Political Diversity as Manifested in the Jesse Jackson Presidential Bids Essay

Baptist Minister turned Illinois second district congressman Jesse Jackson made two attempts to become the Democratic Party nominee in 1984 and 1988. In the 1988 bid for the White House, Jackson was defeated by Senator Michael Dukakis for the Democratic nomination but not after showing strong in initial state nominating conventions. Jackson then capitalized his racial (black) circumstance and challenged political personalities and organizational corporations (Steele A19). Despite Jackson’s strong impact to the country and American people during that time, his candidacy was expectedly marred with controversies. In fact, if he pursued his bid around that period, Jackson would have been prevented from being a political leader or worst, ended up not winning at all. The reason behind this is what Walton wrote as the Critical Election Theory wherein Jackson’s efforts to be the first Black U. S. President were questioned. Based from the presupposition of the said theory, his position that it was time for blacks to have their ways into the Democratic Party nomination and eventually the White House was evaluated in a manner that it would hurt Jackson more apparently due to his egotistical endeavors (Walton 49). However, the political arena has changed for the past two decades. As Barker wrote, the concern and uncertainty brought by the emergence of the black power and an increased awareness on the need for change created another level of enthusiasm for people to support now the black bids in the likes of Jackson and now with Barack Obama (Barker 3). Had Jackson made the bid this year or if he was the Democratic Party candidate against Sen. John McCain, he could have won the presidency just like Obama. The situation that catapulted Obama to the White House could have also been smartly utilized by Jackson to kick out the incumbent Republican President George Bush. If Jesse Jackson was the Democratic Party nominee for the 2008 elections, he could have handily beaten McCain just as well. Like Obama, Jackson possesses the charms and eloquence which convinced Americans to go for change – change in their perception of politics, change in their views on racial discrimination, change to accept a new brand of leadership and change for a better and different United States of America. Obama was simply lucky that a confluence of events conspired to generate a feeling of anger and disgust in the hearts and minds of the American people on the mess created by President Bush who was perceived as insensitive and stubborn. Add to it McCain’s image of being conservative just like Bush. And both gentlemen were devastated by hurricane â€Å"Change† of Obama that in the process swept the Chicago first term congressman to the world’s most powerful post. Jesse Jackson should, in fact, be credited for paving the way for â€Å"non-whites† to be accepted by the Americans on the national scale. Yes, a lot of Black Americans, Asian Americans and European Americans, among others, won elective positions in several states but only few managed to be recognized as serious contenders for the United States presidency. With Obama’s victory, it won’t be difficult anymore for â€Å"colored† Americans to vie or the White House. America has truly matured into becoming the world’s melting pot of diverse cultures. Gone are the days that the whites dominate just practically all facets of American life. So when Jesse Jackson introduced himself as a Black presidential contender, it was just a matter of time before America installs a colored man or woman as their president. And just like Jackson, Barack Obama, despite his being a neophyte in politics, came at the right time when America was absolutely ready for change.

Basketball Essay

Basketball is a very popular sport worldwide.Basketball is now the second most popular sport in the world. Women’s basketball is also a popular sport, even though it does not receive nearly as much attention as men’s basketball. Basketball has been played in the Summer Olympic Games since 1936. HISTORY In early December 1891, James Naismith, a Canadian physical education teacher at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts invented an indoor game called basketball. He invented the sport to keep his students from becoming bored during the winter.Naismith wrote the basic rules and then nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot tall pole. Unlike modern basketball hoops, the bottom of the peach-basket was still there, so after a point was scored, somebody had to get the ball out of the basket with a long stick. Over time, people made a hole at the bottom of the basket so the ball could go through more easily. The score of the first game of basketball ever played was 1 – 0. There is a sculpture in Springfield, where the first game was played. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is also in Springfield. RULES AND THE GAME The aim of basketball is to score more points than your opponents. Baskets can be worth 1, 2, or 3 points. You get points by shooting the ball into the opponents’ basket. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Equipment The court, where the game is played, is a rectangle shape, and at both endlines there is a goal called a â€Å"hoop† in the shape of a circular basket with the bottom cut out. In each game of basketball these things are required: Basketball Basketball court Basketball hoop and backboard Players Referee Teams Basketball is played with two teams, with 5 players from each team on the court at one time. The players that are not on the court can sit on the bench; the maximum number of players on the bench differs by league. In international play, a maximum of 7 players are allowed on the bench, resulting in a roster of 12 players. The NBA has 13-player rosters; college and high school teams usually have 15-player rosters. When a player wants to substitute for another player on the court they let the score bench know. The referees will signal for the player waiting to come onto the court. The player that went into the game is now playing and the player that was playing is sitting on the bench. Each team is allowed to have a coach and can have an assistant coach if they want. On the bench with the substitutes, a team is allowed to have up to five team followers, such as a manager, a doctor and an interpreter. Playing Regulations A game of basketball is made up of four quarters, each ten (or in the National Basketball Association 12,) minutes long. At the start of every game the referee throws the basketball up in the air, and one player from each team tries to hit it to their teammates, that is called a â€Å"jump ball.† At the start of each quarter the team who has the possession arrow pointing towards their hoop gets the ball. Then the arrow is switched, and the next team gets the ball next quarter. After four quarters, the team who scores the most points wins. If the two teams score the same number of points, there is a five-minute â€Å"overtime† to see who can score more points. â€Å"Overtime† can be played over and over until one team finally scores more points. While playing the game, players on one team try to stop players on the other team from scoring. Each normal score is worth two points; however, if a player throws the ball into the hoop from behind the large arced line on the court, called the â€Å"3-point line,† the score is worth three points. If you do something illegal in the game, it is called a â€Å"foul.† If you foul someone on the other team while he is shooting the basketball, the player who was fouled gets to shoot â€Å"free throws† from the â€Å"foul line†. A free throw is a shot that no one is allowed to try to block. Each successful free throw is worth one point. If you foul a player who is not shooting, the other team gets the ball, and can throw it â€Å"in bounds† from the â€Å"sideline.† Players can do three things with the ball: â€Å"dribble† (bounce) the ball,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"pass† the ball to a teammate, or â€Å"shoot† the ball at the hoop. The player with the ball tries to keep the ball and not let the other team get it. Once a player commits five fouls, he is no longer allowed to play in the game, and player on the bench must go in the game immediately. OFFICIALS In a game of basketball there are a number of people who are not from either team, that are there to help. They are called officials. Officials are very important because without them the game would not run as efficiently. Here is a list of some of these people: Umpire There are either one or two umpires in a game of basketball. It is the umpires’ job to make the game more fair by enforcing the rules of the game. The umpires take into consideration the spirit and intent of the player before making any call. In the NBA and WNBA, the term â€Å"umpire† is not used; the person who has this role is called the referee. Referee The use of this term varies between rule sets. Under the rules of FIBA (the worldwide governing body for the sport), the NCAA (U.S. college basketball), and NFHS (U.S. high schools), there is one referee in a game of basketball. He is the â€Å"head† umpire. The referee has all the jobs of the umpires along with a couple more responsibilities. He is also the one that makes the final decision for most problems and is the one who throws the ball up for the tip off the start of the match. Time Keeper There is one timekeeper whose job is to keep track of the time and to tell the umpires when time for each quarter has run out. He is also in control of adding the scores onto the scoreboard. Scorekeeper There is one scorekeeper whose job is to keep track of and record all points scored, shots attempted, fouls made and timeouts called. Assistant Scorekeeper There is one assistant scorekeeper in a game of basketball. his job is to assist the scorekeeper, by telling him the players who score points, and to hold up a number for each foul called, showing everyone the number of fouls the specified player has for the game. Shot Clock Operator There is one shot clock operator and his job in to keep resetting and holding the device when needed or told to by an umpire. This person needs to have good reflexes and quickness, as he has to quickly reset the timer when the game resumes. It should also be noted that fans and media in North America will often use â€Å"referee† to  describe all on-court officials, whether their formal titles are â€Å"referee†, â€Å"umpire†, or â€Å"crew chief†. BASKETBALL TERMS There are some basketball terms which players have to understand when playing the game. Here are some terms: Free throw is a basketball throw from the free-throw line from either personal, technical, unsportsmanlike or disqualifying fouls. Each free-throw made is worth one point. The amount of free-throws attempted are determined by the following: missed field goal and a drawn foul will result in 2 free throws made field goal and a drawn foul will result in 1 free throw missed 3-point attempt and a drawn foul will result in 3 free throws made 3-point attempt and a drawn foul will result in 1 free throw unsportsmanlike foul will result in 2 free throws and the same team’s possession. (In the NBA and WNBA, this foul is called a â€Å"flagrant foul†, with the same penalty.) technical foul will result in 2 free throws and the same team’s possession. (In the NBA and WNBA, technical fouls result in 1 free throw instead of 2.) Field goal is any made shot in normal play. Field goals are worth 2 points, unless the shooter was outside the three-point line, in which case it is worth 3 points. Personal foul is any contact, committed by a player of the other team, thought, by the umpires, to have caused a disadvantage. Technical foul is a violation of certain basketball rules. They include: fighting or threatening to fight with another person  entering the basketball court when it is not a substitution time a player being out of bounds (away from the court) to gain an advantage having too many players play on the court  refusing to sit on the bench  returning to play when a player is disqualified (loses his privileges to play) yelling and/or swearing at another player or an official Rebound is the act of catching the basketball after a shot has been attempted, but missed. Assist is to pass a teammate the ball, which then the teammate immediately shoots into the basketball ring successfully. 2-3 dribbles are allowed after catching the ball for assist to be counted. Steal is to take the ball away from a person who is dribbling, shooting or passing without physically touching the person (committing a foul). Turnover is when  the team that controls the ball loses control and the other team gains control. Walkover is the automatic victory of a team if the opposing team withdraws, is disqualified or there is not any competition at all. Substitution is the act of replacing a player from the court to an another player sitting on the bench. Double dribble is when a player dribbles the ball and picks it up and then dribbles it again without having shot or passed it. Dribbling the ball with two hands is also a double dribble. If a player double dribbles, the ball is automatically given to the other team. Carry is when a player physically turns the ball over with their hands whilst dribbling it. Travel is when a player in possession of the ball moves both feet without dribbling the ball. If a player travels, the ball is automatically given to the opposing team. Shot clock is a clock designed to limit the time a team has to shoot a basketball. The shot clock is different in different leagues, but it is usually between 24 seconds and 35 seconds. After time runs out, the ball is automatically given to the opposing team unless they shot, before the clock runs out, and hit the rim or the ball enters the basket. Substitute (subs) is when a player on the bench swaps for a player on the court. The player on the bench is allowed to play and the player sits on the bench. Jump ball happens at the start of every game. This is where the ball gets thrown up from the centre circle and one person from each team jumps for it, aiming to hit it to one of his team mates. Alternating possession At the start of the game there is a jump ball. Whichever team â€Å"wins† the jump ball gets the arrow pointed towards their goal. Each time the rules mention it the ball gets given to the team who is trying to score in the direction of the arrow and the arrow gets turned. Clutch is a shot made at a difficult moment in the game, usually when the shot clock is about to run out or the team, losing by 1 or 2 points, suddenly wins the game, because of the clutch shot. Backcourt violation is when a player crosses the half-court line and walks backwards over the line while in possession of the ball, or passes to another player who is behind the half-court line. Note that this rule does not apply if a defensive player taps the ball, and it goes beyond the half-court line, and the offensive player retrieves it in the â€Å"backcourt†. 3 second violation is when a player stands in the lane (an area marked by the big square in front of the basket) for more than 3 seconds. The offensive team that commits a 3  second violation will lose the possession of the ball. The defensive team that commits a 3 second violation will receive a technical foul. 8 or 10 second violation is when the team with the ball fails to advance the ball past the center line within the allowed time. The offensive team will lose possession. The allowed time is 8 seconds in international play, the NBA, and WNBA, and 10 seconds in men’s college basketball and high school play for both boys and girls. This violation does not exist in women’s college basketball. Positions in basketball In professional basketball teams, each player has a position. A position is a job or role that a player has to take part in to play the game. If everyone is doing their job correctly, the team is usually successful. Point guard (PG) (1) – point guards are responsible for leading the team on offense. They have to take the ball out (to dribble the ball halfway across their team’s court side into the opposing team’s court side) and plan an â€Å"attack† or â€Å"play† – to pass the ball to a player and he passes on to another player and so on till a player shoots the basketball. Point guards can be small, but they have to be very fast and possess good ball-handling. But the most important thing for the PG is a wide view. PG should control the game when on offense. That’s why PG is called ‘the coach on the court’. Shooting guard (SG) (2) – shooting guards generally are a little bit taller and slower than point guards. They have to make good shots from far distances (like three-point lines). Small forward (SF) (3) – small forwards are generally taller than both point guards and shooting guards. They are the team’s most versatile player, doing everything from rebounding and assisting to scoring. Power forward (PF) (4) – power forwards are usually one of the strongest players who play inside the 3 point line. Their job is to receive rebounds from under the basket and score in the opposing team’s basket, although it is unusual for a power forward to score most points for the team. Center (C) (5) – Centers will usually be the tallest player on the team. They score close to the basket, rebound and block shots on the defensive end. They also start the game in the tip off. Other positions, more usual in professional basketball teams, are used in basketball. Swingman – a basketball player who can play both small forward and shooting guard positions. Cornerman – a basketball player who can play both power forward and small forward  positions. Point forward – a basketball player who can play both point guard and forward (either small forward or power forward) positions. Forward-center – a basketball player who can play both forward (usually power forward) and center positions. THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS If a basketball player becomes extremely good at the sport and well known for playing, coaching, or helping the game of basketball somehow, he or she is â€Å"elected† to be in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. This is the goal for the greatest basketball players in the world, like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Brian Scalabrine (The White Mamba), and Magic Johnson, and coaches like Phil Jackson, Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight, and Pat Summitt. If you are â€Å"enshrined† in Springfield, it is the greatest honor a basketball player, coach, official (referee), or contributor can have. It means you are the best of the best at basketball. VARIATIONS There are many types of basketball. Some are for people with disabilities, others are played more by a specific group. The most common type is able body basketball and that is the one that has been described in this article. Wheelchair basketball In this variation the players are all seated in a wheelchair. This is often played by people who cannot walk or are unable to play able body basketball properly. The rules are altered slightly but the game follows the same general concepts.

Angels Demons Chapter 86-88

86 No light. No sound. The Secret Archives were black. Fear, Langdon now realized, was an intense motivator. Short of breath, he fumbled through the blackness toward the revolving door. He found the button on the wall and rammed his palm against it. Nothing happened. He tried again. The door was dead. Spinning blind, he called out, but his voice emerged strangled. The peril of his predicament suddenly closed in around him. His lungs strained for oxygen as the adrenaline doubled his heart rate. He felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. When he threw his weight into the door, for an instant he thought he felt the door start to turn. He pushed again, seeing stars. Now he realized it was the entire room turning, not the door. Staggering away, Langdon tripped over the base of a rolling ladder and fell hard. He tore his knee against the edge of a book stack. Swearing, he got up and groped for the ladder. He found it. He had hoped it would be heavy wood or iron, but it was aluminum. He grabbed the ladder and held it like a battering ram. Then he ran through the dark at the glass wall. It was closer than he thought. The ladder hit head-on, bouncing off. From the feeble sound of the collision, Langdon knew he was going to need a hell of a lot more than an aluminum ladder to break this glass. When he flashed on the semiautomatic, his hopes surged and then instantly fell. The weapon was gone. Olivetti had relieved him of it in the Pope's office, saying he did not want loaded weapons around with the camerlegno present. It made sense at the time. Langdon called out again, making less sound than the last time. Next he remembered the walkie-talkie the guard had left on the table outside the vault. Why the hell didn't I bring it in! As the purple stars began to dance before his eyes, Langdon forced himself to think. You've been trapped before, he told himself. You survived worse. You were just a kid and you figured it out. The crushing darkness came flooding in. Think! Langdon lowered himself onto the floor. He rolled over on his back and laid his hands at his sides. The first step was to gain control. Relax. Conserve. No longer fighting gravity to pump blood, Langdon's heart began to slow. It was a trick swimmers used to re-oxygenate their blood between tightly scheduled races. There is plenty of air in here, he told himself. Plenty. Now think. He waited, half-expecting the lights to come back on at any moment. They did not. As he lay there, able to breathe better now, an eerie resignation came across him. He felt peaceful. He fought it. You will move, damn it! But where†¦ On Langdon's wrist, Mickey Mouse glowed happily as if enjoying the dark: 9:33 P.M. Half an hour until Fire. Langdon thought it felt a whole hell of a lot later. His mind, instead of coming up with a plan for escape, was suddenly demanding an explanation. Who turned off the power? Was Rocher expanding his search? Wouldn't Olivetti have warned Rocher that I'm in here! Langdon knew at this point it made no difference. Opening his mouth wide and tipping back his head, Langdon pulled the deepest breaths he could manage. Each breath burned a little less than the last. His head cleared. He reeled his thoughts in and forced the gears into motion. Glass walls, he told himself. But damn thick glass. He wondered if any of the books in here were stored in heavy, steel, fireproof file cabinets. Langdon had seen them from time to time in other archives but had seen none here. Besides, finding one in the dark could prove time-consuming. Not that he could lift one anyway, particularly in his present state. How about the examination table? Langdon knew this vault, like the other, had an examination table in the center of the stacks. So what? He knew he couldn't lift it. Not to mention, even if he could drag it, he wouldn't get it far. The stacks were closely packed, the aisles between them far too narrow. The aisles are too narrow†¦ Suddenly, Langdon knew. With a burst of confidence, he jumped to his feet far too fast. Swaying in the fog of a head rush, he reached out in the dark for support. His hand found a stack. Waiting a moment, he forced himself to conserve. He would need all of his strength to do this. Positioning himself against the book stack like a football player against a training sled, he planted his feet and pushed. If I can somehow tip the shelf. But it barely moved. He realigned and pushed again. His feet slipped backward on the floor. The stack creaked but did not move. He needed leverage. Finding the glass wall again, he placed one hand on it to guide him as he raced in the dark toward the far end of the vault. The back wall loomed suddenly, and he collided with it, crushing his shoulder. Cursing, Langdon circled the shelf and grabbed the stack at about eye level. Then, propping one leg on the glass behind him and another on the lower shelves, he started to climb. Books fell around him, fluttering into the darkness. He didn't care. Instinct for survival had long since overridden archival decorum. He sensed his equilibrium was hampered by the total darkness and closed his eyes, coaxing his brain to ignore visual input. He moved faster now. The air felt leaner the higher he went. He scrambled toward the upper shelves, stepping on books, trying to gain purchase, heaving himself upward. Then, like a rock climber conquering a rock face, Langdon grasped the top shelf. Stretching his legs out behind him, he walked his feet up the glass wall until he was almost horizontal. Now or never, Robert, a voice urged. Just like the leg press in the Harvard gym. With dizzying exertion, he planted his feet against the wall behind him, braced his arms and chest against the stack, and pushed. Nothing happened. Fighting for air, he repositioned and tried again, extending his legs. Ever so slightly, the stack moved. He pushed again, and the stack rocked forward an inch or so and then back. Langdon took advantage of the motion, inhaling what felt like an oxygenless breath and heaving again. The shelf rocked farther. Like a swing set, he told himself. Keep the rhythm. A little more. Langdon rocked the shelf, extending his legs farther with each push. His quadriceps burned now, and he blocked the pain. The pendulum was in motion. Three more pushes, he urged himself. It only took two. There was an instant of weightless uncertainty. Then, with a thundering of books sliding off the shelves, Langdon and the shelf were falling forward. Halfway to the ground, the shelf hit the stack next to it. Langdon hung on, throwing his weight forward, urging the second shelf to topple. There was a moment of motionless panic, and then, creaking under the weight, the second stack began to tip. Langdon was falling again. Like enormous dominoes, the stacks began to topple, one after another. Metal on metal, books tumbling everywhere. Langdon held on as his inclined stack bounced downward like a ratchet on a jack. He wondered how many stacks there were in all. How much would they weigh? The glass at the far end was thick†¦ Langdon's stack had fallen almost to the horizontal when he heard what he was waiting for – a different kind of collision. Far off. At the end of the vault. The sharp smack of metal on glass. The vault around him shook, and Langdon knew the final stack, weighted down by the others, had hit the glass hard. The sound that followed was the most unwelcome sound Langdon had ever heard. Silence. There was no crashing of glass, only the resounding thud as the wall accepted the weight of the stacks now propped against it. He lay wide-eyed on the pile of books. Somewhere in the distance there was a creaking. Langdon would have held his breath to listen, but he had none left to hold. One second. Two†¦ Then, as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, Langdon heard a distant yielding†¦ a ripple spidering outward through the glass. Suddenly, like a cannon, the glass exploded. The stack beneath Langdon collapsed to the floor. Like welcome rain on a desert, shards of glass tinkled downward in the dark. With a great sucking hiss, the air gushed in. Thirty seconds later, in the Vatican Grottoes, Vittoria was standing before a corpse when the electronic squawk of a walkie-talkie broke the silence. The voice blaring out sounded short of breath. â€Å"This is Robert Langdon! Can anyone hear me?† Vittoria looked up. Robert! She could not believe how much she suddenly wished he were there. The guards exchanged puzzled looks. One took a radio off his belt. â€Å"Mr. Langdon? You are on channel three. The commander is waiting to hear from you on channel one.† â€Å"I know he's on channel one, damn it! I don't want to speak to him. I want the camerlegno. Now! Somebody find him for me.† In the obscurity of the Secret Archives, Langdon stood amidst shattered glass and tried to catch his breath. He felt a warm liquid on his left hand and knew he was bleeding. The camerlegno's voice spoke at once, startling Langdon. â€Å"This is Camerlegno Ventresca. What's going on?† Langdon pressed the button, his heart still pounding. â€Å"I think somebody just tried to kill me!† There was a silence on the line. Langdon tried to calm himself. â€Å"I also know where the next killing is going to be.† The voice that came back was not the camerlegno's. It was Commander Olivetti's: â€Å"Mr. Langdon. Do not speak another word.† 87 Langdon's watch, now smeared with blood, read 9:41 P.M. as he ran across the Courtyard of the Belvedere and approached the fountain outside the Swiss Guard security center. His hand had stopped bleeding and now felt worse than it looked. As he arrived, it seemed everyone convened at once – Olivetti, Rocher, the camerlegno, Vittoria, and a handful of guards. Vittoria hurried toward him immediately. â€Å"Robert, you're hurt.† Before Langdon could answer, Olivetti was before him. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I'm relieved you're okay. I'm sorry about the crossed signals in the archives.† â€Å"Crossed signals?† Langdon demanded. â€Å"You knew damn well – â€Å" â€Å"It was my fault,† Rocher said, stepping forward, sounding contrite. â€Å"I had no idea you were in the archives. Portions of our white zones are cross-wired with that building. We were extending our search. I'm the one who killed power. If I had known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria said, taking his wounded hand in hers and looking it over, â€Å"the Pope was poisoned. The Illuminati killed him.† Langdon heard the words, but they barely registered. He was saturated. All he could feel was the warmth of Vittoria's hands. The camerlegno pulled a silk handkerchief from his cassock and handed it to Langdon so he could clean himself. The man said nothing. His green eyes seemed filled with a new fire. â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria pressed, â€Å"you said you found where the next cardinal is going to be killed?† Langdon felt flighty. â€Å"I do, it's at the – â€Å" â€Å"No,† Olivetti interrupted. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, when I asked you not to speak another word on the walkie-talkie, it was for a reason.† He turned to the handful of assembled Swiss Guards. â€Å"Excuse us, gentlemen.† The soldiers disappeared into the security center. No indignity. Only compliance. Olivetti turned back to the remaining group. â€Å"As much as it pains me to say this, the murder of our Pope is an act that could only have been accomplished with help from within these walls. For the good of all, we can trust no one. Including our guards.† He seemed to be suffering as he spoke the words. Rocher looked anxious. â€Å"Inside collusion implies – â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† Olivetti said. â€Å"The integrity of your search is compromised. And yet it is a gamble we must take. Keep looking.† Rocher looked like he was about to say something, thought better of it, and left. The camerlegno inhaled deeply. He had not said a word yet, and Langdon sensed a new rigor in the man, as if a turning point had been reached. â€Å"Commander?† The camerlegno's tone was impermeable. â€Å"I am going to break conclave.† Olivetti pursed his lips, looking dour. â€Å"I advise against it. We still have two hours and twenty minutes.† â€Å"A heartbeat.† Olivetti's tone was now challenging â€Å"What do you intend to do? Evacuate the cardinals single-handedly?† â€Å"I intend to save this church with whatever power God has given me. How I proceed is no longer your concern.† Olivetti straightened. â€Å"Whatever you intend to do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"I do not have the authority to restrain you. Particularly in light of my apparent failure as head of security. I ask only that you wait. Wait twenty minutes†¦ until after ten o'clock. If Mr. Langdon's information is correct, I may still have a chance to catch this assassin. There is still a chance to preserve protocol and decorum.† â€Å"Decorum?† The camerlegno let out a choked laugh. â€Å"We have long since passed propriety, commander. In case you hadn't noticed, this is war.† A guard emerged from the security center and called out to the camerlegno, â€Å"Signore, I just got word we have detained the BBC reporter, Mr. Glick.† The camerlegno nodded. â€Å"Have both he and his camerawoman meet me outside the Sistine Chapel.† Olivetti's eyes widened. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Twenty minutes, commander. That's all I'm giving you.† Then he was gone. When Olivetti's Alpha Romeo tore out of Vatican City, this time there was no line of unmarked cars following him. In the back seat, Vittoria bandaged Langdon's hand with a first-aid kit she'd found in the glove box. Olivetti stared straight ahead. â€Å"Okay, Mr. Langdon. Where are we going?† 88 Even with its siren now affixed and blaring, Olivetti's Alpha Romeo seemed to go unnoticed as it rocketed across the bridge into the heart of old Rome. All the traffic was moving in the other direction, toward the Vatican, as if the Holy See had suddenly become the hottest entertainment in Rome. Langdon sat in the backseat, the questions whipping through his mind. He wondered about the killer, if they would catch him this time, if he would tell them what they needed to know, if it was already too late. How long before the camerlegno told the crowd in St. Peter's Square they were in danger? The incident in the vault still nagged. A mistake. Olivetti never touched the brakes as he snaked the howling Alpha Romeo toward the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. Langdon knew on any other day his knuckles would have been white. At the moment, however, he felt anesthetized. Only the throbbing in his hand reminded him where he was. Overhead, the siren wailed. Nothing like telling him we're coming, Langdon thought. And yet they were making incredible time. He guessed Olivetti would kill the siren as they drew nearer. Now with a moment to sit and reflect, Langdon felt a tinge of amazement as the news of the Pope's murder finally registered in his mind. The thought was inconceivable, and yet somehow it seemed a perfectly logical event. Infiltration had always been the Illuminati powerbase – rearrangements of power from within. And it was not as if Popes had never been murdered. Countless rumors of treachery abounded, although with no autopsy, none was ever confirmed. Until recently. Academics not long ago had gotten permission to X-ray the tomb of Pope Celestine V, who had allegedly died at the hands of his overeager successor, Boniface VIII. The researchers had hoped the X-ray might reveal some small hint of foul play – a broken bone perhaps. Incredibly, the X-ray had revealed a ten-inch nail driven into the Pope's skull. Langdon now recalled a series of news clippings fellow Illuminati buffs had sent him years ago. At first he had thought the clippings were a prank, so he'd gone to the Harvard microfiche collection to confirm the articles were authentic. Incredibly, they were. He now kept them on his bulletin board as examples of how even respectable news organizations sometimes got carried away with Illuminati paranoia. Suddenly, the media's suspicions seemed a lot less paranoid. Langdon could see the articles clearly in his mind†¦ The British Broadcasting Corporation June 14, 1998 Pope John Paul I, who died in 1978, fell victim to a plot by the P2 Masonic Lodge†¦ The secret society P2 decided to murder John Paul I when it saw he was determined to dismiss the American Archbishop Paul Marcinkus as President of the Vatican Bank. The Bank had been implicated in shady financial deals with the Masonic Lodge†¦ The New York Times August 24, 1998 Why was the late John Paul I wearing his day shirt in bed? Why was it torn? The questions don't stop there. No medical investigations were made. Cardinal Villot forbade an autopsy on the grounds that no Pope was ever given a postmortem. And John Paul's medicines mysteriously vanished from his bedside, as did his glasses, slippers and his last will and testament. London Daily Mail August 27, 1998 †¦ a plot including a powerful, ruthless and illegal Masonic lodge with tentacles stretching into the Vatican. The cellular in Vittoria's pocket rang, thankfully erasing the memories from Langdon's mind. Vittoria answered, looking confused as to who might be calling her. Even from a few feet away, Langdon recognized the laserlike voice on the phone. â€Å"Vittoria? This is Maximilian Kohler. Have you found the antimatter yet?† â€Å"Max? You're okay?† â€Å"I saw the news. There was no mention of CERN or the antimatter. This is good. What is happening?† â€Å"We haven't located the canister yet. The situation is complex. Robert Langdon has been quite an asset. We have a lead on catching the man assassinating cardinals. Right now we are headed – â€Å" â€Å"Ms. Vetra,† Olivetti interrupted. â€Å"You've said enough.† She covered the receiver, clearly annoyed. â€Å"Commander, this is the president of CERN. Certainly he has a right to – â€Å" â€Å"He has a right,† Olivetti snapped, â€Å"to be here handling this situation. You're on an open cellular line. You've said enough.† Vittoria took a deep breath. â€Å"Max?† â€Å"I may have some information for you,† Max said. â€Å"About your father†¦ I may know who he told about the antimatter.† Vittoria's expression clouded. â€Å"Max, my father said he told no one.† â€Å"I'm afraid, Vittoria, your father did tell someone. I need to check some security records. I will be in touch soon.† The line went dead. Vittoria looked waxen as she returned the phone to her pocket. â€Å"You okay?† Langdon asked. Vittoria nodded, her trembling fingers revealing the lie. â€Å"The church is on Piazza Barberini,† Olivetti said, killing the siren and checking his watch. â€Å"We have nine minutes.† When Langdon had first realized the location of the third marker, the position of the church had rung some distant bell for him. Piazza Barberini. Something about the name was familiar†¦ something he could not place. Now Langdon realized what it was. The piazza was the sight of a controversial subway stop. Twenty years ago, construction of the subway terminal had created a stir among art historians who feared digging beneath Piazza Barberini might topple the multiton obelisk that stood in the center. City planners had removed the obelisk and replaced it with a small fountain called the Triton. In Bernini's day, Langdon now realized, Piazza Barberini had contained an obelisk! Whatever doubts Langdon had felt that this was the location of the third marker now totally evaporated. A block from the piazza, Olivetti turned into an alley, gunned the car halfway down, and skidded to a stop. He pulled off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and loaded his weapon. â€Å"We can't risk your being recognized,† he said. â€Å"You two were on television. I want you across the piazza, out of sight, watching the front entrance. I'm going in the back.† He produced a familiar pistol and handed it to Langdon. â€Å"Just in case.† Langdon frowned. It was the second time today he had been handed the gun. He slid it into his breast pocket. As he did, he realized he was still carrying the folio from Diagramma. He couldn't believe he had forgotten to leave it behind. He pictured the Vatican Curator collapsing in spasms of outrage at the thought of this priceless artifact being packed around Rome like some tourist map. Then Langdon thought of the mess of shattered glass and strewn documents that he'd left behind in the archives. The curator had other problems. If the archives even survive the night†¦ Olivetti got out of the car and motioned back up the alley. â€Å"The piazza is that way. Keep your eyes open and don't let yourselves be seen.† He tapped the phone on his belt. â€Å"Ms. Vetra, let's retest our auto dial.† Vittoria removed her phone and hit the auto dial number she and Olivetti had programmed at the Pantheon. Olivetti's phone vibrated in silent-ring mode on his belt. The commander nodded. â€Å"Good. If you see anything, I want to know.† He cocked his weapon. â€Å"I'll be inside waiting. This heathen is mine.† At that moment, very nearby, another cellular phone was ringing. The Hassassin answered. â€Å"Speak.† â€Å"It is I,† the voice said. â€Å"Janus.† The Hassassin smiled. â€Å"Hello, master.† â€Å"Your position may be known. Someone is coming to stop you.† â€Å"They are too late. I have already made the arrangements here.† â€Å"Good. Make sure you escape alive. There is work yet to be done.† â€Å"Those who stand in my way will die.† â€Å"Those who stand in your way are knowledgeable.† â€Å"You speak of an American scholar?† â€Å"You are aware of him?† The Hassassin chuckled. â€Å"Cool-tempered but naive. He spoke to me on the phone earlier. He is with a female who seems quite the opposite.† The killer felt a stirring of arousal as he recalled the fiery temperament of Leonardo Vetra's daughter. There was a momentary silence on the line, the first hesitation the Hassassin had ever sensed from his Illuminati master. Finally, Janus spoke. â€Å"Eliminate them if need be.† The killer smiled. â€Å"Consider it done.† He felt a warm anticipation spreading through his body. Although the woman I may keep as a prize.

Computer Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Information System - Essay Example Organizations can't survive with working in international markets with out the help of databases and computers. In an environment where competition is tough they need to carry on communications with the help of computers and keep records on databases. As more and more people turn towards environment friendly products due to awareness, organizations are compelled to turn their attention towards product of the kind that are environment friendly. Organizations got to know about this by the help of databases that showed these trends according to the records. The most important use of databases in business is to keep a track record of history about the business. This not only helps in formulating strategies by studying the past trends but also helps executives in making important decisions that are related to the organizations. A database keeps the record in relevance to its dependency and gives results that are used to deduce conclusion as to why and how something happened. For example a drop in sales due to the packing of a product might be missed by a manager, but the database can easily point it out by showing that the drop in sales started as soon as the packaging of the product was changed. As I mentioned above the reasons for using databases to conduct day-to-day operations of a business, the same case is in my organization. We use databases in order to have an edge over our competitors, to become reputable in our sector of the business and to earn profits. Reasons apart from these are also related to the implementation of databases, these include satisfying the customers to the maximum in order to enhance the business operations and to keep a track of the customer so as to study the trend of his or her behavior that helps us in giving the customers what they really want. Our organization uses the one of the most successful database application, which is easy to implement and user friendly for the employees. The name of the database application is Oracle. This software is being used widely by organizations all over the world to help in running successful business. The main function of this database application is to enable the workers here to store, change and manipul ate data in the database using queries. The database application gives us the added advantage of comparing data and suggesting future trends, which helps the organization in formulating perfect strategies. The users are first trained to handle the database though its easy but our firm makes sure that all the people interacting with the database through the database appl

Genetically Modified Organisms Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetically Modified Organisms - Assignment Example From the report it is clear that genetic engineering of plants and animal usually involve the modification of genes and DNA of organisms so that they can have more desirable characteristics. The process usually involvesvarious stages. The genetic engineers usually get the desired genes from the genomes of the organisms that are supposed to act as donors. The desired genes are then introduced to the organism that is supposed to be genetically modified. Only the desired genes are always transferred to the genome of the organism that is supposed to undergo genetic modification. The resulting organism is usually very different from the original organisms. According to the discussion findings there are a number of foods that are available in the supermarkets that contain genetically modified organisms. These products include cheese, soya beans oil, corn syrup, bread, snacks, squash, papayas, sugar beet, sweet pepper, polish canola, and petunia. All these foods have been modified with the aim of making them more beneficial to the lives of human beings. There are high numbers of products that contain genetically modified organisms in the market and it would be hard for a person to completely ignore the consumption of such products. Safety of consumption of foods that contain genetically modified organism is something that has been debatable for a long time. Despite the fact that people have always been constantly assured of the safety of GMO products, the uncertainty of the safety of consumption of these products have never been eliminated.

SUMMARY Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

SUMMARY - Article Example Opinions may also be contradictory such as those on needs for high-quality social services and lower tax is an example. Public opinions may call for better quality of care but oppose tax increment that is necessary for the improvements. Misinformation is another limitation to governance by public opinion. People either lack facts on issues of moderate facts to suit their values and beliefs and these misinform opinions. Another factor to misinformation is lack of attention to available information. A significant percentage of American students, for example, do not know popular facts as British prime minister. Public opinion may however be valid without knowledge but knowledge of consequences is important. The author concludes by arguing that being informed is a necessity for better ability to solve problems and influence developments in the society. He notes availability of sources of information and advocates for dedication of time to these sources for informed public

Legal Studies coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Studies - Coursework Example The fourth answer is a summary of the case 23 Wis. J.L. Gender & Soc'y 41. Keywords: statutes, laws Answer to question 1: Drunk driving is a serious civil offence recognized across the United States of America. The two statutes that I wish to discuss with regard to this topic are Mich. Comp. Laws sec. 257.625 and V C Section 23152. (Michigan laws) According to the statute of Michigan, a person does not have the right to operate a vehicle on either a highway or any place of public while under the influence of alcohol. In such a case, as he is intoxicated, it might lead to injury for both the vehicle and others, not to forget the individual himself. If the person who operates a vehicle after being intoxicated causes the death of a person, he will be charged of a felony or crime. The ‘per se’ blood alcohol level for a person driving in the state of Michigan has to be .08 and his zero tolerance level should not exceed .02. If caught, the person will be implied with the conse nt of law. If the offence has been committed for the first time, the defendant’s license may be suspended for a period not exceeding 6 months, however, consequently, the suspension period can go up to more than one year as well. After the second time an offense is created, the person will have to do time in jail and undergo education pertaining to alcohol usage. According to the California statute that follows drunk driving, more or less, the law applied is the same as well. It states that it is against the law for an individual to drive or operate a vehicle if he or she is under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. The ‘per se’ blood alcohol level for this statute applied is also .08 and if there is more than that alcohol found in the blood, the person is committing an offense. (California laws) However, the zero tolerance level in California is .01 and the license of the person is only suspended for a period not exceeding for months after the first time that he commits the offense. After the second and third offenses however, the license may be taken away for 2-4 years and unlike the laws applied in Michigan, the vehicle of the person in California may be confiscated after the third time the individual commits the offense of drunk driving. Answer to question 2: Bluebook citation: Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S. Ct. 705, 35 L. Ed. 2d 147, 1973 U.S (1973) This case was dissented by: DA's Office v. Osborne, 129 S. Ct. 2308, 174 L. Ed. 2d 38, 2009 U.S. LEXIS 4536, 21 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 945 (U.S. 2009) (129) Earlier case: Roe v. Wade, 314 F. Supp. 1217, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11306 (N.D. Tex. 1970) Later overruled by: Garcia v. San Antonio Metro. Transit Auth., 469 U.S. 528, 105 S. Ct. 1005, 83 L. Ed. 2d 1016, 1985 U.S. LEXIS 48, 53 U.S.L.W. 4135, 36 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) P34995, 102 Lab. Cas. (CCH) P34633, 27 Wage , &, Hour Cas. (BNA) 65 (1985) Answers for question 3: 566 A.2d 227 Parallel Citation: Ruetgers-Nease Chemical Co. v. Fireme n's Ins. of Newark, 236 N.J. Super. 473, 566 A.2d 227, 1989 N.J. Super. LEXIS 385 (App.Div. 1989) (192) No cases give a positive treatment of this case. In fact, only two cases have been cited after it that criticize or cite a dissenting opinion for the same. They are 1. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London v. Foster Wheeler Corp., 192 Misc. 2d 468, 746 N.Y.S.2d 776, 2002 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1074 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2002) 2. GE v. California Ins. Guar. Ass'n, 997 S.W.2d 923, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 6732, 99:37 Tex.

BUSINESS ETHICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

BUSINESS ETHICS - Essay Example Management for business and economics should come from both aspects of â€Å"external† and â€Å"internal.† From external aspects as in terms of political force, legal directives, sociocultural practices and education. From internal aspects as in terms of positive faith and conduct of business companies and people, self-regulation of business unions, etc. The external aspect alone cannot accomplish this direction because it requires the inner responsibility of business nor is the internal aspect adequate because business, like any societal group, is only a sole element of society and needs supplementary external management and guidance. Nonetheless, the internal aspect is becoming more significant as the economic players have the benefit of more autonomy and thus abide by more accountability. In this period of fast globalisation and secularisation, where authority is moving away from its conventional hub in the West, the world will be inestimably poorer, more unsafe, and more brittle and most of all, more directionless —lacking the essential sense of rationale to help direct its voyage — if it is with no strong religious aspect. Given the tremendous challenges of globalization and secularization, it appears definitively prudent to place the religious approaches to business ethics into the global framework. This sets far above the ground standards, of which, until at present, the realistic and theoretical accomplishments of business ethics have fallen noticeably undersized. Business is component of the societal order. Its prime rationale is to fulfill material and human needs by manufacturing and dispensing goods and services in a proficient style. How this function is carried out the ways as well as the closing stages is central to the entire society. Along with the development in material wealth in the business world, there is rising in some sectors a value system which is damaging to the healthy development of human

Communicating Effectively Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communicating Effectively - Research Paper Example Boys, on the other hand, are exposed to strong tones and power-filled language and are handled less gently as they are tossed in the air and held upright from a younger age to demonstrate their power and strength (Rasquinha & Mouly, 2005) Maltz and Borker (1982) proposed the Sociolinguistic Subculture Approach. They explain that boys and girls grow up in essentially different talk subcultures resulting from the differing expectations parents and peers direct toward them about acceptable ways to talk. As early as two years of age, children classify themselves and other people as belonging to one of two genders. By age three, girls develop skills at talking earlier than boys and these talking skills are utilized to explore relationships with others. They are more likely than boys to deploy language strategies that demonstrate attentiveness, responsiveness, and support (Leaper, 1991). They develop intimate relationships by selecting a â€Å"best friend† and use language to find common ground with that friend. Boys at the same age are not as verbal. They use more strategies that demand attention, give orders, and establish dominance (Leaper, 1991). They engage in group activities with other boys and test out their ‘high’ and ‘low’ status roles: â€Å"I’m the leader†, â€Å"you follow me†, etc. They establish positions among the group and they are apparently louder, more physical and less verbal than girls (Rasquinha & Mouly, 2005). transition to middle childhood, interaction strategies become more gender-differentiated. Whereas girls become more competent in collaborative strategies, boys stick to their reliance on domineering influence strategies. Deborah Tannen, a professor of linguistics, theorized that as adults, men and women reproduce such behavior patterns. Men engage in one up strategies to position themselves in groups

Public Health Problem & Solution Paper Research

Public Health Problem & Solution - Research Paper Example The point of this paper is also to establish the biomedical basis, the environmental factors, social and behavioral factors, and solutions which surround the problem. This paper also seeks to define depression, to provide evidence of the problem and then assess, to discuss the solutions which have already been implemented to solve it, and to determine what else can be done in order to resolve it. This paper should be read because it sets forth important information about the disease which can be used by health care professionals in their assessment and treatment of the disease. This paper should be read because it helps call the attention of most individuals on the possible symptoms of depression and how these symptoms may not be noticed by the depressed person himself. This paper should be read because it helps further the discussion on how this disease is underdiagnosed and undertreated most likely, in the primary care environment (Sheehan, 2004). This paper should be read because even as more patients are seeking help for their depression and even with the increase in the use of antidepressants, the treatment of this disease remains inadequate and in order to remedy this situation, patients, providers, payers, employers, accrediting agencies, and governmental agencies have to be involved in the process (Sheehan, 2004). The issue of depression should be considered a crucial issue because it carries the risk for suicide. In cases where it is undiagnosed and untreated, depression can later lead to the patient’s attempts at and possible success in committing suicide. Most people affected by this disease are older adults. Figures indicate that suicide rates for older Americans are high (Cody, 2004). Some of these older adults often visit their physicians in the month leading up to their suicide and during these times, they often manifest with depressed symptoms (Cody, 2004). These older adults often understand and feel like

Radio Coverage Comparisons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Radio Coverage Comparisons - Assignment Example II. Event Being Covered (116 words) The event being covered are the protests over the bill that would effectively shut down Wisconsin unions’ ability to collectively bargain. Protesters have been inside the capitol of Madison for over a week now, protesting the passage of the bill in the Senate. Senate â€Å"†¦Democrats have fled the state† according to WTMJ.1 WTMJ is Milwaukee’s top-visited radio station. According to a document obtained from WIBA, Madison’s radio station, â€Å"†¦if Senate Democrats refuse to return to Wisconsin and cast their votes in the next day the option to refinance a portion of the state's debt will be off the table.†2 This means that, if Democrats don’t return to the bargaining table, jobs will be cut for sure. III. Where Each Radio Story is Broadcasting From (25 words) As mentioned before, WTMJ is broadcasting from Milwaukee, while WIBA is broadcasting from Madison in Wisconsin where the protests are taki ng place in the capitol. IV. How Does Geographic Location Affect The Way Information is Being Presented? (32 words) WTMJ did not mention this document presented by Scott Walker. Since the protest is taking place in Madison, it is probably due to geographical location that the better information is at WIBA. V.

They Carried the Truth Essay Example for Free

They Carried the Truth Essay Tim O’Brien uses a unique narrative style as he, the narrator, details the lives of the men from his platoon in the Things They Carried.   It is more about the men (and what happens to their minds) who fought the Vietnam war than the war itself, and even though O’Brien admits that the stories are not true, they certainly could be. The novel is about the lives of the men in Jimmy Cross’ platoon during the Vietnam war, as narrated by O’Brien.    Each man has his own things to carry in his rucksack, both physical items for war, safety, and food, and, in the same token, mental anxieties and deep, mostly unexpressed fears as well.   The novel unfolds as the men deal with the war; a few die, one brings his girlfriend (a pampered thing in a pink sweater) out for a visit, and some, including Cross, seek revenge on their own men in moments of weakness.   That’s what war can do to a man. In chapter one, a reader learns that â€Å"by daylight they took sniper fire, at night they were mortared, but it was not battle, it was just the endless march, village to village, without purpose, nothing won or lost[1].†Ã‚   This is perhaps the most pivotal statement in the novel, because at once it details the pointless aspect of the war, while at the same time demonstrating the bravery and sheer doggedness of the men who fight it—even if the war seems to have no purpose other than killing.   Each chapter reveals a bit more about the men of the platoon in the form of a longish anecdote while the reader is acclimated, nearly as quickly as the men, to the horrors and difficulty of being a soldier. Now, O’Brien’s novel is unique for two reasons.   First, he inserts himself in as the narrator, and second, he admits that this is a work of fiction (even though he did fight in the Vietnam war), but also concludes that his tales could quite possibly be true—because all things have an ounce of truth when it comes to war.   Like the narrator, O’Brien also went to war because he was scared not to (even though he was against what it stood for), which lends an interesting double-life to the narrator as his tales become even more authoritative and honest than he realizes.   While this may be a work of â€Å"fiction† because the spine says so, the fact that O’Brien lived it makes every event and character more vivid and realistic because of the inherent truth driving them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, there are three main themes, among others, that run throughout the novel: bravery, how war effects a soldier both physically and mentally, and, as O’Brien admits in the first chapter, a reader’s understanding of the truth he weaves with fiction, because, only stories that reveal the truth can be true.   This is a story about the men who could have fought the war, how they dealt with it, and what kind of men the frightening, deadly jungles of Vietnam made them become. Overall, O’Brien tells a story that could have happened.   A reader learns about the men of the platoon based on the things they carried, which serves the double purpose of furthering the story while giving each soldier a deeper, darker depth to his character.   As a study of the Vietnam war, this is probably not the most explicitly accurate text, but this is not a story about war, it is about what war does to a man. [1] O’Brien, Tim.   Things They Carried.   (New York: Random House, 1990), 15.

Brand Placement in Bollywood Movies

Brand Placement in Bollywood Movies Do the Consumers get Sensitized towards the Brands by the Brand Placement in Bollywood Movies? Abstract The practice of product placement is seen everywhere in media across the world and is now ubiquitous. The same practice of Product placement in Bollywood is not new and the practice of placing the products in the bollywood movies is seen from the time of early 1970s. The movies produced in last ten years are seen with a lot of product placement and the practice of strategically planned product placement has grown to a major extent in Indian movies (bollywood). The practical implication of the methods of product placement is evidenced in the Indian Cinema but there is hardly any substantial evidence present for the product placement and its strategies in Bollywood. The research presents an overview of the strategies adopted by Hollywood for the product placement and consolidates the technique of product placement with the practical brand placement done in bollywood by assessment of a recently released bollywood movie ‘Blue. The brands placed in this movie are classified on the b asis of the methods of classification derived from the theories which are drawn from the literature based on Hollywood. The main objective of this research is to find out whether or not the consumers are sensitized by the practice of brand placement in bollywood, and if yes then which is the method which scores most number of recalls of brands shown in bollywood movies. The findings of this study indicate that the Indian consumers do get aware from the brands shown in the bollywood movies. The findings are based on the empirical study derived from three main methods which are used in this dissertation for the collection of data, those three methods are; Case study, semi-structured interview and questionnaire. The investigation led to the other findings as well which were indicating that the format of bollywood is very different than the format of Hollywood and brand placement can be experimented much more freely as there is another dimension of music in the bollywood movies; brand placement in the bollywood movie ‘Blue investigated as a case study provided a 100% recall on the brand ‘Kylie Minogue who was placed in a song; recalls from such placement are assumed to be long lasting as the songs are shown on satellite television generating frequent encounter. No theories or methods are found on this kind of placement as the methods are der ived from Hollywood format of which is different and does not includes songs. Dissertation concludes with providing the limitations of the research and directions for future researches. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0 Synopsis This chapter provides with the introduction of the subject of the research and also looks at the background of the topic in brief. This chapter throws light on why I have chosen to work on this topic and what are the aims and objectives of the research made. This chapter takes into account the summary of chapters in the content which are to be followed further down in the dissertation. 1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND Indian Film Industry also popularly known as â€Å"Bollywood† is one of the biggest film making industries in the world and is the only other film making industry which can stand against Hollywood. Mishra in his work says â€Å"the massive size of Indian cinema is obvious from its statistics; eight hundred films a year shown in more than thirteen thousand predominantly urban cinemas, viewed by an average of eleven million people each day and exported to more than hundred countries.† Mishra (2002, pp.1) having considered this data which has grown to even much bigger numbers in year 2009, Indian Films have become one of the biggest instruments of mass communication. The commercial breaks on the satellite television are now avoided by the viewers as the number of channel on television have increased to huge extent which gives liberty to the viewer to flip to a channel which is more interesting and avoid the advertisement, the technology give the viewer the privilege of rec ording the programs without commercial breaks as well, factors like these has open portals for movies to become a new carrier for brand promotion. Being a mass media of this enormous magnitude, Bollywood has a lot of potential and a significant number of opportunities for In-Film planned brand placement also known as brand entertainment or brand integration (Glaiseter, 2005 ) and these opportunities are being well grabbed by the advertisers and marketers in the Indian market. In recent years a lot of research is done on Brand/Product placement in Bollywood films by marketers and advertisers so as to understand the concept and strategies of brand placement in movies. Although not many academic researches can be seen in the field of product placement in Bollywood, the practical usage of the practice of Brand Placement has grown significantly. Lehu in his work defines, â€Å"The expression ‘Product Placement or, ‘Brand Placement essentially describes the location, or more accurately, the integration of a product or a brand into a film or televised series.† Lehu (2007, pp.1) it can be understood from the work of other scholars like Kalish (1988), Gupta and (Gould 1997) Balasubramanian (1994) that brand placement is planned consolidation of brand with the elements of a feature film in return for money, service, barter, or any other kind of consideration. The research also focuses on the strategies of brand placement in Hollywood as no substa ntial academic can be found on classification of brands in the Indian cinema. The literature looks and analyzes the Tripartite typology of product placement by Russell (1998) , two dimensional approach to classify brand placement by Gupta and Lord (1998), Classification on the basic on Integration and explicitness by dAustos and Seguin (1999) and finally Shapiros (1993) classification of brand placement. 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The main aim at which the research focuses is to answer the question -â€Å"Do the consumers get sensitized towards the brands by the brands placement in bollywood moives?† Following are the main objective for this research * To know, does the Indian audience get aware of the brands shown in the movie through in-film brand placement? * Which method of brand placement leads to maximum number of recalls of brands by analyzing the data collected after conducting surveys and unstructured interviews? 1.3 KEY REASONS FOR RESEARCH The key reasons for research in this field are, not much research has been made on this field and it is a very interesting and challenging task and the field has a lot of potential for growth in future and substantial findings might prove to be an insight for marketeers and will be useful for the adoption of correct method of brand placement in future projects in Bollywood. 1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY The dissertation is divided into five different chapters; Chapter one is introduction which describes in brief the research background, aims and objectives of the research, why I have chosen this research and the structure of the dissertation. Chapter two reviews the literature and most of it is drawn from Hollywood. It begins with the definitions of Branding and Brand placement; it also draws the methods in which brand placement can be done and its classification. Chapter three of this dissertation depicts the methods used for the collection of data and also draws out the limitations of this research with other issues in detail. The fourth chapter will portray the research findings from survey and unstructured interviews. Chapter five of this dissertation is the final chapter which begins with consolidation of the research objectives with the literature review and concludes the dissertation with recommendation for future researches. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Synopsis: This part of the dissertation focuses on defining the two most important terms for this dissertation which are branding and brand placement. This chapter also reviews the existing literature on brand placement and the strategies for its classification. The chapter is divided as follows; the first section of this chapter defines Branding after understanding of which the section second of the chapter looks at one of the methods of Branding or brand promotion which is Brand placement. Section three of this chapter begins with describing the strategies for brand placement and critically analyzes work from different scholars with their classification techniques in the subsections of section three. Section four and final section of this chapter portrays the instances of successful brand placement in Bollywood. As there is hardly any literature available on Indian film industry and brand placement the theories and literature retrieved for this chapter is majorly captured from American film industry. 2.1 Branding The word so commonly used, yet not correctly interpreted by a lot of people. For the establishment of brands, companies around the world spend millions of dollars and formulate new strategies and techniques to market their product, this is what the common notion and understanding of brands for a lot of people is. (Levine, 2003) in his work says that the brand is not necessarily associated with a product or an organization or a title but anything that can be identified. One of the most popular footballers David Beckham is a brand and so is Mercedes Benz. De Chernatony and McDonald in their work define Brand as â€Å"A successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place, augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique, sustainable added values, which match their need most likely.† De Chernatony and McDonald (2003, pp.25) Taking this definition into consideration it can be said that consumers identify a product/services with its distinc t feature, an attribute which associates product with some quality which are distinguished from the rest in one way or the other. This unique association encourages the consumers to buy the brand and give the brand an edge over the other products in the market. Thus, it can be said that a brand is a product/service with some attributes or features that helps the product/service to stand out in the market for having such distinguished attributes. A few examples of most commonly known brands all over the world can be: Coca Cola, Pepsi, Nike, Adidas, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Michael Schumacher, David Beckham, Omega, Rolex, etc. It took a lot for the marketers and brand promoter to first establish these brands and a huge amount of money is spent for the promotion of these brands by using different strategies and techniques. One of such techniques is Brand Placement. 2.2 Brand Placement Also commonly known as Product Placement, the term Brand Placement has been defined by many scholars like (Steortz, 1987), (Balasubramanian, 1994), (Karrh, 1998), etc. This part of the dissertation highlights the definitions of brand placement by these scholars. (Steortz ,1987) defines Brand Placement as â€Å"the inclusion of a brand name, product, package, signage, or other trademark merchandize in a motion picture, television show or a music video†, another definition of Brand Placement is contributed by (Balasubramanian, 1994) who in his work said, â€Å"a paid product message aimed at influencing movie (or television) audience via planned and unobtrusive entry of branded product into a movie (or television program)†, the definition by Balasubramanian covers the concept of integrating brands as done in the definition by (Steortz, 1987), but it also considers the aspect of paid inclusion which is ignored by Steortz. (Karrh, 1998) defines the brand placement by covering almost all the dimensions associated with it, he defines Brand Placement as â€Å"the paid inclusion of branded products or brand identifiers, through audio and/or visual means, within mass media programming†, he further explains that the brand placemen t can also be obtrusive and is done to compliment the characters image and help in setting and filling up the elements in background. The purpose of brand placement is to promote the brand but the ways in which it is done also generates a hybrid message, it merges the major features of advertising, it give the sponsors privilege of retaining the control over the content and format but also increases the credibility by not identifying the sponsors directly. (Cohen, 1988) With the definitions above it can be drawn that the Brand Placement in movies is that technique of advertising in which the Brand or the owner pays a compensation for its integration in the movie for the exchange of marketable benefit that the brands enjoy after being noticed by the audience, however, these placements are sometimes done just because the plot of the movie requires them to be placed there, this way brand placement can also be of non commercial nature. 2.3 Strategies of Placing the Brands The practice of brand placement has been there for decades, the placement of brands in american feature films can be seen since the time of late 1940s and early 1950s (DeLorme and Ried 1999) One example of such placement is legendary actor Joan Crawford sipping Jack Daniels whiskey in the film â€Å"Mildered Pierce† in year 1948. (Nebenzahl and Secunda 1993) The evidence of brand placement in Hollywood can been seen in feature films produced in late 1940s but one of the earliest evidence of product placement in Indian cinema was seen in early 1970s when Rajdhoot motorcycles brand was placed in movie Bobby featuring one of legendary Indian actor Raj Kapoor. Brand placement in feature films caught the attention of marketers and companies when the sales of Reeses Pieces candy increased by 65% in three months after the successful placement of the brand in the American film â€Å"E.T†. (Reed, 1989) The strategies that help brand placement the most in regards to its impact and effectiveness are elaborated by Russell (1998) and Gupta and Lord (1998) further on, this research looks at classification of brand placement by dAustos and Seguin (1999) and Shapiro (1993). Russells argument for techniques of brand placement is three dimensional and focuses on modality of Visual, auditory and plot connection, whereas Gupta and Lord emphasizes on two broad categories Audio-Visual and the level of prominence. The studies from both the scholars are discussed below. 2.3.1 Tripartite Typology of Product Placement According to (Russell 1998) product placement can be classified on the basis of three dimensions visual, auditory and plot connection. Visual dimension enables the placement of the brand in such a way that the product is seen on the screen and these placements on the screen can also be further classified on the basis of their appearance. The auditory dimension or the verbal dimension refers to the mention of a brand in a dialogue these placements are also called as ‘script placements and the degree of such placements varies depending on the number of times the brands were mentioned, what was the tonality in which the brands were mentioned and in what context the brand was mentioned. The Plot connection dimension indicates the magnitude of integration of brand with the plot of the story. The dissertation will now look at the literature/the findings from previous researches, which point towards the combinations or particular method amongst the three methods stated above that migh t get the maximum recalls. Russell in his work says product placement modality and its effect is now expanded to a new dimension of elaboration, the difference between visual and auditory presented information can now be distinguished by exploring the audio-visual context of product placement. The screen placement and the script placement, or the visual and the auditory type of brand placement differ from one another especially in the terms of conveying a meaning. Visual placement of brands act as props in television and movies so as to make them more real and close to the practicality and visual channel leads to the creation of context in which the story is set whereas the audio channel is the medium through which the television program is scripted, narrated and is made audible, this makes the information received through this channel more meaningful. (Russell, 2002) The reception and processing of auditory information also happens when a person is not looking and the auditory moda lity conveys semantic information through speech. (Rolandelli et al., 1991) The reception and processing of such information which is audible is higher as it also posses the basic characteristics of intrinsic alerting and intrusiveness which also are the basic characteristics of auditory modality. (Posner et al. 1976) Using brands for representation in any of the modalities brings a relativity of the same to the story and brings more meaning to the presentation and gets deeply integrated to a persons cognitive structure. (Lehnert, 1981) Such stimulus generates deeper meaning and leads to greater recalls of brands. (Craik and Lockhart, 1972) The third dimension of brand placement also called as dimension of meaning is that of Plot Connection. The magnitude of such placement depends upon the integration of brand with the plot, the higher the connection of the brand with the story, the more significant the placement of brands is. The plot connection connects the brands with the macro s tructure of the story, with which are associated important information, hence increasing the significance and role of placement. (Russell 1998) The different combinations in plot connection and modality can also be of great significance. There can only be two situations in which the combination of modality and plot connections can be established; Match and Mismatch. The combination can said to be a ‘match when the auditory method of placement is higher in use than the visual and the brand names are audible in narration and is deeply linked with the story whereas the combination can said to be a ‘mismatch when the visual method of placement of brands is higher in application than auditory in plot connection. (Russell, 2002) A good example of a matched plot connection can be the movie â€Å"Cast Away† featuring Tom Hanks who by an accident gets left alone on an abandoned island. The two brands that were integrated well with the plot were one of the biggest courier c ompanies â€Å"Fed Ex† and another was sports goods brand â€Å"Wilson† which was integrated well in the narrative structure. A good example of a mismatched plot connection can be seen in the movie Transformers and its sequel Transformers Revenge of the Fallen in which the car which is major attraction of the movie and transforms itself into a robot is manufactured by Chevrolet, here more of Visual placement is seen and the brand is hardly mentioned in the narrative structure. Mandler in his work says lesser exposed information which is less congruent in nature is more memorable as it grabs the attention of the person by provoking his/her mind to elaborate the information. (Mandler, 1982) Modality of placement is thus a very significant factor in categorizing the recalls as it persuades and influences people and also shows the significance of stimulus. 2.3.2 Two Dimensional Approach After studying Russells approach of Tripartite Typology of Product Placement this part of the dissertation will look at Gupta and Lords Two Dimensional Approach. Gupta and Lord (1998) distinguish the product placement on two major categories Mode of Presentation and Level of Prominence. Mode of presentation further classified by (Karrh et al., 2003) as: Visual only, audio only and combined audio-visual. Visual only: this kind of presentation involves visibility of signage, hallmark, billboards, logos, or any other kind of presentation that is represents the brand. The presentation or the placement is only visual with no presence of audio or gestures. One example of ‘Visual-only placement can be seen in the movie Top Gun where the lead actor Tom Cruise wears aviator model of Ray-Ban sunglasses. Although, this method has comparatively low recall rate visual-only form of product placement is one of the most common methods for brand placements and can be seen in a lot of movies. â €˜Audio-only technique of brand placement represents the brand by transmitting the message in only auditory way. (Gupta et al., 2000) The name of the brand or a tune or even a jingle closely associated with it can be added to the script and also be a part of the narration. One example of such placement can be from the movie â€Å"The Aviator† in which the lead mentions the brand â€Å"Sears† in his dialogue delivery. ‘Audio-Visual method of brand presentation represents the brand by both, the presence of brands logo, billboard, signage, product, etc. on the screen with the mention of it in the narrative of the script. One example of such can be from the movie â€Å"James Bond-Die another day† in which, with the presence of Aston Martin, the narrative include the product name which was mentioned as Aston Martin Vanquish. This method of brand placement produce more recalls as compared to both ‘Visual-only and ‘Audio-only methods of brand place ment. The other major segment drawn out by Gupta and Lord (1998) for classification of brand placement is on the basis of level of prominence. The differentiation in this segment was on the basis of prominent placement of brand from the subtle placement of brand, wherein in prominent placement of brand the product or the brand is kept in foreground and is in the prime focus, the field in which the brand is placed is not shared and the visibility of brand is prominent, example of such brand placement can be seen in the Tom Hanks starrer movie terminal, when he is in office of immigration officer while he explains him the situation of his country he refers to a bag of chips, the bag of chips shown for over 30 seconds was â€Å"Lays†. On the other hand the subtle placement of brand is normally not prominent and does not catch attention, the visual field is shared with other brands and the products are placed in the background. Subtle case of brand placement can be seen in the mo vie ‘Hangover which shows billboard of brand ‘Riviera in background while the actors are driving in a police car in Las Vegas. Although the strategy which used prominent visual brand placement with properly exposed information and auditory mention of brands name and its attributes is said to have more effectiveness than just the visual placement, but it is not clear as the results from different academics do not coincide. (Law and Barun, 2000; Sabherwal et.al,. 1994; Galician, 2004: 188-190) 2.3.3 Brand Placement on the basis of Integration and Explicitness The brand placement methods defined by Russell were three dimensional, as by Lord and Gupta were bifurcated into two major segments based on audio-visual as mode of presentation and level of prominence. dAustos and Seguin (1999) in their work classify brand placement in three different ways. 1. Implicit product placement: The placement in which the presence of product, brand or firm is a part of the program and is placed there to fulfill the requirement of the context and plays a passive role and can be seen on the screen but the product name is not formally mentioning or demonstrating the product benefits, etc. 2. Integrated Explicit product placement: An integrated brand placement is the one in which the brand, firm, product placed plays an active role, the brand is formally mentioned and the attributes of the brand are clearly demonstrated. 3. Non-Integrated Explicit product placement: In this type of placement the brand, firm or the product is not related to the contents of program and no integration can be seen, but the name of the brand is formally expressed. Such placement is often seen in the title of the movie or in the beginning or in the end of the movie and it is seen that the brands placed in this kind of placement are often sponsors. (dAustos and Seguin 1999) The classification of brand placement by dAustos and Seguin classifies brands on the basis of their integration and explicitness whereas there can be seen similarities in the classification made by Gupta and Lord (1998) and Russell (1998) as they classify the placement using similar grounds of mode of placements which are audio and visual, though the approach of Gupta and Lords classification is simpler as the modes are clearly distinguished, the difference arise when Russell base the placement with the connection to the plot and Gupta and Lord ground their classification on prominence of brands. 2.3.4 Shapiros Method Shapiro (1993) relegates product placement in four different categories which were modified to three as practitioners agreed this classification to be the most suitable compilation for conducting the research at the initial most stage as it covers the spectrum of brand placement. The classification is grouped as: 1. Implicit: In this kind of placement the brand is visible on the screen, it might be foreground or background, etc. but brand name or benefits is given no verbal reference. 2. Used in a scene: In this kind of placement, the brand is visible and is used in the scene, but no verbal reference is given to the brand. Instance of such brand placements can be seen in movies when the characters are driving in a car or using a cell phone and the logo or name or identification of car is clear. 3. Integrated Explicit product placement: This kind of placement shows the lead actor or main characters of the movie using a product while mentioning and describing the benefits or attributes of the brands or the product. The brand placement method enunciated by dAustos and Seguin were quite similar to that of Shapiros classification as both the practitioners focused at the integration and explicitness of brand to major extent but the classification from dAustos and Seguin cover the dimension in which brand is place in the beginning or in end of the movie which he calls as Non-Integrated Explicit brand placement which is not discussed by any other scholar. The classification by dAustos and Seguin is very simple and can be used to sort and categorize the placement of brands in a broader way as it covers the major aspect of placement in a well defined manner. I adopt the usage of the classification techniques of brand placement portrayed by dAustos and Seguin (1999) as it will help me to create a clear distinction in the placement of brands and will be an optimum method to put into application for my research question. 2.4 Brand Placement and Bollywood The technique of brand placement in Indian film industry also called as Bollywood is not new, one of the earliest example of the same was seen in the film Bobby in year 1973 when the lead actor Raj Kapoor was seen riding on a bike which was ‘Rajdhoot Since that time a lot of brand placement can be seen for aerated soft drinks in a lot of Indian movies, brand like ThumsUp, Gold Spot, etc were commonly visible in movies in early 1990s, also the visibility of high ended cars during that time were prominent on the screen. Branded liquor with bottles was a common sight in many movies during this phase and the most common brands placed were Black Dog, VAT69 and Black Label. Latest examples can be seen in movies like Om Shanti Om (2007) with brands placed like Tag Heuer (Implicit), Nokia (Integrated explicit), Shoppers Stop (Implicit), etc, another instance can be seen in the movie Goal (2007) with integrated explicit brand placement of Reebok and Western Union Money Transfer. More th an 54% of Indian audience is under the age of 25 which comes under the target audience slab and of most of movie makers and the advertisement companies aiming of brand placement, and according to (FICCI and Ernst Young, 2003) this generation has more propensity and access to wide range of media and entertainment than the previous generation hence creating a lot of opportunities and scope for brand placement in the Indian Film industry from both Indian film industry and brand promoters point of view. Not only the access to modes of entertainment but also because the Indian middle class has grown more flexible and receptive towards international outlook because of the risen standard of living through increase in purchasing power (Varma, 1998) which is also another factor of supporting the growth. There are not many studies done on Brand placement in Bollywood and no substantial research can be seen focusing on the recalls towards the brands from the brand placement shown in the bolly wood movies. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.0 Synopsis This chapter focuses on the importance of research methodology and explains in brief why it is necessary to draw a frame work of the research before bringing it into practical application. This chapter clearly states the aims and objectives of the research and defines the research approach undertaken. Also this chapter looks at the research methods used for this research and explains in brief the reason for their implementation as well. As almost every other research this research also is encountered with some limitations which are stated in the end of this chapter. 3.1 Research Methodology Research literally means the search for knowledge, a systematic and scientific search for relevant information and answers on a specific topic, searching new facts in any new branch of knowledge through inquiry, search and careful investigation. (Kothari, 2009) It is of very importance to detail out the research approach and the methods used, as it helps the reader to understand the research in a much convenient manner. Research plan includes the instruments of research which will lead to investigation of data (quantitative or qualitative) keeping the research question as prime consideration so as to be ascertain of the information gathered is fitting in with the requirement of the research. (Chisnall 1997) The following chapter includes all the activities concerned with the research conducted for this particular academic work and also tends to draw out research method which sets up an appropriate frame so as to fulfill the objectives and aims of the research further stated. The stru cture of this chapter is as follows * Aims and Objectives * Research philosophy * Approach * Data collection techniques * Data Analysis * Research Limitations 3.2 Aims and Objectives The main purpose of this research is to work on the concept of awareness or consciousness of brands as people watch movies. The critical issue that the research focuses at is; do the consumers get sensitized towards brands after watching Bollywood movies. The main objectives of this research are; * To know is Indian audience/Bollywoods Viewers are getting aware of brands shown in the movies through in-film brand/product placement? * If yes, then which is the most effective method of in-film Brand/product placement by analyzing the recalls? 3.3 Research Philosophy Research philosophy helps the researcher to find out the ways in which his/her research will comprehend the development of researchers knowledge. (Crossan 2003) Three of the major reasons for which the research philosophy must be taken into consideration are; a) it helps the researcher to figure out the methods he can use to design and conduct the research and to chalk down a strategy, b) it helps the researcher to evaluate the limitations of the research by putting different methodologies to test, c) it helps the researcher to explore different methods beyond his knowledge or experience. Thus researchers perception towards the development

The Pros And Cons Of Hiring An Expatriate Management Essay

The Pros And Cons Of Hiring An Expatriate Management Essay In this assignment, the importance of cultural factors over past knowledge experience is highlighted with the help of surveys, case studys organizational examples. The meaning definition is explained followed by the reason that make cultural factors so important for the success of an international assignment. There is a comparison made in between cultural factors past knowledge experience with the help of some real organizational experiences which include a survey case study as well. Towards the end the advantages disadvantages of hiring an expatriate based on each factor is discussed followed by a conclusion. What is Culture? Culture is a term used to define a shaping process in which members of a group or society share a distinct way of life which has common values, attitudes certain behaviours that are transmitted over time. As per Phatak(1995) A person is not born with a given culture: rather she or he acquires it through the socialization process that begins from birth: An American is not born with an inclination towards hot dogs, or a German with a preference for beer: these behavioural attributes are culturally transmitted (Dowling, Welch, Schuler,1998). International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a Multinational Context, 3rd ed. Peter J. Dowling, Denice E. Welch, Randall S. Schuler REASON FOR CULTURE AWARENESS IN INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS: It has been a long time that most of the multinationals are not just confined to commercial and economical enterprises but they involve political, social, scientific, athletic, religious and cultural entities. This has caused cultural differences in MNEs among both their manpower and their customers. Diversity is a fact in todays life and no organization can ignore it. Organizations are working with employees and clients who have different functional, cultural backgrounds and assumptions about the ways of decision making and communication (Zahedi, 2000). Cultural factors play a major role in international assignments because every country has a different culture and if the business people lack knowledge or sensitivity for other cultures there can be mistakes in both personal professional interactions because of which there can be clashes. People going on international assignments always think that their own country provides the best way of doing business, they behave in ways and mak e decisions that alianate their foreign counterparts leading to business and/or personal failure. Simple things such as gift giving or introductions can also create problems in international business if importance of culture is ignored. Peoples varying beliefs, values and behaviour patterns are very important for the success of an international business, including activities such as cross national negotiations, sales interactions in between people from various countries, management of the performance of employees from different countries, the treatment understanding of contracts between firms from various countries. All these activities require a good cultural knowledge of the host country (Briscoe Schuler, 2004).International Human Resource Management, 2nd ed. Dennis R. Briscoe Randall S. Schuler. In the international assignments, individuals receive poor job performance evaluation from their superiors if they have a different cultural background they do not understand cultural differences in role expectations, and do not conform to the role expectations (Stone-Romero, Stone Salas, 2003). An expatriate going abroad experiences situations that show differences in language, dress, hygiene, food attitude towards time and such situations can be difficult which can even lead to expatriate getting a cultural shock- a phenomenon which is experienced by people who move across cultures. When an expatriate goes on an international assignment, the new environment requires many adjustments to be done in a relatively short span of time which can challenge an expatriates frame of reference to such an extent that their sense of self, especially in terms of their nationality culture comes into question. Cultural shock can also cause Psychological disorientation if they do not understand or misunderstand certain cues which can further lead to negative feelings about the host country its people and a longing to return back to the home country or in severe cases failure of the international assignment. For an international assignments success activities such as hiring, promoting, rewarding, dismissal must be determined as per the practices of the host country and should be based on a value system peculiar to that countrys culture. .(Dowling, Festing Engle,2008) International Human Resource Management, 5th ed. Peter J Dowling, Marion Festing, Allen D. Engle, Sr Past Knowledge Experience versus Culture Business people with international knowledge experience operate with the expectation that the business models methods they are used to will work well in business interactions in other countries, however companies with long experience in the international field suggest that there is hardly any such positive overlap. MNEs should understand that the core of success in international assignments is cultural awareness and understanding of effects of culture on day to day business operations. As per a survey done on executives from around the world, the importance of intercultural understanding was highlighted and it was shown that countries in which people have greater cultural understanding are the ones that have an advantage in international business. Survey: A survey of more than 3,932 executives from around the world, rated countries in between 1 to 10 based on how well developed intercultural understanding is there in their business. The higher the intercultural understanding the greater is the competency success. Intercultural Understanding: Switzerland: 8.02 Egypt:6.48 Hungary: 5.18 Denmark: 6.94 China: 3.10 Israel: 5.89 Russia: 3.10 France: 5.08 Singapore: 8.02 India: 6.23 Poland: 4.57 Spain:5.42 Australia: 6.15 Malaysia: 7.30 Mexico:4.65 Korea: 5.35 Germany: 5.95 Hong Kong: 7.37 Turkey: 5.89 Italy: 5.04 Ireland: 5.30 US: 5.22 Taiwan:6.44 brazil: 5.71 If a firm enters a new country and performs its activities based on prior knowledge experience, it can cause a significant lack of trust alienation in the host country, this can have further ramifications, like attaining a quality workforce (Dowling, Welch, Schuler,1998). Example to prove importance of Cultural factors over Past knowledge Experience: For international assignments, if a MNE decides to take the enterprise culture forward it can create certain problems for e.g., MNEs originating from US UK feel that women should be assigned senior management positions but they cannot carry this culture for an enterprise in a country that is against women empowerment for e.g., Saudi Arab. Similarly a MNE originating from Asia may give importance to group loyalty discussion, with deference to senior employees in their operation however same practice cannot be carried forward while starting an international assignment in countries where individual decisions are more important (Dowling, Welch, Schuler,1998). Case Study: Experience past knowledge that works at home does not necessarily work abroad In a South Korean textile firm a Vietnamese worker was once kicked and slapped by his South Korean boss because the worker did not respond as he could not understand when his boss told him that he was in the wrong place in the factory. In South Korea it is common for employers to scold beat employees if they make mistakes. But this home practice led to a mass retaliation in kind by ten workers and the manager was hospitalised. It further led to a four day strike pay rises of ten to fifteen percent for workers. So the textile firm had to pay a lot for not considering cultural factors in Vietnam.(Dowling, Welch, Schuler,1998). International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a Multinational Context, 3rd ed. Peter J. Dowling, Denice E. Welch, Randall S. Schuler As per a study done to determine the affects of cultural factors on job performance it was indicated that after accounting for control variables, gender, prior overseas experience, length of stay in host country and language fluency, Cultural factors significantly related to job performance ( Ang et al.,2004) Pros Cons of Hiring an Expatriate based on Culture over Past Knowledge Experience: Experience in home country If a MNE hires expatriates based on past knowledge and experience in the home country, it can be beneficial for the control maintenance of the policies culture of the parent firm however it can lead to high expenditure in foreign assignments, difficulty in providing adequate training for foreign assignments, problems with adjustment for the expatriate and his family, problem in dealing with repatriates(when expatriates return). Experience in some other country As per Searle Ward(1990) having host country experience or friendships with host nationals greatly improves the expatriates ability to learn social skills and behaviours. Greater experience with the host culture produces greater cross-cultural adjustment. The theorists state that prior foreign experience with the host culture is positively related to adjustment provided that the experience does not serve to foster negative, unrealistic expectations of the foreign culture. There is a direct relationship between prior experience and cross-cultural adjustment , it provides an accurate and realistic representation of the host Countries policies, customs, values, etc. There is very little evidence that previous experience abroad does not always facilitate adjustment to a new expatriate environment (e.g., Black Gregersen, 1991; Cui Awa, 1992; Dunbar, 1992; Selmer, 2002). The major advantages disadvantages of hiring expatriates with past experience (both domestic and/or international) are Advantages: It leads to organizational Co-ordination Control is better facilitated maintained. It also helps promising managers with past knowledge experience in home country get international experience. People with past knowledge prove to be the best people for the job because of special skills experience. It provides an assurance that during international assignment, subsidiary will comply with companys policies, objectives etc. It has been found that researchers generally consider previous international experience to be of advantage because such experience teaches an individual the ability to generate strategies for adaptation in new situations, so the chances of assignment failure are minimized(Tye and Chen, 2005 cited in Avril Magnini,2007) Disadvantages: The Promotional opportunities of host country nationals get restricted limited. Adaptation to host country may take a really long time. Parent company nationals may impose an inappropriate headquarter style. Compensation benefits for Parent company nationals Host country nationals may differ, causing conflicts. As per Gregerson Black (1990) One of the most important reason for the expatriates failure international assignments has been the use of technical skills, rather than intercultural skills, as the most important factor in US selection for overseas assignments (Stephan, Helms Haynes,1995) Hiring on the basis of Cultural skills: However, if cultural factors are given importance and for international assignments expatriates are chosen on the basis of their understanding of the host countrys culture it can result great success for the assignment. Hofstede (1980,p. 398) suggests that the key cross-cultural skills are the ability to communicate; The ability to be non-judgemental; The ability to accept the relativity of ones own knowledge and perceptions; The ability to display empathy; The ability to be flexible; The capacity for turn-taking (letting everyone take turns in discussions); Tolerance for ambiguity. As per Fishmayr (2004), all the attributes must be viewed in the context of the host countrys culture. Each culture has its own criteria of the importance of Characteristics required for success. The major advantages disadvantages of hiring expatriate with cultural understanding are Advantages: Language other barriers of traditions are eliminated. Hiring cost is tremendously reduced, no work permit required. Continuity of management improves as HCNs stay longer in position. No government interference as the host country gets employment opportunities. Morale dedication of expatriate increases as they see career potential. (Briscoe Schuler, 2004) The expatriates who understand the social cultural environment of the host country, will be more efficient in understanding the culture of the host company. For example in individualistic cultures the organizations give importance on rewarding individual contributions, whereas in collectivists cultures the shared objectives, common interests, interdependence and communication is given more importance(Chatman et al; 1998). Such demographic compositions affect expatriate performance, creativity, motivation turnover intentions and any other job related outcomes. Among these creativity is more tangible and employee specific resource of MNEs, lack of which, may retain multinationals from keeping in touch with technological changes and development in related industries. (Avril Magnini,2007) Disadvantages: Control co-ordination of headquarters may be spoilt. HCNs will have limited growth opportunities outside the subsidiary.Hiring HCNs may limit the opportunity for PCNs to gain foreign exchange. It can lead to a federation of national rather than global units. (Briscoe Schuler, 2004).International Human Resource Management, 2nd ed. Dennis R. Briscoe Randall S. Schuler CONCLUSION Thus it can be said that the role of culture is very important in the success or failure of an international assignment. If a MNE ignores this factor it has to face serious consequences, like failure of the assignment, bad reputation, financial losses so on. However, this fact cannot be overlooked that other factors like past knowledge experience are also important and they should also be considered while choosing an expatriate. The only way to ensure that an assignment gets successful is to make sure that the expatriate chosen has good knowledge about the host country, its culture, tradition, values along with some past knowledge experience. Q: In what way is repatriation proving to be a major problem for MNEs? Critically discuss what should be the essential features of an expatriate training programme designed to assist the western expatriates adjusting to life and work in another continent. A: PREAMBLE : In this assignment, the repatriation issue is dealt with in detail. The major problem faced by the MNEs is discussed followed by the problems faced by expatriates in detail, as the problems that expatriates face have a severe impact on the MNEs in terms of productivity and staff turnover. A literature review has been used to study the past practices of MNEs that made repatriation a problem. Later on, the essential features of an expatriate training program designed for western expatriates are discussed in detail like cultural training, language training, technical management training, the importance of including preliminary visits to the host country as a part of training programme has also been stated. In the end the critical review/conclusion is given reflecting the total understanding of the topic. Definition: Repatriation is a process of returning back home at the completion of an international assignment. (Rugman Collinson,2006) The major reason that repatriation becomes a problem for MNEs is the organizations belief that returning home of expatriates should not be difficult, but many researchers have found repatriation to be a really challenging and complicated process(Cox, 2004). The main source of concern for the multinational enterprises is the repatriation turnover i.e. number of repatriates leaving the job on return (Lazarova and Cerdin, 2007). The major concern for the MNEs is the attrition rate of their repatriated employees (Gregersen, H.B., J.S. Black ,1996) .Managers returning from an international assignment are more likely to resign and look for other employment opportunities as compared to other eecutives with same domestic experience ( Stroh et al, 1998) As per the Global Relocation Trends 2003/2004 Survey (GMAC, 2004) 13 percent of the US repatriates leave the company in one year after returning from an international assignment, another 10 percent leave the following year. Baruch and Altman (2002) found in their research that 50 percent of people left the company within a few years of their return from an international assignment. Bossard and Peterson (2005) argue that, if the repatriates get frustrated due to unfulfilled expectations and lack of appreciation, they will leave the MNE. The costs of pre mature repatriation also includes losses like damaged corporate reputation and lost business opportunities. If a repatriate leaves the home organization soon after coming back from an international assignment it causes a financial setback also forces the company to lose the repatriates recently developed international experience and competence (Hyder and Lo ¨vblad, 2007). LITERATURE REVIEW: International human resource development (HRD) researchers have recognized that organizational support and training are necessary for expatriates to do a good job in overseas assignments (Hurn, 2007; Osman-Gani and Tan, 2005; Selmar, 2005; Osman-Gani, 2000; Brewster, 1993; Harvey, 1989). However, the literature concentrated on the role of training and development for successful performance in foreign assignments, but little attention has been given to the repatriation aspect. Repatriation, which is the last step of the expatriation cycle, is an under-researched dimension of international assignments (Harvey, 1989; Black, 1992; Suutari and Brewster, 2003), although its importance has been repeatedly mentioned in international business and international HR literature (Allen and Alvarez, 1998; Caligiuri and Lazarova, 2001). (Ahad Hyder,2008, pp457) As per Black Gregersen, a multinational spends a huge amount of money on each expatriate over the duration of international assignment and if the employees exit the MNE within a short duration of time, it can result in huge financial human capital losses as the knowledge, skills experience gained by expatriate are scarce in the external internal labour markets. (Dowling, Welch Schuler,1999) International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a Multinational Context, pp 221 Repatriation is proving to be a major problem for MNEs because they do not have any plans or training programs to handle returning expatriates the expatriates face many challanges when they come back, some of them being: 1. Readjustment Problem: There can be a readjustment problem for expatriates as when they come back they might feel that the home office job lacks the high degree of responsibility authority that they had in the overseas assignment. 2. Delay in Career Progression: They can also start feeling that the MNE does not value their international experience and their time was wasted when they were on an overseas assignment in terms of their career progression. 3. Standard of Living: The repatriates when overseas enjoy generous living allowances benefits that cannot be matched when they come back home. 4. Reverse Culture Shock: Expatriates can get a reverse culture shock because of the change in cultural lifestyle back home. 5. Increased Prices of fixed assests: Expatriates who sell their houses when going on a long international assignment for two or three years find it very difficult to purchase a new house because of increased rate of property. 6. Technological Advances: When the expatriates are abroad numerous technological advancements keep happening in the head quarter which might make the knowledge skills of expatriates obsolete. (Rugman Collinson,2006) International Business, 4th ed., Alan M. Rugman Simon Collinson, pp345 7. Conflicts: Conflicts may occur because after gaining international experience, an expatriates way of working gets influenced by foreign culture and when he comes back home, conflicts can arise if he tries to work as per the culture of the foreign country to which he was sent. For example, an American expatriate who went to Indonesia, alters his participative managerial style to one that is authoritarian because of the subsidiarys requirement, however when the expatriate returns to America tries to be authoritarian in managing style, conflicts are bound to happen. 8. Role clarity Role discretion: Role discretion means the freedom to adjust the work role to fit the individual (repatriate), making it easy for him to utilise the past international experience familiar behaviour. For most of the North American companies, role clarity role discretion remains a major repatriation issue as they do not provide role clarity discretion to returning expatriates. 9. Social Factors: On return, life may seem unexciting or dull because the social ties that the expatriate made on the foreign assignment were broken when he came back home. Families who return to their previous domestic locations often find that their relatives friends have moved away even children find it difficult to adjust to new school friends. 10. Effect on Partners career: If the repatriates partner had never worked before in the home country but got some job when he/she was abroad with his partner on international assignment, it becomes really difficult to start the career from the scratch once again when the partner returns back to the home country. As a result of all these problems MNEs have started taking repatriation much more seriously. In 1989 Harvey did a survey of the members of the Institute for International HRM of the U.S society for HRM to determine U.S firms approach towards repatriation. It was found that 31 percent of U.S firms offer repatriation program to help the repatriates in dealing with numerous problems they face on return. (Dowling, Welch Schuler,1999) Peter J. Dowling, Denice E. Welch, Randall S. Schuler International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a Multinational Context pp211- 225 Essential features of an expatriate training programme As organisations are becoming globalised, there is an increasing challenge to send expatriates on international assignments to complete critical tasks (Gregersen Black 1996, Brewster 1998, Downes Thomas 1999). Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) use expatriates for corporate control and expertise reasons in major global markets also to facilitate entry into new markets or to develop international management competencies (Bird Dunbar 1991, Boyacigiller 1991, Rosenzweig 1994, Shaffer, Harrison Gilley 1999, Forster 2000). (Chew,2004) Janet chew,2004, Managing MNC expatriates through crises: A challenge for International Human Resource Management A western expatriate going to another continent finds it really difficult to adjust because of several reasons like climate, culture, eating habits of people from other continents so on. To cope up with all these problems it is very essential that the expatriate gets proper training before he leaves on the assignment. The different types of training programs required by a Western expatriate can be broadly classified as: 1. Technical Training: The technology used by western countries is not same as that used in other continents so the expatriate should be made familiar with the technologies used by that foreign organization to which he is going. He should also be briefed on the local attitudes of people over there towards technology innovation transfer. 2. Management Training: An expatriate sent to other countries on a specific project holds a particular designation so it is very important that the western expatriate is made aware of the administrative responsibilities for the post. a)He should also be made aware of policies regarding ethical issues. b)He should be told about the companys organizational structure, strategies opportunities for change, organizational climate, informal structures. c)He should also be trained on conflict management. d)The western expatriate should be trained on the business environment of the host country, a description of local international markets should be given along with information about competitors, distributors, tariff other barriers e) He should be well trained in marketing issues strategies, pricing strategies, advertising promotional strategies that work in other continents. f)The expatriate needs to have knowledge about human resource issues, labour relations policies, salary reward structures other policies followed in the host country.(Mead,1994) 3. Cross-cultural training : Such training aims at achieving three major outcomes (Black Mendenhall,1990) For western expatriates it is the most important part of the training as: a) It teaches them about the other culture, values practices within that culture. It also helps the expatriate his spouse in learning about different situations that they might encounter. It also gives them a knowledge as to how the culture is reflected in political, historical economic data. b) It also helps them to develop non-evaluative attitudes towards other culture, teaches them how to express cultural values in their behavior, this also helps them to predict when culture will be a factor in determining behavior. c) Cross-cultural training teaches expatriates how culture affects attitude towards work; motivation, organizational climate, degree of personal involvement etc. It teaches them how culture influences relations between organizations how it influences formal interactions.(Mead,1994) As per Treven (2003) the most important part of expatriate training is cross-cultural training. It helps to prepare expatriate managers to live, work survive in a different cultural environment. It is important as dealing with new culture surroundings appears to be even more difficult than the assignment itself. Treven (2003) also underlines that it is important to train managers their families both before leaving for the other country and during the assignments. Tsang (1994) identified six types of cross-cultural trainings, which are used by the US, European and other western countries. (1) Environmental briefings in order to provide information about climate, geography, housing and schools. (2) Orientation on culture in order to familiarize the expatriate with cultural institutions and value systems of host country. (3)Cultural assimilators using approaches aiming at exposing members of one culture to some basic ideas, approaches, role perception and habits of the other culture. (4) Sensitivity training to increase attitudinal flexibility. (5) Field experience, which sends the person to the country of assignment in order to help him deal with emotional stress of living and working with people who differ culturally. 6) Language training . 4. Language training: An important issue that Treven (2003) underlines is the language training for the expatriate family, as it provides the recognition of a new culture, including such a cultural elements as history, economy, politics, religion, social atmosphere and business practices. Without language training survival becomes difficult. (Karcz, Liu Adamska,2006) How to survive as an expatriate in china-A case study based on three companies IKEA, NCR Texol, 2006, Kamila Karcz, Rongzhi Liu, Joanna Adamska 5. Preliminary visits family considerations: One of the most important technique that is useful for western expatriates is preliminary visit to the host country. It serves to introduce the expatriate to the business context in the host country also helps in pre departure preparation and initial adjustment. As per Price waterhouse survey in 1997-1998, 53 percent of the MNEs always provide preliminary visits to its expatriates and around 38 percent use it in certain circumstances. This practice can become a bit problematic for expatriates as they find it difficult to reject the assignment in spite of not liking the host country because a huge amount of MNEs capital gets invested in the visit. (Dowling, Welch Schuler,1999). Family members must be involved in relocation decisions and preparation (Hogan and Goodson, 1990). Stress and culture shock can effect the family and if not addressed in time can become a negative force in an overseas assignment. Black and Stephens (1989) found spouse adjustment to interaction with the host-country was correlated with the expatriates intentions to complete the assignment. Researchers including Gregersen and Black (1990) stress the importance of developing the intercultural skills of both expatriates and their families. (Stephan, Helms Haynes,1995) CRITICAL REVIEW (CONCLUSION) As per research done by Gregerson Black(1996) there were significant differences in the motivation expectations of the expatriate those of the MNE. The expatriates accepted international assignments for career progression, compensation adventure however the MNE sought it as a means of transferring home corporate culture and expanding business in global markets. Most of the MNEs during the 1970 and 1980s were experiencing difficulty agreeing on the appropriate skills and competencies training that were required by western expatriates to be successful on an international assignment. The main points of disagreement were: Corporate leaders could not agree on the importance of prior international experience and expertise the expatriate should have before taking an international assignment. Some of them believed prior international experience was necessary, others felt that an employees success at the domestic level, rather than international experience, was the key predictor to being a successful expatriate. MNEs were struggling to discover an effective training and development model to help them in preparing expatriates to be successful in their overseas assignment. In 1970s and 1980s less than 30% of employees who were sent on 1 to 5 years assignments received some type of training before undertaking international responsibilities. Top management generally did not consider trainings importance in contributing to an expatriates successful performance. MNEs did not encourage the need of customized training programs for expatriates within the host country. Training received was generic in nature and mainly offered within the western countrys borders. MNEs, in mos