she has his or her own motive. For example, an employee does not agree with a company policy that states that no employee may release a certain type of information. In turn, the employee shares the information with a highly competitive company. This affects the ethics of the company as well as the individual. In this situation, the policy is clearly documented. Although the policy is set in place to provide order and give a guideline for employees to follow, the employee violated the policy. Ethical Dilemmas and Valerie When ethics become an issue within a company, ethical dilemmas occur. An ethical dilemma is a dispute between what is right and wrong between two opposing parties. Although ethical dilemmas occur every day, there is really no right or wrong solution. It is simply a matter of what one believes. In the case study, Valerie is facing an ethical dilemma. The ethical dilemma she is facing is not only about what she considers right or wrong, but also her job. As a result of her decision, she could lose several things. The ethical dilemma that Valeria is facing is if she tells anyone what she has learned, she could lose her job, her privilege to stay in the United States since she doesn’t have a Green Card, future education, and her career relationships. In this situation, Valerie can reveal the information and risk losing everything or keep the information to herself and work for a company of which she no longer respects. In either situation, Valerie is losing something. It is up to her to decide what is more important. If I were in the situation Valerie is in, I would keep the information to myself. Although neither decision is potentially right or wrong, if Valerie chooses to keep the information to herself, she does not have to risk losing her job and ability to stay in the United States. Even though Valerie does not reveal the information herself, the information may still come out in the future from another source. Another method that I would chose is to provide an anonymous explanation to corporate. Most businesses provide a means in which employees are able to provide information anonymously. In either case, Valerie will not have to jeopardize losing her job, right to live in this county, education, nor relationships within the company. Conclusion In closing, personal differences and preferences can impact organizational ethics. Employees must realize that their own decisions and beliefs affect the company they work for. In the same sense, organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics as well. Although companies set up policies to address what is right and wrong, there are positive benefits as well as negative outcomes.

Outline the Timing Issues for Market Entry in E-Business. Essay

There is no single method for timing market entry into any type of business, whether it is e-business or traditional business. Timing is more important in e-business since technologies change fast. Even a few weeks’ delay can cost the company dearly. The method used for timing market entry depends on factors such as the type of product, the particular market, the amount of competition and the budget available. The method used may also involve a single strategy or a mixture of different strategies. A successful product launch or market entry depends also on good timing and takes the characteristics of the target groups into account. In the case of timing as a strategic dimension, three basic possibilities can be differentiated: ââ€" Be the first to launch as a ‘first mover’; ââ€" Launch in parallel; ââ€" Launch with delay Pioneer In an article published by Wright State University, Gurumurthy Kalyanaram, Director of Master’s Programs in the School of Management at the University of Texas, Dallas and Ragu Gurumurthy, principal at consulting firm Booz-Allen and Hamilton, suggest that the best general entry timing strategy is to be first into the market. Although expensive, they point out that this approach has been shown to give the product a significant advantage in market share. They suggest this strategy works best in industries where product life is short, such as the high-tech industry. Late Arrival Kalyanaram and Gurumurthy point out that entering a market late can have certain advantages as well, particularly if the pioneers have grown complacent or can no longer cater to a growing market, and also, if the late arrival has an innovative way to market their product. Late entry may also pay off if the product offers technological improvement over those already available, is significantly cheaper or offers better customer service. Markets that are already cluttered with products offer some opportunity for a late arrival that is of better quality or uses new delivery channels. Dynamic Timing A new method for timing market entry was suggested by Sechan Oh and Ozalp Ozer, from the University of Texas at Dallas School of Management, in a paper delivered to the 2010 Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Conference. Oh and Ozer suggest that, as a business goes through the design process for a new product, they should constantly update their own knowledge about both the efficiency of the production process and the potential market. The product should continue to be improved until the optimal time to enter the market. At that point, the design process should stop and the product should enter the market. Time of Year The time of year can have a big effect on chances of success. Some industries are busier at certain times of the year. For example, accountants are not likely to take up new tax software in the run-up to April 15th, as they won’t have time to learn how to use it while they are busy. Similarly, a product designed for sale at Christmas should be released early enough in the year to gain momentum by the time the peak shopping season arrives. Wave, Sprinkler, Waterfall These types of timing strategy, developed by management consultant Christoph Lymbersky, are usually applied to timing entry to international markets. In the wave strategy, a new product is introduced all at once into countries that have similar cultures and characteristics. For example, a product like smartphone or Tablet might be launched into Germany, Austria and Switzerland, China, and India at the same time. In the Sprinkler strategy, the product is launched into all suitable countries at the same time. In the Waterfall strategy, a product is launched in one country at a time, and new markets are entered only after sales are established in the previous market.

2-easy Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2-easy Discussion Questions - Essay Example 2. The Fishbone diagram introduced by Kaoru Ishikawa and the Pareto chart by Alfred Pareto are two important analytical tools which use cause-and-effect diagrams to understand problem situations. The difference between the two in terms of function is that the Fishbone diagram is used as an analytical tool to identify the root causes (and sub causes) of the effect (the problem) in a diagram form. For example the Riordan HR projects inefficient HRIS problem can be analyzed by plotting its main causes - material, man, management, equipment, measurements or environment, which lead to an inefficient information system on a fishbone. Once the cause is found, a learning cycle is used to resolve the problem and improve the process. On the other hand the Pareto Chart is a bar graph which arranges problems in priority of importance. The function of the Pareto chart is to find solutions for improvements by identifying the major problems in terms of frequency, cost and/or time. For example a Pareto chart can be used to analyze which of the main factors, that is people, management, equipment, measurements, material or environment in order of significance of effect on inefficiency on the HRIS. This way the organization can focus on finding solutions to the problem in order of

Business in Action written assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business in Action written assignment - Essay Example 1. Introduction A successful business model can be defined as the way an organization creates; delivers incarcerate value to the customers. Experts believe that a successful business model must contain nine building blocks. Those blocks provide thee much required strong base to the business. Those nine blocks include customer segments, channels, and relationships with customer, value proposition, revenue streams, main resources, main activities, main partnerships and cost structure. The study has been conducted to analyze the business model of a company and understand the contribution of the nine blocks to the success of the business. The company to be discussed in this study happens to be Tesco PLC. Tesco PLC is an English multinational retailer. It is believed to be top retail outlet in the UK. The Headquarters of the company is Chesnutt, UK. It is also the third largest retailer in the country, after Walmart and Carrefour. The company has stores in fourteen countries across Europe , Asia, and North America (Chesbrough, 2007, p.45). 1.1. Value Proposition Value proposition block describes the products or services offered by the company. The offerings of the company creates value proposition for Tesco. Both through online and retail stores the company seeks to deliver value by providing a great shopping trip to the customers. One of the core values of the company is that no one tries harder for the customers than Tesco. This is very much visible in the way the company strives to improve the shopping experience. This includes all the key elements including product range, quality, availability, price and even company loyalty schemes. Irrespective of the country the modus operand of the company keeping the customers and their needs into focus remains same when it comes to delivering value (Buttle, 2012, p.107). 1.2. Customer Segments Market Segmentation can be defined as dividing a market in to different parts or group. Market segmentation can be classified as mas s segmentation, niche segmentation, segmented marketing, and differentiated segmentation. After analyzing the product mix of Tesco; it can be summed up that the company goes for differentiated segmentation as it offers a wide range of products to the customers. The product mix of the company includes Jewelleries, Sports accessories, Food and groceries, technology and gaming related products, clothing, Baby and Toddler, etc. So, the technology or gaming related products may attract the people belonging to the age group of 18 to 25 (male). The baby and toddlers are targeted towards kids, where as Jewelleries could be targeted towards the female population. Such market segmentation strategy helps the company to reach to different market segments (McDonald, 2012, p.54). 1.3. Customer relationships Managing customer relationships is all about the game of acquiring, satisfying and retaining the customers. Studies have shown that it is five times more difficult to acquire a new customer ra ther than holding on to an existing one. Studies have also revealed that companies round the globe make 65% of their revenues from existing customers. Tesco seems to be a firm believer of this philosophy. Best way to make customers happy is to listen to them well act accordingly, so that their problems can be solved enhancing the customer experience.

Portfolio Part 3 Company Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio Part 3 Company Research - Essay Example It is the consumer banking division of multinational City group. The main location of this bank is at New York in United States. It has almost 983 North American branches which are concentrated in major metropolitan areas in US and these areas are New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles etc. Again the bank has spread its business activities in more than 36 countries. City bank has occupied 3, 777 branch locations across the globe. It is the largest bank in United States by total assets and this bank is followed by Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. More than 2, 00, 000 employees are involved in this organization. The offered products of this company are investment banking, corporate banking, wealth management, credit cards, consumer banking, financial analysis, private equity etc. Again the bank also offers mortgage and loan facilities to its customers. Major competitors of this organization in US are JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America. Generally middle and high income groups are the target customers of City Bank. Again the bank has plenty institutional clients and major percentage of revenue is earned from this segment. The bank has two major segments for conducting its operational work. These segments are global consumer banking and institutional clients group. Global consumer banking segment generally provides retail banking services to more than 100 million people in 40 countries of the world. 50 % of total revenue of this organization is generated from this retail banking segment and deposit of this segment consists 40 % of total deposits (Citigroup, 2013). As per the statistical report, this can be said that the organization is going to achieve 5.6 % growth rate in the upcoming year. Again this can be said that as it is the largest bank in US so it has gained the maximum market share i.e. 35 % of total market