Jesse Owens †A Legend Essay Example for Free

Jesse Owens – A Legend Essay The legendary Track and Field athlete, known to the world as Jesse Owens, was born James Cleveland Owens on September 12, 1913. It’s claimed that the nine-year-old’s accent made it difficult for his schoolteacher in Ohio to understand Owens when he gave his name as â€Å"JC. † Instead the teacher wrote his name down as â€Å"Jesse† (Gentry, 1990, p. 34). Jesse’s first brush with running was to be in the hills of Alabama, his home state. At the time though, Jesse was a sickly child given to frequent attacks of Pneumonia and other medical issues including the appearance of boils. His training for the track and field events only began when he entered Fairmont Junior High School where he was noticed by Charles Riley, an Irishman who was quick to take into account Jesse’s â€Å"potential† despite his lack of a strong physique. Riley, took the time to coach Jesse before school began each day so that Jesse would be free after school to do the part time jobs he’d taken up to contribute towards his family’s financial betterment. There’s nothing to show that Jesse’s typical workouts weren’t anything but pretty basic in terms of the equipment available and the routines followed in those early years. Practicing the various techniques of starting and running as well as long jump is what Jesse engaged in. Making the most of this humble start, Jesse soon began to draw attention to his abilities, having by this time, enrolled in East Technical High School. Owens then went on to join the Ohio State University where he continued to break records and draw attention though still failing to get a scholarship on account of his race. Owens greatest contribution to American history came in Berlin where the 1936 Summer Olympics were held. Jesse Owens went on to win four gold medals for his country – 100m sprint, 200m sprint, 4 x100m relay and long jump in the face of strong prejudices exhibited by Adolf Hitler who was intent on showing off the superiority of the Aryan race to the world. Americans greeted him with great enthusiasm on his return, and cheered his accomplishments heartily (Corrigan, 1990, p. 18). Track and Field events gained popularity in the United States. However, Jesse himself was not to benefit from all these events.

The Historical Perspective Of Mass Media Laws Media Essay

The Historical Perspective Of Mass Media Laws Media Essay Mass Media laws in subcontinent have a long history and are deeply rooted in the countrys colonial experience under British rule. The earliest regulatory measures can be traced back to 1799 when Lord Wellesley promulgated the Press Regulations, which had the effect of imposing pre-censorship on an infant newspaper publishing industry. The onset of 1835 saw the promulgation of the Press Act, which undid most of, the repressive features of earlier legislations on the subject.   Thereafter on 18th June 1857, the government passed the Gagging Act, which among various other things, introduced compulsory licensing for the owning or running of printing presses; empowered the government to prohibit the publication or circulation of any newspaper, book or other printed material and banned the publication or dissemination of statements or news stories which had a tendency to cause a furore against the government, thereby weakening its authority.   Then followed the Press and Registration of Books Act in 1867. Governor General Lord Lytton promulgated the Vernacular Press Act of 1878 allowing the government to clamp down on the publication of writings deemed seditious and to impose punitive sanctions on printers and publishers who failed to fall in line. In 1908, Lord Minto promulgated the Newspapers (Incitement to Offences) Act, 1908 which authorized local authorities to take action against the editor of any newspaper that published matter deemed to constitute an incitement to rebellion.   Thus, although the freedom of the press is guaranteed as a fundamental right, it is necessary for us to deal with the various laws governing the different areas of media so as to appreciate the vast expanse of media laws. Media laws in Pakistan through different regimes: Political  instability in Pakistan affected the Media tremendously. All branches of media were affected but print media suffered badly. Although, it was declared many times in constitution that freedom of speech and expression would be provided to the media. However, this rule was never truly implemented and many political leaders banned the press during their regime. In the constitution of 1956, an article specifically devoted to freedom of speech was included. The 1956 Constitution lasted less than three years and was abrogated by the imposition of martial law in October 1958. In 1962, with the removal of Martial law a new constitution was enforced which continued the recognition of an initial concept of freedom of expression. But in reality, a military ruler imposed the constitution, which was completely devoid of laws of freedom. However, the strong reaction of press and the public resulted in Constitutional Amendment No. 1 to the 1962 Constitution and in 1963; the Press and Pu blications Ordinance (PPO) came into being. PPO contained the harshest of laws curtailing freedom of expression and the progressive development of the media. But soon in March 1969, General Yahya Khan imposed martial law and relied heavily on one of the measures of this ordinance, the system of press advice given out by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in order to avoid publication of news and reports deemed unsuitable for public consumption. During this period, newspapers and magazines known for their independent and progressive views were taken over by the government. Eventually the National Press Trust, created in 1964, took over these journals and acted as a front to control a section of the press. Promulgation of the Western Pakistan Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance had the aim was to consolidate into one law different provisions for preventive detention of persons and control of persons and publications for reasons connected with the maintenance of public order and refine and reinforce the mechanism of repression. With amendments in 1963 and 1964, this law empowered the government to ban the printing of publications, to enter and search premises, and to prohibit import of newspapers, among other measures. These powers have been used by succeeding governments right up until the government of Musharraf. In 1961, the government also took over the principal news agency of the country, the APP, to get a strong grasp of media, arguing that administrative and economical breakdown justified such a move. Instead of giving permission to private enterprise to improve the quality of the news agency, the government saw this as an opportunity to suppress the news that were supplied to the print media, to radio, and to the outside world. In spite of such repressive times, the press took a bold stand by providing alternative sources of news through an independent press and in this way press started a rebellion against government. During the regime of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a President and Pakistans first civilian Chief, government reacted very strongly to criticism by various members of the press, and to suppress free voices imprisoned editors and publishers on the pretext of national security. The next five years represented the beginnings of democracy; however, they were spoiled by repressive actions toward the press. The new constitution, although formulated on the principles of democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech, failed to serve the purpose. The PPO remained, as did the National Press Trust. Moreover, through compulsion and manipulation, the government insured that the only other news agency in the country (besides the government-owned APP), the Pakistan Press International (PPI), was brought under its authority. In 1977, with the implementation of martial law abuse of journalists became public rather than covert. Journalists were flogged in public at governments notion and until August 1988 mass media gone through a stunning oppression. The only positive fact of this era was the restoration of the news agency PPI to its original shareholders. Since then PPI provides a valuable alternative news source to the government-controlled APP. In December 1985, the new democratic political figure came into power but that relied on the old media laws. A caretaker government provided transition to a full-fledged democracy, which included repealing the press law that had pressurized the media for so long. A new law, known as the Registration of Printing Presses and Publications Ordinance was installed in 1988. A key change in this law was enforced to stop government from intrusion in media. District Magistrate was supposed to issue a receipt to an applicant for the issuance of a declaration for the keeping of a printing press or the publication of a journal to provide the applicant with proof that would help avoid government interference. The most significant change or difference made by press law of 1988 was that governmental influence on media was reduced to a minimum limit and appeals were also now allowed. In addition, newspapers were given freedom and no longer obligated to publish in full the press notes issued by the government authorities. However, as representative bodies of the press wanted to revise the law of 1988 for a variety of reasons, so this press law continued to be re-promulgated as a decree through 1997, even though the Supreme Court ruled such re-promulgation illegal. The November 1988 elections brought with them a new phase of liberalism toward the mass media laws and regulations. During the rule of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, freedom of Expression and thought was uprising. But due to enormous political pressure and stress, media returned to the old, one-sided coverage after only four months. The free press grew stronger during this phase; and exhibited a new spirit in reporting the news and in analyzing the current affairs. Ministry of Information allowed a free and open system of importing newsprint at market prices. In 1990, with the dissolution of Benazir,s government, the new Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, took over and restored the issuance of permits system for news-print import for some unknown reasons. During this phase, government put sensational pressure on independent journalists, using both covert and overt means of revenge. To be honest, media was truly oppressed and tyrannized. In May 2000 Musharrafs regime was strengthened by a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court to validate the October 1999 coup as having been necessary; at the same time the Court announced that the Chief Executive should name a date not later than 90 days before the expiry of the three-year period from In 1999, Musharrafs administration seemed to follow a more open minded policy towards the press with fewer restrictions and much less exploitation. However, some sources reported continued harassment of and dangers to journalists. Mile stones: 1997: Nawaz Sharif overpowered Benazir Bhutto in the elections and activated a two-and-a half year reign of terror against the press. 1999: General Pervez Musharraf brought down Sharif, suspended the constitution, and declared martial law; Press harassment was reported and government agents raid the countrys most influential newspaper, Jang, because it was too critical of the government. 2001: Government introduced legislation to create a Press Council and new press laws. 2002: Journalists supported idea that the freedom of Information Ordinance Act allowed access to public records and details of decisions made by superior courts, armed forces, financial institutions, and intelligence agencies. 2010: Government could not check media outburst due to globalization. Many media officials and experts have now decided to suppress media terrorism by banning the display of bloodshed and massacre. Current situation: Presently, government has failed to check or ban media from spreading information because of intense technological advancements. Now nothing can remain hidden because of vast network of internet. Every person has free excess to the news around the globe. Requirement of media laws: As far as the question that is it necessary to call for media laws? is concerned we can easily say that laws absolutely necessary for the proper functioning of any organization as they help to maintain check and balance. Following arguments prove the significance of media laws: 1) Media sometimes crosses the limits and does more than enough, in order to stop this there should be a check/law. 2) We often hear much about fundamental human rights on media, but by exhibiting violation of these rights media itself violates human rights. That thing also needs to be suppressed. 3) Personal and communal privacy is highly affected by media. No secret remains secret because of media globalization. Some things happen to worth keeping private so to protect privacy law is essential. 4) The owner of the product is responsible that in case the product is provided to be used by somebody else, that this user is in compliance with the above rules and regulations and agrees to not mention, comment, state or otherwise discuss anything about the respective product. A corresponding law may need to govern import restrictions so that ANYTHING, product or service or even visitors to the respective country need to sign when entering the respective country to obey to this law. Media legislative bodies in Pakistan: The Authority or government is responsible for assisting and regulating the establishment and operation of all private broadcast media and distribution services in Pakistan established for the purpose of international, national, provincial, district, and local or special target audiences. Government has made special organizations to deal with media. New legislation has been planned for the formation of Press Council. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and Ministry of information are two famous lawmaking bodies in this country. CENSORSHIP: Censorship is considered very important in perspective of media. It holds same significance for media as a bridle for a horse. It keeps media in limits. A governmental organization censors anything that is considered morally corrupt. But as an old latin phrase states WHO WILL GUARD THE GUARDS, here comes a point that who will suggest that something is morally crooked? Code of ethics is one thing which will help here. All laws of censorship are meaningless without the code of ethics. Government of Pakistan has tried very hard to implement laws of censorship. But this is crystal clear that Pakistani censor board has awfully failed to do so. The reason definitely is the stark absence of code of ethics. Censorship saturates journalism history in Pakistan; certainly, the blackest censorship period came during General Zias 10-year military regime. Almost all journalists recall that as an era of thorough control. Government used most subtle means of censorship. It specified that whoever contravenes any provision of this regulation shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to ten years, and shall be liable to fine or stripes not to exceed twenty-five. Sharif used additional means to ensure press observance. He used intelligence operatives to penetrate newsrooms and press unions and sent many spies doubling as reporters, and journalists moonlighting as government agents, trust became difficult for all. PRESS LAWS: Our freedom depends in large part, on the continuation of a free press, which is the strongest guarantee of a free society.    Richard M. Schmidt-   Constitutional Provisions Guarantees An article in constitution Pakistan provides freedom of speech and fundamental rights, this piece of writing refers especially to press and is given below: Article 19, Freedom of Speech: Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, commission of or incitement to an offense. The Constitution ensures the freedom of expression and freedom of the press with reasonable restrictions that may be forced by law. Judiciary holds the responsibility to determine parameters of the permissible freedoms and the extent to which media should be restricted. The judiciary can serve its purpose only if it is independent and free of any political, social and communal pressure. It is a general observation that judiciary accommodates the freedom of expression and information, and wants to fortify the mass media. But government officials and big guns often have great influence on judiciary or to be more precise, we can say that the courts are directly controlled by them. The reason perhaps lies in the fact that the president controls the selection, transfer, and tenure of judges. Especially when any military dictator gets control of government, judiciary bears the burnt of disturbance. The incident that happened in January 2000, when Musharraf required all judges to take an oa th of loyalty to his regime the Supreme Court Justice and five colleagues refused, is the best example of government control on judiciary. The constitution also sketch outs the power of the president to promulgate decrees and to set aside fundamental rights during an emergency period when his own interest comes in question. Musharrafs military coup on October 12, 1999, led to such an annihilation of fundamental rights and violation of laws when he suspended constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive, appointed an eight-member National Security Council to function as the supreme governing body of Pakistan and dissolved both the Senate and the National Assembly. On May 16, 2002, the Minister of Information, along with the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors and the All Pakistan Newspaper Society, released drafts for the legislation for comment and debate. Newspaper editors also urged that the Freedom of Information Act and the amended Registration of Printing Press and Publication Ordinance be promulgated by the government, along with the Press Council Ordinance. The International Press Institute (IPI) identified major concerns including the desire to create a quasi-judicial body without proper procedures in place to provide fairness and equity. The IPI also expressed reservations about the proposed composition, financing, and the terminology used in describing the ethical code, and made a number of recommendations for improving the draft ordinance. The PFUJ and the APNEC reacted in similar ways to the proposed legislation. In a joint statement issued on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, leaders of the two organizations said they regretted that the Press and Publication Ordinance against which the journalists community had striven for almost two decades had once again been revived and newspapers were being closed down under the same black law. The statement said fresh attempts in the shape of the Press Council were being framed by Musharrafs government to silence the voice of the print media in the country. They said the PFUJ and APNEC had already rejected the idea of setting up the council and that news people were still being subjected to different pressure tactics, including threats to their lives. They demanded that the government repeal more than 16 black laws, including the Press and Publication Ordinance, and to insure implementation of the labor laws by ending exploitation of the working journalists and newspaper worke rs. They also called for enforcing the Freedom of Information Act to ensure easy access to information. The only other press laws in effect while the current proposed press laws are under review are general ones prohibiting publication of obscene material, inciting religious, parochial, or ethnic provocations, and anti-defamation provisions. Foreign Ownership of Domestic Media: Due to continual foreign intervention previous press laws included provisions restricting foreign ownership in the press. The law specified that a non-inhabitant of Pakistan could hold shares in any newspaper only with the approval of the government and only if such chipping in ownership should not be more than 25 percent of the entire proprietary interest. Currently, there is no such information on foreign ownership provisions in the proposed new press laws. Summing up: Pakistans chaotic history, coupled with its ongoing political and economic crises, places the press in the position of informing the citizenry while also providing a check on the powers in office. Since its founding in 1947, Pakistan has suffered three periods of martial law and two military dictatorships, nevertheless the press goes on. The freedoms that insure the existence of the press are contained in Pakistans constitution, which remained suspended in 2002, and yet the press lasts and continues to safeguard those freedoms. Over the years members of the press have been arrested and jailed, have had their offices raided and ransacked, have been publicly flogged, and severely censored, tortured and pained. But the press still persists and has a stronger voice today than ever before. Members of the Pakistan press must work diligently to have their voices heard in the governments attempt to create a Press Council and new press laws. Problems facing the Pakistan press are not new, nor are there any quick fixes to them. Recent arrests of respected Pakistani journalists have spurred concern. Pakistan is dependent upon foreign aid, however, and is thus vulnerable to international pressures, which should help the plight of journalists being abused. In addition, a new generation of female editors who are sensitive to the abuses otherwise ignored by their male counterparts will undoubtedly help journalists and human rights victims. Conclusion:   In this age of media explosion, you cannot simply remain restrained to the boundaries of the traditional media. The media world has expanded its dimensions by encompassing within its orbit, the widening vistas of cyber media etc. The word law with media reminds us of a ferocious horse who has been forced to follow certain predetermined pathways, but as it seems nearly impossible to control the horse so the case of media is just like that. The more you try to organize the horse the more you get in trouble. But here are other ways to overcome the trouble; instead of dealing with the problem by force wed better put it in some sensible hands. It means, wed control media with code of ethics and morals rather than with laws or force.

Leonardo da Vinci :: History Biography

Leonardo da Vinci Painter, sculptor, inventor. Born April 15, 1452 near the village of Vinci, Italy. He was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci, a prominent notary of Florence, who had no other children until much later. Ser Piero raised his son himself, a common practice at the time, arranging for Leonardo's mother to marry a villager. When Leonardo was 15, his father apprenticed him to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading artist of Florence and a characteristic talent of the early Renaissance. A sculptor, painter, and goldsmith, Verrocchio was a remarkable craftsman, and his great skill and passionate concern for quality of execution, as well as his interest in expressing the vital mobility of the human figure, were important elements in Leonardo's artistic formation. Indeed, much in Leonardo's approach to art was evolutionary from tradition rather than revolutionary against it, although the opposite is often true of his results. After completing his apprenticeship, Leonardo stayed on as an assistant in Verrocchio's shop, and his earliest known painting is a product of his collaboration with the master. In Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ (ca. 1475), Leonardo executed one of the two angels, a fact already recorded in the 16th century, as well as the distant landscape, and he added the final touches to the figure of Christ, determining the texture of the flesh. Collaboration on a major project by a master and his assistant was standard procedure in the Italian Renaissance. What is special is that Leonardo's work is not, as was usual, a slightly less skilled version of Verrocchio's manner of painting but an original approach altering it. It completely possesses all the fundamental qualities of Leonardo's mature style and implies a criticism of the early Renaissance. By changing hard metallic surface effects to soft yielding ones, making edges less cutting, and increasing the slight modulations of light and shade, Leonardo evoked a new flexibility within the figures. This "soft union," as Giorgio Vasari called it, is also present in the special lighting and is emphatically developed in the spiral turn of the angel's head and body and the vast depth of the landscape. Apparently Leonardo had painted one extant work, the Annunciation in Florence, before this. It is much nearer to Verrocchio in the stability of the two figures shown in profile, the clean precision of the decorative details, and the large simple shapes of the trees, but it already differs in the creamier modeling of the faces. Leonardo da Vinci :: History Biography Leonardo da Vinci Painter, sculptor, inventor. Born April 15, 1452 near the village of Vinci, Italy. He was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci, a prominent notary of Florence, who had no other children until much later. Ser Piero raised his son himself, a common practice at the time, arranging for Leonardo's mother to marry a villager. When Leonardo was 15, his father apprenticed him to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading artist of Florence and a characteristic talent of the early Renaissance. A sculptor, painter, and goldsmith, Verrocchio was a remarkable craftsman, and his great skill and passionate concern for quality of execution, as well as his interest in expressing the vital mobility of the human figure, were important elements in Leonardo's artistic formation. Indeed, much in Leonardo's approach to art was evolutionary from tradition rather than revolutionary against it, although the opposite is often true of his results. After completing his apprenticeship, Leonardo stayed on as an assistant in Verrocchio's shop, and his earliest known painting is a product of his collaboration with the master. In Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ (ca. 1475), Leonardo executed one of the two angels, a fact already recorded in the 16th century, as well as the distant landscape, and he added the final touches to the figure of Christ, determining the texture of the flesh. Collaboration on a major project by a master and his assistant was standard procedure in the Italian Renaissance. What is special is that Leonardo's work is not, as was usual, a slightly less skilled version of Verrocchio's manner of painting but an original approach altering it. It completely possesses all the fundamental qualities of Leonardo's mature style and implies a criticism of the early Renaissance. By changing hard metallic surface effects to soft yielding ones, making edges less cutting, and increasing the slight modulations of light and shade, Leonardo evoked a new flexibility within the figures. This "soft union," as Giorgio Vasari called it, is also present in the special lighting and is emphatically developed in the spiral turn of the angel's head and body and the vast depth of the landscape. Apparently Leonardo had painted one extant work, the Annunciation in Florence, before this. It is much nearer to Verrocchio in the stability of the two figures shown in profile, the clean precision of the decorative details, and the large simple shapes of the trees, but it already differs in the creamier modeling of the faces.

A Christmas Carol - character study of Scrooge Essay -- English Litera

A Christmas Carol - character study of Scrooge "A Christmas Carol" â€Å"Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!† Scrooge is the main character in the novel ‘A Christmas Carol’. At the beginning of the novel he is a brutal, evil, pitiless, cold-hearted man, but subsequent to meeting three spirits, Scrooge regrets his life and decides he needs to alter it. The main theme Charles Dickens conveys through the story is redemption; this is significant especially in the Victorian era, whilst there was an immense gap between the prosperous and the inadequate. Dickens uses Scrooge (a rich, greedy business man) to direct his novel to the very rich people, and to exhibit how money can impede your good judgement. Charles’s life influenced his writing, like in ‘A Christmas Carol’; you can relate his stories to his life. Most of Dickens writing was regarding poverty because at the time he was deprived. He had to work in a factory when he was only twelve and when he was fifteen he was employed in a solicitors office, therefore he empathizes what being a clerk was like, as one of the characters in ‘A Christmas Carol’. Dickens chose to call his story ‘A Christmas Carol’ because carols have some moral background and to teach people a lesson, and that’s exactly what Dickens wanted to do, he wanted people to learn something from reading this novel. Another reason why Dickens called his story ‘A Christmas Carol’ is because it was written at Christmas time. The idea of a song is continued in the structure of the novel because it is divided into staves rather than chapters, which remind us of a song. Dickens incorporates Victorian Christmas traditions into his story, as well as prom... ...y Tim, who fortunately does not die. Scrooge is able to redeem himself by becoming a better person; from cruel and cold-hearted man to a kind loving person. This links back to the idea of the Christianity and redemption and the religious term referring to being saved. I n this case, Scrooge is being saved from dying a lonely, sad, old man. Scrooge’s story relates to society because it people that if a man as bad as Scrooge can change and transform himself for the better , the everyone else can as well then our society would be a much better place for us to live in. The moral lesson that Dickens wants to convey is not to be greedy, don’t let money obstruct your good judgement and money does not buy you happiness. Another lesson Dickens wants to teach his reader’s is that even if you haven’t been good all your life just like Scrooge you could also change.

Fossil Fuels and the Environment: :: Envrionmental Pollution Essays

Fossil Fuels and the Environment Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been watching cartoon shows like Captain Planet, which talked about pollution and the earth. I didn’t really understand what they were talking about then and its sad to say that only recently have a grasped the true message of the show. As kids and adolescents were mostly told to recycle, it wasn’t until college that I acquired a broader perspective on the subject of preserving the environment. Fossil fuels are an indispensable part of human survival. However, from beginning to end this process leaves many scars on the planet. In the process of extracting coal for example, we destroy the top soil of the earth. Before the environmental acts, the holes where the excavation was performed were left uncovered, creating acid lakes from the iron pyrite left behind. End use produces pollutants from combustion, such as sulfur and nitrogen oxide (SOX and NOX), particulate matter (ROX), and carbon monoxide (CO) and un-burnt hydrocarbons (UHC). These pollutants, either separately or in combination with one another, are responsible for smog in the ozone, acid rain, and The Greenhouse Effect. Now comes the interesting part. The earth gets the majority of its heat from the radiation of the sun. Most of this heat should be radiated into space, yet this process is being obstructed by the amount of CO2 and other gases. While researching for this subject I also came across the problem of deforestation. Scientists say, since temperature changes could affect major climate patterns, alter species’ habitats, and have other unknown consequences. The melting of the polar Ice caps is the biggest cause for worry at the moment. Rising temperatures have a dramatic impact on Arctic ice, which serves as a kind of "air conditioner" at the top of the world. Since 1978 Arctic sea ice area has shrunk by some 9 percent per decade, and thinned as well. Climate models suggest that global warming could cause more frequent extreme weather conditions. Intense hurricanes and storm surges could threaten coastal communities, while heat waves, fires and drought could also become more common. Reading this information causes trepidation particularly because of the abnormal amount of Hurricanes that we suffered through this year. This only proves that global warming is real and a bigger threat than we might have envision ed. As mentioned before the earth receives most of it heat form the sun, at least 32% of it is reflected back by the ice caps.

Jollibee Case Study Essay

1. Introduction Anil K. Gupta and Vijay Govindarajan argue in their article, â€Å"Knowledge flows and the structure of control within multinational corporations†, that mainly all previous research on strategic control within multinational companies (MNCs) has paid attention to why these choose to go abroad. They instead argue that for successful offshore business, one must understand how communication flows within the different sub-units of the organization. As Jollibee Foods Corporation considers whether they should establish a fourth store in Hong Kong, it faces several challenges. One of the main challenges regards knowledge transfer between its Filipino facilities and the newly established ones abroad. It is therefore relevant to look at the following research question: What consequences does the current â€Å"strategic control over its subsidiaries† have on the knowledge transfer between the Jollibee headquarters on the Philippines and the offshore Jollibee Food plants in Hong Kong? In answering the research question, we will start by explaining the framework of Gupta & Govindarajan’s (1991) on different kinds of subsidiaries, with attention paid to knowledge transfer and their related control instruments. Further we will examine what kind of challenges Jollibee Foods Corporation is facing with its expansion to Hong Kong. Finally, the above analysis will provide us with information about the existing opportunities on the Chinese market and will enable us to suggest a reconstruction of the offshore business in Hong Kong to make it more successful. Jollibee meets several tasks in their offshoring project, but due to space limitation there will in this paper only be focus on two selected challenges, the challenges of adjusting to Chinese taste and their management structure. 2. Jollibee Foods Construction and its strategic control over its subsidiary in Hong-Kong Gupta and Govindarajan (1991) proposed that there exists a certain association between different types of subsidiary units and the strategic corporate control of that subsidiary. They defined four ideal types as; Implementor, Global innovator, Integrated Player and Local Innovator, based on the amount of knowledge that flows and the direction of this knowledge, between the subsidiary and the rest of the MNC. Upon Tingzon ´s arrival the main strategy of the offshore business has been â€Å"flag planting†. Flag planting aims at establishing a presence in each market before competitors, and so, emphasizing at implementing customer expectation, influencing taste and building brand (case p. 11). The initial plan in Hong Kong has been to become one of the major players in the market fast. The previous international strategy meant that the subsidiaries in Hong Kong functioned as implementors. An implementor is characterized by a high degree of knowledge inflow from the headquarters but with a low degree of knowledge outflow; hence mainly applying the strategy used in the parent company without any local adaption (Gupta and Govindarajan 1991). Functioning as an implementor has meant that the established Hong Kong stores have not been engaged in any knowledge creation, but simply followed instructions from the Filipino headquarters. Furthermore one can argue that Jollibee’s approach to Hong Kong has been to primarily implement the already existing practices from the Philippines. For example, the menu offered in Hong Kong is almost the same as the Filipino one, knowledge of what to sell has simply been brought in from headquarter (case page. 12) Further evidence arguing for that the Hong Kong subsidiary has been operating like an implementor can be seen in the management transfer of the CEO’s brother-in-law, from the parent company to the Hong Kong subsidiary (case page 12). In addition, the store-level managers were all Filipino while little crew were Chinese and staffing problems consequently grew. To solve the problem the Manila based Franchise Service Manager worked continuously with Hong Kong for more than six months, without success. In 1997 a dispute over discipline between the four Chinese Managers, and the five Filipino Managers, resulted in the Chinese Managers leaving Jollibee with only Filipino crew left (page 12). This points towards the subsidiaries in Hong Kong adapting the characteristic of an implementor, e.g. pure inflow of knowledge from the parent company and little outflow of knowledge from the Hong Kong subsidiary. Furthermore is the overall â€Å"flag planting† strategy of Jollibee very i ndicative of the skewed power balance between Jollibee and its subsidiaries. 3. Organizational Challenges Jollibee experienced the internal challenges of organizational culture clash between its implemented Filipino workers and the Chinese staff. Furthermore the implementation of the international menu was not as successful as expected (case p. 13). The strategy of focusing on Filipino expatriates in new markets, might has helped Jollibee’s entry to the Hong-Kong market, since they already had a distinguished costumer group of Filipinos. But as Tingzon asks in the case â€Å"might we risk boxing ourselves into a Filipino niche that prevents us from growing enough to support operations in each country?† (case p. 11). We found that the expatriate-led strategy have prevented further expansion of the company on the Hong Kong market. This is due to the local knowledge that resides in Chinese workers and managers are not exploited when only employing Filipino managers. As stated above, in the early entry into the Hong Kong market, Jollibee did also employ Chinese managers but due to their sole implementation of inflows from headquarters, clashes arose between the Chinese and the Filipino managers. Furthermore one major challenge to successfully establish a fourth store and gain more market share is to adapt the prevailing menu to the Chinese taste. The main challenge for Jollibee now is how to realize, and best use, the knowledge that resides in Chinese workers. 4. Altering the Strategy for the Hong Kong Subsidiary From the above section we can conclude that there exists several challenges of how the subsidiary in Hong Kong has previously been structured, for example has one of the sub-franchisees tried to suggest changes to the menu. To be able to attract more local costumers he proposed low fat chicken and Chinese tea, as he sensed a demand for these products among the Chinese people (case p. 12). He has tried to implement these changes for several of months but has not yet received a go-ahead from the headquarters. This indicates that Jollibee mainly sees its subsidiaries as implementors, without any outflow of local knowledge to the other subsidiaries. But for Jollibee to succeed in opening a fourth store and increase its market share on the Hong Kong market, reconstruction and adaption to the local market is crucial. The top management saw a high profit potential in Hong Kong, and therefore urged Tingzon to open the fourth store. But as the profit potential is high, the competition in Hong Kong for similar food companies, such as McDonalds, is also very intense. Jollibee Food Construction does not have the competitive advantage of a first mover and is not alone on the market. For example has their main competitor, McDonald’s, both stronger brand recognition in the Hong Kong market and they are stronger financially. Hence Jollibee has to take on a different subsidiary strategy than the â€Å"implementor†, in order to success (Hymer p. 61). With this in mind the strategy of the Hong Kong sub-division can become a successful sub-division if it adapts the characteristics of a local innovator instead of trying to be an implementor, with both low inflow and outflow of knowledge. One main challenge for Jollibee is to attract more local employees and as Gupta and Govindarajan’s proposition 3 states; under norms and administrative rationality will the composition of the top-management for the specific subsidiary consist of mainly locals if the division acts as a local innovator (Gupta and Govindarajan 1991). As an implementor has the possibility for autonomous initiative been low while it as a local innovator exists space to adapt to the local environment, e.g. for Jollibee to take on a more Chinese menu. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, as Jollibee decide whether or not to establish one more store in Hong Kong, they have to look over their strategic control over its subsidiaries. As examined above, the company has mainly viewed their subsidiaries as implementors. We found this international strategy insufficient, and that it hindered them to fully exploit the market potential in Hong Kong. The prevailing challenges for Jollibee now is how to realize and best use the knowledge that resides in Chinese workers. Due to limitations of the paper, it is only a fraction of possible explanations that have been highlighted and these revolve primarily around the importance of increasing the local engagement in the Hong Kong subsidiary, and increase the local innovation towards more local taste. Hence we argue for Jollibee’s subsidiaries in Hong Kong to adapt towards a local innovator role. 6. Bibliography Case: Bartlett, C. A. (2001). Jollibee Foods Corporation (A): International Expansion. Harvard Business School Gupta, A.K.,Govindarajan, V. (1991). Knowledge flows and the structure of control within multinational corporations. Academy of Management, Review 16(4) 768-792 Gupta, A.K., Govindarajan, V. (2000). Knowledge flows within multinational corporations. Strategic Management Journal 21, pp. 473-496. letto-Gilles, G. (2005). â€Å"Hymer ´s seminal work†, in Part III Modern Theories in Transnational Corporations and International Production. Academic Books, Copenhagen Business School. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. Schlegelmilch, B., Ambos, B., Chini, T. (2003/4). Are you ready to learn from your offshore affiliates? European Business Forum, 16

Meaning of life †Existentialism Essay

? Throughout the story, Grendel is trying to find the meaning of life. He is trying to understand the purpose of living, and was looking for something to steer him in the right direction. In Chapter five, when Grendel finally meets the dragon, he finally believes that he has found the meaning of life. Grendel begins his life by being an existentialist. He was basically alone when he was young, and was left to figure out the world around him with no help. It was confusing to him, and that is how he developed the idea of existentialism. He believed that he alone existed. Existentialism stresses freedom of choice, and he had the power to do whatever he wanted to do, so it made sense. He eventually realizes that he does not control the world when he says, â€Å"I think, trying to suck in breath, and all that I do not see is useless, void. (Pg. 29)† After coming to this realization, Grendel looks for a different meaning to life. He then listens to the Shaper, who tells lies to make the Danes feel better about themselves and have a meaning to life. As much as he wants to believe the Shaper and live his life according to what he says, Grendel felt too ashamed believing in lies to do so. He decided that he would rather be an outcast if that was what it took to find the truth. He believed that he had found truth after talking to the dragon. The dragon is a nihilist. He sees no purpose in life. He claims to know everything, â€Å"the beginning, the present, and the end. (Pg. 62)† His basis behind nihilism is that everything eventually comes to an end, even himself. He thinks that there is no point in trying to better mankind because in the end it won’t matter. In the dragon’s mind, we are all fighting a lost cause, and there so there is no point in trying. He puts down humans, and especially the Shaper. He says that the shaper is just giving the Danes an illusion, and does not know any more than they do. The only important thing for the dragon is finding gold. The dragon tells all of this to Grendel, who is at first skeptical of what he is hearing. He began to take the dragon more seriously when the dragon says that humans needed him in order to think and scheme and that Grendel caused humans to have science and religion. This gave Grendel the identity that he had been looking for: â€Å"I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings. (Pg. 80)† Grendel became on board with nihilism. He now became â€Å"enraged† when he heard the Shaper tell his lies and felt like he was giving the Danes a purpose when he killed them, which only caused him to kill more. Grendel thought that he had found his purpose in life, although it ended up leading to his death. His belief in nihilism made him not stop killing, and also believe that he was important to the Danes. He believed that him killing Beowulf would be good for the Danes, and that is why he tried to kill him. Beowulf ended up killing Grendel. Had Grendel changed his views he would not have gotten killed by Beowulf and everyone would have been better off.