Sunday, August 18, 2019
Sears Essentials :: essays research papers
I.     Introduction a.     Sears Essenials – A new type of store from Sears. b.     Cover who they are, what has been done, when new stores open and what stores are open now, locations, and the aim of these new stores. II.     Who a.     Sears Essentials is a new store format that opened after the merger with K-Mart b.     Sears Essentials was originally planned as stores in areas where there was no competition, but may be expanding into areas with high levels of competition III.     What a.     These stores are a combination of: i.     Pantry items ii.     Apparel iii.     Tools iv.     House Wares v.     Sporting Goods vi.     Toys vii.     Lawn & Garden viii.     Appliances ix.     Media x.     Electronics xi.     Optometry, Pharmacy, Auto Repair b.     Originally planned to have 25 stores opening, but will be expanding into 47 by the end of the calendar year. c.     Aimed to compete with Target and Wal-Mart d.     Provides many items at a lower price than is available in the Sears Grand locations e.     Off-Mall locations designed to get into areas that are not generally near a mall f.     Combines the Sears name with the single-floor, clean and bright layout of K-mart. IV.     When a.     Store openings have already begun. With over 26 open stores, 12 more opening in August, and 9 more scheduled to open in October, this is a quickly growing chain. b.     In the Florida areas, there are 3 stores opening in August and 1 in October i.     Clearwater (Open) ii.     West Palm Beach (Open) iii.     Deland (Open) iv.     Cape Coral (Opens in October) V.     Where a.     3020 Se Federal Hwy, Stuart, FL 34997 b.     1363 NW St Lucie W B, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986 c.     101 E International Speedway Blvd, Deland, FL 32724 d.     2130 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33765 e.     4717 S. Florida Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33813 f.     2310 Del Prado Blvd South, Cape Coral, FL 33990 (Opening Late October) g.     5750 NW 183rd St, Hialeah, FL 33015 h.     15201 N Cleveland, Suite 1500, North Fort Myers, FL 33903 i.     4560 Forest Hill Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33415 j.     9500 9th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 VI.     Why a.     Sears and Kmart have both been losing market shares and in several years will go away without changes to their structures. b.     Sears Essentials, as a combination of Sears and Kmart, offers an opportunity for them to compete on the level of Walmart and Target.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Organizational culture Essay
Organizational culture is defined as the shared values and beliefs within an organization (Wilkes, 2000). The culture also comprises of the norms and beliefs and is thus an in build system within an organization (Wilkes, 2000). Thus organizational culture is specific to an organization and it defines the relationship and the nature of the interaction between members of an organization and is influential on the nature of the relationship with outsiders (Wilkes, 2000). The culture is also definitive of the goals that are set for each member of the organization and is seen to go in line with thee vision of the organization. From the clear definition, goals, guidelines or expectations are developed; these constitute the norms. The management may try to instill some kind of a culture on its employees, this type of culture is thus described as corporate culture and is more specific (Wilkes, 2000). The classification of culture takes on diverse dimensions and therefore the analysis of the effects must also take on the same trend. The following are some of the factors that are used in classification of organizational culture: ? The expected differences in power levels. ? The extent to which the organizations members are willing to take risks. ? The level of collectivism or individualism in an organization. ? Gender aspects. ? Orientation, which can either be short or long term. Any strategy that an organization comes up with must be within the organizational setting and thus be relevant to the organization culture. A clash between the strategies and the organizational culture will lead to the flop of any program, therefore all organizations must ensure that their development plans are in line with the culture, failure to which the implementation will be a flop. Support for the policies After the analysis of needs, resources and uniqueness, there is an additional factor that must be considered in coming up with a decision; support. The organizational support to the mode chosen is very critical in the determination of the success of the mode of choice in meeting the needs of the organization. This is because it affect how members of the organization receive the decision. Support can be categories into three: ? Upper level support ? Like/ Colleague level ? End user support Management The reasons for support by upper management staff and executives is quite clear. The main reason for their support is the power they posses in the implementation of the plan especially in resource allocation and policy formulation (Woodruff, 2005). Moreover, the obvious nature of the need to influence the top executives often lead to concentration on them and thus ignoring the other members. Organizations must ensure that such occurrence are minimized and if possible eliminated as they can cause failure of well intentioned plans. Colleagues This group is made up of all those that the organization have to interact with in their daily undertaking (Woodruff, 2005). The importance of this group lies in counteracting the power that the organizations executives have on the decision making process. The support of the members of the organizations operational environment plays a very important role in influencing the decision. Therefore, enlightening the colleagues on the importance of Automated office systems support will go in line with drumming up support for the implementation of the approach of choice. In addition, enlightening the colleagues to understand the implementation of the plan, which it is meant for and the effect of its implementation on their jobs will go a long way in influencing their support. End Users Even though they have the power to influence the success of a plan, the end user are often ignored in lobbying for support (Woodruff, 2005). The end users have the power to render the plan a failure by deciding not to use the product, which will have the effect of changing the attitude of the colleagues and the management executives on the effectiveness and efficiency of the adopted Automated office systems support acquirement mechanism. Moreover, the sabotage need not be intentional; the failure of the system may be due to their lack of understanding of why the product is necessary or as a show of their lack of support of the governance model adopted. Furthermore, the products failure in meeting the needs of the end user could lead to failure and thus the importance of the end user in deciding on whether to buy or build Automated office systems support can never be downplayed.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Human Resource Management Plan Essay
As a startup healthcare staffing agency for per diem, temporary and travel healthcare employment, human resources are our product; as such, a Human Resource Management Plan is vital to the success of this agency. This plan has been put together with input of management/ recruitment, sales and employee representatives. This is tool to aid in the building of this company, clearly defining roles and job responsibilities of the administrative staff; stressing the laws with which this company will comply; adding clear cut job descriptions for the labor force; and includes information on staffing, employee development/training and compensation strategies. Roles and Responsibilities Manager – Is responsible for the overall success of the human resource department. The manager will implement and define job descriptions; the training program; and contracts. The manager will procure all insurance, will assure compliance with JCAHO regulations and make sure that all state and federal statues are met as well as that all relevant laws and regulations are adhered to. The manager is responsible for acquiring human resources as well as being the final decision maker as to the hiring and termination of all employees. The manager must possess the following skills: leadership/management, budgeting, compliance will all legal binds, and effective communication. Sales Manager- the SM will be responsible for: initiating all contact with clients; following up on these contacts; negotiating for a contract between this company and client; ensuring that all contractual agreements are complied with; and developing a working relationship with client’s HR departments. The SM must possess the following skills: leadership, compliance with all legal binds, effective communication, the autonomy to make decisions and the ability to project respect of client and engender the appearance of trust, integrity and a positive image of the company. Support Personnel – the SP will be responsible for: all coding and billing; answering phones; requesting all background searches (criminal as well as credit); light booking such as time sheets and payroll; keeping track of all licenses, certification, contract and insurance expiration dates; scheduling of all employees; sending and sorting all correspondence; placing advertisements; and updating the website as needed. The SP must have the following skills: organization, trustworthiness, ability to comply with all reasonable requests by management and sales, keep a consistent and reliable work schedule, have the ability to keep all information private, and have a good work ethic and personality that reflects the image this company wants to convey. Legal Requirements The sales product of our company is its human resources. As such, there is a myriad of laws and statutes that require total attention to address HR legal compliance. Adhering to these regulations is tantamount to success for this company. The Equal Employment Opportunity Act is the chief statute that this company must adhere to. Every attempt will be made to reduce/avoid violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act that protects against discrimination of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion and national origin (EEOC, 2012). Nor will there be violations of the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 and its’ amendments. There will be training in and awareness of disparate treatment of applicants including the EEOC’s new regulations on not hiring based on criminal background so that these laws are not violated (EEOC, 2012). It is our responsibility to give our clients the best candidate to fit their requirements so the job description should reflect clearly and without any ambiguity, the limitations of each position. However, records will be kept in accordance with EEOC regulations of all applicants as well as ensuring that all accommodations are made for any disabilities Punitive and compensatory damages can be levied against this company for violations of these acts. Benefits Required Until this company acquires 20+ employees it is not required to offer certain benefits (EEOC, 2012). The majority of its’ employees will be contract workers and as such, they are required to possess their own liability insurance, will not have access to company provided health insurance, disability or retirement benefits. Government required assistances such as COBRA, FMLA and ERIS plans will not be included in any benefit package until such time as this company hires salaried employees at the required minimum (EEOC, Disabilities 2012). At that time this policy will be revisited. OSHA regulations will be strictly enforced at the company’s geographical location and the appropriate information will be posted. Violations can be subject to penalties of up to $500,000. 00 and up to six months in jail (U. S. Legal, 2010-2013). Job Description of Contract Staff Attached is a sample job description for a RN with a psych component and psych experience. (See addendum 1). This description has been carefully analyzed and developed in accordance with all laws and regulations and will be give to our clients for comparison so that their HR department’s job escriptions are legally within all perimeters required and reflect essential job functions. This description was designed with help from the O*Net Online website and the Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures. This company’s mission is to supply RNs’, LPNs’, CNAs’, NAs’, Social service, therapeutic, as well as any other healthcare related staff on temporary need basis for hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, including home care. Our job descriptions must reflect this clearly and include the requirements given us in the contract with our clients. Any limitations are those supplied to us by our client’s HR department and do not represent limitations on hiring by this company or any employees of this company. Each individual HR department will provide NOLA Nursing Agency with their job descriptions but we reserve the right to change any portion of this design to reflect current laws in agreement with the client’s HR department (Fried and Fottler, 2012, pp. 171,173,174, 176). Staffing and Employee Development Staffing will be guided by each individual job description. Jobs will be filled with the applicants who best fit with the requirements of our clients, suitability of the position and expectations of NOLA Nursing. Our hiring motto is â€Å"Best Person, Best Fit, equals Best Care. †To ensure excellence in training of our per diem staff by NNA before additional training is undertaken after hire, we will use the COPA model by Lenburg. The COPA model of assessment of competency by Lenburg provides for a framework to ensure that teaching and learning of skills by nurses are interactive and student focused. NNA will use this framework to prepare per diem nurses/healthcare staff for employment. Below are the four major questions complied in this model: 1. What are the essential competencies and outcomes for contemporary practice? 2. What are the indicators that define those competencies? 3. What are the most effective ways to learn those competencies? And, 4. What are the most effective ways to document that learners and/or practioners have achieved the required competencies? To further prepare our healthcare staff will use Lenburg’s eight core practice competencies with sub skill to grade new staff and use the data collected to fill out each individual’s skill set. See Addendum 2) It will also be incumbent upon NOLA Nursing Agency: * To recruit the best applicants to fulfill the specified job qualifications for our clients. This will include the initial structured interview which will test job-competency and access the applicant’s suitability for the position. A realistic job preview will be given to the chosen applicant before selection to increase th e success of the person-job/organization fit. (Fried et al, 2012, pp. 209, 211-212) * An employment agreement will be drafted and signed by NNA along the candidate and will be enforced by NNA. A separation agreement will also be initiated by NNA after receiving information by client and if necessary, an exit interview will be performed by same. * Preform all background checks including: job and education histories, criminal and civil backgrounds, validation of licenses/certifications/credentials, and checks of personal and professional references. A report will be made available to clients with signed permission of the applicant and adhering to required laws. Drug screening and physical abilities confirmed if required on job description, * Current individual liability insurance validated: copies kept on file as well as expiration dates of the insurance for each contract employee. * Protected class applications will be cataloged and statistics will be submitted to the appropriate government regulation agencies * CEUs for each applicant will be kept up to date and appropriate to the job description * Each applicant will be tested in a skills inventory and given necessary instruction in weak skills. A web bank of nursing skills will be made available so contract applicants can improve on their skill base. * Compensation and any benefits will be negotiated between NOLA Nursing and the applicant * Any issues that arise in the working environment will be mediated by NOLA Nursing and our client. * NOLA Nursing will monitor their contract employee’s job performances and any deficits will be addressed. * A critical incidents analysis will be kept on each contract employee to better select quality candidates for our clients Recruitment will be through advertisements in web based Job Boards, newspapers and participation in job fairs. An active bank of all applicants will be kept updated with a surplus of personnel available for each potential position. All necessary legal regulations and statutes will be considered in job placement and all information given on a particular candidate will be considered on a need to know basis. Our focus should be on giving our client a smooth, issue-free solution to their staffing deficits. While all attempts will be made to make a right person/right fit for each job description, voluntary and involuntary terminations will occur. To this end, the employment agreement between NNA and the applicant will include a section to negotiate issues resulting in a voluntary termination in an attempt to stay the dissolution of the contract. In case of a non-voluntary termination, NNA will act as representative of the employee to mediate any solutions that could result in the fulfillment of the contractual period. With due diligence performed by our company, turnover rates of temporary staff should be above the rate of regular employees. We make all efforts to satisfy our clients and our most important resource, our employees. Evidence based research by Cummins, J. in the online article, Nurse retention strategies: A growing priority, and Perrine, J, in Recruitment and retention report: Strategies to boost RN retention, have shown that the following strategies have improved retention rates, increasing motivation, satisfaction and performance: 1. Promote an environment where RN’s actively participate in the decision making processes that occur at the unit on the institutional level 2. Improve the perception of respect 3. Improve access between RNs’ and the organizational leadership 4. Assist staff with education and training to meet the changing market needs 5. Lead by Example Compensation Contracts between job applicants and NOLA Nursing will be finalized after compensatory benefits are agreed upon and contracted by NNA and our client. Compensation will be on an hourly and per diem basis. HR will be cognizant of the market pay scale for each job description and compensation will stay above market value to attract competent candidates. Special attention will be given to equal pay for equal opportunities (Equal Pay Act). Diversity Evidence based research by Singleton, K and Krause, E (Sept 2009) in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, has found a correlation between the improving health of a patient and the nurse being of the same culture as the patient. Within legal limits, considerations will be given to the population climate of the institution where the deficit of nurses is occurring. We are an equal opportunity employer so anyone who applies will have the same opportunity to be placed in a position per the job description perimeters. Selection will not be determined by race, age, gender, sexual preference, color, religion or national origin. Realities are that nationwide, 90% of U. S. nurses are Caucasian, and blacks and Hispanics are underrepresented per the US population (Aiken, 2007). All applicants will be looked at equally and attempts will be made to place any qualified applicant. Historical Perspective and Current Trends With the cycles of supply and demand on nursing labor market, the opening of the 21st century found healthcare systems trying to catch up with demand (Fried, et al, pp. 90). Many foreign nurses were brought into the States to meet the demand; nearly 15,000 passed the Nclex in 2005 according Aiken, however at the time, â€Å"American nursing schools were turning away applicants because of capacity limitations. †(Aiken, 2007) Projections are that the shortage in 2020 could reach 800,000 to 1. 1 million with a large block of nurses looking to retire from the labor force by 2020. Aiken quotes that graduation of nurses fell from over 95,000 in 1994 to below 70,000 by 2001 with a false increase from 2002-2005 being older nurses reentering the workforce and foreign educated nurses. Current trends have been to raise salaries, provide scholarships and give other incentives to retain and gain nursing staff. However with the lack of nursing teachers, and facilities, there will be again a nursing shortage of graduate nurses and on the other end of the spectrum; retiring nurses. Per Fried and Fottler (pp. 90), more than 30,000 qualified applicants were not accepted into baccalaureate nursing programs in 2007. With the increase in Magnate policies and the increase in associate nursing programs, there will be a shortage of 4 year nurses in the near future. Per Aiken, increases and shortages of nurses into the labor market is contingent upon federal subsidies. When there was a trend toward nursing layoffs in the period between 1995 to 2000 graduations fell causing the latest shortage of nurses. Wages grew 12. 8 % between 2000 -2004. This caused an upsurge in nursing school applicants and many were turned away. Aiken feels that graduations of nurses into the labor pool seem to be keeping up with demand. However the Affordable Care Act will open up primary care to an additional 40 million Americans with a rise in the market for additional nurses (Wakefield, 2010). Government subsidies have changed per the HRSA scholarship opportunities in the last two years. Where concentration was on increasing RN subsidies, now HRSA is concentrating on grants for nurse practitioners and nursing educators and has significantly reduced the monies offered to two and four year RNs. Once again the cycle of reduced enrollments in nursing school should follow the trend of reduced federal subsidies less nursing candidates. This bodes well for our job market niche and should be the basis for growth in this company
Thursday, August 15, 2019
HBS Case Innovation and Collaboration at Merrill Lynch Essay
In a rapidly changing world, organizations need to continually identify new opportunities beyond existing competencies if they are to survive and prosper. Customers also increasingly want customized products. Customer service has become a hygiene factor and customer loyalty is now being driven by faster innovation, rapid concept-to-market and product co-creation. This has led to the extension of the collaboration paradigm to customer facing functions in the supply chain, namely the product design and prototyping phase. Collaboration is becoming a new and important source of competitive advantage. Historically, analysts in the investment bank tended to work independently. Especially, in the beginning of 1990s, the globalization overwhelmed the market and investor became to think that they should not just invest in the local market, but invest in the international market. With this change of clients’ attitude, the investment bank became to feel the need of innovation of their working style. Under these situations, Merrill Lynch decided to create totally different style of research report, the capital structure report which was only possible with the collaboration of international-market, cross-sector, and cross-asset analysts. The First Capital-Structure report about the U.S. Cable Industry covered seven companies. It was the first try of collaborative work in Merrill Lynch, so it didn’t have any clear guide lines for the effective team work. There was no clear goal of team work, and also there was no motivation for the participant. Analysts from different sections were asked to get together one day, and asked to make a capital structure report. Without any clear goal, and without the structure and system of team work, the whole procedure proceeded very inefficiently. It took lots of time to get the final report, but the quality of report was not satisfied. In other words, its try to change was innovative, but the team work itself was not so much â€Å"value-addable†. The second Capital-Structure report about U.S. Utilities covered 5 companies. This time, it seemed like there were clear goals; â€Å"The idea from get-go was that people would be able to pick up this thing and start generating trades from it. That was goal number one. The second goal was to have the report sitting on people’s desks for a good period of time as a reference guide to how different parts of the capital structure impacted each other and affected valuations and potential opportunities†In addition, the participants in this project worked pretty closely together already. However, these were not enough for the effective collaboration. They were still not motivated to the project a lot, and the more commitment might have been called for. This means that they still didn’t have specific goal to head for. Absence of specific goal naturally brought lots of debates which slow the progress. When the team finished the project, the report got a lot of positive feedback from clients. And it seems that Merrill Lynch met its goal in the beginning. However, without the specific goal of what they should achieve, and with the lots of information they should mix all together, â€Å"it was a grinding exercise†to reach on the final result. The Third Capital-Structure Report was about auto companies. At this time U.S. specialists and Europe specialists worked together. Analysts did not need much convincing because they already knew the need for this collaborative work. There were lots of energy and enthusiasm already. In addition, this third project started with a plan; they knew what they want to achieve specifically and they also had the clear deadline. The whole procedure was progressed very smoothly from this step to the next. As a result, Sales heard from a client that â€Å"the value-added ideas contained in the report are original, differentiate Merrill from the rest of the Street, and give them another reason to pay Merrill commissions.†Even though Merrill Lynch learned lots of things undergoing the upper three cases, there still are many issues remained. The project might have been more timely and had a clear leader. To achieve the further successful innovation and collaboration, there are many important things Browning as the director of the research department should have thought about. As a leader for change, Browning should set the theme by communicating inspiring visions, which provide a picture of the future combining poetry and prose, imagination and pragmatism, drawing on destination, dream, prize, target, message, and first step. So, first, as a leader Browing must be secure about team’s charter, mission, goals and objectives to team members. And employees must believe a certain level of individual effort will lead to achieving the corporation’s standards of performance. So Browing should set stretch goals which they energize people. And Browing must confront the key questions that must be answered and then communicate the inherent truth that inspires. The communication of that inspiring vision is arguably the indispensable condition. So For this, he should launch internal website for his innovative project and this website will help team members expedite project’s vision communication as well as timely information access. To be specific, formally, the analysts can share information about each sector regularly through email, e-news letter, and regular cross-sector meeting. For example, the equity analyst can have the summary about current bond market or derivative market weekly or biweekly. Also, through inner-information session for cross-asset collaboration report the analyst could have a chance of analyzing pros and cons of the collaboration report. Second, for effective communication, Browning has to build the trust and respect in the innovative project team. Informally, just as Fleishman insisted, through casual lunch or regular dinner, cross-asset analysts could be close to each other, and all-of-sudden they could be collaborating. And this interaction would encourage meaningful dialogue around issues of compelling importance to analysts. To develop solid foundation and mutual trust, face-to-face interaction is needed. In addition, just as Hezig recommended, having new hires rotate for a period of time before getting allocated to do research might be a useful tool for effective communication. New employees not only could be comfortable with cross-asset resources, but also could have close relationships with cross-asset colleagues. Third, Browing has to build the culture which voluntarily stimulates voluntary collaboration. So he has to pay attention to structure a collaborative innovation team which can add flexibility to planning and control systems. Without flexibility, analysts can stop their creative and productive ideas. So Browing need to consider this flexibility in a long term goal. Creative collaboration respects and honors the talents and contributions of each person involved, regardless of rank, seniority or expertise. Organizations that are serious about collaboration make sure there is a safe environment for taking the risks that are necessary for creative collaboration. Fourth, Browing should create atmosphere where stimulates breakthrough ideas. It means that he should create norms to promote creativity. Collaborative Innovation is a new practice that improves on current practice or responds to new opportunities and challenges. Actually, many organizations are trying to build their own culture for innovation. Thus Browing needs to focus on risk taking for change. Risk taking is ‘no punishments for failure’ and ‘freedom to try things and fail’. For example, laughing at those who suggest new approaches can stop sharing information each other. Another norm to promote creativity is openness. Openness includes open communication and help share information, open access, willingness to consult others. Browing should be careful of knowledge evaporation. He should build up internal knowledge database as an instrument at the corporate level for collecting ideas and then promoting them. And also he has to give all the relevant employees to access the database. As a result, employees who are interested in any relevant subject can give negative or positive feedback and the subject can develop in a better way. Innovation is a process, not just an output. Time out is as important as time in. If we have a problem, our brains continue to search for the solution even while we are doing other things. Fifth, Browing should celebrate accomplishment making everyone hero. Celebrating accomplishments provides support for staff undergoing change. Just as Casea said, Browining has to convince analysts that collaborative project is additive to their franchise, that it’s not just an extracurricular activity. Financial rewards do encourage people to produce results. But the kind of ownership that really generates energy is not financial. It is emotional. Employees must feel that the rewards offered are attractive. Providing adequate pay, at the same time he could compliment the effort and result whenever he encounters. This will impart a motivating sense of personal accomplishment and little by little will build commitment to the collaboration. A solid performance management system requires due respect to both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. So Browing should be skilled at communicating instrumental and expressive messages concurrently. The last suggestion for Browning is to decide or delegate the suitable leader and make him control the team under strong leadership. Just as Casesa indicated, non-hierarchical relationships across divisions among analysts complicated the task since there was also no actual leader when analysts made the third capital-structure report. To maintain this innovation, Browning also has to consider human side of innovation, because even the most technical of innovations requires strong leaders with great relationship and communication skills. The good leader might pull human resource to the collaboration when needed. Just as Haggerty brought an editor in meeting to help them structure the report, the environment which makes analysts easy to collaborate would also promote the positive image of collaboration. Under good and respectful leader, the future collaboration would create more successful capital-structure report. BIBLIOGRAPHY AMBLER, S. (1995) â€Å"USING USE CASES: REDUCE DEVELOPMENT COSTS WITH USE-CASE SCENARIO TESTING,†SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, 3 (6), JULY. BILOW, S. C. (1995) â€Å"DEFINING AND DEVELOPING USER INTERFACE INTENSIVE APPLICATIONS WITH USE CASES,†REPORT ON OBJECT ANALYSIS AND DESIGN. 1 (5): 28-34. INNOVATION THE CLASSIC TRAPS ,SKILLS LESSONS THE NOT-SO-SECRET INGREDIENT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE, BE A GOOD BOSS LEADERSHIP FOR CHANGE: ENDURING SKILLS FOR CHANGES MATERS, WRITER:ROSABETH MOSS KANTER THE NOT-SO-SECRET INGREDIENT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE, INTRINSIC REWARDS GENERALLY MOTIVATE BEST CORPORATION, CULTURE, AND COMMITMENT: MOTIVATION AND SOCIAL CONTROL IN ORGANIZATIONS, WRITER:CHARLES O’REILLY INNOVATION, WRITER:ROSABETH MOSS KANTER BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE GLOBAL BUSINESS TEAM, CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF TRUST Title :Leadership for Change: Enduring Skills for Changes Maters, Writer:ROSABETH MOSS KANTER, Page:4  See Building an Effective Global Business Team, Cultivating a Culture of Trust, page 69  Title:Innovation, Writer:Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Page:10  Title :Leadership for Change: Enduring Skills for Changes Maters, Writer: ROSABETH MOSS KANTER, Page:3 Title:Corporation, Culture, and Commitment: Motivation and Social Control in Organizations, Page:15, Writer:Charles O’Reilly  Title:Corporation, Culture, and Commitment: Motivation and Social Control in Organizations, Page:15, Writer:Charles O’Reilly  Title :Leadership for Change: Enduring Skills for Changes Maters, Writer:ROSABETH MOSS KANTER, Page:14  See Motivation: The Not-So-Secret Ingredient of High Performance, Intrinsic Rewards Generally Motivate Best, page 5-7  See Innovation The Classic Traps ,Skills Lessons, page 4  See Motivation: The Not-So-Secret Ingredient of High Performance, Be a Good Boss, page 17-18
The Life and Inventions of Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison was born in 1847 on February 11th in Milan, Ohio to middle class parents and died on October 18, 1931, in West Orange, New Jersey. In 1854, his family moved to the vibrant city of Port Huron, Michigan, which ultimately exceeded the commercial excellence of both Milan and Odessa which were the two places Edison had lived. One of the many inventions established by Edison was the tin foil phonograph. When Edison was working on his invention he noticed that the tape of the machine sprang off a noise resembling spoken words when worked at a high speed.The machine had 2 needles in it one was used for recordings and the other for playbacks, the machine plays cylinders rather than disks. At around the age of 12, Edison started to lose his hearing. What caused this to happen was a train conductor smacked him in the ears when he started a fire in a boxcar whilst doing experiments. Edison was an inquisitive child but also a poor student as his mind often wandered. Edison was the y oungest of 7 siblings.One day when Edison was at school his school teacher screamed at him and said that he was rather addled. When his mother found out that someone had discovered him as a scientist his mother was very furious and pulled him out of school and she hmoe schooled him instead. * THOMAS EDISON'S INVENTIONS. 2013. THOMAS EDISON'S INVENTIONS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. thomasedison. com/Inventions. htm. [Accessed 17 March 2013]. * Thomas Edison Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story – Biography. com . 2013.Thomas Edison Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story – Biography. com . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. biography. com/people/thomas-edison-9284349. [Accessed 17 March 2013]. * Thomas Edison – The Inventions of Thomas Edison. 2013. Thomas Edison – The Inventions of Thomas Edison. [ONLINE] Available at: http://inventors. about. com/library/inventors/bledison. htm. [Accessed 18 March 2013]. * Edison Biography. 2013. E dison Biography. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. thomasedison. com/biography. html. [Accessed 21 March 2013].
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Caucasion chalk circle
The chalk circle is a symbol of truth. Within the circle, all will be revealed. In the play, Azdak cannot come to a rational decision on who should have the child. His methods of justice are not by the Book of Statutes he sits upon. By putting the women in a circle and observing them act towards the child, he can see which woman is best for it. The circle levels the playing ground, removing the advantage of money or rank or history. There are no distractions to the problem or its solution. Azdak lets justice reveal itself. Similarly, the play opens with another circle of justice, when the members of the two communes sit together to decide who should have the valley. The Expert from the Government Reconstruction Commission is like Azdak, who announces the outcome but does not push; he observes. Within this friendly circle where the communes have equal social status, they can impartially decide the best use of the valley, and it is peacefully and mutually decided for the fruit growers. This circle symbol is reinforced by the Wheel of Fortune brought up by the Singer in Scene 2. He sings about the downfall of the Governor, who was so secure in his power and assumed he would always have it. â€Å"But long is not forever. / Oh Wheel of Fortune! Hope of the people! †(p. 15). This wheel of change is always turning and fits the Marxist message of the play. The Wheel celebrates the historical dialectic where the center of power is always shifting from one group or class to another. It is the hope of the people because eventually, this turning circle of fortune produces justice, as we see in the first scene. The first scene depicts the same landscape where the medieval civil war had taken place that we observe through the rest of the play. In the present time in Scene One, however, there is a socialist society that strives for fairness to all. Looking back, the people perform their own history and see how the Wheel of Justice kept moving until the people were free of their class bondage. When the artificial constructs of society are removed that favor the few, then it is clear who deserves what. Christian Symbolism Brecht often criticizes the Christian church as a tool to support the upper classes and keep the lower classes in their places. The historical church subverts the original teaching of Christ who treated all humans with respect. Brecht uses Christianity symbolically in this play, either to criticize religion, or else to transpose Christian rites into secular ceremonies of brotherhood. For instance, critics have pointed out use of the sacraments of the Catholic Church. The sacraments are the sacred ceremonies that convey God’s grace: Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Extreme Unction (Last Rites or the Anointing of the Sick). In the play the first sacrament performed is the engagement of Simon and Grusha on Easter. He gives her a cross that belonged to his mother and asks her to wait for him. It symbolizes a true marriage. Later, the sacrament of marriage is made a farce when Grusha is forced into marrying Yussup, and he crudely tells her the purpose of marriage is for her to serve him in bed and in the fields. Simon on the other hand, stands by Grusha, â€Å"for better or worse. †When Grusha flees with Michael to the mountains, she finally decides he belongs to her and performs a Baptism, saying: â€Å"Ill wash you and christen you/ With glacier water†(Scene 3, p. 39). This is not the Church’s baptism but a human bond recognized by Grusha towards the child. At Jussup’s farm in the mountains, the drunken priest represents Holy Orders, and he performs a wedding and offers to do Extreme Unction on the groom. These rites are a parody of religion, but at the same time, they ensnare Grusha into the exploitive social structure that keeps her a slave. She is blackmailed into being respectable for the sake of the child. Another sacrament is Penance, comically performed by Azdak when he rushes into town with his confession that he let the Grand Duke escape. The sacrament of the Eucharist, or Communion, happens when Azdak shares wine with Granny and the bandit, Irakli. Finally, Brecht makes the fool Azdak into a type of Christ figure. He is beaten by the soldiers and almost hung, but is â€Å"resurrected†by the Grand Duke. The Singer says, â€Å"To feed the starving people/ He broke the laws like bread/ There on the seat of Justice/ With the gallows over his head . . . a poor man judged the poor†(Scene 5, p. 80). Azdak is no saint or supernatural figure. He is humane, performing acts humans can do, and is thus both hero and example. The Garden In Scene Two, Governor Abashvili is remodeling and enlarging his palace, in honor of his newborn son, whom he wants to carry on after him. He proposes to knock down the peasant shacks on the estate to do this. Natella says, â€Å"All these miserable slum houses are to be torn down to make room for a garden†(p. 11). This will be a garden for the privileged at the expense of the poor. The slum people are of no account as humans. In fact, in Scene Six, Natella complains about their smell, as if they were animals. Ironically, this same estate is confiscated for the state in Scene Six when Azdak declares it will be given to the people and made into a playground for children. He calls it â€Å"The Garden of Azdak†(p. This is a human Eden, and the Singer speaks of it as a brief â€Å"Golden Age†(p. 96). The garden is also evoked in Scene Three as Grusha is fleeing to the mountains. She meets a carriage of aristocratic women from the south, who stay at an inn. The innkeeper describes the beauty of the land to the ladies, saying, â€Å"We’re planting fruit trees there, a few cherries†(p. 28). He shows them farther away where the land gets more stony, and that is where the shepherds have their flocks. The ladies say, â€Å"You live in a fertile region†(p. He asks what their land is like, and they say they don’t know. They have not paid attention. This scene reinforces the first scene where the fruit growers and goat herders argue over the same valley. The common people have a relationship with the land and are contrasted to the aristocratic ladies who have not paid attention to the land at all. They are just trying to get through it to someplace else. The Rosa Luxemburg Commune wins the valley in the Prologue because they will make great orchards there, a garden for everyone. Making the land into a garden is the symbol of making the land productive and the sscene of social harmony and justice, so everyone can share the fruits. When the Abashvilis try to make a garden for themselves alone, there is only war and misery. The fact that it is Easter Sunday is thus the first of the many religious themes present in the play. For example, the fact that the Fat Prince is the Governors brother brings to mind the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. Grusha goes through ten developmental steps that start in this act. Each of these steps requires that she sacrifice a part of herself to Michael. She does this financially, emotionally, in terms of her promises to Simon, and in terms of her life. The first step occurs when she gives up her money for the child, paying two piasters for milk. The second is when she decides to go back for Michael after leaving him with the peasant woman. The third is when she hits the Ironshirt over the head. Four is when she adopts Michael, the helpless girl adopted the helpless child. Five is when she is offered the chance to leave the baby with the merchant woman so that she can cross the bridge and save herself. Six is when she risks her life and Michaels life to cross the bridge. The remaining developmental steps occur in the next act. This is almost a direct comparison of Azdak to Christ. Brecht will continue this comparison in the next act, when Azdak is killed, resurrected by the Grand Duke, and finally disappears. Theme Analysis Class Warfare The Grand Duke of Grusinia (Georgia) is involved in a foreign war in Persia when the play opens, yet the action focuses on the civil war at home caused by the coup of the Princes. While the aristocratic regimes come and go during the action of the play, the common people are always regarded as less than human. They suffer no matter who is in charge. The Singer uses Governor Abashvili who is executed by his brother, the Fat Prince, as a warning to other aristocrats: â€Å"Oh blindness of the great! They walk like gods/ Great over bent backs, sure/ Of hired fists, trusting/ In their power which has already lasted so long†(Scene One, p. 15). The soldiers or â€Å"hired fists,†like the Ironshirts, change loyalties with regimes and let themselves be used by the rich to persecute the poor. Simon Chachava is an exception to this, remaining loyal to the Duke. One of the most passionate denunciations of the upper classes is by the maid Grusha in Scene Six when she denounces Azdak the Judge and the justice system itself as a servant of the rich. She complains that the wealthy â€Å"drag our men into their wars†(p. 92). Simon’s memories of the war in Scene Four reinforce her complaint as he witnessed his brothers slain around him for the sake of the Duke’s cause. Grusha tries to disguise herself as an upper class lady when she escapes, but she is found out when she knows how to make beds. The women look at her hands and know she works for a living. The servant at the inn sympathizes with her, saying, it is hard to pretend to be â€Å"a lazy useless person . . . once they suspect you can wipe your own arse . . . the game’s up†(Scene Three, p. 32). Natella Abashvili becomes the stereotyped and heartless noble lady who can only run around picking out the right dresses to pack and berating the servants while her husband is being executed and her son is abandoned. In court, Natella’s notion of motherhood has to do with station. She wants her son back so they can be restored to their estate. She only notices what the child is wearing and is shocked to see him in rags. When Azdak asks Grusha if she wouldn’t like the child to be rich, she thinks to herself it is better for him to be poor than to mistreat the poor: â€Å"Hunger he will dread/ Not those who go unfed†(Scene 6, p. 94). He will not always have to be afraid of who is going to chop off his head, as was done to his father, because of a power struggle or because he was unjust to others. Human Sympathy What is it that can heal class divisions? The play answers that human sympathy makes everyone equally valuable. Grusha does not hate Michael because he is the son of the Governor, who oppresses everyone. She is won over because he is a baby, like any other: â€Å"He looks at you like a human being†(Scene 2, p. 23). When Grusha sits with the baby all night trying to consider what to do with it, she hears it call to her as if saying: â€Å"Don’t you know woman, that she who does not listen to a cry for help/ But passes by shutting her ears, will never hear/ The gentle call of a lover†(Scene 2, p. 24). When she risks her life for the child’s, the Singer asks, â€Å"How will the merciful escape the merciless/ The bloodhounds, the trappers? Grusha does get some sympathy along the highway. A peasant woman was willing to take the child until the Ironshirts came. The servant at the inn tried to give her food. The merchants wanted to help her cross the ravine or take the child so she could go on. Her brother gives her a roof for as long as he dares and arranges a marriage for her. Yussup takes in both her and the child without asking questions. She is given partial help but she is the one who has to sacrifice her whole life for Michael. The child would not have survived but for her. She wants to tell Simon this when he comes for her but only thinks it: â€Å"I had to tear myself to pieces for what was not mine/ But alien. / Someone must be the helper†(Scene 4, p. 60). Grusha deserves to be Michael’s mother because of what she passes on to him. From her, his inheritance will not be money or rank, but wisdom: â€Å"I’ve brought him up according to my best knowledge and conscience . . . I brought up the child to be friendly with everyone. And from the beginning, I taught him to work as well as he could†(Scene 6, pp. 88, 89). She wants him to treat others humanely, and that is a priceless gift for him and the future. Azdak recognizes this humanity in Grusha, demonstrated by her unselfish letting go of the child’s arm so she won’t hurt it. Azdak himself is the other great example of human sympathy as he risks his own life for two years to help the poor. It is a great and comic juggling act he performs with great humility. In the case of Granny, for instance, who claims the stolen cow, ham, and waiving of the rent were â€Å"miracles,†Azdak fines the farmers for not believing in miracles. He sits on the floor with Granny and the bandit, treating them as equals. He calls Granny â€Å"Little Mother†or â€Å"Mother Grusinia,†seeing her as the suffering poor. The Singer says, â€Å"So, so, so, so Azdak / Makes miracles come true†(Scene 5, p. 77). Miracles are not supernatural events for Brecht, but human acts. Justice The play uses the dilemma of the child, and the debate of the communes over the valley, to ask, what is Justice? Who should get the child? Who should get the land? Azdak the fool, who is made into a Judge, works his way through to an answer. It is not an expected or a ready-made answer, for, as the Singer comments, â€Å"Truth is a black cat/ In a windowless room at midnight/ and Justice a blind bat†(Scene 5, p. Justice will never come from â€Å"willing Judges†like Prince Kazbeki’s nephew ( Scene 5, p. 75). Azdak’s antics, such as demanding bribes in the court from the rich, comments on the accepted corruption. He says, â€Å"It’s good for Justice to do it in the open†as he moves around in a caravan among the people (Scene 5, p. 75). Everything he does or says satirizes the court system. He asks Grusha, â€Å"You want justice, but do you want to pay for it? When you go to the butcher, you know you have to pay (Scene 6, p. 91). The rich are used to equating money and rank with truth, but it is their truth, not impartial Justice. Out of Azdak’s comic theater in the courtroom, he creates a crazy logic so that the people who need help get it, despite the law. â€Å"His balances were crooked,†says the Singer (Scene 6, p. 77). Grusha, not understanding Azdak’s intent, scolds him for being corrupt. She claims that what would be true justice is to choose â€Å"only bloodsuckers and men who rape children†for judges as a punishment to make them â€Å"sit in judgment over their fellow men, which is worse than swinging from the gallows†(Scene 6, p. Judging is a punishment to an unjust man who will only blacken himself with hypocrisy. This is the justice the poor are used to. Azdak’s reply to her is, â€Å"I’ve noticed that you have a weak spot for justice†(Scene 6, p. 93). After Azdak rules in Grusha’s favor, the Singer states the principle of Justice that Azdak uses: â€Å"what there is shall belong to those who are good for it, thus/ The children to the maternal . . . the valley to the waterers†(Scene 6, p. 97). The play opens and closes with true justice served. Essay Questions What is Brecht’s concept of epic theater? Because Brecht was a Marxist, he did not like the classical Aristotelian concept of theater as a drama focusing on the story of individual characters. In traditional drama, the audience has a vicarious experience through identification with certain characters that ends with an emotional catharsis. The audience leaves with its personal experience of the drama and does not think about society as a whole. Brecht’s epic theater hopes to do the oppositeâ€â€it increases the scope to let the audience witness, rather than identify with, the forces of history, and thereby creates a rational reflection on social conditions. Brecht wanted a critical response that would make spectators want to change the world. Theater should be a teaching and political forum. In order to create this new theater, Brecht breaks the dramatic illusion of reality. The spectators should be reminded they are watching a constructed play (such as the play within a play in Caucasian Chalk Circle), because they should understand that all reality is a human construct, and thus can be changed. One way to break the dramatic illusion is through the â€Å"alienation†or â€Å"defamiliarization†effect. The event portrayed is made strange in different ways, such as having characters address the audience directly, or by the use of harsh lighting, by having songs comment on the action, by using camera projections and signs, by speaking the stage directions aloud, or by having a narrator on stage. Brecht also uses what he called â€Å"separation of the elements,†in which the words, music, and sets are self-contained artistic expressions, combining to produce an overlapping montage rather than a unified effect. Brecht was influenced by the subject matter and techniques of Charlie Chaplin and Soviet filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein. He learned the techniques of avant-garde theater from his mentor, Erwin Piscator. In addition, his epic theater expressed Marxist ideals by being a theater collective rather than the work of individuals. The playwright exchanged ideas with composers, artists, singers, and actors. Brecht wrote the text with such collaborators as Elisabeth Hauptmann, Margarete Steffin, Ruth Berlau, and Emil Burri. Brecht’s techniques have influenced other writers and filmmakers such as Peter Brook, Peter Weiss, Robert Bolt, Jean-Luc Godard, Nagisa Oshima, and Lars von Trier. How does Marxism influence The Caucasian Chalk Circle? Brecht was a Marxist, and his work reflects this philosophy, formulated by Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), the most famous statement of which is The Communist Manifesto (1848). Marxism is a materialist philosophy that denies any supernatural forces shaping human life. History is therefore a struggle between classes for the means of production and distribution of goods. Marx criticized capitalism as exploiting the workers, because ownership was in the hands of the few. The laborers have to sell their services to capitalists and are not given a fair share of what they themselves produce. Private ownership, Marx felt, must be abolished to create a fair society. Marx advocated revolution by the proletariat or workers against the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, to advance to the next stage of civilization in which the workers would dominate. He saw civilization evolving in stages (the historical dialectic): first, primitive or tribal communism; then slavery with an aristocracy; feudalism with peasants and lords; capitalism with bourgeosie and proletariat; socialism where private property was abolished; and finally, true communism where there would be no property and no supervising state. Inequality would be abolished for good. Exploitation is demonstrated in the play with Grusha and the other servants and peasants doing all the work, and the Governor and his wife doing nothing to contribute to society. The Marxist concept of alienation is demonstrated by the ruling classes losing their humanity or feeling of kinship with others. The Governor’s wife only sees her child as the means to get the inheritance. The ruling classes are contrasted with the common people who appear more human; the rulers seem monstrously selfish and insensitive. The military and the judges support the princes and governors. Even as the princes fight among themselves for power and create chaos with their wars, the common people suffer, and no government is better than another. According to Marxism, however, the forces of history are not static, and we hear of the revolt of the carpet weavers in Nukha in Scene Five. Their revolt is short-lived, but when Azdak becomes the Judge and rules in favor of the poor people, it predicts the time coming when the people will be victorious. What is the underlying structure of the play and what is the purpose of the prologue? Brecht uses a frame story in the prologue, where the workers of the Rosa Luxemburg Commune are putting on the Chalk Circle play. In the main drama, Brecht cobbled together two tales into one: part one sets up the chalk circle motif of the rival mothers derived from a fourteenth century Chinese play and the judgment of Solomon in the Bible (told in scenes 2-4, 6), and part two is Azdak’s story that resolves the dilemma (scenes 5-6), apparently derived from Brecht’s own imagination and folklore. There had already been a version of â€Å"The Chalk Circle†in German by Alfred Henschke (also known as Klabund) in 1925, which differed from Brecht’s by making the biological mother win the test. Brecht disliked Klabund’s sentimental tone and worked on his own revision of the story, experimenting with settings in Denmark and Germany, before choosing to set the story in medieval Georgia, with the prologue in Soviet Georgia, after World War II. At first, the frame story took place in 1934 without reference to the Nazis, but then, he moved the time of the frame story to after the war. Using Soviet Georgia as the frame in the prologue caused problems in the United States where the play was first performed in English during the Cold War. The play had to be performed without the prologue referring to the Soviet communes, leaving it as a mere retelling of the fables. Brecht felt this destroyed the play and thereafter the prologue was treated as a vital part rather than a tacked-on afterthought, as some claimed it was, to make the play more Communist. The prologue is necessary because it sets up the occasion for the telling of the chalk circle story, and Brecht wanted the setting to be a real one: â€Å"this parable-like play has got to be derived from real-life needs†(Notes by Brecht, p. 104). Brecht claimed that the fable the Singer tells the workers is not meant to be a literal parable. The two Communist collectives arguing over a piece of land solve their differences amicably without war before the play starts, and the story is a simply a celebration of their just decision. Brecht calls the prologue a â€Å"background†and the fable a â€Å"true narrative†that contains â€Å"a particular kind of wisdom†(Notes by Brecht, p. The Singer Arkadi says, â€Å"old and new wisdom mix very well†(sc. 1, p. 8). The foreground of the play (the chalk circle story) and the background of the play (the modern Soviet communes) come together to display the forces of history. The workers in present-day Soviet Georgia hear a tale about their ancestors in medieval Georgia who were exploited. The fair judging of Azdak in favor of the peasants foretells their own time of greater justice under the Soviet collective system. How are the characters of Grusha and Azdak important to the message of the play? Brecht comments on Grusha that she is a â€Å"sucker†(Notes by Brecht, p. 100) for taking on the child since it nearly costs her own life and dreams. Grusha, like the workers and peasants, only pays and pays and pays without getting anything back, for the child is not even hers. She is a â€Å"producer†who gets none of the fruits, like the proletariat. Brecht comments that Grusha does not expect justice from Azdak; she just wants â€Å"to go on producing, in other words to pay more†(p. 101). After the hearing, â€Å"She is no longer a sucker†(p. 101). Like the other poor people Azdak has helped, she gets back some of the fruits of her labor and gets back her self-respect. She is accepted by Simon, though she had to break her promise to wait for him, for the sake of the child. Their new family unit represents a constructed or just family that rejects the old prejudices and notions of ownership. The child is divorced from a mother that only wants to gain money from it and given to the woman who loves it. Grusha is divorced from the farmer who married her for his own convenience and given to a man who loves her. Simon takes on a woman and a child who are not technically â€Å"his†in the conventional sense, but he appreciates them and is the proper father and husband. This accords with the Marxist idea of economics and justice, of reassigning property and social roles to be more just and fair. It does not matter what went before or who has â€Å"owned†something in the past. On the other hand, Grusha has earned her reward. Brecht remarks that â€Å"Bit by bit, by making sacrifices, not least of herself, Grusha becomes transformed into a mother for the child†(p. 104). Like the people themselves who make sacrifices, suddenly the tide turns, as Marx predicts. Through small quantitative changes, there is a sudden qualitative change. This is the historical dialectic, the process of evolution, and the character of Azdak becomes the means for that to happen in the play. In every case he judges, there is a sudden shift from the side of the dominant landowner to the poor peasant. Azdak is the trickster figure who turns the law upside down. His Robin Hood justice is the Marxist kind that will be rendered by the sudden shift of history, illustrated by the carpet weaver’s revolution in Nukha. Brecht’s directions call for an actor who can portray â€Å"an utterly upright man†(p. 102) to play the part of Azdak. He is â€Å"a disappointed revolutionary posing as a human wreck, like Shakespeare’s wise men who act the fool†(p. 102). But, Brecht comments, â€Å"Azdak is the disappointed man who is not going to cause disappointment in others†(p. 105). He risks his life, like Grusha, to be human and to make a difference. That is the only way justice can come, Brecht insinuates. The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht Leave a reply The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Brecht uses epic theatre to bring forth an idea or meaning for the audience to consider while entertaining the audience. Epic theatre involves the use of alienation techniques to distance the viewer from the story but still concentrate on the overall meaning. The person who just views the story would likely take it as fantasy and not reach the true depth of the play. Brecht shocks the viewer by making the events and actions in the play â€Å"strange and abstract†this contrasts with dramatic plays where the audience sympathises and relates to the characters of the play. The theme throughout the play is natural justice versus class justice. The title has links to other parables and stories before it. The Chalk Circle, a Chinese play involved a legal action where the false claimant was granted custody due a bribe to claim her dead husbands estate. This however was overturned by the emperor, the guarantor of the law, in a retrial as the emperor was the father. This particular story is a whisper to the result of Grusha’s trial. The emperor is portrayed as the epitome of justice and gives a true verdict. The trial scene is also adapted from the parable of King Solomon. Solomon the paragon of justice and truth oversees the trial of two mothers, one child is dead the other alive, they seek custody of the alive child. The king asks the child to be cut in half, the real mother relinquishes her claim and thus gains custody of her rightful child. In these two whispers the law is shown to be equated with justice, however Brecht seeks to highlight that within Grusinia this is not the case and it takes a greedy Azdak who despises the upper classes to give a just Verdict. The class justice presented in the novel has close links to the Marxist view of the law, with the law serving all, but in reality it protects and secures the interests of the ruling classes. The play seeks to emphasise that within this class justice the poor can only gain justice under exceptional circumstances. Azdak as the judge and arbiter of justice has come to this position only through a matter of chances and mistakes. Firstly he harbours the Grand Duke from Shauva, then he confesses to the Ironshirts only to be made judge because the Duke escaped. Then through shear chance just before his execution the Duke redeems him and makes him judge, finally making him the arbiter of justice between Natasha Abashvilli and Grusha. This shows that the poor class can only get justice under a system of whims and extraordinary circumstances and that justice is intrinsically linked to a series of chances and not linked to the law as it should be in a feudal regime. Azdak finally decides in Grusha’s favour on the spur of the moment, the chalk circle is a real test, and it is through this test that Azdak decides the child’s fate. In order to entertain the audience, Brecht sought to keep the verdict in flux, keeping the audience in suspense as to the final outcome. Azdak although seen as the arbiter of justice between Natasha Abashvilli and Grusha is shown throughout the play as greedy and corrupt when dealing with the upper classes. The humour that Azdak displays toward the upper class is entertaining, he constantly refers to them as â€Å"arse-holes.. sows.. well-born stinkers. †This anal imagery is continued right through the novel. Azdak is so disgusted by the odours the upper classes emit that he occasionally â€Å"before passing judgement, I went out and sniffed the roses. †This helps Azdak give the verdicts he gives to the â€Å"monied classes†such as the Invalid, and the landowner. He swindles them into giving him money for a bribe then turns about and gives a contradicting verdict against the upper classes. This duplicity when passing judgement is seen by the audience but the lower classes see that for once the law is on their side. This is the final hint that Grusha will get the child, as she is good for the child and will continue to do good for the child, contrasting to Natasha Abashvilla’s intent to get the child only to keep her late husband’s estate. The singer sums up the meaning of the entire play, linking the prologue with the stories of Azdak and Grusha. â€Å"That what there is shall belong to those who are good for it, thus the children to the maternal, that they thrive; the carriages to good drivers, that they are driven well; and the valley to the waterers, that it shall bear fruit. †Brecht in the play seeks to highlight the difference between justice and the law within Grusinia. The feudal society, or Marxist society, is shown to have harder implications for the poor than the even distribution of wealth which is the main emphasis of the Marxist state. The Marxist law is not equated with justice for all rather justice for the upper classes, or class justice, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3
Narrative - Essay Example In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, racial discrimination was rampant and color of the skin played important role in the society. Through deliberate use of powerful lobby, Whites maintained a racial divide within the society mainly due to financial advantages that they enjoyed over the less privileged colored population, the Native Americans and Afro American who were initially brought as slaves. Education was denied to blacks and they were also not allowed to participate in social activities. This was important issue with Whites because depriving them with education meant that they would not be able to improve their economic status through better jobs and thereby remain unequal socially and economically. By the end of the century, raced based slavery had become a full-fledged tradition amongst the Whites with Africans and non-whites becoming slaves for life. The Pueblo revolt, Cherokee war and Salem witch craft were major events that raised the issue of exploitation of indigenous population and non-whites as slaves. Interestingly, the increased trade and business activities created conflicting interests with the English settlers and resulted into war which was later known as ‘seven years’ war’. It also became the foundation for American revolution and war of independence of American citizens. French settlers were more empathetic to the Native Americans who were recognized as individuals with distinct culture. They also indirectly promoted the cause of independence of the Native Americans. American Revolution (1775-1783) was the major event of eighteenth century that significantly impacted the social dynamics and political geography of the world. It lead to the emergence of America where empowerment of people and democratic process were valued. The efforts to eradicate slavery were made through changes in the
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