Mary Shelley’s Frankenstei Essay

The audience is made to feel that Frankenstein himself is evil, for playing with life and mocking God. The sounds made by the monster are similar to those made by wild animals, but also they sound like the monster is in pain, which would make sense as Frankenstein has just rejected him. We see Frankenstein’s former professor talking through a gate. This signifies the difference of opinion and belief between the two doctors. Sound effects are used very well in the creation scene, especially the non-diagetic musical score that has been added. It is mainly in a minor key, but has drastic changes to a major key when there is extra tension in the frame. It creates a build up, and when there is suddenly a pause with no music, tension is created, then when something dramatic happens, the audience shows a greater reaction. The use of diagetic and non-diagetic sound is very good in this scene, for example when the electrical probes go into the monster’s feet and there is the sound of crunching bone. This is diagetic sound. Music is an example of non-diagetic sound. The sudden silences at some points in the scene allow the audience a chance to reflect upon the immorality and reality of what Frankenstein has done. Camera angles are used to make the scene more effective and more enticing to the viewer. If there is a large quantity of movement and change in camera angles, then the shot is used to create responses in the audience. There are many randomly strange camera angles in the creation scene, and we don’t really ever see the whole of the creature’s body when it comes out of the copper vat, this is because the monster was made of lots of parts and wasn’t really a complete person in the doctor’s eyes. In the creation scene, we experience many different shot types, such as an extreme low angle shot when the monster is being lifted into the air on the body tray. This is to symbolise the life being created and is mocking God. The mis-en-scene of the frame when Victor is running up to the dais in his large billowing coat is very cluttered, which in my opinion represents his mind being a jumble of thoughts. I think there are a lot of shots in the creation scene that represent the stigmata of Christ. For example, when the spikes are driven into the feet and hands of the monster when he is not alive, in the copper vat. And the extreme close-up shot of Frankenstein’s head, then of the creature’s head. The doctor’s head bears no (visible) injury, but his creation has huge scars as if his head had been crowned with thorns. Also, there is the part where the monster is lowered into the copper vat, which looks oddly like a sarcophagus (a type of coffin used to bury Egyptian pharaohs in ancient times), this represents the descent into hell that Frankenstein is embarking on. This is mocking God yet again, and shows the immorality of Victor Frankenstein. When we see the low-angle shot of the monster hanging on the chains, it resembles the crucifixion of Christ. There are violins playing at this point, which symbolises the loneliness that Victor is feeling from the rest of the world. There are many different visual effects used in the creation scene, such as the lighting striking the window behind the monster, when he appears in Frankenstein’s bedroom. Another special effect was the make-up used on the monster’s face to make it look more dramatic and horrifying. There is also the amniotic fluid that the monster is born in, when that spills out the copper vat, it makes the audience feel sick and repulsed. Only diagetic sounds are used at this point, there is no music. When the monster is lifted up to the ceiling, the circle of light around the body represents Leonardo Da Vinci’s â€Å"Vitruvian Man†, which is a drawing that shows the proportions of a perfect human body. This is ironic as most of the monster was made of murderers and criminals- hardly perfect people. The editing in the creation scene is very clever, I have previously mentioned the lecturer being super-imposed over a frame; there is also the part where all the scientific equipment is displayed. One shot dissolves into another, which resembles them being combined together to make the monster. The pace in the scene changes from being very fast when Frankenstein is giving the monster life, to a lot slower when the monster is â€Å"born† and trying to stand up. Overall, I think that Branagh has made the film much more appealing to the audience by using the effects available to him. He uses location, costume, characterisation, dialogue, sound effects, camera angles. Shot types, visual effects, editing, and pace to make a very effective film. I am most impressed by the way he read between the lines of the Mary Shelley novel to give the audience lots to think about. I also liked the way he used discreet blasphemy to show that what Victor Frankenstein was doing was immoral and mocking God. I think that Branagh has more than done justice to the Shelley novel. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Fedex Internal Analysis Essay

* History Founded by Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Express was established in 1973 and it has grown rapidly. Smith had the idea of creating a company that would deliver mail all over the United States over night. His idea was to fly mail from one location to another at night because the traffic is better and packages could be sorted, distributed and out of its original location faster. Delivering to over 220 countries and territories, FedEx today is a big global industry with a vast network worldwide. The company that started as a laid out in an economics class today is one of the biggest mail distribution corporations known by all customers as the company that â€Å"send shipment overnight† (FedEx,2013). * Employment Employing more than 245,000 workers, contractors, pilots and operational personnel, FedEx is a corporation proud of its employees. FedEx creates opportunities not only for their full time employees but the company also hires college students as part time employees. It not only provides the college students a flexible job but it also helps FedEx cut costs, especially because the corporation is not unionized except for their pilots that are associated with the ALPA. FedEx not only employees in the United States, but it also employees overseas and 13 percent of its current employees are international. * Organizational Structure The FedEx Corporation like many others is structure with a CEO, CFO, Market Development and Corporate Communications VP, Chief Information Officer, General Counsel and Secretary. Each subdivision of FedEx has a CEO, current David J. Bronczek is the CEO for the FedEx Express subdivision. Frederick W. Smith remains in the main position of President and CEO of the company as a whole (FexEx, 2013). * Location FedEx main headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee and the company has also another four headquarters which are located in Ontario, Canada; Guangzhou, China; Miami, Florida; Brussels, Belgium. FedEx also has more than 46,000 drop-off locations all over the country and many other regional hubs to help short and deliver packages. * Capacity Utilizing a hub-and-spoke sorting and distribution system FedEx Express and FedEx ground have the capacity to process 15,000 to 20,000 packages daily. The technology utilized in its 29 hubs helps to speed the process and make it more effective. Operating 675 aircrafts and 75,000 motorized vehicles worldwide, FedEx has the capacity to utilize its transportations and guarantee delivery within 24 to 48 hours. * Internal Policies and Internal Culture FedEx has been known for its outstanding Human Resources programs. The company implemented a no-lay-off policy, minority recruitment efforts, and guaranteed fair treatment practice within the organization. The company’s dedication to its employees and the technology acquired to make employees job more efficient helps empower workers. FedEx has a traditional culture where the company is centralized and very well structured. The most important component of the company is the people and that’s why their philosophy is â€Å"People-Service-Profit†. Market * Market segmentation FedEx target all ages in the market, the service is offered to everyone that needs packages delivered in a short amount of time. Service is offered to all the population in the United States and other countries. Home delivery is a great option for those who are unable to go to a FedEx store. Businesses that are in need of faster document deliveries is also benefited by FedEx because the lines in the stores are normally shorter that the regular UPS stores. Value chain analysis By offering so many options and convenience to customers FedEx has been creating value to the firm’s process. The three overnight options is an example of this value being built to the organization. Customers can choose a First Overnight, Priority Overnight, and Standard Overnight, depending on their necessity. SameDay service is offered as well if packages are up to 70 pounds. FedEx has become the second-largest ground small-package carrier in North America because of its service and its quality. Company current strategy * Generic Strategy One of the things FedEx does to cut cost is hire college students as part time employees and because of the high turnover they don’t need to unionize. FedEx also differentiate from offering home service to customers. For a small fee they can come to your house to pick up the package for you. All the work customers have to do is to get the package ready. This creates convince for customers without leaving their homes. * Corporate Strategy FedEx implemented a customer service-driven strategy to ensure and outstanding customer experience. The implementation of this strategy complements the core value of the organization which is to create a positive customer experience. The strategy has three main components to it. First is putting the customer at the heart of everything they do, second is having outside organizations measure consumer, peer, and industry satisfaction and third is to deliver a positive experience to customers, employees, and communities. Company’s current financial performance * Ratio Analysis In 2012 FedEx had a total current asset of $9,056,000 and a total current liability of 5,347,000. Those numbers led FedEx to a 1.7:1 liquidity ratio (Yahoo Finance). Since 2010 according to yahoo finance we can see that FedEx has more current assets that current liabilities. Currently FedEx holds a profit margin of 4.53 percent turning it into net income and operating margin of 7.35 percent (Yahoo Finance) * Trend Analyses On the last three years according to financial statements, balance sheets and cash flow FedEx profits have been increasing. The company have been making more investments and increasing its assets as well. Industry comparison When comparing FedEx with UPS we can see that the market capital of FedEx of $31.39 billion is smaller than USP of $76.56 billion, however it is higher when compared to the industry which is 923.76 million. FedEx also has a higher number of employees compared to UPS. When comparing revenue and net income, FedEx is still behind UPD by a significant amount of money. As we can see FedEx has been growing and expanding in the market however UPS is still leading the market of group postal service (Yahoo Finance). (Yahoo Finance) Core competencies based on key resources and capabilities Based on the financial statements revised about and the history of the company FedEx does have sustainable competencies and have sustainable competitive advantage in the industry. As mentioned before FedEx core values are focused on the customers and the corporation is trying to deliver a positive experience to customers. Being the second largest ground shipment corporation in the US is alone a sustainable advantage for FedEx. Assessment of Internal Environment * Valuable FedEx is a valuable corporation that has been in the market for many years. It’s loyalty to employees creates a better work environment and helps the organization to be recognized for its values and culture. The service FedEx provides to customers is also essential to everyday life. The commodity it offers and the speediness is convenient not only for individuals but also for many businesses. * Rare The company has some rare aspects to it. The idea of having so many hubs and aircrafts makes the company unique and efficient. Offering SameDay service is a rare option that guarantees service done on time for customers. Also the different options of night shipment and guaranteed money back if package is not delivered on time are a great options and security for customers. * Difficult to imitate The business is not difficult to imitate, the difficulty is the competition and the ability to do make the business successful. It takes time to build relationship and trust with customers and in the economy we live in today it becomes very difficult for businesses to expand as fast as FedEx did. FedEx is substitutable due to the fact that there are other options in the market for customers. However the convenience and practically of its service can possibly be non-substitutable. References FedEx Corporation, 2013. FedEx history. Retrieved from http://about.van.fedex.com/fedex-opco-history FedEx Corporation, 2013. Executive biographies. Retrieved from http://investors.fedex.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=73289&p=irol-govmanage Yahoo, 2013. Key statistics. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=FDX+Key+Statistics Yahoo, 2013. Competitors. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/co?s=FDX+Competitors Yahoo, 2013. Balance Sheet. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=FDX+Balance+Sheet&annual Yahoo, 2013. Income Statement. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=FDX+Income+Statement&annual

D2 Review course assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

D2 Review course assignments - Essay Example Unit 2 assignment requires the learner to create a memo that describes the strategic decision-making process in an organization, particularly the criteria used in making and testing of the assumptions held by decision makers. The information needed will be obtained through secondary data analysis, particularly browsing the web and reading textbooks. This assignment will improve the skills of the learner in making critical decisions in an organization as a manager or executive. Unit 3 assignment requires one to develop a job grading schedule for appraising the performance of Frontline supervisors (Beck, 2013). To obtain the information on grades and weights for each item, a survey will be conducted in personnel management firms. This assignment information will boost the learner’s personnel management skills, concerning performance management and job evaluation. Unit 4 assignment requires the learner to complete an assessment measuring program-level learning outcomes. The evaluation information will be answered based on the opinion of the student about expectations and experiences in the program. This will facilitate the improvement of the program to reflect current market experiences and skills needed for management students. Unit 5 assignments involve a comparison of the two organizations on various business aspects, mainly organizational strategic management processes, design, culture and management styles (Charles Hill, 2012). The data required for this assignment will be obtained through a survey of the two organizations. The analysis will enhance the learners strategic planning and implementation skills in different companies in a dynamic

French Language and Culture from 1500 to1900 Assignment

French Language and Culture from 1500 to1900 - Assignment Example America was regarded as a land of wonder, romance, gold, and adventure. The new country unveiled the secrets of the barbarous continent, but the Frenchmen pierced the forests, mapped and traced out streams, built their forts, planted their emblems and claimed their own territories (Eacott 2015 pp. 69). The new country offered great opportunities for spiritual welfare. Priests and monks were brought alongside the soldiers to offer spiritual nourishment to the Indians and save their souls. When Henry the Second was on the throne, France desired to get a share of the rich new world of which the Spanish and Portuguese arrogance claimed the monopoly. The desire of France saw her not only send Frenchmen only but also Protestant Frenchmen. The importance of them being Protestants was for the sake of evangelism, as well as disguising their identity for acceptability. The Frenchmen and the Protestant Frenchmen were sent to plant the fleur-de-lis on the New World’s shores. In the name of King, two vessels were prepared for the big journey. The emigration’s body was the Huguenots, mixed with young nobles, poor, idle and restless, with piratical sailors from the Breton and Norman seaports and reckless artisans. They entered the harbor of Rio Janeiro, which was then named Guanabara and built huts for their accommodation (Miller 592). The anticipation for future triumphs was evident in them. According to Dubois (2004 pp. 36), a black and deadly potent cloud was thickening over France in the year 1562. A problem was brewing and was inclined towards religious wars. It was impossible for anyone to pierce the future, not to mention contemplating it. The wide range of hate and fanaticism, brother fighting brother, friend fighting friend, son with father made the future dark. Spain, on the other hand, watched and waited to crush and trample any hope of humanity.  

Hello Kitty - Punishments in Pink Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hello Kitty - Punishments in Pink - Essay Example Once he has blazed through the intersection, he resumes normal driving with the assurance that his behavior is accepted, albeit angrily, by society because of his powerful position. The Thailand government, on the other hand, takes it seriously when their police officers attempt to place themselves above the law. In Bangkok, whether an officer breaks traffic laws, litters, or just arrives to work late, they are reprimanded. In previous years, these officers were given plaid armbands to make them stand out against their lawful brethren, but the officers treated the armbands like novelties. When Pongpat Chayaphan, the acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division, realized that these bands were not making an impact, he gave them a makeover. The new armbands are now pink and decorated with hearts and the famous Hello Kitty icon. The Hello Kitty armbands may seem humorous and even sweet and adorable to citizens, but Chayaphan claims that this is their purpose. â€Å"This new twist is e xpected to make [the officers] feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense [...]. Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It’s not something macho police officers want covering their biceps (Mydans 1).† If a little girl squeals with glee at the sight of the armband or if a burly motorcyclist sniggers at it, the police officer is humiliated and his sense of masculinity is dropped down a notch. When this occurs, according to Chayaphan’s reasoning, then the armband is a success. The designs on these armbands are an epitome of young girls and sparkly things, which are the last things that macho police officers want to be associated with. The Hello Kitty armbands of shame have yet to be used by Bangkok police departments. While people might think that their lack of use will never reveal how well they can work, the reality of the situation is quite the opposite. Since the implementation of these pretty armbands, disobedience among police officers has significantly declined. During the months of the short-lived plaid armbands, numerous officers found themselves as the recipients of the laughable attire. When the Hello Kitty armbands were introduced and after the police officers fully comprehended what it would mean to their manly reputations to be caught wearing them, the Bangkok officers got their acts together with lightning speed. Even though they are not being used, the armbands are still proving to be effective. I find this strange and intriguing fact interesting because it reveals pride as a cornerstone to a police officer’s work. There may be some officers that might be willing to wear the armbands out of fun or to get a laugh, but when it comes down to it, anything that threatens a man’s masculinity is simply unacceptable to them. A pink armband with a cartoon kitty and hearts is enough to deter Bangkok police officers from thinking that they are above rules, regulations, and laws. When police officers were faced with fines, possible job termination, or even imprisonment, some would simply pay what was due and then return back to their lawless behavior.

4What do you consider are the main problems with the royal prerogative Essay

4What do you consider are the main problems with the royal prerogative Explain the extent to which you would reform the royal prerogative and why - Essay Example ?, the name for the residue of discretionary power left at any moment in the hands of the crown, whether such power be in fact exercised by the King himself or by his ministers†. Wikipedia describes the Royal Prerogative â€Å"as a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognised in common law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the Crown alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government are possessed by and vested in a monarch with regard to the process of governance of their state are carried out. It is not subject to parliamentary scrutiny but an individual prerogative can be abolished by legislative enactment† 2 . Practically speaking, Royal Prerogative is the usage accorded to the formal powers of the Crown within the executive process of the British politics. As part of the common law, the Queen represents the British constitutional monarchy that is apolitical, symbolic and impartial. The Queen exercises the Royal Prerogative on behalf of the elected ministers. As per the Royal Prerogative vested on the Monarchy, the Queen has the right to appoint and dismiss a prime minister.3 The Queen has the powers to appoint ministers, peers, senior C of E officials, head of BBC and senior civil servants. But, in reality, the Prime Minister exercises these powers. Only the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit are at the personal disposal of the Queen indicating that vast powers in senior appointments rest with the Prime Minister. Under the Royal Prerogative, the Queen has the right to grant pardons and input some sentences but this has mostly remained a theoretical power with the Home Secretary retaining this power in practice. The Monarch has the power to declare war or treaties internationally but the Prime Minister has been exercising these powers on behalf of the Crown as we have seen in case of war on Iraq in 2003. Also, the Monarch is above the law and has immuni ty from law. In fact, it is commonly

Influenza Vaccine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Influenza Vaccine - Research Paper Example This is to control the seasonal influenza. Influenza vaccine is justifiable on the scientific and public health debate. The old people who are usually more than 65 of age may be at risk of getting influenza. There is a need to carry out a wide immunization to the aged. However, information available in some countries may be limited. The data have to be shown that the old people are at risk of influenza. This data must be collected and made available on the basis that they can be used relevantly (Steckel, 2007, P.90). The same old group has to be presented the same data so that they can understand that they are at risk. Education is a key for them. They need to know the facts about influenza. Development of projects for stronger promotion of influenza vaccine among the old for both their own benefit, and that of their close care-takers. Offering routine free vaccination to the old encourages them to continue. This can be done by setting up policies that will provide the old a better l ife when infected with influenza. Financial and administrative barriers should be removed because they prevent the elderly persons from receiving influenza vaccine, use of standing programs should be introduced. Strategies have to be set in place to ensure the implementation of successful influenza vaccine. Personnel projects staff that are to be constituted in each given area and solely be responsible for giving vaccines to the old and the disabled. Self- reporting strategies and data submitted by those are responsible for caring the old people. Giving priorities to the old and the disabled will encourage them rather than letting them act on their own. When it comes to administering the vaccine, the old should be well informed and provided with the necessary support. Those who are close should help encourage the old to take the vaccines and educate them that they will have a less risk of exposure to transmission of influenza. Providing free transport to the aged and help them get t he vaccine at a lower cost, encourages them since they have less to struggle. Tracking of vaccines Use of administrative data This can easily be done by issuing labels and leaflets to patients who have been given the vaccine. This will help trace the amount and the use of the vaccine. In other scenarios, the issuer may wish to alter or change the name of the product so that it includes the unique code of the vaccine. Biological data This is done by an expert report or a current expert report. The following data may be used. Sampling and analyzing the composition of the vaccine, and use of clinical trial formula. Sometimes the advancement of the vaccine can be related to the manufacturing formula. This gives the actual formula of the vaccine effects and tracing. The copy of approved specifications of the vaccine can be recorded in a tabular form and then analyzed critically. If the vaccine has some sort of outcome, e.g. the passage level, then the same can be measured. Each of the wo rking effects can be compared to the approved specifications. Stability tastes sometimes is essential for good tracking results. A monthly or an annual stability testing control is sometimes good to adhere. Clinical data A well- revised report or an addendum, which is related to the current expert report, can be used. In other tests of clinical studies, tracking of new vaccine is

Canada national Park Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canada national Park - Research Paper Example It was established in the year 1987 and governed by Parks Canada. The most important geographical features include the rocks, cliffs, and Grottos (caves). The dolomite rocks that can be seen in the park are important because it consist of the fossils of plants and animals. So, one can easily identify that Bruce Peninsula National Park is archeologically and ecologically important. Within Bruce Peninsula National Park, steep cliffs in Bruce Trail and the sea shore in Georgian Bay are some of the important geographical features. Koenig (2005), states that â€Å"The peninsula can be characterized as an out-of-the-way place in a cultural as well as an ecological sense† (p.11). Some of the important plant and tree species include Yellow Lady's Slipper, Maidenhair Spleenwort and Eastern White Cedar (tree). The wildlife includes wild animals like bear, birds, plants and reptiles. Besides, the most important quality of the Bruce Peninsula National Park is its closeness to Niagara Esca rpment area. So, the main features/ characteristics of Bruce Peninsula National Park qualify the same as an important national park which preserves flora and fauna without human encroachment and exploitation. B. Natural and cultural attractions at Bruce Peninsula National Park The natural attractions at Bruce Peninsula National Park are interconnected with its landscape (beaches, limestone cliffs, and forests). On the other side, the cultural attractions include the remaining of Paleozoic Era and the status as a World Biosphere Reserve within Niagara Escarpment. Besides, the facilities, natural and cultural identity, accommodation facilities and operation (proper functioning) act the role of a strong foundation to the natural and cultural attractions at Bruce Peninsula National Park. To be specific, some of the world renowned National Parks does not prove successful in attracting visitors and preserving nature. But Bruce Peninsula National Park is entirely different from other natio nal parks. I. Facilities Most of the facilities that are considered as an integral part of tourism are available at Bruce Peninsula National Park. For instance, tourists who are interested in adventure can enjoy hiking, canoeing and kayaking. The tourists who are interested in sight seeing can enjoy the flora and fauna of Bruce Peninsula National Park. Goodwin (1995), makes clear that â€Å"The Bruce’s reputation as a haven for some of the province’s rarest and most attractive plants has drawn naturalists north to the peninsula, and it is now recognized for an outstanding array of breeding birds as well† (p.77). The tourists who are interested in learning more about the national park can participate in the educational programs conducted by the park authorities. As the park is open year round, tourists can conduct different types of camps according to their interest. For instance, Front Country Camping (say, 242 campsites) is an important attraction at Bruce Peni nsula National Park. Other facilities provided by the park authorities include parking (parking lots), special care and attention for persons with disabilities and local community services (stores, groceries etc). From a different angle of view, the facilities provided by the park authorities are helpful for the tourists to choose facilities according to their needs. II. Natural and cultural identity Some of the most important places in Bruce Peninsula N

Ap English- the Jungle by Upton Sinclair Essay Example for Free

Ap English- the Jungle by Upton Sinclair Essay The wedding between Jurgis and Ona is an epitome of the various problems in Packingtown. The way the saloon keeper took advantage of the couple is representative of the dishonesty and thievery from the surrounding society. The crowd stranded outside the wedding symbolizes the helpless and hungry inhabitants of Packingtown. When the newlyweds allowed these people into the wedding they quickly transformed into an â€Å"every man for themselves† perspective. In retrospect, the disregard for others that thrived in the society by not providing a money donation to the bride and groom was prevalent. The wedding demonstrates the struggle of Packingtown’s society as well as the future it forces upon its citizens. 2. Vivid Imagery: †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"These bare places were grown up with dingy, yellow weeds, hiding innumerable tomato-cans, innumerable children played upon them, chasing one another here and there, screaming and fighting. † This excerpt describes the area in which the children would play. Sinclair uses words like, â€Å"dingy† to emphasize the situation in which the kids grew up in. â€Å"One wondered about this, as also about the swarms of flies which hung about the scene, literally blackening the air, and the strange, fetid odor which assailed ones nostrils, a ghastly odor, of all the dead things of the universe. † Here Sinclair depicts the horrible situations that people had to deal with when living in Packingtown. When Sinclair talks about the flies blackening the sky, the reader is able to make a mental image of how awful the conditions wer e. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"One with a swift stroke cut the throat; another with two swift strokes severed the head, which fell to the floor and vanished through a hole. Another made a slit down the body; a second opened the body wider , a third with a saw cut the breast-bone; a fourth loosened the entrails; a fifth pulled them out — and they also slid through a hole in the floor. † In this passage Sinclair gives the reader a grotesque image of the working areas in Packingtown. The crude images are very descriptive and add a sense of reality to the story. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Little by little the scene grew plain: towering, black building here and there, long rows of shops and sheds, little railways branching everywhere, bare gray cinders under foot and oceans of billowing black smoke above. While describing the steel mill’s surroundings, Sinclair uses a metaphor to emphasize the environment around the building, â€Å"†¦oceans of billowing black smoke above. † †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦deafening thunder, and whistles shrieked warnings on all sides of him at once; where miniature steam-engines came rushing upon him, and sizzling, q uivering, white-hot masses of metal sped past him, and explosions of fire and flaming sparks dazzled him and scorched his face. † When describing the inner parts of the steel mills, Sinclair uses sensory words to grab the reader’s attention. Words like, â€Å"deafening†, â€Å"shrieked†, â€Å"sizzling†, â€Å"white-hot masses†, â€Å"dazzled† and â€Å"scorched,† add to the mental image portrayed when reading this passage. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦by the stage, he saw the stage, he saw three giant caldrons, big enough for all the devils of hell to brew their broth in, full of something white and blinding, bubbling and splashing, roaring as if volcanoes were blowing through it—one had to shout to be heard in the place. †In this selection the author uses very descriptive language to increase the impact of the scene. â€Å"The devils of hell to brew their broth,† this statement is very intense and strong. It is showing the ways of the steel mill as a hell-like place. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦there fell a pillar of white flame, dazzling as the sun, swishing like a huge tree in the forest. † This example shows how the author is able to use similes to validate the image. With his descriptive words the reader is able to picture the situation clearly. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å" Out of regions of wonder it streamed, the very river of life; and the soul leaped up at the sight of it, fled back upon it, swift and restless, back into far-off lands, where beauty and terror dwell. † This passage is very dramatic. The way Sinclair masterfully creates an image of a â€Å"river of life† and â€Å"the soul leaped up at the sight† is incredible. He is able to give the reader a front row perspective when reading the section. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"So amid deafening uproar it clattered to and fro, growing thinner and flatter and longer. The ingot seemed almost a living thing; it did not want to run this mad course, but it was in the grip of fate, it was tumbled upon, screeching and clanking and shivering in protest. † In this passage the author uses personification to describe the steel mill workplace. When uses this literary term he leaves the reader with a strong image of the steel mill. He gives the ingot a personality and emotion. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"By and by it was long and thin, a great red snake escaped from purgatory; and then, as it slid through the rollers, you would have sworn that it was alive — it writhed and squirmed, and wriggles and shudders passed out through its tail, all but flinging it off by their violence. † This last quote adds to the personification of the ingot. The personification used here is a clear example of Sinclair’s mind thinking, and creativity. The words used here that add to the imagery are, â€Å"squirmed†, â€Å"wiggled†, â€Å"flinging. † All of these words create vivid imagery for the reader. 3. Sympathy: †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Then suddenly her eyes opened one instant. One instant she looked at him there was a flash of recognition between them†¦. she faded from him, she slipped back and she was gone. † In this passage Sinclair uses emotion to pull the reader in. He gives the readers a sign of hope when Ona opens her eye, then he crushes them down when saying she is gone. The reader feels the emotion that Jurgis is feeling when dealing with the death of his wife because of Sinclair’s way of making his words into reality. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"He clutched her hands, he shook her, he caught her in his arms and pressed her to him; but she lay cold and still—she was gone—she was gone! † In this passage Sinclair emphasizes the emotion of Jurgis by repeating his last few words. His use of alliteration adds an echo to an intense scene. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"He gripped his hands and set his teeth together—he had not wept, and he would not—not a tear! It was past and over, and he was done with it—he would fling it off his shoulders, be free of it. † In this passage Jurgis just found out about the death of Antanas. Jurgis does not want to deal with reality, so he ignores the fact that his son is dead. This makes the reader feel sympathy towards Jurgis in his attempt to evade the truth. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"It should go like a black, hateful nightmare, and in the morning he would be new man. And every time that a thought assailed him—a tender memory, a trace of a tear—he rose up, cursing with rage, and pounded it down. This passage is another example of Jurgis’ persistency. His urge to avoid the situation gives the reader an upfront perspective. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"There should be no more tears and no more tenderness; he had had enough of them—they had sold him into slavery. † This passage helps the reader understand the struggles that Jurgis has had to deal with while in Packingtown. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å" So he went on, tearing up all the flowers from the garden of his soul, and setting his heel upon them. † This passage uses an emotional metaphor to enhance the reader’s point of view. Using flowers as Jurgis’ happiness, and saying that he has pulled them out and stomped on them, shows how depressed Jurgis is. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Then, too, his health came back to him, all his lost youthful vigor, his joy and power that he had mourned and forgotten! It came with a sudden rush, bewildering him, startling him; it was as if his dead childhood had come back to him, laughing and calling! † This side of Jurgis is not recognized by the reader. His emotion here is so happy and excited that it gives the reader hope that Jurgis isn’t all bad. 4. Naturalism: â€Å"They had put him behind bars, as if he had been a wild beast, a thing without sense or reason, without rights, without affections, without feelings. † The author is comparing Jurgis to a wild animal. This is ironic because in Jurgis’ job he had to kill wild animals and enclose them. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"They could tell the whole hateful story of it, set forth the inner soul of a city in which ju stice and honor, women’s bodies and men’s souls were for sale in the market-place, and human beings writhed and fought and fell upon each other like wolves in a pit. † Sinclair compares people to fighting wolves. The beastly characteristics of wolves give the reader an image of hostility between people in society. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"He nodded to her, and she came and sat by him, and they had one more drink, and then he went upstairs into a room with her, and the wild beast rose up within him and screamed, as it has screamed in the jungle from the dawn of time. † This passage is interesting because it is comparing Jurgis to an animal in the jungle. And it is ironic because the jungle is the title of the book. 5. In chapter 21, Jurgis is struggling to find his sense of stability. There is an excerpt where Sinclair proves this by writing, â€Å"To a man whose whole life had consisted of doing one certain thing all day, until he was so exhausted that he could only lie down and sleep until the next day—and to be now his own master, working as he pleased and when he pleased, and facing a new adventure every hour! † This passage shows the reader that Jurgis is finding a new way of life and realizing that he doesn’t always have to follow what the norm is. In contrast to the way of Packingtown, Jurgis’ new way of life is free and pleasant. Another contrasting issue is how Jurgis starts the book as a strong headed man. He is working hard for his family and their needs. He is positive that America will help his family and only add to their happiness. By the end of the book Jurgis has no family. America took away the only two people in his life that he loved. He begins to lose trust in people and starts to slowly become a dark and hateful man. 6. Diction: â€Å"Just what,† answered the other, â€Å"would be the productive capacity of society if the present resources of science were utilized, we have no means of ascertaining; but we may be sure it would exceed anything that would sound reasonable to minds inured to the ferocious barbarities of Capitalism. The diction used here is describing capitalism as â€Å"ferocious barbarities. † Sinclair is straight to the point when defending his opinion of being against capitalism and for socialism. Vivid Imagery: It was a monster devouring with a thousand mouths, trampling with a thousand hoofs; it was the Great Butcher — it was the spir it of Capitalism made flesh. Upon the ocean of commerce it sailed as a pirate ship; it had hoisted the black flag and declared war upon civilization. In this passage Sinclair uses intense images to enhance his opinion on Capitalism. He only thinks of Capitalism as a bad way of life with no positives. When reading the passage the reader is able to see Capitalism as a ship, sailing on the ocean, and trying to corrupt society. Juxtaposition: The working-man was to fix his hopes upon a future life, while his pockets were picked in this one; he was brought up to frugality, humility, obedience, — in short to all the pseudo-virtues of capitalism. The destiny of civilization would be decided in one final death-struggle between the Red International and the Black, between Socialism and the Roman Catholic Church; while here at home, the stygian midnight of American evangelicalism —Sinclair puts his two opposing societies in the same paragraph to emphasize his point of view. 7. In the beginning of this book Jurgis saw the stockyards as a way to get a better life for him and his family. The stockyards were Jurgis’ backbone, the main supplier of survival. When the stockyards began to reveal the truth of society, Jurgis realized he was doomed. The stockyards developed into Jurgis’ enemy. They took over his life and began to control it. He was forced to work there in order to survive, even though it disgusted him and sometimes hurt him. In the book it says, â€Å"When Jurgis had first come to the stockyards he had been as clean as any working-man could well be. But later on, what with sickness and cold and hunger and discouragement, and the filthiness of his work, and the vermin in his home, he had given up washing in winter, and in summer only as much of him as would go into a basin. † This shows how Jurgis was dependent of the stockyards, and how the stockyards neglected his needs. 8. Upton Sinclair was trying to get sympathy for the workers in Packingtown. He wanted to show the public what conditions were like and how workers suffered. He also wanted to start a socialistic movement, where society would avoid capitalism and head for socialism. But he actually only made readers want to not eat manufactured food. His descriptive scenes showed the readers the true essence of a factory. His vivid imagery, instead of getting sympathy, started a food purity movement. This book influenced people to start the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Part 2 QA: 1. Chicago 2. Buying the house 3. Phil Conner 4. Jack Duane 5. Prostitute. QUOTES: â€Å"I will work harder† – This quote is signifying constant determination that Jurgis possesses and his fear of failure. It’s significant throughout the entire book because he is always trying to make a better life for his family and loved ones and yet he continues to fail. â€Å"I did not want—to do it,† she said, â€Å"I tried—I tried not to do it. I only did it—to save us. It was our only chance. † – This shows the pure desperation of Ona’s family and their struggle to withhold a decent life. The author uses pathos to appeal to the reader’s emotion as he emphasizes their pitiful situation. In their oppressive society liberty and humanity are diminished. â€Å"It’s the second time they’ve sent me up on a trumped charge—I’ve had hard luck and can’t pay them what they want. Why don’t you quit Chicago with me Jurgis? † – This quote shows how Jurgis is ready to disregard morals and leave his life. He wants a different and better life. He is thinking about leaving Chicago and the cruel ways of the Packingtown. â€Å"When people are starving,† the other continued, â€Å"and they have anything with a price, they ought to sell it, I say. I guess you realize it now when it’s too late. Ona could have taken care of us all, in the beginning. † – This quote shows the desperation created in capitalistic system. In order to survive, the abandonment or morality and self-respect is necessary. People need to go with the system and evade original ideas. Sinclair also brings up Ona’s death to make the reader feel sorry for the family. â€Å"You know what to do about it—vote the socialistic ticket! † – This quotes juxtaposition to a paragraph that briefly displays some of the flaws in a socialistic community. It’s basically saying that socialism is the way to go. Essay Questions: 1. When people think of a jungle, they imagine struggle, hardships, a dog eat dog society, where the fittest flourish. The predator and prey in Packingtown also exemplifies the title. The ruthless winters and unsanitary conditions of Packingtown illustrate the primitive ways of a jungle. 2. No this book is not an effective piece of persuasive writing. Throughout the book Sinclair talks about the flaws of capitalism without any solutions. When socialism is finally brought up Jurgis is already starting to have a better life and doesn’t need socialism to save him. Therefore defeating the purpose. . This book should be taught in schools. Many pros of it are that it was written by an American. Also it accurately represents America at the time. Finally the main family live in America and has to deal with the struggle most families in America, at that time, had to deal with. In retrospect, the book contrast with traditional American values and beliefs. Also it pulls a negative quilt ove r the American system, portraying it as a desperate society that is in need of a change. Finally it refutes the American dream by showing death and depression in an â€Å"American family†.

Most Common Form Of Sexual Activity Essay Example for Free

Most Common Form Of Sexual Activity Essay Introduction As depicted in Salvador Dalis The Great Masturbator, masturbation is a fascinating and complex topic that affects each of us differently. Despite almost universal agreement by medical doctors that masturbation is a normal, safe, and common practice, masturbation continues to be associated with embarrassment, shame, and guilt, primarily due to societal perceptions of the act. Yet masturbation is a common and natural function that is practiced by individuals of all sexual orientations, genders, and ages. Masturbation is defined as sexual self-pleasuring that involves self-stimulation. According to recent studies, 97% of men and 83% of women have masturbated at some point in their lives. That is an increase from the 1950s Kinsey Report, which reported that 92% of men and 58% of women have masturbated. Although masturbation is statistically quite prevalent, it is still viewed by society as a taboo subject. Historical Background While there are no direct references to masturbation in cave paintings or other prehistoric artifacts, the practice of masturbation by Bonobo chimpanzees, which share 98.4% percent of our DNA, provides some confirmation that masturbation has likely been practiced since the dawn of mankind. The Ancient World In the ancient world, depictions of male masturbation are relatively common. The Egyptians, for example, celebrated masturbation as the process by which the sun god, Atum, created the first Adam and Eve equivalents, Shu and Tefnut. With the hand of God, Atum masturbated and brought forth the first pair of souls. The Sumerians, who invented the first written Western language, make reference to the Mesopotamian god Enki masturbating, his ejaculation filling the Tigris River with flowing water. Condemnation of masturbation is as old as fertility-worship and is probably based on early man’s realization that there is safety in numbers. A bigger tribe is more likely to gain new territory and expand its power base. In theory, this is this reason that any form of sexual pleasure unlikely to result in a population increase (e.g. masturbation, homosexuality, oral/anal sex) has routinely been denounced as wrong. While in today’s overpopulated world this rationale no longer makes logical sense, this belief structure continues to drive the moral attitudes of many people. In the Judeo-Christian tradition prevalent throughout Western society, the main Scripture quoted by Christians to denounce masturbation is Genesis 38. In biblical times, under Jewish law, a brother was required to procreate with his brothers widow. Onan of Judah refused, and spilled his seed (i.e. ejaculate), on the ground instead. This is the origin of the term Onanism (The Sin of Onan) which is incorrectly used in place of masturbation — in fact, what really happened was premature withdrawal (i.e. coitus interruptus). 18th 19th Centuries It was primarily during the 1700s and 1800s when masturbation was first associated with mental and physical deficiencies. Some prominent physicians, scientists, philosophers, and religious leaders believed that illnesses such as insanity, vision and hearing problems, epilepsy, mental retardation, and general health problems were caused by self-stimulation. In fact, over 60% of medical and mental illnesses were blamed on masturbation. The fear of masturbation was so great that throughout the world, extreme preventative measures were instituted including the use of mechanical restraints, genital surgery, and physical discipline. By the 19th century the cereal magnate John Harvey Kellogg declared sex for anything but reproduction to be sexual excess. Kellogg and others began advocating routine circumcision of males as a deterrent to masturbation. 20th Century In the 20th Century, individuals within the medical community began questioning whether or not masturbation was independent from the various psychiatric and medical illnesses to which it was historically linked. During the 1950s and 1960s, with greater discussion of sex and sexuality and lessening conservative social attitudes along with greater medical research on the topic of masturbation, the thought that the act of self-stimulation is associated with medical and mental illnesses dissipated. Beginning with the Kinsey Report of 1948, masturbation was demystified and even discovered to be beneficial. In 1966, Masters Johnson (see photo) revealed the practice to be virtually universal in North America, cutting across all boundaries of sex, age, race, and social class. In 1971 Goldstein, Haeberle McBride determined masturbation to be the most common form of sexual activity among humans. Today It is clear that masturbation has had a dynamic and varied history. It now almost universally accepted by the medical community that masturbation is a common, safe, and normal practice which occurs in infants, teenagers, and adults. Despite this new attitude, the actual practice and discussion of masturbation continues to be a social taboo within most societies. Former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elder was immediately dismissed by President Clinton in 1994 after she stated that masturbation â€Å"is something that is part of human sexuality and its part of something that perhaps should be taught.† Facts and Figures 1. Masturbation is not evil, dirty or harmful it will not make you go blind, drive you insane, turn you in to a pervert, stunt your growth, give you an STD, make you sterile or get you pregnant. 2. Both guys and girls masturbate, it is a normal and healthy part of sexual development. 3. Masturbation is a very personal thing and should not be done in public places or around people who are not willing partners (think safer sex activity). 4. You are normal if you masturbate, normal if you wonder about it but dont do it, and normal if you never give it a second thought and dont do it it is one of the few things in life that is normal if you do and normal if you dont. 5. Masturbation may make sexual intercourse more enjoyable because you will already know what it takes to please you. 6. Masturbation alleviates stress and releases endorphens (the pleasure hormones) in to your system making you more relaxed. 7. Masturbation as exploration of the body is common in children between the ages of 3 and 6, in teens masturbation becomes more sophisticated and sexually motivated. 8. Surveys have shown that 80% of males and 59% of females have masturbated by age 18. 9. Many experts believe that masturbation is more prevalent in the teen years due to a strong fluctuation of hormones; masturbation alleviates the strain of this build up and is a necessary part of development. 10. The only real problems that come with masturbation are psychological and are the result of unhealthy or weary attitudes toward doing it (if you do it but are ashamed) or abnormal practices (for example, public masturbation). Biblical View. One of the most prevalent rationalizations that people use is that the Bible never mentions masturbation and that it must therefore be alright. Is that logical? Is child molestation alright then? Its not specifically forbidden in the Bible. How about shooting heroin? Or how about torturing someone? Not mentioned! You see how illogical the argument quickly becomes. The most obvious biblical principle that is applicable to masturbation is found in Mt 5:28 where Jesus indicates that lusting after someone in the heart is the same as actually doing it. I am violating whomever I am picturing in my mind during the act of masturbation. It really doesnt matter whether it is a picture from a magazine, (Those are real people!), or someone Ive met or a memory of some act committed in the past. And if I can discipline my mind to think of no one, what of that? Attainment of such focus only serves to make obvious the desperation and obsession that drives us to such lengths. The principles found in 1 Cor 6:12; and Rom 6:14 clearly emerge as foundational to our plight that we are slaves to whatever masters us. When we get truly honest about the habit of masturbation, it is clear that it is a behavior that controls us one that we use to medicate pain, to alleviate stress or to forget rejection. In that way, it is similar to a drug habit just one more vehicle to avoid turning to God. Why wont we turn to God? We may be ashamed. We may believe that Hes going to judge and punish us. We may not trust Him. Or, it simply may never occur to us. We dont normally see God as being involved in the fulfillment of our sexual lives. Hes a Spirit after all and we are physical creatures. And yet, He is in fact the answer to every problem. He can quench our unholy desire and He can teach us to respond to problems by working through them rather than from running from them. Masturbating cultivates yearnings for sensations that differ from those generated by intercourse. Ju st how destructive to heterosexual relations this becomes will vary from person to person. Even in the mildest case, however, it would seem inevitable that masturbating when single will detract from one’s future enjoyment of, and appreciation of, the uniqueness of heterosexual relations. It is not uncommon for people to find themselves so addicted to solitary sex that they actually prefer it to heterosexual relations and it is even more common for people feel they at least occasionally need the unique sensations that solitary sex offers, despite having an eager sex partner readily available. Nevertheless, suppose your marriage partner somehow manages to fluke giving you sensations so like what masturbation has trained you to crave and expect that you do not actually find yourself preferring solo sex. Even then, your mind has been trained to connect those feelings not with intimacy with your marriage partner but with having sex with yourself. Want it or not, masturbation programs your mind to think of sexual feelings not as a precious gift from your partner, but as something you have generated yourself. So what will come flooding into your mind when your partner lovingly gives you those feelings will tend to be not thoughts of how wonderful your partner is, but of how much pleasure you used to give yourself. Despite what is actually happening, your mind will tend to register the sensations not as coming from your life partner but as if they were produced by yourself. Feelings that should be binding you to your marriage partner have already been locked in your mind as being associated with having sex with yourself. When making love, your mind will consciously and unconsciously flit from what is currently happening between you and your partner to what used to happen when you had solitary sex. For example, if your past history of masturbation had trained your mind to associate sexual feelings with fantasizing about an imaginary partner, that is what your mind will drift to, even though you now have a real partner who does not correspond exactly to your imaginary partner. Even if your partner somehow manages to exceed the heights of what you used to experience in solitary sex, masturbation will have cheapened the most precious sensual gift your partner could ever give you, to being something only ten or so percent more pleasurable than what you used to give yourself. Past masturbation will have robbed you of so much of the â€Å"magic† and bonding power of marital relations, thus weakening your marriage. Church View Roman Catholic The Catholic Church teaches that Masturbation constitutes a grave moral disorder and that both the Magisterium of the Church—in the course of a constant tradition—and the moral sense of the faithful have declared without hesitation that masturbation is an intrinsically and seriously disordered act. Although it is said that psychology and sociology show that masturbation is a normal phenomenon of sexual development, especially among the young, this does not change the fact that it is an intrinsically and seriously disordered act and that, whatever the motive for acting this way, the deliberate use of the sexual faculty outside normal conjugal relations essentially contradicts the finality of the faculty. For it lacks the sexual relationship called for by the moral order, namely the relationship which realizes the full sense of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love.' This is because the deliberate use of the sexual faculty outside of marriag e is, according to the teaching of the Church, contrary to its primary purpose of procreation and unification of the husband and wife within the sacrament of marriage. In addition, the Church teaches that all other sexual activity—including masturbation, homosexual acts, acts of sodomy, all sex outside of or before marriage, and the use of any form of contraception or birth control—is gravely disordered, as it frustrates the natural order, purpose, and ends of sexuality. To form an equitable judgment about the subjects moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability. The traditional view of masturbation has been consistent for almost all of the Catholic Churchs 2,000-year history. Early Catholic theologians universally condemned both masturbation and contraception as sinful. One such example is Clement of Alexandria, considered a saint and a Church Father, who said of masturbation, Because of its divine institution for the propagation of man, the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated, nor is it to be damaged, nor is it to be wasted.. St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the most prominent Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church, wrote in the 13th century that masturbation was an unnatural vice which is a species of lust as bad as bestiality, sodomy, and pederasty, and that it by procuring pollution , without any copulation, for the sake of venereal pleasure pertains to the sin of uncleanness which some call effeminacy However, after a study commissioned by the Catholic Theological Society of America in 1972, a number of dissident Catholic theologians have come to hold that an act of masturbation should not be judged as an objective moral evil, but assessed within the life context of the person involved. Protestant Theologians toward the middle of the 20th century began revising previous teachings, and some today even take pro-masturbation viewpoints. Some view it as an act of self-indulgence and even a sin of the flesh, and believe that the practice is principally considered a sin because of its invitation to lust. Those who view it within the range of allowable sexual behavior encourage it as guard against adultery, pre-marital sex, or other forms of non-allowable sexual behavior, and as a method of balancing differing libidos between spouses. Arguments Masturbation decreases rather than increases vice. Objection 1: Masturbation is a squandering of human time and physical energy that could otherwise be used for Godly worship, self-improvement, or good works. Objection 2: Masturbation inflames carnal lusts, leading to worse sexual vices. Objection 3: As an indulgence of physical appetite, masturbation encourages indulgence of other appetites, such as gluttony. Reply to Objection 1: It is said that idle hands are the devils workshop. Insofar as masturbation occupies the onanist, it prevents him from engaging in vicious or destructive acts. Reply to Objection 2: Rather than inflaming carnal lust, masturbation dissipates it by a harmless release of sexual tensions. In doing so, it removes, rather than proliferates, the driving force that motivates acts of sexual vice. Reply to Objection 3: Pent up libido will seek relief through other channels, and without the relief of masturbation, might well find its expression through the satiation of other appetites such as gluttony, gambling, and other material vices. Masturbation is a salutary use of the reproductive organs and does not conflict with reproductive sex. Objection 1: Masturbation enervates the sexual organs. Objection 2: In the male, masturbation wastes sperm that would otherwise be used for conception. Objection 3: By providing an alternative release of sexual energies, masturbation cheapens and may even diminish the physical gratification to be found in reproductive intercourse. Reply to Objection 1: Masturbation exercises the sexual organs and assures that they are in good working order. It prevents stagnation of fluids and atrophy of tissues, and in the male, increases the quality of sperm by stimulating the production of fresh gametes. Reply to Objection 2: Science has shown that regular and frequent ejaculations increase the quality of a males sperm by stimulating the production of fresh and healthy gametes. Therefore men who masturbate regularly are more likely to father a child. Thusly, the spilt semen is but a sacrifice toward a more favorable chance of achieving conception. Reply to Objection 3: Especially in the case of women, by demonstrating the range of possible sexual pleasure that one is capable of experiencing, masturbation encourages one to enter into a sexual relationship with confidence in ones own sexuality, and with the expectation of a positive experience. Masturbation makes a positive contribution to human society. Objection 1: Masturbation is most often a solitary, private and antisocial act, and is therefore contrary to human interaction and community. Objection 2: As a act of self-gratification and self-indulgence, masturbation encourages selfishness and promotes the tendency to put ones own needs first above others. Objection 3: As a form of self-love, masturbation engenders narcissism, pride, and self-regard, which are detrimental to forming human relationships. Reply to Objection 1: Masturbation is an activity in which all sexually mature humans may engage, therefore it can serve as a commonality upon which to build understanding amongst those of differing nationalities, viewpoints, etc. Reply to Objection 2: After engaging in masturbation, an individual will be in a relaxed, fulfilled, and pleasant mood, and therefore more apt to extend charity and good will toward others. Reply to Objection 3: The act of masturbation can give a sense of mastery, self-confidence, and ownership of ones body. Healthy self-esteem and a clear sense of self are necessary for healthy emotional bonds. Bibliography * http://www.afraidtoask.com/masturbate/Introduction.htm * http://www.afraidtoask.com/masturbate/History.htm * http://teenadvice.about.com/library/bl10thingsmasturbation.htm * http://www.net-burst.net/christian-help/christian-masturbation.htm * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_on_masturbation *

Budgeting Process and Performance Analysis of Vershire

Budgeting Process and Performance Analysis of Vershire Company Description and Background Vershire Company is a diversified packaging corporation with various large divisions. Its most prominent segment; the Aluminum Can division, is one of the largest manufacturers of aluminum beverage cans in the United states. This case focuses on the budgeting process and performance analysis of Vershire. A major concern of the company is pleasing the customers as most of their buyers have several suppliers on hand, meaning that Vershire can be easily replaced if the customers expectations on quality, cost or service are not met. As a result, efficiency and low costs are top priorities to the company. The main problem of Vershire is that they are treat plants as profit centres instead of expense centres, which is an inefficient measurement of performance for manufacturing plants. Questions Vershire Companys Planning System Strengths: Divisional managers submit reports to predict outlook on sales and capital requirements five years forward as a part of the strategic planning process. This demonstrates the companys preparedness for future event predictions and its ability to formulate long term goals Sales forecasting are formulated at the corporate level and then sent to the divisional managers for analysis and fine tuning. This promotes more realistic and accurate numbers as the managers understand and know how each line functions personally Before the submission of budget plans, controller staff from the head office visits each plant to analyze the current operations and gives the opportunity for plant managers to explain their situation and reasoning behind their numbers, improving accuracy and usability of these documents Weakness: Corporate headquarters make fundamental assumptions such as new products, new plants, inventory carry overs, forward buying, and packaging trends, even though divisional managers are responsible for managing the division which lowers the accuracy of the forecast and decrease efficiency due to necessary corrections during review All division lines use the same method of forecasting regardless of size, which impedes on the accuracy due to the different customer base, products and demands each line possesses District managers determine the sales budgets rather than the plant managers even though it is the responsibility of the plant managers to achieve the goal and is tied to their performance report Vershire Companys Controlling System Strengths: Divisional managers are given full control over their own business with exceptions to the raising of capital and labour relations which are centralized at head office. This allows the opportunity for divisional managers to make necessary decisions that is specific to achieving their own objectives Quick and easy communication between various levels within the organization as there are few tiers in the division Consistent effort in meeting the companys budget as large unfavourable variances are to be made aware of on a daily basis by plant managers and variance analysis sheets are prepared monthly Weaknesses: Vershire focuses on profit for measuring the plant managers performance and to determine bonuses. This analysis tool is not efficient as there are other contributing factors to determine the effectiveness of plant managers May Divisional General Managers formulate preliminary report summarizing the outlooks for sales, income and capital requirements for the next budget year and evaluates trends anticipated for the two subsequent years for corporate management Rationale: Divisional General Managers possesses the most knowledge about their own region and is more equipped to create these documents. It also provides a rough idea of where areas of productions can be improved Central Market Research staff develops a more formal market assessment, examining the next budget year in detail and the following two years in general terms Rationale: Uses the information provided by the divisional managers to produce a more refined and detailed market analysis Central Market Research staff develops separate sales forecasts for each division and a combined forecast for the entire company Topics such as economic conditions and their impact on customers and market share for different products by geographical area are taken into account Fundamental assumptions are made to price, new products, changes in particular accounts, new plants etc. in order to produce forecast Rationale: Promotes uniformity in the formulation in all sales forecasts, determine areas for improvement, assesses areas where market share can grow, and ensures that overall corporate sales forecasts were both reasonable and achievable Divisional Managers compile their own sales forecast from bottom up with input from District Sales Managers to be submitted for review by the Vice President of Marketing Rationale: To review of the head offices sales forecast and mark any changes and additional investments needed. District Managers inputs are utilized as theyre most familiar with sales (more accurate estimates) Vice President of Marketing reviews consolidated sales forecasts and submits it to corporate level No changes are made unless the district manager agreed who is originally responsible for the forecast Rationale: Ensures the forecasts accurately reflects both the knowledge of the district manager and the vice president of marketing Process is repeated on the corporate level (approval from District Manager if needed) until budget figures are approved and become a fixed objective Rationale:Ensures that all levels of the company is agreement to the calculated figure and that the budget is sufficient to achieve company goals Overall sales budget is translated and broken down according to the plants from which finished goods would be shipped and sent to Plant Managers Rationale: Sales budget are sent to these plants as they are the ones to generate revenues Plant Managers then categorized the budget according to price, volume and end use Once categorized, the plant managers budget for gross profit, fixed expenses and pre-tax income Can request help for the Industrial Engineering Department to develop cost reduction plans Rationale: All cost standards and cost reduction targets are developed by the Industrial Engineering, therefore, it makes sure that numbers consistent and reasonable for input Before the submitting budgets, controller staff visit each plant and review plans with managers (usually takes half a day) until it is finalized and sent to Division Head Office Rationale: Gives opportunity for plant managers to reason their figures September Division Head office looks over budget and may return it to Plant Manager if discrepancy is found Will ask plant manager to looks for any additional savings if the budget is not quite in line with expectations When it is finalized, the budget will be sent to the Chief Executive Officer Rationale: Due to the plant manger having direct experience with the plants operations, it is necessary for them to make any changes for savings December Chief Executive Officer makes any modifications to the final budget if needed until it is sent it to the Board of Directors for final budget approval Final review and ensures that budget is appropriate for corporate goals Plant managers should not be fully responsible for profits as they arent able to control all aspects of the products profitability. Since profit is calculated from revenue subtract expenditures, plant managers should only be responsible for expenses, a measure that they can control. This includes direct material and labour, variable manufacturing overhead and fixed overhead budget. Revenues are usually controlled by the sales department; which possesses control over the price, sales mix, and delivery schedules of products. Also, since the sales managers opinion is always favoured over the plant manager due to satisfying the customer, it negatively affects the plant managers ability to control profit and efficiency in output costs. In Exhibit 2, the evaluation system focuses on the profits of Vershire which includes revenues and expenses. Since plant managers have no control over the revenue aspect of products, the information provided does not properly evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the plant. Factors such as variances in sales price, sales mix, and sales volume are solely handled by the sales department with no input from plant mangers, making results unreliable and irrelevant. In Exhibit 3, the individual plant level reports give a more detailed insight of the variances shown in Exhibit 2. Once again, it does not provide an accurate representation of the plants performance as it includes variables that are uncontrollable by the plant manager such as sales. Regarding divisional level reports, the comparative profit performance analysis focuses on net sales while the comparative manufacturing efficiency analysis compares varying sized plants that produce different products together, making it another unreliable and inaccurate source of analysis. Some changes I would recommend for Vershire company are to redesign how bonuses are given to plant managers as the current measurement mechanisms do not accurately reflect performance, improve comparisons of manufacturing efficiency between different plants due to the varying size and product offering of each plant and improve communication across the tiers in order to minimize error corrections and time for budget reviews. Possible solutions include organizing meetings to include all managers and corporate levels to discuss about the companys performance, relate managers performance with cost reduction measures to determine bonuses, and develop a universal measurement unit to fairly compare plants together. Conclusion In conclusion, Vershire Company should reconfigure its measurement mechanisms in order to truly analyze the performance levels of the company and begin treating its manufacturing plants as expense centres rather than profit centres. Therefore, Vershire can gather more accurate and reliable information to use for achieving objectives.

Mathematical Models of Spacetime in Contemporary Physics and Essential Issues of the Ontology of Spacetime :: Physics Papers

Mathematical Models of Spacetime in Contemporary Physics and Essential Issues of the Ontology of Spacetime ABSTRACT: The general theory of relativity and field theory of matter generate an interesting ontology of space-time and, generally, of nature. It is a monistic, anti-atomistic and geometrized ontology — in which the substance is the metric field — to which all physical events are reducible. Such ontology refers to the Cartesian definition of corporeality and to Plato's ontology of nature presented in the Timaeus. This ontology provides a solution to the dispute between Clark and Leibniz on the issue of the ontological independence of space-time from distribution of events. However, mathematical models of space-time in physics do not solve the problem of the difference between time and space dimensions (invariance of equations with regard to the inversion of time arrow). Recent research on space-time singularities and asymmetrical in time quantum theory of gravitation will perhaps allow for the solution of this problem based on the structure of space-time and not merely on thermodynamics. Since the General Theory of Relativity is a fundamental model of spacetime, most often used as a starting point for a physicists' research, I will begin my analysis with an attempt to formulate the consequences of the GTR for spacetime ontology and, generally, ontology of nature. The preliminary remark, however, has epistemological character. The formulation of the GTR resulted in definite fall of a dogmatic thesis of distinguished value of the 3-dimensional Euclidean geometry, as the only geometrical structure, adequate for a description of nature. This thesis was formulated explicitly by Kant, who considered this structure to be apriori form of inspection, and as such it was to validate the science. Kant's epistemology was created mainly to validate science, whose best developed part was embodied in the classical mechanics. However, the attitude of the authors of the field theory of matter towards Kant's epistemology was not negative at all, which can be proved by the words of Weyl , who, although confessed that in himself a philosopher had been dominated by a mathematician, began his work Space, Time, Matter with philosophical considerations devoted to the question of time and space, considerations comparable to those of Kant. The formulation of the General Theory of Relativity was of major importance for the spacetime ontology, mainly because it ended the famous debate between Clarke and Leibniz concerning the ontological status of spacetime. In this debate Clarke defended the Newton's position in which he emphasized ontological independence of time and space with regard to physical events.

Thousand Acres Essay -- essays research papers

A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley, is a story of incest, ignorance, and the imperialistic voice of the almighty man. Ignorance of being lead by a man, particular views of Rose and Ginny, and domesticated to believe that "When we are good girls and accept our circumstances, we're glad about it. . .When we are bad girls, it drives us crazy" (99). The imperialistic voice usually comes from the omnipotent Larry Cook, Rose, Ginny, and Caroline’s father. And the incestuous relations only entangle this dysfunctional family. The eldest daughter, Ginny, is the most loyal and idolizes her father. The second eldest daughter, Rose, is linked to her father through Ginny, who keeps her from losing faith in him. Rose questions whether the loyalty that Ginny shows her father makes her obedient or if her reluctance to judge him proves her ignorance. Rose has two daughters, Pammy and Linda, who are also first hand witnesses to the episodes of the Cook family trauma, but remain dormant to what goes on around them. Caroline, the youngest daughter has left the one thousand acres of land they grew up on to become a lawyer. Caroline is married to Frank Ras, whom also is a lawyer and they do not have any children. The book is narrated from Ginny’s viewpoint. Ginny is married to Ty and they don’t have any children, but Ginny secretively keeps trying. Ginny also has an extramarital affair with Jess Clark, son of Harold Clark the neighbor and best friend of Larry Cook. Jess has just returned to Zebulon County from the food corp. Given the basic character summary, one of the themes or recurrent ideas that was present throughout the whole book was domination. This domination concept was usually brought to life through the character, Larry Cook, over issues like farming, food, appearance or anything else that didn’t sit well with his expectations in life. Being that domination is not something tangible, conflicts such as the above mentioned were used to develop the theme idea into a concrete representation and also illustrate the effects that the domination theme had on the women of Zebulon County. The whole farming conflict begins when Larry Cook impulsively decides to distribute his one thousand acres of farmland to his three daughters and Caroline, the youngest daughter... ... with his opinions. In this male-dominated culture, it’s as if women are material possessions and the place of women is dependent on men. And at first, the women accepted this. Ginny remarks, "of course it was silly to talk about my point of view. When my father asserted his point of view, mine vanished" (176). And so did her dignity. Larry Cook, Farmer of the Year! In conclusion, the above conflicts portray the domination overtones and the effect that the domination had on the women. Larry Cook seems to be a jack of all trades. He is portrayed as being a god, a businessman, and a farmer. But Larry lacks when it comes to the being, Larry Cook, the father. He is so strict about having things done a certain way with little variations that it blinds him to the wants and needs of those around him. Initially the novel, Ginny suppresses her voice and remained an obedient figure. She has been cultured to believe that a woman has to rely upon the masculine authority figure. As Ginny’s character develops, she begins to break through the mental chains of masculine dependency and start a new life for herself without regret.

Women and Social Change in Harper Lee

Heaper Lee's ‘To Kill A Mockingbird' was first published in the sass's which was an era famous for radical change in the United States both culturally and politically as bit by bit both women and African Americans were gaining power In a society predominantly governed by rich, white men. ‘To Kill A Mockingbird' can almost be regarded as a form of propaganda In favor of women's rights as well as those of the African American community. Although things were changing, Harper Lee still needed to be careful as to how she got her message across.Cleverly, she manages to get way with the things she says, using the medium of fictional characters, such as Miss Maude or California, and more Importantly Innocent children, for example Scout, In order to give the novel a sense of realism however, there are many characters who do not advocate this type of social change such as the Lowell family or, In some aspects, Aunt Alexandra. In a sense, Scout is essentially the personification of the social change to come and a model society.Her naivety due mostly to her youth enables her to interact with the community without prejudice. When Gem recounts to Scout what he thinks about the efferent social classes in Macomb, discriminating between ‘regular' people and the Negroes', Scout responds with, â€Å"Ana, Gem, I think there's Just one kind of folks. Folks. † Although neither she nor Gem realism it this is a deeply profound quote because in it's simplest form she is saying that everybody is equal.Although brushed off by most adults in ;To Kill A Mockingbird' as immaturity, Scout's thoughts could be viewed as a form of maturity because, unlike many key members of the community, she does not worry about inconsequential and superficial matters such as sex or race but connives their attitude and their character. Scout also has a very inquisitive mind and unlike most children her age, she does not simply blindly agree with tradition, she questions everything she is told and everything she does.It is likely that a lot of these qualities come from the role models in her life including Miss Maude and California. When it comes to being a role model for Scout and Gem, Miss Maude Is the perfect woman to look up to. More importantly for Scout because as she lost her mother, she needs a positive female in her life to aspire to. Miss Maude Is Gem and Scout's favorite adult among the community because she treats everyone she meets with respect unless they give her a reason not to.This respect extends even to children and members of the black community. She explains to Scout what Attic's meant when he said it was a sin to kill a mockingbird, â€Å"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy†¦ That's why It Is a sin to kill a mockingbird†. She Is very alike to Attic's and holds similar principles and views on how society should be. In developing the mockingbird metaphor, she helps Scout to learn about what Is eight and w hat Is wrong. With the loss of their mother at a young age, It Is up to discipline the children.She is especially important for Scout because, being a girl, she needs a female role model to look up to and emulate. With Attic's being particularly laid back it is California who reprimands the children when they do wrong. She provides discipline and support for Scout which are both important aspects of a child's life. In the book Scout describes California showing affection towards her; ‘California bent down and kissed me. I ran along, wondering what had come over her'. This exemplifies the love California offers the children as well as all the discipline even if Scout fails to recognize it.It is also important that the children experience the African American culture in order to fully understand who these people are and the injustice they have been through. With this in mind, California takes Scout and Gem to her church on what could be represented as an educational trip. Cal ta kes them there to show them first hand what the black community is really like in Macomb as oppose to the negative stories and rumors the children have probably heard from their friends. Another important influence in Scout's life and on the community is Aunt Alexandra.However, her effect on Scout's life can be regarded as slightly negative as her social standpoint and beliefs are almost completely opposite as to those of which Attic's shares with Miss Maude. Aunt Alexandra is a fiercely traditional and family orientated. She represents Macomb's conservative society which is based strongly around an unjust social hierarchy. Her traditional views often lead to arguments between her and Scout. For instance when Scout asks Aunt Alexandra why she wont allow her to go and play with Walter she replies eternal, â€Å"Because-?he-?is-?trash, that's why you can't play with him.I'll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what†. She is so caught up in the superficial image of her family that she won't even let children of two separate social classes play together. This causes Scout to dislike her Aunt as throughout her entire life she had been taught by Attic's and her other female role models to respect everyone and treat them as equals. Although often forgotten about in history, women play an increasingly important role in all our lives.Although any of Macomb community's women choose to abstain from making an impact on society a small few such as Miss Maude decide to make a difference. They do this by influencing the future generations and educating them so as to enable them to do more in life. There are many people in Macomb that influence society but in particular that influence Scout. Some positively and some negatively. Each person contributes to her wealth of knowledge, however, in the end, it is up to Scout and the rest of her generation to form their own opinion and change society and the way things are for women.

Healing with technology Essay

Spinal Dynamics will aim to capture at least 10% of total spinal implants market by fourth year of operation. Spinal Dynamics plans to become Canada’s largest spinal orthopedic implant company by 2011. The Company plans to pursue vigorously and at an accelerated rate the development, production and marketing of artificial disc implant . The goal would be apart from being superior to other products it should be affordable for the masses in Canada thus contributing to human welfare by application of technology in the field of biomedical sciences. The company Spinal Dynamics is being formed for the purpose of engaging in development, production and marketing of artificial disc implants, in Canada with early and profitable operation as the prime goal. B. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY The boom is gradually shifting from the sectors of finance and information technology towards the biomedical sector specifically the medical device industry. The major reason being increased medical treatment costs, and an urge towards better quality of life. Hip and knee replacements have become very common in spite of the high surgical costs involved. On the same lines spinal surgeries are becoming more prevalent especially because of high economic costs being incurred due to low back pain ailments. According to the statistics, patients suffering from back pain consume more that $90 billion annually in health-care expenses, with approximately $26 billion of that amount directly attributable to treating the back pain. Due to this reason a number of spinal implant companies have mushroomed throughout the U. S and Europe. The main problem in this industry is long development periods and high risks . The long drawn approval process especially in U. S due to FDA regulations is one of the reasons a lot of money is being invented in research , development and testing of the product. However medical law suites might become a big liability for the product if the device fails even once. C. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS: Competencies & Capabilities: 1) Legal and regulatory factors: The medical device industry is classified as class 3 , high risk implant so its obvious that a lot of investment goes into testing and experiments with sufficient evidences to prove its safety in-vivo. There are instances when a device fails and a single lawsuit causes the entire company to close down. Thus its advisable to invest time and money , before taking the implant out to the market 2) Investment of Time & Money: As approval process is a long drawn procedure, it is necessary to have well trained quality managers and regulatory system advisors as employees. Sometimes services of external consultants or Regulatory advising companies might be used. 3) In-house surgeons/medical practitioners: As these devices cater to specific ailments and are highly specialized, it is important that we have in-house surgeons to understand the requirements of a product before we begin to design it. Infact the engineers and the surgeons should work hand in hand to come up with a better product. The crucial factors which determines success in biomedical industry 1) Availability of constant flow of Funds: For a new product to be in market, it might take 3-4 yrs, so during this period there should be a constant supply of funds to pay the employees and keep the company running. 2) Excellent marketing strategies : Its important that these products are marketed through right channels, thus its highly imperative that the products are showcased at various trade shows/conferences 3) Understanding the regulatory process: The main aim would be to bring the product soon to the market, by making a full-proof plan before the submission process for approval, as this phase is the lengthiest of all the processes. D. PEST ANALYSIS: Scope of Growth: The medical device industry out here thrives on reverse engineering concept the result is a number of ME TOO products. Infact companies end up investing on buying patents from European and American companies and do not believe in investing money for research and development of such products. There is huge market to be tapped as there is a lot of demand for these products most of which is imported from the Europe and the U. S. This area being the fastest growing market, the projected growth is expected to touch up to $16 billion in 2015 revenues. Source: Millennium Research Group. Spine Care Segments 2015 There is expected to be an increase in surgical treatment options, like facet replacement and dynamic stabilization procedures, which will likely be more acceptable to patients, perhaps doubling the % of patients accepting surgery from 3. 6% to 7% of a much larger, elderly population. As clinical results improve, this market is expected to continue to grow 20% per year and offer a tremendous opportunity to companies with innovative product lines. In 2015, industry experts project lumbar fusions will not grow, but stay at the same 2006 level of 400,000 procedures; dynamic stabilization devices will grow from 25,000 to 250,000 cases; and artificial lumbar and cervical discs grow from 25,000 to 600,000 cases, as these new procedures begin to replace spinal fusion. PART 2: A: BUSINESS OWNERSHIP: Sole proprietorship is a one-person business is registered with the state like a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation. Legally, a sole proprietorship is inseparable from its owner — the business and the owner are one and the same. This means the owner of the business reports business income and losses on his or her personal tax return and is personally liable for any business-related obligations, such as debts or court judgments. This accounts 74% of all USA businesses and for 6% of all sales in USA. Advantages: (1) decisions are made by only the owner; (2) simple process to start – just get a business license (3) profits belong to the owner; (4) pride of ownership; (5) lower taxes. Disadvantages: (1) unlimited liability (2) limited life of business (3) difficult to raise capital for business; (4) risk of lost is not shared Partnership: a partnership is simply a business owned by two or more people Just like in a sole proprietorship, the partnership’s owners pay taxes on their shares of the business income on their personal tax returns and they are each personally liable for the entire amount of any business debts and claims. 8% of all USA businesses are partnerships and accounts for 4% of all sales in USA Advantages: (1) easy to start (2) not many regulations; (3) not as difficult to raise capital for business; (4) combination of knowledge and skills. Disadvantages: (1) unlimited liability; (2) profits are shared; (3) limited life of the business; (4) disagreements Incorporation: Though forming a corporation is a bit more complicated and costly, but it is well worth the trouble for some small businesses. The main benefit of an LLC or a corporation is that these structures limit the owners’ personal liability for business debts and court judgments against the business. What sets the corporation apart from all other types of businesses is that a corporation is an independent legal and tax entity, separate from the people who own, control and manage it. Because of this separate status, the owners of a corporation don’t use their personal tax returns to pay tax on corporate profits — the corporation itself pays these taxes. Owners pay personal income tax only on money they draw from the corporation in the form of salaries, bonuses, and the like. Corporations make sense for business owners who either (1) run a risk of being sued by customers or of piling up a lot of business debts, or (2) have substantial personal assets they want to protect from business creditors. 18% of all USA businesses are corporations and accounts for 90% of all sales in USA. Advantages: (1) easy to raise capital (2) limited liability; (3) unlimited life of business; (4) Can hire specialized skills and knowledge; (5) shared risks. Disadvantages: (1) difficult to start; (2) less direct control; (3) double taxation: corporate tax and individual tax (4) limited activity. Franchising: Franchises are in which individual businessmen or people buy a well established business, but a certain percentage goes back to the corporation. Franchises must adhere to the corporate regulations. (McDonalds, Krispy Cream, Starbucks). Acquisition/Mergers: In this two companies merge together(merger) or a big company acquires a small innovative company giving rise to an acquisition. The best option to go with would be setting up a corporation or a LLC rather to start. The limited liability company or â€Å"LLC† is a relatively new form of doing business which is now recognized in most states. The LLC has grown in popularity because it combines the best features of a corporation and a partnership. Like a corporation, the owners (called â€Å"members†) of the LLC are not personally responsible for the debts of the LLC. Like a partnership, there is no dual taxation and the earnings of the business are taxed directly to the members. The LLC is also preferable in many ways to the â€Å"S corporation,† which also avoids personal liability and dual taxation. The LLC is not subject to most of the limitations which are imposed on corporations by applicable law. For example, while an corporation is not allowed to have more than one type or class of stock ownership and is not allowed to have more than 75 shareholders, the LLC is not subject to such limitations. Overall, the LLC simply allows more flexibility in the structure, operation and management of the business than does the S corporation. LLCs are similar to corporations because they also provide limited personal liability for business debts and claims. But when it comes to taxes, LLCs are more like partnerships: the owners of an LLC pay taxes on their shares of the business income on their personal tax returns.

Hyundai Case Study

Asia Paci? c Business Review Vol. 12, No. 2, 131–147, April 2006 Globalization and Employment Relations in the Korean Auto Industry: The Case of the Hyundai Motor Company in Korea, Canada and India RUSSELL D. LANSBURY*, SEUNG-HO KWON** & CHUNGSOK SUH†  *University of Sydney, **School of International Business, University of New South Wales, †  University of New South Wales ABSTRACT Examination is made of the complex interactions between globalization and employment relations as re? ected in the operations of the Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) in Korea, Canada and India.After the closure of its short-lived attempt to manufacture cars for the North American market from Canada, the HMC ‘relaunched’ its globalization strategy in India in 1998. An examination of Hyundai’s experience in both countries suggests that employment relations is likely to continue to be an evolving blend of company-speci? c policies and locally-based practices. KEY WORDS : Global ization, management, unions, employment relations, production systems, Korea, Canada, India Introduction The effects of globalization on employee relations are widely debated.One view is that globalization has created pressures for convergence between different national settings, particularly as multinational enterprises extend their manufacturing and other operations across a variety of countries. Alternatively, it is argued that at national-level institutional arrangements play an important role in creating divergence between employment relations in different countries. As a consequence, globalization is not likely to lead to universal convergence of national patterns of employee relations.A third view rejects the simple convergence/divergence dichotomy and argues that there are complex interactions between global and national (or local) forces which shape the outcome of employee relations (Lansbury, 2002). The Korean automobile industry offers an opportunity to analyse this debat e as it pursues a strategy of globalization and begins the process of expanding production beyond Korea and building plants in other parts of the world. Correspondence Address: Professor Russell Lansbury, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.Email: r. [email  protected] usyd. edu. au 1360-2381 Print/1743-792X Online/06/020131-17 q 2006 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10. 1080/13602380500532180 132 R. D. Lansbury et al. Globalization of the Korean auto industry has occurred in a very short period of time. It began as a repair industry for vehicles released during and after the Korean War in the early 1950s. The ? rst assembly plant in 1955 had an annual capacity of 1,500 units. When the Korean government launched the ? st Five Year Economic Development Plan in 1962, it introduced the ‘Automobile Industry Protection Law’ and began to promote the auto sector as a key element in emerging Korean manufacturing industry. However, the ? edging Ko rean auto sector experienced uncertainty and ? uctuations during the 1960s. The Saenara Motor Company was established in 1962 under a technical alliance with Nissan, but due to shortage of foreign exchange went bankrupt and was taken over by the Shinjin Motor Company which was allied to Toyota.Shinjin assembled the Corona in a complete knock-down (CKD) form of production, whilst the Hyundai Motor Company began production of the Cortina in a technical alliance with Ford. The Korean government announced a ‘localization plan’ in 1970 under which the proportion of local content in passenger cars was supposed to increase from 38 per cent in 1970 to 100 per cent by 1972. However, the localization rate barely reached 50 per cent by 1972. A rapid period of growth occurred in the Korean auto industry during the period 1972– 82.The government announced ‘A Long Term Plan to Promote the Automobile Industry’ in 1974 which had three major targets: to achieve a loc alization rate of 85 per cent by 1975; a target of 80 per cent of domestic sales to be in the small car segments below engine capacity of 1500 cc; and an export target of 75,000 units by 1981. By the end of the 1970s, the Korean industry had three local producers: Hyundai, Kia (which had taken over Asia Motors) and Daewoo (which had absorbed Shinjin Motors).However, a global economic recession in late 1979 resulted in a severe excess capacity for manufactured vehicles and the Korean government announced a ‘Decree to consolidate the Automobile Industry’ in 1980. The plan required that small passenger cars would be produced solely by Hyundai and Daewoo; that Kia would concentrate on small to medium commercial vehicles; and that only buses and large trucks would be open to competition. This resulted in a substantial contraction of the industry and, by 1983, vehicle production had declined to the levels of 1979.However, production grew steadily again during the mid to late 1980s and expanded substantially in the 1990s (see Table 1). The 1980s and 1990s were a period of mass production as all three major companies built up their annual capacities and began aggressively to export Table 1. Korean automobile production and exports for selected years Production (000s) 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 Domestic Sales, % Exports, % 49 133 601 1,497 2,812 2,946 97. 5 81. 3 49. 1 73. 9 57. 0 49. 1 2. 5 18. 7 50. 9 26. 1 43. 0 50. 9Source: Korean Auto Manufacturers Association, Statistical Reports (various years). Globalization & Employment in Korea 133 Table 2. Comparison of production and sales by Korean and Japanese automotive companies for selected years (%) 1992 Korea Japan Overseas Production Domestic Production Domestic Sales Overseas Sales 3 97 Overseas Production Domestic Production Domestic Sales Overseas Sales 1995 4 96 25 75 73 27 61 39 35 65 55 45 64 36 Source: Li Song (1998) The Process of Globalization of the Korean Automobile Industry, Economics and Management Analysis, 18:1 utomobiles, particularly to North American and Europe. By the mid 1980s, more than 50 per cent of total production was exported. A comparison of production and sales by Korean and Japanese auto companies in the early to mid 1990s is shown in Table 2. In 1992, the size of the Japanese domestic market was ? ve times larger than that in Korea. During the early 1990s, however, the Japanese auto industry began to restructure in response to economic circumstances. By 1995, Japanese companies produced about 35 per cent of its global production through subsidiaries outside Japan.Their globalization strategy concentrated on expanding overseas production and coordinating components suppliers among various global production centres. In 1995, the proportion of exports to total domestic production in Korea was similar to that in Japan. Yet the globalization of the Korean auto industry focused mainly on exporting domestically produced vehicles until the mid 1990s. Altho ugh overseas production began to increase in the late 1990s, the proportion was still rather small and most production continued to take place in Korea.The duration of the globalization process among Korean auto companies has been shorter than their Japanese counterparts. The Korean auto sector adopted a similar strategy to the Japanese of entering foreign markets at the lower cost end and then moving upwards. However, in contrast to the Japanese who began by exporting to less developed countries, Korean auto companies exported ? rst to the developed economies of the European Union and North America and then to less developed countries in Asia. The Korean companies have encountered dif? ulties in developing extensive supply chains and global materials management required for a mature global production system, which have been hallmarks of the successful Japanese auto companies. Most of the important management decisions are still made in the head of? ce in Korea and relocation of com plete production systems overseas is still in the early stages. Furthermore, since the economic crisis of the late 1990s, Hyundai is the sole survivor of the three former major auto companies in Korea. Hence, the focus is on the experience of Hyundai as it seeks to ecome a global manufacturer with assembly plants in other countries. 134 R. D. Lansbury et al. Although there is an emerging literature about global automobile manufacturing by the USA, Japan and European companies, and their employee relations (see Boyer, 1998; Lewchuck et al. , 2001), little attention has been paid to Korean auto manufacturers which have also been seeking to establish an international presence (Hill and Lee, 1998; Kochan et al. , 1997; Kwon and O’Donnell, 2000). Examination is made of the experience of the Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) in establishing overseas plants, as part of its globalization strategy.It seeks to answer the question: ‘to what extent has the Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) app lied Korean approaches to employee relations, or adapted to local custom and practices in their overseas plants? ’ HMC provides an interesting case as it has embarked on a long-term strategy of becoming one of the world’s largest auto companies by expanding into new markets and establishing plants outside Korea. In order to achieve this goal, HMC has sought to develop effective and appropriate employee relations strategies for managing its employees in its overseas plants.HMC’s ? rst venture abroad was in the mid 1980s, when it established an assembly plant in Quebec, Canada. However, this was an unsuccessful operation and HMC closed the plant in 1993. HMC began operations in India in 1998 in an attempt to re-establish its credentials as a global automobile manufacturer. A major issue, which it has confronted, is the management of labour in India, where unions have been very active in seeking membership and bargaining rights in the auto industry, particularly wi th foreign-owned companies. MethodologyThe primary research approach used in this study was ethnographic, and utilized comparative case studies of employment relations policies and practices of the Hyundai Motor Company in Korea and India. Similar methodologies have been used by Frenkel (1983), Kalleberg (1990) and Oliver and Wilkinson (1989). The researchers undertook several ? eld trips to visit Hyundai’s assembly plants in Chennai (India) as well as in Seoul (Korea), over a three year period from 1999 to 2001. Interviews were conducted with managers and workers in these plants using a semi-structured interview schedule.Documentary material was also collected and analysed from the Hyundai Company in both countries in order to compare the of? cial company policies on employment relations with the prevailing practices at the plant level. Given the fact that Hyundai had closed its assembly plant in Quebec in 1993, the researchers had to rely on interviews with former employees and managers, now located elsewhere in the Hyundai Motor Company, as well as previously published accounts. Fortunately, an extensive study of the Quebec plant had been undertaken and published by Gregory Teal (1995).In his study, Teal noted that ‘while there was a managerial discourse of participation and diffusion of power [in the Quebec plant] the gap between this discourse and the real diffusion of power was such that a sizable minority of employees did not comply with managerial objectives’ (1995: p. 85). Teal’s ethnographic study of the Hyundai assembly plant in Quebec provided a rich source of comparative data for the study of the Hyundai plant in Chennai. Globalization & Employment in Korea 135 Background to the Hyundai Motor Company (HMC)The Hyundai business group is one of Korea’s oldest and most successful familyowned conglomerates known as ‘chaebol’ (Steers et al. , 1989). In 1997, the Hyundai business group had over 60 subsidiary companies, more than 200,000 employees and accounted for approximately 18 per cent of Korea’s Gross Domestic Product. In 2000, the Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) and its subsidiaries were forced to separate from the Hyundai group as a result of government policies designed to reduce the size and in? uence of the chaebols.The Hyundai conglomerate was established by its founder, Chung Ju-Yung, in 1946 as an auto repair shop. This small business expanded into a construction company in 1947 with the establishment of the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company (HECC). During the Korean War (1950–53) with government support, the Hyundai business group expanded into a number of other areas of activity such as ship-building and heavy machinery. These are key industries which enabled Hyundai to diversify into related businesses, expand in size and maximize economies of scale and scope.The Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) began in 1968 as a complete knock down (CKD) assembler unde r an agreement with the Ford Motor Company. In 1976, HMC produced its ? rst originally-designed model, the Pony, using a low cost strategy with more than 90 per cent of its parts being sourced locally. Other new models followed and HMC entered the US market in 1986 with the competitively low-priced Excel. During the late 1980s, however, the international auto industry experienced considerable restructuring due to oversupply, excessive production capacity and intense global competition (see Womack et al. 1990). This gave rise to a number of strategic alliances between various auto companies via mergers and business partnerships. These were initiated to achieve economies of scale and to enhance the enlarged companies’ competitive positions in the international auto market. This was one reason whey HMC formed a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi in Canada. Studies of the Korean chaebol have tended to describe them as having similar characteristics to the zaibatsu in pre Second W orld War Japan: large, diversi? ed, usually family-owned and managed conglomerates (Amsden, 1989).The Japanese colonization of Korea, which lasted from the early 1900s to the end of the Second World War, resulted in the establishment of a number of institutions and practices derived from Japan and which in? uenced the way in which companies were developed and managed. The chaebol, like the zaibatsu, have used a variety of means to foster worker identi? cation with and dependence on the company (Janelli & Yim, 1993). Hyundai, for example, used the dormitory system (originally established by Japanese enterprises in the textile industry) to allow close supervision and control over predominantly young workers (Cho, 1999).This was accompanied by hiring and training schemes as well as paternalistic welfare systems to foster dependency among the workers. Most chaebol also used the ‘moral persuasion’ of the founder to elicit worker compliance by promoting the concept that the g ood of the nation was based on the company’s performance. The founder of Hyundai, Chung Ju-Yung, regularly exhorted his employees to embrace the ‘Hyundai spirit’. Independent unions were not tolerated and were banned by the government until the late 1980s (Kearney, 1991).Yet worker dissatisfaction with both the paternalism of the chaebol and authoritarianism of the state gradually built up to breaking point and contributed 136 R. D. Lansbury et al. to major industrial disputes and civil unrest resulting in the ‘democratization’ of Korea in 1987 (Choi, 1989; Ogle, 1990). Development of employment relations policies and practices at HMC were strongly in? uenced by the business partnership with the Mitsubishi Motor Company (MMC) which involved not only technical cooperation but also management development. MMC was actively involved in the design of the ? st full automobile manufacturing systems at HMC. MMC made a strategic investment in HMC equal to 10 per cent of HMC’s total capitalization. MMC also entered into an enhanced technological cooperation agreement to supply various parts such as engines, axles and chassis components. The ? rst model which HMC developed was based on the Mitsubishi Lancer. Elements of MMC’s system of labour management approach were utilized by HMC in order to enhance productivity and reduce production costs. These included quality control techniques and job design which sought to more effectively utilize workers.Professional engineers became central to the control of production operations and supervisors were given strict control over workers on the assembly-line. The human resource policies practised by HMC during its formative stage comprised two basic characteristics. First, a strict dual labour market created a division between managerial and production workers. HMC applied different selection criteria for each of these groups of employees. Second, a seniority system of promotion was d eveloped in order to strengthen the hierarchical structure of the internal labour market and to educe short-term labour turnover. Years of service was an important criteria for wage increases and promotion. As HMC expanded its production and hired more employees, however, it adopted what was termed an ‘Open Recruitment System’ (ORS) in an attempt to attract more university graduates and develop a professional management hierarchy. The ORS was also used to introduce more formal systems of recruitment for production workers which would enhance the quality of recruits to the production area. However, the dual labour market system remained and was even strengthened within HMC.Table 3 summarizes the criteria by which management and production employees were recruited. However, HMC argued that their approach to recruitment was transformed from one which relied on personal contracts or connections to one which was based on objective selection criteria. As Kwon and O’Don nell (1999; 2000) have shown, workers in HMC appeared to be more compliant than those in other parts of the Hyundai group until the mid 1980s. Part of the explanation may be the relatively secure employment conditions Table 3. Recruitment practices at the Hyundai Motor Company during the 1990s Management employeesResponsibility Target Groups Assessment Process Production employees Group planning of? ce University graduates Written exam (e. g. language skills) University degree Interviews by senior management and personnel management Personnel department at plant level High School leavers Test for relevant skills High School results Interviews by department head and personnel staff Globalization & Employment in Korea 137 at HMC, although some have argued that HMC workers witnessed the failure of strikes elsewhere and were more acquiescent about their conditions of employment (Bae, 1987).Furthermore, management in HMC and the Hyundai Heavy Industry group also used various means to opp ose the rise of an independent union movement, including physical violence, intimidation and the establishment of complaint in company unions. However, following reforms to labour legislation in the 1990s, HMC was forced to negotiate with unions over wages and conditions. The HMC trade union also became a central force in the formation of the KCTU as the national peak council for the independent trade union movement.One of the main policy responses by HMC to the emergence of a more militant workforce and trade union movement during the 1980s was the implementation of an extensive welfare system. Welfare expenditure by HMC increased from 286 billion won in 1986 to 857 billion won in 1990. Welfare bene? ts which had been limited to management were extended to production workers in the late 1980s. Various cultural programmes were organized in conjunction with training programmes and other activities in an attempt to build a ‘unitarist’ philosophy of loyalty to the ? m and reduce the anti-management sentiments of many workers. Unions made the improvement of welfare systems a major bargaining issue, particularly in the context of an inadequate state welfare system in Korea. The unions achieved the establishment of joint project teams with management to oversee a range of welfare programmes, such as the Employee Housing Construction Implementation Committee to build houses for workers. Scholarships were also obtained for children of workers by the unions in negotiation with management. Wages were the subject of vigorous negotiation between unions and management rom the late 1980s onwards. Wages at HMC increased by 20 per cent in 1987, 30 per cent in 1988 and 28 per cent in 1989 compared with only 6 per cent between 1982 and 1986. It was not only the amount of wages which were the subject of bargaining with the unions but also the wage structure at HMC. As shown in Table 4, the unions achieved increased allowances, bonuses and superannuation paid by HMC to its members. Hence unions were able to broaden the range of issues for negotiation with HMC from the late1980s and made considerable gains during the 1990s.In terms of the broad range of human resource policies and practices, however, HMC has continued to use various means in an effort to promote a convergence Table 4. The structure of remuneration at the Hyundai Motor Company during the 1990s Types of Remuneration Components Monthly wages Normal ? xed wage Other ? xed and variable allowances Performance-based pay Productivity-related pay Bonuses Superannuation Value-added remuneration Other forms of remuneration 138 R. D. Lansbury et al. Table 5. Comparison between employment relations practices adopted by the Hyundai Motor Company in the three plants in Korea, Canada and IndiaHuman resource policies and practices Korea Canada India Selection of employees based on performance-related criteria Training programmes which reinforce company norms such as loyalty and team spirit Emplo yee involvement in some aspects of decision-making at plant level Industrial relations Successful avoidance of collective agreements with unions Flexible wages system linked to productivity and/or performance criteria Internal Labour Market Arrangements High status differentiation between workers and managers at plant level Opportunities for promotion from the shop ? or to higher level positions within the plant Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No of interests between employees and management, while seeking to maintain control and authority over the workforce. The HMC union has been able to resist some of the management’s initiatives to change wages and working conditions, but HMC continues to control the basis on which selection and training of employees is conducted and there is still a strong degree of status differentiation between management and workforce. This is re? cted in large differences between wages, bene? ts and conditions of work between HMC employees at the shop ? oor level compared with those in the ranks of management. Some key employment relations practices are set out in Table 5 and a comparison is made between those that prevail in Korea compared with plants in Canada and India. Hyundai’s Experience in Canada In cooperation with Mitsubishi, HMC opened its ? rst overseas plant in Quebec, Canada, in 1985, in order to assemble the medium-sized front wheel drive Sonata model. The objective was to pro? from HMC’s initial success in Canada in 1984, with the Pony, when HMC became the largest auto importer in the country. Sales to Canada accounted for 30 per cent of HMC’s total production that year. By establishing a presence in North America, HMC sought to boost its sales and avoid the imposition of import quotas. HMC acquired a 400 acre green? eld site near the Canadian town of Bromont in Quebec for the token payment of one Canadian dollar and received $Canadian 110 million in gr ants from the Canadian federal and provincial governments as part of HMC’s total investment of $Canadian 325 million.In addition, the Quebec Department of Labour gave a $Canadian 7. 3 million grant to HMC to assist with training the workforce over a three year period. HMC built both a paint and a press shop to increase North American content (an important criterion for exporting to the USA) as well as because of problems in gaining components from Korea due to labour problems Globalization & Employment in Korea 139 and strikes at HMC’s Ulsan plant. Yet, when the plant was ? ally closed in 1993, one of the major contributing factors was ascribed to HMC’s failure to manage successfully relations with its Canadian managers and employees (Teal, 1995). An analysis of HMC’s experience in Canada offers some useful insights into the way in which the company sought to manage its workforce in North America. This is examined in regard to two key areas: human resourc e and industrial relations policies and practices. The data on which the account Hyundai’s experience in Canada is based is from a study of the Quebec plant by Teal (1995).More information was collected from HMC employees who had worked in the Canadian plant. Human Resource Policies and Practices The hiring policy of HMC in Canada was based on selecting employees who would identify with the company and its objectives. The selection process was lengthy and complex, with candidates spending four days being interviewed, tested for hand– eye coordination and subjected to personality tests. The key selection criteria for prospective employees were that they would be willing and able to do repetitive, monotonous work on an assembly line, as well as work in a team.The company explicitly sought younger workers, around 22 years of age, with little or no experience in the auto industry. Hyundai sought to socialize new employees in a way that promoted identi? cation with the comp any. All production workers were called ‘technicians’ and each employee was referred to as a ‘member’. All company employees wore the same uniform, irrespective of whether they were managers or shop-? oor workers. There was one cafeteria and one parking lot for all Hyundai employees.There was a wide range of sports and leisure activities designed to build team spirit and company ethic among all employees. The training programmes for new employees emphasized loyalty, motivation and team spirit. Some employees were sent to Hyundai’s production centre in Ulsan, South Korea. However, the organization of team work in the Quebec plant was different from Ulsan. The work teams in Canada were less hierarchical and authoritarian than in Korea, team members were encouraged to discuss any problems and there appeared to be greater job rotation within the teams.There was also a ‘Direct Communication System’ in the Quebec plant which was not present in Ulsan. Each team elected its own representative to a departmental committee. Team representatives from each department met regularly, with management playing an observer role at most meetings. There was also a health and safety committee to which workers elected their own representatives. During 1991 there were more than 50 meetings of Direct Communication committees at which more than 400 topics were discussed. Yet management found it dif? ult to satisfy the demands and expectations among employees. In 1991 there were nearly 160 complaints by workers concerning health and safety issues, of which only 100 were resolved. Industrial Relations A major concern of HMC was to avoid unionization of the plant in Quebec. The Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAWU) devoted considerable organizational 140 R. D. Lansbury et al. and ? nancial resources to attempting to organize the plant, without success, although by the time the plant closed in 1993, the union claimed to have achieved a growing lev el of support among the workforce.While much of the emphasis by Hyundai management was on more subtle means of union avoidance, by developing strong identi? cation of workers with the company, a number of employees who were thought to be sympathetic to or organizing on behalf of the union were suspended, transferred or dismissed. The union brought cases of alleged unfair dismissal before the Quebec Government Labour Commission and was successful in achieving an out-of-court settlement for a worker who had been dismissed in 1990.However, the union did not succeed in gaining a collective bargaining agreement to cover workers at the site. One of the devices used to prevent unionization of the plant was the formation of a pro-company, anti-union committee among the employees called ‘the Silent Majority’. It was formed in 1991 to dissuade employees from joining the union. The committee distributed pamphlets which alleged that if the plant became unionized, workers would lose money in union dues and their jobs would be insecure.The committee claimed that while workers were being laid off in other Canadian plants, which were unionized, Hyundai had hired new employees, opened a press shop and provided a high degree of job security. It also charged that the union was more concerned with protecting the jobs of workers in the ‘big three’ auto plants in Ontario where it had a large membership, rather than at the Hyundai plant. But faced with the depressed economic climate in Quebec and the disappointing sales of the Hyundai Sonata in Canada and the USA, Hyundai introduced a reduced work week for all employees and ? ally shut the plant in September 1993. Internal Labour Market Arrangements Distinctions between managerial and production workers were minimized in terms of status differentials within the plant (such as dining facilities), and workers were encouraged to participate in decision-making at the level of team or work group. Yet the work it self remained organized along Taylorist principles, with a strong division of tasks and demarcations between various job functions. Workers complained that even though they were supposed to be involved in a team-based approach to management, they were subject to ‘speed-up’ and work intensi? ation without consultation. They also claimed that Hyundai actively discouraged union membership by workers and refused to engage in collective bargaining. Hence, employee involvement in decision-making was highly restricted and had little impact on the internal labour market arrangements. Yet there existed greater opportunities for promotion of workers in production and other functions to higher level positions in the Canadian plant compared with similar plants in Korea and India. Experience of Hyundai Motor Company in IndiaIn 1996, ? ve years after the closure of the Quebec plant, HMC established a 100 per cent owned subsidiary, the Hyundai Motor Company of India (HMI), Globalizati on & Employment in Korea 141 to manufacture cars in India. It represented an investment of more than US$ 450 million. Construction of a plant with the capacity to produce 120,000 passenger cars per year was completed in Chennai, Southern India, in 1999. By May 2000, the Chennai plant was producing 100,000 vehicles a year and had captured 14 per cent of the Indian market.HMI produced two models in Chennai: Santro (999 cc) and Accent (1,499 cc), both of which achieved approximately one quarter of their respective market segments during the ? rst four months of 2000. HMI began its operation in Chennai with a workforce of 1,400 operating in a one shift production system in October 1998. By January 2001, the workforce had increased to 3,000 workers and a three-shift operation. It had become one of the fastest growing auto manufacturers in India and shared the lead with Ford of India in its respective market segments. It is dif? ult to make a direct comparison between Chennai and the Queb ec plant as Chennai was larger and produced two models instead of one. Nevertheless, HMI followed some policies similar to both the Korean and Canadian plants and also implemented HR policies and practices which emphasized selection procedures and training programmes designed to ensure that new employees are strongly integrated with the organization. However, due to lower labour costs in India, there was more reliance on labour-intensive methods and less use of automation than in Canada or Korean plants.Given the lower levels of education and skill among the Indian workforce, compared with Korea or Canada, there was a much greater presence of Korean managers and technical advisers in Chennai, particularly during the ? rst year of operation. The lines of demarcation between different segments of the workforce were also greater in the Indian plant and there was a more hierarchical structure in the Indian company. Some of these practices re? ected local norms in Indian work culture and industry.The experience of the Hyundai Motor Company in India is analysed with regard to three areas: human resource policies and practices, industrial relations and the internal labour market arrangements. Human Resource Policies and Practices HMI used a variety of HR policies and procedures to align the attitudes of its employees with the corporate culture. Training programmes within HMI re? ected the paternalistic nature within the company and emphasized the development of a strong work ethic among the employees. New recruits were given two-day basic orientation training before being allocated to a speci? c department.Most of the initial work skills are taught on the production line. There followed a job rotation programme which exposed workers to other parts of the plant operations. As Chennai is a mass production plant, most of the jobs were fragmented into relatively simple, repetitive tasks and there was a highly detailed division of labour. Much of the training beyond basic skills development was used to promote employee loyalty and develop harmony at the workplace in order to avoid internal con? ict. Workers were also encouraged to participate in productivity campaigns, employee suggestion schemes and quality control systems.There was a Supervisor Development Programme to enhance the skills of ? rst line managers. At executive level, there was a Management Development Programme to improve 142 R. D. Lansbury et al. the capacity of managers to think strategically, manage their time effectively and improve work methods and quality. The majority of workers at the Chennai plant were employed at trainee level for the ? rst three years and it was anticipated that some of these would leave the company after three years (when the traineeship ended) in search of better wages and conditions.By maintaining high turnover at this level, HMI could keep wages down and retain a group of low-paid trainees who were not permitted to join unions and could provide a †˜buffer’ should demand fall and the workforce need to be quickly reduced. In effect, the trainee position was a de facto short-term contract job, although some workers did receive promotion at the end of the trainee period. Nevertheless, promotion procedures were slow and were aimed at cost minimization, although employees with exceptional performance could receive rapid promotion.In general, it could take up to 20 years or more for production workers to rise to the highest level in their employment structure. There was a system of performance appraisal which varied according to the level of the position. When applied to the non-executive groups the emphasis of the appraisal system was on behavioural criteria such as discipline, attitudes to work, cooperation, punctuality and attendance. The system led to some con? icts between production workers and management, although it was supposed to enhance competition between workers to achieve the highest performance ratings.Wages p olicy was the most critical factor in enabling HMI to achieve a ‘cost effective’ approach to labour management. HMI’s goal was to minimize labour costs while providing management with considerable ? exibility to link allowances to productivity improvements. The total wage package comprised four key elements: a base level amount, a cost of living component, house rental allowance, a ? exibility allowance and a mixture of sundry other minor components (including travel, children’s education, provident fund etc. ).There was considerable variation in the ratio of different components depending on an individual’s position in the hierarchy. Hence, the base component of total salary varied from 60 per cent for managers to 30 per cent for production workers. According to HMI, this system helped to promote employee loyalty to the company. The wages of HMI employees were adjusted annually through increments paid in April and the wage structure was reviewed ev ery three years. During 2000, HMI came under pressure from its workforce to increase wages, and a 20 per cent increase was granted to trainees and junior technicians.The wage levels for trainees and junior technical employees at HMI compared favourably with other multinational auto companies in the same area, but were superior to Indian companies in the auto components sector. However, by having the vast majority of their employees at trainee level, HMI was able to contain its wage costs. The wages and salaries differentials between executive and non-executive employees remained fairly constant over the ? rst few years of HMI’s operation in Chennai, with executives receiving approximately six times that of production workers. However, it was dif? ult to gain accurate information about senior executive salaries paid by HMI. Anecdotal evidence from HMI and other automobile producers in India suggested that the foreign-owned companies shared information about wage Globalization & Employment in Korea 143 levels and generally maintained comparability so that they were not competing against each other in this regard. Hence, the variations between multinational auto companies operating within the Chennai area were minimal. However, there were signi? cant wage differences between the component suppliers (mainly local Indian ? ms) and the foreign-owned assembly companies. Furthermore, wage levels in the Chennai area were generally lower than those in the northern industrial zones of India as they had been industrialized for less time and were still ‘catching up’ to their northern counterparts. Industrial Relations HMI has been strongly in? uenced by the experience of HMC in Korea. From the mid 1980s, with the emergence of militant unionism, HMC experienced considerable industrial con? ict at its plants in Korea. There was a great deal of external intervention in an attempt to resolve con? cts at HMC, with varying degrees of success. Experience in Ko rea conditioned attitudes among the senior managers at HMI. One of the principal reasons why HMC chose to locate its plants near Chennai in the south of India, was that unions were not as well organized as in some other parts of India. The trade union movement is well established in India and is closely linked with socialist politics. The Indian Industrial Relations Act provides a range of rights for workers and unions. The Act guarantees freedom of association and allows for multiple unions in workplaces.It also seeks to facilitate third party intervention in the workplace to resolve industrial disputes. In 2000, trade unions were organized in 24 of the 28 major car manufacturers in India, although not in foreign-owned or joint ventures, including Ford, Volvo, Toyota and HMI. There were two major strikes in the auto sector during the late 1990s. One was a strike over wages and compensation issues at the Ascot-Faridabad plant and lasted 70 days. The other was at Hindustan Motors ove r factory conditions and wages and was 30 days in duration (Bhaktavatsala, 1992). During the ? st two years of HMI’s operations in India, there were no successful organizing efforts by unions or industrial disputes at the Chennai plant. Yet, as the plant became more established and HMI’s market share and pro? tability increased, production workers increasingly raised complaints about labour intensi? cation, low wages and limited opportunities for promotion. However, as the trainee workers comprise half of the workforce at HMI, and were not permitted to join a union or participate in industrial disputes, HMI management was able to resist union pressures.Another source of tension within the Chennai plant occurred between Korean managers dispatched to India from HMC in Korea, and local Indian management. An important contributing factor related to the management style displayed by some of the Koreans which the Indians felt was unsympathetic to prevailing customs and pract ices in India. They complained that their Korean counterparts frequently communicated with each other in the Korean language which excluded Indians from the decision-making process.For their part, a number of Korean managers claimed that the Indians lacked a strong work ethic and therefore had to be more strictly supervised in order to achieve the required levels of productivity. 144 R. D. Lansbury et al. The Koreans also argued that the caste system interfered with the ef? cient operation of the plant because some Indian workers were appointed by Indian managers to positions in accordance with their caste position rather than on the basis of merit. The Indian management system was regarded as unduly paternalistic by some of the Korean managers.HMI established a Works Committee, with the objective of resolving con? icts and differences at the workplace without involving unions. The works committee comprised equal representation from both management and production workers. The Commit tee met monthly and provided a forum in which disagreements over wages and conditions could be discussed and resolved. However, in the absence of a trade union, employees had little bargaining power in regard to management and the Committee had no means of enforcing its decisions. HMI management tended to use the Committee as a means for disseminating its policies among the workforce.The Committee did not have any jurisdiction to set wages or working conditions. While HMI has remained union-free and had not experienced any major industrial dispute, strikes occurred among component suppliers which were Korean joint ventures with HMI, including Donghee, Pyungbuang, Hwasung and Samrib. The disputes concerned wages, job security and welfare issues. The strikes had adverse effects on HMI’s production ef? ciency as many of the companies had a monopoly supplier relationship with HMI. The resolution of these disputes often required direct intervention by HMI. Internal Labour Market A rrangementsFrom the initial establishment of the Chennai plant, HMI adopted a dual internal labour market, which differentiated between managerial and production employees in relation to wages, promotion and welfare facilities. Initially, there were two classes of employees: executive and non-executive. In the executive group there were 11 categories while in the non-executive group there were 14 positions. Within the ? rst year of production, however, the total number of employees increased from 1,503 to 2,320 and there was pressure from the workforce to provide greater wage differentials based on quali? ations. Accordingly, the number of categories in the non-executive ranks was increased from 14 to 18 and two new classi? cations of junior engineer were introduced. The expansion in the number of layers within the non-executive group reduced some of the discontent about the limited status differentials in the organizational hierarchy. However, HMI placed restrictions on the number of promotions of workers to higher level categories. This is an important factor in the management of labour within the plant because, as mentioned previously, trainees have only temporary employment status for the ? st three years and are not permitted to join unions. Hence, their opportunities to gain advancement are limited. During the ? rst year of operation, almost all senior decision-making positions at HMI were held by Koreans dispatched from HMC. The Korean managers not only were heads of division, with responsibility for all key activities in HMI, but also some were placed at operational level to provide support and advice to middle level Indian managers and to coordinate management activities.As the number Globalization & Employment in Korea 145 of total employees increased during the ? rst two years of operation, the ratio of Koreans to Indians in the plant changed from 1:19 to 1:46. However, most key roles remained under the control of Koreans. In the production division , the ratio of Koreans to Indians underwent more signi? cant change, from a ratio of 1:26 in 1998 to 1:172 in 2000. This was in keeping with HMI’s policy of becoming less reliant on Korean managers at plant level. DiscussionThe comparison of HMC’s operations in three countries demonstrates that there are complex interactions between globalization pressures towards a uniform approach to employment relations across various countries and divergent tendencies at the local level in each country. Although HMC sought to carefully select employers at its plant in Canada who would identify with the company’s objectives and follow its procedures, the Canadian workers were willing to challenge management decisions and to exercise their rights on issues such as health and safety.This was despite the fact that the Canadian Auto Workers Union was unsuccessful in gaining collective bargaining coverage of the Bromont plant. Although HMC were able to remain non-union, they had a divided workforce and were not able to implement the full range of Hyundai-style human resource policies and practices as planned. Although the closure of the Canadian operation was primarily due to disappointing sales of the Sonata model, poor employee relations were also a contributing factor to Hyundai’s failure in Canada.The Indian operations marked an important attempt by Hyundai to relaunch its globalization strategy and demonstrate that it could successfully manufacture and sell overseas-made Hyundai vehicles outside Korea. The employee relations practices which Hyundai implemented in India were more like ‘traditional’ Korean approaches and appeared to represent a ‘retreat’ from some of the more ‘progressive’ ideas which were attempted in Canada – such as a ? atter hierarchical structure and greater employee participation in decision-making (albeit limited in scope).But the Indian plant was more labour intensive and had lo wer labour costs, which is similar to the earlier stages of auto production in Korea. Unlike the current situation in Korea, where HMC is required to negotiate with the union movement (due to both its organizational strength and changes in legislation), Hyundai has so far been able to avoid unionization in India. It remains to be seen whether the widespread nature of unionization in the Indian auto industry and political pressures in India may force Hyundai to abandon its policy of union avoidance.An alternative strategy, pursued by some other foreign auto companies in India has been to recognize or foster enterprise unions, which may be more cooperative than industry-wide unions. Implications As has been noted in other studies of auto companies, which established transplants outside their home country, there is a strong tendency towards ‘hybridization’ both in terms of production methods as well as employment relations. This has been observed in the case of Japanese co mpanies which have 146 R. D. Lansbury et al. established plants in the United States (see Cutcher-Gershenfeld et al. 1998), but it has also occurred with US auto companies in Canada (Lewchuck et al. , 2001) and European auto companies which have opened plants in other parts of the world (see Boyer et al. , 1998). It would appear, from the current study, that a similar tendency is occurring within the Hyundai Motor Company as they seek to re-start their overseas production activities in India. A more diversi? ed employee relations strategy, which takes into account the demands of local employees and their unions, may be required if Hyundai is to continue to develop an effective global production system.For its global ambitions to be realized, Hyundai will require a much greater proportion of its manufacturing to be undertaken outside Korea, the development of global supply chains and global coordination of production, marketing and technology development. The experience of Hyundai in Canada and India suggests that employee relations are likely to be an evolving blend of company-speci? c policies and locally-based practices, depending on the context in which Hyundai is operating. ConclusionsThe experience of the Hyundai Motor Company in India illustrates the complexity of the impact of globalization strategies on employment relations. It supports the hypothesis that there are dynamic interactions between global and local forces, which shape employment relations when a multinational enterprise establishes a production facility in a country outside its home base. Hyundai has applied some of its human resources policies from Korea to India, such as training programmes to reinforce employee loyalty to the company, but it has provided fewer opportunities for employees to be promoted from the shop ? or to higher-level positions within the plant. This has caused resentment among some of the Indian employees who feel that they have limited career prospects in the compan y. Hyundai has also successfully avoided unionization despite the fact that unions have collective agreements with most local automobile producers in India. It remains to be seen whether the Indian unions will be able to apply pressure successfully to the company to bargain collectively or persuade the government to require Hyundai to negotiate with the union over the wages and conditions of its employees.Acknowledgements The authors wish to acknowledge the Australian Research Council (ARC) for their award of an ARC Discovery Grant for this research project and the helpful comments of the reviewers and editors. References Amsden, A. (1989) Asia’s Next Giant: South Korea and Late Industrialization (New York: Oxford University Press). Bae, K. H. (1987) Automobile Workers in Korea (Seoul: Seoul National University Press). Bhaktavatsala, R. C. 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