All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

In the novel ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ by Erich Maria Remarque, the main character Paul Bà ¤umer’s development shows the horrors of the First World War and the effect it had on the young men who fought in it. Paul Bà ¤umer is the main character whom is nineteen years old, Bà ¤umer volunteered for the army along side four of his classmates. Some parts in the novel is written in past tense when Paul Bà ¤umer is collecting his thoughts. Most of the novel is written in Present tense. During the novel we see Paul Bà ¤umer changing as a person, he has just left school and is a young boy with no experiences. By the end of this novel end even half way through he had become a well experienced man. Paul Bà ¤umer is the main character and also the narrator. At just nineteen years of age, Bà ¤umer volunteers for the German Army. Before war is a young creative and passionate person who had lots of love for his family. As the war went on Bà ¤umer changed as a person. Bà ¤umer and four of his classmates joined because they felt it was their patriotic duty. After a while of being in the trenches Bà ¤umer starts to get visions of being in Kantoreks class as he gave his great ‘iron youth speech.’ He soon realises Kantorich persuaded the class to join. â€Å"During the drill time Kantorek gave us long lectures until the whole of our class went under his shepherding to the District Commandant and volunteered.† Bà ¤umer felt he was doing right by his country but he soon feels he can’t tell anyone about his experience in the army and where his families are concerned he feels like an outsider. People like Kantorek are hypocrites, urging young pupils to join up whilst not volunteering himself. Kemmerich dies. This is the first death we experience as readers in the novel which is very upsetting. â€Å"I became faint, all at once I can not do anymore†¦ He is dead. The face is still wet from the tears. The eyes are half open and yellow like old horn buttons.† Bà ¤umer feels upset and dark inside, he has just lost his best friend, and they grew up together, school buddies. He is almost like a brother to Bà ¤umer. I feel sorry for Bà ¤umer at this point in the novel because I would hate to lose any of my friends or classmates if I was in the army because I think you would need a lot of friends and good people around to keep your spirits high. This is one of Bà ¤umers most important memories because they got revenge on Himmelstoss. Himmelstoss was a postman before he enlisted in the war. He is a corporal who trains the recruits. Himmelstoss likes punishing the young recruits and is very harsh and strict. â€Å"Tjaden wets his bed†¦ Himmelstoss maintained that it was sheer laziness and invented a method worthy of himself for curing Tjaden†¦ with mattress of wire netting.† The young men ended up unwell or with the cold because of this they ended up sleeping on the floor. Bà ¤umer and his friends got revenge by getting him from behind with a big white bed sheet and they covered his mouth with a pillow so he could not scream. Tjaden pulled down Himmelstoss’ trousers with a whip in his mouth. The training camp is harsh and full of sadness, I would not like to be there. Baume describes the front line as a mysterious whirlpool. â€Å"I am in still water far away from its center. I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking e slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself. The front line is a line along which apposing armies face each other and is horrific because you are face to face and it is very hard to stay alive. Bà ¤umer feels different from everyone else in his hometown because he feels he is different, they are different. He has been away for so long he does not feel at home anymore. He’s not just a boy anymore, he’s now a man. I feel so much respect for Bà ¤umer by this stage because he has done so well and all army men deserve respect. When Bà ¤umer returns home from leave he feels obliged to volunteer for a dangerous night patrol. Whilst in ‘No-Man’s Land’ Bà ¤umer gets lost. Paul hides in a shell – hole but a bomb goes off behind him when he is alone. â€Å"This is the first time I have killed with my hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bà ¤umer feels so guilty for killing the French man. He starts to think about the French mans life and his family. â€Å"If only he had run two yards further to the left, he might now be sitting in the trench over there and writing a letter to his wife.† This changes Bà ¤umers character for the better because he now realises how precious life is. Bà ¤umer feels hatred against the war and realises it’s a bad thing. I personally think war should be illegal because what is the point in killing human beings for victory. I don’t think that’s a victory, it’s a crime to kill. If we are not at war you would be sent to prison and just because its war that makes it ok? The situation has got a lot worse for the German Army by this late stage in the Novel. In this part Bà ¤umer and Katazinsky are the last two soldiers alive from all the characters whom were introduced at the beginning of the Novel. Kat gets hit by a shrapnel at this point leaving him with a smashed shin. Bà ¤umer carried him back to camp on his back, only to discover on their arrival that a splinter had hit Kat on the back of the head and killed him on the way. Kats death makes Bà ¤umer careless to weather he dies in war or not and also he can now face the rest of his life without any fear. I feel sorry for Bà ¤umer at this point because he must feel so alone. Bà ¤umer is now alone without a friend in the trenches because the war has taken all of them away and now Bà ¤umer is all alone. â€Å"Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more. I am so alone, and so without hope that I can confront them without fear.† At the end of the novel Bà ¤umer is careless of his life. He has changed dramatically since the beginning. At the beginning Paul was a young boy with lots of dreams, now he is a man who is careless. I feel very lucky that none of my family died during the war and it’s a very emotional thing to go into. This book is important and should be read by future generations to show how life was and that they should realise how life was and that they should notice how lucky they are. This book makes you have so much for our soldiers.

Foundation and Empire 7. Bribery

Sergeant Mori Luk made an ideal soldier of the ranks. He came from the huge agricultural planets of the Pleiades where only army life could break the bond to the soil and the unavailing life of drudgery; and he was typical of that background. Unimaginative enough to face danger without fear, he was strong and agile enough to face it successfully. He accepted orders instantly, drove the men under him unbendingly and adored his general unswervingly. And yet with that, he was of a sunny nature. If he killed a man in the line of duty without a scrap of hesitation, it was also without a scrap of animosity. That Sergeant Luk should signal at the door before entering was further a sign of tact, for he would have been perfectly within his rights to enter without signaling. The two within looked up from their evening meal and one reached out with his foot to cut off the cracked voice which rattled out of the battered pocket-transmitter with bright liveliness. â€Å"More books?† asked Lathan Devers. The sergeant held out the tightly-wound cylinder of film and scratched his neck. â€Å"It belongs to Engineer Orre, but he'll have to have it back. He's going to send it to his kids, you know, like what you might call a souvenir, you know.† Ducem Barr turned the cylinder in his hands with interest. â€Å"And where did the engineer get it? He hasn't a transmitter also, has he?† The sergeant shook his head emphatically. He pointed to the knocked-about remnant at the foot of the bed. â€Å"That's the only one in the place. This fellow, Orre, now, he got that book from one of these pig-pen worlds out here we captured. They had it in a big building by itself and he had to kill a few of the natives that tried to stop him from taking it.† He looked at it appraisingly. â€Å"It makes a good souvenir – for kids.† He paused, then said stealthily, â€Å"There's big news floating about, by the way. It's only scuttlebutt, but even so, it's too good to keep. The general did it again.† And he nodded slowly, gravely. â€Å"That so?† said Devers. â€Å"And what did he do?† â€Å"Finished the Enclosure, that's all.† The sergeant chuckled with a fatherly pride. â€Å"Isn't he the corker, though? Didn't he work it fine? One of the fellows who's strong on fancy talk, says it went as smooth and even as the music of the spheres, whatever they are.† â€Å"The big offensive starts now?† asked Barr, mildly. â€Å"Hope so,† was the boisterous response. â€Å"I want to get back on my ship now that my arm is in one piece again. I'm tired of sitting on my scupper out here.† â€Å"So am I,† muttered Devers, suddenly and savagely. There was a bit of underlip caught in his teeth, and he worried it. The sergeant looked at him doubtfully, and said, â€Å"I'd better go now. The captain's round is due and I'd just as soon he didn't catch me in here.† He paused at the door. â€Å"By the way, sir,† he said with sudden, awkward shyness to the trader, â€Å"I heard from my wife. She says that little freezer you gave me to send her works fine. It doesn't cost her anything, and she just about keeps a month's supply of food froze up complete. I appreciate it.† â€Å"It's all right. Forget it.† The great door moved noiselessly shut behind the grinning sergeant. Ducem Barr got out of his chair. â€Å"Well, he gives us a fair return for the freezer. Let's take a look at this new book. Ahh, the title is gone.† He unrolled a yard or so of the film and looked through at the light. Then he murmured, â€Å"Well, skewer me through the scupper, as the sergeant says. This is ‘The Garden of Summa,' Devers.† â€Å"That so?† said the trader, without interest. He shoved aside what was left of his dinner. â€Å"Sit down, Barr. Listening to this old-time literature isn't doing me any good. You heard what the sergeant said?† â€Å"Yes, I did. What of it?† â€Å"The offensive will start. And we sit here!† â€Å"Where do you want to sit?† â€Å"You know what I mean. There's no use just waiting.† â€Å"Isn't there?† Barr was carefully removing the old film from the transmitter and installing the new. â€Å"You told me a good deal of Foundation history in the last month, and it seems that the great leaders of past crises did precious little more than sit – and wait.† â€Å"Ah, Barr, but they knew where they were going.† â€Å"Did they? I suppose they said they did when it was over, and for all I know maybe they did. But there's no proof that things would not have worked out as well or better if they had not known where they were going. The deeper economic and sociological forces aren't directed by individual men.† Devers sneered. â€Å"No way of telling that things wouldn't have worked out worse, either. You're arguing tail-end backwards.† His eyes were brooding. â€Å"You know, suppose I blasted him?† â€Å"Whom? Riose?† â€Å"Yes.† Barr sighed. His aging eyes were troubled with a reflection of the long past. â€Å"Assassination isn't the way out, Devers. I once tried it, under provocation, when I was twenty – but it solved nothing. I removed a villain from Siwenna, but not the Imperial yoke; and it was the Imperial yoke and not the villain that mattered.† â€Å"But Riose is not just a villain, doc. He's the whole blamed army. It would fall apart without him. They hang on him like babies. The sergeant out there slobbers every time he mentions him.† â€Å"Even so. There are other armies and other leaders. You must go deeper. There is this Brodrig, for instance – no one more than he has the ear of the Emperor. He could demand hundreds of ships where Riose must struggle with ten. I know him by reputation.† â€Å"That so? What about him?† The trader's eyes lost in frustration what they gained in sharp interest. â€Å"You want a pocket outline? He's a low-born rascal who has by unfailing flattery tickled the whims of the Emperor. He's well-hated by the court aristocracy, vermin themselves, because he can lay claim to neither family nor humility. He is the Emperor's adviser in all things, and the Emperor's too in the worst things. He is faithless by choice but loyal by necessity. There is not a man in the Empire as subtle in villainy or as crude in his pleasures. And they say there is no way to the Emperor's favor but through him; and no way to his, but through infamy.† â€Å"Wow!† Devers pulled thoughtfully at his neatly trimmed beard. â€Å"And he's the old boy the Emperor sent out here to keep an eye on Riose. Do you know I have an idea?† â€Å"I do now.† â€Å"Suppose this Brodrig takes a dislike to our young Army's Delight?† â€Å"He probably has already. He's not noted for a capacity for liking.† â€Å"Suppose it gets really bad. The Emperor might hear about it, and Riose might be in trouble.† â€Å"Uh-huh. Quite likely. But how do you propose to get that to happen?† â€Å"I don't know. I suppose he could be bribed?† The patrician laughed gently. â€Å"Yes, in a way, but not in the manner you bribed the sergeant – not with a pocket freezer. And even if you reach his scale, it wouldn't be worth it. There's probably no one so easily bribed, but he lacks even the fundamental honesty of honorable corruption. He doesn't stay bribed; not for any sum. Think of something else.† Devers swung a leg over his knee and his toe nodded quickly and restlessly. â€Å"It's the first hint, though-â€Å" He stopped; the door signal was flashing once again, and the sergeant was on the threshold once more. He was excited, and his broad face was red and unsmiling. â€Å"Sir,† he began, in an agitated attempt at deference, â€Å"I am very thankful for the freezer, and you have always spoken to me very fine, although I am only the son of a farmer and you are great lords.† His Pleiades accent had grown thick, almost too much so for easy comprehension; and with excitement, his lumpish peasant derivation wiped out completely the soldierly bearing so long and so painfully cultivated. Barr said softly, â€Å"What is it, sergeant?† â€Å"Lord Brodrig is coming to see you. Tomorrow! I know, because the captain told me to have my men ready for dress review tomorrow for†¦ for him. I thought – I might warn you.† Barr said, â€Å"Thank you, sergeant, we appreciate that. But it's all right, man; no need for-â€Å" But the look on Sergeant Luk's face was now unmistakably one of fear. He spoke in a rough whisper, â€Å"You don't hear the stories the men tell about him. He has sold himself to the space fiend. No, don't laugh. There are most terrible tales told about him. They say he has men with blast-guns who follow him everywhere, and when he wants pleasure, he just tells them to blast down anyone they meet. And they do – and he laughs. They say even the Emperor is in terror of him, and that he forces the Emperor to raise taxes and won't let him listen to the complaints of the people. â€Å"And he hates the general, that's what they say. They say he would like to kill the general, because the general is so great and wise. But he can't because our general is a match for anyone and he knows Lord Brodrig is a bad ‘un.† The sergeant blinked; smiled in a sudden incongruous shyness at his own outburst; and backed toward the door. He nodded his head, jerkily. â€Å"You mind my words. Watch him.† He ducked out. And Devers looked up, hard-eyed. â€Å"This breaks things our way, doesn't it, doc?† â€Å"It depends,† said Barr, dryly, â€Å"on Brodrig, doesn't it?† But Devers was thinking, not listening. He was thinking hard. Lord Brodrig ducked his head as he stepped into the cramped living quarters of the trading ship, and his two armed guards followed quickly, with bared guns and the professionally hard scowls of the hired bravos. The Privy Secretary had little of the look of the lost soul about him just then. If the space fiend had bought him, he had left no visible mark of possession. Rather might Brodrig have been considered a breath of court-fashion come to enliven the hard, bare ugliness of an army base. The stiff, tight lines of his sheened and immaculate costume gave him the illusion of height, from the very top of which his cold, emotionless eyes stared down the declivity of a long nose at the trader. The mother-of-pearl ruches at his wrists fluttered filmily as he brought his ivory stick to the ground before him and leaned upon it daintily. â€Å"No,† he said, with a little gesture, â€Å"you remain here. Forget your toys; I am not interested in them.† He drew forth a chair, dusted it carefully with the iridescent square of fabric attached to the top of his white stick, and seated himself. Devers glanced towards the mate to the chair, but Brodrig said lazily, â€Å"You will stand in the presence of a Peer of the Realm.† He smiled. Devers shrugged. â€Å"If you're not interested in my stock in trade, what am I here for?† The Privy Secretary waited coldly, and Devers added a slow, â€Å"Sir.† â€Å"For privacy,† said the secretary. â€Å"Now is it likely that I would come two hundred parsecs through space to inspect trinkets? It's you I want to see.† He extracted a small pink tablet from an engraved box and placed it delicately between his teeth. He sucked it slowly and appreciatively. â€Å"For instance,† he said, â€Å"who are you? Are you really a citizen of this barbarian world that is creating all this fury of military frenzy?† Devers nodded gravely. â€Å"And you were really captured by him after the beginning of this squabble he calls a war. I am referring to our young general.† Devers nodded again. â€Å"So! Very well, my worthy Outlander. I see your fluency of speech is at a minimum. I shall smooth the way for you. It seems that our general here is fighting an apparently meaningless war with frightful transports of energy – and this over a forsaken fleabite of a world at the end of nowhere, which to a logical man would not seem worth a single blast of a single gun. Yet the general is not illogical. On the contrary, I would say he was extremely intelligent. Do you follow me?† â€Å"Can't say I do, sir.† The secretary inspected his fingernails and said, â€Å"Listen further, then. The general would not waste his men and ships on a sterile feat of glory. I know he talks of glory and of Imperial honor, but it is quite obvious that the affectation of being one of the insufferable old demigods of the Heroic Age won't wash. There is something more than glory hereand he does take queer, unnecessary care of you. Now if you were my prisoner and told me as little of use as you have our general, I would slit open your abdomen and strangle you with your own intestines.† Devers remained wooden. His eyes moved slightly, first to one of the secretary's bully-boys, and then to the other. They were ready; eagerly ready. The secretary smiled. â€Å"Well, now, you're a silent devil. According to the general, even a Psychic Probe made no impression, and that was a mistake on his part, by the way, for it convinced me that our young military whizz-bang was lying.† He seemed in high humor. â€Å"My honest tradesman,† he said, â€Å"I have a Psychic Probe of my own, one that ought to suit you peculiarly well. You see this-â€Å" And between thumb and forefinger, held negligently, were intricately designed, pink-and-yellow rectangles which were most definitely obvious in identity. Devers said so. â€Å"It looks like cash,† he said. â€Å"Cash it is – and the best cash of the Empire, for it is backed by my estates, which are more extensive than the Emperor's own. A hundred thousand credits. All here! Between two fingers! Yours!† â€Å"For what, sir? I am a good trader, but all trades go in both directions.† â€Å"For what? For the truth! What is the general after? Why is he fighting this war?† Lathan Devers sighed, and smoothed his beard thoughtfully. â€Å"What he's after?† His eyes were following the motions of the secretary's hands as he counted the money slowly, bill by bill. â€Å"In a word, the Empire.† â€Å"Hmp. How ordinary! It always comes to that in the end. But how? What is the road that leads from the Galaxy's edge to the peak of Empire so broadly and invitingly?† â€Å"The Foundation,† said Devers, bitterly, â€Å"has secrets. They have books, old books – so old that the language they are in is only known to a few of the top men. But the secrets are shrouded in ritual and religion, and none may use them. I tried and now I am here – and there is a death sentence waiting for me, there.† â€Å"I see. And these old secrets? Come, for one hundred thousand I deserve the intimate details.† â€Å"The transmutation of elements,† said Devers, shortly. The secretary's eyes narrowed and lost some of their detachment. â€Å"I have been told that practical transmutation is impossible by the laws of nucleics.† â€Å"So it is, if nuclear forces are used. But the ancients were smart boys. There are sources of power greater than the nuclei and more fundamental. If the Foundation used those sources as I suggested-â€Å" Devers felt a soft, creeping sensation in his stomach. The bait was dangling; the fish was nosing it. The secretary said suddenly, â€Å"Continue. The general, I am sure, is aware of a this. But what does he intend doing once he finishes this opera-bouffe affair?† Devers kept his voice rock-steady. â€Å"With transmutation he controls the economy of the whole set-up of your Empire. Mineral holdings won't be worth a sneeze when Riose can make tungsten out of aluminum and iridium out of iron. An entire production system based on the scarcity of certain elements and the abundance of others is thrown completely out of whack. There'll be the greatest disjointment the Empire has ever seen, and only Riose will be able to stop it. And there is the question of this new power I mentioned, the use of which won't give Riose religious heebies. â€Å"There's nothing that can stop him now. He's got the Foundation by the back of the neck, and once he's finished with it, he'll be Emperor in two years.† â€Å"So.† Brodrig laughed lightly. â€Å"Iridium out of iron, that's what you said, isn't it? Come, I'll tell you a state secret. Do you know that the Foundation has already been in communication with the general?† Devers' back stiffened. â€Å"You look surprised. Why not? It seems logical now. They offered him a hundred tons of iridium a year to make peace. A hundred tons of iron converted to iridium in violation of their religious principles to save their necks. Fair enough, but no wonder our rigidly incorruptible general refused – when he can have the iridium and the Empire as well. And poor Cleon called him his one honest general. My bewhiskered merchant, you have earned your money.† He tossed it, and Devers scrambled after the flying bills. Lord Brodrig stopped at the door and turned. â€Å"One reminder, trader. My playmates with the guns here have neither middle ears, tongues, education, nor intelligence. They can neither hear, speak, write, nor even make sense to a Psychic Probe. But they are very expert at interesting executions. I have bought you, man, at one hundred thousand credits. You will be good and worthy merchandise. Should you forget that you are bought at any time and attempt to†¦ say†¦ repeat our conversation to Riose, you will be executed. But executed my way.† And in that delicate face there were sudden hard lines of eager cruelty that changed the studied smile into a red-lipped snarl. For one fleeting second, Devers saw that space fiend who had bought his buyer, look out of his buyer's eyes. Silently, he preceded the two thrusting blast-guns of Brodrig's â€Å"playmates† to his quarters. And to Ducem Barr's question, he said with brooding satisfaction, â€Å"No, that's the queerest part of it. He bribed me. Two months of difficult war had left their mark on Bel Riose. There was heavy-handed gravity about him; and he was short-tempered. It was with impatience that he addressed the worshiping Sergeant Luk. â€Å"Wait outside, soldier, and conduct these men back to their quarters when I am through. No one is to enter until I call. No one at all, you understand.† The sergeant saluted himself stiffly out of the room, and Riose with muttered disgust scooped up the waiting papers on his desk, threw them into the top drawer and slammed it shut. â€Å"Take seats,† he said shortly, to the waiting two. â€Å"I haven't much time. Strictly speaking, I shouldn't be here at all, but it is necessary to see you.† He turned to Ducem Barr, whose long fingers were caressing with interest the crystal cube in which was set the simulacrum of the lined, austere face of His Imperial Majesty, Cleon II. â€Å"In the first place, patrician,† said the general, â€Å"your Seldon is losing. To be sure, he battles well, for these men of the Foundation swarm like senseless bees and fight like madmen. Every planet is defended viciously, and once taken, every planet heaves so with rebellion it is as much trouble to hold as to conquer. But they are taken, and they are held. Your Seldon is losing.† â€Å"But he has not yet lost,† murmured Barr politely. â€Å"The Foundation itself retains less optimism. They offer me millions in order that I may not put this Seldon to the final test.† â€Å"So rumor goes.† â€Å"Ah, is rumor preceding me? Does it prate also of the latest?† â€Å"What is the latest?† â€Å"Why, that Lord Brodrig, the darling of the Emperor, is now second in command at his own request.† Devers spoke for the first time. â€Å"At his own request, boss? How come? Or are you growing to like the fellow?† He chuckled. Riose said, calmly, â€Å"No, can't say I do. It's just that he bought the office at what I considered a fair and adequate price.† â€Å"Such as?† â€Å"Such as a request to the Emperor for reinforcements.† Devers' contemptuous smile broadened. â€Å"‘He has communicated with the Emperor, huh? And I take it, boss, you're just waiting for these reinforcements, but they'll come any day. Right?† â€Å"Wrong! They have already come. Five ships of the line; smooth and strong, with a personal message of congratulations from the Emperor, and more ships on the way. What's wrong, trader?† he asked, sardonically. Devers spoke through suddenly frozen lips. â€Å"Nothing!† Riose strode out from behind his desk and faced the trader, hand on the butt of his blast-gun. â€Å"I say, what's wrong, trader? The news would seem to disturb you. Surely, you have no sudden birth of interest in the Foundation.† â€Å"I haven't.† â€Å"Yes – there are queer points about you.† â€Å"That so, boss?† Devers smiled tightly, and balled the fists in his pockets. â€Å"Just you line them up and I'll knock them down for you.† â€Å"Here they are. You were caught easily. You surrendered at first blow with a burnt-out shield. You're quite ready to desert your world, and that without a price. Interesting, all this, isn't it?† â€Å"I crave to be on the winning side, boss. I'm a sensible man; you called me that yourself.† Riose said with tight throatiness, â€Å"Granted! Yet no trader since has been captured. No trade ship but has had the speed to escape at choice. No trade ship but has had a screen that could take all the beating a light cruiser could give it, should it choose to fight. And no trader but has fought to death when occasion warranted. Traders have been traced as the leaders and instigators of the guerilla warfare on occupied planets and of the flying raids in occupied space. â€Å"Are you the only sensible man then? You neither fight nor flee, but turn traitor without urging. You are unique, amazingly unique – in fact, suspiciously unique.† Devers said softly, â€Å"I take your meaning, but you have nothing on me. I've been here now six months, and I've been a good boy.† â€Å"So you have, and I have repaid you by good treatment. I have left your ship undisturbed and treated you with every consideration. Yet you fall short. Freely offered information, for instance, on your gadgets might have been helpful. The atomic principles on which they are built would seem to be used in some of the Foundation's nastiest weapons. Right?† â€Å"I am only a trader,† said Devers, â€Å"and not one of these bigwig technicians. I sell the stuff; I don't make it.† â€Å"Well, that will be seen shortly. It is what I came here for. For instance, your ship will be searched for a personal force-shield. You have never worn one; yet all soldiers of the Foundation do. It will be significant evidence that there is information you do not choose to give me. Right?† There was no answer. He continued, â€Å"And there will be more direct evidence. I have brought with me the Psychic Probe. It failed once before, but contact with the enemy is a liberal education.† His voice was smoothly threatening and Devers felt the gun thrust hard in his midriff – the general's gun, hitherto in its holster. The general said quietly, â€Å"You will remove your wristband and any other metal ornament you wear and give them to me. Slowly! Atomic fields can be distorted, you see, and Psychic Probes might probe only into static. That's right†¦ I'll take it.† The receiver on the general's desk was glowing and a message capsule clicked into the slot, near which Barr stood and still held the trimensional Imperial bust. Riose stepped behind his desk, with his blast-gun held ready. He said to Barr, â€Å"You too, patrician. Your wristband condemns you. You have been helpful earlier, however, and I am not vindictive, but I shall judge the fate of your behostaged family by the results of the Psychic Probe.† And as Riose leaned over to take out the message capsule, Barr lifted the crystal-enveloped bust of Cleon and quietly and methodically brought it down upon the general's head. It happened too suddenly for Devers to grasp. It was as if a sudden demon had grown into the old man. â€Å"Out!† said Barr, in a tooth-clenched whisper. â€Å"Quickly!† He seized Riose's dropped blaster and buried it in his blouse. Sergeant Luk turned as they emerged from the narrowest possible crack of the door. Barr said easily, â€Å"Lead on, sergeant!† Devers closed the door behind him. Sergeant Luk led in silence to their quarters, and then, with the briefest pause, continued onward, for there was the nudge of a blast-gun muzzle in his ribs, and a hard voice in his ears which said, â€Å"To the trade ship.† Devers stepped forward to open the air lock, and Barr said, â€Å"Stand where you are, Luk. You've been a decent man, and we're not going to kill you.† But the sergeant recognized the monogram on the gun. He cried in choked fury, â€Å"You've killed the general.† With a wild, incoherent yell, he charged blindly upon the blasting fury of the gun and collapsed in blasted ruin. The trade ship was rising above the dead planet before the signal lights began their eerie blink and against the creamy cobweb of the great Lens in the sky which was the Galaxy, other black forms rose. Devers said grimly, â€Å"Hold tight, Barr – and let's see if they've got a ship that can match my speed.† He knew they hadn't! And once in open space, the trader's voice seemed lost and dead as he said, â€Å"The line I fed Brodrig was a little too good. It seems as if he's thrown in with the general.† Swiftly they raced into the depths of the star-mass that was the Galaxy.

Bata Shoes Organization Essay

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COMPANY The business that became the Bata Shoe Organization was established on August 24, 1894 in Zlin, Czechoslovakia by Tomas Bata, and included his brother Antonin and sister Anna. Although this business was new, the Bata name had been part of a tradition of shoemaking for eight generations, spanning three hundred years. It was one of the first modern day shoe ‘manufacturers’ , a team of snitchers and shoemakers creating footwear not just for the local town , but also for the distant retail merchants. This departure from the centuries old tradition of the one man cobbler’s workshop was a brand new  concept, creating an entirely new industry. The Bata enterprise revolutionized the treatment of employees and labor conditions. Tomas consistently maintained a human focus, creating opportunities for development and advancement, and added compensation for employees based on achievement. In late 1985. Antonin was drafted into the army for compulsory military service and lift family shoe business. Also that year, Anna left the company to marry, leaving a young Tomas to build the business on his own. By 1905 Tomas had taken the new enterprise to 2200 pairs of shoes per day , produced by 250 employees – utilizing resourceful imaginations , skilled hands and modern machinery to keep up with demand. Under this ‘manufacturing’ system, productivity was greater than even before. Bata shoes were excellent quality and available in more styles than had been offered before. Demand grew rapidly in the early 1900s. Despite material and manpower shortages, cartel and the outbreak of World War 1, sales continued to increase , reaching two million pairs per year by 1917. As the enterprise prospered, so did the communities where it operated, Tomas believed that a focus on people and public service was critical for business success. The enterprise built housing, schools and a hospital near the shoemaking plant in Zlin. It provided food and inexpensive rent during very difficult times; when there was no help to be found. Bata companies alter provided rail services, construction, insurance, publishing and tannery in Zlin. Following World War 1, consumer purchasing power was very low; Tomas and his employees devised a plan to adjust to post-war economic difficulties and reduced their shoe prices. Bata stores were flooded with buyers and industry cynics were forced to follow their lead. Already exporting to other European countries, Northern Africa and the USA, the enterprise began establishing new sales organizations in these markets during the 1920s. Companies were opened in Poland, Yugoslavia, Holland, Denmark, United Kingdom and the USA. By the early 1930s, the Bata enterprise and Czechoslovakia were the world’s leading footwear exporters. â€Å"The Bata System† devised by the Zlin team, and later applied in other Bata Show Organization companies, organized operations into autonomous workshops and departments, allowing employees to contribute ideas and stimulate production, and contributed significant breakthroughs in footwear technology. BATA INDIA Bata India Limited Bata India managing director Marcelo Villagran. Incorporated as Bata Shoe Company Private Limited in 1931, the company was set up initially as a small operation in Konnagar (near Calcutta) in1932. In January 1934, the foundation stone for the first building of Bata’s operation – now called the Bata. In the years that followed, the overall site was doubled in area. This township is popularly known as Batanagar. It was also the first manufacturing facility in the Indian shoe industry to receive the ISO: 9001 certification.The Company went public in 1973 when it changed its name to BataIndia Limited. Today, Bata India has established itself as India’s largest footwear retailer. Its retail network of 1250 stores gives it a reach/ coverage that no other footwear company can match. Thestores are present in good locations and can be found in all the metros, mini-metros and towns Bata’s smart looking new stores supported by a range of better quality products are aimed at offering a superior shopping experience to its customers. And the new face of Bata India is now visible to the industry as well as its customers. Today, backed by a brand perception of experience, the company is working towards positioning itself as a vibrant and contemporary young brand. It has significantly transformed its retail formats to become more lifestyle-oriented, which has helped change consumer perceptions to a large extent. Bata India – Today ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Sells over 45 million pairs of footwear every year ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Serves over 120,000 customers every day ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Sells through over 1200 retail stores ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Operates 5 manufacturing facilities ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Employs more than 6800 people BATA’S BUSINESS UNITS * Bata Europe, Lausanne * Bata Asia Pacific-Africa, Singapore * Bata Latin America, Mexico * Bata North America, Toronto Bata is one of the world leading footwear retailer and manufacturer with operations across 5 continents managed by 4 regional meaningful business units (MBUs). The MBU approach provides quality resources and support in key areas to the companies operating in similar markets such as product development, sourcing or marketing support. Each MBU is entrepreneurial in nature, and can quickly adapt to changes in the market place and seize potential growth opportunities. Bata’s strength lies in its worldwide presence. While local companies are self-governing, each one benefits from its link to the international organization for back-office systems, product innovations and sourcing. Although Bata operates in a wide variety of markets, climates and buying power Bata companies share the same leadership points. Two important ones are product concept development and constant improvement of business processes in order to offer customers great value and the best possible service. VISION To grow as a dynamic, innovative and market driven domestic manufacturer and distributor, with footwear as our core business, while maintaining a commitment to the country, culture and environment in which we operate MISSION To be successful as the most dynamic, flexible and market responsive organization, with footwear as its core business BATA BUSINESS Bata shoe Organization companies are involved in every face of the business of shoes. Throughout the world, Bata companies service customers from the store sales floor to the factory floor. PRODUCT RANGE Marie Claire * Hush Puppies * Power * Bubble Gummers * North Star * Scholl * Weinbrenner Product range starts of Bata 299-2499. Bata start range 299 to lowest range of school shoe and highest brands of power & other product. Bata product lowest to highest range available to market. Hush Puppies – Now in India Hush Puppies are a famous shoe brand of the USA. It is so famous and pioneering that it’s sometimes referred to as a legend. This brand is owned and operated as a division by the Wolverine†¦ Bata is worst shoe maker Bata is the people who make shoes for high prices but with low quality. i bought a pair of slippers from bata named â€Å"comfit† for Rs. 749/- on may 2007. it is not compfortable at all. The slipper is made†¦ Poor quality shoes I bought one pair of leather shoes from Bata, Cochin dealer near Padma junction one year before. The product was formal shoes with laces. The shoes cost INR 1499 for me. Bata is worst shoe maker Bata is the people who make shoes for high prices but with low quality. i bought a pair of slippers from bata named â€Å"comfit† for Rs. 749/- on may 2007. High Price Poorest Quality I just happened to buy Bata shoes a week back. The item I bought was obviously overpriced, but going by the name bata I bought it at 499. Within a weeks’ usage, the shoe sole was partially ripped off! .TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESS VIZ INPUTS OUTPUTS AND PROCESS FOLLOWED IN CONVERSION. In order to handle the increasing complexity of distributed industrial manufacturing systems, there is a strong demand for methods and tools that  support the designer in the analysis and optimisation of flexible infrastructures for the automation of production processes. We are currently investigating how emerging standards and advanced simulation techniques can be exploited successfully in the production of custom made shoes. Nowadays, many different approaches, methodologies and computer aided design tools can be employed in the analysis and optimization of complex industrial systems. As a consequence, the selection of the most appropriate techniques and tools for a particular system is critical. Before making any final decision, it is necessary to investigate the functionalities offered, compliancy with existing standards, and capacity for interoperability with non-proprietary instruments. We are currently working on a methodological approach to the structured design and simulation-based analysis and optimisation of manufacturing plants. The methods and tools used during the different phases of the design are illustrated with reference to an application in the shoe manufacturing sector. In particular, we describe an innovative plant for the production of customized shoes. This plant is located at the ITIA-CNR laboratory in Vigevano (Italy) and constitutes the pilot plant of a large European research project called EUROShoe, which began in March 2001 and is scheduled to finish in June 2004. | Figure 1: The Innovative Shoe Manufacturing Plant | EURO Shoe is a complex and ambitious project with thirty-five academic and industrial partners from ten different European countries. It aims at a dramatic renovation of the concept of shoes as products and of their production, based on a transformation from mass-produced to mass-customised goods. This product evolution goes in parallel with a transformation of footwear companies into distributed and flexible enterprises capable of handling the complexity that such a radical change in the nature of the product implies and of mastering the associated new technological challenges. This implies a complete revision not only of the entire manufacturing process but also of the tools used to analyse and optimize the resulting innovative industrial system. For the sake of brevity, the methods and tools used for the design, analysis and optimization of the plant automation system are outlined with reference to the control and supervision  of the transport line. In the shoe manufacturing plant that we consider (Figure 1), an innovative transport line is used to move the semi-finished shoes from one machining station to another according to a predefined operating schedule. In particular, the innovative molecular structure of the transport line (Figure 2) strongly enhances the modularity, scalability, integrability and reconfigurability of the production system, thus increasing the overall flexibility of the plant. | | Figure 2: Layout of the Shoe Plant (left) and ISaGRAF Simulation Graphical Interface (right).| At the beginning of the design life cycle, the control and supervision system of the transport line was specified by means of UML (Unified Modelling Language) diagrams; in particular use-case, class, sequence and state diagrams were used to specify the systems modules, their relationships and their dynamic behaviour. The system architecture and functions were designed using the Function Block formalism defined by the IEC 61499 standard, which integrates object-oriented concepts and discrete event models to suitably support control software design. The functional model obtained was analysed and optimized by means of closed-loop discrete event simulations performed in the Simulink/Stateflow environment, where both the controller and the controlled process were modeled and simulated through state charts, as was the behaviour of the overall system. In this way, the correctness and performance o f the solution proposed could be evaluated. In particular, a bottom up methodology was defined and exploited to study the system according to a modular approach. This enabled us to simplify the overall analysis process, to verify the correctness of the automation functionalities easily and to optimize the system performance from the very first phases of the design life cycle. Once the functional modules had been verified, the control and supervision algorithms were developed using the SFC (Sequential Functional Chart) formalism, which is an advanced discrete event modelling graphical language, directly derived from Petri nets, and included in the IEC 61131 part 3 standard, which defines programming languages for industrial PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers). The SFC algorithms were analysed through closed loop discrete simulations in the ISaGRAF environment in order to verify their correctness and to optimize their performance. ISaGRAF is a CACSD (Computer Aided Control System Design)  tool that allows the automation soft ware to be structured using all five IEC 61131 languages and supports simulation functionalities for testing purposes, as well as automatic code generation facilities for different industrial systems. In order to perform the closed loop simulations, simplified models of the plant devices have been represented in ISaGRAF by means of suitable SFC modules and data structures. Moreover, to simplify the analysis of the simulation results, a simple 2D graphic animation was realized in ISaGRAF (Figure 2). Simulations have been performed by considering typical operating conditions, ie, typical production orders, and the results obtained show that the system is deadlock free and that the plant is well balanced, ie its resources are all used effectively. After verification and optimization of the automation functions and algorithms, the corresponding code was generated and implemented on the target industrial devices. We found that the simulation-based analysis techniques reduced the plant rump-up times and costs and improved overall system performance. Future work will concern the exploitation of the standards, methods and tools proposed for other industrial plants and their integration within an advanced CACSD tool for manufacturing systems MANUFACTURING Tomas Bata’s revolutionary business concept was to industrialize the shoemaking process of that day. That type of thinking has been the driving force behind the Bata Shoe Organization success. The Bata Shoe Organization has been as innovator in the manufacturing of shoes over the years. Bata personnel have made important advances in DVP (Direct Vulcanization Process), PVC, athletic footwear production and slush – molded footwear production. 1. Raw Material Stock The raw material which includes the chemicals used for making cement adhesive,rubber latex and sole (both inner and outer),cloth(bought from Bombay Dyeing) used for making upper, material used for making binding,thread and the packing cartons etc. are stocked in the warehouse. Inventory of all the above items is properly maintained with the help of a ‘Material stock position’ chart made on the walls of the warehouse and a  computerized inventory Database. Every department has been allocated a maximum stock limit beyond which they cannot store the raw materials for themselves. It has to be used as frequently as possible. Every fortnight, the stock and usage is reviewed. The transmission of raw material from stock warehouse to respective departments is recorded and same is done with the transmission between various departments. All this data is readily available for review to all departments and can be checked anytime. Cement And Latex Manufacturing: The cement adhesive and rubber latex are the main chemicals used to paste together the different part of a shoe, are manufactured in the plant itself. Both these materials are produced keeping in mind the exact requirements and also the correct specification, which is the right mix of chemicals to make it the best pasting element and get the desired quality. 1. Sole Pull Manufacturing: The inner and outer shoe required in the shoe are also produced in-house. Huge rubber sheets measuring 3ft.x2ft. having a thickness of approx. 2 cms. are first heated to high temperature and then placed in a curing chamber for 8 minutes where they are again processed at high temperature of around 170oC. At such a high temperature the sheets expand and then sent for vulcanization where it is processed for 3 hrs. to set the shrinking limit of rubber. These sheets can be cut only after two weeks of vulcanization. This is known as seating process. 2. Making Binding: A binding is required on the outer of the shoe to bind the edges of cloth upper. This binding material is also made within the plant, using cloth. It is machne stitched onto the cloth upper. 3. Folding, Cutting And Stamping: The cloth that forms the shoe upper is produced from Bombay Dyeing. It is first folded into huge lots and then cut into pieces of uniform sizes according to the different size lots.These cloth pieces are then stamped with what may be called a batch number and the shoe size. An example of a  batch number may be â€Å"F-3218422†. In this code, F represents plant code of the Faridabad factory, 321 is the code of the particular workstation and assembly line, 8 represents the year of manufacturing, 42 the week and 2 signifies the day of the week in which production has been done.This stamping particularly helps if there is a defect found out in the shoe after sale. After stamping is done ,the upper is sent for stitiching. 4. Stitching : The cloth received after stamping is set for stitching and making it into a proper upper of the shoe. The stitching process starts with folding of the piece and stitching it in a particular fashion to give the shape of an upper. Next, it is sent for stitching the binding onto the edges of the sgoe. After the binding on the edges has been done, the shoe is transferred further where lace holes and flips used under that are stitched onto the upper. The last step in the stitching process is to put laces into the shoe, which is done by hands. The upper of the shoe is now ready to sent for assembling process. 5. Assembly: The assembly process uses a dual level conveyor belt as can be seen in the picture. A fact worth noting is that the conveyer does not have a linear arrangement of workstations; rather it is an ellipsoidal conveyer with different workstations positioned all around it. At first glance, it is not easy to comprehend as to wherefrom where the process begins. However ,a closer look reveals that fully assembled shoes are hand picked away from the conveyer at one particular point on the conveyer. Despite it unconventional designe, it is a very well organized and systematic assembly line configuration where none of the employee sit idle at any point of time , thus minimizing idle time losses. There is a parallel conveyer which basically consists of many metal shoe moulds onto which the entire shoe assembly is built. The shoe building process starts at one when one person applies cement on the inner sole and places it on the conveyer belt. The next person then applies  cement of edges of the upper of the shoe and again puts back the piece onto the conveyer, next,the inner sole is put on the upper part of the Mould and the cloth is pasted on the sole to get the exact shape of the shoe. Now ,when the shape is achieved ,the shoe is dipped into latex so that the latex covers the lower side of the shoe. It is then placed in a drying chamber to dry the latex where in the temperature is around 70oC. Once latex is dried and the shoe is taken out of chamber . It is again placed on the conveyor and the next person puts the outer sole(coated with cement) on the conveyor as well. The sole is then pasted on to the shoe tightly and pressed by a large bag containing water. This water filled bag is a part of the conveyor only and water is used to prevent the formation of air bubbles, which may leads to manufacturing defects. The person sitting next checks once again that there is no gap in the pasting. The side fixing is then pasted on the dried latex and the shoe moves on. The next employee pastes the Bata logo on the back of the shoe and also press the side foxing. On the next station, the toe guards, both side strips as well as circular one, are available to the employee. Coated with cement . Both of these are pasted on the shoe. The shoe is now prepared to be vulcanized and hence is transferred by the last worker on the conveyor , from the conveyor to the conveyor trolly. Introduction : Facility Layout means planning: a.For the location of all machine, utilities, employee work stations customer. service areas, material storage areas, aisles, restrooms, lunchrooms, internet walls, offices and computer rooms. b. For the flow of patterns of materials and people around, into, and within building. C .Infrastructure services such as the delivery of line communications, energy and water and the removal of waste water all make up basic utilities. Characteristic of facility layout decision: a.Location of these various areas impacts the flow through the system. b.The layout can affect productivity and costs generated by the system. c.Layout alternatives are limited by d.the amount and type of space required for the various areas. e.the amount and type of space available. F.the operations strategy. Objective of layout Strategy: Develop an economic layout which will meet the requirements of: a.Product design and volume (product strategy) b.Process equipment and capacity (process strategy) c.Quality of work life (human resource strategy) d.Building and site constraints (location strategy) Basic layout forms: a.Process Layout b.Product Layout c.Combination Layout d.Fixed position Layout Fixed-Position layout In fixed-position layouts, the item being worked on remains stationary, and workers, materials, and equipment are moved as needed. Fixed-position layouts are widely used for farming, firefighting, road building, home building, remodeling and repair, and drilling for oil,buildings, ships, aircrafts. Factors in Determining Layout and Design: Small business owners need to consider many operational factors when building or renovating a facility for maximum layout effectiveness. These criteria include the following: 1.Ease of future expansion or change Facilities should be designed so that can be easily expanded or adjusted to meet changing production needs. â€Å"Although redesigning a facility is a major, expensive undertaking not to be done lightly, there is always the possibility that a redesign will be necessary. Therefore, any design should be flexible. « Flexible manufacturing systems most often are highly automated facilities having intermediate-volume production of a variety of products. Their goal is to minimize change over or setup times for producing the different products while still achieving close to assembly line (single-product) production rates.† 2.Flow of movement The facility design should reflect a recognition of the importance of smooth process flow. In the case of factory facilities, the plan will show the raw materials entering your plant at one end and the finished product emerging at the other. The flow need not be a straight line. Parallel flows, U-shaped patterns, or even a zig-zag that ends up with the finished product back at the shipping and receiving bays can be functional. However, backtracking is to be avoided in whatever pattern is chosen. When parts and materials move against or across the overall flow, personnel and paper work become confused, parts become lost, and the attainment of coordination becomes complicated.† 3.Materials handling Small business owners should make certain that the facility layout makes it possible to handle materials (products, equipment, containers, etc.) In an orderly, efficient ²and preferably simple manner. FACILITY LOCATION Contact Person. Address, Bata House – 418/02, Gurgaon Mahrauli Road, Sector 17. Gurgaon 122002. Haryana. City, Gurgaon. State, Haryana. Phone, 124 4120100 1.Bata Nagar Factory Batanagar, WestBengal 2. Rubber Purchasing Dept. Kottayam, Kerala Rubber purchase and processing. 3. Bataganj Factory Bataganj,Patna Bihar Complete Manufacturing 4. Bata Tannery Mokamehghat, Bihar Leather Processing 5 . Faridabad Factory NIT, Faridabad UP Complete Manufacturing 6. Sandak Division Shivaji Marg, Sandak Sandak Footware. PRODUCTION PLAANING SYSTEM VIZ CAPASITY PLANNING, OPERATION MANAGEMENT SHEDULING ETC. PRODUCT PLANNING SYSTEM. They select their product designs according to their customer needs. And they are continuously bringing changes as the customers’ demands for new products. They are using the latest equipment and machinery to meet the customers demand and to provide them the product they need. | | Bata Production Division is going extra miles to meet ever growing production requirements of PU direct pouring and other footwear to cater the needs of our worthy customers. During the current season, the overall production is going 120% against estimates and 130% against last year. Similarly in the area of PU direct pouring, 123% production has been achieved against the estimates and 204% against last year. This milestone in production has been a result of restructuring of Maraka and Rubber Factories. A better production planning, maximum utilization of human resources and teamwork – all have been put together strategically to achieve competitive advantage in â€Å"Bata† products over the competition in the area of quality, prices and sales appeal PROCESS OF PLANING OPERATION SYSTEM, Their process consists of three parts. * Manufacturing In manufacturing are, all the raw materials are brought together and the raw material is cut into the shapes of the required products. All the pieces are cut here for the specific products. * Stitching The cut pieces of raw material are stitched here together to give the shape of the shoe. The sole is also attached to the upper portion of the shoe and all the pieces are joined together to give it the shape of shoe. * Finishing The product is then moved to finishing department where the rough look of shoe is converted in to a finished product. The shoe is polished, cleaned and all the unwanted materials are removed from it to give it a proper shape. The color and shine of the shoes are finalized here and the product coming out of this department is ready for use. * Retrenchment (Firing) As we know that Bata is a biggest firm around us and they hire the person who have the skills and ability to do work for a long time .They mainly fire people on the serious reach of agreement, misconduct, punctuality and upon not achieving their given targets and once the management has decided to fire a person they give one month prior notice to the respective employee and once the employee is fired can never be hired again. Moreover they do not conduct any exit interview. They do not believe in extending the outplacement facility to their employees. QUALITY SYSTEM, An important choice A choice of more than 3,000 items: footwear, clothing, bags and accessories, for men, women, children and sports. A very personal service Their professional specialized staff is there to help you make the best choice Product presentation All the items are clearly marked with the price, size and description of the materials used to make the product, thus saving you time and making your choice easier. Your purchase is guaranteed You have the guarantee to replace the purchased item if it is still intact and accompanied by the till receipt. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT Subject matter expert and course leader, Jean-Paul Waisman from the European Group with the support of Vladimir Spelda from Central Europe and Alain Groelly from Switzerland facilitated the Euro Fast Track Merchandising module in Italy from June 3rd to 15th. 14 European participants took part in the training. The course objectives were as follows: ~To learn the â€Å"Best Merchandising Practices† in the Bata Europe Group ~To better understand the role and function of the Merchandising Department in the company ~To develop and improve skills in shoe line building ~To understand, create and utilize the Consumer Lifestyles Segmentations ~To introduce analytical tools and techniques to perform in-season and end-season analysis in order to better manage inventory ~To introduce a disciplined, standardized methodology and process to the Bata Europe’s merchandising function in order to align business performance to benchmarks The participants worked through various major business areas including: ~Analyzing the market place and all the competition ~Understanding the need for market segmentation to better identify customers’ requirements ~Building a shoeline with core and additional collections to better meet store portfolio requirements ~Planning the merchandise allocation to the stores in such a manner that stores can achieve their sales objectives ~Using various analytical techniques to optimize sales and inventory management, and to maximize profitability A professor from the Ars Sutoria University in Milan explained in detail the various shoe construction types and material including tips to recognize a â€Å"quality shoe†. The group visited stores in Venice and made a competitive market place analysis including business cases as to how to improve Bata store performance, visual display and other areas of the business. The Euro Fast Track – Merchandising Module was very successful and participants were very enthusiastic as they participated in many practical exercises including a negotiation workshop. They also had the opportunity to share their experiences with many colleagues from other BSO companies across Europe. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Bata is using its raw materials from his different suppliers. Some of the suppliers are local while some are from Indonesia. Along with their own production, they are also out sourcing for some of their products. They are keeping a check on the quality of the products from outsourcing and using their own brand name. The raw material coming from their suppliers are stored in the warehouses. These raw materials are then moved to the production area, where the production is being done and the finished good are moved towards warehouse again for storage after proper quality inspection. They are their own distributers and they have their own stores all over INDIA. They have four types of store concepts. * City Store The Bata City Store gives you unique shopping experience as it showcases the latest collections for footwear of local and international brands. The store ambience is designed to create a lifestyle store that reflects and responds to your needs and expectations. The Bata City stores are located in top shopping malls in big city centers. * Family store Bata is the world’s leading family chain thanks to the wide assortment of every fashion footwear available in our stores. The products are primarily  the Bata brand, with a carefully selected assortment of articles from both local and international brands. * Superstore Bata Superstore offers a wide assortment of fashion, casual and athletic for the entire family. Located primarily in urban and suburban shopping center, these spacious stores offer the best value by providing good quality shoes at great prices. Service is fast thanks to a self-selection shopping environment with qualified staff to serve and assist. * Factory store Factory stores are the largest and the most value-oriented stores of our retail chain. They are ideally located in power centers, commercial parks and outlet centers with easy parking facilities. The product selection offers more than 1,000 styles of ladies, men, children and sport shoes with related accessories and apparel sold at attractive price points. It is based on a self-service concept with helpful staff available for service at any time. It appears to me that Bata was very far in the direction of micro managing. I do not believe he would have been much fun to work for. But it would have been a rewarding experience, not just from the point of view of finances, but rather like having a very demanding teacher. You do not enjoy the experience at the time but you look back on the experience with a certain fondness. You realize that you grew under the stress; that you were stretched and it was good for you. Bata tried to make the need for such micro-management less by the way he developed his system for setting pay and rewards. He said: â€Å"I was seeking a method which would work automatically as the sun rises and the sun sets.† He wanted to wind the company up and then let it run without his attention. In this system, every work unit was engaged in ‘buying’ and ‘selling’ goods and services to and from other work units. The prices were established by a central accounting office and were not negotiable. The ‘customer’ for the  product or service dictated the quality and schedule. Naturally the setting of these prices was subjected to considerable discussion and debate. However, all of the facts and figures used in setting the prices were available to the work unit so they had a basis for their side of the debate. The prices were set with due regard for prices of similar products which might be available on the open market. Work units were not constrained to buy only from within the company. What made the Bata system different from other methods of cost accounting was the agreement that if the workers could devise an improved method, which reduced waste, improved times of delivery and produced a profit beyond expectations, the workers could share in this profit. In other words, Bata produced a system which encouraged each work unit to become more entrepreneurial. Bata had a larger purpose. He intended for each worker to become much more conscious of the economics of the factory, to relate the results of the enterprise to his own fortunes and to become a more responsible guardian of wealth. For Bata the system of internal transacting was more than a way to run the company; it was a way to train people to become fiscally responsible in their own lives. BIBLOGRAPHY http://www. Bata.com www.product range.com http://www.bata manufacturing process. www.consumercomplaints.in/ MORE FREE TERM PAPERS ON SITE: www.BesplatniSeminarskiRadovi.com

Role of Perception in Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role of Perception in Decision Making - Essay Example It has been found that cultural background indeed helps in shaping the behavior of an individual (Husted and Allen, 2008). Today we are living in the times of globalization and liberalization of economies, which makes it obligatory on the part of the organizations and individuals to work with people from different cultural backgrounds. At times an organization also gets to be known as having particular culture by taking in consideration the working behavior and cultural background of the workforce. Managing a whole lot of diversity forms the key component of the effective management process. Diversity within an organization can also be effectively managed if one can analyze how we form a typical perception about someone. Workplace diversity is stated to have a positive as well as a negative aspect. The diversity on account of gender also influences the behavior of an organization. Thompson's (2000) came out with a detailed study suggesting that men hold more negative views of diversity than women. This view gets strength from an experiment carried out on 2686 workers at an electronics company. This expe riment came out with findings that women of all racial/ethnic backgrounds held more positive perceptions of diversity than Caucasian males (Hostager and Meuse, 2008). ... Well a number of similar studies have also found out that there is no significant difference in ethical perceptions of men and women. But at the same time, it needs to be emphasized that no study has so far indicated that men are more ethical than the women counterparts (Marta et al, 2008). This goes on to show that there's indeed some amount of truth in the fact that women are more ethically perceptive/ sensitive. While managing an organization such factors need to be taken into account for effective management of the organization. What are the positive and negative effects of using perceptive "shortcuts" when judging others Perceptions are supposed to help in the process of making judgments as well. While stuck up in some tricky situation and the manager is entrusted with the task of judging a person, a process, a team or an organization then the perceptive 'shortcuts' come in handy. But, there is also a possibility that making use of such 'perceptive shortcuts' could actually result in a wrongful judgment. Often, collective behavior of a team depends upon the nature of judgments taken by some individuals (Husted and Allen, 2008). The model of Trevino on ethical decision making in business tries to explore the relationship between individualism and collectivism. The key elements of this model are; the perception of a moral problem, moral judgment, and ethical behavior. Some of the positive and negative effects of using perceptive shortcuts can be summarized as; i. Positive effects a. Decision can be taken quickly b. Follow up action is also aided by the perceptive shortcuts c. Process of decision making become easier d. It helps in

Dance history Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dance history - Assignment Example Sergei Diaghilev, the Great Russian impresario, is responsible for the commissioning of avant-garde musical artists into creating designs stage and costumes. He first settled in France where he formed a dance company called ‘Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo’ (Carter 17). His ballet dance is presented as one of the initial moves that avant-garde composers, writers, and painters join forces in creating a ballet. The revelation in this case is that Cunningham is both a great collaborator and a terrific partner in dancing. Further, the collaborative process continues changing as he ages and the physical limitations hit in (Carter 34). Other than originating their choreography through living and breathing dancers, they formulate dances through the manipulation of onscreen and computer-generated individuals. Many audiences feel that such a retreat across the direct involvement adds a level of difficulty to Cunninghams ballet collaborative process. In the original Rite of Spring by Nijinsky, the primary emphasis of the classical ballet dancer is on aspects of legwork even as there is simultaneous maintenance of upright carriage. For Cunningham’s Camera Beachbirds, the aspect begins presenting how Cunningham is utilizing elements regarding the expressive and the classical. Cunningham broadens this scope of expressive upper body of the dancer while integrating the motions with the footwork for classical ballet dancers. In Rite of Spring by Tero Saarinen, a number of dancers are within their initial studio areas as they turn or jump in place. Subsequent dancers run in alternate directions based on the stationary dancers while running and skipping across studio space (Carter 23). Within a number of specified points, there are elements of dancing looking similar to the previous pirouettes. In other of his pieces, Cunningham’s dancers develop extensive lateral movements that cover major areas for stage space as they both walk and run. Cunningham also

An analysis of Edgar Allan Poes Annabel Lee Research Paper

An analysis of Edgar Allan Poes Annabel Lee - Research Paper Example This all-encompassing love filled Annabel Lee’s mind when she was still alive as stated in the line, â€Å"And this maiden she lived with no other thought/ Than to love and be loved by me† (Poe, â€Å"Annabel Lee,† lines 5-6). The line clearly states that there was nothing else that Annabel Lee thought of other than this love the author had for her. Although this may simply be a mere exaggeration on the part of the poet, still the line emphasizes the greatness of such a love and the idea that this love probably inspired most of Annabel Lee’s daily life prior to her death. Furthermore, this love shared by Annabel Lee and the poet when the former was still alive was one shared mutually. All that Annabel Lee thought of was â€Å"to love and be loved† by the poet (6), which means that she did want to show him her love but at the same time, she expected him to do the same to her. In short, this love was not one of a sacrifice where only one would love th e other. Moreover, Poe affirms this mutual love when he says, â€Å"But we loved with a love that was more than love† (9). The first mention of the word â€Å"love† was the great love the author believed he and Annabel Lee shared while the second mention of the word â€Å"love† was somehow the kind of mediocre love he believed was shared by other people. Although, in the second stanza, there was a hint of childishness in the love that the poet shared with Annabel Lee for â€Å"I was a child and she was a child† (7), Poe assures the reader that this is nothing childish. He specifically counters this argument regarding childish love in the fifth stanza as he says, â€Å"But our love was stronger by far than the love/ Of those who were older than we-/ of many far wiser than we-† (27-28). From this line, the reader is made to believe that both the poet and Annabel Lee could love better and so much more than even the old and the wise. Furthermore, it wa s to be proven later on in the poem that indeed this love is something extraordinary and greater than death. This great, all-encompassing love is indeed put to the test when â€Å"A wind blew out of a cloud,/ [and chilled] my beautiful Annabel Lee† (15-16). The death is the test of their love, but far from this idea of a test, the poet believes that this is more of a result of envy on the part of fate, represented by the angels: â€Å"The angels, not half so happy in heaven,/ Went envying her and me-† (21-22). The envy must have been caused by the great pride both the poet and Annabel Lee shared when it came to their love when the latter was still alive. Nevertheless, although the reader may not be able to distinguish whether the poet’s love for the dead Annabel Lee is one brought about by pride or true love, it remains clear that his love for someone dead is just all the same as the one when she was still alive. Although there is no more clue as to whether this love is still mutually shared by the poet and the dead Annabel Lee, this love remains to be strong. Poe proves this by stating his convictions in the line, â€Å"And neither the angels in heaven above,/ Nor the demons down under the sea,/ Can ever dissever my soul from the soul/ Of the beautiful Annabel Lee† (30-33). The mention of the word â€Å"soul† may suggest suicide on the part of the poet but it may

Discussion Board Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board - Case Study Example As a reader, the immediate question that comes to mind seeking clarification from Driscoll is why he characterizes as feminine all the things he identifies as evil, dirty or weak. The book makes apparently misguided and poorly translated references to the biblical book of first Timothy about the role of senior pastors not belonging to women. The actual writings simply state that women can only ask questions after the church service is over but does not explicitly bar them from taking on leadership roles. Agreeably, the teachings of the bible should guide the activities of the church and more so, the leadership style. But, on the other hand, Driscoll must understand that times are changing and including women in leadership positions is inevitable. From the context of his book, he needs to clarify to the reader that he is actually not objectifying women. He clearly acknowledges that the head of the Church is Jesus and elders are made up of human leaders who follow in his footsteps and get others to do the same (Driscoll, 2008). Then, with such understanding that leaders are humans, why exclude women? Why would he go further to claim that he was specifically called by God to train men and not women? It is ironical for Driscoll to say that it is a sin for any Christian not to actively love their Christian brothers and sisters as faithful church members, yet segregate them on gender basis. Why would he say that human leadership in the church is about qualified Christians that follow Jesus and encourage others to do the same but still believe that women do not have the qualification? When he likens leaders to good sheep that follow their shepherd Jesus Christ, what rationale informs him that women are incapable of following the teachings of Jesus? When he talks of Paul teaching Christians to be imitators of him as he was of Christ, does he not realize that Paul was addressing

AVAYA Case Study (Marketing) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AVAYA Case Study (Marketing) - Essay Example The firm faces competition from large global multinational firms and local regional service providers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and formulate tactics and strategies to improve the marketing function at Ayala Corporation. Ayala has sever heal fundamental problems that are impeding the firm from achieving greater levels of growth. The company has several marketing and sales offices responsible for different strategic purposes. The decisional power is divided among too many places, a scenario that slows down the implementation process. Another problem is that the company separates marketing and sales considering them separate departments. This operating structure is inefficient because it creates inconsistencies in the approaches utilized to generate revenue. Sales generation is a task that should be handled by the marketing department and it should never have a separate leadership team responsible for its functionality. Ayala has to streamline its operation to integrate sales with the marketing department. The operation strategy of separating marketing and sales is risky because it can lead to internal disinformation, contrast philosophical approaches, and inconsistencies, and complications integratin g different sets of information packets. A new system that gives greater power over sales must be designed in a manner that the sales people are given the freedom to operate with autonomy to minimize the risk of conflict. A troublesome issue at Ayala is that the company utilizes a lot of indirect channels to generate sales. Indirect channels account for 53% of the company’s sales generation. The use of external channels undermines the ability of Ayala to implement its marketing campaigns effectively and to provide a level of customer service aligned with the company’s expectations. The strategy does have the advantage of lowering labor overhead, but it does not allow the firm to develop the abilities of its own

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Sufficient research studies have been undertaken linking Human Resource Management to the overall growth of a firm or organization which is essentially its financial performance. It has been observed that there is a strong positive relationship between the two. In order to be successful, organizations need to invest in and build organizational capability which can be provided by focused HRM practices by HR professionals who create value by increasing organizational competitiveness. This value is created across board, in every division, every team and every individual. The responsibilities of an HR Department are focused on the Human Capital which has begun to enjoy prestige as the most dynamic factor of production. The tasks are multifaceted and includes some of these, listed in order of priority hereunder: People Extends from the day a need is established for taking on people, screening and recruitment, salary negotiation, placement and job profiling, orientation, training and development, periodic reviews and appraisals, handholding, welfare initiatives, exit, replacement. Regulations Knowledge and intervention regarding all laws, regulations, facilities whether state run or internal, that directly or indirectly impact the employees. Various job profiles and content definitions of the Human Resource function have been created and recreated time and again. To have a better view, let us first analyse the challenges that face any organization today.

EXAM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EXAM - Essay Example Since consumers are influential growth-producing investments, it becomes more imperative to change them to true patriotic fans (McKenna, 1991). This emphasizes the significance of marketing to gratify consumers and even please them and not just acquiring them. Arguably, research indicates that customer satisfaction leads to customer retention, increased future incomes and future promotion attributable to affirmative word-of-mouth (Vandermerwe, 2004). For this reason, organizations can create and retain customers through customer satisfaction. The organization can attain customer satisfaction be through a great customer emotional experience (Vandermerwe, 2004). A powerful product branding makes a product stand out. It is the product brand that assists the product to weigh down the other products in the market (Mullins & Walker, 2009). Saxonville Sausages is a prime example of how effective branding and market entry strategies allowed it to position its products in the market (Moore, 2007). They had targeted family and homemakers who relished home cooked food. The advertisements showed women using Saxonville sausages to make different dishes and enjoying it with family (Moore, 2007). Thus it was able to create a niche market position. Through right positioning, it was able to revive its declining profits (Mullins & Walker, 2009). Mountain Man brewery case, on the other hand emphasizes the need for new product to meet the challenges of time (Abelli, 2007). Mountain Man is an established brand of lager with regional specialty that primarily caters to the niche market of coal miners. Its brand equity is associated with long history of coal mining and has a loyal customer base which now is elderly populace (Abelli, 2007). The new light beer would meet the tastes of young generation but fears that it could threaten its brand equity (Abelli, 2007). But this is a risk which the firm must take to maintain its competitive advantage in the

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Freedom of Speech Essay Originally rap music has been around since 1926 and was not as popular back then as it is now. Teenagers to adults listen to an average of two point five (2.5) maybe three (3) hours of music per day. Study shown in 1 of 3 of the songs played contains explicit language and reference to drugs alcohol or women. Ice Cube’s album entitled ‘Death Certificate’ sends messages that bluntly and descriptively threatens violence against homosexuals, women, whites who exploit blacks, whites who covet black women, Korean shopkeepers and police officers. Jon Pareles who wrote the article, ‘Should Ice Cube Voice be Chilled? ’argues from several different point of views on why Cube’s album should not be sold. The article also argues that his voice should be chilled because of violent lyrics and threats towards which it addresses. Jon Pareles made his argument by simply using different responses and groups to show why the album should not be sold and should be edited. For example, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is Jewish human rights group who demanded four major record stores chains to cease in selling the album. The called it ‘cultural Molotov cocktail’. After listening to it, the Center realizes how quickly this album is going to explode in the minds and ears of young and old listeners. Another example was ‘Black Korea’ which according to Ice Cube meant Korean shopkeepers who follow the customer throughout the store to ensure they do not steal. This section of the album did not just scratched below the surface but stirred a nationwide boycott. The Korean- American Coalition did not take this lightly, they condemned and deleted it. In an editorial review, a response by James Bernard favored censoring the lyrics because some people are too thin-skinned. Also, Mr. Bernard knew that these types of issue people are force to face on a day to day basis. Why did Ice Cube use such blunt and threatening lyrics? Ice Cube was born and raised in an area polluted with crime, violence and where trust was hidden underground. His inappropriate reactions and vengeance was all towards how he and his people were treated (bullied). Pareles describes this reaction of one that is simplistic and ugly because, this would not eradicate the problem but cause an escalation. The clear message of this album caught enough attention by the media and organizations to determine whether or not ‘Death Certificate’ should be heard at all. The question remains unanswered to curious critics, why are people buying ‘Death Certificate’. Some just savor the action like movie imagery that Ice Cube presents. His gift of violence attracts his listeners to buy the album. Ice Cube lyrics did have some effects on young listeners during the recession; gang involvement disillusioned. However, the majority of the listeners will just play loud music. Jon Pareles produced strong points from many different organizations, groups and individual views on why the album should be terminated. The writer never once critized Ice Cube but spectated his album as a whole. On the other hand, Pareles also agree that although Ice Cube does not have the most positive thinking, he has a right to be heard, but he is going to have to answer and be challenged for his thinking and decisions.

Coronary Heart Disease Essay Example for Free

Coronary Heart Disease Essay Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. There are many types of heart diseases that fall into this title. Two of the most popular forms of cardiovascular diseases are heart attack and stroke. The increasing amount of exposure of known risk factors for these diseases to young adults is why I feel it is necessary to promote what it takes to lead a heart healthy lifestyle in order to avoid becoming another statistic. I feel as though I did not choose this topic as much as it chose me, as 2 years ago my Father was hospitalized and underwent a Quadruple Heart By-pass surgery in order to remove the blood clots in his 4 main arteries. Knowing that this disease is partly hereditary I feel as though it is important to educate myself and others with early intervention steps that could keep you from being affected by any heart diseases. In my research I plan to introduce how heart diseases are caused and also the best prevention techniques to ensure that the number of people affected by Coronary Heart Diseases, specifically Heart Attacks, is falling each year instead of climbing. In my research I came across an article provided by the ProQuest Research Library entitled â€Å"Coronary Heart Disease: Primary and Secondary Prevention†. This article is a published study done by The College of Pharmacy and Drug Topics of the University of Florida and discusses the many â€Å"do’s† and â€Å"don’ts† in order to lead a heart healthy life. The focus of this article is to prevent your body to become a future hot spot for a heart disease. The article counters these risk factors with ways to prevent the â€Å"modifiable factors† from occurring. The article states that risk factors are classified as modifiable or non-modifiable. â€Å"Non-modifiable risk factors include age, family history, and gender. Modifiable risk factors include smoking, diet, obesity, physical inactivity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome† (Brenner, Michael, and Allison Butcher). Most of these factors are obvious but some may be less known. Hypertension is the occurrence of high-blood pressure in your body, while dyslipidemia is the occurrence of high cholesterol. Diabetes mellitus can increase the risk of developing a heart disease by 2 to 4 times as likely. A second article I found through ProQuest was the scholarly journal provided by The New England Journal of Medicine titles â€Å"Cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease†. This article provides a more detailed look into some prevention techniques used in order to stay healthy in both the physical sense, but in the long term heart health. An idea that this article brought the table was the â€Å"Prescription of Exercise†. â€Å"Preliminary data suggest that a regimen of low-intensity, prolonged, daily exercise, called â€Å"high-caloric training† because it maximizes the expenditure of calories, results in greater fat loss and greater modification of risk factors than does a regimen of more intense but briefer exercise sessions.† (Ades, Philip A) As mentioned in the statement, maximizing the length of time that you are exercising maximizes the fat/calories being burned in your work-out. This in the long run brings my researc h back to the facts stated in my first source, which states that improving the modifiable factors like obesity and physical inactivity can greatly reduce your risk if developing a heart disease. A third article that I found through the ProQuest Research Library was a scholarly journal published by the British Medical Journal entitled â€Å"Triggering a heart attack†. This article allowed me to shine a different light on my research as it discusses momentary impacts on your heart. This article was done in response to numerous news headlines that involved fatalities due to unexpected heart attacks and strokes during a physically and/or emotionally strenuous activity. This study focused on activities like jogging, shoveling snow, and swimming that have been commonly lead to cardiac death due to vigorous physical effort. This idea relates very similarly to that of the â€Å"Prescription of Exercise† idea stated in my other source. The relation between the two stems from the idea of the less beneficial short and strenuous activities and exercise in correlation to the recommended longer low-intensity activities and exercise. This article is proving that not only are the more strenuous and shorter periods of activity less beneficial, but they can also become fatal when asking the body to do too much. Coronary Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in The United States which is why I believe that it is crucial to educate others about the many risks that factor into such a group of fatal diseases in the heart. Thru ought my research I learned that it is often the less suspecting individual that can become a victim of a Coronary Heart Disease simply because he/she did not know what steps to take to lead a heart healthy lifestyle. In order to stop the constantly rising number of fatalities caused by heart disease, we must first become educated on how to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Works Cited Ades, Philip A. Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. The New England journal of medicine 345.12 (2001): 892-902. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. Brenner, Michael, and Allison Butcher. Coronary Heart Disease: Primary and Secondary Prevention. Drug Topics 153.12 (2009): 50-9. ABI/INFORM Complete; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. Know Your Facts. York Weekly Record: 14. Jun 13 2006. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 23 Oct. 2012 Petch, M. C. Triggering a Heart Attack. British medical journal 312.7029 (1996): 459-. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. Study: Treatment Reduces Risk of Heart Attack by 70 Percent. FDA consumer 2002: 7-. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 23 Oct. 2012 .

Shock Advertising: Effects On Students

Shock Advertising: Effects On Students Consumers can be exposed to over 3000 advertisements per day (Lasn,1999). So marketers constantly look for a way to be recognised ahead of their competitors and break through the clutter (dahl et al 2003) One of the ways in which marketers do this is through shock advertising. A technique that has caused some controversy in recent years. Dahl 2003 states Shock messages are used in a bid to draw attention to an advertisement with the expectation that further processing will take place. It has been heavily adapted by charities and the government who promote anti-drink driving, and anti-drug campaigns. It is used it order to shock and scare the public creating surprise. It is this surprise that enables the individual to want to process the given information more clearly, in order to make a decision, resulting in action. (Dahl 2003) The aim of shock advertising is to influence peoples attitudes and behaviour. However this might always be the case when exposed to shock advertising. Some people have lower expectations of social norms, and may process shock advertising in a more negative way than people with higher expectations of social norms. This is known as the process of norm violation Dahl, 2003, p268) The main goals of this dissertation are to evaluate these norms and how they are processed by students in relation to attitudes and behaviour through being exposed to shock advertising. Previous research has shown that advert using shock are more effective at creating attention than other tatics (fear, information). It is this that has driven me to conduct this dissertation to conclude if that given attention actually results in a change in attitude or behavioural. This is something that has always been critiqued. Literature review A crucial element of all research degrees is the review of relevant literature. So important is this chapter that its omission represents a void or absence of all major elements in research (Afolabi 1992, 59-66) The use of Shock advertising has been used in order to create a change in a consumers attitude or behaviour. The purpose of this literature review is to process and evaluate previous academic journals, literature and media to elaborate upon and facilitate that statement. The literature review consists of models evaluating how attitudes can be formed, using the Hierarchy of effects AIDA model to define the attitude forming process, then using this process to determine how these attitudes are then changed. Attitudes An attitude is a lasting, general evaluation of people (including one self) objects, advertisements or issues. We call anything toward which one has an attitude an attitude object (Solomon et al 2006, p234) Ones attitude can affect their perception of different brands, products or advertisements. Bohner 2002 p5 states Attitudes may emphasise affective, behavioural and cognitive responses. This is something that advertisers may take into account as they can manipulate peoples emotions and reactions through the use of fear in advertising. Solomon 2006 p288 Fear appeals emphasize the negative consequences that can occur unless the consumer changes a behaviour or an attitude this thought process can give advertisers a way in which to target different demographics with chosen shock tactics. Tactics which must be relevant to the product. This can be seen to be used in many different ways as advertisers will use this process to aim at getting a consumer to make a purchase or identify a brand which creates an emotion whereas the government will use techniques of warning the public about the harms of smoking etc. Bohner 2002 p123 describes their message, learning approach to persuasion. Bohner continues to describe this approach as an approach that does not represent a unitary theory; rather it can be understood as an eclectic set of working assumptions, influenced by learning theory and other contemporary theoretical perspectives. The components of this theory evaluated the learning and recall of message content mediating attitude change. This persuasion process is one heavily taken upon the use of shock in advertising. Attitudes are an important factor and advertisers must first be able to evaluate and identify an attitude components before attempting to influence one (Kotler 1996 p721) Attitudes and components models. Most researchers agree that an attitude has three components; affect, behaviour and cognition (Solomon 2008, p237). Also referred to as the ABC model of attitudes; Affect refers to the way a consumer feels about an attitude object. Behaviour which involves the persons intentions to o something with regard to an attitude object which may not result in actual behaviour and Cognition; Refers to the beliefs a consumers has about an attitude object. All three components of an attitude are important, but their relative importance will vary depending on a consumers level of motivation with regard to the attitude object (Solomon). Neal states these objects to which consumers react, are evaluated in context of a specific situation, a consumers reaction to an object may change as the situation changed. A key component in this process as we can see clearly is Attitude change. Without a consistency in attitude towards an object a marketer can find it difficult to clearly target a certain demographic so the using attitudes to predict behaviour must be exercised a clear message is being presented to the consumer. Marketers do this through the use of Multiattribute models which i will discuss further in this chapter. These three components must be taken into account in regards to advertising. Solomon 2006 p240 Our evaluation of a product can be determined solely by our appraisal of how its depicted in marketing communications. Fish bein model Gordon Allport Attitudes are learned predispositions to respond to an object The fishbein model can be considered as very important when considering attitude. Fish beins model measures three components of attitude (Solomon 2008,p250); Salient beliefs people have about an object Object-attribute linkages or the possibility that a particular object has an important attribute. Evaluation of each of the important attributes., The consumer will rate each attribute for all brands involved, evaluating the importance of the rating for that attribute (Schiffman 2008) Marketing can take advantages from this model as when firms launch or re-launch products ., adverts can be used as a platform to depict new attributes or re-invented attributes held by a product to appeal to consumers as their attitudes are evaluated on such attributes (Solomon, 2008) Hierarchy of effects. The hierarchy of effects models has become the foundation for objective setting and measurement of advertising effects in many companies. (Belch and Belch p148). Solomons critique of this model is seen as she states a persons attitude doesnt predict their behaviour (Solomon, 2008 p300). The model shows the process by which advertising works; It assumes a consumer passes through steps in a sequential order from initial awareness of a product to actual purchase. Components of the hierarchy of effects framework show how consumers respond to advertising in a set and preconcepted manner. Cognitively first (thinking) affectively secondly (feeling) and cognitively thirdly (doing) (Solomon 2008) as seen in the AIDA model (figurehttp://139.132.1.7/ausweb02/Figure_1.gif 1) The most well known model is AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) MORE INFO QUOTES. In this model it is theorized that advertisers must attract attention (cognition) maintain interest and create desire (affect) which will all result in an action (conation) . (Fill 2005). Understanding the hierarchy of effects in relation to product and audience will give advertisers information on which level of shock to incorporate in their campaign. Through studying literature, The hierarchy of effects can e seen to be important to advertisers as it is consistently used by theorists as an effective and appropriate way of identifying concepts which need to be addressed. However an issue with this model can be seen in the difficulty of deciding where a stage ends and where another begins. Peterson et al (1986) 1.5 Fear appeals and their effectiveness. Fear appeals emphasize the negative consequences that can occur unless the consumer changes a behaviour or an attitude (Solomon p288) Does it work? Fear can cause tension within people which in return causes people to reduce this tension. Since the way people respond to fear is learned, marketers often rely on such appeals to stimulate interest in products or services. In its simplest form, the process consists of three steps. The first involves the creation of a fearful situation designed to activate a persons sense of risk and vulnerability. Marketers have been quite inventive in using the fear appeal. Examples include anti smoking EXAMPLES OF ADVERTS, MORE EXAMPLES ETC. in this regard Fear is a primitive instinct which can occasionally guide and activate human behavior. It creates anxiety and tension, causing people to seek ways to reduce these feelings. Since the way people respond to fear is learned, marketers often rely on such appeals to stimulate interest in products or services. In its simplest form, the process consists of three steps. The first involves the creation of a fearful situation designed to activate a persons sense of risk and vulnerability. Marketers have been quite inventive in using the fear appeal in this regard. Examples include attempts at inducing people to buy insurance policies of different types, travelers checks, and birth control products, as illustrated in Table 1. In politics, the fear motive has been widely used to persuade the undecided by depicting abuse by other parties or candidates and the danger associated with their views or policies. It has also been used to marshal public support for efforts to curtail communism. More recently in the United States, Canada, and Europe, the fear appeal has been stressed as a focal point in educating the public concerning preventive measures to combat the AIDS epidemic. Despite differences in the objectives behind each message, these appeals highlight a fearful situation that is likely to affect the recipients physical or social self. In the second phase of employing the fear appeal, the danger is depicted to be serious enough to warrant attention. Politicians, for example, warn repeatedly against the rise of neo-Nazi groups, comparing their ideology to that of the fascists who committed crimes against humanity during the Second World War. In a like fashion, marketers appeal to their potential targets by suggesting their vulnerability to the risk emphasized in the message. Such is often the case with life insurance ads that stress the traumatic consequences of the breadwinners death. Of course, ones response depends on his or her subjective assessments of the risk and its consequences. In the third phase, a solution is provided as a means of fear reduction. The appeal is often coupled with assurances of security from fear in order to entice potential customers to pursue the suggested action. For example, buying a life insurance policy may be depicted as providing a relief of worry about financially destitute survivors. Two questions deserve attention before the practical ramifications of using fear appeals are appraised. First, how do models of the fear appeal process work? Second, are fear appeals effective? In the following sections we shall address these Belief that fear appeals create anxiety and tension, thus stimulating certain defensive mechanisms. Interest is reaching customers and increasing their demand for the product may justify using fear appeals. 1.6 Cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is predicated upon that each individual strives towards consistency amongst his opinions, attitudes and values (Makin, 1974 p143) Additionally, we all strive towards a consistency amongst our psychological attributes and behaviour that stems from them (Solomon REF). This need for consistency can create conflict when choosing between two alternatives. However Solomon states this conflict may be resolved through a process of cognitive dissonance reduction, where people are motivated to reduce this inconsistency (or dissonance) and thus eliminate unpleasant tension. Festinger (1957) suggests that peoples motivation to reduce the unpleasant side effects of inconsistency often produces attitude change. Festinger l 1957 a theory of cog diss Stanford university press; Stanford. This dissonance in question can be created through shock advertising in surprise or fear appeals which in turn can create cognitive activity. Makin p504 states Cognitive activity relates to a knowledge and awareness dimension of consumer behaviour again resulting in dissonance if the opinions or vales clash. 1.7 Persuasion The ultimate goal of persuasive communication is to change a receivers behaviour (Bettinghaus and Cody p7 YEAR) Changing these behaviours is a very difficult task as some have become habits, such as smoking which the government has tried to change perception of through shock advertising which i will discuss in this section. Marketers employ many different techniques in the use of persuasion in adverts including different mechanisms of delivering content, messages, the source/media its delivered by and the way it is perceived by the recipient. One approach to utilise these elements has been developed by petty and caioppo (1983) in the ELM MODEL, The elm model explains how cognitive processing persuasion and attitude can occur when different levels of involvement are present. Elaboration Likelihood model; The elm addresses the attitudes of individuals. Attitudes are considered to be enduring evaluations of objects, issues or persons that often guide behaviour ( Petty et al 1991) Marketers have looked to theories for decades to predict how to effect attitude change. The most influential of these theories is the Elaboration Likelihood model, which is bases on assumptions that people will consider, or process persuasive communications. Marketing practitioners have treated the theory of positive attitudes leading to positive behaviour as a marker of how to advertise. A persuasive communication is one that aims to change individuals attitudes towards an object in the view to forming useful attitudes Attitudes are useful when they improve an individuals ability to function in his or her environment (Petty et al 91). The ELM considers two routes in which individuals process persuasive communication. The 1st in central processing route. This route requires a high level of motivation from the individual. For the central route to be processed in an individual, the actual ability to process core elements of the persuasive message is needed. An individual that uses this central route will consider the information in the message to a higher and clearer degree whilst attempting to form a useful attitude (Petty and Cappioppo 1986). The 2nd route is the peripheral route. Which was described by Petty as a route in which individuals using cues imbedded in the message as input for simple heuristic decision rules. Counter to the central route, individuals involved in the peripheral route will not consider the core message as deeply. They will also form an attitude bases on the contextual elements based within the message. Attitudes that are formed within this route tend to be less resistant and less predictive of behaviour than their centrally processed counterparts ( Hangtvedt and petty, 1992, petty et al 1991). As the central route is associated worth being more positive it can be seen to be in a marketers interests to use the ELM model in order to firstly identify the factors that in turn can determine the route of an individual when forming attitudes in relation to message. This is done so a marketer can then predict what message to incorporate into their campaign, creating interest and action. There are two factors that can influence an individuals processing route; Motivation; Individuals ability to process core messages of persuasive communication deeply. In this section i will focus on the motivational charges towards peoples communication routes http://kaiwright.typepad.com/.a/6a0115705777c6970b01156ff4724a970c-800wi Motivation has two main drivers; Personnel relevance PR of the attitude object to the individual; An individual will be more motivated to use central route if attitude object is important and thereby will have personnel relevance. (Cacioppo et al., 1984) For example here, a person may be highly encouraged to stop smoking when an anti-smoking campaign shows a family without a mother, father, sister, brother due to illness caused solely by smoking. This is because adverts which display facts and rational arguments can be more highly processed by a consumer rather than an advert exposing emotional appeals. Rational Vrs Emotional appeals (see section 4) Intrinsic; Individuals inherent tendency to process the core message and persons enjoyment of cognitive processing is known as individuals need for cognition (nc) Cacioppo et al 1984) These two factors can determine whether an individual will rely on central o periphal routes. Personal relevance determines whether the consumer perceives the object to be instrumental in realizing goals and fulfilling values (Petty et al., 1981) The elm addresses the attitudes of individuals. Attitudes are considered to be enduring evaluations of objects, issues or persons that often guide behaviour ( Petty et al 1991) Marketers have looked to theories for decades to predict how to effect attitude change. The most influential of these theories is the Elaboration Likelihood model, which is bases on assumptions that people will consider, or process persuasive coomunications. Source Credibility; Solomon refers to the perceived expertise, objectivity, or trustworthiness of a souce. Acoording to Solomon, source credibility Rational Verus emotional Shock Advertising Venkat and abi-hanna (1955;22) shock advertising is generally regarded as one that deliberately rather than inadvertently, startles and offends its audience. Consumers can be exposed to over 3000 advertisements per day (Lasn,1999). So how do marketers get their advertisements noticed within this advertising clutter? The answer for many is shock. Dahl points out that many opinions vary over whether shock advertising is useful, a legitimate creative technique (Shannon 1995) or a gratuitous attention-grabbing gimmick (Horovitz 1992). The main theory behind shock advertising is that these shock messages will be used in a bid to draw attention to an advertisement with the expectation that further processing will take place. (Solomon 2003:268) Venkat and abi-hanna (1955;22) shock advertising is generally regarded as one that deliberately rather than inadvertently, startles and offends its audience. It is these tactics which are used to gain attention from the public, encouraging cognitive processing, resulting in a change of behaviour. This is particularly used in public service announcements which sees the government offer a stern and rational approach to shock adveritisng aiming towards this mentioned change of behaviour e.g. drinking and driving EXAMPLES HERE. These campaigns have also been the subject of public scrutiny (Eisner, 2001) A recent adverts for.. Was critizied for its shocking nature. However a spokesman for defended the advert, arguing that without the shock tatics used within the advertisements people would lapse into acceptence of abuse. The level of shock derives from the range of acceptable behaviours defined by norms, which is then used to evaluate objects, persons, actions, and ideas (Sherif Sherif, 1969) Advertising can be evaluated by norms. It can then be considered shocking or offensive when its content breaches these norms: decency, good taste, aesthetic propriety, and/or personal moral standards (Day 1991). EXAMPLES; BENNETON? As Vagnoni, 1999 states Advertisers typically justify shock appeals in advertising for their ability to appeal in advertising for their ability to (break) through the clutter Solomon 2002 p269 After attention, according to information processing models, shocking stimuli should facilitate message comprehension and elaboration, enhancing message retention, and influence behaviour. This figure shows the reader how after exposure to an advertisement the individual will process the information involving a cognitive appraisal that determines whether the advert violates a social and/or personal norm. Surprise is caused when this information contradicts an individuals established expectations (Stienmeier, 1995). Dahl states that surprise encourages further cognitive activity as individuals seek to understand the source of their surprise. Pyszczynski and Greenberg 1981, p37 Individuals engage in higher levels of attributional thought for unexpected surprise compared to expected events. It is then assumed that shocking advertising is more effective when promoting appropriate behaviour than more functional advertisements which have less success at moving people through the stages of information processing. (Solomon 2003) In order to test for effects on advertising attention, recall and recognition, Dahl conducted two experiments on students. The first deployed three different advertising appeals. Fear/Shock/information On a HIV/AIDS campaign. This campaign was chosen as health organisations have a history of using shock value messages to combat ambivalence towards this particular disease (Schlossberg, 1991). The experiment was aimed at students as they were a realistic target market for HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives. One-hundred and five students participated. Subjects ages ranged from 18-27 and they were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental condition and run individually. The study focussed on recall, recognition, and the processing of three experimental advertisements. As expected from our previous research a higher percentage of participants using the shock advertisement chose the experimental advertisement. From data collected, the researcher was able to state that participants said the shock advertisement outdated social norms vacillating Dahls claims that shock advertising content is superior to non-shocking content in its ability to attract attention and facilitate memory for the advertisement. The 2nd experiment was aimed towards finding out how these shocking advertisements after attracting attention would impact on subsequent behaviour. The researcher directed subjects towards a table in the reception area on which were different items. These items were related to the 1st experiment and was various leaflets and objects relating to HIV/AIDS, MENTAL HEALTH, DRUGS. The participants were then told they could take some of the leaflets home and keep. The researcher then left the room in order to let the participants be alone. Then came back and counted what had been taken. Results showed Dahl Dichter (1996) talks about how shock advertising also benefits from word of mouth communication, as the adverts provoke advertisement related conversation. 4.0 Methodology; Introduction The analysis of shock advertising and its effects on attitudes, including the literature review, has given clear and precise factors which can affect individuals behaviour when exposed to shock advertising. The key factors including; shall now be the main elements in the empirical research. The methodology refers to the theory of how the research should be undertaken (Saunders et al 2007, p3) This methodology evaluates the various stages of how the researcher gathered their data .The research methods that were used in this dissertation have been primary (focus groups) secondary (Literature review) and analysis. 4.1 Aim To prove whether shock advertising can change the attitudes of consumers towards brands or actions. 4.1.2 Objectives To gain a clearer understanding of what shock advertising is. To investigate how people form attitudes. To explore how people use these attitudes in relation to brands and adverts. To evaluate if shock advertising can alter these attitudes and behaviours. 4.1.3 Research onion Saunders et al (2003) explained how to use the research onion to adapt to the different research methods that were available. Saunders explains that before coming to a central point of research we must first peel away important layers of the onion. Once you have peeled away these layers you will be able to determine which research methods are most suitable for your study. http://www.ivoryresearch.com/images/figure61.jpg 4.2 Research Philosophy; According to Saunders et al 2006 p84 the research philosophy depends on the way that you think about the development of knowledge. There are two philosophical views that can show the researcher how knowledge can be developed; Positivism and interpretivism as Jankowicz (20005, p106 an interrogation of this kind is very valuable, since it prompts you to think harder about where you are heading and how you intend to get there. It actually involves an examination of three fundamentals; your ontology, your epistemology, and your under lying vales. By evaluating and understanding your research philosophy you can then choose informed and relative methodologies to use in your research ensuring results that will be valid and authentic. Epistemology Or Onology; Epistemology approach has been conducted as it concerns what constitutes as acceptable knowledge in a field of study (Saunders, 2007 p108) The focus of epistemology is knowledge as Gray 2004:16 states It provides a philosophical background for deciding what kinds of knowledge are legitimate and adequate. This can be compared to Ontology which is involved in the nature of reality (Saunders et al 2007 p108). ANOTHER QOUTE ON ONOLOGY As the research needs to gather evidence to evaluate throughout the investigation an epistemological philosophy have been adapted. The researcher also must record and examine data relating to the participants attitudes which will be allowed to gather in a more efficient form whilst using an epistemological philosophy. This philosophy is opposed to an ontology approach which can be seen to come secondary as it is more of an understanding of why things happen. Ontology, epistemology and methodology According to Remenyl et al (1998) Ontology, epistemology and methodology Remenyi d Williams b 98, doing research in business and managemtn an introduction to process and method. London sage. Can be defined as below; Ontolgy; the reality. 1.Objectivism; bryman and bell 2.Constructionism; Epistemology; the relationship between the reality and the researcher Positivsm; Remenyi The paradigm sees the researcher as an objective analyst and interptreter of a tangible society. Povitism is the assumption that the researcher is indepdent of and neither affects nor is affected by the subject of research. This leads to the fact that independant causes lead to observed effects. Remenyi 1998;33) Positivism emphasises quantifiable observations that lend themselves to statistical analysis. The positivist researcher gains quantitative results in which they generalise and draw conclusions A key tenet of the positivist is the reductionist approach that is taken. In order to gain an understanding in to how the variables concerned are behaving, simplifacations of the real world which may exist to the variable are stripped down, often leading to biasing factors being left out. This means the research has to be replicated a number of times in order to be accurately generalisable. Phenomenology In contrast to the posivist approach is the phenomenology approach to research. According to cohen and manion (1987) phenomenology is a theoretical point of view that advocates the study of direct experience rather than by external, objective and physically described reality. The researcher is not independent of what is being researched but a fundamental part of it, remenyi 98) Primary research; By relating back to my objectives via the research matrix, i was able to conclude that the use of focus groups would be the best way in which to gather the needed information. This primary research will be used throughout the dissertation validating and presenting the vital information I need in order to reach a fully informed and detailed conclusion. Focus Groups; According to Saunders et al (2003 p270) a focus group is a Group interview, composed of a small number of participants, facilitated by a moderator, in which discussion is focused on aspects of a given theme or topic. The focus group was time consuming and was difficult to annotate properly, however, the findings and data conceived and recorded within the focus group were vital towards the process of finding a conclusion. Hussey and hussy (1997,p155) states Focus groups are primarily associated with phenomenological methodology and are used to gather data relating to the feelings and opinions of a group of people who are involved in a common situation This statement led me to use focus groups as the primary objective was to find out individuals feelings and opinions towards shock advertising. To fully research how shock advertising can alter an individuals attitude i used two separate focus groups. The first focus group consisted of 4 males aged between 18 and 24. The second focus group consisted of 4 females aged between 18 and 24. These participants can be found in appendix along with other information including age, and educational status. Questions for the focus group were formulated by using the literature review. This qualative research will allow for increasing precision in the collection of data.(Saunders et al 2003) Focus Group Structure The groups were conducted in a quiet environment, and each participant was briefed clearly on the reasons behind the focus group. The use of focus groups are more efficient than questionnaires as in a focus group the participants can interact with each others statements, coming to conclusions and highlighting specific important outco