“February” by Margaret Atwood Essay

Poet describes the activities of February and further narrates the tussle between his cat and a tomcat. Paraphrase: Winter is a time to eat pork and watch hockey. The black cat with yellow eyes leaps over on my bed each morning and reaches to my head. In this way, he notifies me whether I am alive or dead. While taking his breath that smells like burped-up meat and decaying stuffy sofas and buzzing like washboard, he inhabits on my chest. In the meanwhile, another tomcat who is not so sturdy is seen squirting at the entrance and declaring war. It is all a matter of gender or land that will ultimately ruin us sooner or later. Masters of these tomcats should cut the male sex organs of these cats. If we human beings are too wise, we should do the same or like sharks, should eat our children but its affection that kills human. Tomcat repeatedly shouts and famine shrinks lying on the bed and attacking quilt. Temperature decreases to minus 30 and smoke vents out of chimney to provide warmth. February is a month of dejection (with a skewered heart in the centre. ) I deem of terrible thoughts, desire for potato chips with speckled vinegar. Cat, these thoughts are enough for your purring and for your tiny bumhole. Get out of my face. You are essentially life phenomenon, so you live on a little hope. Throw away death. Commemorate boost. Craft spring out of it (February)

Lord of the Flies differences

In Lord of the Flies there are some differences between the â€Å"Castle Rock† at the end of chapter six the Beast from the Air with the beach as it has been described throughout the book so far. The differences are the beach is used for the littluns to play and build sand castles. While the Castle Rock has just been discovered and Jack said, â€Å"What a place for a fort! † meaning that he is thinking about something and will use it as a protection or safe place. Lastly the beach has more resources to offer than the Castle Rock. The Castle Rock is more like a hiding place for them and while the beach is a place for them to stay and occupy. To commence, the Castle Rock and the beach are a place on the island, but the Castle Rock is a place up on the mountain top as Ralph, â€Å"led the way over the rocks inspected a sort of half-cave that held nothing more terrible than a clutch of rotten eggs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  While the beach is where the water pool is and the shelters. The shelters are beside the beach where the boys sleep built by Simon and Ralph and with others that helped out. As William Golding describes the Castle Rock as a place that has â€Å"rotten eggs† meaning things that are not useful and the beach has boys that some stay there not being useful by not helping out the others boys. Furthermore, the beach is where the littluns play and build their sand castles whereas the Rock Castle is just observed and walked by Ralph, Jack and the hunters and this place they are not familiar with. The littluns construct castles and use their imagination, â€Å"round the castle was a complex of marks, tracks, walls, railway lines†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Golding tells the reader that the littluns miss their home so they build these castles to keep their hopes up that there will be a day they will be back home. The Rock Castle is a place that Jack said would be for a fort but Ralph does not like the idea while Jack is so excited and building up ideas as he is at the Rock Castle. The beach is where the boys are comfortable and feel safe but in the Castle Rock they still do not have that comfort level because, â€Å"some of the boys wanted to go back to the beach. Some wanted to roll more rocks. †On the other hand the beach there is fruit that the littluns can reach and eat; they have water, the pool that is supposed to be used as a lavatory, and space where they can play around. But in the Castle Rock like Ralph said â€Å"there’s no food here, and no shelter, not much fresh water,† there are more advantages in the beach than in the Castle Rock because there are more resources for them to use in the beach than on the mountain top. As Golding describes the scene of the Castle Rock is like a very small place and not enough room for things or people to hide, â€Å"because you can see. Nothing goes in or out. † And â€Å"there was nowhere to hide, even if one did not have to go on. † Castle Rock is different than the beach because this is where they believe that the â€Å"beast† has landed. Simon felt a flicker of incredulity, â€Å"a beast that scratched, that sat on a mountain-top, that left no tracks and yet was not fast enough to catch Samneric. † This is what Simon believes a beast would be at, but never thinks it could be at the beach. But is this beast they are talking illusions of human beings acting like the â€Å"beast† or is it really a creature? Because the â€Å"beast could represent themselves but now some of them are getting scared of each other that they think this is the â€Å"beast†. Maybe Jack later on will want the Castle Rock and go live over there because â€Å"Jack was excited! when they had reached Castle Rock therefore given an inference that Jack will want to occupy this place and abandon the beach where mostly the majority has stayed. Last of all, in the island where the boys had been stranded the beach is only there real shelter, water, and fruit for the littluns, the pool for lavatory, for littluns to play, build sand castle, and for the biguns to relax and let the sun tan there skin. Whereas in the Castle Rock it is a place half-cave with â€Å"rotten eggs† as I refer to things that are not useful around just like some of the boys at the beach that are not useful and do not cooperate with the others. The Castle Rock is limited to few things that the beach offers, it has less space, not too much water, and it is more of an area to be a fort. Jack is so excited about this place that he wants to stay there to build a fort, but Ralph does not like the idea because he is a person that thinks long term meaning will or is there enough food, water, and shelter, where Jack is a person that just goes for his needs and thinks only for himself.

The Retail Environment and the Supply Chain of Online and Offline Assignment

The Retail Environment and the Supply Chain of Online and Offline Retailing of the Music Industry - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that home stereos had initially become popular and truly affordable during the 1980s, which brought about a boom in home entertainment devices. At that period of time, it was unimaginable that in the following two or three decades, record shops would barely exist anymore. However, the shift in buying patterns of the consumers from offline to online retail has led to the stark reality where physical shops have nearly disappeared from the retail panorama. With fewer shops, there is the even lesser number of distributors catering to the offline retail chain. The prices should be compared against that of competitors and price adjustments should be made accordingly. A product tracking interface could be developed in order to track and assert all the titles so that those can be stacked in one place. Comparing products against those of the competitors helps the retailer to gain better knowledge pertaining to product positioning strategies. The produ cts assorted can be further filtered in terms of discount range, price range, publisher, and genre. The retailers can make use of advanced technological developments to analyze the assortments by genre, music company, price range, singers or other dimensions that are deemed fit. The gaps, thus, discovered in the product catalog will help strengthen assortment structure of the retail shop and the weak categories can be developed by benchmarking assortment against that offered by the competitors. Keeping tabs on the competitor’s product strategies is an important part of successful retailing. The music albums that the competitors are featuring as well as the genres wherein heavy discounts are being offered should be researched. Apart from being up-to-date with the competitor knowledge, the retailer must also upgrade his stocks appropriately such that titles and albums promoted by the competitors are available and priced attractively. The retailer should be able to receive alert s on stock outs, price changes, promotions for the key titles and new introductions.

Innovation and Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Innovation and Change - Assignment Example 7) and he argued that entrepreneurs are those who perform and carry out new combinations by finding and taking opportunities to be seized to create new products or service and to establish a new marketable contribution to the economy (McDaniel, 2002, p. 57). Innovation is one of the most vital constituents in advancing living standard and wealth creation. Innovation may occur from different guises, but the roles played by both large scale and small to medium sized enterprises in creating innovation and translating the same to useful needs and wants to be met by customers in the market are undeniably critical. Since Schumpeter argued that entrepreneur is an innovator in 1950s, many researchers investigated the relationship between innovation and performance and examined whether small to medium or large scale enterprises are better at innovating than the other (Gronum, Verreynne and Kastelle, 2012, p. 257). The importance of Small and Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as drivers for econ omic development and for improved social wellbeing has been increasingly acknowledged. Moreover, innovation capacity is a critical requirement for the survival of SMEs (Wolf, Kaudela-Baum, Meissner, 2011, p. 242) mainly because better entrepreneurs are those who are good at innovating and therefore they are found to be successful. This piece of research paper investigates the argument that small to medium sized enterprises are better at innovating than large scale businesses and examines how successful are SMEs in innovating their goods or services. In order to analyze and critically evaluate the argument, this paper explains the meaning and conceptual framework of SMEs, addresses their role in the economy and explains why they are considered as important in terms of its contribution to innovation. Small and medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute the vast majority of all businesses in almost all the countries and they play a very central role in the economy. SMEs are the major sources of entrepreneurial skills, innovation and employment that in turn help the economy grow further. Analoui and Karami (2003, p. 25) defined SMEs as one that has only a small share of its concerned market and is managed in a personalized way by its owner or part-owner, but not through a medium of an elaborate management system. SMEs are not sufficiently large to get access to the capital market for publically issuing of securities. Researchers used different constructs such as annual sales, number of employees, value added, value of assets, annual profits etc to define and explain SMEs. Out of these constructs, number of employees and annual sales are most often used to delimit the category of SMEs. For most researchers, a small to medium sized firm is one that employs no more than 250 persons and is having annual sales of not more than ?50 million (Analoui and Karami, 2003, p. 26). According to OECD, SMEs are non-subsidiary and independ ent firms that employ less than a given number of people. The most frequent upper

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment - Essay Example Hence they have decided to face changing times by offering a low cost version of their product and introducing a new target audience. TFCs key strengths are their extensive experience in the field of chassis for motor homes, their technological adaptability & advancement, quality designs, marketing knowledge and design development on time exactly as per customer preference. TFC’s management has recognized the opportunity which lies in expanding their product portfolio to low priced product to cater to price sensitive audience. Low priced items have always posed threat to high end customized item especially when the economy is receding; hence diversity in product portfolio is always a balancing act (a safe bet for survival) for the company during all times. While expanding the product portfolio TFC faced a weakness for the first time that is delay in lead time of building chassis. Commonly a chassis would have been designed, customize and made ready in less than 30 days. However due to restrained capital available they could not meet all customer demands on time while catering two product types. Main area of time lag occurred at the designing stage as identified by the team. At this scenario TFC was approached by Computer-Images a design house in another estate proposing to become an outsourced designing outlet for low end chassis line working electronically only upon specifications provided by TFC. This approach was proposed with a key to keep TFC’s focus on high end chassis (TFC’s star product) while meeting demand for both high end and low end chassis. Now TFC has two options either to accept Computer-Image’s proposal to have low end product outsourced or increase current capacity to overcome time delay in designing and remain an in-sourced organization enjoying control over time, design and delivery. De Looff (1996) uses key 6 goals in his book defining outsourcing /

Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Methodology - Essay Example This section of the research will partly adopt Saunders’s research union approach (Saunders et.al 2009 p, 12-17) or model that consists of six stages that including the philosophies, approaches, strategies, choices, time horizons and techniques and procedures. Research Philosophy The most suitable philosophy forour study is pragmatism. Pragmatism enables the researcher to avoid philosophical issues that might arise from choosing either positivism or phenomenology. This will enable the researcher use the most appropriate approach to comprehend the research problem as it is neither constrained to reality nor philosophy (Saunders et al., 2009, p 108-120). Despite this elaborate choice, the research will apply interpetivism and subjectivism. The study will analyze current existing literature from various sources, that is, secondary data. The researcher will also attempt to analyze the data collected to make conclusions. The research will try study available body of knowledge on th e subject with the aim of establishing whether the body of knowledge is valid or not Collis and Hussey (2003, pg.48); this is referred to as epistemology. Since pragmatism is focused on giving solutions to the research questions, it is the most appropriate method to be used in the study. ... In the same view information, information from the various online databases such as EBSCO, Emerald, and Blackwell may be quantitave giving an objective view to the study. This means that a pragmatic approach would be appropriate for the research. Research Approach The research will employ qualitative data to meet the research objectives. This research seeks to explore and comprehend the social problem. The process will involve scrutinizing emerging inquiries and processes. The data will be analyzed in relation to the setting in which it was collected as indicate in the secondary data sources. The research will, therefore, use an inductive approach where the aspects will be built from a particular to a general thesis as the researcher construes of the information. The research data will come from publications, articles, and journals. The research will entail a broad analysis of previous researches in the same topics or those related to our research topic. Once the available literature has been analytically reviewed, the researcher will inductively build on the various aspects that have been or not been looked at by past studies. The study will involve the use of qualitative data collected from libraries such as online databases that the researcher will access to gain more relevant and updated information. These will include websites and databases such as EBSCO, Emarald, and Blakwell. The research will involve analysis of news postings on the various websites during the year. Research Strategy The research will employ ethnographic and archival strategies of research. The archival method enables the researcher to analyze or investigate events from a distance. The research

Geography of water and energy resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Geography of water and energy resources - Essay Example In effect, Kuwait has a per capita income of approximately $60,541, which is higher than the per capita income in all G7 countries. Qatar has a per capita income that is over $93,000 because it has a low population and a very high GDP (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.). In a summary, the Middle East OPEC members with low per capita income are the nations with a large population of Iran and Iraq. Despite the fact the G7 countries register high GDP that are above the $1 trillion mark, the Middle East OPEC members rival them on the distribution of wealth due to their small population and large revenue from oil. In most cases, Middle East OPEC members are viewed a struggling nations with no power to rival to the G7 countries. The reality is that citizens of small countries like Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE enjoy higher per capita income more than most G7 members. The only OPEC member that is considered poor is Iraq. It has per capita income that is lower than ten thousand dollars, which is the most inferior in all Middle East OPEC

Comprehensive Education under re-evaluation Essay

Comprehensive Education under re-evaluation - Essay Example As a result, as is occurring across the western civilizations, the UK is experiencing significant decline when measuring the academic progress of its students. Specifics of the problem were discussed by Terry Hadyn in his essay on the death of comprehensive schools in England and Wales. He cites that although the comprehensive education system was established in 1965 with lofty ideals, the policy has failed to grow the desired fruit. Previous to the 1965 initiative, the country's secondary school system was divided. Students who were more suited for an academic career path were sent to Grammar schools, and those for whom an academic career did not seem suitable were sent to what was called a secondary modern school, or the equivalent of a trade school for apprenticeship, and transition into the lower class working social strata. (Haydn, 2004) However, since the passage of this educational policy, educators have come to realize much more about the educational needs of the children with which they have been entrusted. The modern educational system recognizes that children learn at different rates, just as they mature physically and emotionally at differing rates. Therefore putting children of different levels of educational abilities together, and expecting them to mutually benefit, as if by osmosis, is a policy that is coming to be understood as a bit short sighted. The children are not building social networks across the educational and social differences. Rather the opposite is occurring, and has been occurring increasingly over the past 15 years. The divide between the educational 'haves' and 'have - nots' is growing. The social order that is present outside the classroom is only becoming reinforced in the classroom. As a result, the more academically able children are being slowed down in their progress, and the less academically inclined are no more encouraged to make better progress. If anything, they are becoming resentful, along with their parents, at being bussed 25 miles or more in order to facilitate a quota system for the schools. At the same time comprehensive school policy was being put into place, influences blew across the educational ponds which included linking the educational institution to social trends. The school organization, as seemingly the single most influential element in the child's life, shifted its focus too. The social fabric of the family and close community was breaking down in the post war era. As a result schools picked up the responsibility to address cultural and social learning issues, in addition to their primary goal of creating educated and intelligent students. The result, as mentioned, was a steady decline in the educational quality as measured in academic progress of the student. The student was learning how to feel better, but not taught how to read better. In the UK, by mixing the more academically inclined with those who may prosper better in a trade school environment, educational policy makers expected to bridge socio-economic patterns. If the wealthier, more academically inclined students were allowed to co-exist in a school setting with lower income, more academically challenged students, the belief was that the barriers would be breached, and lower performing students would

Reader Response essay on the book The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Reader Response on the book The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - Essay Example For example, he lost his job after an injury he got from a work accident. Ona, Rudkus wife, also explains that she was raped by her boss. The major opinion of Upton Sinclair in his book The Jungle is that workers, especially immigrants, were exploited at the workplace by their employers. The author uses Jurgis in his book to explain experiences where capitalism operates without checks or balances. To get the extra profit; workers are killed due to workplace accidents, meat inspectors are bribed, wastes are deposited into public water system, and workers get sick due to workplace infection. My opinion is that all workers should be protected from exploitation of any form at the workplace. The government should put in place proper legislations to ensure this; for example, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. One of the values of the author is that he believes in socialism which creates fairness and equity. He stresses that socialism is the only idea that can right all the wrongs of capitalism. Socialism is just because it ensures each and every person benefits. The main character Jurgis believes that a social political system is capable of achieving dignity, respect and humanity of the previously exploited immigrants and working class. The profits that capitalists make should be used to; improve the working conditions, compensate workers adequately and assist in community development projects. The author’s values conflict with mine because I prefer capitalism. People should strive to create wealth by starting enterprises which earns profits; however part of the profit should be allocated to improving working conditions of workers, and also improving the welfare of the surrounding community and workers. Distribution of profits ensures fairness to both workers and employer. The Jungle reminds me of other texts which support social justice, equity and fairness. For example, the Dragon’s Teeth authored by Upton Sinclair

Personal Relationship Selling Essay Example for Free

Personal Relationship Selling Essay Successful firms are dismissing the hard-sell, short-term orientation of personal selling in favor of a customer-oriented, long-term selling model referred to as relationship selling. A lot of businesses can establish distinctive positions in the marketplace for themselves, their goods, as well as their services. This capability is a potent strength in marketing. Indeed, an effective marketing stratagem is also known for its excellent positioning strategy. However that in itself is does not guarantee customer following because it is not so much what the company says regarding one’s goods/services/organization as much as it is what the clients declare about them. It is not what businesses say to their customers but rather what they accomplish with their clients that build their position in the industry. Differentiation, from the standpoint of the customer, is not an idea which is goods or services-related in so far as it is connected to how the company carries out its business activities. In this day and age where information is a valuable resource, it is no longer practical to merely produce an image. The distinction among perception and actuality has improved over time. Further, in a society where consumers are offered with a lot of choices, they can be unpredictable. Griffin and Herres (2002) relate that this just only implies that contemporary marketing is a fierce clash for the loyalty of the customer. Contemporary marketing now stress a unique connection with the client and communications of the market place. A Concept Definition A key role of modern marketing is that of a management mindset implemented throughout an organization rather than confined to a particular department. This perspective considers marketing as a guiding management principle or mind attitude which places the customer first, and it is commonly described as a marketing orientation. It is a comparatively more extensive outlook of the function of marketing than has been visualized in the past and it direly affects an extensive array of functions within the organization. This concept grew progressively over the last twenty years that puts forward the fundamental theory that it is more cost-effective for the business to focus its attention on continuance and improvement of present relationships with customer as compared to continually looking to catch the attention of new customers. Relationship selling has progressed since that time to make possible the effort of a business to classify, preserve, and construct a network of individual customers and to constantly reinforce the network by way of interactive, personalized, and value-added connections over an extended period of time. A primary force behind any strategy of relationship selling is that acquiring new clients through snatching them away from a rival business is more often than not costlier as compared to holding on to current clients (Rogers, 2001). Personal relationship selling is a concept that gives weight and credence to building up lasting win-win relationships with potential clients and current ones. It is a marketing (communications) approach that is aimed at establishing profitable relationships with loyal customers. Relationship selling views every customer as a valuable asset of the company to be nurtured and grown. It is intended to convert potential individuals into loyal clients, nothing more than that. But marketing is not all about advertising or promotion; it is more about creating loyal clients. Personal relationship selling has its foundations on the relationship between consumer contentment, consumer allegiance and profitability for the business. Brassington and Pettitt (2003) noted that it has been known in marketing literature that it is more than four times more economical to maintain a present client as compared to acquiring new clients. Others even maintain that considerable augment in revenue will be highly possibly achieved through improving client retention rate by even only a few percent. Therefore, businesses of today should instead center their attention on maintaining their current clients, working towards making them supporters and partners rather than focusing their efforts on acquiring new clients. The essence of proper customer loyalty is not measured by just the client making repeat buys; it is instead grabbing a allocation from the wallet of the consumer (the proportion of a consumer’s expenditure in a goods/service category for a firm’s brand) as near to one hundred percent if that is feasible (Griffin and Herres, 2002). Personal relationship selling is relationship marketing. It means perseverance to work for nil defection. It means considering first the welfare of the present consumers prior to the attempt to catch the attention of new ones. In the same manner, a brand that is flourishing does nothing other than creating a relationship between the consumer and the brand that is out of the ordinary. A review of the related literature on the subject would reveal that a considerable number of academics, consulting firms, and corporate leaders are continuously attempting to develop various tools and techniques to measure the impact of employee contentment, loyalty and maintenance of consumer contentment, loyalty and preservation. In fact, some also try to develop and prove hypotheses that will assist them in gauging the impact of both these measures on their bottom line. For the reason of the repercussions for productivity and expansion, Schmitt (2003) argues that consumer maintenance is possibly one of the most influential strategies that businesses can utilize in their struggle to achieve a strategic advantage and continue to exist nowadays in an ever mounting competitive environment. It is very important that businesses comprehend fully the concerns and the methods behind consumer and worker retention and the function that relationship selling can take part in putting together plans and strategies. Relationship Selling Vs. Transactional Approach Relationship selling is viewed as a paradigm shift from the transactional approach to marketing with a new focus on developing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. Historically, the transactive paradigm came into being as a result of mass production, wholesaling and the utilization of middlemen who were removed from the organization. The drive towards developing relationship selling has been largely fuelled by the proliferation of high-quality competing products and services that are available to customers. Personal relationship selling is the opposite of transaction marketing in which the ambition to retain customers does not exist in the latter. Conventional transaction is temporary and focused only on making a sale and further only aspires for what is known as the one-shot deal. Transaction selling centers on the sales presentation, or ‘pitch’, designed to secure an immediate sale. Little regard is given to the customers true needs, particularly over the long run. By contrast, relationship selling focuses on developing and enhancing a mutually beneficial bond between buyer and seller. The focus has changed from ‘making a sale’ in the short run to ‘getting and keeping the right customers’ over the long term (Brassington and Pettitt, 2003). Whereas market exchanges are casual short-term discrete (transactional) episodic encounters primarily motivated by self-interest, relational exchanges develop when people wish to develop long-term exclusive and supportive relationships on the basis of mutual knowledge that simplifies their trading environment. Whereas traditional marketing, operating through market exchanges, manages the preparation and promotion of an offering in order to consummate an exchange, relationship or interactive marketing also works to maintain the relationship between product-based exchange episodes. Rather than pursue a market relationship to bring a product and a consumer/buyer together, relationship marketing attempts to establish and cultivate a marketing relationship that enables cooperative problem-solving. Elements of Relationship Selling The literature is replete with discussions of what key elements are entailed of relationship selling. Relationships are built over time, and time is one of the most important elements of relationship selling. Information isnt only available in greater profusion than ever before, technology has also allowed it to be delivered with unprecedented speed. This is entirely consistent with pressure on the customer, and the amplified pressure on companies supplying them, for speed in development and delivery. Companies will, increasingly, have to anticipate what time performance customers consider attractive, even acceptable. If time is an issue with only segments, or fragments, of customers, companies will have to determine if investing resources in faster development, delivery, or service is economically worthwhile. A perceived scarcity of time can also make customers want shorter interactions with businesses. Consumers value time and are less and less willing to accept or tolerate excess in this area. This can also make customers worry about the differences between what they want and what they actually get in their relationship with the business. Often, speed, or the lack of same, is a strong supplier attrition or defection lever: waiting lines and waiting time, and their impact on service encounters and customer loyalty management, have become an entire area of psychological and business study. If customers feel they are short of time, concise communications is an important relationship proposition. However, this may be culturally dependent. In some cultures, the importance of a decision can be made quickly. It is also possible that customers will want to spend more time on purchases that they perceive as having high involvement or to which they attach great importance. Overall, the time aspect of a relationship is a complex issue, since the time invested in relationship selling (the time spent in relationship-related activities) can be seen as a benefit or a non-monetary cost, depending on the attitude of the customer. Building trust and commitment are also crucial elements of relationship marketing as they are needed for the maintenance of the relationship, encouraging a long-term view as opposed to a short-term one, and also allow for certain risks to be taken because of the belief that other parties in the relationship will not take advantage of the situation. Having a long-term view and nurturing the relationship by providing and showing commitment allows for the development of deeper levels of relationships (Sobel, 2003). The commitment and trust elements are conceptualized as existing when there is reliability, confidence and integrity. This requires delivering on promises (what was stated in the packaging or advertisements, for instance) and building financial, social and structural bonds between the business organization and its customers. Choice is largely driven by a customers relationships with a product or service, and with the companies that offer them. Its about experience, and levels of trust and commitment, through contact with suppliers. Because, in most industries, choices are so readily available, customers are increasingly less hesitant to change suppliers. When replacement is perceived as more positive than negative, theyll move on. Industries such as banking and managed care have seen this occur (Bradley, 2003). The relationship itself becomes the focus of marketing efforts rather than the product. In addition to the marketing mix variables, customer care/customer service initiatives and interactive marketing are central to relationship selling. Credibility is the key to the whole market-positioning process. With so many new products and new technologies on the market, customers are intimidated by the decision-making process. Many customers dont even understand the technologies used in new products. Technology-based products are links in a chain: they are attractive because they are linked to the future. But when people are buying a piece of the future, they need to be reassured that their money goes somewhere that is worth their money. They want to buy from a supplier with credibility. Benefits of Relationship Selling To the extent that relationship selling contributes to goods differentiation and generates obstacles to switching to another brand, it can make available a competitive advantage for the producer or the vendor. Building a long-term relationship with buyers provides more opportunities for the seller to sell new and additional solutions. The vendor in lasting relationships may realize profitability rates that are higher though a reduction of discretionary expense such as selling, general, and administrative costs. Besides financial rewards, the relationship may make available to the vendor admission to new markets and increased competence to enhance innovation (Sobel, 2003). Buyers benefit from being able to tie together the skill and the strength of the vendor to their benefit. Specific advantages to buyers include enhanced quality and process presentation, unremitting cost diminutions, enhanced support relationships, and contract predictability. The benefits of long-term relationships with customers are obvious. As mentioned earlier, it costs more than four times more economical to maintain a present client as compared to acquiring a new one. Repeat business is a hallmark of relationship selling. Another outgrowth of happy customers is referrals. A company can have as much customers as it wants, but it has the responsibility of taking care of tem individually. Most new customers are referred by old customers who are content with the company’s goods or services. Referral sales are a leading indicator of a company’s emotional bank account with customers. Honeycutt, Ford and Simintiras (2003) assert that a small decrease in customer defection leads to a large increase in sales and profits Defected customers can cause other customers to leave, while loyal customers are more profitable and require less handholding. Disappointed customers cause negative word of mouth, while loyal customers are company and brand advocates. Relationships also increase the value of the customer. All of these are reasons to believe that relationship marketing is more effective than transaction marketing. The concept of lifetime customer value is used to describe the estimation of how much a customer contributes to the companys profit over the years he or she buys from the company. The ultimate purpose of relationship marketing should be to maximize this lifetime value for every customer. Process of Managing Relationship Selling The relationship selling management process is the process that captures orders for delivered goods and services and that facilitates strong customer loyalty (Griffin and Herres, 2002). Identifying primary consumers or consumer groups that the business aims at as significant to its company mission is an important step that has to be carried out. Agreements with regards to goods and/or services spelling out the intensity of presentation are instituted together with these primary consumer groups. Performance measurements are carried out to examine the service levels given to consumers in addition to consumer profitability. For a company to be committed to relationship selling, it must become everyones responsibility. Customer loyalty is in job descriptions, training programs, reward and recognition, and action. Relationship selling begins with the contact with a customer and culminates with the receipt of an order. If the relationship selling management is effective, it will result in an ongoing series of orders from customers who are delighted to do business with the company. Bradley (2003) relates that the activities involved in managing relationship selling include sales force management, customer data management, cal center management, on-line product catalogs, product configuration, order/proposal configuration and order management. Relationship selling also includes the flow of work, material and information. The flow of information begins with customer contact. The information that must be managed includes order status, production status, process planning, maintenance information and schedules. Firms need to have a clear-cut, well-defined approach to managing their relationship selling. Typically, the process entails selecting the portfolio of customers to serve, developing a corresponding portfolio of relationship selling strategies, monitoring the health of customer relationships over time and linking relationship selling management efforts to economic reward – that is, customer profitability. How well a firm manages the relationship selling activity will determine the degree to which it is able to quantify the costs and benefits associated with relationship selling, which, in turn, will influence its decision about which customers to continue to serve. Rogers (2001) also shares that other key strategy elements in relationship selling include those of personalizing the relationships to each and every sole consumer, supplementing primary services with added advantages, services with respect to pricing in order to persuade customers to be loyal, and treating employees well in order that that they carry out their duties better for the customers as well. Future Directions The growing adoption of a relationship selling system is evidence that businesses are to a greater extent attempting to place the consumers interest at the heart of their trade as part of their overall business strategy. For many organizations, a focus on customer relationship strategies may be premature until sales management practices are properly aligned with the intended strategic orientation (Brassington and Pettitt, 2003). Reliance on sales quotas that focus performance on short-term behaviors may be in direct conflict with long-term relationship objectives. Strategic realignment of the selling effort toward long-term customer relationships calls for a reexamination of common sales management tools such as sales quotas, compensation methods, and evaluation methods and measures to assure they are consistent with relational selling objectives of the firm. But there is little doubt that the manner in which salespeople establish and maintain relationships is a sophisticated part of their job. The salesperson who is honest, accountable, and cares about the customer’s business adds value to the relationship. Salespeople should recognize that the quality of the partnership they create is at least as important as the product they sell, and to this end, they must adapt to the buying needs of customers whenever possible. While sales and marketing functions constantly adapt to modernization, old techniques are not always abandoned (Honeycutt, Ford and Simintiras, 2003). Selling has thrived because it has diversified along with the markets it serves. As technology has created a vast array of products and options, global markets, and niche markets, it has also fragmented and expanded the salespersons role. To continue to exist in lively market places, businesses obviously have to to set up strategies that can endure the unstable changes in the environment of the market. They have to erect well-built fundamentals that won’t be propelled away in the rage of the storm that is competitiveness. And they simply cannot carry that out through centering their attention on promotions and advertising alone. To a certain extent, they have to have a firm grasp of the market structure that they are targeting. After that they should improve and maintain good relationships with key stakeholders in the market that are directly affected by their actions. Said relationships are more vital than inexpensive tag prices, flamboyant advertising, or even superior technology. Customers and others influence changes in products and services through their participation in the relationship selling process. Transformations in the market environment can rapidly and surprisingly adjust the prices and technologies, save for well-built relationships that can stand the tests of time. These developments should challenge the marketing communications manager because it includes knowledge management, marketing automation, customer care, call centers, and sales force automation. This is obviously much more than promotional advertising design.

Analysing Leadership In The Godfather Film Studies Essay

Analysing Leadership In The Godfather Film Studies Essay The Godfather is exciting as it was upon its release in March of 1972. The statement Ill make him an offer he cant refuse still resounds with recognition in the instant. Vito Corleone was a man of morals, principle and valor in a world sorely lacking in either. Vito Corleones first name means life, or alive, and his last means lionhearted are in every way his own man. He has made his life providing people with things denied by other people, gambling, women and justice. Throughout the film, in contrast to the morality of the Don and the corruption of the State. In the wedding scene, we begin to see the relationship between the Don and the State when Tom Hagen tells him that a senator and some of the judges had called to apologize for not being there, but that theyve all sent gifts. And late in the film, it spoke very specifically about the State when Michael said that his father is no different than any other powerful man, any man whos responsible for other people, like a senator or a president. The Don is violent but not corrupt. He cannot be bought and used violence with great restraint. He approaches directly and honestly. In the film, Don is the most principled man. He rejected to participate in the drug business since it would be wrong on moral grounds even at the risk of his own life. Family, friends and integrity are far more important than mere money. The Godfather; the main character is a man who is strong, brave and highly principled to defy the power of the State. (A) Provide a synopsis of the movie relating to aspects of leadership. The storyline Guests were gathered for the wedding reception of Don Vito Corleones daughter Connie and Carlo Rizzi in 1945. Vito is known to friends and associates as Godfather. He and familys lawyer and counselor, Tom Hagen are hearing wishes for special treatment because it is tradition that a Sicilian cannot refuse a request on his daughters wedding day. The Dons youngest son Michael an adorned Marine war hero attempted to tell his girlfriend Kay Adams about his family especially his fathers criminal living; he assures her that he is not like his family. Among the guests at the celebration is the famous singer Johnny Fontaine, Corleones godson, who has come to appeal for Vitos help in landing a movie role that will rejuvenate his declining career. Jack Woltz the head of the studio, refuses to give Fontaine the part and Hagen is sent to California to heal the problem but Woltz told him that he will never cast Fontaine in the role because Fontaine had ruined a starlet that was special to Woltz. Woltz changed his mind anyway when he wakes up early the next morning, pulled back the sheets and finds the severed head of his prized $600,000 horse, Khartoum. When Hagen returns, the family meets with Virgil Sollozzo who is backed by Tattaglia, the rival family. Don Corleone was asked to finance and give political and legal protection for the importation and distribution of heroin. Corleone refused even though he could make a huge profit. The Dons eldest son, Sonny breaks ranks during the meeting. Don Corleone was angry at Sonnys disagreement in a non-family members presence, secretly reprimanded him later. Later, Don Corleone was shot down in a shooting. Tom Hagen was abducted and they used him to persuade and offer Sonny the deal offered to his father earlier. Sonny refused to think over it and issued a challenge or a war would break. They refused and instead sent Sonny Luca Brasis bulletproof vest as a sign that they had murdered him. Michael visited his father at a small private hospital. He was shocked to discover that no one was watching over him. He then realized that his father was yet again being set up to be murdered; he called Sonny for assistance; removed the Don to another room, and went to observe the entrance from outside. Michael engaged help from Enzo the baker who came to the hospital to pay his respects. Together, they managed to deceive Sollozzos men. Police cars appeared bringing the dishonest Captain McCluskey. Captain McCluskey broke Michaels jaw when Michael indirectly said that Sollozzo paid McCluskey to kill the Don. Hagen then arrived to protect Don Corleone and took Michael home. Sonny retaliated by killing Bruno Tattaglia, his son and the under-boss of Don Phillip Tattaglia. Ensuing to the attempt at the hospital on the Dons life, Sollozzo requested a meeting with the Corleones. Michael volunteered to kill both men during the meeting but the rest of the family members found it amusing but Michael persuaded them that he was serious in the killings which he feels was in the familys interest. Michael argued that McCluskey was corrupt and had illegal dealings with Sollozzo; hence he should be killed as well. Prior to the congregation in an Italian restaurant, McCluskey checked for weapons on Michael and he was clean. Michael went to the bathroom, took out a revolver and gravely shot Sollozzo then McCluskey. Michael ran and hid in Sicily. Sonny beat Carlo Rizzi for attacking the Connie who was pregnant. He threatened to kill Carlo if he battered her again. Carlo responded and plotted with Tattaglia and Don Emilio Barzini to kill Sonny. In order to ensnare Sonny, Carlo thrashed Connie again. Sonny in an enraged state drove off alone to execute his threat. He was ambushed on the way at a toll booth and shot to death in his car. In New York City, Don Corleone returned home from the hospital and was distraught to learn that Michael had killed both Sollozzo and McCluskey and that Sonny was dead. Don Corleone met with the heads of the other rival Families to bargain a ceasefire and not seek revenge for Sonnys killing. Ending the conflict was the only way to bring Michael home safely. Revenge would only drain their assets which will then threaten their survival. Vito, changing his mind on the previous decision, agreed that the Corleone family would provide political protection for the Tattaglias heroin trafficking as long as it was controlled and not sold to children. Don Corleone could figure out at the meeting that it was Don Barzini and not Tattaglia who was actually behind the gang war and Sonnys death. Michael waited patiently in Sicily for his exile to end whilst being protected by an old family friend. Michael wandered the countryside aimlessly together with the bodyguards, Carlo and Fabrizio. Michael met and fell in love with Apollonia Vitelli, the beautiful daughter of a bar owner in the village. They got married but Corleones enemies were soon aware of Michaels presence. Apollonia was killed as the couple was about to be shifted to a safer place when their car was bombed; Michael barely got away alive but spotted Fabrizio leaving the grounds hastily seconds prior to the explosion hence incriminating him in the murder plot. Michael returned home when his safety was guaranteed. A year later, he met up with his former girlfriend Kay after four years. He proposed to her and Kay accepted although she was hurt that it took him so long to contact her. With the Don semi-retired, Sonny dead and the middle brother Fredo deemed incompetent to run the family business, Michael was put in charge. He promised Kay he would legitimize the family business completely in the next five years. Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio are the Corleone Familys two captains who complained that they were being shoved around by the Barzini Family and asked for consent to strike back but Michael rejected the appeal. He planned to shift the familys operations to Nevada and soon after Clemenza and Tessio may sever and form their own families. Michael promised Connies husband, Carlo, that he would be his senior man in Nevada. Tom Hagen was removed and became the familys lawyer only; with Vito serving as the consigliere. Hagen complained about his status change and questioned Michael on the new command of soldiers being secretly built under Rocco Lampone but Don Vito explained that Michael was being advised by him. Michael met with the casino boss Moe Greene in Las Vegas. Michael was rejected rudely when he offered to take over Greene. He believed the Corleones were fragile and that he could obtain a better pact from Barzini. Fredo sided with Moe when Moe and Michael were negotiating intensely. Later, Michael cautioned Fredo to never again go against the family. When Michael returned home, Vito told him his expectation that the Familys enemies would attempt to execute Michael by using a trusted link to collaborate a meeting on a ploy for assassination. Vito never meant for Michael to lead a life of crime and hoped that his youngest son would hold a lawful power as a government officer. Soon after, Vito crumpled and died in his tomato garden whilst playing with his grandson Anthony. Tessio suggested meeting with Barzini at the burial which made Tessio as the defector that Vito was anticipating. Michael organized a series of murders while he became the godfather to Connie and Carlos newborn son at the church to happen at the same time. Don Stracci: shot down together with his men in a lift. Moe Greene: was shot in the eye by an unidentified assassin while being massaged. Don Cuneo: shot dead by Willi Cicci: while trapped in a revolving door and Don Tattaglia: murdered in his bed by Rocco Lampone and an anonymous associate. Don Barzini: was shot along with his bodyguard and driver, by Al Neri, disguised in his old police uniform. After the baptism, Tessio thought he was on the way with Hagen to the meeting between Michael and Barzini which he had arranged. He was however circled by Willi Cicci and other hired men instead as Hagen moved away. Tessio realized that Michael had discovered his treachery. He told Hagen that he had always revered Michael, and that his disloyalty was for business only. He asked Tom to release him for old times sake, but Tom could not do so. In the mean time, Michael faced Carlo about Sonnys murder and compelled him to admit his involvement in the ambush. Michael assured Carlo he would not be killed, but excluded from all family business. He gave Carlo a plane ticket to banish himself to Las Vegas. Nonetheless, he was killed on Michaels orders by Clemenza, while getting into the car which was headed for the airport. A frantic Connie confronted Michael and accused him of killing Carlo. Kay questioned Michael about Connies charge but he declined to respond, telling her again never to question about his business. She persisted and Michael lied; assuring her that he did not know and has no part in Carlos death. Kay believed him and was felt relieved. Clemenza and the new captains Rocco Lampone and Al Neri pay their respects to Michael. Clemenza bowed to Michael greeted him as Don Corleone. Michael became the new Godfather. Who is or are the leader/s in the movie Vito Corleone, Sonny Corleone, Michael Corleone The leader/s role in the movie Negotiating, Discussing, Delegating and Instructing (B) Explain the context for each incident relating to leadership aspects in the synopsis. Incidents within the movie involving the leader/s (1) Don Corleone telling Johnny Fontaine that he would help him to be the star in the movie by offering Jack Woltz something that he cant refuse. Leadership in solving problems. (2) Sollozzo had asked Don Corleone to finance and give political and legal protection for the distribution of heroin but Corleone refused even if he could make huge profits saying that his political influence would be in jeopardy by a moving into the narcotics business. Leadership in being responsible to ensure the safety of others. (3) When Sonny who had earlier advocated the family to enter the drug trade broke ranks during the meeting, his father, angry at Sonnys rebellion in a non-family members presence, reprimanded him privately later. Leadership in solving matters/rebuking subordinates not in front of external parties. (4) Michael visited his dad at the hospital and became suspicious when there was no one guarding the Don. He realized that there was yet another murder being set up and he called Sonny for help and removed the Don to another room. Michael enlisted aid from Enzo the baker who had gone to the hospital to give his respects. Together, they managed to deceive the killers. Leadership in recognizing a situation and deciding to solve them. (5) Upon the an assassination attempt on Don Corleone at the hospital, Sonny retaliated by killing Bruno Tattaglia, son and the under-boss of Don Phillip Tattaglia. Leadership in taking the responsibility to solve the problems themselves. (6) When Don Corleone came home from the hospital; found out that Michael had killed both Sollozzo and McCluskey and Sonnys death, Don Corleone met with the heads of the rival families to confer a ceasefire instead of seeking revenge for Sonnys killing. Ending the conflict was the only way to bring Michael home safely. Revenge would exhaust their assets and threaten their survival. Vito agreed that the Corleone family would provide political protection for the Tattaglias heroin trafficking as long as it was restricted and not sold to children. Leadership in recognizing and finding an amicable way to solve the problems. (7) Sonny severely beat Carlo Rizzi for viciously attacking the pregnant Connie, and threatened to kill him if he ever battered her again. Leadership in taking the lead and meting out the punishment. Incidents and the leader/s interaction within the context of the movie (1) Johnny Fontaine, Corleones godson came from Hollywood to lobby Vitos help in getting a movie role to revive his failing career. Jack Woltz, refused to give Fontaine the part. Don Corleone t Hagen to discuss with Woltz and assured Fontaine he would get the role. (2) Don Corleone was asked to finance and give political legal protection for distributing heroin. Even with a huge profit to be made, Corleone refused. (3) Sonny who had urged the family to enter the drug trade broke ranks during the meeting between Sollozzo and the Corleone Family. The Don, angry at Sonnys disagreement in a non-family members presence, secretly admonished him later. (4) Michael asked for help from Enzo the baker who had gone to the hospital to give his respects. Together, they managed to deceive Sollozzos men. Hagen then arrived with guns to protect Don Corleone and took Michael home. Sonny retaliated by killing Bruno, the son and Don Phillip Tattaglia (5) Michael wanted to kill both men during the meeting and he persuaded them that he was serious on the killings. (6) McCluskey searched Michael for weapons before the meeting in an Italian restaurant, and did not find any weapons. Michael excused himself to go to the bathroom where he got back a revolver and upon coming to the table, seriously shot and killed Sollozzo followed by McCluskey. (7) Sonny beat Carlo Rizzi for viciously attacking the Connie, and told him he would kill him if he ever mistreated her again. Angry Carlo then plotted with Tattaglia and Don Emilio Barzini, the Corleones head rivals, to kill Sonny. Carlo thrashed Connie again in order to trap Sonny. In an angry state, Sonny drove off alone to execute his warning. He was ensnared on the way at a toll booth and shot to death in his car. (8) Don Corleone met with the heads of the rival families to discuss on a ceasefire and not seek revenge for Sonnys killing. Ending the conflict was the only way to bring Michael home safely. (9) The Don is now semi-retired, Sonny dead and brother Fredo deemed incompetent to run the family business, Michael was put in charge. He promised Kay he would legitimize the family business completely within five years. (10) Michael promised Carlo that he would be his lead man in Nevada. Hagen was removed as the consigliere and became the familys lawyer only; with Vito serving as the consigliere. (11) Vito Corleone explained to Hagen that Michael was being guided by him. (12) Fredo sided with Moe during the intense negotiation. Michael cautioned Fredo never to take sides with anyone other than the family again. (13) Vito told Michael that he expected the Familys enemies would try to kill Michael by using a link to collaborate a meeting on a pretext for murder. (14) Michael organized a series of murders while attending the baptism of Connie and Carlos newly born son at the church to happen at the same time. Don Stracci: shot down together with his men in a lift by Clemenza. Moe Greene: shot through the eye by an unidentified assassin while being massaged. Don Cuneo: shot dead by Willi Cicci while trapped in a revolving door and Don Tattaglia: murdered in his bed along by Rocco Lampone and an anonymous associate. Don Barzini: shot along with his bodyguard and driver by Al Neri in his old police uniform. (15) Michael faced Carlo about Sonnys murder and compelled him to admit his involvement in the ambush. Michael assured Carlo he would not be killed but excluded from all the familys businesses. He gave Carlo a plane ticket to banish himself to Las Vegas. (16) Connie confronted Michael and accused him of killing Carlo. Kay questioned Michael about Connies charge but he declined to respond, telling her again never to query him about the business. She persisted and Michael lied; assuring her that he played no role in Carlos death. Kay understood him and was relieved. Know your leader/s behavior and characteristics Leadership is behavior of an individual when he is directing the activities of a group towards a shared goal. A leader is someone who sets direction in an effort to influence people to follow that direction. (C) Describe and discuss why the leadership behavior was effective or ineffective Leadership behaviors like task oriented; relations oriented; participative leadership (1) Sonny could keep things as they were but he was unable to make certain situation better. He was not able to make wise decision and always acted rashly. For example when his sister was attacked for the second time. He did not think things through and rushed off alone. As a result, he got himself killed. Sonny was not innovative. He needed someone else to make decision for him and for him to carry things out. He was able to sustain but could not improve them. (Ineffective) (2) Vito Corleone possessed the traits of a leader which were effective. He made decisions which he thinks is the best for the family regardless if the others are not in agreement with him. As a leader, he showed that he was thinking of the long term future. For example when he refused to cooperate with Tattaglia on the heroin trafficking. He was thinking of the familys future ethics and values. (Effective) (3) Michael made the proposal to kill the police chief and head rival. He put the police chiefs motives in the newspaper to control the damage. He removed Hagen as the familys chief advisor since Hagen was always protesting against the way Michael made his decisions. (Effective) Change agent capabilities (1) Sonny was not able to grasp changes and improve them. He could manage to make wise decisions and needed others to decide for him. He could only sustain whatever was at hand. Sonny was more of a manager who could maintain things. (2) Vito Corleone was a leader who would adopt changes for the family even if the others are not in sync with his decisions. He has the leadership traits in him to lead the family well into the future. He forethought what would be in the best interest for the family in the next ten years rather than short term. (3) Michael many changes and ideas to make the Familys business legal in five years as he promised Kay before he married her. He proposed on the new idea to kill the corrupt police chief who was working with the familys rival even though others were amused by his suggestion. He removed Hagen from the advisor role when Hagen was always criticizing and questioning his new ideas. Able to support, able to develop new ideas and recognizing achievement (1) Sonnys style of leadership was ineffective because even though he was able to support new ideas, he was not able to develop the ideas to make them better. He could not make wise decision for the family. He did not think situations thoroughly and would just rush off when there was family crisis. He was not inventive and did not have a thought process of a leader. He could achieve when decisions were made for him. He would exclude other people or matters involved when tackling the problems or issues. He could sustain the situations or conditions but could not improve or make the better. (2) Vito Corleone style of leadership was effective because he could adopt and adapt to new changes or ideas. He was not a person who would just maintain a situation. He would create new improvements in order to achieve his goals. When he was asked by Tattaglia to help in the drug trafficking business, he refused even though he knew it would be benefit the Family greatly. He envisioned the future and hence rejected to cooperate in the business. Even when Sonny rebuked and sided with the other party, he tolerated the outburst but stayed true to his decision. He showed his leadership in adopting changes well after the killings and death of Sonny from his earlier refusal to assist. Upon his hospitalization and many attempts to assassinate him, he relinquished his role as the Don and became an advisor to Michael in the running and leading of the Familys business. He was ethical and declined to get involved in unnecessary killings especially when the younger generations are concerned. (3) Michael Corleones style of leadership was effective because he was working towards improving the familys business and making it better. He promised Kay he would legitimize the business in five years and he tried hard to ensure that it happened. He made the proposal to kill the police chief and head rival and later spread the police chiefs actual motives in the newspapers as a measure to control the damage. Hagen who was a great manager of the familys business could not understand Michaels new ideas and thoughts protested. In response to Hagens actions, Michael relegated his advisor position in the family to just family lawyer despite Hagens complains. Michael was able to achieve his goals working with subordinates who are willing to cooperate and follow his lead. He was able to lead and manage the family to greater success and made himself renown and respected by his rivals. (D) Identify and explain at least two different incidents involving the same leader(s). If the incidents involve two individuals or a group making a decision, leadership behavior by the different individuals can be identified. Executive summary of the two different selected incidents In the opening scene when a funeral director explained to Don Corleone about the men who had beaten and mutilated his daughter got deferred sentences and how the State buffed him the justice which he thought he deserved. He went to see Don Corleone seeking fairness and initially had wanted to ask Corleone to kill them but the Don said out that would not be justified because the daughter was still alive. Bonasera tried to bribe him with money but Corleone was above that. The only price to him for supplying justice was friendship because some day, he would call upon Bonasera to do a service for him. He refused to do murder for money for Bonasera because that would not be justice. (2) The Don was not corrupt but violent. Even though he bought politicians, he himself could not be bought. He used violence but he is not evil. He refused to acquiesce to the State. He used this violence with restraint. The same thing happened with the movie director. The Don first offered friendship to do some specific services; that is making his godson as the star in his new movie but the director refused reasons and in the end woke up with a dead horses head in his bed. The Dons approach was direct and honest. He was the most principled man in the film. He refused to kill in the Bonaseras case because that would not be fair and he declined to take part in Sollozzos drug business, because that would be wrong. He told Sollozzo that drugs were a dirty business. It did not make any difference to him what people do for a living but the drug business is dangerous. Making decision within team, group and individual setting (1) The family met with Virgil Sollozzo who asked Don Corleone for financing, political and legal backings in importing and distributing the heroin. Corleone refused despite knowing the huge profit that could be made explaining that his political pressure would be compromised by going into the drug trade. The Dons eldest son Sonny, who had earlier supported the family to enter the drugs trade, broke ranks in the meeting and queried Sollozzos assurances and guarantees as to the Corleone Familys investment by the Tattaglia Family. Don Corleone was angry at Sonnys opposition in a non-family members presence, reproached him later in private. Don Corleone then sent Luca Brasi to penetrate Sollozzos organization and revert with information. Brasi was stabbed in the hand and subsequently garroted by an assassin. (2) Michael went to visit his father at the private hospital. He was alarmed to find out that no one was watching over him. He then realized that his father was yet again being set up to be murdered; hence he called Sonny for assistance; removed the Don to another room, and went to observe the entrance from outside. Michael engaged help from Enzo the baker who had gone to the hospital to give his respects. Together, they managed to deceive Sollozzos men. Police cars appeared bringing the corrupt Captain McCluskey. Captain McCluskey hit and broke Michaels jaw when Michael implied that Sollozzo paid McCluskey to net Vito Corleone. Hagen arrived with licensed guns to protect Don Corleone and took Michael home. In retaliation, Sonny killed Bruno Tattaglia, son and the under-boss of Don Phillip Tattaglia. Charismatic and transformational roles (1) Vito Corleones first name meant life, and his last name meant a man with a lions heart and who was in every way his own person. He said to his son Michael in the film, I refused to be a fool dancing on a rope held by all those people and he has made his life providing people with things that those people had deprived them of among them gambling, women and justice. (2) Michael waited patiently in Sicily for his exile to end whilst protected by an old family friend. Michael roamed the countryside aimlessly together with the bodyguards, Carlo and Fabrizio Michael fell in love with Apollonia Vitelli, the beautiful daughter of a bar owner in the small village. They got married but Corleones enemies were soon aware of Michaels presence. Apollonia was killed as the couple was about to be shifted to a safer place when their car was bombed; Michael barely got away alive but spotted Fabrizio leaving the grounds hastily seconds prior to the explosion hence incriminating him in the murder plot. Michael returned home when his safety was guaranteed. A year later, he met up with his former girlfriend Kay. He wanted to marry her and Kay accepted his proposal although it took him so long to contact her. The Don who was semi-retired; Sonny dead and the middle brother Fredo deemed incompetent to run the family business, Michael was put in charge. He promised Kay he would legitimize the family business completely in the next five years. Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio, the Corleone Familys captains were not happy being shoved around by the Barzini Family and asked for consent to strike back but Michael rejected the appeal. He planned to shift the familys operations to Nevada and soon after Clemenza and Tessio may sever and form their own families. Michael promised Connies husband, Carlo, that he would be his lead man in Nevada. Hagen was removed as the consigliere and became the familys lawyer only; with Vito serving as the consigliere. In private, Hagen complained about his status change and questioned Michael on the new command of defense force being secretly cultivated under Rocco Lampone. Don Vito explained that Michael was being advised by him. Michael met with the Moe Greene in Las Vegas. Michael was rejected rudely when he offered to take over the casino. Greene believed the Corleones were fragile and that he could obtain a better pact from Barzini. Fredo sided with Moe when Moe and Michael were negotiating intensely. Later, Michael cautioned Fredo to never anyone against the family ever again. When Michael came home, Vito explained that the familys enemies would endeavor to execute Michael by using a trusted link to collaborate a meeting on a ruse for assassination. Vito also said that he had never meant for Michael to lead a life of crime and hoped that his youngest son would hold a legitimate government office. Soon after, Vito crumpled and died in his tomato garden. Michael then arranged for a sequence of murders to take place at the same time while he was attending Connie and Carlos newborn sons baptism at the church. Critically analyze each of the two or more incidents and consider other options the leader (s) could have considered and made (30%) Participative leadership, delegation and empowerment (1) Sonny could have delegated the task of killing or teaching his sisters to his men instead of rushing off alone to handle the crisis. His death caused the family to be in a worse situation then before. (2) Michael could have been taken seriously by the other family members when he suggested killing the police chief and head rival. He should have participated earlier in the familys activities and not only after his father had assassination attempts made upon him. It could have saved Sonnys life if Michael was around to make decisions. Don Corleone should have foreseen Michaels capabilities and empower him to take the lead in the family. Power and influence Vito Corleone was a strong man; sufficiently brave and principled enough to stand up to challenge the power of the State. The type of man we all wished to be and emulate. Vito Corleones family, friends and integrity were far more important than money. Managerial traits and skills Sonny was not able to make wise decisions for his family. He has no clear thought process. For example when his sister was attacked by the husband for the second time, he just rushed off during the crisis. He was a more a manager where he carried out decisions made by others. He could not make anything better because he was not innovative enough to do so. Leading change Michael did not want to get involved in the Familys activities and happy to be a civilian. However when his father, Don Corleone was threatened and had many assassination attempts made on him, his brother Sonny killed and his elder brother deemed incompetent to lead, he had no choice but to take over the realm with Don Corleone as his advisor. He promised Kay before he married her that he would make the business legitimate in five years He planned to shift the familys operations to Nevada and soon after Clemenza and Tessio may sever and form their own families. Michael promised to make Connies husband his right lead man in Nevada. Hagen was removed and became the familys lawyer only; with Vito serving as the consigliere. Hagen complained about his status change and questioned Michael on the new command of defense force. Don Vito explained to Hagen that Michael was being counseled by him. Michael met with the casin

Common Misconceptions of Islam Essay -- Papers

Did you know that there are currently 1.5 billion Muslims living throughout the world? One in every five people in this world is a Muslim. It is proven that Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world and also happens to be the most widely and openly misunderstood faith as well. Americans have misconceptions about Muslims concerning the rights of Muslim women and whether Muslims believe in the existence of Jesus. "When a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiaman rapes and kills innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype an entire faith." How many times is it heard that a Christian, Jew, or any other majority robbed a bank or was involved in a mass murder? Very few, which is ironic because once a Muslim does such perils, it is blamed on the faith on whole and not the individual that makes that decision. Islam can literally be translated to mean submission to God and is derived from the root word meaning peace. One should always remember to go to the true source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media. Many consider Islam an exotic religion or even too extreme for the modern world. But this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West, where as, Islam is consider a way of life for many Muslims; who from the teachings of the Quran have learned to balance their material and spiritual life. Like Christianity, Islam only permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion (but not the excuse for your own personal or political purposes), or on... ...mething it all gets blamed on the faith? The American government has been at war for almost two years to give rights to the people of Iraq, but how much of a difference can they actually make when their own people don't get proper rights? They say the people have freedom of speech, religion, and etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but in reality they have nothing. If the government wanted unity between the people than they would create a better understand on a situation rather than turning citizens against each other. A recent example of how much the American government 'cares' for the rights of the people is shown through the pictures they found of the prisons are being taken care of in Iraq. Many misconceptions of religion, culture, and just people on a whole would be cleared if the government and media did not exploit them for their own advantage.

Prejudice and Racism Today :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

"...Everybody jumped on him, beat the hell out of him... Everybody was hitting him or kicking him. One guy was kicking at his spine. Another guy hitting on the side of the face... He was unconscious. He was bleeding. Everybody had blood on their forearms. We ran back up the hill laughing... He should have died... He lost so much blood he turned white. He got what he deserved" (Ridgeway 167.) The skinheads who performed this random act of racial violence in 1990, had no reason to brutally beat their victim other than the fact that he was Mexican (Ridgeway 167). Racism is objectively defined as any practice of ethnic discrimination or segregation. Fortunately, racial violence is steadily declining as the turn of the century approaches. Now a new form of racism, covert racism, has recently sprung from the pressures of political correctness. This new form of racism, although slowly declining, still shows signs of strong support (Piazza 86). Covert racism assumes a form of civil disobedience against politically correct thought and speech. Essentially, covert racism is a "hidden" racism, or a racism not easily detected (Piazza 78). "Racism is still strongly prevalent in today's society" (Gudorf 3). The three different basic forms of racism, open racism, violent racism, and covert racism all express forms of hatred towards distinct ethnic groups (Bender 47). These basic forms of racism, although different in form, all have the same main purpose, to promote racism. Open racism expresses freedom of racial thought and speech. Open racists promote their views through strictly persuasionary tactics. This form of racism is allowed in our society because of the First Amendment. Open racism is currently almost nonexistent and steadily declining, because it is considered politically incorrect and socially unacceptable. Violent racism promotes racism through violence, fear, and persuasionary tactics (Leone 49) This form of racism is not protected by the First Amendment because it promotes violence to express its ideas. Unfortunately many violent racial groups claim they do not promote violence, and therefore these groups are protected by the First Amendment because not enough sufficient evidence exists to prove their violent intent (Ridgeway 123). Covert racism expresses ideas of racism in disguised forms; sometimes the covert racist is not even aware of the fact that he is racist. "Racism, it is asserted, is no longer blatant: people nowadays are reluctant to express openly their dislike of and contempt for minorities, indeed are not prepared to express publicly a sentiment that could be interpretted as racist. Racism, it is said, is subtle: it is disguised, kept out of sight" (Enrlich 73) "The

To Kill a Mockingbird - Southern Traditions :: Free Essay Writer

To Kill a Mockingbird - Southern Traditions The South has always been known for its farming economy, confederate tendencies, family pride, and delicate females in ruffled dresses. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the South's familiar traditions become ostensible as a theme throughout the plot. This novel takes place in Alabama in the 1930s and tells a story about a lawyer who defends a wrongly accused black man while trying to raise his two children, Scout and Jem, as they go through life's most active learning stage. Southern ways enhance the plot of the story and give a realistic and historic perspective to the book. This portrayal of Southern culture appears in various forms of racism, hatred, meek women, and family. The Southern women were told and obligated, by some code of southern conduct, to mature into fair-smelling, perfect "ladies." By "ladies" they meant women who were well mannered, good at embroidery, and wore frilly, lacy dresses. One example of this southern tradition occurs when Aunt Alexandra comes to the Finch residence to help Atticus raise his children during the trial. When first arriving she says to Scout, "We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won't be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys." This comment implies that the only subjects girls are expected to understand are boys and clothes. Aunt Alexandra makes no mention of Jean Louise's intelligence, education, or personality. Her diction suggests that the only thing Jean Louise is capable of pursuing is her attire and a man. Scout discovers what a "southern lady" is as she notices how Aunt Alexandra "chose protective garments that drew up her bosom to giddy heights, pinched in her waist, flared out her rear, and managed to suggest that Aunt Alexandra's was once an hour-glass figure." Scout was considered to be very improper, wearing overalls and pants, but Aunt Alexandra would still try and introduce her to other ladies. I assume that she did this to try and influence Scout. She hoped Scout would form lady-like habits by watching others. Another example takes place after the trial, when Jem is appalled at the decision the court makes in response to Tom Robinson's case.

My Math Difficulties began with Pre-Algebra and Fractions

It was the summer before college when I had the best vacation in my life. I never had enjoyed any vacation since the past years. Too bad I became so pre-occupied with take pleasure in this escapement that I lost my penchant for learning. Summer was fast ending and I had to pack-up hastily and drive back home. And schooldays are coming. I felt like a lonely cavalier on my college’s first math class. As everyone on the class each has varied high school backgrounds, I found it hard to cope up with the subjects pace. I got a very failing mark on my first quiz. And worse, it went on until the end of the semester. My young freshman mind found it tough to adapt to such a demanding subject. I always had to sleep late at night solving problems and forgetting them when I wake up in the morning. My mouth gaped at the sight of endless assignments and workbooks. Our teacher could see our agony, our pleading eyes hoping she would blow her whistle and let us take a break from the work. Twenty pages of reading and a worn out pencil erase keeps me awake every night. I sweated over those small numbers above and below the fraction line. How could I learn all this and still have time to watch Smallville? This wasn’t a freshman’s usual anxiety. I honestly thought I hated math. What is this subject anyway? Why would I have to really put much time and agony into it? Nightmares would come in numbers dancing across my room. It would torment me just thinking about how bad my day became because of that exasperating pre-algebra exam. It would send me down lurching on the sofa everyday when I get home. Nothing had been that much demoralizing, when the test papers were returned and what you got isn’t even enough to lift your aching pride, what more than to show it to your mom. A research paper, published Anna  Sierpinska, Georgeana  Bobos and Christine  Knipping of Concordia University in Canada(August  2007), tackles about the frustration in students of mathematical courses. Their paper summarizes the reactions of the students and instructors they interviewed. They identified numerous causes of frustration, such as the fast pace of the courses, inefficient learning strategies, the need to change previously acquired ways of thinking, difficult rapport with truth and reasoning in mathematics, being forced to take PMC, insufficient academic and moral support on the part of teachers, and poor achievement (Sierpinska, Bobos and Knipping, 2007). These sources of frustration are discussed from the point of view of their impact on the quality of the mathematical knowledge that students develop in mathematical subjects. All of us go through all of the learning stages but not always on the same timetable (Hood, 1997). Sometimes, other inclinations in us, like music and arts, develop much earlier than the others and we do not fully grasp many mathematical concepts until we reach adulthood. In our course of growing up, we learn through our environment and according to our level of maturity (Hood, 1997). The book â€Å"Taking the Frustration out of Math† by Mary Hood tells us about the three distinct learning styles (auditory, visual and kinesthetic). She relates them to math learning. Along her book, she reminds us that each kid is diverse and that the parent is truly the expert on his/her own child. If a child is not grasping a concept, she recommends putting it aside and working on it again at a later date. Frustrating the child will only make a child hate math. Just because a child should be in a particular stage, does not mean that the individual child is ready for certain concepts. Eventually, he or she will be. Some websites, such as â€Å"Coping with Math Anxiety† offers various ways on coping with math frustrations. It recommends that the primary pace is to identify that math anxiety is an emotional response. And since it is an emotional reaction, it can be in a constructive or unconstructive way. Unconstructive ways comprises rationalization, suppression, and denial. By rationalization, we mean finding reasons why it is okay and perhaps even inevitable, and therefore justified, for you to have this reaction. By suppression is meant having awareness of the anxiety, but trying very, very hard not to feel it. Finally, there is denial. People using this approach probably aren’t likely to see this essay, much less read it, for they carefully construct their lives so as to avoid all mathematics as much as possible (Coping with Math Anxiety, www.mathacademy.com/pr/ minitext/anxiety). The constructive way to manage math anxiety involves making as conscious as possible the sources of math anxiety in one’ own life, accepting those feelings without self-criticism, and then learning strategies for disarming math anxiety's influence on one’s future study of mathematics (Coping with Math Anxiety, www.mathacademy.com/pr/ minitext/anxiety). I never had much luck on my first college math subject. It took me countless sleepless nights before it dawned on me that I had much more things to prove and accomplish. One time or another, each of us will be haunted by math frustrations. We may take it as a frustration forever, or we could take it as a positive challenge to move on to much greater heights, where our past failure becomes too insignificant. References Printed References: Arem, Cynthia.   Conquering Math Anxiety: A Self-Help Workbook.   Pacific Grove, CA:   Brooks/Cole Publishing, 1993. Burns, Marilyn.   The I Hate Mathematics! Book.   Little, Brown ; Company, 1975. Buxton, Laurie.   Math Panic.   London: Heinemann, 1991. Mary Hood, PhD 1997, Taking the Frustration Out of Math, Elijah Company, January 1, 1997 Online References: Coping With Math Anxiety, (www.mathacademy.com/pr/minitext/anxiety) Professors Freedman's Math Help (http://www.mathpower.com/) Soloman/Felder's Learning Styles ;

Mirza Ghalib’s Prose Essay

One of the most influential luminaries of the Subcontinent literature, Mirza Asad Ullah Khan, continues to win the hearts of the posterity with his evergreen literary works. His is renowned for his poetic endeavors in Urdu and Persian language with thousands of high quality verses to his credit. He bagged a major chunk of fame through his rich philosophical verses which often eclipse his status as a prolific prose-writer. Many notable writers proclaim that Ghalib could have garnered the same magnitude of fame only on the basis of his amazing prose. He gave a new and refreshing facet to the genre of prose-writing and thereby, is often referred to as â€Å"the father of prose-writing† in the realm of Urdu literature. He is the most written about of all the poets of Urdu literature , so much so that the study of his works has surprisingly been converted into a branch of exhaustive Urdu literature named â€Å"Ghalibiyaat†. Ghalib truly excelled in the domain of letter and journal writing (especially letter-writing which he started in 1857), endowing the style a novel characteristic. Before Ghalib ventured into literature, the prose literature included only a few theological and fictional books unnecessarily encumbered with heavy Persian and Arabic words. Ghalib divorced this highly artificial style in vogue, and hospitably welcomed his peculiar austere writing style. He effortlessly wrote two significant Urdu collections of letters; Urdu-e-Muallah (The Royal Urdu) and Ud-i-Hindi (The Indian Amber), laying a solid foundation of easy, popular and yet literary Urdu. He added another prominent feather to his literary cap through his narrative of historical accounts penned into impressive journal/diary format. This format includes Dastanboo (Pellet of Perfume) and Mihr-e-Nim Roz (Midday Sun), both in Persian language. His idiosyncrasy became so popular that even the most popular writers including Maulana Hali and Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan embraced his unpretentious style and carried forth the valuable legacy. Through analysis it becomes clear that there cannot be encountered any essential difference between the style that Ghalib adopted, and the style which is prevalent in today’s era which demands simplicity as well, rather than the complex and incomprehensible literature, embodying the heavy dose of flowery vocabulary and low content value. Ghalib was a gifted and an erudite writer with no dearth of creativity; introducing the new style being the biggest example of his treasure of creative skills. His letters project a clear, uncomplicated, natural and fascinating style, characterized with unimaginable flow, rhythm and spontaneity in his language. He adopted a conversational manner in his letters, giving the impression that he is conducting a conversation with a friend who is ostensibly sitting in front of him, discussing the everyday matters face-to-face. Such open and frank style even assists a reader to bond and gel with writer’s flow of thought. His words are impregnated with loud and fearless expressions of his innermost feelings, and at the same time reflect Ghalib’s highly developed taste and knowledge, owing to his aristocratic lineage. He expresses them openly and frankly, and at the same time he expects the correspondent to reciprocate the same intensity of emotions and frankness. Apart from being simplified linguistically, the letters are quite informal, progressing from the rhyming sentences and flattering epithets/long salutations, which were the characteristic features of the letters written by the educated Muslims, to simple salutations. Indebted to non-ornamental language, the commencement of a letter just by addressing the name of the recipient showed the transition in the long held tradition. Being celebrated for intense, intelligible poetry does not lessen Ghalib’s exceptional talent in wit and humor. A pioneer of informal writing, Ghalib’s recipes never lacked the spice of satire and comedy. His letters are rife in delighting humor and sharp wit, elucidating and highlighting Ghalib’s jolly, candid and loving nature. He even smiled at the gloomiest moments because the severe jolts of life had made him learn to smile in order to strengthen himself in the face of even the most terrible scenarios so as to mitigate the bitter and painful pangs of the agonizing life. For instance, when the 3rd wife of one of his friends died, Ghalib remarked: â€Å"Allah Allah, there are some among us who have been freed from this prison three times and I have for the past 50 years this rope around my neck; neither this rope breaks nor it takes my life. Another such example of his light-heartedness can be seen in one of his letters to Saif-ul-Haq, in which Ghalib candidly and cleverly talks his friend out of sending the predictable gift of mangoes, a fruit, of which he was awfully fond of, but was also flooded with, by his friends and companions. â€Å"I cannot think of anything which I can ask you to send me from Surat. What is there to be had which cannot be had here. I like mangoes no doubt, very much, not less than grapes, but how can they reach here safely from Surat and Bombay. The Malda mangoes are known here as Pewandi and Vilayati. They are fine indeed and they would be finer still at Surat, but it seems you would be going out of the way to send them from there to Delhi. The expense of sending mangoes worth a rupee would amount to about Rs. 4 by the parcel post and even then perhaps 10 out of 100 will get here in a sound condition. Please give up the idea of sending me any. Delicious mangoes of various kinds can be had here in plenty. The Nawab of Rampur often sends presents of fine mangoes from his own garden. While I am writing I have just received two baskets of mangoes from a friend at Bareily. They have been opened in my presence but all except 83 out of 200 sent to me have become rotten. † Ghalib’s inexhaustible fund of humor not only eased his sorrows, but also pacified bereavement of the others. Ghalib himself said: â€Å"I want to write the lines that whoever reads those should enjoy it. † Similarly, his journals are also the epitome of simplicity and the natural flow of language characterized by the starkness of his sadness and the reflection of a bleeding heart. Thematically, Ghalib’s letters are really pivotal and significant as they give a thorough insight into his exceedingly sensitive personality and thought patterns. Ghalib started penning letters to his friends around the tumultuous and chaotic period of Indian Mutiny 1857. This period not only marked profound change in Subcontinent’s history, but also in Ghalib’s life. Ghalib’s beloved city crumbled to the ground, turning into rubbles and waste as a result of aggressive fight between the British and the Indian rebels. It drowned Delhi into the blood of not only the common Indians, but also in the blood of many of Ghalib’s friends. A lot of his friends migrated from crimson-coated Delhi to seek refuge in other parts of the Indian Subcontinent. This left Ghalib in a lot of pain because he could not bear this agonizing disunion as he used to cherish his camaraderie. He once in one of his letters told a friend: â€Å"From hundreds of miles talk with the tongue of pen and enjoy the joy of meeting when you are separated. † To give vent to his gregarious urges, he took a step to compose letters so that he could keep in touch with his comrades, thereby writing 5 to 6 letters a day. His letters mostly written to friends can also be seen as a testimony of his true regard for the pure relationship of friendship and his dependence on this means of communication. Being a writer he was definitely a man of words and therefore, craved to have an outlet of the immense sea of expression that he possessed especially lovingly freed among people that he loved and owning to his affable nature there were many regardless of them being his contemporaries and supposed competition. These feelings can be found in the following extract from a letter to one of his closest friends Tafta: pg 51 â€Å"Well sir would you continue to be cross or would you make peace with me? If you cannot get reconciled to me you should at least tell me the reason of your being cross. In my solitude I live chiefly on letters from friends. When I get a letter from a friend I take it to be a visit from him. There is not a day on which I do not receive several letters from various directions. In fact on some days the postman brings my letters more than once, a few in the morning and a few in the evening. This keeps me busy as well as amused and I easily pass my day in enjoying their perusal and in having the pleasure of writing replies to them. † Through his letters, he communicated well his sentiments regarding the War of Independence 1857, and the decline of the Mughal Empire, including the excruciating effect it rendered on him and his friend’s lives. In his graphic letters, Ghalib presented the horrid picture of how Delhi was converting into a desert due to the scarcity of water, and also how the ruling Indian elite was coming to a dismal end which he so consciously belonged to and boosted off. He gives a picturesque account of the gory annihilation with a deep streak of gloom in it: â€Å"An ocean of blood churns around me – Alas! Were these all! The future will show what remains for me to see! † In addition to this, he shared with his friends the other happenings that manoeuvered his life through the travails of life(Thus, the letters become autobiographical in nature). He also conversed about the mannerism and the propriety observed at that point in time in Delhi. He himself belonged to the royal family of Seljuks, and invariably followed the decorum rampant at that time. A lot of his letters provide the testimony and several allusions to his nobility, the pride he took in it and his high self-respect as he proudly led a resplendent life of a royal person though he always was out of money and depended on the patronage of the royal court and the generosity of his friends. Moreover, Ghalib took great pride in his literary works, and in a letter to his friend and contemporary Majruh, he conscientiously acknowledged his role as the reformer of Urdu writing by introducing a much needed and ground breaking change that was openly adopted by his contemporaries so as to popularize Urdu prose. An extract of it is as following: â€Å"All the wealth of Delhi in gold and pearls and jewellery has flowed into the Punjab as a result of the loot that followed the Mutiny, but this style of writing was my peculiar property. This wealth has been looted by the cruel hands of a man from Panipat who resides in the Ansari’s quarter. However I bear him no grudge for this loot. May God bless him. † This small passage alone holds an array of cultural, historical and autobiographical dimensions. The exquisite letters also bring into light the poet’s unstable monetary conditions as only his poetry could qualify as his ‘property’ for he never even had a house to his name. Needless to say that a talent like Ghalib’s must be rightfully considered as a treasure, but the orphan despite being the owner of such a priceless possession survived owing to his friends’ favors or royal rewards. In the following extract from a letter written to his friend and fellow poet Saif-ul-Haq Sayyah, Ghalib discloses a dependable source of income: â€Å"For 12 years the late Nawab Yusaf Ali Khan of Rampur used to send his verses to me and to send a draft for Rs. 100 every month, but never asked me for a receipt for this money. He used to enclose the draft in his letter and he used occasionally to send a lump sum of Rs. 200 or 250 as a present. During the disturbed period following the mutiny my income from the fort (that us the Red Fort of Delhi) had vanished and the pension from the British government had been stopped. It was through the kindness of the Nawab of Rampur, who continued sending the fixed salary every month and other sums in addition, that I and my dependents managed to live in those days. The present Nawab, his successor, may God preserve him long, continues to send me my monthly salary as usual, though I do not know whether the occasional gifts would continue or not. † This letter shows his unfavorable dependence on others’ generosity and appreciation of literature. However, in the particular era, the royals and the aristocracy deemed all arts to be an asset to the heritage of their nation and did not hesitate in investing in it physically, mentally or financially. Kings, princes, nobles, common men delved into poetry, and it was socially compulsory for men of respectable parentage to show their talent in verses so as to affirm the capability of their cultured and refined minds. Therefore, literary men from all walks of life esteemed Ghalib to be a patron of literature and made him the receiver of many deserved rewards. Unfortunately, the officials and courtesans of that time could be easily regarded as an early manifestation of the corrupt worm that is so dominatingly residing in the insatiable bulging bellies of the clerks and officials of our 21st century government. Ghalib as well became a victim of an absolutely unjust scheme of the devious courtiers which he aptly pens in a letter to his good friend Tafta of which an extract is given below: â€Å"You have reminded me of a very old story, which has revived a sore spot in my heart. A Qasida was submitted through Munshi Husain to Roshan-ud-Daula and through the latter to Nawab Naseer-ud-Din Haider of Lucknow. The Nawab ordered Rs. 5000 to be sent to me on the very day when the Qasida reached him. Muhammad Husain, the middle man, never informed me of the order. The late Muzaffar-ud-Daula came to Delhi from Lucknow sometime after this and told me about it, but he asked me not to tell Muhammad Husain that he had given me this information. I wrote to Sheikh Imam Baksh Nasikh to enquire what had been the fate of my Qasida. He wrote back in reply that a reward of Rs. 5000 had been given by the ruler of Lucknow, but Roshan-ud-Daula himself kept Rs. 3000 out of the sum and gave Rs. 000 to Muhammad Husain telling him to send Ghalib any sum that he liked out of Rs. 2000. Nasikh enquired from me whether Muhammad Husain had sent anything out of the sum to me. I replied that I had not received even five rupees out of the whole sum of Rs5000. Nasikh on hearing this wrote to me again that I should write him a letter stating that I did not know whether any reward for my Qasida had been given by the king and he promised that he would manage to place the letter before the king and to get the person who had taken my money to disgorge it. I wrote a letter to the above effect as desired and posted it; but on the 3rd after the dispatch of the letter I heard a report in Delhi that Naseer-ud-Din Haider was dead. You can see for yourself what I could do and what could be done by Nasikh after this misfortune. † Through Ghalib’s letter, the modern generation is facilitated to learn about the long sowed seed of corruption and injustice and also the mistreatment and exploitation of artists. Although the financial situation of writers, poets and other creative upholders has improved through the progressive times but even now they are not given their due share especially in the East. Similarly in another letter of his to Mir Mahdi Majruh, Ghalib reveals his priority to be his work and not the sales or the profits acquired from his work of art. This shows Ghalib’s respect for his creativity and his unmatchable dignity. As acknowledged before by critics he was â€Å"too much of a poet to think like a business man† which also depicts the older generations’ simplicity and sensitive ego. The passage goes as: â€Å"You tell me that there are many people desirious of purchasing the book and that I should let you know the price. I am not a broker, a bookseller or the manager of a press. The owner of the Ahmadi press, where it has been published, is Muhammad Husain Khan. Its manager is Mirza Ammun Khan, the press is at shahdara. The owner lives at Delhi in Kucha Rai Man. The price of the book is -/6/-, postage extra. You may give this information to intending purchasers, who may send for any number of copies they may like by post. They may remit the price either in cash or in postage stamps to the above address. You and I have nothing to do with the matter. Owning to his self-confidence and self-assurance, Ghalib did not indulge in building facades and rightfully took the responsibility of a much needed literary reformer. Through his auto- biographical letters, many of the decadent literary traditions of the past times are revealed to us. For example, in those days authors and poets had the habit of sending their works and books to their fellow esteemed colleagues to write eulogistic notes on them as a guarantee of the writer’s brilliance and talent regardless of its actual existence which in Urdu is known as â€Å"Taqriz†. The friends asked of the favor used to be under an unspoken oath of flooding their notes with excessively high praises and ostentatious bouquets of compliments, deserving or undeserving, which tainted the credibility of the author himself and the notes were cleverly ignored by the clever audience as a blank page of any book. Ghalib put a stop to this hollow practice and became moderate in offering praises due to which many of his friends felt mistreated at the hands of the usually generous Ghalib. Tafta, also once complained of the unkindness with which he was met when he received a meager gratification for one of his books which is illustrated in the following extract: â€Å"I cannot give up my principles. I do not know that style of Indian writers of Persian in which they begin to praise one like professional bhats. Look at my qasidas you will find that the proportions of poetical flights on general subjects of a literary nature is much larger in them than the verses devoted to the eulogy of the person praised. The same principle I follow in my prose. Look at the Taqriz I wrote on the book of Nawab Mustafa Khan and see how small the space devoted in it, to his praise is. See again the preface I wrote for the Diwan of Mirza Rahim-ud-Din Haya or look at the Taqriz I wrote at the instance of Mr. John Jacob on his edition of the Diwan-i-Hafiz. There is only one verse in praise of him and the rest of the writing, in prose, is on other interesting topics. I assure you if I had written a preface to a collection of poems of a prince I would not have given him more space than I have given to the praise of your work. If you knew this peculiarity of mine, you would have regarded the praise that I have bestowed on your work as enough. † Similarly being one of the most celebrated and prominent writers of those times and also of the times ahead, Ghalib was a recipient of many books and works of his colleagues and reverent pupils for corrections, criticism, improvements and advice, a common practice in the era in question. It was commonplace for men of education to indulge in literary writings regardless of their parentage. Therefore, more room for criticism and professional help was made. Masters also, openly accepted this tedious and monetarily fruitless challenge so as to increase the number of their subservient pupils, a matter of pride and popularity in those days and also to encourage and invest in literary taste which in the 18th century was a testimony of refined culture. Ghalib in order to help his colleagues and pupils ran in extra mile by not only correcting their mistakes but by also writing helpful but lengthy additional notes so as to ensure improvement and fulfill his responsibility. An example of this is the following extract from a letter to Tafta in which Ghalib dutifully criticizes his sent work: â€Å"Well done. What a nice Qaida you have written? The continuity of sense and the simplicity of words are praise-worthy. One of your lines coincides with a line of a verse from Shaukat of Bukhara that is chak gardidamo az jaib badaman raftam. I think you may well be proud of your thought having reached the same height as that of Shaukat in this line, but the line preceding this in your poem does not come up to the corresponding line of Shaukat.