Oleana’s Phone Calls

Leanness Phone Calls David Mate's play Lean is a two character power struggle between a young college student and her Professor. By the second act of the play the struggling student, Carol, has filed a formal complaint of sexual harassment, based not on what actually happened, but on the written definition of said conduct in the universities nomenclature. By act three, unbeknownst to the professor, Carol has filed attempted rape charges against the professor. Again the charges do not reflect what actually occurred but find sound footing in the written word of law.As the story unfolds we e the power shift from the safe, smart, and accomplished professor to the worried, unknowing, and desperate student through the use and interpretation of language. At pivotal moments in the play the professor's phone rings. Calls from his wife, his real estate agent, and his secretary move the story along. Mate's phone interruptions reveal elements of character, power dynamics, and conflict to the aud ience, The phone calls also provoke the audience to draw there own conclusions about the play. Meet is an American playwright, screen writer and film director from Chicago.He has written several novels, a book of poetry, and worked in television as well. He studied at Goddard College in Vermont and at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater in New York. He has taught at New York University, Goddard College, and the Yale Drama School, and he regularly lectures at the Atlantic Theater Company, of which he is a founding member. He got hi start in show business at Chicago Second City, a comedy club that produced many cast members for Saturday Night Live. Meet has won many awards including a Toni and a Pulitzer Prize.His most notable work is the play Gallantry Glen Ross, a gritty kook at cutthroat real estate salesmen. He has a distinct style of writing, especially known for his sparse and blunt dialogue referred to as â€Å"Meet Speak†. Characters often interrupt each other and thoughts or comments go unfinished. Meet says in a 1994 interview with Charlie Rose that â€Å"drama is three things; who wants what from whom? What happens when they don't get it? Why now? (Rose, Charlie Rose. November 1 1, 1994) Lean is no exception. Meet begins Lean with a revealing look at John by way of phone conversation he is having with his wife.They are in escrow on a new house and he is sorting out issues. Carol has done poorly on her paper and wants nothing more; it seems, than to improve her grade in the class. She sits across from him at his desk. It is unclear if John has invited Carol in to sit at the desk or if she entered and sat down uninvited, but what this phone call tells the audience is that the boundary between John's personal life and professional life is not well defined. Using the phone allows Meet to establish John as someone who is in a position of power. He is delegating to his wife; â€Å"†¦ Hat's why I say â€Å"call Jerry†¦ † (M eet, 1, 1) and he is needed; â€Å"I'm going to meet you there†¦.. ‘m leaving in ten or fifteen†¦ † (1, 1), and he is confident; â€Å"We aren't going to lose the deposit†¦ † (1, 1), he assures his wife. Meet conveys to the audience that John is a busy and successful man. He is in the driver's seat, accomplishing his goals and taking care of hand, her grade, but instead asks, â€Å"What is a term of 2) a phrase he uses on the phone. Rather than begin a discussion about her performance in the class Carol asks a question about the professor's personal phone call.This allows Meet to show that Carol does not know and is seeking answers to more than Just this course. The first phone call in the play allows Meet to show the audience that John is opportunistic and self serving. The professor is annoyed with and has little patience for Carol. He struggles not to interrupt her, uses bigger words than he needs to, and says things like, â€Å"l know how pot entially humiliating these†¦ [Things can be]† (1 , 39), which can only serve to move them further apart from each other. By the time the phone rings he has subtly challenged her intelligence and she has subtly challenged his ability to teach.John can take a calculated risk at this Juncture, to maintain power by disturbing Carol. Look, look, I'm not your father. â€Å"(l, 97) he says. The less than benevolent professor knows this will either enrage her or make her feel small and child like. It is a cheap shot but should she challenge or confront him for saying it, he simply has to pick up the phone to maintain his position. She does make that challenge, asking, â€Å"Why did you say that† (1, 102) and instead of answering her he picks up the phone. The conversation is short, but long enough for him to move away from answering to the comment.The phone here allows Meet to reveal an element of cowardice in John's character, and submissiveness in Carol because the inve stigation simply moves on when he hangs up. Meet leaves the audience to sort things out on their own. The next phone call reveals that John's desire to connect with his students is second to his desire to handle his own affairs. The conversation returns to the subject of Carol not understanding the class, but instead of attempting to teach Carol something he discounts his writing ability, â€Å"perhaps its Just not well written† (1, 117) referring to the book he authored and the course itself â€Å"Look.It's Just a course, it's Just a book, it's Just a†¦ † (1 , 127). John goes on to tell Carol some anecdotes ND finally says, â€Å"l am talking to you the way I wish that someone had talked to me. I don't know how else to do it than to be personal, .. But†¦ † (1,229) Carol is confused by the statement and asks, â€Å"Why would you want to be personal with me? â€Å"(1,230) In spite of much gibberish on John's part, here lies an opportunity for them to understand each other better. Carol is on the brink of understanding his methodologies, the why he teaches like he does. The phone rings as John begins to explain, but answers the phone before he can finish.To effectively help this student he needs to connect to her in some way. He has made an attempt, but the phone call lets us know that it really isn't that important to him. Likewise Carol has made an attempt, but after John ends his call Carol does not seek further explanation for a personal connection with her. Instead she pries into his private life by inquiring about the call. It appears to not mean that much to Carol either. Meet also shows that John is grasping for the power that is fading away by deciding not to answer the phone. John goes on to share some of his negative views of higher education.He claims the exams students take in college are ,263), and clears his contempt of the tenure committee of which he now awaits his nice home, and his family (1 ,273) until finally , loosing him, Carol interrupts, â€Å"l want to know about my grade. (Long Pause)† (1, 278) John's ego is dented by the interruption. Here the phone rings again. This time Meet uses the phone to alert the audience that something significant is happening. The audience's ear is now trained to pay close attention to when the phone rings. It has provided insights into the characters and help change the subject.John is finding it difficult to actually teach Carol anything and she has had enough. Carol says, â€Å"l should go. â€Å"(1,286) And John says, â€Å"I'll make you a deal† and â€Å"Let it 289). Meet shows that John is still capable of wielding power in her world. He is determining the course of the conversation. John has no bag of tricks, no skill to deliver knowledge to this student, so he crumbles. He states, â€Å"we'll start the whole class over†¦. Your final grade is an A. (The phone stops ringing)†. (1,289) The audience can hear the residual sounds of the last ring fade away as academic standards, responsibility and respect fly out the window.The audience is left wondering what Just happened. The phone is used to interrupt the flow of conversation between two protagonists. The inappropriate offer of an A has captured Carol's interests, and temporarily restored power to the lack luster professor. He has saved the deal sort to speak, and at the same time effectively removed the responsibility to impart knowledge to the student. Feeling much safer (and powerful) now he continues to espouse his particular brand of gibberish. He is making a genuine attempt to share what's in his head, but failing. She has become upset and he tries to console her.John shows compassion toward Carol and she feels comfortable enough to share with him a secret. â€Å"l always†¦ All my life†¦ ‘ have never told anyone this†¦ † (1, 436) This is a pivot point in their relationship, and yes the phone rings. Carol is about t o confide in John, to trust him. John is about to gain access to Carol in a way that could possibly help him teach her. He answers the call and proceeds to have a rather forceful conversation about the house sale. At one point he threatens to take the seller to court (1, 439). This phone call reveals to the audience that perhaps John is somewhat unreasonable and unlikable. †¦ Screw her†¦ † He says, and â€Å"†¦ Leave her there to stew in it†¦ † (1, 439) Meet shows that John is selfish, and unsympathetic. The audience is forced to agree or disagree with his behavior. Once more the phone call shows that John's priorities are for himself and not of his students needs. Carol discovers that John is not the right person to confide in. In fact she feels abandoned at this point. John is not someone she can trust. Indeed this phone call is a pivot point. It marks the beginning of the end for the professor, because teaching is less important to him than his st atus as a teacher.Again neither Carol nor John continues the conversation where they left off and the audience is left to wonder what her issue is. As the play progresses John's phone conversations clearly show that he is less confident than before, letting the audience know that he has become less powerful. Act 2 opens with the pair discussing the formal complaint of sexual harassment Carol has filled with the tenure committee. Things he said and did in Act 1 have been exaggerated or taken out of context to substantiate her claim. Her agenda now is clearly not a better grade or more understanding of the course material. She is out for his blood.She now holds some power over the professor. In Act 1 John holds court in the arena of academia of room; she is a student to be Judged. Now Carol brings accusations against John, supported by the manipulation of language and her â€Å"Group† (2, 73) She is about to explain who and what her group is to John when the phone rings. It is John's wife who is worried about the house sale, and the complaint. John is nervous and less forceful. This phone call acts to block forward progress in their communication, as it id when he was going to explain why being personal with was necessary and when Carol was about to reveal her secret..When the phone rings in Act 3 the conversation reveals to the audience that things are unraveling. Carol has come to John again. The tenure committee has confirmed Carol's complaint and John has been denied tenure. The shift in power has become obvious. Carol is forceful and aggressive in conversation. She is using big words, very different from Act 1. John is on the ropes. He is loosing his Job and is at Carol's mercy. John is unaware that Carol has filed attempted rape charges against him. Ironically he is now studying something she is an author of (the indictment).As the phone rings John is still referring to the indictment as accusations, Carol is arguing they are proven. It is his secre tary. He has neglected speaking to people in his life for some time. â€Å"†¦ L have no time†¦ † (3, 47) People are worried about him, â€Å"†¦ Tell Jerry I'm 47) This phone call acts as a catalyst for the end of the play when things come too head. From this point Carol is in a position of authority, allowing or not allowing things in the conversation, and now explaining things to John. John covers that Carol and her group are staging a coupe.

1984- Orwel’s Parallelism to Modern Times Essay

Orwell wrote at a time when communism seemed likely to spread across the word, which is a similar situation that we see today in some countries. Studying the Orwell’s works is relevant as it parallels with modern times. Orwell’s writing mostly focused on the nature of human in the society; his opinion about the non-democratic world and central authority focused in social and political areas. He wanted to educate people and expose everything he was against. Through the use of symbolism, extended metaphors and intensive imagery, Orwell wrote â€Å"naturalistic novels with unhappy endings, full of detailed descriptions and arresting similes† (Orwell, Why I Write) thus turning his harsh words into an art form. In his essay, ‘Why I Write’, Orwell stated that he wanted to capture the truth of human nature. As exemplified in his story of poverty, Down and out in Paris and London; he captured the realism of life during the Spanish Civil War in Homage to Catalonia, and in The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell studied human misery in an exploitative social order. In 1984, Orwell described utter and total hatred to people who are different, hate of evil and hate of all other humans. It is where love is described as absurd, and totally unnecessary. People are raised to hate, and hate is the primary emotion that people feel. The lack of love and kindness is what brings the society to a complete totalitarian state. Human beings instinctively crave love and care to thrive; without it, no one can experience happiness or freedom. This works well for 1984 because of its hate-driven society; however the lack of love causes unrest with those who can see the importance of love. Orwell’s non-fictional works greatly differ from his fictional works though; they both constitute the same understanding of human decency. His fictional works contained many details with the use of imagery, themes and symbolism. On the other hand, Orwell’s non-fictional works is structured differently as he utilized a first person point of view, colloquial diction and a tone that points out the moral decency of humanity. Orwell’s trend in his writing, since 1936, had been directly and indirectly against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism. Orwell confessed that he wrote â€Å"because there [was] some lie that [he wanted] to expose, some fact to which [he wanted] to draw attention, and [his] initial concern [was] to get a hearing [in the world’s politics]† (Orwell, Why I Write). While Communism might have exited the world stage in terms of competing for dominance, there needed to be a mindful and attentive presence taken against what happened when a central authority took over. Orwell didn’t criticize the act of revolution itself but the misery it could cause if the leaders grow to be corrupt, shortsighted, greedy and indifferent. He wanted to expose the most important issue that affected everyone in the world. Animal Farm was the first book he wrote to expose the Soviet myth of socialism. Even in his finest fictional novels, Orwell conveys the same basis of human reality. Nineteen Eighty-Four explored his hatred towards totalitarianism and government security. Animal Farm was his satirical, allegorical and metaphorical masterpiece elucidating his abhorrence of Stalin’s dictatorship in the Soviet Union. Orwell’s use of symbolism in 1984 reveals more about what he wanted to portray in a new creative way. His use of symbolism allowed readers to easily understand his message as well as appreciate his writing style simultaneously. For example, in 1984 Orwell used Big Brother as a symbol to represent the Party. The citizens were told that Big Brother is the leader of the nation and the head of the Party, but Winston could never determine whether or not he actually existed. In any case, the face of Big Brother symbolized the Party in its public manifestation; he is a reassurance to most people (the warmth of his name suggests his ability to protect), but he is also an open threat (one cannot escape his gaze). Big Brother also symbolizes the vagueness with which the higher ranks of the Party presented themselves—readers are left wondering who really rules Oceania, what life is like for the rulers, or why they act as they do. Additionally, in Animal Farm he used the farm to symbolize Russia and the Soviet Union under a Communist Party rule. Generally, Animal Farm stands for any human society are it capitalist, socialist, fascist, or communist. The farm reflects the dynamics of a nation represented by animals: the government (the pigs), the police force or army as the dogs and the working class as the other animals. Its location amid a number of hostile neighboring farms supports its symbolism as a political entity with diplomatic concerns. Orwell portrayed detailed symbolism in 1984 and Animal Farm, keeping both novels renowned up to the day. Orwell remains an important author as his themes reoccur in the twentieth century. His writing gives a sense of how life is a struggle but it is not to be feared – that fitting in and belonging need not be the most important goals in life. Orwell was willing to go out there and fight in trenches for what we believed and he wrote about what he thought was important. He was a great representational novelist, as seen in Nineteen Eighty-Four, for portraying the realities of mundane life in totalitarian societies in such original and artistic manner.

What is communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is communication - Essay Example ation on the other hand does not incorporate the use of symbols in the communication but it considers all the verbal exchange between two or moirà © parties as communication. The oxford dictionary traces the origin of the word ‘communication’ to the Latin word communis meaning â€Å"common† and Reuben and Stewart believe that the first form of communication originated in the Greek empire especially by the early philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates who developed different explanations concerning communication. These two explanations of communication resemble the Schramm’s model of communication in that they all realize the importance of understanding between the sender of the information and the receiver. In Schramm’s model he calls it the ‘commonness’ between a source and the receiver. All the parties in the communication channel must understand one another and this can only be measured through a feedback from the receiver (Ruben & Lea 20). The transactional model of communication is a preferred model because the communicators can act simultaneously by sending and receiving messages and that the communication process in this case is dynamic and it changes over time. In this model the people whom you are communicating with keep on changing as well as the environment in which the communication is taking place. This model enables the parties involved to gain understanding of the information being communicated because the two parties are interdependent thus the source cannot relay information without the receiver and vice versa. The several factors that affect the reaction of both the sender and the receiver are factors like their cultural beliefs, self esteem and their own backgrounds (wood, 6). My own model of communication would be a linear model that will enable the receiver to give feedback of the received information. This model will be effective than any other in the textbook since the linearity of this model will enable the receiver to listen

Research paper on global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research paper on global warming - Essay Example Research into the subject reveals that reducing greenhouse gasses through the development of renewable energy would provide tremendous benefits to the country. By understanding the effects of greenhouse gasses on the atmosphere we breathe, the water cycle we’re truly dependent on and the resulting effects these changes will have on the landmasses we live on, it can be seen how the development of new forms of energy can introduce highly beneficial changes into our lifestyles and future. The rising global temperature is and will continue to cause major changes to the environment which in turn will negatively affect the U.S. economy to an extent that can only be speculative. What is known is that the impact will be nothing short of catastrophic regarding both the earth and economy. Only by quickly implementing alternative sources of automobile fuel and electricity on a large scale can this looming disaster be averted. Worldwide, carbon dioxide emissions are creating widespread health impacts even as greater numbers of people begin using cars for longer distances (Dearry, 2004: A600). Eighty percent of the world’s population accounts for just 35 percent of CO2 emissions while the United States is responsible for generating nearly half of this amount. Automobiles are the main cause of air pollution with toxins emitted from stacks at coal-burning electric power plants running a close second (Dahl, 2005: A239). In addition to CO2 emissions, vehicles emit carbon mo noxides (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), all of which contribute to global warming (Energy Information Administration, 2004). At the same time, these emissions begin to break down the overall health of the population with increases in respiratory diseases and other illnesses as a result of the chemicals being pulled deep into our lungs (Carter in NOW, 2007). Thus, our

Mission Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mission Statements - Essay Example This definition will be a guiding point in the evaluation of the mission statements of McDonald and Dell, Incorporated. McDonald's mission statement can be classified one of the best examples in the global corporate arena. The mission statement clearly defines what the company is and what it wants to accomplish-"to be the world's best quick restaurant experience." This future goal is backed by the strategies which the company will employ-"outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value." Furthermore, the mission statement is crafted with the company's stakeholders in mind. McDonald emphasizes that it wants that it will be looking after its employees, customers, and shareholders. Written in clear and simple language, the message that McDonalds want to communicate is clearly delivered and is understood by any individual. The mission statement is clear, precise, simple and is very suitable for the world's largest fast food chain. In comparison, Dell's mission statement is more inclined in the company's future than on what it is. It should be noted that Dell's mission statement can be applied to any computer manufacturer.

Discuss about the perils and promise of pluralism in America Essay

Discuss about the perils and promise of pluralism in America - Essay Example In such a plural state as America is, every individual have the right to choose â€Å"what part of the multiplicity he wants to have or to belong to† (Johansson and Lynoe, 2008, p.245). In such a circumstance the stability of society depends on a ‘power balance’ (Johansson and Lynoe, 2008, p.245). Although this pluralism tries to ensure the greatest good, it is not a totalitarian principle and it has certain negative effects for individual and for society at large. The first effect of pluralism is that it gives rise to deferent interest groups in the politics. As America is probably the largest democracy in the world, the pluralistic view poses the question of whether having various interest groups is good for creating a policy. One of the major challenges that have arisen in the wake of this century is ensuring the national security from terrorist attack. America’s democracy promotion policy in the Muslim countries has been resisted by the Muslim Americans. Even a lack of clear definition of democracy allowed the Muslim Americans to question the basic presumption of democracy. The Judeo Christian tradition of America made it possible to create a society based on the shared values of catholic, protestant and Jewish religion. It was possible because certain denominations of the values of these religions were supported by the American life style. The 1965 Immigration Act was pivotal in creating a congregating identity of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. With the widening of democracy, these culturally diverse groups have been able to lobby the administration and influence the social and cultural life of America. Within the diversity, there are cultural groups who feel marginalized and it is due to the tension between cultural groups who are struggling to monitor the values and institution for desired reformation (Machacek: 2003, p.1) Cultural pluralism in America tends to denigrate certain social groups in regards to language,

Why the Elmhurst Cafeteria Should Extend Their Hours of Operation Essay

Why the Elmhurst Cafeteria Should Extend Their Hours of Operation - Essay Example For many reasons related to this inefficient combination of order and disorder, it would be of tremendous benefit to the health of students if Elmhurst cafeteria were required to extend their hours of operation. College, of course, is the final destination on the journey meant to take humans from childhood to adulthood and it is certainly not coincidental that with each progression upward through the educational system the students are rewarded with more leniency in terms of structure. As students progress from elementary school to high school and then into college, they are granted more freedom in terms of which subjects they can study and when they are allowed to take those classes. But one thing that seems to change very little if at all is the opportunity to eat. While the lunch time may be far more structured during the lower levels of the education system, there is still a reliance upon that structure even into college. Students are still expected to congregate at the institutionalized times for breakfast, lunch and dinner; post-dinner food choicers are virtually ignored. Unfortunately, college study habits don't conform to that old-fashioned structure.

Intellectual Property Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intellectual Property - Assignment Example 2. Intellectual property may include inventions, creative efforts of individuals, original works by authors or trade secrets etc. that will provide future economic benefits to the business. How we protect intellectual property depends on the type of property we deal with and the industry we’re operating in. This usually involves obtaining patents, trademarks and copyrights for the intellectual property we own. The holder of a patent can protect his product by preventing other companies to use, or take advantage, in any way, of their invention up to certain future date depending on the type of invention. The key question that arises here is does the business own the inventions or does the creative work is the result of efforts of the individuals hired by the company? Similarly copyright offers the authors and creators the protection of their original intellectual work (such as literature, art, music, photographs, video recordings, software etc.). The copyright symbol informs ot hers that the author is intending to exercise control over the production and redistribution of the work. Likewise a â€Å"trademark† offers businesses the opportunity to sell their product to the consumers under their unique name. As such it avoids confusion and deceiving. In such employment agreements, the employer restricts the employee from quitting the company and joining another competitive firm or setting up his/her own competitive business. Such employment agreements are usually enforceable only if they apply restrictions within a specific area and for a definite future time period. In some states non-compete agreements are enforceable only if they are supported by the adequate consideration for the employee otherwise they are considered as agreements in restraint on trade and hence void. The advantage of non-competitive clause is obvious that it

The Data Protection Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Data Protection Act - Essay Example . Data which are classified as confidential by the counselor are kept in a separate file and place. Interview notes, test results, personal data about the individual, home and family, which can have meaning only to the counselor, often prove to be means of solving many problems of maladjustment. This sample case is termed confidential. A case involving the information being disclosed by clients especially the personal and confidential information that becomes known to the counselor and the amount of these data that can disclosed to only limited people and with the consent of the client. There is an ongoing divorce case and the some data is being required by the lawyers and prosecutors. The psychologist should seek the consent of the client as to what and to whom the information will be given and the purpose that these data will serve. Fidelity is a part of the ethical guidelines stated by BACP. Increasingly, attention has focused on providers of psychological services who need to balance the ethical principles of their profession with legal and regulatory mandates, as well as with the institutional policies of the organizations where they work. The General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services and the Specialty Guidelines for the Delivery of Services were promulgated to aide those involved in the professional practice of psychology within several contexts. Additional guidance on specific issues is provided in other documents, such as the Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings, drafted by the Committee on Professional Practice and Standards and several others. Social Security and Work In UK employment law there is an important distinction between 'employees' and 'workers'. Most agency workers are classed as workers and this serves to exclude them from entitlement to important employment rights such as unfair dismissal and redundancy protection, which are only available to employees. A company's reward philosophy should be simple - they should pay for performance and the better the performance the more they should pay. Most companies have adopted a 'market based pay' approach to determining salaries which means they pay according to the value of the job in the market. Companies should be dedicated to the principles of employment and pay equity. They should be committed to taking steps to facilitate the integration and promote the full participation of previously under-represented designated groups such as agency workers in the labour market and encourage the utilization of the talents of all employees in order to realize the business objectives of the companies Employers should also be

Organization and Structure of Japanese Government Essay

Organization and Structure of Japanese Government - Essay Example He also appoints the Prime Minister and the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court as designated by the Diet and the Cabinet respectively. In this respect, the position of the Emperor in postwar Japan differs from that in the prewar days when the Emperor was the source of sovereign power. Sovereignty is now is the people's domain. The Imperial Throne is dynastic and descendant from father to son. According to the data in Wikipedia.org, Emperor Akihito (born December 23, 1933) is the current Emperor of Japan and the 125th according to the traditional order of succession. He is the world's only reigning emperor. In Japan the reigning emperor is never referred to by his first name, but rather is referred to simply as tenn heika ("His Majesty the Emperor"). The era of Emperor Akihito's reign bears the name "Heisei" and by custom, after his death, he will be renamed "Emperor Heisei". The Diet, composed of two Houses, na... The citizens of Japan over 20 years of age are eligible to vote. The House of Representatives is composed of 500 members. The minimum eligible age to be elected to it is 25.The term of office of members of the House of Representatives is generally four years. The representatives are elected directly by the people. They go on to complete their term of office unless the House itself is dissolved. The House of Councilors is composed of 252 members who are also elected directly by the people. Their minimum age requirement is 30 years. Their term of office is six years, and a half of them is elected every three years. Both Houses have more or less the same power but in some exceptional cases the decision of the House of Representatives takes precedence of that of the House of Councilors. Each House has the Secretariat and the Legislation Bureau. The Diet begins its 150-day ordinary session from January each year. The Prime Minister is chosen by the Diet from among its members. The Prime Minister then forms a Cabinet, and the Cabinet controls the executive branch of government. Although Japan is still considered a very Conservative nation, there is no discrimination because of race, creed, sex, social status, family origin, education, property or income. The Cabinet The cabinet is the Executive part of the State. It is headed by the Prime Minister and comprises of a maximum of 20 Ministers of State. This would include the Cabinet Secretary and some Ministers without a portfolio as well. They are held responsible to the Diet. The Cabinet has to resign en masse when the post of Prime Minister becomes vacant. If the House of Representatives passes a no confidence resolution or rejects

The Mongols Essay Example for Free

The Mongols Essay The Mongols swept across Asia and Europe in a bloody rampage. Killing over 6,107,000 people from the years 1220-1258. Treating women like a piece of meat meant to fulfill the pleasure of men. But how Barbaric were the Mongols on a scale of one to ten? Well the Mongols were very barbaric because they were uncivilized, brutal, yet conquered much territory. â€Å"Come out so that we may count on you according to our custom.† And when the people come out to them they seek out artisans among them and kept these. But the others with the exception of those they wish to have as slaves, they kill with the axe†¦This statement proves in many ways that the Mongols were uncivilized. Also soldiers would execute prisoners by shooting them with arrows or by burying them alive upside down in the dirt and tying there arms so they cant dig themselves out. Causing a slow excruciating bereavement of suffocation. Even the Mongol Yasa (laws) and Bilik (rules) were barbaric men were allowed to cheat on women having as many wives as they please but women could only have one husband and if a dad was to die then it was okay to marry all of his wife’s except for his own mother. Could you imagine our society if Mongols were in control? (Doc: 5, 10) â€Å"†¦Severed the heads of the slain from their bodies and heaped them up on piles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sounds Brutal doesn’t it? Can you imagine the people who could kill someone cut there heads of then pile them up like some piece of rubbish? Well the Mongols sure were brutal no doubt about it. They were so brutal they killed over 6,107,000 people from the years 1220-1258. In fact, it was commanded that the town of Nishaphur should be laid waste in such a manner that the site could be ploughed upon; and that †¦. Not even cats and dogs should be left alive. Also thief’s, did not exist in the Mongol life because they were so scared of the consequences of robbery that even the poorest sole wouldn’t dare think about steeling. Could you imagine how scary it must have been to be a Mongol or even one of there rivals? (Doc: 4,7) Finally, Under Genghis Khan the Mongols were great conquerors. They subjugated over 4,860,000 square miles. The Mongols had revolutionary war tactics such as, before a fight they would surround the enemy. Having there people (men, women, children, and some times dummy’s) on horses to make the other army think they were fighting a huge crowd causing panic among them as the Mongols came closer and closer attacking their enemy. With this tactic and many others Mongols both brought an onslaught and conquered a large amount of Asia and Europe. No wonder why the Mongols ruled the largest empire known to men for nearly 300 years. (Doc: 1, 6, 3) In conclusion the Mongols on a scale of one to ten were about a seven when it came to how barbaric they really were. Mostly Because of there strategies of war, laws, rules, execution of prisoners, conquest, and finally how brutal all together they were as a group of people. This is true due to the fact the Mongols were crude, atrocious, yet conquered a great deal of terrain.

A Study On A Stakeholder Approach Business Essay

A Study On A Stakeholder Approach Business Essay How should corporate boards deal with trends favouring an engagement with the ethical dimensions of business and stakeholder orientation, and with any potential tensions of this engagement with shareholder returns. Illustrate your analysis with recent specific examples â€Å"All the work contained within is my own unaided effort and conforms with the Universitys guidelines on plagiarism.† This essay explores the role of the board, different stakeholder perspectives on ethics and offers practical insights for handling them. Shareholders are significant stakeholders that expect higher returns on their investment than with risk free savings. Yet organisations cannot exist in isolation; operate without employees or acceptance by broader society. This human dimension periodically conflicts with the wealth creation objective. Employees and society are also important stakeholders, holding different perspectives. Milton Friedman (1982) Edward Freeman (1984) The only group with a moral claim on the corporation is the people who own shares of the stock (shareholders) Many groups have a moral claim on the corporation that derives from the corporations potential to harm or benefit them (stakeholders) Freeman et al (2007) The dominance of investor rights, the diminishment of good, moral decisions question if we should consider value systems when assessing a business decision. The focus is on the conflicting demands of labor, government, investors, and managers in the hopes of resolving the ‘inherent conflicts. As such, one group must dominate in order to win. Stakeholders contradictory values require consideration by the CEO to select an appropriate strategic path. Stakeholder Group Interests Ethical Dimension Managers Power, prestige, compensation, legacy Potential conflicts of interest with shareholder value Customers Service, product quality, value Not taking defective product to market No price fixing, participating in cartels, no misleading advertisements Creditors Security of capital CEO may pursue overseas expansion policy putting funds at risk for unknown returns Suppliers Regular payments, continuity of business Avoidance of paying or soliciting bribes. Policy on acceptance of gifts. Shareholders Dividends, Capital growth, safe Short term vs. long term strategy. Returns from low cost countries may be through exploitation Government Taxes, Employment Tax avoidance schemes. Corruption in developing nations may require payment of â€Å"facilitation† fees Society No harm to employees. Employment. Preservation of environment Movement of jobs to low cost countries and ensuring health and safety practices followed even if country has lower standard. The CEO/management team are also stakeholders. Thus, tensions exist between the management and the governance board, which have a fiduciary duty to the principals (shareholders). The Board performs due diligence to ensure the appointed executive managing the firm acts appropriately in the interests of shareholders. An agency problem, where the goals of the shareholders (maximising returns) and the (management) agent are in potential conflict is challenging for the principals to confirm the agent is acting appropriately. E.g. the CEO wishes to pursue an ethical approach in the supply chain that costs more than the current standard, that shareholders find unattractive due to lower returns. A strong board could experience tensions in power and influence such that non executive directors use their position to balance control in the interests of shareholders. The boards ability to replace the CEO is the ultimate threat, which should also ensure compliance with any ethical code. A firm wit h good governance wouldnt combine the roles of Board Chairman and CEO, due to conflict of interest. Non profit organisations without shareholders also balance stakeholder concerns. Ethics, the moral principles that guide organizational behaviour are an area where a strategic choice can be made to be a leader (active stance) or merely respond to legislation (passive). Its the purview of management to determine the ethical position. The organization develops a code to support the practice. The ethical stance is likely to lead to diverse stakeholder opinions. For the ethical standard to be meaningful, performance should be measured. Business results still matter but so do how they were achieved. The emergence of the triple bottom line concept, which states that measures of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should be included equally with financial and other performance indicators has highlighted the ethical position of firms. Bartlett (1990) Concerns about shareholder value have begun to influence major strategic choices, and not always to the good. While its reasonable that shareholders expect a return on their investment, many are short term holders looking for quick returns. With CEOs under pressure to produce immediate results, fundamentally conflicting values emerge within the companys stakeholders. An ethical stance could cost more through sustainable sourcing, investing in people and supporting auditing procedures. The additional expense burden may be considered too high in the current challenging economic climate. Abandoning ethical principles could be costly if Governments/trade associations levy fines for standards violations or adverse publicity results in loss of sales. Application of the Environment Strategy Competencies Organisation (ESCO) framework, Heracleous (2009), identifies potential stakeholder tensions around ethical issues, which will be discussed later. Environment Political Increasing legislation on pollution advertising. Standards for minimum wages and safety. Social Growing concern for quality of life creates pressure to reduce exploitation and conserve the environment/resources. Increasing number of pressure groups representing under privileged groups with special interests. Economic Globalisation of companies requiring many to operate in developing countries. Technological New technologies alter working practices such as automation reducing manual labour but balanced against employment loss. Strategy Low cost Outsourcing/off shoring to low cost countries requires thorough audit to meet ethical standards Differentiation Marketing ethical products at a premium requires rigorous compliance programme. Higher standards may apply to belong to â€Å"ethical† funds or associations Core Competencies Service excellence Cost control Ethics as core value helps appreciate customer perspective. Ethical position may be higher cost Organisation Process Procedures, checklists or guidance on ethical issues available and training to support Seek synergies with ethical dimensions Culture Embed values in organisation stories, management living the values. Align reward system with ethical results People Selection and retention through ethical values. Board competent to challenge management Holistic personnel development Ethics training Structure Ethics officer role, decisions on how to operate overseas may be influenced by level of control Society expects organizations not to harm employees or the environment. For profitability in the current business situation, organizations cant afford to have an ethical image at odds with the values of contemporary society. Its good for business to take ethical positions, which can directly influence consumers and also indirectly shape government perceptions of the industry to help avoid legislative hindrances. Porters (1985) bargaining power of consumers and suppliers of labour, are increasingly influenced by ethics. An ethical approach to employment through non discrimination and fair pay assists in the attraction and retention of talent that avoids further associated costs. As ethics involves exercising judgement its not easy to teach. Paine (2000) For many, running the numbers is a more enjoyable type of mental activity than deliberating about the issues. As the less favored cognitive capacities fall into disuse, they can be expected to deteriorate. This makes it harder for board directors to make sound decisions and also for firms to train personnel and codify. Yet this complexity is no excuse for not trying. The firm may target the ethically/socially aware consumer segment. Firms with high active engagement are considered â€Å"ethical organizations† where their philosophy drives both what the company does and how it achieves it. This requires commitment to high standards, rigorous training and monitoring/publishing of data. Management evaluates the advantages of this approach and determines if its appropriate for the business. There may be significant consequences for failure to deliver potential loss of status in â€Å"ethical† funds with associated loss of investment and potential decrease in market capitalisation. Some ethical funds use shareholder pressure to bring about changes in company policy. Usually an active screening process will remove organizations from the fund that have behaved negatively with respect to core values such as corruption or exploitation. There are different ways to take stakeholder views into consideration when making company decisions and it would be advisable to have principles to guide the process. Power brings influence, so large multinational companies in particular have high ethical/social impact. This can be harnessed as a force for good. However, whether it is the role of organisations is debatable. Increasingly consumers and businesses prefer to purchase from organisations with high ethical standards. Trudel and Cotte (2009) found †¢ consumers with high existing ethical expectations will allow a greater price premium †¢ punishment is greater than the premium prepared to pay †¢ companies neednt be 100% ethical to be rewarded Organisations pursuing an ethically responsible differentiation strategy could market at premium price provided consumers are educated about those products. Certain consumer groups may push for the entire range to be ethical which may increase costs or otherwise prove challenging. Equally consumer expectations may shift and force 100%. Governance At lower levels, management should enforce the ethical principles that have been set. There are two possible approaches: through compliance or integrity (value) based. Managers should explain the position with respect to issues that employees are likely to face like accepting gifts that may be deemed inducements. If employees believe their ability to do their job is negatively impacted they might not support the principles. The organisation ought to ensure rewards align with desirable behaviour and there are consequences for non compliance. Exploration of ethical issues When short term shortages exist, such as with swine flu medication an ethical debate for management may surface as to whether to exploit the situation and request higher prices. However, pharmaceutical companies elected not to, as they position themselves, as highly ethical and apparent profiteering from vulnerable people would contradict their stated values. Public sensitivity to drug pricing is high. Yet pharmaceutical companies choose to obey the letter of the law with respect to low cost generics rather than its spirit, which allows them to continue to reap high financial returns for modest payoffs. While they claim to use the revenue for further research its arguably at odds with the greater benefit of society not all stakeholders are equal. MSN (2009) As part of its drive to cut health care costs, the Obama administration wants to stop payments pharmaceutical companies make to generic drug makers to delay the launch of cheap copies. Drug companies have successfully argued in court that their patents allow them to make the deals. Conformance with legislation is expected. Companies that violate rules are rightly punished. Pharmaceutical companies could find the Obama response is more severe than the prior value of legal compliance. Marketing There are obvious ethical issues associated with advertising to children. Other marketing issues that may stimulate debate between management and the board are withholding information that may adversely influence purchase decisions or handling unhealthy products. The Independent (2009) French government bans all advertising of mobile phones to children under 12 is announced by the Environment Minister, and he will ban the sale of any phone designed to be used by those under six. The majority of children in Western society have mobiles and many firms have used â€Å"pester power† to their advantage. The introduction of legislation confirms societys distaste for the practice and good boards should have used environmental scanning to see this trend emerge, proactively determine a favourable company stance and if necessary challenge management executives on their policy. Failure to clean up ones own area can lead to harsher standards when Governments are forced to act. The firm should recognise the importance of satisfying different stakeholders but agree that customers are vital, as it costs less to retain customers than to attract them. Reichheld (1994) found a 5% increase in customer loyalty led to significant increases in profits (25 100%) through further purchases and recommendations, providing a cost effective marketing advantage. A strong ethical stance could be a strategic lever to generate consumer loyalty. Innovations that are more environmentally friendly or ethically based are key for future success to align with societys expectations and could also be a source of competitive advantage. Ethics may become a tiebreaker between competitors so companies need to understand key customer values that drive purchase decisions. Ultimately consumer pressure may require ethical standards to become a core business driver rather than representative of the philanthropic values of the company. Tobacco firms have been heavily criticised for their advertising. BAT has gone beyond the requirements of legislation in many countries and is proud of their stance as evidenced on their website. Operating responsibly If a business is managing products which pose health risks, it is all the more important that it does so responsibly. Our International Marketing Standards (IMS) set down detailed guidance on all aspects of tobacco marketing. Central to the IMS is our long held commitment to ensuring that no marketing activity is directed at, or particularly appeals to, youth. The IMS are globally applicable. Adherence by our companies forms part of our regular internal audit process. We publicly report any instances of incomplete adherence each year. Supply Chain The Co operative website declares While other retailers have recently discovered the commercial benefits of an ethical approach to business, our beliefs define who we are. Were proud that our ethical approach started in 1844 when the Rochdale Pioneers established a set of values and principles in response to a society that was being exploited. Understandably the co op is the UKs longest supporter of Fairtrade products. Fairtrade ensures producers operate sustainably and applies a premium for investment in education healthcare or farm improvements. UK Fairtrade sales have increased 4267% since 1998. (Fair trade website). The Co op also offers banking, which operates ethically including its investment portfolio. They experience little conflict between stakeholders positions as they trade on their philosophy. The Guardian reported Primark fired three of its Indian clothing suppliers after discovering they were using child labour to work long hours in poor conditions. Many organizations are pursuing cost cutting in the current economic climate. However, there are clearly ethical and monitoring issues related to outsourcing to low cost countries. Global trading now impacts even minor purchasing decisions. Financial concerns like tax efficiency and lower overheads are increasingly becoming a more important element of competitive (cost reduction) strategy. This puts pressure on management to ensure such sourcing is conducted to appropriate standards and a robust audit programme exists for overseas subcontractors. With management from a distance there are options for visibility and control. The debate to exercise a high degree of control in local markets may mean elevated costs associated with establishing a subsidiary or joint venture. As the higher costs of ethical control may not be in the best financial interests of shareholders this conversation may reach the Board for discussion of congruence with the financial position and overall strategy. In some countries managers preferentially employ family members. From an ethics perspective employment should be offered to the best qualified candidate. It can readily be envisaged that managers put pressure on employees to meet targets and this may give rise to ethical dilemmas. The tensions that arise could be simply whether to lie about the reason for a late delivery to appease a client. However, honesty is what most people desire and forcing this issue could damage the company reputation if it later came out, but is also likely to demoralise employees such that they disengage in other aspects of their work, standards fall and higher costs ensue. The board would want evidence that management are fostering the correct approach in the culture of the organisation so access to reports is fundamental. Mintzberg (1983) viewed shareholders control as inadequate as they are usually passive. However, Shell shareholders voted against the companys executive pay plan (BBC 2009). This increased shareholder activism was prompted by poor performance and high executive rewards were inappropriate in such circumstances. The board should have a compensation committee to recommend appropriate levels and be cognisant of public opinion. Stakeholders, including some shareholders consider excessive pay unethical. Corruption Guardian (Dec 2008) Siemens Ex chairman and chief executive Heinrich von Pierer is under heavy suspicion of failing to stop the bribery when he and his board were informed. He has consistently denied any knowledge of corruption. Without naming names, the DoJ/SEC findings point the finger at the former board for failing in its fiduciary duties. Siemens is already demanding compensation from 11 former executives. as part of the US settlement, Siemens made Theo Waigel, former German finance minister, its first compliance monitor. At Siemens organisational culture permitted participation in bribery as an acceptable standard of conduct. There was insufficient influence from the board to fully embed an ethical stance in the processes or daily culture. Nor did the board or management set an appropriate tone as a cultural reference point. The board had an obligation to prevent illegal practices. They should have realised the risks of non compliance and sought pertinent information if it was not offered. Siemens should have had a compliance role at senior management level. There is less flexibility in the response when its mandated than had they been proactive. The board didnt effectively monitor management on behalf of shareholders or evaluate the CEOs performance in an honest and open manner. As CEO and chairman roles were combined one person had a high degree influence. While this may have made it harder to challenge him they should have used their legitimate powers to do so. They failed the interests of shareho lders and didnt perform their fiduciary role, which is serious dereliction of duty. Further they ignored their role of understanding and determining strategic risks and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Siemens competed aggressively and unfairly with their competitors. They risked Government intervention to free markets and financial loss. As illustrated the introduction of a code of ethics is not sufficient by itself to encourage ethical behaviour. Senior management should positively support a cultural change to foster the appropriate values, patterns of thinking and behaviour. As McKinney and Moore (2008) attest: The mere existence of written codes of ethics cannot be expected to be the answer to the international bribery problem. Ethical behavior must be modeled in the corporation from the top down so that it permeates the entire organization. Organizations should utilise HR practices to recruit /select for promotion people who model the correct values, provide further training and align incentives to objectives around ethics. In extreme cases they may need to discipline people for non compliance. BP reports how many employees it has fired for violations. In some countries gifts/incentives to companies or government officials are prevalent. Even in civilised societies like Japan use gifts but a policy will help prevent confusion. Bribery, extortion and facilitation fees are more clearly delineated as unethical conduct. Firms need to determine their level of engagement, which may acknowledge it, exists and try to change practice from within or avoid altogether. Head office has to set the tone for overseas managers who may feel they should adopt the local custom because they see it as acceptable through continued exposure. Telegraph Mabey website Mabey Johnson plead guilty to 10 charges of corruption and violating sanctions. The company tried to influence officials in Jamaica and Ghana when bidding for public contracts. It also paid more than â‚ ¬422,000 to Saddam Husseins regime. Mabey Johnson faces fines and will make reparations to Jamaica, Ghana and a UN programme which benefits Iraq. It has agreed to an internal compliance programme carried out by an SFO approved independent monitor. The SFOs director said: These are serious offences and it is significant that Mabey Johnson has co operated with us to get to this landmark point. This †¦is a model for other companies who want to self report corruption and have it dealt with quickly and fairly. Peter Lloyd, (new) managing director, said: We deeply regret the past conduct of our company, and we have committed to making a fresh start. Staff have been retrained and sales and associated systems reviewed. The move follows the companys voluntary disclosure to the SFO of evidence that it may have engaged in corrupt practices. The information came to light in the course of an internal investigation by the companys solicitors. Five of Mabey Johnsons eight directors have stepped down since spring 2008 when the company told the SFO of the corruption offences. Excerpt from their code of ethics: policy not to offer, give or accept bribes, excess hospitality or substantial favours Failure to align with the environment is a common mistake evidenced by Siemens and Mabey. Secondly the organisational elements of process, structure and culture are critical factors where misalignment highlights ethical tokenism saying one thing but rewarding another. Kerr (1975) found people respond to what they think others value so hoping for a positive outcome while rewarding contrary behaviour is a mismatch. Organisational culture can seriously undermine strategy and the pursuit of ethical objectives. If the reward system doesnt encourage ethical conduct and managers or board turn a blind eye to conduct in order to achieve business objectives its no surprise that employees follow suit. Discussion The companys strategic direction could incorporate an ethical position that becomes a differentiator. As value drivers are different for the various points on the ethical continuum, management makes conscious trade off decisions in selecting a particular strategy, which may be dependent on firm specific factors and their core competencies. There is also a balancing of ethics and economic logic. Innovation to meet new regulations or ethical demands by consumers can mean better products and services are developed, providing a competitive edge. Technology now exists to recycle rubber from training shoes into playground flooring. Conformance with legislation is the minimum expectation and companies that violate the rules increasingly face more acute and vocal penalties for unethical conduct such as disruption of shareholder meetings. Successful companies with formal ethics rankings have codes of conduct, CSR/ethics officers, demonstrate management support and publish results on the company scorecard (e.g. Boots). Practical checklists would be helpful for employees to record decisions and also enable effective monitoring to take place. Good governance requires moral fibre and mental fortitude to make difficult judgment based decisions. Boards are accountable and need to use their powers to enforce the appropriate actions. Companies could seek compensation for board failures to act so the acceptance of the role comes with responsibilities. Good stewardship of the companys ethical integrity is an important board role. Recommendations Boards should proactively engage in strategic decisions, overseeing compliance and fulfilling their obligations. In addition, a mitigation plan to deal with disclosure of unethical behaviour is beneficial. Boards should take immediate action on any violations and review the circumstances for lessons learned. Scenario planning could identify possible scandals so boards can prepare how to respond while maintaining the highest ethical position possible. In Siemens case they were defensive, reactive, and slow, taking action after the public were aware. Conversely at Mabey they uncovered the issue themselves through audit, contacted the authorities and took a proactive stance using their website to communicate the issue and resolution. They even obtained valuable 3rd party endorsement for their actions from the Serious Fraud Office, who held them up as an example. Boards reviewing strategic choices need access to data and useful tools. They should use their legitimate authority to request information if its not forthcoming. As well as investigating misalignments highlighted in an ESCO model the board are advised to apply the Cultural Administrative Geographic Economic (CAGE) distance framework (Brennan 2009) to proposals for operating overseas. This tool highlights the types of issues to be encountered and shows risks that might otherwise be overlooked in a traditional country portfolio analysis. The Board could then determine if operating in the proposed country is economically viable and doesnt compromise their ethics position. Detailed economic analysis may be required as overseas financial rewards are often over estimated the costs of corruption could offset lower production costs. Hills, G; Fiske,L Mahmud, A (2009) Corruption adds expense throughout the corporate value chain and can lead to costly operational disruptions. Current studies suggest corruption adds more than 10 percent to the cost of doing business in many countries, and that moving business from a country with low levels of corruption to a country with medium to high levels is equivalent to a 20 percent tax. Cultural Administrative Geographic Economic Diverse ethnic backgrounds in workforce potential discrimination issues. Society norms do not include basic safety or hygiene factors. Child labour prevalent Gifts accepted practice Political ambivalence may require organisation to pay â€Å"facilitation fees† Remoteness and time differences may risk diluting organisations values Different attitudes to quality more likely to approve defective or dangerous products. Higher costs of training employees in developing nations to internal standards. Higher potential for fines with less educated workforce With so many aspects to ethics a critical limitation of this review is the range of dimensions covered. Conclusion The role of the board in oversight of organizations is critical to ensuring shareholders interests are appropriately reflected amongst diverse stakeholder views. While there may be some tensions, increasingly opinion on ethical issues is aligned and organizations are expected to operate to a moral code. Ethics are context specific as countries have different standards. Judgment on ethical issues isnt easy. Hence ethics programmes should cover overarching principles, and firms should have processes to train personnel and monitor results. Over time societys values can change and new trends emerge, so environmental scanning is important for all strategic positioning, including ethics. Boards should review this information and managements perspective on what opportunities these conditions create to set strategic direction. The pressure to perform financially has adversely influenced ethical decision making and embedding an ethical philosophy within the organisation is challenging, yet br ings significant rewards. References Bartlett CA, (1990), Facing up to Complexity, McKinsey Quarterly, Spring pp27 35 Brennan (2009) Warwick MMBA Strategy Practice course notes delivered June 8 12. Freeman, RE ,(1984) Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman, Boston, MA Freeman, RE, Martin, K Parmar, B, (2007), Stakeholder Capitalism, Journal of Business Ethics, vol 74, pp303 314 Friedman, M, (1982) Capitalism and Freedom, University of Chicago Press, IL Heracleous L, Wirtz J Pangarkar (2009) Flying High in a Competitive Industry Secrets of the worlds leading airline, McGraw Hill, Singapore, p172 Hills, G; Fiske,L Mahmud, A, (May 2009), Anti corruption as Strategic CSR: A call to action for corporations, Ethics Resource Center, accessed from www.ethics.org 1 Jul 2009 Kerr, S (1995) On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B, The Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 9, Iss. 1, pp 7 15 McKinney, JA. Moore, CW., (2008), International Bribery: Does a Written Code of Ethics Make a Difference in Perceptions of Business Professionals, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 79, Iss. 1/2; pp 103 12 Mintzberg H, (1983), Power In and Around Organizations, Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs, NJ Paine, Lynn Sharp, (2000) Does Ethics Pay?, Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 10, Issue 1, pp319 330 Porter, M, (1985), Competitive Advantage, The Free Press, NY Reichheld FF, (1994), Loyalty and the renaissance of Marketing, Marketing Management, 2, 4 pp10 20 Trudel, R Cotte J, (2009), Does It Pay to Be Good?, MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 50, Iss. 2, pp 61 68 www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8058103.stm accessed 1 Jul 2009 www.co operative.jobs/ourbusinesses/food/ethics accessed 1 Jul 2009 www.ethics.org accessed 7 July 2009 www.fairtrade.org.uk accessed 1 Jul 2009 www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/16/regulation siemens scandal bribery accessed 7 July www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/22/india.humanrig

The Impact Of Using Athletes As Celebrity Endorsers Marketing Essay

The Impact Of Using Athletes As Celebrity Endorsers Marketing Essay The Sports industry is a highly valued form of social interaction in the United Kingdom and around the world. Major sports events attract millions of viewers and trigger strong opinions. Athletes are perceived as role models and consumers tend to believe athletes, especially those with a positive public image. But does the use of athletes in celebrity endorsements always impact on the purchasing decisions of consumers? Endorsement advertising is a strong weapon in the promotion of products and services. The use of celebrities as endorsers is one of its most popular forms of advertising by many organisations. According to Sliburyte (2009) empirical evidence indicates that approximately 20 to 25% of advertisements feature some famous person as a product endorser. Many organisations have the notion that using athletes as celebrity endorsers will lead to successful selling of their products to consumers. According to Fill (2002) celebrities are used to enable the message being conveyed to stand out among the clutter and noise that typifies many markets. While it has been proven by great deals of academic literatures, that the use of celebrities in advertising generates a lot of publicity and attention from the public, this research is focused on some arguments still needed to be explored further. For an instance, what is the combination of celebrity and products or services being endorsed? How consistent are consumers purchasing behaviours regarding the endorsed product and does negative media involving the celebrity impact on consumers buying behaviours of the product. For this reason, it is of great interest to investigate this topic further. Atkin Block (1983) pointed out there were two reasons why celebrity endorsers have gained so much popularity; They are traditionally viewed as being highly dynamic, having both attractive and likeable qualities. Their fame is thought to attract attention to the product It is the aim of this dissertation to integrate the research on branding, endorsement and consumer behaviour in order to study the impact of the use of athletes as celebrity endorsers in advertisements; to find out how consumers view these advertisements by measuring their attitudes toward the advertisement and the celebrity and their purchased intentions towards the endorsed items. For this research, Adidas and Gillette, two companies regularly using celebrities in endorsing their products will be analysed to demonstrate the impact the use of celebrities in advertising their brand has on consumer purchasing behaviours. Gillette is a brand of Procter Gamble currently used for safety razors, among other personal hygiene products. The company is based in Boston, Massachusetts and is one of several brands originally owned by The Gillette Company, a leading global supplier of products under various brands, which was acquired by PG in 2005. Their slogan is, The Best a Man Can Get (Gillette.com) On the other hand, Adidas AG is a German-based sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, Taylor Made-adidas golf company, and Rockport. The company is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second biggest sportswear manufacturer in the world, after its U.S. rival Nike (adidas.com) This research will focus on a series of advertisements on TV, and Magazine by celebrities; Tiger Woods Thierry Henry for Gillette and David Beckham for Adidas and the impact of these advertisements on motivation to buy and evaluation of usage by consumers. The choice to use these athletes in the analysis is simply because of the negative press they have had in the past. To reach this, the following research questions will be asked: Why do organisations use athletes as celebrity endorsers? How are the athletes selected? How can the risks of using athlete endorsers be described? What does the celebrity represent and what does the advertiser want to communicate with the buyer when they see the celebrity promoting the product. Hypotheses are as follow: Organisations use athletes as celebrity endorsers to increase the brand image and identity of the product. Consumers are likely to purchase the products once they see it has been advertised by a celebrity. Should the lifestyle of the celebrity change, this will impact on consumers attitude to the brand and purchasing behaviour. SOURCES Books Aaker, D.A (1991) Managing brand equity; Capitalizing on the value of a brand name. New York: The free press Aaker, D.A (1996) Building Strong Brands, New York: The Free Press Belch, G.E. Belch, M.A. (1999), Advertising and Promotion An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. Boston: McGraw-Hill Fill, C (2002) Marketing Communications; Context, Strategies and Applications. 3rd Ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Tellis, G.J., (1998), Advertising and sales promotion strategy. Reading: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. Online Journals Atkins, C Block, M (1983), Effectiveness of celebrity endorsers. Journal of advertising research, Vol.23, No.2, pp. 57-61 Available from: Accessed on 26/03/2010 Charbonneau, J. Garland, R., (2005), Talent, looks or Brains? New Zealand Advertising Practitioners Views on Celebrity and Athlete Endorsers. Marketing Bulletin, Vol.16, No.3, pp.1-10 Available from: Accessed on 04/04/2010 Friedman, H Friedman, L. (1979), Endorser effectiveness by product type, Journal of advertising research, Vol.19, No.5 pp.63-71 Available from: Accessed on 27/03/2010 Floyd, A.G.,(1999), An examination of the three-order hierarchy model. Theories of persuasive communication and consumer decision making. Vol.4, No.1, pp.20-32 Available from: Accessed on 29/03/2010 Kahle, L.R., Homer, P.M. (1985), Physical attractiveness of the celebrity endorser: a social adaptation perspective, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 11 pp.954-61. Available from: Accessed on 29/03/2010 Kelman, H.C.,(1961), Process of opinion change. Public opinions quarterly, Vol.25, pp.57-58 Available from: Accessed on 28/03/2010 Langmeyer, L Shank, M.(1994), Managing beauty-products and people, Journal of product brand management, Vol. 3 No.3, pp.27-38 Available from: Accessed on 29/03/2010 McCracken, G. (1989), Who is the celebrity endorser? Cultural foundations of the endorsement process, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp.310-21. Available from: Accessed on 27/03/2010 Ohanian, R., (1990), Construction and validation of a scale to measure celebrity endorsers perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Journal of Advertising. Vol.19. No.3, pp.39-52 Available from: Accessed on 28/03/2010 Ohanian, R., (1991), The impact of celebrity spokespersons perceived image on consumers intention to purchase, Journal of Advertising research. Vol.13. No.1, pp.46-55 Available from: Accessed on 28/03/2010 Petty, R.E. et al. (1983), Central and peripheral routes to advertising effectiveness: the moderating role of involvement, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 10 pp.135-46. Available from: Accessed on 27/03/2010 Sliburyte, L. (2009), How celebrities can be used in advertising to the best advantage. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 5 August 2009. Available from: Accessed on 26/03/2010 Till, B.D. Shrimp, T.A. (1995), Can negative celebrity information hurt the endorsed brand?, Proceedings of AMA Winter Educators Conference, pp.154-5. Available from: Accessed on 29/03/2010 White, D.W et al (2009) The effects of negative information transference in the celebrity endorsement relationship, International Journal of retail and distribution management, Vol.37 No.4, pp.322-335 Available from: Accessed on 28/03/2010 INTERNET SOURCES Adidas (2010) Online Available from : Accessed on 05/04/2010 Forbes (2010) Online Available from: Accessed on 09/04/2010 Gillette (2010) Online Available from : Accessed on 05/04/2010 Morin, R (2002), When celebrity endorsers go bad [online]. Washington Post. Available from: Accessed on 30/03/2010 Playing field promotions (2010) Online Available from: Accessed on 05/04/2010 XE Currency Converter (2010) Online Available from: Accessed on 09/04/2010 LITERATURE REVIEW The review of literature will focus on the theories of celebrity endorsements in sports, advertising and the theory of brand perception as well as the models used in celebrity selection. The history of the use of celebrities as endorsers dates back to the 18th century when British actress Lillie Langtry became the first celebrity endorser in the world by featuring on packages of pears soap (Morin, 2002). Since then, the use of celebrity endorsers in advertising has increased and endorser strategy is now one of the most popular marketing practices used by organisations to increase brand awareness. According to PFP (2010), a sports celebrity talent agency, companies spend close to one billion dollars equivalent to almost  £660 million GBP (see table 1.0 below for currency conversion) on endorsements each year. Organisations practice this strategy with the intention to increase consumers purchase intentions and preferences towards the brand. Table 1.0: Currency conversion from United State Dollars to Great British Pounds Live rates at 2010.04.10 08:11:28 UTC 1,000,000,000.00 USD 650,749,339.25 GBP United States Dollars United Kingdom Pounds 1 USD = 0.650749 GBP 1 GBP = 1.53669 USD Source: Adapted from XE (Universal Currency Converter) McCracken (1989) provided a definition for a celebrity as individuals who enjoy public recognition and who use this recognition on behalf of a consumer good by appearing with it in an advertisement. A celebrity endorser as highlighted by Friedman Friedman (1979) is an individual who is known to the public for his/her achievements in areas other than that of the product class endorsed. A celebrity athlete according to Charbonneau Garland (2005) is a publicly recognized sports star who uses that public recognition to help another (usually a corporate client) sell or bolster the image of specific goods and services. Belch Belch (2001) argue that for a celebrity to be chosen as an endorser, he/she must be perceived as credible and trustworthy by consumers. This is very important because as pointed out by (Kelman, 1961; Ohanian, 1991) information from a credible source can influence beliefs, opinions, attitudes and /or behavior through a process called internationalization, which occurs when receivers accept a source influence in terms of their personal attitude and value structures. Forbes.com lists the top 10 highest paid celebrity athletes between June 2008 and June 2009 by evaluating their earnings from salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing income. Table 2.0 shows the top ten highest paid athletes of 2009. Athlete Earnings in millions between 06/08 -06/09 Tiger Woods $110 = £72 Kobe Bryant $45 = £30 Michael Jordan $45 = £30 Kimi Raikkonen $45 =  £30 David Beckham $42 = £28 LeBron James $40 = £27 Phil Mickelson $40 = £27 Manny Pacquiao $40 =  £27 Valentino Rossi $35 = £23 Dale Earnhardt Jr. $34 = £22 Source: Adapted from www.forbes.com The exchange rate used in calculations during my pre- research was Currency Conversion adapted from XE (Universal Currency Converter) Conversion from USD to GBP has been rounded up to a whole number. Source: http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi In this study, the focus on the use of athletes as celebrity endorsers will be in advertising campaigns. According to Fill (2002) the main roles of advertising are to build awareness, induce a dialogue and to (re)position brands by changing either perception or attitudes. Advertising is important because it can influence audiences by informing or reminding them of the existence of a brand. For a message to be communicated effectively, it should have the right target audience, capable of gaining attention, understandable and acceptable. The importance of brands to organisations is very important. Fill (2002) pointed out that a successful brand is one which creates and sustains a strong, positive and lasting impression in the mind of the buyer. Aaker (1991) goes on further to say a brand is a distinguishing name and/or symbol (such as a logo, trademark, or package design) intended to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of competitors. In order to increase sales of their products, organisations must use means to communicate their products to consumers. According to Aaker (1996) brand awareness refers to the strength of a brands presence in the consumers mind. Brand awareness is the ability of a potential buyer to recognize or recall that a brand is a member of a certain product category. It involves a continuum ranging from an uncertain feeling that the brand is recognized, to a belief that it is the only one in the product class. It is the belief that by using a celebrity endorser to advertise a brand, the indirect information transmitted to the consumer becomes more credible and more relevant. The result is that the consumer has the perception of a higher quality for the advertised product (Floyd, 1999). Since consumers prefer high quality over low quality, the endorsed product is more likely to be purchased. However, with benefits comes risks involving the use of celebrity endorsers in advertising. Controversy involving the endorser can lead to corporate embarrassments and transfer of negative attitudes to the brand (Till Shrimp, 1998). White et al (2009) adapted Miciak Shanklins (1994) statement which pointed out that when an endorsers image becomes tarnished by allegations of illicit, unethical, unusual, or even slightly unconventional behavior, this instantly creates problems for the endorsement. The recent scandal of Golf professional Tiger Woods in 2009 (Tiger Woods Sex Scandal [], 2009) is an example of how negative publicity can affect an endorsed brand. This led to a drop in his endorsement deals with many of his clients. However, if this was the case, why did he still manage to gain $110 million in a year, taking the lead of best paid athlete that year (Forbes.com) even with the negative press? Did the scandal influence sale of Gillette products at all? Other risks are overshadowing, Overexposure, financial risks, and so on and so forth. According to Tellis (1998), celebrities by their very nature are public figures whose moves are carefully watched by the media and whose achievements and failings are quickly publicized. As observed frequently, when a star is on the rise, the media will glorify him/ her and when faced with negative publicity, the media will gloat over it. Petty et al (1983) mentioned there were two main routes whereby consumers received information communicated to them and acted in accordance with it. These are the central and peripheral routes. Kahle Homer(1985) pointed out attractive celebrities were more acceptable and brought more influence to bear on the recipient of the advertisement than charmless ones. This theory was disagreed by Langmeyer Shank (1994) who pointed out that the concept of source attractiveness was not just limited to good looks but also included abilities in sports, charisma, grace, tact and intelligence. Several models have been created by many scholars over the years to aid in the selection process of a good celebrity endorser. McCracken (1989) introduced the Meaning Transfer Model which maintains that celebrity endorsers must possess cultural meanings such as status and lifestyle, which can transfer to the products being endorsed. Ohanian (1990) also identified a Source-credibility scale see figure 1 below, which celebrities had to possess in order to make their advertisements believable and increase purchase level of the product. Table 1 below demonstrates the variables of the source credibility scale. Attractiveness Trustworthiness Expertise Unattractive-Attractive Undependable-Dependable Not an expert-Expert Not Classy-Classy Dishonest-Honest Inexperienced-Experienced Ugly-Beautiful Unreliable-Reliable Unknowledgeable-Knowledgeable Plain-Elegant Insincere-Sincere Unqualified-Qualified Not sexy-Sexy Untrustworthy-Trustworthy Unskilled-Skilled Source: Ohanian, R. (1990) METHODOLOGY Secondary data will be sourced from brand textbooks written by widely recognized authors like Leslie de Chernatony and Malcolm McDonald, Ohanian, Kotler etc. In addition, web based articles and publications will also be used. Journals such as Journal of advertising research etc., which can be sourced from the University electronic database such as Emerald, provided in the Thames Valley library will also be sourced. Primary data will be collected using a questionnaire designed to understand consumers perceptions on the use of athletes as celebrity endorsers, by measuring their attitudes and perceptions towards the advertised products and their purchase intentions towards the product. A quote sample size of 100 people will be chosen, and the focus will be on students. The locations where the questionnaires are to be carried out will be TVU campus and Reading University Campus. A convenience sample of 50 per location giving 100 in total is planned. It is intended to obtain specific information about consumers buying behaviours towards the endorsed products, and for that matter, the respondents will have to have at least watched the Gillette or Adidas advertisement or purchased a Gillette/ Adidas product in the last year. Due to time limitations, the focus will be on UK consumers only Data to be generated by the questionnaires include personal data such as age, gender, income etc. to build a demographic profile of the sample. In terms of data analysis, the SPSS package will be implemented, to analyse the data generated by the questionnaire.

The Grapes of Wrath Essay -- Literary Analysis, John Steinbeck

What does family mean today? What did it mean 80 years ago? The theme of family is explored throughout the novel The Grapes of Wrath, particularly in the character Ma Joad. In some ways her definition is similar to mine, in some ways it is different. John Steinbeck used her meaning of family to help contribute to his message of the book, the saving power of family. Ma Joad makes numerous actions and says countless things that depict to the reader how she views and defines family. I agree with a select few of them. I do believe that the family unit should stick together, but only to an extent. Ma Joad recounts that â€Å"Al-he’s a-hankerin’ an’ a-jibbitin’ to go off on his own†¦ There ain’t no fambly now† (ch.26, p.536). She is implying that due to the absence of Noah and Al wanting to leave, they have lost their family ties. Without these ties they are no longer a family. Al even says that he is â€Å"goin’ out on [his] own purty soon. Fella can make his way lot easier if he ain’t got a fambly† (ch. 26 p487). He is implying that he will no longer associate himself with the other Joads because they are weighing him down, keeping him from his own desires. When Rose of Sharon brings up that she â€Å"and Connie dn’t want to live in the county no more†¦ a little worry came on Ma’s face† (Ch 16, p224). She did not like the thought of her daughter, although married with a baby on the way would ever leave her and her husband. She even goes so far as to ask Rose of Sharon â€Å"Ain’t you gonna stay with us- with the family† (Ch16 p224). I would be devastated if one of my siblings decided to up and leave without any intentions of returning. Sticking together is vital to keep a healthy family relationship. Although they do not live with us, I see my siblings a... ... He then goes on to tell Tom about how a Hoovervilles is structured and cue him in on how he will be treated in the present and the future. This shows us that the people are one group, one family. He is dropping settle hints to help Tom and the Joad family despite the fact that they just became acquainted with each other. The entire migrant force became one family. Family is a timeless importance in our mental and physical well being. In the novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck depicts this cultural characteristic in Ma Joad. Although the definition of family has changed, some characteristics still hold true. Family does not necessarily mean genetically similar. It can mean much more than that, such as a large group of people struggling together to survive. One single person can belong to many families, but essentially we are all one family, the human race.

Explication of William Blakes A Poison Tree Essay -- Poison Tree Essa

Explication of William Blake's A Poison Tree    William Blake's "A Poison Tree" (1794) stands as one of his most intriguing poems, memorable for its vengeful feel and sinister act of deceit. This poem appears in his famous work Songs of Innocence and Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul (1794), placed significantly in the "Songs of Experience" section. As with many of his poems, Blake wants to impart a moral lesson here, pointing of course to the experience we gain in our human existence at the cost of our innocence. With this poem, he suggests that holding a grudge (suppressed anger left unchecked) can be fatal to the self as well as the object of wrath. Through images, punctuation, and word choice, Blake warns that remaining silent about our anger only hinders personal and spiritual growth, making us bitter, and that a grudge left unchecked becomes dangerous, even murderous. In the first stanza, Blake comments on the need to confront a problem if peace and happiness are to prevail. When the speaker "tells" his wrath, it "ends," but when he "tells it not," his anger "grows." Like an apple seed falling onto fertile soil, the speaker's repressed anger germinates and becomes the one obsession in his life. In the first couplet, Blake conveys the image of a plant being uprooted, nipping in the bud (as it were) a misunderstanding between the speaker and his friend. In sharp contrast, the speaker holds back from admitting anger to his foe in the following couplet, allowing it to fester within. With simple language, Blake neatly establishes the root of the poem, ending this first stanza with the foreshadowing "grow" (4). The second stanza depicts the speaker's treatment and nur... ...ional anger. The speaker realizes he is morally wrong, but gets so caught up in the moment and the seeming brilliance of his scheme that cannot stop himself from seeing it through. Unchecked anger drives the speaker to commit this murderous act, anger he cannot or refuses to acknowledge from the start of the poem. The mortal sin of murder will forever stain his hands - he cannot go on with living unless he suppresses the event, as he did his wrath. "A Poison Tree" suggests to me a prisoner's confession without actually naming or describing the crime itself. The speaker takes the time to brag about how he implemented his plan, without admitting his crime. Thus this poem's impact lies in the dangers that can arise from allowing one's anger to grow unchecked and take over our minds, hearts, and souls, like a wild plant in the garden of our experience.

Comparing The Red Room and The Landlady Essay -- GCSE English Literat

Which is the better suspense story, "The Red Room" or "The Landlady"? The Red Room is a short story which is written by H.G Wells. It is a story about a young man who decides to go into a room which is believed to be haunted. The old people who live in the house which has the haunted room believe that is haunted but the man himself does not believe that it is haunted. As the story continues, we find that the man does go into the haunted room. He takes some candles and matches into the room with him to feel more safe and also because then he can see the room in the darkness. When he reaches inside the room, he lights up many candles which he palces around the room, and he also lights up the fireplace. Soon he starts to find that the candles that he has lit are beginning to blow out in all directions of the room and feels as if soeone is blowinig then out. He can not see anyone and he starts to relight the candles. He also begins to feel as if there are shadows behind him. Soon the candles start to blow out very quickly and then the fireplace also is blown out. He is left in the room with no light and he can not see anything. He bangs into the furniture in the darkness and collapses. The next day, the man wakes up to find that he is downstaires and out of the haunted room. He realises that the old people were right and that there are ghots in the room. He admits that he was vary scared and also realises that he was wrong and that the old people were right. The Landlady is a story written by Roald Dahl. It is about a seventeen year old boy called Billy Weaver who needs a place to stay in for one night in Bath. He looks around at many places to stay such as a pub but he chooses to stay at a simple ... ...w beginning builds up the tension of the story. The reader is more aware of what is happeninig and also able to predict what is going to happen next in the story. However, the story "The Landlady" begins with narrator of the story describing the weather and the main character. The narrator describes the setting of the story as being a very cold, dark winter night. "The air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks" The narrator also describes the main character, Billy Weaver as being a teenager all alone in Bath. Also, as Billy walks around the town, the narrator describes as being deserted. "There were no shops on this wide street". This also builds up the tension of the story. The Landlady, has a smaller, less completecated and confusing opening which keeps the reader following the story and does not confuse or bore it.

Buddhism Versus Greek Mythology

â€Å"[A human being] experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness, â€Å"said Albert Einstein. â€Å"Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty† (â€Å"Heart Quotes†). Einstein’s view on nature is similar to that of Indian Buddhists. Life-giving Indian weather inspired the Buddhist cyclic view of rebirth while the rugged terrain of Greece inspired their harsh outlook on nature.Buddhists believe man is one with nature while Greek mythology emphasizes the all-importance of man. Buddhists live in harmony with nature whereas the Greeks show violence towards it and all its creatures. However, as the Greek mindset shifted towards philosophy, so did it shift towards similar reverence towards nature. The defining distinction between these two perspectives on life is that the ou tlook on nature of Buddhists show values from the belief that all is in harmony with Atman, whereas the Greek outlook on nature shows that man is above nature.India is a country of lush plains, striking mountains, beautiful deserts, and dazzling bays. 2, 545 years ago, this incredible scenery served as the backdrop to Buddha’s life and eventual Enlightenment, from which Buddhist teachings would one day grow (Eckel 6). The impact of Buddha’s surroundings on Buddhist thinking is obvious, especially when one takes into consideration India’s dramatic seasonal climate changes. Every summer in India, the monsoons arrive. Every summer in India is monsoon season, a time of torrential downpours raging uninterrupted for months.Before these monsoons, the earth is dried and parched; food and water are scarce. It is, in every way, a season of death. Then, however, the rain arrives, harsh and relentless, but life giving nonetheless. The rain is the amniotic fluid catalyzing t he re-entrance of life unto the barren earth. This annual cycle of death and rebirth presents the native people with a dire ultimatum: they must either obey nature or not survive. If they try to go against nature’s course, they will inevitably fail. Nature controls life. Observing this phenomenon, Buddhists learned from nature and realized that this cycle can be found everywhere.They realized that humans undergo an equivalent cycle called samsara, or reincarnation. ————————————————- â€Å"He could no longer distinguish the many voices, the cheerful from the weeping, the children’s from the men’s: they all belonged together. The lament of the knower’s yearning and laughing, the screaming of the angry, the moaning of the dying- everything was one; everything was entwined and entwisted, was interwoven a thousand fold. And all of it together, all v oices, all goals, all yearnings, all sufferings, all pleasures, all good and evil-the world was everything together.Everything together was the river of events, was the music of life. And when Siddhartha listened attentively to this river, listened to this song of a thousand voices, when he did not listen to sorrow or laughter, when he did not bring his soul to any one voice and did not enter them with his ego, but listened to all of them, heard the wholeness, the oneness- then the great song of the thousand voices consisted of a single word, which was ‘om’: perfection†¦belonging to the oneness† (Hesse 118-119). At the core of Buddhism lies an important lesson about maya and Enlightenment. To reach Enlightenment, one must understand all.One of the first steps towards such understanding is to understand maya, or illusion. Everything that one sees, feels, and tastes belongs to the world of maya. Even one does not exist but in the world of maya. Thus, if all doe s not exist, then all is equal. One is equal to everything in the surrounding world, especially nature. All are one in Atman, which is the heart of all of Buddhism. Everything is one. All of this separation from nature and from one another is simply maya, or an illusion. Consequently, in Buddhism, any injustice done to nature is an injustice to oneself.To reach Enlightenment, peace and oneness with nature are essential. Man and nature are one. Therefore, everyone and everything, especially nature, should be treated as so. â€Å"[Siddhartha said,] ‘This stone is a stone, it is also an animal, it is also God, it is also the Buddha, I love and honor it not because it would become this or that someday, but because of this because it is a stone, because it appears to me now and today as a stone, it is precisely because of this that I love it and see worth and meaning in each of its veins and pits, in the yellow, in the gray, in the hardness, in the sound it emits when I tap it, n the dryness or dampness of its surface. [T]hat is precisely what I like and what seems wonderful to me and worthy of worship†¦I love the stone and the river and all these things that we contemplate and also a tree or a piece of bark. These are things and things can be loved† (Hesse 126-127). In harmony with the principle of reincarnation, any plant, creature, or other aspect of nature is a part of the cycle of rebirth. Therefore, any of these can one day become a man, for when something in nature dies, it undergoes the cycle of rebirth and can be reborn as anything.One day, it will become a human. Nature holds the ability within itself to be a human and, for that reason, should be considered as an equal. The true magnitude of nature’s presence in Buddhism is truly portrayed by the distinct mentioning of Siddhartha reaching enlightenment under a tree, specifically the Bodhi tree or the Asiatic fig tree (Gach 16). The scriptural account of the Enlightenment of Buddha gives this significance to nature when Buddha sits under the Bodhi tree for seven whole days.After the seven days, the Buddha gets up only to sit down again at an Ajapala banyan-tree for another length of time. He rises once again just to sit down once more at the foot of a Mucalinda tree (â€Å"Bodhi Leaf†). Nature is therefore made clear as one of the most important aspects of Buddhism. As Buddhists have such a deep reverence for nature, they believe in keeping peace with every aspect of nature. This does not just mean plants but also animals and other living creatures. However, that does not mean that all Buddhists must be vegetarians although it is strongly suggested to do so.It is said that the act of eating meat is a form of karma that will lead a person farther from Enlightenment. Therefore, the more meat one eats in one’s various lives, the more times one will have to experience the cycle of death and rebirth. On the other hand, some Buddhists believe in anoth er view of meat eating. One is allowed to eat meat that one receives unless one knows or suspects that the meat in question was killed especially for one (Epstein). As far as sacrificial practices, meat is not sacrificed but instead herbs and incense are given up in prayer.Peace is a very important aspect of treating nature. Peace comes in many forms: peace towards environment, towards creatures, towards man, etc. A Buddhist definition of peace is â€Å"softening what is rigid in our hearts† (Chodron 17). In keeping with their attitude towards nature, Buddhists also believe that a man should not kill another man for any reason. In Buddhism, war is never the answer. In fact, the first few lines of the Dhammapada, a Buddhist scripture, state â€Å"For love is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love.This is a law eternal† (Chappell 81). Therefore, instead of fighting hate with hate, Buddhists believe in fighting hate with love. That is the only way to overcome an d to reach Enlightenment. â€Å"’When someone seeks,’ said Siddhartha,’ then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal.You, Venerable One, may truly be a seeker, for, in striving toward your goal, you fail to see certain things that are right under your nose. † (Hesse, 121-122) As previously stated, to reach Enlightenment, Buddhists believe all that is needed is understanding. The ultimate goal of Buddhists is to attain this understanding, this meaning, this Enlightenment. However, one must be aware that spending a life seeking is not the way to reach Enlightenment. To be a faithful Buddhist, one must understand that the key is not to seek.For, in seeking, as this quote say s, the obvious is not seen. Buddhism then teaches that to reach Enlightenment, one must find not seek. Therefore, Buddhists do not seek to explain nature (Hanh 78). They are content with nature as it is- unexplained, for nature’s explanations can be found without seeking. â€Å"’Is this what you mean: that the river is everywhere at once, at its source and at its mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the rapids, in the sea ,in the mountains, everywhere at once, and only the present exists for it, and not the shadow of the future? ‘That is it,’ said Siddhartha. ‘And when I learned that, I looked at my life, and it was also a river and the boy Siddhartha was separated from the adult Siddhartha and from the old man Siddhartha only by shadow, not by substance. Nor were Siddhartha’s earlier births the past, and his death and his return to [Atman] are no future. Nothing was, nothing will be; everything is, everything has being and is presentâ⠂¬  (Hesse 94). A final important aspect of Buddhism is the concept that time does not exist. Time is a man-made notion that does nothing but bring about worries.All sufferings in life can be attributed to time. Buddhists believe that once the concept of time is released, life will hold no more problems, worries, or stresses. Only then can Enlightenment be truly reached. When the concept of time is destroyed inside oneself, it allows for a completely new philosophy to surface. Greece is a country lined with hostile, jagged mountains, in which there are very few arable location surrounded by threatening seas. There is no cycle, no preconception, no structure. To the Ancient Greeks, it seemed that nature was not kind; nature was no friend to them.Therefore, their logic decided that they should be no friend to nature. Such was the physical and mental location of this people, and the beginning of many differences between Greek thought and Buddhism. Greeks living about six hundred years ere the birth of Christ were very religious, as well as very diverse spiritually. All the answers to their questions were found in different religions. Ancient Greeks passed down their religious traditions orally through myths. A myth is â€Å"a story about the gods which sets out to explain why life is as it is† (Gaarder, 22).Greek mythology was an integral part of Greek culture. The ‘miracle of Greece’ is a phrase that describes the awakening of Greek culture and its effects on the rest of the world. One way the Greeks accomplished this was through their focus on man’s importance. They put mankind at the center of their world so that man was all-important. The Greeks even created the gods in their own image, complete with very human qualities. This was the first time in history that a god was made into a recognizable, tangible form. Erstwhile, gods had no lucidity about them. Greek artists and poets realized how splendid a man could be, straight and swi ft and strong. He was the fulfillment of their search for beauty. They had no wish to create some fantasy shaped in their own minds† (Hamilton, 9). Man was put on a pedestal and made the most prominent being in the world, so that he was made into a deity. Any human could be the son of a god, thereby half-divine, an idea unheard of before this time. This idea of man being the ultimate authority is in complete contradiction to Buddhism, where man was equal to nature, not above it. And soon as the men had prayed and flung the barley, first they lifted back the heads of the victims, slit their throats, skinned them and carved away the meat from the thighbones and wrapped them in fat, a double fold sliced clean and topped with strips of flesh. And the old man burned these over dried split wood and over the quarters poured out glistening wine while young men at his side held five-pronged forks. Once they had burned the bones and tasted the organs they cut the rest into pieces, pierc ed them with spits, roasted them to a turn and pulled them off the fire† (Homer 93)Myths were also used for other purposes than learning. â€Å"But a myth was not only an explanation. People also carried out religious ceremonies related to the myths† (Gaarder, 25). Like most other religions at the time, the Ancient Greeks’ religions consisted of brutal rituals and rites that contrasted greatly to the thoughts of Buddhism (Connolly 87). Buddhism teaches of kindness to animals whereas Greek religion utilized animal cruelty as part of their holy worship to the gods. The gods of Olympus, who were created in the ultimate image of the Greek people, used the forms of innocent animals to manipulate and get what they wanted.In many instances, Zeus used the guise of animals when he wanted to capture a woman and gain her trust. â€Å"[T]hat very instant [Zeus] fell madly in love with Europa [†¦ H]e thought it well to be cautious, and before appearing to Europa he chan ged himself into a bull† (Hamilton 101). However, rather than setting an example to revere animals, this teaches people to use animals in any way possible to reach the desired end. Even more opposed to Buddhism was the fact that a Greek hero was someone who had extreme strength or other physical features that he could use against animals.Hercules is one of the best examples of this notion. He is considered the greatest Greek hero ever to live. Through a tragic sequence of events, he killed his sons and wife, but was doomed to live on in order to undergo a series of trials to redeem himself. His first predicament was to â€Å"kill the lion of Nemea. Hercules solved [that] by choking the life out of [the lion]† (Hamilton 231). Hercules also had to drive out the â€Å"Stymphalian birds, which were a plague to the people of Stymphalus because of their enormous numbers† (Hamilton 232).This shows that, unlike Buddhists, Greeks could not live in peace with nature, but i nstead hated nature. Ancient Greeks did not want anything to do with nature, let alone be a part of it. Hercules also had to capture many animals in these trials such as the â€Å"stag with horns of gold†, â€Å"a great boar which had its lair on Mount Erymanthus†, â€Å"the savage bull that Poseidon had given Minos†, â€Å"the man-eating mares of King Diomedes of Thrace†, the cattle of Geryon†, and â€Å"Cerberus the three-headed dog† (Hamilton 232-233).Hercules inspired the Greeks not by staying in peace with nature but instead by forcing it to conform to his will in a harsh, cruel way. Hercules made sure he was above nature, a predicament the Buddhists avoided and even condemned. In summary, Greeks wanted to overcome nature whereas Buddhists wanted to be one with nature. â€Å"So by the beaked ships the Argives formed for battle, arming round you, Achilles –Achilles starved for war-and faced the Trojan ranks along the plain’ s high ground[†¦T]he Achaeans kept on gaining glory- great Achilles who held back from the brutal fighting so long had just come blazing forth.Chilling tremors shook the Trojans’ knees, down to the last man, terrified at the sight: the headlong runner coming, gleaming in all his gear, afire like man-destroying Ares† (Homer 503, 505). As previously stated, Buddhists lived by the doctrine to fight hate with love. If Ancient Greeks had a concise doctrine about war, it would have been to fight hate with more hate. Ancient Greek civilization centralized around their love of carnage. The majority of Ancient Greek myths revolved around war or other forms of fighting.The Iliad is a 537-page myth about one war and it glorifies all aspects of war. The heroes of The Iliad are not monks or The Buddha like in Buddhism. Instead, the heroes of The Iliad are Achilles and Hector, two soldiers magnificent in warfare and bloodthirsty through and through. In addition, Achilles is most illustrious in The Iliad when he is the most sanguinary. â€Å"[Diomedes] went whirling into the slaughter now, hacking left and right and hideous groans broke from the drying Thracians slashed by the sword-the ground ran red with blood. †¦]Tydeus’ son went tearing into that Thracian camp until he’d butchered twelve. [†¦]But now the son of Tydeus came upon the king, the thirteenth man, and ripped away his life. [†¦]Patroclus tore [Pronous’s] chest left bare by the shield-rim, loosed his knees and the man went crashing down. [†¦ Then Patroclus] stabbed [Thestor’s] right jawbone, ramming the spearhead square between his teeth so hard he hooked him by that spearhead over the chariot-rail, hoisted, dragged the Trojan out. [†¦Patroclus then] gaffed him off his car [†¦] and flipped him down face first, dead as he fell.Next [†¦] he flung a rock and it struck between [Erylaus’s] eyes and the man’s whole skull spl it in his heavy helmet. [Patroclus] crowded corpse on corpse on the earth. † (Homer, 292, 426-427) Even more horrific to the eyes of Buddhists would be the battle scenes in The Iliad that truly show the awe and glory the ancient Greeks saw in war. The Iliad was a myth that served more as entertainment than anything else. This shows that Ancient Greeks were amused by this kind of literature. Buddhists believe in not seeking to explain nature. By contrast, Ancient Greeks did precisely this with their myths. [A myth] is an explanation of something in nature; how, for instance, any and everything in the universe came into existence: men, animals, this of that tree or flower, the sun, the moon, the stars, storms, eruptions, earthquakes, all that is and all that happens† (Hamilton 12). Ancient Greeks wanted to know how everything happened around them so they could manipulate their environment more easily. This is a central division between Ancient Greeks and Buddhism. Whereas Buddhists believe that time does not exist, Ancient Greeks were engrossed by time.All throughout The Iliad, Homer stresses how long the war has been going on and how it worries and distresses everyone involved. Unlike Buddhists, the Greeks do not disown the belief of time. They stay true to the traditional man-made vision of time instead of throwing out their problems by abandoning the idea of time. â€Å"[The natural philosopher] Heraclitus (c. 540-480 B. C. )[†¦] was from Ephesus in Asia Minor. He thought that constant change, or glow, was in fact the most basic characteristic of nature. [†¦ ]‘Everything flows,’ said Heraclitus.Everything is in constant flux and movement, nothing is abiding. Therefore we ‘cannot step twice into the same river. When I step into the river for the second time, neither I nor the river are the same’† (Gaarder 34). Slowly, Greek culture started to move away from religion and more towards philosophy. It evolved from a â€Å"mythological mode of thought to one based on experience and reason† (Gaarder 27). People could make ideas for themselves and create new beliefs instead of going back to the myths. The world started a shift from relying on religion to analyzing the world with science and philosophy.Surprisingly, this is where similarities between Greek and Buddhist culture were born. At first, the two religions of the ancient Greeks and the Buddhists clashed greatly. However, through the move away from mythical religion the Greek beliefs were brought closer towards the religion of Buddhism. Heraclitus here used the same metaphor for his philosophy as Siddhartha used for his. Although the passages were said in different situations and with different words, both quotes have the same general philosophy that time does not truly exist. A river is usually a sign of separation; a river acts as a divider in most cases.However, this river brings two very different cultures together in a ve ry powerful way that is clear to all. Nature is everything outside and inside a man or a woman or a child. Nature is every breath taken, every step forward, every glance made, every wind blown, and every flower planted. The two cultures of Greece and Buddhism showed great contrasts in the beginning but one resounding similarity was found in something as simple as a river. India shows a cyclic weather that inspired the thought of rebirth while Greece shows a harsh terrain that inspired animosity between man and nature.As a consequence, Buddhists thought that nature and man are one while Greeks were taught to be above nature and manipulate it in any way possible. Buddhists lived in ultimate peace while the ancient Greeks lived in love of carnage. The Buddhist outlook on nature is derived from the belief that man is one with nature whereas the original Greek outlook is derived from the thought that man is above nature. Nature is the essence of the world, the aura of everything around p eople. These two cultures, although vastly different, impacted human belief and intellect forever.