Problem Gambling Essay Example for Free

Problem Gambling Essay She took one last look out the window as they drove away, the tears streaming down her face. At the age of four, her world had fallen apart. Karina’s life started out as a perfect middle-class family, and soon turned into a broken mess. They had everything, a perfect house in a really nice part of the city, a nice car; everything was wonderful. As Karina got older, she began to notice things weren’t perfect. Her dad was never there. He was always out gambling in one way or another. â€Å"As time progressed we lost the car, and other possessions due to my dad’s gambling problem. It’s not only about gambling and the money. When people gamble, they do other stupid things, he had an affair. My parents decided to get a divorce. My dad didn’t argue, in fact he said that for the safety of our family it would probably be better because a lot of people were angry at him for what he owed them. It was all because of gambling and snowballed into a mess that could have been really dangerous for my mom and me had we stayed around. I’m sad that my life played out in that way at such a young age, and it’s very unfortunate. I know that if he wouldn’t have had gambling around none of those things would have taken place and we would probably still be the family that we were, but unfortunately that’s not how it played out. † Although many people think that legalizing gambling will have a great effect on the economy, I think the negative effects are much more evident. People’s views on subjects often have to do with their ethics. Ethics, as defined by Seiler and Beall, are an individual’s system of moral principles. My ethics lead me to believe that gambling is wrong because I was raised to believe that my family is more important than economic wealth. As it is evident in the story above, gambling can have a major negative effect on someone’s life, and so it is too much of a risk to legalize this dangerous game. Three main reasons that gambling should be kept illegal are that gambling creates tension among the family members, gambling increases crime in the society, and the addiction to gambling is too great for many to overcome. The first reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that gambling creates tension among the family members as the money that should be used for the family is being spent on gambling. Even though gambling might, in some cases, bring money into the state and local economies, there are side effects to having a casino down the street. Forshey (1998) states, â€Å"The gambling jobs, taxes, and recreational values provided by the industry cannot compensate for the social pain-in the form of bankruptcies, white-collar crime, divorce, a compromised political process, an increase in alcoholism-it inflicts. † The drain of a working person’s money that wager’s his or her paycheck and loses is not compensated with the amount of jobs a casino brings to a community. Gambling is a greedy industry that produces nothing more than empty hopes, empty dreams and empty wallets. Anderson states, â€Å"Proponents argue that state lotteries are an effective way to raise taxes painlessly. But the evidence shows that legalized gambling often hurts those who are poor and disadvantaged. † Without casino gambling, many local citizens would spend their money on groceries or clothes, instead of reducing their savings on gambling. As William Thompson states in his article â€Å"Gambling: A Controlling Substance,† It [gambling] is a pleasure, like other entertainment, but in that regard, it is an expensive pleasure. † Thompson then continues with this thought: â€Å"Politicians must recognize that the benefits of gambling are bounded by market structures. Gambling money does not grow on trees. It comes out of the pockets or real people, who otherwise would have spent it on something else. † All of this evidence shoes that gambling should be kept illegal because it creates tension among the family members as the money that should be used for the family is being spent on gambling. A second reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that gambling increases the amount of crime within a society. Gambling often becomes associated with crime, a relationship that seems quite understandable. Not only does gambling continue to be illegal in some forms which makes it a crime to participate in, but also the second half of the issue occurs when gambling increases the amount of street crime in a surrounding area. Crime rates have been significantly higher in places that allow gambling. Kindt states, â€Å"Atlantic City showed a jump in crime when gambling was legalized. The city went from 50th in the nation in per capita crime to first. Problem gamblers may also become more likely to have financial troubles and use illegal activities as a way to pay off their debts and keep up their unhealthy habit. † This graphic shows a report done by the U. S. Department of Justice studied people that were arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines, Iowa. The results show many connections between gambling and crime. â€Å"More than 30 percent of pathological gamblers who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines reported having committed a robbery within the past year, nearly double the percentage for low-risk gamblers. Nearly one-third admitted that they had committed the robbery to pay for gambling or to pay gambling debts. In addition, about 13 perfect said they had assaulted someone to get money. † As is evident, gambling should be kept illegal because it increases the amount of crime within a society. We will now look at the last reason why gambling should be kept illegal. Finally, a third reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that the addiction to gambling is too great for many to overcome, resulting in psychological problems for the gambler. Some people argue that if a person wants to gamble badly enough they will do it. They say that one will be able to control his or herself and only gamble when it’s appropriate, but gambling is an addiction that some people can’t escape. The addiction is a nationwide problem, and as much a part of gambling as the dice. As an article in the Omaha World Herald states, â€Å"Problem gambling is the urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequence or the desire to stop, and pathological gambling involves wagering to such excess that it has a severe negative effect on the gambler’s life. † Getting hooked on gambling comes mainly from the action and thrill, an experience chemically the same as those with inhaled substances. They fall under the spell of action. Action is an aroused, joyous state involving excitement, tension, and anticipation of the outcome of a gambling event. It is the thrill of living on the edge. Gambling has little to do with money and everything to do with the feelings of a gambler. William Thompson states, â€Å"People will lie to themselves, also in calculating the money because they don’t want to tell themselves that they were foolish about gambling. † Problem gamblers describe gambling as â€Å"highs† similar to that experienced from many drug substances. Some experience these sensations when just thinking about gambling. How is a person supposed to avoid gambling if he or she is constantly being surrounded with opportunities to place bets and be involved in the â€Å"action†? As Frey suggests casinos increase the number of problem gamblers, and make it that much more difficult to stop for those already addicted. In order to stop the number of pathological gamblers from increasing, the amount of gambling in the United States must decrease as a whole. Pathological gamblers were twice as likely to describe their general health as fair to poor over the past two years and were more likely to acknowledge mental or emotional problems. Rates of alcohol and drug dependence, job loss, and bankruptcy were also significantly higher for pathological gamblers relative to non-gamblers. According to Weinstock and Meyers, â€Å" Almost 20 percent of the people diagnosed as pathological gamblers file for bankruptcy compared to the less than 5 percent of those in the general population. † Percentage of Population with Gambling Problems In order to stop the number of pathological gamblers from increasing, the amount of gambling in the United States must decrease as a whole. As is evident in this bar graph the amount of people with gambling disorders has greatly increased. According to Weinstock and Meyers, â€Å"Recent studies have found that approximately 2 percent of Americans have had severe levels of disordered gambling at some point in their lifetime. Alarmingly, the rate in the Mid-South is even higher. Studies with Mississippi and Louisiana reveal that about 5 percent of the residents in Mississippi have a gambling problem, while in New Orleans, Louisiana 8 percent of the population reported significant problems because of their gambling. † Gambling should be kept illegal because the addiction to gambling is too great for many, even adolescents to overcome. According to Welte, Barnes, Tidwell, and Hoffman, â€Å"Over 2% of U. S. adolescents have experienced problem gambling (i. e. , sub-clinical pathological gambling) in the past year. Females have a . 1% problem gambling rate, and males a 4. 2% problem gambling rate within the past year. † If we don’t put a stop to this now the future of pathological gambling will continue. Regrettably, these pathological gamblers will most likely have to deal with many adverse life events because of their addiction. Many problem gamblers are under so much stress, they commit domestic violence or suicide. There are other, less dangerous ways to find entertainment. So many people suffer every day from their addiction to gambling. The United States should put a stop by banning the gambling industry, and therefore eliminating the harmful side effects of legalized gambling. All of this evidence shows that gambling should be kept illegal because the addiction to gambling is far too great for some people to overcome, resulting in psychological problems for the gambler. The negative effects of gambling out-weigh the positive. The tension created among family members, increased crime in society, and the addiction resulting in psychological problems are just too great of a risk for the people of our society to undergo. So the next time you walk into a casino, remember Karina’s story and how the gambling may affect your life, because even if you’re willing to take the chance, odds are the negative effects of gambling will leave you unlucky in life. It is important for all of you to take note of the consequences and refrain from gambling. Staying away from the dangers of gambling, and setting an example to others is extremely important. No matter what type of personality you have, you can be an influence to others and help stop the spread of gambling all over the nation. I want to challenge you that if you know someone that gambles or you yourself gamble share what you know about gambling and try to put a stop to the habit! References: * Anderson, K. Gambling. Gambling Probe Ministries. Retrieved October 31, 2001 from http://www. probe. org/site/c. fdKEIMNsEoG/b. 4219137/k. C8BD/Gambling. htm * Brandt, K. (Personal communication, October 21, 2011) * Forshey, G. E. (1998). Lonely crusade: Fighting the Gambling Industry. The Christian Century. Retrieved October 31, 2011 from http://vnweb. hwwilsonweb. com/hww/results/getResults. jhtml? _DARGS=/hww/results/results_common. jhtml. 35 * Kindt, J. (1994). The Economic Impacts of Legalized Gambling Activities. Drake Law Review, 40 (1), 50-87. Retrieved October 26, 2011 from https://www.ideals. illinois. edu/handle/2142/16297 * Meyers, A. Whelan, J. Weinstock. (June 1998). Gambling: When it is not a Game Anymore. Business Perspectives, 16-22. Retrieved October 27, 2011 from http://www. allbusiness. com/specialty-businesses/291076-1. html * Problem Gambling: Be aware of warning signs. Omaha World Herald. (March, 19, 2010). Retrieved October 23, 2011 from Library. * Seiler, W. J. and Beall, M. L. (2009). Communication and Ethical Behavior. In Communication: Making Connections (8th Ed) (pp. 8-9). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Allyn.

What an Interview Really Is :: Interviews Employment Workforce Essays

What an Interview Really Is One man, asked if he does much interviewing, thinks of the time he chose his secretary and of the day he had to counsel one of the management trainees- and answers ‘practically none’. Another man with a similar job thinks of the many informal discussions he has with his superior and with customers, with colleagues and subordinates- and answers that he is interviewing all the time. The difference lies not in their work but in their interpretation of the word interview. The interviewer must use the same skills, whether he is concerned with formal pre-arranged meetings typified by the selection interview, or with unprepared discussions with staff or visitors. Basically all these situations involve two people meeting to solve some problem. If they are to achieve anything one, and often both of them, must exercise various skills. For instance, they need to think clearly about what they are trying to do- whether they are concerned with selection or with an apparent injustice or with a failure to carry out some task. Then, if they are to exchange useful information, they must be able to inspire each other at least with some confidence and preferably with liking. Essential in formal interviewing, this skill is no less important in informal discussions. One party at least, preferably both, must be able to listen. The quality of relationships established in this way does much to establish the effectiveness of communication in an organization. Is traditions of relationships, its levels of morale and industrial peace are, establish or profoundly influenced by the many hundreds of brief meetings and discussions that are taking place within it all the time. Some interviews are so important that they have serious and long-term consequences for a company and for the personal fortunes of the individual concerned. The skills needed in all these types of communication are required everyone who has responsibility over others. They make for healthy constructive human groups and contribute immensely to the development of the individual. Types of Interviews Although we tend to think of selection interviewing as a conversation between two people there are several variations on this theme. Ã ¼ Individual, or one-to-one, interviews These are by far the most common, and offer the best opportunity for rapport to be developed between the interviewer and the candidate. They do, however have a number of problems. For instance, if the interviewer lacked objectivity, then since he is the sole judge this weakness will go unchecked.

International Management Essay

Executive Summary This written case analysis report is prepared for the analysis of the case study of the Tata Group – â€Å"The Last Rajah: Ratan Tata and Tata’s Global Expansion.† (Luthans and Doh 2009). It will first begin with a brief introduction on the Tata Group of India, with the source and the secondary (both short- and long-term) problems of this biggest conglomerate in India, to be identified and discussed next. An analysis of the problems is presented next, followed by the criteria of evaluation. A comprehensive listing of all major feasible courses of action are presented before the recommended strategy(ies) are discussed. The next section will cover the justifications of recommendations followed by the implementation, control and follow up. 1. Introduction The Tata Group, India’s biggest conglomerate (Luthans and Doh 2009), was founded by 29-years old Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata in 1868. It was first established as a trading company in Bombay and started pioneering businesses in sectors such as steel, energy, textiles and hospitality (Tata Group 2012). In 1904, Sir Dorab Tata, the elder of Jamsetji’s two sons, succeeded Tata Group in Germany after Jamsetji passed on. Ratan Tata succeeded as the chairman, following the death of his uncle – J.R.D. Tata, in 1993 (Tata Group 2012). Today, the Tata group consists of more than 100 operating companies in seven business sectors (Refer to Appendix 1) with operations in more than 80 countries across six continents, exporting products and services to 85 countries. The latest financial figures reflected on its website showed that the total revenue of Tata Group was US$83.3 billion (around Rs 3,796.75 billion) in 2010-11, an increase of 18.8% from 2009-10 (Tata Group 2012). With its devotion to strong values and excellent business ethics, the Tata name has been respected in India for more than 140 years. Each Tata company or enterprise operates independently and is answerable to its own board of directors and shareholders. Moving forward, new technologies and innovation will be Tata Group’s focus, in order to develop its business in India and internationally. Anchored in India with its traditional values and strong ethics, Tata companies are building multinational businesses that will achieve growth through excellence and innovation, while balancing the interests of shareholders, employees and civil society (Tata Group 2012). 2. Source Problems With its wide diversification of business across six continents, Tata faces several challenges. The first problem is to build a consistent vision while being in many different markets and industries. Another challenge is to formulate strategies for over 100 companies in more than 80 countries. Besides this, another problem of Tata Group is the high involvement of Ratan Tata, who is the chief steward of the group of nine senior executives sitting on the boards of the Tata companies, in both the negotiations of major deals and the details of his auto-making, telecom or steel businesses (Luthans and Doh 2009). The next challenge for Tata is on how to absorb the struggling Corus mills. Other challenges for the future include deciding on which businesses to spin-off and which to pursue, what will happen to the conglomerate during an economy slow-down. The most challenge issue for Tata Group perhaps would be to fill the void left behind by the energetic and visionary Mr Ratan Tata – Chairman of the Tata Group, when he retire (Koontz and Weihrich 2010). 3. Secondary Problems 3.1 Long term 3.1.1 Diversification of investments and businesses From the case study, it is evident that a major problem for Tata Group is its diversification of its investments and businesses over so many different countries. The group is subjected inevitably to the different market situations and the culture of each individual market. 3.1.2 The continuation of operation of Corus mills Another long-term problem for Tata Group is whether they should continue operating the struggling Corus mills. As mentioned in the article, the moment Tata Steel took over Corus, it is loaded with a $7.4 billion debt and the high operational cost of Corus weakens the profit margins of Tata Steel (Luthans and Doh 2009). 3.1.3 Sustainability of its business versus sustainability of its corporate social responsibility during economy slow-down Should there be an economy slow-down, the ability of Tat Group to sustain its businesses versus their ability to sustain the social responsible culture, which is developed by Ratan’s ancestors (Griffin and Moorhead 2010), remains a challenge for Tata Group. The Rata conglomerate will have to decide between sustaining its businesses and fulfilling this culture. This will be especially tough with a  $7.4 billion debt already on its books. 3.1.4 Management control in Tata Group As mentioned in the article, Mr Ratan is the chief steward, of his team of nine senior executives in the Group Corporate Office, who negotiates major deals himself and immerses himself in the details of his businesses. Ratan Tata is also the major decision maker in most of Tata Group’s major deals. At the time when the article was written, Tata Group has not found a suitable successor. The fact that Mr Ratan Tata is single and childless (Luthans and Doh 2009) thus poses the toughest challenge of who is to fill the void for Tata Group, when Mr Ratan retires. 4. Analysis 4.1 Diversification of investments and businesses This long term problem will prove to be an obstacle towards its global expansion and the development of the company to its full potential, as there is no one common group strategy with a common objective. The lack of a common corporate strategy may act as a restraining force (Singh 2012; refer to Appendix 2) against moving Tata Group to its desired position in the global market and also against achieving overall productivity of the organization. 4.2 The continuation of operation of Corus mills A first look at this problem of the Tata Group would obviously be to discontinue the operation of Corus mills. However, one of the strengths and competitive advantage that Tata Group has over its competitors, is backward integration (Hill and Jones 2011) like what Hill and Jones (2011, 180) described – steel companies supplying its iron ore needs from company-owned iron ore mines. Having its own abundant coal and iron ore reserves enables Tata Group to produce raw steel at low cost in India, and ship it to Corus’ first-class mills overseas to produce  steel products. Furthermore, by looking at the financial data provided in the case study, Tata Motors was the least profitability business in 2007 for Tata Group. With the acquisition of Corus mills and Tata’s competitive advantage of backward integration, Tata Group can make use of Tata Steel and Corus mills to produce low cost steel car parts in order to reduce the cost of sales for Tata Motors. The gross profit margins for Tata Motors can be increased with the cost of sales reduced (Needles, Powers, and Crosson. 2010). 4.3 Sustainability of its business versus sustainability of its corporate social responsibility during economy slow-down When there is an economy slow-down, it will subject Tata Group’s decision on sustaining its business or still maintain its expensive corporate social responsibility, to a great test. A fast and immediate solution, during an economy down-turn will be to reduce the contributions for charitable causes, such as reducing or terminating the annual $40 million contribution for charitable acts in Jamshedpur, in order to sustain its businesses. However, Tata Group will have to consider about the long-term implications of such drastic immediate reduction or termination of charitable funds. The reputation of Tata Group may receive a beating in the long run, due to negative press and media reportings (Davies et al. 2003), should such measures are implemented drastically and immediately, in order to sustain its businesses. 4.4 Management control in Tata Group From the description of the article, the management style of Tata Group seemed to follow an ethnocentric strategic predisposition and an organizational culture of â€Å"family culture†. A cultural strategic predisposition refers to the particular way which most  multi-national companies (MNCs) have towards doing things (Luthans and Doh 2009; Aswathappa 2010). A MNC with an ethnocentric predisposition will normally depend on the values, and interests of the parent company in formulating and implementing a strategic plan. Their primary emphasis is on profitability and the company will try to run its overseas operations in line with how they are run back at home (Loke 2008; Aswathappa 2010). Tata Group is likened to be run with an ethnocentric predisposition as Mr Ratan Tata is the chief dealmaker who is closely involved in all major deals negotiations and also details of his different businesses. This predisposition will inevitably result in parochialism in Mr Tata, which may affect his logical strategic thinking. Tata Group has adopted a â€Å"family† type of organizational culture. â€Å"Family culture† type of organizations besides focusing on hierarchy, orientation to persons, leader heads the company like a caring parent, the management also takes good care of employees, ensures employees are well treated and enjoy continued employment (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner 1998). This is clearly reflected in their spending of $40 million annually in the company’s home base of Jamshedpur and their excellent employee remuneration policy of workers still getting paid fully till the age of 60 years old and lifelong health care, even if they retire early. This will result in additional expenses for Tata Group in order to fulfill this â€Å"corporate social responsibility†. According to the article, Tata Group has not found a suitable successor at the time when the article was written. The toughest challenge will be finding a suitable candidate of who is able to fill the void for Tata Group, when Mr Ratan retires. 5. Criteria of Evaluation 1. To identify and differentiate between the â€Å"Cash cows† and â€Å"Stars† (Phadtare 2011; refer to Appendix 3) businesses and the â€Å"Question Mark (or Problem Child)† and â€Å"Dog† businesses (Phadtare 2011; refer to Appendix 3) within the next 6 months. 2. To reduce the $7.4 billion debt of Corus within the next 5 years. 3. To reduce their annual â€Å"charitable spending† gradually within the next 5 years, but yet not neglect or forgo their corporate social responsibility. 4. To identify a successor within the next two to three years. 6. Alternative strategies A comprehensive listing of all feasible strategies will be presented for Tata Group before the recommended strategy(ies) will discussed. 6.1 Short term (S): Targeted short-term objectives to achieve within the next few months to 1 year from the time of implementation. S1 To identify and group the businesses into â€Å"Cash cows†, â€Å"Stars†, â€Å"Question Mark (or Problem Child)† or â€Å"Dog† businesses (Phadtare 2011; refer to Appendix 3) within the next 6 months. S2 To decide on which business(es) to keep and focus on and which business(es) to liquidate. 6.2 Long term (L): Targeted long-term objectives to achieve within the next 3 – 5 years and beyond. L1 To reduce the $7.4 billion debt of Corus mills within the next 5 years by perhaps re-looking into refinancing the debt loan with a lower interest rate, in order to strength their profit margins. This is to convert Corus mills into a profitable business unit which will enable Tata Group to continue building on its competitive advantage over its competitors, of integrating backward integration, with the collaboration of Tata Steel and Corus mills, for Tata Motors. L2 To reduce their annual â€Å"charitable spending† of S$40 million for Jamshedpur gradually – 5% per year in the first four year and a final 10% in the fifth year, and also to reduce the employees’ benefits gradually. This will enable Tata Group to sustain its businesses better, but yet not neglect or forgo their corporate social responsibility. L3 To identify a successor within the next two to three years and also to gradually change their ethnocentric predisposition way of running the business and also their â€Å"family† type of organizational culture. Strategy statement as per Hofer and Schendel’s characteristics: Tata Group’s strategy for the next 3 – 5 years is to â€Å"tidy up† it’s widely diversified investments and businesses and exploit on its competitive advantage of backward integration (of owning iron ore mines) in order to help its automobile business increase profit margin. By gradually reducing their annual â€Å"charitable spending†, Tata Group will be able to channel these capital to sustain and expand its business globally. By identifying a successor for its chairman, this will ensure the sustainability of the Tata businesses and also to bring Tata Group to the next frontier. 7. Recommended strategy(ies) In order for this business plan for Tata Group to be successful, the strategies presented needs to be both achievable and sustainable with an accurate evaluation of its current resources, core competencies and capabilities. With both short term and long term strategies listed above and analyzed via the Strategy Feasibility Table listed in Appendix 4, the recommended strategies (best 3 out of 5) are as follows: S1:To identify and group the businesses. S2:To decide on which business(es) to keep, which business(es) to liquidate. L2:To reduce their annual â€Å"charitable spending†. 8. Justifications of recommendations After analyzing the alternatives strategies via the Strategy Feasibility Table (Refer to Appendix 4), it was decided that the most feasible strategies are S1, S2 and L2 to resolve the source and secondary problems above. Strategies S1 and S2 are chosen to best resolve the diversification of businesses that resulted in the absence of a common group strategy with a common objective for Tata Group. The next strategy for Tata Group to implement is the reduction of their annual â€Å"charitable spending†. This will free up more capital for Tata Group to redirect them to boast their â€Å"Stars† businesses. The remaining two long-term strategies of L1 and L3, with a slightly higher score of 15 and 14 respectively, in the feasibility test, may be considered to be implemented concurrently with lesser priorities. This is because it will not be easy for Tata Group to reduce the $7.4 billion debt within a short period of time and also not easy for any company to source for, identify and appoint a successor for its Chairman and to change the culture within a short period of time too. The most critical issue now is for Tata Group to conduct the most effective and efficient strategies. 9. Implementation, Control and Follow-up For any MNCs, e.g. Tata Group, it is not easy to implement business consolidation like S1 and S2. S1 and S2 described above will only be the â€Å"identification† stage to determine the type of business each belongs to. The physical implementation of the consolidation has to be executed with extreme caution as consolidation may result in employees redundancy. After  the consolidation exercise is successfully, the Group Corporate Office (GCO) of Tata Group will have to ensure that they do not launch massive business diversification plans without careful considerations. The follow-up on the implementation of S1 and S2 will have to be monitor by the GCO closely with a clear timeline listed out as a guide to prevent any procrastination or delays. As for the implementation of strategy L2, Tata Group has to execute it with caution too. It is not be implemented too hastily to prevent any damage to the company’s image due to any to negative press and media reportings (Davies et al. 2003). Any other future â€Å"charitable spending† will have to be discussed and decided more stringently. As stated above under Section 6.2, L2, the reduction will be done gradually over a timeline of 5 years and the GCO of Tata Group will have to adhere closely to this timeline. (2,220 words excluding Executive Summary, headings, sub-headings, in-text citations, and this sentence.) 10. References Aswathappa, K. 2010. International Business. 4th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=Dk4SWsWbbaMC&pg=PA332&dq=Strategic+predisposition&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9nIlT5jIN5GzrAfIhryyCA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Strategic%20predisposition&f=false. Change Management Coach. 2012. Change-Management-Coach.com: Force Field Analysis – Kurt Lewin. http://www.change-management-coach.com/force-field-analysis.html. Davies, Gary, Rosa Chun, Rui Vinhas da Silva, and Stuart Roper. 2003. Corporate Reputation and Competitiveness. 1st ed. New York, USA: Taylor & Francis Group. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=eU4bVJmmKC4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=reputation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9j85T4aVCdGrrAeRsYHWBQ&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=reputat ion&f=false. Griffin, Ricky W., and Gregory Moorhead. 2010. Organizational Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations. 9th ed. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=RidV6vh08xMC&pg=PA349&dq=Culture+of+Tata+Group&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Q8QjT_mKCcfPrQef-IiNAg&ved=0CGwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Culture%20of%20Tata%20Group&f=false. Hill, Charles W. L., and Gareth R. Jones. 2011. Essentials of Strategic Management. 3rd ed. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=VdG243upAqwC&pg=PA180&dq=backward+integration+in+strategic+management&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3NQ3T4PxEsHirAe2vfjVBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=backward%20integration%20in%20strategic%20management&f=false. Hofer, Charles W., and Dan Schendel. 1982. Strategy Formulation: Analytical Concepts. 8th ed. Eagan, Minnesota, USA: West Pub. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=8VcIfAEACAAJ&dq=Strategy+Formulation:+Analytical+Concepts&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pasjT9_BCIjMrQf0x7GeCA&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAA. Johnson, Debra, and Colin Turner. 2010. International Business: Themes and issues in the modern global economy. 2nd ed. New York, USA: Taylor & Francis Group. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=Dhi7yUtQjegC&pg=PA140&dq=Members+of+the+Tata+Group+Corporate+Centre&hl=en&sa=X&ei=JpE3T8-LMYXRrQfw7fHVBQ&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Members%20of%20the%20Tata%20Group%20Corporate%20Centre&f=false. Koontz, Harold, and Heinz Weihrich. 2010. Essentials of Management: An International Perspective. 8th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=s_wzNWdevJoC&pg=PA118&dq=Tata+group&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QwwlT6vTJsnjrAfosdymCA&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Tata%20group&f=false. Loke, Chee Shong. 2008. International Management. 1st ed. USA: Aberdeen University Press Services. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=BpbvbvaMjCwC&pg=PA48&dq=ethnocentric+strategic+predisposition&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hEg5T_uvA43yrQf6hPnVBQ&ved=0CFcQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=ethnocentric%20strategic%20predisposition&f=false. Luthans, F., and Jonathan P. Doh. 2009. International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior. 7th ed. New York, USA: McGraw-Hill. Luthans, F., and Jonathon P. Doh. 2012. International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior. 8th ed. New York, USA: McGraw-Hill. Needles, Belverd, Marian Powers, and Susan Crosson. 2010. Financial and Managerial Accounting. 9th ed. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=xI8pEZIob9UC&pg=PA225&dq=reduce+cost+of+sales&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Dd43T-P7CpG0rAfo24zWBQ&ved=0CFUQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=reduce%20cost%20of%20sales&f=false. Phadtare, Milind T. 2011. Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. 1st ed. New Delhi, India: PHI Learning Private Limited. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=FdtGb2cZTRgC&pg=PA145&lpg=PA144&dq=BCG+Model#v=onepage&q=BCG%20Model&f=false. QuickMBA. 2010. QuickMBA: Strategy / BCG Matrix. http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/. Singh, Kavita. 2012. Organizational Behavior. 1st ed. New Delhi, India: Pearson Education India. http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=DbC0_McBPgIC&pg=PA337&dq=force+field+analysis+kurt+lewin&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KEA7T-jvPIjsrAeRnJmHAQ&ved=0CFQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=force%20field%20analysis%20kurt%20lewin&f=false. Tata Group. 2012. Tata Group Worldwide. http://www.tata.com/. The Economic Times. 2011. The Economic Times, Topics, Ratan Tata. Mumbai, India: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Ratan-Tata. Trompenaars, Alfons, and Charles Hampden-Turner. 1998. Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business. 2nd ed. New York, USA: McGraw-Hill. Appendix Appendix 1: The seven business sectors of the Tata group The seven business sectors of the Tata group: 1) Communications and information technology 2) Engineering 3) Materials 4) Services 5) Energy 6) Consumer products 7) Chemicals (Tata Group 2012) Appendix 2: Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Source:http://www.change-management-coach.com/force-field-analysis.html(Change Management Coach 2012) Appendix 3: The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Growth Share Matrix Source:http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/ (QuickMBA 2010)

The Flight of Icarus Essay - 528 Words

The Flight of Icarus I find the most fascinating of ancient writings to be Greek mythology. Writings produced by the early Greeks, in my opinion, even rival modern day literature. Hard to believe considering everything the human race has experienced and endured up to this point. With so many Greek tragedies, my favorite has to be The Flight of Icarus. Our story begins on the isle of Crete. The earliest known settlers were the Minoans. King Minos ruled this island nation. This Greek tragedy involves an inventor named Daedalus. His homeland was Athens. For a short time, his apprentice was his sisters son Perdix. When Daedalus feared that Perdix would surpass him in talent, he murdered the boy by tossing him from the†¦show more content†¦Minos promised to sacrifice the bull as an offering, but he coveted it for himself. He assumed that Poseidon would not mind, so he kept it and sacrificed the best specimen from his herd instead. When Poseidon learned about the deceit, he made Minos wif e fall madly in love with the white bull. The offspring of their lovemaking was a monster called the Minotaur. The creature had the head and tail of a bull on the body of a man. It caused such terror and destruction on Crete that Minos himself summoned Daedalus. He ordered the architect to build a gigantic, intricate labyrinth from which escape would be impossible. The Minotaur was captured and locked in the labyrinth. Every year for nine years, seven youths and maidens came as a tribute from Athens. These young people were locked in the labyrinth for the Minotaur to feast upon. When the Greek hero Theseus reached Athens, he learned of the Minotaur and the sacrifices, and wanted to end this. He volunteered to go to Crete as one of the victims of the sacrifice. Upon his arrival in Crete, he met Ariadne, Minoss daughter, who fell in love with Theseus. She promised she would provide the means to escape from the maze if he agreed to marry her. Ariadne asked Da edalus to help her. Daedalus gave her a flaxen thread for Theseus to tie to the door of the labyrinth as he entered, and by which he could find hisShow MoreRelatedThemes In Daedalus And Icarus1250 Words   |  5 Pagesunstable and can come crumbling down at any second; On two ends of the spectrum we have pride and punishment. One giving man a ego and pushing him to his emotional high while the other forces him back into reality. In Daedalus and Icarus it illustrates this with Icarus plummeting back down to earth with a deathwish just after experiencing the literal high of his life. In other words American clergyman John C. Maxwell puts it â€Å"There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. Good pride representsRead MoreA Piece Of Advice Analysis1011 Words   |  5 Pagestakes time and determination. Questions on the flight of Icarus 1. The Flight of Icarus: Is this story meant to be taken literally? Why or why not? This story should not be taken literally. First of all, because the story is a myth, and second because, â€Å"This myth illustrates an element in Aristotle’s virtue theory that most Greeks were familiar†¦not too much, not too little† (Rosenstand, 468). 2. Bruegal’s painting on page 469 shows the fall of Icarus, but you have to look hard to find him. Why doRead MoreA Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man1664 Words   |  7 Pagesnumerous struggles along his path and since the novel ends with Stephen just deciding to take his action, it is unclear if he even ever escapes the religious influences. James Joyce uses strong comparisons and direct allusions to the myth Daedalus and Icarus to recount Stephen Dedalus’s experiences in his many complex life journeys towards what may have lead him to become the artist he dreamed to be. In Dublin in the early 1900s, religion was a large influence over all of the citizens. Stephen was aRead MoreAnalysis Of The s Romeo And Juliet 2095 Words   |  9 Pages1313 April 20, 2015 Icarus Research Paper One of the biggest issues parents deal with every day is making sure their children obey their orders. Although it seems like a simple task to adults, many young teens take pride in disobedience as it allows them to feel independent. This goes back to the phenomenon of reverse psychology. This anomaly is revealed in numerous ancient tales such as the forbidden fruit, and even Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Ovid’s myth Daedalus and Icarus is yet another exampleRead MoreDaedalus and Icarus1165 Words   |  5 Pagesnot happy with Daedalus for helping Theseus, so he locks Daedalus and his son, Icarus, in the Labyrinth. (This seems to be his punishment of choice.) (Some versions of the story say that King Minos actually imprisoned them in a tower. Still others say that Minos just ordered every ship surrounding the island to be searched, making it impossible for Daedalus and Icarus to escape. Any way you look at it, Daedalus and Icarus are trapped on Crete.) Clearly our genius inventor wont take this sitting downRead MoreHow to Read Literature Like a Professor1408 Words   |  6 PagesConnections: -Oedipus by Sophocles: The story of Oedipus is not based on real events, but a reader can believe that it is. The Greek myth of Oedipus allowed Sophocles to create a stage play for performance. -Landscape with the Fall of Icarus [poem and painting]: The myth of Icarus allowed the creation of both a painting and many literary works. They are all very different, but come back to the same myth. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ChapterRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Portrait Of The Artist 978 Words   |  4 Pagesmythology so easy to relate for any era. James Joyce in his novel, Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man, ties his story with the semblances of mythology from the story of Daedalus and Icarus, fusing the ideas that discovery, sacrifice and rebellion is a process needed to be an artist. Though Daedalus and Icarus are from a mythical time and Stephen is living in a specific time during Dublin’s history, all characters are faced with the struggles of existence, self-discovery, and learning how to dealRead MoreAncient Greek Myths Of Tantalus, Medusa, Achilles, And Icarus1519 Words   |  7 Pagesnot their exact replication, but the idea that these stories can be handed down from generation to generation and still hold relevance. I, nonetheless, do have favorites of my own; they are the ancient Greek myths of Tantalus, Medusa, Achilles, and Icarus. Tantalus tale tells of the dangers of narcissism, a thread commonly seen throughout ancient Greek mythology. To set the scene, Tantalus was a vain man who had had multiple run-ins with the gods, something no sensible person envies. His most notableRead MoreGreek Mythology Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pagesconstructor had an idea come to him – he built two pairs of wings that were made out of metal and wax: one pair of wings was for him and his son, Icarus. They jumped out of a skylight towards the sea. Icarus was so excited with the flight that he did not listen to his father. Daedalus had advised him not to not to fly too close to the sun or the wax would melt. Icarus did not listen and went too high; his wax melted and fell toward the sea. Although people of all nation, age, and stages of society haveRead MoreWhat Is Wrong With The Science Of Movies904 Words   |  4 Pagesfarcical nature, in one of the movies shows Bond chases the villain from deep underwater to amphibian airplane up to the sky is merely impossible. Bond dives and fights the bad guys hundreds of feet underwater, then chases the villain who takes a flight using amphibian airplane hundreds of feet up to the sky while Bond is dangling by the landing gear of the aircraft. And eventually, he successfully eliminates the villain and saves the world again. From the perspective of a former diving team member