Mass Culture and the Visual Arts Essay

The essay of Jean Baudrillad is a highly philosophical and sociological paper. It uses complex terms, a lot of analogy, and included a lot of theories which might have been created just for the report. Since Jean Baudrillad is a very accomplished man, his ideas and views are often regarded as top quality, and some tend to bend in immediately believing these. Upon reading the essay, I come to think that it would be unwise to be attached strongly to the author’s feelings and demise regarding the topic. I believe that a lot of his own and personal ideas were incorporated in his paper criticizing the museum guidelines. These ideas may be for the better, but it could also be possible that they may have been affected by the author’s own background. In this view, it is highly important to know a bit about the author to gain a deeper understanding on his essay. This way, we can critically analyze his work and draw some conclusions based on in. To begin with, Jean Baudrillad is a French sociologist and philosopher who writes and criticizes works usually about post-modernism and post-structuralism. He is said to be in line with many modern philosophers in this time. He is a well known writer and proposed many theories regarding human relationship and many other topics, such as wars (World War 2, Gulf War). An interesting topic for him is the evolution of technology processes and their effects to social change. He seemed to be attached in studying these processes and looks at them as a kind of breakout from tradition. He is also very well versed with semiotics, the study of signs, and even wrote a number of papers about it, the writing where the essay was taken being one of it. He believed, like other poststructuralists do, that signification and meaning are only understandable by looking on how the signs interrelate. This point is very important in analyzing this essay since art, especially visual art, is a kind of sign. It is visually available to the naked eye, and can convey many meanings to the viewer. The essay is also a home of many arguments which I believed to be contradictory to his previous theories. He also argued that meaning is based on the absence – a cup means a cup because it does not mean a spoon, a fork, or a spatula. Therefore, to know the meaning of a cup is by not by knowing a cup, by proving that that cup is a not a spoon, fork, spatula. Baudrillad’s theories and expertise may vary from different subjects, but his beliefs in semiotics and signs are crucial in this critic of modern art museums. Now, we can slowly digest Baudrillad’s work and analyze it not only by reading it, but it is also important to take into consideration the author’s stand and opinions on several things affecting the statements he made. The author, in his first paragraph, described the museum as an â€Å"incinerator, absorbing all cultural energy and destroying it. † This harsh depiction of modern art museums was then strengthened by him using different examples. Some of his examples and arguments were a little absurd, and too much to be true. Let’s take for example the first one. He made an analogy between the museum and a nuclear plant. He said that it is not the lack of security, pollution, or explosion but the radiation of a protective zone of control and deterrence. In the center, a kind of political deterrence is elaborated. This deterrence is also showed by the employers, who are assigned to a polyvalent space. They then remained in that space, using all their energy. Deterrence, by definition, is the inhibition of bad behavior by fear, such as punishment. I believe that fear is an important factor here, and the mere fact that the author did not have any proof that fear is actually used in the center makes his analogy a little over the edge. The employers, even though confined to this â€Å"bubble†, never made a statement that they were kept there against their will. After some more critics, he fled to the topic of the mass media, which was discussed crucially. He said that culture in the center is dead, and the masses are celebrating over it by going to the museum. We must take note that the author already gave the masses a reason for their excitement over the museum. Like a disaster, he said, on which humans are naturally invited to look upon. Since there is no way to flee to the museum itself and personally feel this, it would be, if not mandatory, sufficient to look at a very popular way of advertising places of such – their website. Upon inspection of the museum’s website, there are some facts waiting to be discovered. First is the way the museum advertises its exhibits and events. Then, there are the events themselves. The characters that emanate from these advertisements can help in proving some of the author’s arguments wrong. The website, upon first glance, is very simple compared to other sites found all around the internet. Could it be possible that the center was low in funds to create and maintain a more elegant and dashing website? I think not. This is a proof that the center does not aim to catch the audience attention by visual effects. There is a deeper goal for them to invite the masses to the center – for them to see its content and its display, its artists’ works and their playwrights’ plays. By looking at the events posted on the website, it can be noted that a wide range of artistic events are catered for – visual arts such as sculptures, paintings and the like, programs with concerts and cultural events. Their advertisement strategy is simple, a photograph of the event and some few liners describing it. Baudrillad seems to say that the masses have lost the ability to see â€Å"real culture† and dashes only to the museum because of signs, not because of the artistic values it conveys. He accuses the center of hiding true culture from the masses, using signifiers instead of the real thing. But the way the center advertises its programs are simple – come and see this, no other sparkling stars on the computer screen, no lotto tickets waiting to be clicked, no hidden charges, just plain and simple, â€Å"come to the museum to see this kind of culture. † The author, as mentioned above, has always talked about the topic of technology’s effects to the human. For me, this certain technology of using websites as an advertisement strategy deals with a lot of subconscious semiotics. But the center’s website is just a simple page you click, and read a lot on. There are detailed descriptions on the artworks, the shows, the galleries. I would definitely go there for its content, its real culture. The center, in my own opinion, never tried to gain public interest through semiotics and signifiers. The establishment, together with any other modern day museum and galleries, are doing good jobs in opening the masses eyes to a culture beyond traditional. There are some truths in Baudrillad’s analyses of these establishments, but these are not enough to say that modern museums are capable of incinerating culture around it. Culture is said to be a way of living, and one must accept that the modern age needs a new way of living compared to traditional times. This evolution of living also calls for an evolution of cultural art and practices. Modernism has brought just about anything today, and we can’t deny the fact that is has also greatly affected the realm of visual arts. But being modern doesn’t mean that it tries to lose any traditional virtue in it. The whole step is simply bringing in a new dimension of art, and with the help of these modern art museums, these arts can be appreciated the in a way similar to the tradition. A final flaw in Baudrillad’s argument is his description of the buildings external structure. He claims that this structure proclaims that the humans time are never to be that of any duration, that our culture is like hydrocarbons, breaking and synthesizing to make new products. He means that the center breaks traditions and cultures, and puts them together for a new type of culture. I believe that this is giving a rebirth of the culture, and hence not destroying it or any part of it. Baudrilladmust understand that nothing grows exponentially forever. Even cultures, reaches a point wherein you can’t improve on it no matter how much effort you put in. A time will come when people must find a new way to incorporate differences in culture and try to come up with a new one, one that would allow the human to grow without sacrificing the longevity of the culture. Somewhere in his essay, Baudrillad shouted the question on what should be placed on the center. His answer was nothing; the void would have signified the disappearance of any culture of meaning and aesthetic sentiment. This seems to be contradictory to his primary beliefs. Going back a few paragraphs, remember that Baudrillad believed in the theory of absence, that one can give meaning to a sign only because of absence. Like the above example, a cup is a cup since it is not a fork, etc. Thus, having nothing, no culture, no art, no whatsoever in the center would only mean that the museum really do contained culture and art. Works Cited Baudrillad, Jean. â€Å"Simulcra and Simulations† VI. The Beaubourg Effect : Implosion and Deterrence (1981) European Graduate School Website. â€Å"Jean Baudrillad Biography† From: http://www. egs. edu/faculty/baudrillard. html

MTV Case Study

MTV has had to conquer various environmental hurdles in order to expand their network to reach a global audience.   While the marketing strategy and the product strategy that MTV employed was not particularly innovative, the common sense approach proved to be extremely effective. Key Environmental Challenges and the Solutions The major challenges that MTV faced were producing content that appealed to a global audience and selling their product to countries with considerable cultural differences.   Initially, MTV attempted to export American culture, but soon discovered that approach was not reaching foreign audiences.   In order to overcome this obstacle and in order to be successful in their endeavor MTV began to develop content that appealed to individual cultures.   This individualized approach also allowed MTV to sell their product to countries with more extreme cultural differences like Israel, Singapore, Cuba, and China. Global Entry Strategy and the Advantages and Disadvantages MTV entered the global market in 1987 with MTV Europe.   Soon they became the largest network in Europe.   As the demand for televisions and paid programming grew in other countries including Latin America and India, MTV took advantage of the opportunity. They targeted the youth market in these countries in their efforts for global outreach. These were definitely wise decisions and appropriate since youth are as much consumers as adults are.   The advantage to this strategy was that foreign youth do listen to American music, so there was definitely a market for MTV’s type of programming.   The disadvantage was that teens tended to be more interested in the happenings in their own countries.   Solving this problem would be complicated and costly. Global Product Strategy The global product strategy was to produce localized programming content that would appeal to the youth in their individual environments.   This was definitely an excellent strategy since MTV’s audience is for the largest part, youth and teens. Digital television and interactive services are in demand in Europe.   Armed with that knowledge MTV created a service that enabled the viewing audience to acquire information on CD’s, verify concert dates and cast their vote during the MTV European Music Awards from their televisions.   In Asia MTV developed a different approach to programming. They created a virtual veejay who they named LiLi. LiLi is capable of interacting in five different languages in such ways as interviewing guests or giving the audience tips on popular culture.   In Japan, MTV partnered with H&Q Asia Pacific created a service that allowed viewers to subscribe to in order to download music and entertainment news to their mobile phones. The efforts that MTV has made to reach a global audience has surpassed successful.   They now own thirty-three district channels.   They broadcast their programming in eighteen different languages in over one-hundred sixty countries.   MTV is a cultural icon that has acquired 1.8 billion viewers worldwide.            

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Annotated Bibliography

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UNIT 4 DISCUSSION BOARD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

UNIT 4 DISCUSSION BOARD - Essay Example Though Medicare and Medicaid are federally operated programs, they rely on private providers that are regulated and financed through a variety of different agencies and corporations. In contrast, the VA and military are health care systems that are run directly by the government. This difference has allowed the VA to concentrate on quality rather than quantity of services. In addition, the VA manages the system to hold regional and area managers directly responsible for the performance of the system. The private sector providers have little incentive to invest in quality such as the VAs commitment to, "purchases of health IT to track adherence to clinical guidelines or spending on education and training to improve compliance with safety protocols" (Veterans Administration, 2007, p.14). In addition, the VA has implemented the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) system to monitor resources and assure that they are being adequately distributed. This has developed into a highly refined system of patient classification, regional cost analysis, and produces a level of care that the private sector could benefit from to control costs while assuring quality care (National Defense Research Institute, 2005, p.3). The US Department of Defense (DoD) operates the largest health system in the US and provides medical care for active military, retirees, and civilian employees. A key difference between the DoD and the private sector is the ability to enact policies that affect their participants health while saving money. The military is able to vaccinate their members in greater numbers for diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, influenza, and varicella (Kruzel). The military policy views this as a health maintenance (and cost saving) measure, while the private sector sees this as a cost. Because the DoD operates on a fixed budget from year to year, they are forced to control costs, while the private sector is often prompted to accelerate costs to

Communication in Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Communication in Economics - Essay Example It warned about its rampant inflation, unemployment, high rates of interests and soaring poverty. It feared that economy would worsen and collapse in the absence of strong and effective measures. The interest rate was on a record of seventy percentages in year 2005 while the inflation was more than three hundred and fifty percentage. This indicates the poor condition of economy of Zimbabwe. The International Monetary Fund warns that Zimbabwes gross domestic product will likely shrink another seven percent this year. In addition, some economists predict that by years end inflation could reach 1,000%. (Franceschi, 2005) Companies are shutting down, unemployment is increasing and there is shortage of food. The productivity has decreased. This resulted in various social problems like increase in crime rate, illegal immigration to other countries, increased corruption and many others. There are various political, economic and social reasons of Zimbabwe’s economic crisis. These range from leadership to corruption within the society. The causes of the country’s economic distress are as follows: â€Å"Among the problems most often cited are Mr. Mugabes land re-distribution policies, endemic corruption, the absence of the rule of law and Zimbabwes involvement in Congos civil war.† (Franceschi, 2005) There has been fuel shortage that influenced the industries adversely. The shortage of fuels has direct impact on the productivity and transport. It also affected the employment sector. The shortage of fuel has an impact on employment sector as well. It resulted in unemployment of many. The expenditure in government activities is suffering with unscrupulous spending and corruption. Government is ignoring the need to control the state expenses. The supply of currency within the economy is high. This is resulting in decrease in the value of currency. One of the important issues resulting in economic crisis is decrease in the level of foreign direct

Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Safety - Essay Example Hence, it is important that all business, large, medium as well as small have an occupational health and safety system in place within the organization. The most prevalent occupational health and safety standard which is in existence today is the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series OHSAS 18001standard, which is suited to many organizations large and small. It has been implemented in many countries including the United States of America, Great Britain, Japan etc with the support of the local standards institutes. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Chrysler have all thrown their lot with this standard which is also supported by the British Standards Institute. In the absence of an International Standards Organization or ISO standard, the OHSAS standard is the one widely accepted standard recognized all across the world. In this brief essay, an attempt has been made to investigate how a newly started small business may be able to set itself on the path to incorporating the OHSAS 180 01 based occupational health and safety management system within its broader system of corporate management. Implementing an occupational health and safety system is important in a business because the business has legal responsibilities to provide for the safety and welfare of its employees. Unsafe working environment is in the long run counter productive for those who have interests in a business organization, including the stakeholders, employees and perhaps even those with business dealings with the company. An occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) provides a framework for managing the occupational health and safety responsibilities of a business so that they become more efficient and more integrated into overall business operations. Faced with such responsibilities, it is important for a company to try and follow an established standard related to safety and occupational health in its business operations. Many countries have been waiting for the

Merger of HSBC and Oman international bank Essay

Merger of HSBC and Oman international bank - Essay Example Using secondary research and quantitative analysis, this research aimed at testing how the hypothesis that mergers incurring high leverage levels succeed under normal markets. The study results show that mergers incurring high leverage levels also incur higher financial risks. Contemporary business models face various challenges among them competitiveness of rivals and economic landscape. The unpredictability of the economic environment has pushed companies to take various measures among them mergers and acquisitions. Since this research is focused on mergers, it considers mergers as the collaboration of two mature business entities. Mergers have different meanings to different entities. To the most important stakeholders, the parent companies, use mergers are partnering to explore a common business interest. On the other hand, mergers mean the teamwork between businesses with a common business goal. The difference between business goals and business interests is that the former indicates the plan of a business and how it plans on meeting various financial and operational goals. On the other hand, business interests involve common ambitions as well as shared vision of taking opportunities head on. However, business interest take on the assumption that the market has a gap that the merging companies have to collaborate to ensure success is achieved in the most financially and economically effective manner possible. Five types of merges are identified within the business environment. Among these includes the horizontal, product extension, market extension, vertical, and conglomeration. Horizontal mergers involve two companies which are in direct competition with each other. The motive of this type of merger is to cut down on competition and maximize on factors that can improve the economic footing of both companies. Vertical mergers include a customer and company.

Retiring Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retiring Abroad - Essay Example this new trend of retiring abroad, especially in the aftermath of the global financial meltdown that decimated home values and ravaged many accounts. Many people continue living where they live because of their work. When they retire, they make the ultimate decision of moving to a place where they will feel more comfortable and where their money will last (Knowledge). According to Social Security Administration’s annual statistical supplement, the exact number of Americans retirees receiving social security benefits outside the United States is 350,000. The majority of these individuals are finding their way to countries like Ecuador, Mexico, Canada and the UK (Edwards & Daniels 101). This number is expected to increase with 4 million baby boomers already making plans to retire abroad (Edwards & Daniels 100). The main driving force behind this new trend shown by retirees is financial security. According to the confidence survey of 2014, only 14 percent of the workers indicated that they were confident of having enough funds to live comfortably in the United States. This low level of confidence comes as a result of the global economic crisis that crushed the gains that had been made on the middle income household net worth. During this period, home price index went down by 23 percent (Knowledge). Retirement accounts that act as supplements to social security and other forms of retirement income were also not spared (Knowledge) The cost of living in such countries is much lower compared to the United States. For example, the rent in San Jose, a city in Costa Rica is 57 percent lower than in the city if Philadelphia (Knowledge para.8). Additionally, the prices for consumer goods are lower by 59 percent when the same city is compared to American cities. These benefits notwithstanding, the retirees need to know that that there are hidden charges that they need to consider before deciding to reside abroad. For instance, the imported goods in emerging markets are

Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment Research Paper - 1

Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment - Research Paper Example It is important for the organization to review all the employment policies and do necessary changes to maintain its good brand reputation. Economical Growth of US economy got affected due to recent financial crisis and economic recession. Recently, people are trying to consume low priced quality products. In addition to this, competitive pricing strategy of several local and international competitors is affecting the market share growth of Walmart (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2008). It will be effective if the organization tries to introduce economically priced differentiated products by reducing its business operation cost. Social The organization terminated employees during and after the financial crisis and recession. Although it is considered as the leading employer within the country, but this strategy affected its brand image. They need to focus on employee specific strategies and business practices in order to get support from government and stakeholders. Technological Technologica l development of US motivated Walmart to implement advanced technology in business operation process. This adoption of advanced technology is resulting in job loss of employees. It is creating a negative image and perception. The organization should use both manual and automatic process in business organization. A technological process or machine cannot run without effective knowledge of employees. Environmental Recently the organization faced several environmental issues regarding cutting of trees in order to produce and distribute wooden furniture to the target customers. Walmart should follow each and every environmental policy developed by government and should use substitute resources of wood in furniture manufacturing process. It would not hamper the market share as demand of customers is ever rising. Strength and Weaknesses This part of the report will evaluate the organization’s strengths and weaknesses based on above environmental scan. Strengths Walmart is the large st employer in US. The organization gets huge political support from the government as it helps to minimize the unemployment rate of the country. In addition to this, adoption and implementation of advanced technology in business process is helping the organization to meet customer satisfaction and current market demand. Differentiated product line is helping the organization to achieve phenomenal market share growth (Draft, 2009). Continuation of these strategies and business practices will help organization to reduce business operation time and develop a potential client base that can be considered as major competitive advantages. Weaknesses Lack of sustainability in business operation, failing to follow environmental policies, job loss during the economic slowdown and critical workplace conflicts are considered as major weaknesses of Walmart (Pride & Ferrell, 2004). The organization needs to reform and modify their business operation strategies to mitigate business associated ris ks and challenges. Competitors K-Mart is one of the major and leading competitors of Walmart in US market. K-Mart also operates within the same industry with similar kind of business model. This retail chain offers differentiated products in competitive price to increase the number of target customers and market share. But Walmart has effectively introduced several unique strategies that helped them to achieve potential competitive advan

An Exploration Into 14 Bauhaus Books by Lazlo Moholy-Nagy in Relation to Visual Culture Essay Example for Free

An Exploration Into 14 Bauhaus Books by Lazlo Moholy-Nagy in Relation to Visual Culture Essay When analysing the 14 bauhaus books by Lazlo Moholy-Nagy (see figure 1) in relation to its historical context, at least 5 components have to be considered. These are: the image itself; the movement it is part of; the artist, Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, that made it; the bauhaus- the institute it was produced for and where the artist taught and how these parts have changed or influenced modern times. My argument is that all of these separate components, the main being the movement of Modernism, made life better for the International populations that welcomed it, through the universal progression that modernism once promised. 4 Bauhaus Books is not a pretty image. The dirty red mixed with the hard texture of the metal type is not pleasing to the eye for any viewer. But then again it is not meant to be pleasing, the image is a brochure cover, nothing more. Although by todays standards it is crude in design, vaguely relating to the brochure that it covers, which does go into detail about some new typographical forms, it was rather advanced for 1929 as it was a Modernist piece – rejecting decoration. No longer focussing on decoration produced a new language of design that could be understood by everyone, including workers in modern industry. Moholy-Nagy followed his own teachings on typography fully, stating that: â€Å"Letters should never be squeezed into an arbitrary shape like a square. A new typographic language must be created combining elasticity, variety and a fresh approach to the materials of printing. † (Naylor, 1968, p. 127) This approach to communication through printed material can still be seen today, particularly in adverts which have a very short amount of time to impact on and communicate to an audience. A stand-out type coupled with a few witty lines has found itself at the centre of most printed advertisements today (see figure 2), which, it could be argued, can trace its heritage back to the modernists ideas of simplicity. We are all now accustomed to this, but back in the early 1900s it was met with fierce opposition and, although new aesthetics were being created, official designers and architects preferred to follow the word of Ruskin who stated: â€Å"We want no new architecture The forms of architecture already known to us are good enough for us, and far better than any us† (Naylor, 1968, p. ) This narrow-minded approach to design held back progress and kept Europes standard of living the same, which, especially for the working classes, was unacceptable. From this, modernism rejected the historical styles before it, such as the Enlightenment phase, that focussed on decoration and perceived that greatness lay in the reconstruction of the past. Instead modern designers, in the smoke of the Industrial Revolution, created a new style – the International Style. The International Style had called for change and the change was to blur the class distinctions. The â€Å"millions of home-owners painted their walls beige† (Greenhalgh, 1990, p52) in an attempt to fit in with this style. This cheap method of interior design, using hardwood for fittings and mass produced light fittings made the International Style available and popular. Modernism created objects that functioned with little or no decoration. These objects were mass produced,widely available and more importantly cheap to purchase. For example the Tefal kettle (see figure 3) which has only the water gauge projecting out of a white block for decoration. This simplistic approach to design was, in the eyes of the modernists, an enhancement of purity. The same could be said for 14 books. That its simplicity is its decoration and that the text is the object needed for its design purpose. Something functional yet visually satisfying. Modernist designers used the technique of abstraction in their work to help convey a visual trend and to combine the three areas they believed to be true design. This was architecture, furniture and graphic design. Abstraction meant that modernists could use ideas found in a particular building or a colour palette from a painting to create solid habitable homes or items for these homes. A well known example for this is from the painting of Mondrian – composition in red and blue (see figure 4). This was abstracted by the designer Rietveld to create a home (see figure 5) and a chair (see figure 6). Both of which the user had to engage with, as the world had gained a passive lifestyle the chair was designed for better seated posture and the home bragged fold out compartments, tables and beds so that living was a conscious decision. Unfortunately the chair was not mass produced and only a prototype as there was â€Å"not enough interest in it, as it was not comfortable to sit in† (retrieved on January 10, 2011, from www. contemporarypractice. wordpress. com). This abstraction was seen as a rational use of design, using one useful item aesthetics to create another and was used by most modernist designers. The downside to this would be that everything lacked spontaneity. Supposedly a unique series of furniture could look like another, but modernists did not mind this, as they wanted everyone to be equal. The Bauhaus, of course, was the school of modernist design in Europe. It symbolised new technologies and ideas for teaching. Even the building (see figure 7) was a modernist piece. The building had no decoration except for the glass sheets that covered it, which itself was a relatively new item, having been invented in 1832. Glass sheeting, ironically, was used in the crystal palace, which was a celebration of the aristocracies achievements, the opposite message of modernists to â€Å" reate a new guild of craftsmen, without the class distinctions which raise an arrogant barrier between craftsman and artist. † (Naylor, 1968, p. 9) This quest for the combination of form and function is, in my opinion, found in Josef Hartwigs 1924 chess set that has, instead of the traditional figures, pieces that consist of geometric shapes (see figure 8). The design of each piece shows how it moves- for example the 2 diagonal lines that make the bishops cross show that it is constrained to dia gonal movement. The negative side of this simplicity was a lack of emotion in all creations, as well as an impersonal approach to design. These made the masses feel common, which did not sit well with the elite of the time, who were used to the decorative forms of the Romantics that preceded them. This was, in many ways the enemy of the Bauhaus, referred to as â€Å"that strange decorative disease†(Naylor, 1968, p. 14). Simplicity was key for the Bauhaus and 14 Bauhaus Books was no exception. Understated colours and the photograph used for the main image how this. The type itself is clear and typical of the Bauhaus. Lazlo Moholy-Nagy taught at this revered school and stressed that â€Å"Typography must be clear communication in its most vivid form. Clarity must be especially stressed, for clarity is the essence of modern printing. † (Naylor, 1968, p. 127)Clarity is indeed expressed in 14 Bauhaus Books, where no complex symbolisms or congested space occurs. Lazlo Moholy-Nagys views on teaching was as radical as his rules. He sought to rid the preliminary course he took over in 1923 of emotion. He saw the soul as part of the body and not in control of it. This wasnt welcomed by some of his colleagues and students, who described his arrival as â€Å"a pike in a pond full of goldfish† (Whitford, 1984, p. 128). Moholy-Nagy differed from his predecessor in every way. He wore a pair of overalls and nickel-rimmed glasses, emulating an industrial worker , whereas the former teacher, Itten, dressed more like a monk, with a perfectly shaved head â€Å"creating an aura of spirituality and communion with the transcendal† (Whitford, 1984, p. 23) mirroring the enlightenment movement that modernism rejected. Moholy-Nagy was to cast out everything irrational in his course. Instead he focussed on teaching techniques and a wider variety of media, stating that: â€Å"anyone who knew nothing about photography was a kind of visual illiterate, and that an artist who restricted himself to any single media should not be taken seriously. † This can be seen in 14 Bauhaus Book s, where a variety of media is used. The combination of photography, graphics and type give the design a very individual feel. For although Moholy-Nagy insisted he used no emotion, one cant help but feel a personal aspect behind this cover, a contradiction to his own rule. Moholy-Nagys link with industry spilled over to an infatuation with the machine. The machine to him was the invention of the century, replacing the transcendental spiritualism of past eras. He saw it as the way to gain equality for the masses. Stating that: â€Å"Everyone is equal before the machine There is no tradition in technology, no class-consciousness. Everyone can be the machines master or its slave. † (Whitford, 1984, p. 128) Using the machine as a figurehead, Moholy-Nagy, along with other modernists and constructivists bettered the world. The change brought about by modernism was huge. As the movement grew in popularity all classes changed their way of living. They were boxed in with hardwood fittings and lived in a functional, conscious home. These homes would later be criticised for being to small and impersonal, but at the time they were considered the modern home. It wasnt just the home that was improved through modernism. Factories over Europe America and Asia used more and more machinery, quickly churning out more products in a day than a craftsman, what had come before, could produce in months. This led to more jobs, fewer costs and a better standard of life for everyone. Though this also was met by criticism: that the worker had become non-human, â€Å"an appendage to the machine† (Greenhalgh, 1990, p. 54). The fact that people worked 10-12 hour shifts to maintain their lifestyle did not sit well. Marxists stated that industrial work meant that â€Å"Man is alienated from other men. † (Greenhalgh, 1990, p. 54) It could be argued that the limitations and ideas set in place for this simple graphic design, which is rather crude by todays standards, has helped the international masses. The change that came about because of the movement of modernism, along with Moholy-Nagys approach to design and the new tuition in the Bauhaus of a generation of architects, furniture designers and graphic designers has helped to shape the world of today. Modernist buildings fill todays cities, from huge skyscrapers consisting of tons of glass, such as the Seagram Building, New York (see figure 9), to mass housing, that was and is cheap, yet functional. This International Style that 14 Bauhaus Books boasts to belong to a collection millions of posters , magazine covers, and furniture designs. Always with its main aim to better daily life through technology, for â€Å"not the product the but man is the end in view† (Naylor, 1968,p. 156).

Marketing Plan for an Updated Product

Marketing Plan for an Updated Product A marketing plan is typically designed to establish a framework for management to use as they pursue the marketing and sales objectives. It should be built on the results of the market research and the specific value proposition of a product or service. In general, a marketing plan is a shorter form of a business plan that has a limited scope and marketing emphasis. I have chosen UK chocolate confectionary market to present a market plan for an updated product. Market Overview: Chocolate sales in Europe have been growing steadily. The UK confectionery market achieved year-on-year growth for the last five to six years to reach a value of  £4.53bn i.e. the sales have increased by 13%. The overall European chocolate sales increased by 15% and the United Kingdom itself accounts for nearly 30% of European chocolate consumption. Product Overview: So far the need for innovation and the product development techniques has been explained. On the basis of these discussions I would like to use the opportunity to develop a new product in the confectionary market. Taking the existing products of Cadbury such as Cadbury Picnic, Cadbury Crunchie and Boost chocolate bars as well as Cadbury Crà ¨me Eggs, I have thought of updating Cadbury chocolate bars by producing a new chocolate bar and the Crà ¨me Eggs by producing another egg shaped product. The analysis of innovation need suggests that launch of new product can help Cadbury to attract more customers and thus increase market share in a highly competitive market of chocolate confectionary. Assuming the results obtained from the techniques for new product development and analyzing the market overview, I would say that a new product can be launched in the market and thats why I have thought of updating Cadburys existing products into other new products. This Cadburys new chocolate bar will be known as CADBURY LEMON BAR and the new egg shaped product will be known as CADBURY CHOCOLATE LEMONS. The bar name has been selected because this chocolate bar will be having an internal layer of sweet lemon tart and externally it will be covered with a mix of chocolate and fine grains of peanuts. N.B: (In the report the word Cadbury Lemon means both the updated products i.e. Cadbury Lemon Bar and Cadbury Chocolate Lemons). Market Segmentation: Understanding the needs and desires of consumers creates the opportunity for new products to be developed and brought to the market, meeting these needs and generating incremental sales. Chocolate confectionary is a mass market attracting customers and consumers of almost every age group and gender, but those who like eating chocolate. The target market for both the Cadbury Lemon products can include children of age 5 to 13 years in terms of consumers and the parents to pay for the product in terms of customers. Further more it can be expanded from children of age 14 to young people and then onwards to aged people (65+) as long as they keep their interest in their chocolate eating habit. The product would also be suitable for vegetarians and further more it would be excluded of any religious issues such as alcohol free etc. In terms of income and price of the product there isnt any need to be selective to choose a particular group of audience as everybody can easily afford to buy a b ar of chocolate or a pack of chocolate sweets i.e. Cadbury Lemon Bar and Cadbury Chocolate Lemons. Snacking Today: Snacking today is the second largest segment in the UK confectionary market with a share of over 28%. Cadbury Lemon chocolate bar is such a product which is mainly bought for immediate personal consumption. The target market of this product would be people who will buy a chocolate bar and eat it. It does not identify any particular segment but includes everybody having an access to the stores and retail shops where they will find the product, buy it and consume it. For Home: The products in this category are those which are bought for consumption sometime later. Thus in this category both the products i.e. Cadbury Lemon Bar and Cadbury Chocolate Lemons will fit properly in this category of products. These two products would target people who like filling their cupboards with chocolate to consume them for different purposes e.g. filling lunch boxes or as a treat after evening meals. For home is a category which is more about the products to be eaten by the customers i.e. both male and female partners, their children and parents and as well as by other consumers such as visitors or guests visiting at different times e.g. evening tea time and so on. Sharing Occasions: This segment represents an emerging trend towards the sharing of confectionary at formal occasions. This is an emerging segment for products which are traditionally packed in larger pack formats such as tins, large boxes and cartons. They are purchased not as gifts but also for informal sharing on specific occasions e.g. the Cadbury Chocolate Lemons can be purchased as a gift for someones birthday and Cadbury Lemon Bar can act as a sharing product at a party or just at small gathering of friends. This is how another segment of the market can be differentiated. Seasonal Giving: Seasonal giving is the third largest segment of the overall confectionary market. The rate of growth of this segment has led to an increase of 3.8% in sales and an increased share of the overall confectionary market as 17.6%.This segment includes products bought to give to someone else as well as a larger number of seasonal lines and Cadbury Chocolate Lemons in different packs would best fit in this category. Seasonal confectionary is mainly sold during the run up to Christmas and Easter and is a traditional gift at these times of the year. Along with this other seasonal occasions can include Halloween, Mothers Day and Valentines Day. Competition Overview: The UK confectionary market is facing a very strong competition among the companies in this market. Thus Cadbury Lemon will also have to tackle such circumstances of competition from different major competitors including Nestle, Kit Kat, Mars, Maltesers and others. Moreover, rapid product growth at the mass end and the premium end of the European chocolate market is adding competitive pressures. Smaller companies are making chocolate products for niche markets, such as chocolates for people who want to avoid dairy products, chocolates for people who are diabetic and chocolates for people who prefer natural or organic flavourings and ingredients. Further, established companies are constantly introducing variations and other favourites to satisfy customers variety-seeking behaviour and encourage loyalty. Although Cadbury owns a good market share but still there is a need to be aware of the competitors and the situations which may cause hindrances for the new product. SWOT Analysis: Cadbury has been in the confectionary business for a long time and holds a strong market share. Thus the company has been using its strengths to always go for producing new products as well as updating the existing ones. National advertising and sales promotion support sales of Cadbury and for instance, Cadbury has been spending heavily to launch new chocolate products or building sales during Easter or other holiday periods. There might also be some weaknesses that could be associated with it. Most of the people see chocolates as an affordable luxury and therefore buy such products for themselves and also for gifts. People are adopting the habits of giving chocolate as gifts on different occasions like Christmas, Valentines Day and Birthdays etc which has increased the opportunities in terms of increase in demand for the product. However the threats are always there when a company launches a new product. In addition to the major luxury chocolate makers with established brands, natio nal advertising campaigns and sizable market share, many smaller and local chocolate makers are attracting loyal customers. But on the whole, so far, the UK confectionary market for Cadbury seems to be having the opportunities to grow and increase the market share. Goals and Objectives: For this marketing plan I would say that the goals and objectives are simply the facts describing where the company i.e. Cadbury wants to be. The goals and objectives can be divided into two parts. Sales Goals: For many organizations the ultimate goal of the marketing plan is the effect it will have on the bottom line. Sales goals would be in terms of the sales figures estimated to be achieved. Until 2005, Cadbury has been earning great sums of profits and the further need is to increase the profits or maintain the profitability of the company up to a level at least meeting the required levels. Marketing and other Objectives: The marketing objectives for Cadbury Lemon should address each group in the target market in terms of meeting customer satisfaction and their interests in buying the product. The market objectives for Cadbury Lemon should fulfill the same elements as set for other brands. It includes continuing high Corporate and Social Responsibility standards through actions and brands, delivering superior shareowner performance, ensuring the capabilities are best in the market, focusing on creating a cohesive and talented workforce through encouraging inclusiveness and increasing the diversity of our people. Hence the product would only be said to be successful if these goals and objectives would be clearly identified and followed properly. Pricing Strategies for Cadbury Lemon: Pricing in general meanings means how much to charge for a product or service? Pricing is one of the four Ps of the marketing mix. The other three aspects are Product Management, Place (distribution) and Promotion. Penetration Pricing: Penetration pricing is the pricing technique of setting a relatively low initial entry price, a price that is often lower than the eventual market price. The expectation is that the initial low price will secure market acceptance by breaking down existing brand loyalties. Penetration pricing is most commonly associated with a marketing objective of increasing market share or sales volume, rather than short term profit maximisation. Competitive Pricing: The competitive pricing strategy is used by around a quarter (27%) of organisations. It is the most usual form of pricing which is based on evidence from the market where product prices are determined by reference to the prices of competitive products. A sound appreciation of competitive actions, especially prices, is necessary for the most effective strategies to be formulated. The most effective marketing manager will, however, try to develop an understanding of the various competitive positions based on an appreciation of the customer needs. Distribution: Like Pricing, distribution is another important part of marketing mix which needs businesses to carry out detailed analyses in order to distribute their products/services easily and efficiently to their customers. A distribution business is the middleman between the manufacturer and customer.. As far as distribution of confectionary products is concerned, the best and appropriate options would be the following. (Method 1) (Method 2) Producer Producers Retailers Whole Sellers Customers Retailers Customers Communication: For Cadburys updated products i.e. Cadbury Lemon Bar and Cadbury Chocolate Lemons I would like to recommend following communication techniques for the product promotion. TV Advertising: Importantly I would like to recommend using TV as the most appropriate tool of communication. Cadbury has already been sponsoring Coronation Street for a long time. So when people will be watching the programme then in every break the advert will be presented and people will see how the new product has been developed. This technique will pass the message to the right target market and thus will create awareness among public. Bill Boards: Bill boards are though to be another important tool of sending the message across the target market and overall to every one. Bill boards will be displayed at certain points which will clearly explain what the product looks like and how has it been developed. People while traveling will get attracted towards the product being displayed on bill boards and thus will get the message. Hence hopefully this technique is thought to be equally appropriate to create awareness among public and then leading them to further stages of decision making and purchase of product. Transport: Compared to bill boards, transport will be taken as a source of moving message across people. Thus this is another technique which holds an equal importance as TV advertising and bill boards. Transport including buses, trams, trains and to some extent taxis are thought to be quite suitable for making people aware of the product. The product will be displayed with its features and it differences from other products on the above mentioned transports. People when traveling on these transports or following them, will get attracted towards the printed message. So this is how it will help Cadbury to increase their profits when the sales will go up. Sales Promotions: One of the below the line techniques that I think would help to increase sales is sales promotion. It can be done in a way that Cadbury can encourage customers to buy Cadbury Lemon by offering the products at trial prices or another way could be that first few millions of products would be given free without any charges. Similarly when the products would be sold through a third party e.g. retailers then it can also be looked t providing point of sale material, or special promotions aimed at encourage the distributors to sell or stock more products, so that it can help to increase the amount people will use our product. Monitoring and Reviewing Marketing Performance: The organisations who manage to be both efficient in their operations and effective that they deliver what their customers want, they enjoy the benefits of their business in real sense. On the other hand those who are neither efficient nor effective lose their market share and at last come out of the business. Financial Measures: Profit: Most of traditional financial measures concentrate on profit and it goes without saying that profit is essential to the long-term survival of any business no matter what size or shape. The performance of Cadbury Lemon could easily be judged by analysing the difference in the profits of the company. If the companys profits have gone up then it can be assumed that the product has been successful in the market and that it has helped to meet the companys objectives in terms of achieving the target profit. Meeting the financial targets is very important for every business. Companies invest a lot of money in carrying out Research and Development to make their products effective and efficient in the market. So a successful launch of Cadbury Lemon and the analysis of profit would clearly help Cadbury to make decisions about whether the product should be kept in market and let it become a cash cow or pull it out before it becomes dog. Return on Sales: Another area that gives good and bad signals to the businesses about their performance is sales. Return on sales can tell how well a product or service is performing in the market. This is how Cadbury Lemons sales will help to see what the demand for the product is. This can be analysed, whether the consumers have liked the idea of developed product and are doing repeat purchases or the product have failed to satisfy customers needs. Thus higher the sale levels will be greater would be the customers satisfaction, which will result an increase in Cadburys market share. Now lets have a look how non-financial measures can take part in reviewing Cadbury Lemons performance. Barriers to Marketing Planning: In order to overcome any problem the first and important requirement is appropriate monitoring of the problem and see how easily and effectively can a business overcome a barrier. As long as the proper control measures are installed there will be no more problems that can interfere. Taking a look on previously described external barriers; organisations are needed to take complete analyses of the factors that could influence their strategic implementation process. The political as well as legal factors especially Government policies related to taxation, employment, health and safety and other issues can be influential for the organisations. So for organisations, it is necessary to keep in mind the Governments rules and regulations in order to take step in any part of business strategy. Accordingly it would be important for managers to detect changes early so as to respond effectively. Similarly an early forecast of economic factors is also important so that recommendations related to future can be made. Technological barriers to some extent could be considered as slow acting barriers because technology does not change everyday. However for Research and Development purposes technology plays a vital role in giving the information to businesses that, then, is to be used for developments processes. The internal marketing, being an integral part of successful strategic implementation, involves all the processes necessary to carry the message of the strategic plan inside to the various audiences that compromise the organisation. The internal marketing is equally important as that of external marketing and thus it needs to be analysed fully in order to eliminate errors. Like external marketing, internal marketing also requires a good and appropriate understanding of the needs and motivations of the target audiences to be successful. The organisations should be designed in such a way that the communication between top and the bottom layers is quick and detailed. Keeping everyone informed about any changes going on within an organisation can help to take ideas and views from internal bodies which could then further be utilised in the process of final decision making. In order to analyse that how well a marketer is performing, the information can be obtained with the help of a marketing feedback. Although the information and feedback on a plans progress is can never be 100% accurate but it does act to both reduce the uncertainty in planning and improves the quality of action. Conclusion: Hence in this report the need for innovation for organisations has been explained. Product development techniques have been discussed in detail with reference to the confectionary market. A marketing plan has been presented which is covering all the aspects related to market review, competition, pricing, distribution and communication. The measures to review performance have also been talked about. And finally the barriers and the suggestions to overcome these barriers have also been explained in detail.

A View from the Bridge Essay -- A View from the Bridge Arthur Miller E

A View from the Bridge There are moments of great tension in this play. Tracing the developments of Eddies obsession, show how Miller creates and builds up tension, particularly in the final part of Act 1. How would the tension be shown dramatically? 'A View from the Bridge' is a play based on pride & justice and Sicilian Honour. There is fine line between natural justice and that that is provided by the law. The theme of 'Justice provided by the law,' starts right at the beginning of the play with Alfieri's opening speech. As a lawyer, he tells the watching audience of his experiences with the people of Brooklyn, "After all, who have I dealt with in my life? Longshoreman and their wives, and fathers and grandfathers, compensation cases, evictions, family squabbles - the petty troubles of the poorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦" The perception of law and lawyers in Brooklyn is not entirely friendly. The people of Brooklyn prefer not to bother with the authorities at a time of legal need. These people would much rather sought out their problems by enforcing Natural Justice, they would deal with a situation in their own way. The community of Brooklyn has its Sicilian Honour, this is a community of people who are against law and order. They find it unlucky to pass a lawyer on the street, in the eyes of Brooklyn people, lawyers are connected with evil and disasters and people would rather not get to close. This play provides the watching audience with a lot of natural justice from the main characters, Eddie, Marco and Beatrice when she intervenes with Eddies and Catherine's relationship. The natural justice with Eddie is with Marco and Rodolpho, Eddie here has taken the law into his own hands and betraying Marco and Rodolph... ... It is now that the tension levels have reached a record breaking high, but that record is broken just a few Brooklyn days later when Marco is released and confronts Eddie. Eddie is very confident and doesn't feel any fear of Marco, Eddie is advised by Beatrice, Catherine and Rodolpho that Marco will seriously kill him and that he should just stay away. However, Eddie couldn't let himself look like a wus towards Marco and so decides to confront him outside. Unknown to the watching audience, Eddie is actually armed, but not dangerous! As Marco tries to seriously harm Eddie, Eddie pulls out his pen knife and the audience a watching have come to their own conclusion that Marco is going to be given the stab, but unsuspectedly tension levels are breaking more world-wide records and Marco decides to take his personal law into his own hands and kills Eddie.

Eliot Ness Essay -- essays research papers

Who was Eliot Ness? Nearly anyone knows Ness’ accomplishments in Cleveland when he went up against Al Capone. Most also know Capone eventually went to jail for tax evasion, but what happened to Ness and his Untouchables? Did they merely fade away into quiet life? The fate of Ness was quite the opposite, he continued doing what he fell in love with. Taking down corruption on any level. He carried on his war on the mob for an entire decade after Capone, staging daring raids on bootleggers, illegal gambling clubs and generally putting organized crime on the run. Ness’ exploits in Chicago were chronicled in his book The Untouchables, but if he had carried on against the mob, why wouldn’t he publicize such exploits? He actually intended to do so but his life was cut short by a heart attack before he was able.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eliot Ness was born on April 19, 1903 in Chicago. He was a lucky boy born into an almost storybook type of American family. His parents, Peter and Emma Ness, were Norwegian immigrants who had earned a comfortable middle class life for their family by very hard work and practical living. Over the years, Peter had made his wholesale bakery into a thriving business. It is supposed that Ness gained his father’s work-aholic traits that drove him so hard later in life. Eliot was the youngest of the five Ness children. There was a huge age difference between Eliot and his siblings. His brother whom was closest to Eliot in age was none the less thirteen years older. Hence Eliot received a great deal of individual attention from his parents who were well into middle age when he was born. Due to this Eliot was a remarkable well-behaved boy, full of integrity and enthusiasm. Eliot was an excellent student who preferred his studies to rowdier activities. It is supposed that Eliot’s older brother in law fueled his need for adventure, which eventually drove him to civic duty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Young Eliot Ness attended the University of Chicago and earned a degree in business and law. When he graduated in 1925 he greatly upset those he loved by choosing a career in credit investigation rather that his planned path of business. During his short lived credit investigator career he studied criminology at night. Two years later Ness managed to be transferred to the Prohibition Bur... ...ng them, the use of the polygraph in police work, and the first successful two way radio networking of police in a city. He also left an undeniable mark upon the city of Cleveland, virtually ridding it of corruption on all levels. The downfall of Capone was the most obvious of his great achievements. Yet Ness left behind one contribution which few men have managed to leave. A legend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ness aspired to become a hero in the true sense of the word. Throughout history true tales of heroes are few and far between. He became an idol not only for the people of Chicago, Cleveland and Ohio but for the entire nation. His name to this day stimulates a fascination with the mob, corruption and the men who stood against it. He was also the man who hunted down one of the first documented serial killers in history. Ness left behind a living legend of integrity, honesty, and indomitable spirit. Even though he no longer lives his legacy will carry his memory on in the form of stories, movies, novels and the like. Perhaps Ness is the exemption to the phrase, “Heroes don’t die, they merely fade away.'; For Eliot Ness is one hero, who never faded away.

Binary Essay -- Math

Do you remember watching the movie, The Matrix? Do you remember the green columns of zeroes and ones that were streaming down the screen? Those ones and zeros are part of a numbering system called Binary. Binary is a simple system that only utilizes two character symbols but accomplishes large counting tasks. Binary is not a number system you would want to use for everyday tasks because there are no shortcuts, you have to do the equation the same way every time and it takes a long time to do most calculations. That is why we use what is called the Denary (AKA Decimal) number system. The Denary number system is called a base-10 system as opposed to Binary being called a base-2 system. Base-10 means that the system uses ten different characters as symbols, 0-9. As stated above Binary uses only two character symbols, 0-1. The chart below should demonstrate how the two system look compared to one another. Denary Binary Denary Binary 1 1 11 1011 2 10 12 1100 3 11 13 1101 4 100 14 1110 5 101 15 1111 6 110 16 10000 7 111 17 10001 8 1000 18 10010 9 1001 19 10011 10 1010 20 10100 Binary has operations just like the Denary system has. Binary addition is the operation that is the most basic and also should give the best example of how the system works. In the Denary system addition works by placing one digit above the other and adding there values. The same goes for Binary. The only difference is how you add zeros and ones. If one has 1+0 or 0+1 the answer is 1. Or if one 0+0 the answer one would get is 0. That all is straight forward but when one gets 1+1 the answer is 10. The reason for this is because there is not a 2 in Binary, but if there were it is 10. Examples of each systems addition is below. Denary Binary 5 ... ...Binary Number System | World of Mathematics Summary, n.d.). This led to Binary being called the machine language because it is very easy to interpret 0 and 1. A machine such as computer can see 0 and 1 as on and off (Leverkuhn, n.d.). For example, a computer processor has inside of it millions of switches that can be turned on and off. This system of on and off tells the computer what it needs to do. Computers may seem as if they have a brain and have very high intelligence but in reality they are just listening for a bell to toll to perform a desired action. Dr. Ka-Wing Wong, Head of Computer Science at Eastern Kentucky University would say, â€Å"Computers are stupid.† Binary is the basis for the Computer Science field communicates with computer. This is also the main purpose of Binary in today’s world. Without Binary the world would be less technologically advanced.

Modern Technology and the Use of Electronics Essay

Modern technology and the use of electronics, especially computers have changed drastically over the last century. While many feel that there is a major advantage for the frequent use of computers, especially for the youth; there are some who oppose the constant use of them and feel as though they can be a bit of a downfall to the learning process overall. While we may all have our personal opinions on how computers impact the youth on writing and also reading. Clive Thompson and David Gelernter, who are both authors have strong opinions on how computers effect students. While Clive feels as though the use of computers encourage the youth to read and write more; David does not agree with the constant use of technology. Both authors have made very strong and valid points on the topic. Clive Thompson, who is a science and technology writer for the New York Times Magazine feels that since computers, text messaging and different social sites have come available to everyone, it offers kids the opportunity to write more. In this generation kids are constantly texting one another and engaging in various social networks, compared to older generations who only wrote when it was required for them to do so. He makes points by explaining that social media and status updates encourages kids to write more to their audience explaining their daily tweets and online blogs. On this topic, Thompson discusses a lot of research by Professor Andrea Lunsford and finds himself agreeing with her studies; stating that, â€Å" I think we’re in midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven’t seen since Greek civilization,† she says. A lot of socializing starts online and sometimes involves texting, status updates and blogging. It’s giving the young people the ability to express themselves more through their writing, where they effortlessly communicate back and forth with their peers. Clive Thompson makes a great point by explaining how computers effect the young generation into writing to their peers and not just their professor for an assignment. In conclusion, he agrees with Lunsford, stating that,† Technology isn’t illing our ability to write. It’s reviving it and pushing our literacy in bold new directions. † David Gelernter, who received his undergraduate degree from Yale University in classical Hebrew literature and is a professor of computer science at Yale; feels exactly the opposite. Unlike Thompson, he feels that computers should be in the schools and could help accomplish great things in subjects that he feel are being neglected as art and music. The difference is that Gelernter feels as though, â€Å"Computers make our worst educational nightmares come true,† he says. He makes a point on how the software on computers computes auto-spelling and also arithmetic. He explains that multimedia blinded students from the fundamentals of actually reading a book, and understanding what the author is conveying to the audience. David explains his theory on his conditions on how a computer should be used. First he states that there should be a new software for children that ignites the child’s imagination to get them to become more involved. Second, he wants to limit the use of computers for only recess and relaxation periods, for the purpose of kids not becoming dependent on it. Most important, he feels like educators should learn what parents and teachers already know: you cannot teach a child anything unless you look him in the face. The computer’s potential to do good is modestly greater than a book’s in some areas. It’s potential to do harm is vastly greater, across the board. † The two authors have stated strong opinions about their beliefs on computers, and how they affect the younger generation. The similarities the share, is that computers do offer different opportunities to help them both academically and socially, but we should not ignore that the basics is what students need to be successful and not a short cut.

An Analysis of Fashion

Despise fashion as unwise, as too zealous follow it. † La Buyer. Fashion Art, Clothing and Fashion; when talking about fashion it is hard not to discuss clothing; and when speaking about clothing, it is hard to omit the influence of art. Thus, these three words go hand in hand to give meaning to each other. Art, clothing and fashion influence each other and provide basis for us to understand each one. Anyone who was ever visited an art show or art museum cane easily see that art comes in various forms.Art ranged from an oil painting handing on the wall to a statue made out of diamonds. In the same way, fashion may be presented through different clothing each falling categories like; evening, gala, night, beach wear etc. Fashion is a creative process that results in a fashion garment. Fashion has always borrowed from other art forms whether they are textile patterns of ancient cultures or sport. Taking these insights, designers recreate a new language of art in the form of an it em of clothing. They are artists working within the medium of cloth.Throughout history art's role has been to reflect the society in which it was created. Likewise, fashion is indicative of the era in which it exists. Images from historical art utilized clothing to assist in the narrative, conveying a message to the viewer. I can't imagine Van Decks ornate portraits without those epic, layered fabrics and costumes indicating social position; or the Angelic Musicians in his Ghent Altarpiece wear robes that could easily have been worn on last season's Italian style Gucci models. His was a study in fashion as much as pose and painterly techniques.Fashion was essential within his artists' narrative. Indeed, for some people fashion – this hobby, for others – a necessity, for the third – Job, but someone to do it no matter. So, try to understand what kind of an interesting phenomenon. To get started please refer to the dictionary. Collegiate Dictionary Deal gives the following definition of the term â€Å"fashion†. This â€Å"walking habit of a temporary, changeable whim in everyday life, in society, in the cut of clothes and outfits. Ð’Â » How do you see in the very definition of the word incorporated the natural variability of fashion.Contemporary sources say that fashion – is a form of cultural expression, a reflection of reality, which manifests itself in the manner of human behavior and his clothing. In other words, fashion gives us some rules. It turns out, if you follow them, you look fashionable, but if you ignore them – that, accordingly, not fashionable. Stop! There should be someone who sets these rules, determines what is now fashionable, and that – no. After all, any rules of someone else created. Who dictates fashion? Admit it, Dahl very accurately observed that fashion – â€Å"changeable whim. So it turns out.This is really a kind of whim of individuals. Here they wanted to see the new seas on in pink – so be it. But who are these people and what they have the right to specify what you wear? It turns out that they have, Just so we trust them. Fashion dictates fashion designers. They are professionals. Before the new season, these people create fashion trends, conduct demonstrations. After that, the media make certain findings and tell us that this season will be fashionable: what colors, styles, fabrics, etc. That's about as well as this process occurs. So we dictate the fashion of its legislators.And obey them or not – it is a private matter for each person. However, if you're determined to follow fashion, remember that the main thing in this case – do not overdo it. Undoubtedly, a fashion trend has not been cancelled, and keeps track f them, probably worth it. However, all must comply with the measure. Simply put, when it comes to fashion, do not go to extremes. After follow fashion trends and strive for fashion – two very different things . For example, if the main color of the new season – red, you should not change clothes and clothe themselves in bright red clothes. Enough to get a couple of new things.And it may be not only a clothing or footwear. Do not forget about accessories. Thus, one can, for example, to buy gloves and handbag fashion for the new season of color, and otherwise – to show the creative imagination and wear what do you go. In addition, you must understand that if everyone followed the fashion, then we would look exactly the same. But the girl is known to be salt. So if you want to pay attention to you, do not be like everything. On the contrary, seek to identify something from the rest. Main – individuality Of course, you can not quite listen to the fashion and clothing, in that horrible.Because then you risk to stand out, shall we say, not for the better. However, never forget your own individuality. Your image – is, first of all, you yourself. Your clothes should m atch your inner world, your feelings, your character. Unfortunately, in pursuit of fashion, many girls forget about it, and so often seem banal and vulgar. The reason is that they blindly accept everything that dictates fashion. But to dress in good taste – is an art. Sense of taste is not given by nature, it should be a raise. Pick up clothes so that you feel confident in it and you comfortable.If you wearing the most expensive and fashionable rags – that does not mean that you look good. Need to know how to combine things. Following fashion trends choose something that suits you. Do not worry if some sort of trendy thing you absolutely do not go well. It is better to choose something a little less relevant, but is really capable of allowing you to decorate and emphasize your individuality. Do not forget that fashion is only given a specific direction, giving you the right choice. Following fashion trends always stay yourself. Only in this case you will be really beau tiful, feminine and unique.Most books on the history of costume, begins by describing the clothes of ancient Egypt. From scientific papers we can learn how primitive people of the Stone Age used to wear, or modern aboriginal tribes of Africa, and Australia. With the development of unman society, the formation of states, the change of historical formations suit is more complicated. But from age to age in clothes with the utmost clarity reflected, the social position of people of different incomes, different classes. Suit at all times remained a social sign, evidence of social status, an indicator of a person of rank.In Europe and in times of barbarism, and in the Middle Ages, when the folded state, and the Renaissance, when capitalism sprang, and in an age of absolutism, when brewing the bourgeois revolution, there were unwritten custom and special orders in aspect of the suit. Feudal lords, for example, did not dare to dress rich then king, and wealthy citizens, merchants and crafts men – to compete with the feudal lords. Thus, in the XV century fad of fashion were shoes with long noses. Moreover, the peasants were allowed to have shoes with toes no longer than 6 inches, 12 inches of the townspeople, nobles 24 inches (2. CM in an inch – that's Estimate, how long were shoes for dandies! ). In the XVIII century, the degree of nobility is determined by the color of the ladies dresses, long tails. In the XIX century, the bourgeoisie, becoming the master of lifeÐ’Â » not only financially but also politically in most countries in Europe, America, society dictates its own principles, tastes and fashions. Formed universal types of clothing, it would seem the same for everyone – it's coat or frock coat with long trousers, and later a Jacket, waistcoat and trousers, almost unchanged for a hundred-odd years.In our time, the process of demystification suit continues. So popular among young people form the bulk of clothing and footwear, if you look, have their prototypes in traditional dress of the peasant population in Europe. Such s coat, tuxedo Jacket are derived from the outer clothing of British farmers. It is not that offer leading artists – fashion and costume development on the whole subject is not someone's wishes and tastes, and their domestic laws. In the â€Å"golden fundÐ’Â » of classical forms of clothing gets that meets the requirements of comfort, versatility, is the most functional, that is fit for purpose.You can â€Å"recognizeÐ’Â » or â€Å"not accept† fashion, admire or resent it, be it the creator or a slave, but cannot be out of fashion. Therefore, fashion is a social phenomenon, part of public life. We have Just traced, albeit anecdotal, that fashion, the suit has always been inseparable from certain segments of society, social classes – hence, the fashion – a phenomenon of class. Clothing – a necessity, its production involved various industries, and sales à ¢â‚¬â€œ a huge network of stores. Thus fashion – the phenomenon of economic.Fashion as art of the costume, along with other art forms, of course, there is an aesthetic phenomenon, part of the artistic culture of a country, era, humanity as a whole. Everyone sees fashion in its own way, it depends on his age, education, beliefs, culture and nature – in short, of personality. Fashion for any of us is part of the inner world, the phenomenon of psychological, and relationship to her choice – a moral phenomenon. Fashion history is rich with events. Everything in it is: a serious and novel, and the bloody drama, and comic farce. Not surprisingly, many philosophers tried to explain how to understand this phenomenon.We present here some of their estimates, the reader can see myself how they are contradictory. Thus, the English philosopher, the late XVII-early XVIII century, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Lord Spreadsheet, in his famous essay Ð’Â «Senses Communism, or Experi ence the Freedom of sharp mind and an independent frame of mind, writes:† Over time, people began to consider decent for themselves alter their appearance, and your mental addition lead to uniformity. Thus, the authorities became tailors, and when they transferred their powers to new tailor, in turn, dressed as they deserved in the eyes of others.However, although such an extraordinary set of circumstances all agreed that there is only one definite and true form of dress, the one and only way, to which necessarily must accommodate all the people, the misfortune was that neither the authorities nor the costume could not decide which of the multiple modes was truly faithful people from all parties were persecuted for their appearance and characteristics, they should fit in their mines to their shirts in accordance with the correct fashion, in circulation were thousands of samples and models of clothes, and they changed again and again, at every opportunity, in accordance with th e habits and spirit of the times. Judge for yourself, do human persons could not become cramped and constrained, and the natural appearance of people – it's hard recognizable, messy, distorted cramps! Philosopher drew attention to the despotic power, which takes over the fashion people, the way it sometimes distorts the true human nature, the natural look of the people.Yet Spreadsheet acknowledges and beneficial fashion, calling the fashionable gentlemen of those â€Å"who are good natural genius or power of good parenting have given the feeling that gracefully and decently by their very nature. Ð’Â » Fashion was not indifferent to beauty, though understanding the beautiful at different times and varied. Writes about it and XVIII century English philosopher Thomas Reid in his Lectures on Fine Arts: â€Å"†¦ For example, the dress of the reign of Queen Elizabeth is now seemingly far from perfect, but a man dressed in a dress that would be considered a heavily ridicu lous. Perhaps it arises from the following: It seems that a man dressed in the fashion, belongs to the nobility and rotates in a good society. As you can see, it draws attention to the fact that fashion creates the illusion of the significance of a person if he follows its recommendations. Curious thoughts about fashion, we find the German philosopher Emmanuel Kant in his essay â€Å"On the palate, which corresponds to the fashion. Ð’Â » He gives one of the first functions of fashion: â€Å"The law of imitation (aspiration) seem no less significant than others, and it is in fact, not taken into consideration any benefit, called a fashion†. No use – Just an imitation – emphasizes this feature of fashion. Maybe she likes us that it's apparent uselessness? It has no internal purposes, as Kant thought, attributing her â€Å"to the category of vanity.  » It would be unfair – in relation to the philosopher – to dwell on this part of its definitio n, because the further he writes that in the same degree of fashion â€Å"refers to the category stupidity, because this is a forced-flow in horal exclusively by example, which give us a society, many And concludes: â€Å"Every mode has its very concept is an unstable lifestyle. Ð’Â » Kant had not seen in the fashion of any merits and positive qualities. But Hedge's Philosophy of Spirit â€Å"noted that the fashion good effect on morals, and definitely took it under protection. He wrote: â€Å"It has long been reproached the French frivolity and vanity and the desire to please. But precisely because of this desire to please, they reached the highest subtlety secular manners and thus with much success have risen above the gross selfishness f primitive man.For this treatment is precisely that for their own interests not to forget the other person. † Later – and abroad, and Russia – were special studies on the mode, where it has been considered from differen t perspectives. So, the book NV Reinhardt â€Å"Social and economic importance of Fashion, â€Å"published in Russia in 1889, was devoted to the study of fashion is not an aesthetic, but with the economic and social point of view. The author believes that fashion is born under the influence of two factors: the spirit of innovation (the desire to upgrade) and the tendency to imitate what he was saying was right, though now we might add his observations. And W.Dahl in his famous dictionary, for example, defined the style as â€Å"a walking habit of a temporary, fickle whimsy in everyday life, in society, in the cut of clothes and outfits. † But even with this definition we can agree only partly. Studied fashion and continue to study by sociologists and economists, psychologists and art critics, historians and artists – good material for these studies, she gives plenty. Fashion has become a natural part of art costume. The artists themselves, designers treat it very rig orously. The famous French couturier Pierre Cardiac gave the following definition: â€Å"Fashion – is a way of expression. In other words, fashion – a reflection of the individual qualities of the individual in the social and moral aspect. † Fashion considers harmless game of fantasy and whim of people.Note that only through fashion can be hard to avoid the tyranny of custom, hidebound traditions, which in fashion is reflected age-old human search. Mode allows the individual to express themselves, to protect their identities. While at the same time fashion, providing a pacific person, adopted by most standards, certainly makes a person the issue of choice. Fashion, bringing under their â€Å"banner† thousands of people, creates a certain illusion of unity. And this fact is very beneficial in the spirit of our time. But at the same time, fashion offers a variety of social symbols, which to some extent are the hallmarks of social attitudes in social strata. And may thus play a completely opposite role, that once again convinces how ambiguous and complicated phenomenon. Fashion democratic and elitist at the same time! Fashion is considered in relation to art, Joining with him, or, conversely, opposing him. The famous Italian writer Alberta Moravia, who, by his own admission, mode of interest from the standpoint of aesthetics, defines it as: â€Å"Fashion – a story, the story itself, about which you can not debate, argue, cannot be denied. And indeed, the people who have no history dispense with clothing. † In light of this understanding, it seems now outdated definition of fashion, which was given by V. Dahl; – it is not Just a walking habit, â€Å"she did not† fancy. In an age of science, technology, and now – and the technological evolution has arisen this powerful â€Å"fashion industry†. It uses advances in science and technology to create new, previously unknown material, allows making fash ionable clothes, shoes, etc. In any desired quantity. Invented by chemists, artificial and synthetic materials – nylon, nylon, polyester, and others, gaining popularity very quickly became fashionable. Fashion – and in the sense that the enthusiasm was only temporary. Still, when cooled down passion aroused by the novelties, we returned to the tested, proven over centuries of fabrics and materials, which so well and feels natural and man in the heat, and cold.Chemists â€Å"rescued† an open rejection of a dangerous fashion, combining natural and synthetic fibbers so that they have a dignity and of those, and others – are pleasant to wear, hygienic, does not crease, easy to wash, durable. How can you call such a development mode changing whims? No, it's hard logic, in a society rapidly changing moods and tastes, hobbies, etc. Writes, for example, Doctor of Philosophy BAA Parrying in the book† Social Psychology as a science. Ð’Â «But this is †“ at first glance comprehensive – definition, apparently, does not reflect the essence of fashion. Because there are examples here the fashion of the West created a well-tested process as creating â€Å"stars† and â€Å"beauty queens† are increasingly used at the same time some economic controls to be placed on manual mode a lot of money.And fashion is not always there â€Å"under the influence of the dominant society† tastes and moods – often fashion serves as a kind of protest is the natural dynamics of science and industry. New draws attention, experience life and time, and adjusted accordingly. So the fashion of our time goes hand in hand with scientific and technical progress and to some extent contributes to it. But even this provision for, and against the objections can be found, since there are cases when fashion went in the direction of all progress, having tempted suddenly forms and colors of bygone decades. Disputes about fashion, begu n immediately after her birth, continued.Remains on the pages of newspapers and magazines ask the question: what is fashion? People are looking for an answer, crave precision and certainty. And it was no and no. Too complicated this ambiguous phenomenon. It originally – and each time a new way – reflects our life: spiritual and material. Mankind has, of course, does not live fashion – he has other, more serious encores and problems. He is much more important, for example, to avoid the â€Å"star† and other wars, keep the land in its purity and charm. The man went into space and flew to the knowledge of the unknown. It would seem that the fashion to these global problems? But no – it does not remain indifferent to them.The first flights into space inspired by Pierre Cardiac to create his â€Å"space† collection, and now the second decade, we see the development of this theme: here went overalls and helmets, silver and gold shiny fabric, of wh ich sew everything – from Jackets and raincoats to exquisite evening toilets. Changing the type of beauty – fashion changes the makeup, hair, shape the very face of a man who is considered beautiful. Then this teenager as Twiggy, proclaiming mini skirts and dresses, it is a natural cosmetic and short-haired athlete. Or a man keeps good shape, smart. All this is a consequence of mass interest in sports, the desire to live a healthy lifestyle.The new image – new types of clothing, a silhouette, fabric and other materials. Media, international contacts, tourism – all this makes the information widely available about fashion, and fashion itself becomes an international character. Tradition of folk costumes, national costumes have an impact on fashion, which was with her usual omnivorous draws ideas from all available sources. Fashion – is a specific and highly dynamic form of standardized mass behavior that arises spontaneously, mainly influenced by th e dominant against the tastes of the dominant society. In particular, this was the fashion of hippies and punks who were wearing shocking, causing clothes. We all somehow become involved in this process.Now many are interested in fashion, waiting forecasts, find out what is fashionable today that sew, what to buy, how to dress, to keep pace with time. And when a man wearing fashionable trousers – bananas, pulls on his shirt in a fashionable style â€Å"safari†, throws on the shoulders of the nylon, as if inflated with air, a Jacket – one that he often feels like walking in step with the times Many temptations fraught with fashion, but it is cruel and pitiless. Entering into any relationship with fashion, we find ourselves faced with a choice, and it must do consciously. We do not currently outfit to choose; we are saying about their passions, their aesthetic ideals So – to start – try to understand the laws, which call for a new life style and that she complies.

Impact of Technology Essay

Abstract The information technology investments have increased significantly with time and advancement in technology. In this study, an attempt is made to highlight how the information technology influences the organization productivity. The correlation between the information technology (IT) and productivity was very argumentative. Many studies were conducted to identify the impact of IT on productivity conclude different results. It is impossible to estimate the productivity growth due to the availability of so many advanced computer technologies, as it’s tough to consider all parameters involved while calculating productivity growth. Several researches and studies were documented stating positive effects of IT on productivity growth. But still there were few against this statement. Introduction The advancement in the information technology made both consumers and business enterprises to use it. Computers, laptops, wireless communications etc. are all part of IT and incorporated in every industry. Enterprises invest in these technologies because it was assumed technologies will enhance productivity. Companies aim to generate more business and high turnovers through less investment. In a race to gain more efficiency, the enterprises are adapting new technologies. Huge investments are made on new technologies to survive in industry. The major challenge is to produce high quality goods and services at low prices. Some enterprises understood the  value and importance of information technology and used it to deliver more products in less time and more reliable and convenient services at lower cost. This will also help to gain competitive advantage over rivals. It was illustrated in a study to generate high productivity growths from information technology; enterprises should cha nge the existing infrastructure as well as business practices (Brynjolfsson & Brown, 2005). Many enterprises changed the organizational structure to exploit the full potential of information technology and its applications. Brynjolfsson and Hitt (1998) linked productivity with living standards to understand it better. They mentioned that value of productivity can be easily understood when related with our living standards. They highlighted the significance of productivity by comparing it with our living standards and mentioned that, â€Å"productivity growth determines our living standards and the wealth of nations.† This reflects the customers’ behavior to consume more in less money. They also point out that the concept of productivity is simple and vast but tough to measure with accuracy. Information Technology and Productivity Productivity was described as the amount of output generated for a certain amount of input (Brynjolfsson, 2003; Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1995). Productivity can also be defined as the measure of the quantity of outputs in goods and services per unit of input (Muriwai, 2006). Productivity can be measured either by keeping the output static or input. Productivity can be increased with increase in output keeping input constant or by decreasing the input keeping the output static. The term information technology was defined narrowly as the expenditures made on the computing hardware (Brynjolfsson, 2003 and Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 2005). It was elaborated a little more as. All the computer software and hardware, tools and services used in the business processes and operations are a part of information technology. The investments in information technology were defined as the expenses on the computer hardware and software and all other devices related with IT (Morrison, 1997). The main purpose of these investments is developing a modern infrastructure within the organization to boost productivity of both organization and employees (Dehning, Dow, & Stratopoulus, 2003). It was documented by Mahmood and Mann (2005) that  investment in IT was not sufficient enough to increase productivity. Strategic decisions had to be made whether investment in IT would help to accomplish objectives and goals set. A harmony must occur between IT investments and changes in business process to have high productivity growth, even greater than investment in information technology. Keller (2004) also stated that when IT is utilized appropriately at workplace that also helps a lot in productivity growth. Just investing in information technology is not sufficient to gain growth in productivity; but organization can visualize changes brought by information technology (Brynjolfsson & Hitt, 1998; Dedrick, Gurbaxani & Kraemer, 2003). A significant relation between IT investments per employee and overall productivity of company was found by Brynjolfsson (2003). The enterprises gained high productivity growth who invested huge sum in information technology effectively. But pattern of productivity growth across the enterprises varied no doubt the return from IT investment were positive (Brynjolfsson & Hitt, 1998). It takes time to realize productivity gains from investments in information technology. It was supported by Mahmood and Mann (1988) that productivity growth and performance of the organization improves in time period of two or three years after investing in information technology. Dedrick et al. (2003) also believed that productivity gains are realized after a long time period. It was highlighted in their research that information technology payoffs are high when firms’ effectively apply information technology in long run. It’s easy to measure productivity when tangible products and goods are produced as in the manufacturing sector. An input alteration in the manufacturing process can bring substantial changes in productivity. For instance, the use of automation technology and robotics produce outputs of good quality (Kao & Liu, 2005). On the contrary, it’s tough to measure and improve productivity in service sector. It’s next to impossible to evaluate the productivity of an employee. A method was proposed by Tallon and Kraemer (2006) to measure precisely the impact of information technology on productivity. A method of perceptual measures was recommended by them. Perceptual measures would bring new scope to study impact of technology on productivity. They described it as â€Å"perceptual measures, if structured around information technology impacts at the process-level, can yield richer insights than objective criteria alone†. Authors’ Agree and Disagree: The research was done by many to study the impact of IT on productivity (Brynjolfsson & Brown, 2005; Brynjolfsson & Hitt, 1998; Melville, Kraemer & Gurbaxani, 2004 and Kudyba, 2004). The expectation that productivity will certainly increase by utilizing the IT were not always true. But researches ended up with different conclusions, some stated positive impacts of IT on productivity and others negative. Information technology had negative impact on productivity. Mahmood and Mann (2005) mentioned in their study that there is no adequate evidence available in past researches showing the positive effects of IT on productivity. It was also supported by Dedrick et al. (2003) stating, â€Å"Studies have failed to identify a relationship between information technology investment and firm profitability.† The term productivity paradox was introduced by Robert Solow in 1987 explaining the inability of the information technology contributing towards firm productivity (Solow. 1987). He made a statement that growth in productivity was not accompanied by the information technology. He also discussed that the companies didn’t had expected results in productivity after investing in Information technology. He quoted, â€Å"You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics†. In my opinion and during my research I realized that impact of IT on productivity had mixed reviews from different authors, researchers and economists. Researchers used new approach to reveal the hidden positive effects of IT on productivity. Brynjolfsson and Hitt (1998) illustrated that â€Å"Information technology has a positive and significant impact on firm output, contradicting the claims of a productivity paradox (p52).† This was also supported by Brynjolfsson (2003) and Dedrick et al. (2003) that productivity including the output per worker annually had increased significantly with use of information technology. It was mentioned by Kudyba (2004) that the output can be upraised with increased information technology skills. The new information technology and techniques effectively when used by the companies, those companies are productive than who don’t use it (Brynjolfsson & Brown, 2005). When the technologies and techniques were used perfectly and timely, yield high level of productivity. The three ways were  discussed by Brynjolfsson (2003), Keller (2004) and Brynjolfsson & Hitt (1998) to recognize productivity growth from IT: by decreasing the cost on Information technology and keeping the benefits from business stagnant; increase the benefits from business and keeping the investment in Information technology constant; or reduce the cost of information technology and benefits increase from business. The information technology is important and valuable for organization (Melville et al., 2004). They also stated that effective and efficient use of information technology can yield potential benefits, like cost reduction, improving quality and at last productivity. The companies, who used information technology effectively, had also observed an increase in price of their market share more than others. It had been reported by Mahmood and Mann (2005) that both IT labour and computer resources contribute towards return on investments. They also mentioned in their report that effective enterprises have developed and improved their infrastructures and investing highly in information technology. Information technology is a medium through which the information can be distributed easily within organizations. The highly advanced IT infrastructures create an atmosphere within organization that encourages decentralized process of decision making (Brynjolfsson & Brown, 2005). When modification of the business processes is done within organizations, it becomes necessary to integrate information technologies. The productivity can be enhanced by integrating information technology investments with decentralize process of decision making (Melville et al., 2004). The integration of information technology investments and other investments within business also proves to be beneficial (Brynjolfsson & Hitt, 1998). The operations and business processes within the organization must be evaluated and ensure that existing business enviro nment can adapt the new technology, before future information technology investments made (Zhou & Chen, 2003). The predictable and estimated outcomes can be realized from IT investments through integration of technologies and current business processes (Kudyba, 2004). It becomes important to restructure the business processes with the changing business environments when new information systems are set up (Zhou & Chen, 2003). McNamara and Watson (2005) also reported that the integration of the existing technology systems with new technologies within organizations yields the expected productivity growth.  They also discussed how the existing technologies can be employed in various business operations, it equally productive as investing in new information technologies. Brynjolfsson and Hitt (1998) found that â€Å"The greatest benefits of computers appear to be realized when computer investment is coupled with other complementary investments; new strategies, new business processes and new organizations all appear to be important in realizing the maximum benefit of information technology†. The companies must integrate all daily activities, decentralize decision process, flow of information from high to low level, this will enhance productivity growth and all these attributes directly or indirectly contribute to information technology (Brynjolfsson, 2003). The organizations use various methods and measures like product quality, profitability, and value of market shares to measure productivity (Dedrick et al., 2003). There is a possibility that productivity can also be gained through effective management. It was observed that productivity can be increased by information technology and make worth for consumers (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1995). Devaraj and Kohli (2003) proposed a method which requires elevation of the IT usage at the employees’ level individually and then finally investigating its effect on organizational performance. Employees’ of modern organization may call it push or pull of IT investments. This phenomenon of push or pull in IT investments may inspire employees’ for using new technologies and this may lead to productivity improvements. Kudyba (2004) mentioned that competitive advantage can be gained by hiring skilled and experienced employees. In my view, the employees must be trained to use new technologies or companies should hire skilled and experienced employees. It also depends how the new technologies are being utilized by the enterprises to enhance their productivity. Only those companies will maximize their productivity that will use the technology perfectly and timely. I have also learned during my research that productivity doesn’t depend on one factor, there are number of parameters that affect the overall productivity of the organizations. The accurate methods are required for calculating the productivity, to recognize the growth of productivity. Rather than focusing on productivity only, enterprises should develop new strategies to integrate t echnologies with new opportunities. The barriers to entry can be easily terminated by raising the firm’s efficiency and gaining competitive advantage. Benefit to Manager There is a big challenge ahead for all the mangers and decision makers how to consume the information technologies at best and have maximum benefits. It’s not compulsory that the companies will have same levels of productivity if provided with same information technology, it depends how the technology is utilized to have high growth in productivity (Brynjolfsson, 2003). To maintain competitive advantage in the industry, the managers had to find new ways in which they can exploit the full potential of technologies differently from their rivals. Melville et al. (2004) mentioned the competitive advantage gained through human resource and technical synergies cannot be maintained for long. A strategy or mechanism had to develop to gain competitive edge for long periods and which is not easy to imitate. The competitive advantage can be maintained until others don’t follow what you are doing, once others start following your techniques it’s tough to sustain competitive advantage (Brynjolfsson, 2003). I believe that managers should examine future values of all IT investments when productivity results were not up to the level of expectations. The organizational leaders are not ready to invest more on technologies, when results from previous IT investments are not beneficial enough (Devaraj & Kohli, 2003). A big challenge for the leaders to justify future investments in technologies when there is no significant evidence of productivity improvement from previously investments in information technologies (Dehning, Dow, & Stratopoulus, 2003). Managers should focus on other aspects of business process also rather than on productivity alone. Hitt and Brynjolfsson (1995) discussed that managers should concentrate more on how information technology can be used to improve product quality and customer service. Information technology has the potential to reduce the expenses on such services and change the mode of production and delivery of the goods and services so can’t be easily imitated by competitors (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1995). The uniqueness in utilizing the information technologies in business operations and processes is the key to stay ahead of the competitors in the market. This not only provides competitive advantage but also increases the overall growth in productivity. Conclusion The conclusion can be drawn that investing in information technology doesn’t  have any positive impact on productivity growth until utilized properly and effectively. The impact of investing in technologies can be realized how organizations utilize technologies effectively depending on the current situations of organizations and derive expected productivity results. The invention of telecommunication, computer software and hardware had totally changed operations within the organizations. The use of these forms of technology was extensively popular and in-demand among the various industrial sectors. The enterprises had changed their existing infrastructures to adapt these new technologies. The meaning both consumption and productivity have changed with innovation of information technology. 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