Impressions †art Essay

The ballet paintings of Degas featured women in a variety of intimate moments, so to speak. It is at this point that after trying out a variety of techniques, mediums and themes that his work takes on a completely Impressionist image. Paintings done during his early years turn out to have little resemblance in terms of style and composition to the artwork he did later on. Nevertheless, certain features of Degas’ painting methods remained the same regardless of the many modifications and adaptations to this styles and mediums. For one, he always painted indoors. This remains in effect a testament to his derision at the en plein air technique of the Impressionists; he would always prefer to work in his studio instead, relying on memory or live models for his paintings. This was what he did during some of his paintings on dancers, where he would get a female ballet dancer to act as a live model in his studio. His subject too, remained the primary focus, and the landscapes and background were simply reproduced from memory or created from his imagination. In general, one can say that aspects of Degas’ work carry an element of sensuality, perhaps even hyper-sensuality, in them especially during the paintings of the nudes. It is crucial to know that understanding this is important to be able to successfully analyze, comprehend and appreciate his other works. A blatant example of one of Degas’ works that has clear elements of sensuality is Four Dancers. In this painting, Degas arouses a variety of sensual responses based on the primary visual image, to the eroticism exhibited by the female models. Degas did not only reveal his artistic and personal introversion through linear revelation but also through the use of color and light. The dancers stand in muted quite with earth tones while their outfits have small hints of brilliant color with blue or pink sashes. The stiff form of the skirt while a dancer is standing still and straight as can be witnessed in Four Dancers in the forefront dancer’s position is easily transformed into a fluid myriad of colors whenever a dancer takes movement and Degas reveals an asymmetry with color, line, and the imbalance of the two. Theatre Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus is in summary about the ‘feckless’ artistic genius of Mozart pitted against the mediocrity of Antonio Salieri whose jealousy over Mozart’s success in the play lends itself to murder. The play was an in depth exploration of Mozart as a man and not just as a genius composer; the director Kent Thompson brought Mozart’s humanity to the stage as well as accurately portraying the script composed by Shaffer. The elements of fear in failure and ebullience in joy were the true rivals in the play, and the way in which the audience relates to these characters was extraordinary. The magic, as it were, of the play was the way in which both Shaffer’s ideas and Kent’s ideas bred a new life into the classical artist Mozart; he was not only a composer by the end of the play but the audience was so engrossed in his life that he became a person to them, relatable with his life, his marriage, his children and his music. The play by Shaffer introduced to audiences a psychological background that was highlighted in Kent’s portrayal by lighting and theme background. The stages were generally a dark atmosphere which juxtaposed Mozart’s own emotional allegiance to failure, but also the lights were introduced in brilliant colors when Mozart’s psyche was enjoying a brief happiness. Kent made the lighting a major part of Shaffer’s script. Kent did a lot of spotlighting, or mood lighting in which only a few characters on stage were illuminated to show their importance. The corners and niches of darkness were the psychological equivalent to the turmoil that Mozart was going through not only in his composition powers, but also in his relationship with his mother, his wife, his rival, himself. Therefore, it was not just the use of lighting but the introduction of shadow that enabled Kent to deftly portray Mozart’s emotional being. Also, Kent incorporated into the design of the show six luxury pendant lamps above the audience members. This allowed the action and the scenery of the stage to overlap the audience so that the actions on stage would be more realistic since the audience was almost part of the play with the same scenery above their head. When the pendant lamps turned on during a palace scene or a scene calling for luxury the audience members were being incorporated into the play by the extension of the stage design into the seats. This is not the only technique Kent used in allowing the audience to become part of the actions on the stage. The way that Shaffer wrote the script, in plot, Salieri is in a wheelchair, and the action is taking place 32 years after Mozart’s, ‘assassination’. Salieri lets out a very penitent dialogue in which he asks the audience to be his confessors. In this action, both Kent and Shaffer are introducing that the suspension of disbelief does not exist at the proscenium, but at the entrance to the audience since the audience itself is asked to become characters, or confessors in the play. The life of the play, the essence that Shaffer had imagined it to be, was aptly give in Kent’s direction. The actors, the plots, the dialogue all gave Amadeus the possession of a reality given in psychological torpor by Salieri and Mozart. Not only was the costume impeccable in portraying 1781, but the props themselves gave the play an extra touch of reality in their presence on stage. The sound in the background, the classical music notes, the rendition of specific Mozart pieces added to the ambiance of the play and the inclusion of the audience members into the action on stage. The lighting however was one element that was very unique in its rendition and aided in the audience’s understanding about characters, setting, and their own inclusion in the play. The lighting was a major part of the success of the play, not only its highlighting of certain characters but in the use of shadow as well; there was a very chiaroscuro effect that Kent employed, that worked for the extra drama of the Amadeus. Dance Gina Pane was able to transform performance art to be inclusive of pain as a gateway of understanding life, and for the audience to understanding of that pain was exhibited through art. Gina Pane would, during her performances, burn her limbs and slice herself with sharp razors. During multiple performances she would take her own blood and outline her physiognomy on the plane of a mirror, at which she was peering. She would take blood from her sliced open eyelids and trace her face in the glass. By performing in this fashion Gina Pane was able to visually and metaphorically re-engineer the product of artistry in her shedding of her own blood which in turn become a dichotomy of both process and product (Hewitt 1997; 103). Thus, not only was the performance geared toward the audience but the act of bloodshed was art, thereby attributing self-mutilation as a genre in performance art. Often times this sacrifice of the performer’s blood is equated with Christ’s sacrifice for redemption of humankind, thus, the performer is acting out self-mutilation thereby cleansing the audience of their sin (Hewitt 1997; 104). The artist is using this pain and sacrifice for the importance of self expression. Gina Pane utilized this masochism in order to save the audience from the din of inexcusable art and thus she saw herself as a scapegoat that eventually rescued the audience from the cultural retardation of art from the perspective of art being disembodied and mundane because of its equaliency of being inhuman or at least no longer defined through human qualities. Gina Pane’s onstage sacrifices were a tribute to her faith in that art was not only for expression but salvation. She believed in the body, and had faith in that art through masochism was a way in which she could associate herself as an artist through recognition of the human as blood and in this was found a truth she wanted to relay to the audience (Hewitt 1997; 104). Art should not be devoid of human life and experiences and thus Gina Pane placed much importance on her shedding of blood as performance. Pane perceived the body as a vehicle, a tool of expression through pathological masochism. Thus, when Pane includes these self-mutilation acts in her work she is making a succinct statement to the audience not only of sacrifice and redemption but also in an egotistical fashion she is stating that her arms are hers to do with what she pleases. If she wants her arms to be scarred then that is how they will be and this message is delivered to the audience as control. Gina Pane’s performances are about control of the body. Music. Gangsta rap originated from the blues as well as poetry since rap in essence is poetry put to a beat just as most African American music derives itself in some form from the Deep South’s work music, so does gangsta rap originate from the hardship of the rappers’ lives, and they lived, where they lived and how they survived which is all put into the lyrics of the gangsta rap song. In gangsta rap, it is with the Blues that it is attributed to adhering to, and it is with the Blues that the cadence and lyrics gangsta rap can be found with regard to the artist and how they wrote blues as a new age rhythm in rap. In the following essay, cultural, economic, and social factors will be explored as to their impact on gangsta rap and the artist. The lyrics and the artist will be compared and contrasted and the difference between the two, will be the focus of the following pages. Also, in the music production, business will be considered, and the aesthetic aspect of production will be examined, both monetarily, and otherwise. Gangsta rap takes its cue from the Blues. The gangsta rap artist illustrates life in the hood; thus they lyrics do not propagate the problem but merely report about the problem. In this fashion gangsta rap artists are more like journalists instead of musicians as most of their lyrics are fueled from poverty stricken lives, doing drugs or selling drugs just to make money or seeing their family and friends to the same thing. All of these issues are written into the gangsta rap lyrics. As mentioned prior, the Blues was a musical form founded in the Deep South, both rooted in spirituals, and labor (Gospel Music Association). The Blues became more sophisticated as the music, and musicians moved from rural landscape to cityscape. It was within the urban environment that the Blues found its voice (Dean, 1998), as it is true that gangsta rap found its voice in the over urbanization of a culture. One of the central figureheads of gangsta rap is Tupac. His blues mixed with voice, lyrics, and the slow acceptance of depression and love in his song are reminiscent of blues, but his strict adherence to the lyrics and the politics in the lyrics made him the transcendental leader of gangsta rap. Gangsta rap is a genre of hip hop which also is heavily influenced by politics. The focus of gangsta rap and the artist was one concerned with inner-city living or ‘da hood’. Thus, the attention to gangs and gang members as part of the lyrics of gangsta rap become synonymous with this type of policy; chaos. Crime and violence are a large part of the lyrical side of gangsta rap because of its origins in the city. The artist writes what they know and it is with lyricists such as Ice-T, and 2Pac that the illusion of the nuclear family was put to waste and the creation or rather recognition of America’s streets was brought to the forefront of society. Gangsta rap is known as a realistic sound, typically associated with the angst filled lyrics of the rising rock and roll sound emerging at the same time with hip hop. Due to the eclectic influence of gangsta rap, the sound was much misinterpreted, or hard to pinpoint as a genre, and thus the inclusion of the advocacy of drugs was initiated into this musical genre. This however is not the case. Gangsta rap is anything is a narrative, and as a narrative the lyrics reflect what the artist is living or already seeing. The artist then becomes a surrogate for the rest of society in understanding life on the street and the real America. Work Cited Hewitt, Kim. Mutilating the Body: Identity in Blood and Ink. Bowling Green State University Popular Press. 1997.

Independent Evolution vs Cultural Diffusion

Since the beginning of development, many different cultures came into existence. Civilizations began and of course empires grew. Several reasons lead to the evolution of large, powerful empires. Some include cultural diffusion, great leaders, inventions, and more. The main reasons were independent inventions and cultural diffusion. The best explanation for the evolution of the large powerful empires was cultural diffusion. Cultural diffusion is when a culture spreads from one group or empire to another and therefore the empires cultures are diverse and the more the diverse a community is the more stable it is. Independent inventions is when a culture invents new methods of life on their own, such as methods of gathering food, hunting, creating weapons, wood work, and as well as ceremonies. Culture diffusion was seen all through many civilizations. In Document 1, Confucius speaks about the importance of parents and how you piety and your reasoning in life is to first serve your parents. Confucius then says after serving the parents you serve the ruler. Cultural diffusion causes this asset to spread. In Document 2, Seng Du, states the serving the king is the assistance in the ruling of one’s country. Many civilizations followed the same moral. In Documents 6 and 7, the details in which the structures were built are very similar. Cultural diffusion is portrayed in the documents. The Romans began using columns just like the Greek. In Document 8, the trade routes were the main reason in cultural diffusion. Traders began meeting with others and began developing there languages and soon they brought them back to there own civilizations and the cultures spread. The evolution of large powerful empires was caused by independent inventions. In Document 4, In the Bhagavad-Gita the Hindu came up with there own way they saw the universe. The Hindus believed in spirits and the multiform world. The document describes the appearance of the deity. In Document 4, Ashoka practices morality and the once war machine ended. Since he is the ruler he believes in all men to be his children. Ashoka desires that all his children be happy in this world and in the after as he wishes for the men also. Ashoka believes that there should be growth of spirit of morality. Independent inventions are portrayed because there are different eliefs and different morals. In Document 5, Julius Caesar defeats enemies and then celebrates with five triumphs. Independent inventions are shown in the document because Romans came up with their own ceremonies. Julius celebrated five triumphs. The celebrations were after the war ended. Many civilizations had their own ceremonies and methods of life. Cultural diffusion also played an important role. Some additio nal types of documents that would help asses the development of empires are primary documents like journals. Journals from traders or citizens would be the best. Trading was the main reason of expansion and evolution. Traders were the reason new languages and cultures spread. With the spreading there were expansions and the empires evolved. As you can see, cultural diffusion and independent inventions were some reasons for evolution is the great empires. With cultural diffusion and independent invention a gradual change occurred in the empires. Beliefs and traditions spread and ceremonies evolved. Diversity became an important role and the more diverse a community is the more stable it is.

Lying and Justice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lying and Justice - Coursework Example The justice system depends on the truth that has to be subjected to a legal search. In contrast, lying is a grave violation of the justice. Legally, lying is one form of obstruction of justice. Anyone who lies to the authorities upon questioning during the investigation of the criminal activities is liable to obstruction of justice. Liars violate the social justice. The people who give false information to the court or the investigators are liable for perjury. Perjury is a serious crime because the trust and credibility are significant foundations of the justice system (Ho, 2008). In essence, lying is a crime against justice, and the violator compromises grand juries, public officials, the authority of court systems, and governing bodies. The jury can detect the element of lies when the testimony conflicts directly with verifiable information. In cases where the witnesses might unintentionally offer falsehoods in good faith, the prosecutors must prove the intention to mislead the justice system. The inveterate liars violate the virtue of justice. Justice is overwhelming virtue of societies and individuals. Thus, the liars contravene the virtue of

(power relations) in Greco-Roman myth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

(power relations) in Greco-Roman myth - Essay Example This is again reflective of issues we continue to deal with today. By analyzing these issues within the plays of the ancients, such as the power struggle women fought against the exercise of power men had over them, it may be possible to learn something about how we deal with these issues now. One shining example of this exploration into power struggles can be found in Sophocles’ play Antigone. This play tells the story of one of Oedipus’ daughters, Antigone. It opens just after her two brothers have killed each other in a battle to see who would be king of Thebes, one having held the throne for the past year and the other marching on the city to enforce an earlier agreement regarding who will rule Thebes for the following year. While one brother is given a lavish and honorable burial, the other is ordered to be left rotting in the sun under punishment of law. Even though both brothers had reasonable claims, King Creon only acknowledges the letter of the law in the case, foreshadowing the trouble to come. Antigone, however, feels both brothers were wrong and both should be given the god-ordered rites of burial. Completely defying the law as set forth by Creon, and thus rejecting the power he is supposed to have over her, Antigone chooses to act instead in ke eping with her deep-seated and widely accepted religious beliefs that dictate all bodies should be buried. The trouble with trying to determine which character, Creon or Antigone, should have the right of power is made difficult by the very real and present flaws found within Antigone herself. She enters the first scene already raging regarding Creon’s decree and his nerve in believing he has any power over her. She is seen as bold, rash and passionately incapable of tempering her behavior, thus reinforcing the then-prevailing belief that women needed the steady guidance of men to

Hitler vs. Stalin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hitler vs. Stalin - Essay Example Stalin emerged from the Seminary, not as a priest but as a political revolutionary with a new ideology: Russian Marxism (Stalin, 1913). On the other hand Hitler was a miserable student who never completed high school. Yet he was an avid reader, gaining anti-Jewish, anti-democratic convictions through various pamphlets, and becoming a staunch follower of Nietzsche (Hitler, Encarta 1999). Stalin was a revolutionary, Hitler was a soldier. But they were both opportunists. Russia was suffering from a decadent monarchy, a weakening agricultural market and unemployment. The Bolsheviks were on the rise, promising equality and employment to the masses. Stalin became an important part of the Bolshevik movement through dogged organization and administration work. He became Lenin’s secretary-general. Stalin took over the Bolshevik Party by manipulation and propaganda, displacing Trotsky who was considered Lenin’s natural successor (Stalin, Encarta 1999). He further eliminated his competitors in a carefully planned campaign of political terror. One by one his rivals pleaded guilty to treason and were executed. The real strength of Stalin lied in the fear he invoked among the people of Russia. In Germany, another dictator was rising in a similar way; Hitler. In 1919 Hitler joined the National Socialist German Workers (Nazi) party. In the year 1921 he was elected party chairman with dictatorial powers. His campaign involved hundreds of meetings and terrorization of political rivals through hired thugs. His attempt at a coup misfired and he spent 5 years in jail, but after release he rebuilt his party by exploiting a community’s natural mistrust of another. He began blaming Jews and Communists for the Depression and the lagging state of German economy, and the masses supported him enthusiastically. Both Stalin and Hitler vowed to make their countries invincible if they came into power. To a certain extent, they succeeded. Stalin launched a massive

Chose one of the topics from the attachments Essay

Chose one of the topics from the attachments - Essay Example Of course, one needs to be apprised of any eminent negative effects that these social networking sites present to current and potential users. In this regard, the essay hereby aims to persuade the readers that using a social networking Web site has both positive and negative effects on relationships that should be evaluated to increase awareness on the most appropriate course of action regarding its continued use. Solis (2011) has recognized the significant and crucial impact that social media has impacted on today’s generation. As emphasized, â€Å"social media is pervasive and it is transforming how people find and share information and how they connect and collaborate with one another† (Solis, 2011, par. 1). The article written by Horn (2011) revealed that â€Å"social media is one of the most popular and fastest growing mobile activities, reaching nearly one third of all U.S. mobile users† (Horn, 2011, par. 4). The Technolog article, on the other hand, entitled â€Å"Older adults are flocking to social networks† has disclosed that â€Å"social networking use by Internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled in the past year, going from 22 percent in April 2009 to 42 percent in May 2010† (Technolog, 2010, par. 1). These statistics prove that social networking in an increasingly popular trend that has enticed various users from a wide range of age groups. The reasons why social networks have been seen as beneficial to users are as follows: (1) easy access to information on general issues, social relationships and other current events; (2) cheap and convenient as current and updated information are readily available 24/7; (3) â€Å"social media makes you travel the world without even leaving your chair†¦indicating that no matter what kind of business it is, the use of social media is essential in order to gravitate products to the

Analysis of Direct Costs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of Direct Costs - Assignment Example Direct Labor: is the labor or employees who convert materials into the company’s products. The cost of direct labor can be traced directly to the finished products.† (Horngren, Harrison, & Oliver, 2009). All other costs charged under the categories Overhead Costs and General and Administrative Costs are indirect costs. These include indirect labor, repair, maintenance, utilities, rent, insurance, property taxes and depreciations. Direct material cost is the cost of significant materials that are used in the manufacturing of a product or that are used up in providing a service. Direct material costs are specifically identifiable to the contract. FAR regulations also provide provision for trade discounts, refunds, credits for scrap, salvage, and returns to vendor, to be adjusted to the direct material costs. Priced Bill of Sales, has detailed list of all materials needed to produce the required product or service is used for estimating the direct cost. To analyze estimated costs of materials, the factors in review focus are: Are the items quantities and costs of materials correct? Are making or buying decisions are appropriate? Is the material purchased efficiently and competitively? (Murphy, 2009). Direct labor cost is cost of labor specifically identified with a particular contract that a company is doing. Following are three types of direct labor: Labor directly associated with the work being produced, labor readily identified with a particular objective such as a contract, and labor important enough to warrant identifying and measuring so we can keep up with its cost. In general approach to analyze direct labor cost is to examine each element of proposed cost. The contracting officer should usually request analysis of cost or pricing proposals by asking requirements logistics, or other appropriate personnel to review and assess the need for the number and kinds of

Write a paragraph Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write a paragraph - Essay Example Nash equilibrium has its implications both positive and negative. Positively, each player has the advantage of getting the expected payoff given what the opponent plays. Negatively, this strategy is not applicable in all cases. This is because there can be pure strategy normative expectations equilibria which are not Nash equilibria. The prisoner’s dilemma is an example of such a case scenario (Julian & Wolfgang, 2000). Nash equilibrium may not be Nash equilibrium at all in the event that one would like to have a little bit of extra credit. This is based on the fact that it places one in compromising scenarios in which it leaves the player with no option other than not opting for not being part of the whole process. In a bar, the goods and services on sale are not returnable and so once consumed it is as good as gone. This will constantly leave the owner of the bar at a loss since there is no positive payoff in the sense that he will always stand a chance of losing in all the possible outcomes (Julian & Wolfgang,

Composite Cycle Frame Manufacturing Methods Project Assignment - 1

Composite Cycle Frame Manufacturing Methods Project - Assignment Example It also seeks to look at the various effective ways which hospitals and related institutions can store such records. It is important that they keep health records using reliable methods so that they ensure reliability of the data and easy retrieval of the same. Health informatics deals with ways of storing, retrieving and using information related to health and biomedicine. It has tools that are used in achieving storage and use of the data like computers, information systems and medical terms among others. Health informatics is also known as Health information systems. Areas of application include nursing and in public health. There are international standards that have been set regarding health informatics to ensure a standardized way of medical informatics (Joslin & Kahn 2005). Using computers and technology has been the best way to store data of patients in medicine all over the world. Electronic health records is the most reliable and accurate way of storing data because computers are more accurate than humans. Health institutions do not longer store records of patients manually like before the emergence of technology (Whetton, 2005). A good example of such online application programs is the ICD9-CM. they are codes used to store information of Diabetic patients in health institutions. The United States department for health is encouraging health institutions to migrate to the use of electronic means to store data. International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is an effective way of tracking many types of diseases in the world. Knowledge of this coding method is very important for health professionals because it helps in maintaining proper health records in hospitals. It is a code that contains a set of volumes with some instructions. It contains volume one to volume three which gives the procedures. Volume one

Helicopter paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Helicopter paper - Essay Example This involves studying the current parameters and the attributed measurements. In the case, the following table will be used in restructuring the measurements so that they can meet the expectations of the customers by improving the PHC helicopter construction in a bid to prolong the flight time. The table indicates the needed adjustment on the PHC helicopter to have met the customers’ desires of unlimited flight time. The current measurements as indicated in X offer the limited flight time which the customers are complaining about. In the case of Y, it represents the measurements which will offer the customers a prolonged flight time (PILGER, 2005). The results in the table attributed to the five factors which are the primary impediment are studied through a factorial experiment. From the table of results above, it can be deduced that when the new modifications have been implemented in the PHC helicopter the optimum flight time improves from the initial least optimum flight time. The following computations give the mean of the flight time before and after modifications. The results indicate that the five factors were the cause of the limited flight time. In the event that they are adjusted as indicated earlier, the new design of the helicopter will meet the customers’ needs of having a prolonged flight time. The new modifications of the wing length, body length, body width, paper clips and folded wings. This explains the reason why the modifications are necessary when certain efficiency is required. Based on the results, the relationship between the five factors and the flight time can be deduced. The magnitude of the curvature as evidenced in the results needs to be ascertained whether it is significant on the dependent variable, which is the flight time. In essence, the number of the paper clips has a fairly negative effect relative to the flight time. For instance, the more the number of the paper clips the faster the flight time. In

United States Dominance After Civil War Essay Example for Free

United States Dominance After Civil War Essay The American Civil War, also known as the â€Å"War Between the States† was a war between the Confederate States and the Union. The Confederacy was composed of eleven states which supported slavery, while the Union was comprised of all free American states and five states bordering the slave states. The American Civil War became one of the most important events that led into the emergence of the United States into world dominance. The development of the American nation as a world leader came after a series of events and wars being won. The Civil War all throughout was highlighted by the intense social, political and economic conflicts and differences between Northern and Southern States. The war commenced in about 10,000 states and more than 3 million American people have been involved in it. The years between 1861 to 1865, the war has escalated between American states and resulted to the destruction of peace and unity among fellow Americans. The war made the American nation ironically more oblivious to the concept of freedom and individual rights, given that the civil war was fought on the basis state rights and freedom in America. However, by the end of the Civil War, the American nation took the whole experience as a â€Å"new birth of freedom† for the people and the government. And as such, the years following the end of the Civil War marked the start of the American dominance in the international community. America After the Civil War: Unification, Expansion and Industrialization Despite the destruction, the death toll, and the chaos that the Civil War has drawn upon the American society, nonetheless, it has become as one of the focal points for world domination for the United States. The separate states which used to be hostile to one another due to their differences, became a single united and strong nation The end of the war marked the new era of expansionism for the United States of America. Indeed, the start of the 19th century was highlighted by the intensifying of the American expansion. Alongside America’s move to industrialize and urbanize its territory, the American exploration pushed further to the west. In 1803, Louisiana was obtained from the French government; and during the period between 1816 to 1821, a total of six states were added to the American territory. Aside from the westward expansion, in 1865 the American government also took control of eastern states. This westward and eastward expansion of the United States territory became strategically beneficial to the industrialization in the United States. And as such, the strength of the United States industrialization became one of the strongest points of the United States emergence as a world superpower. Although the industrialization in the United States before the Civil War was largely preempted and minimal due to the political and social conflicts of the time, the end of the war and the emergence of the new American society greatly hastened the industrial development in the United States. And despite the fact that industrialization has been an old trend in other advanced countries such as England, Belgium, France, Germany and Japan, the United States transformation was more profound, developed and powerful. In addition to United States’ more sophisticated and impressive industrialization, the American government was able to carefully and strategically utilize its unique advantage over its colonies and among those less developed and powerful countries. The American government used its sphere of influence in order to drive economic advantages and power towards them. Moreover, the United States territory, given the vastness of its newly acquired areas and colonies were greatly endowed with raw natural resources that once tapped, can be used to generate a large amount of benefits and profits. The states acquired by the United States became its focal points of industrialization, modernization and development. Some of these states served as main centers for finance, manufacturing and commerce. Other states were also suitable for agricultural growth and revolution in the transportation sector. In addition to these developments, the wave of immigrants between 1840 to 1860 also strengthened manpower stability in the country. As such, by the end of this period of expansionism and industrialization, the United States emerged as one of the most successful countries in the world. The American government grew extremely confident of the stability of their economic, political and military strength. In addition, the wide sphere of influence that it was able to establish became one of the assets that qualified United States as one of the strongest country in the world. Threats to American Power and Leadership A series of American war involvement has been etched in the world’s history. And as such, each war wherein the American nation has took part in signified a threat against the United States’ dominance. The First and Second World War, though commenced between a large gap that went for years were fought on almost same reasons. Economic imperialism, military conflicts, trade barriers, proliferation of weapons, political rivalries and balance of power were among the main cause of the first and second world wars. During these wars, the world was divided into two spheres. And of which, both wars were won distinctively by the side that the United States has taken. The victorious emergence of the United States and its allies in these wars has further established its government as one of the strongest leaders in the world. During the Second World War in particular, the victory of the United States, the Soviet Union and their allies became the closest call to the American dominance. At the end of the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as two world leaders, and as such, became the pillars for balance of power. The end of the Second World War and the emergence of two dominant states resulted to another series of conflicts and hostility. After the Second World War, the Cold War commenced and a series of indirect confrontations took place between the United States and the Soviet bloc. The Cold War served as a proxy war between the two states wherein instead of a direct confrontation, their allies became more involved in the war. The Cold War became the measure of stability, leadership and influence of the two world superpowers. Political ideology became the main focus of the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet bloc. During this period, the American government was largely threatened by the spread of communist ideology within the European states. As such, the antagonism between capitalism and communism became the root of the conflict between the two states. In addition to this antagonism, nuclear arms race, espionage, economic rivalry and the Cuban missile crisis were among the issues that further intensified the conflict. Despite the absence of direct confrontation between the Americans and the Soviet bloc, the outcome of the Cold War still became one of the most important factor in the emergence of a lone world superpower. As such, by the end of the Cold War, the Soviet bloc disintegrated and the communist ideology became less influential. Although the American government and its allies were not successful in fully containing the communist ideology, the Soviet disintegration became a step to weaken communist states. In addition, the disintegration of the Soviet bloc marked the end of the Cold War. And the triumphant emergence of the United States in the Cold War automatically rendered the United States as the lone world superpower. United States in the Present Era Following the end of the Cold War and the demise of the biggest threat to United States leadership, the American government is now considered as the lone hegemonic power in the world. The establishment of international organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Center to name a few, strengthened the American hold on world dominance and leadership. In the present generation, the most probable threat against the American government is the current proliferation of terrorist organizations posting terrorist activities that might induce chaos and fear amongst the citizens. However, despite these threats and current economic and political dilemma experienced by the American nation, United States still stands as one of the strongest, influential and stable countries in the international community. Bibliography AE Television Networks. â€Å"The American Civil War.† History.com. (2008). Database on-line. Available from http://www.history.com/minisites/civilwar/ (accessed October 10, 2008). American Information Resource Center. â€Å"History of the United States.† The United States Diplomatic Mission to Poland. (n.d). Database on-line. Available from http://www.usinfo.pl/aboutusa/history/slavery.htm (accessed October 10, 2008). Burns, Ken. â€Å"The Crossroads of Our Being.† The Civil War. (2002). Database on-line. Available from http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/war/ (accessed October 10, 2008). Mabry, Donald J. â€Å"Triumph of Industry in the United States.† Historical Text Archive. (2008). Database on-line. Available from http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticleartid=597 (accessed October 10, 2008). Nosotro, Rit. â€Å"The Cold War.† HyperHistory. (n.d). Database on-line. Available from http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/big/w30coldwar.htm (accessed October 10, 2008).

The influence of modern technology on Society

The influence of modern technology on Society 1. Introduction While technology is often described as the most important influence upon society (ref), it remains a subject which deserves further study. This situation is generally accepted, with politicians, sociologists, industrialists and educationalists alike recognising that technology lies at the very heart of society (Chandler, 1996). The critical role that technology plays in the development of society, stimulating not only the economy but society’s socio-cultural values, rather than being merely a tool of society, however, is referred to as ‘technological determinism’ (Underwood, 2009). It is this aspect of how technology drives modern society that this essay addresses. Social progress has come to be equated with technical progress, particularly since the Industrial Revolution (Beniger, 1989). This progress has not always been acknowledged at the time it was occurring; indeed, as Beniger further notes, ‘human society seems rather to evolve largely through changes so gradual as to be all but imperceptible, at least compared to the generational cycles of the individuals through whose lives they unfold’ (1989, p. 2). Perhaps because of this ‘historical myopia’, the value of the change may not be evaluated until the changes has already passed (Beniger, 1989, p. 2). Critics such as Henry David Thoreau, for instance, suggested that improvements in society’s technical means are no guarantee of improved ends, and that they may instead lead to a mechanistic and fatalistic outlook, positing that we do not ride upon the railroad; it rides upon us (1845, p. 308). Thus, technology itself becomes an overriding preoccupation, for it never stops still. Technological advancement seems important at the time to different ages in different societies, psychologically if not practically; in a variety of modern societies, for example, young people presently feel a heightened empathy with the digital age (Bennett and Maton, 2010). However, not all sectors of the community will be directly involved with, share an understanding, or even see the relevance, of the latest technological inventions. Nevertheless, as de Tocqueville (1990, p. xxii) noted in 1840, ‘this social revolution, which I believe to be irresistible†¦ is already accomplished or about to be so’, and thus recognition of it is recognition of the past as much as the present. The current revolution in technology, known variously as the ‘Information Age’ or ‘Age of Technology’, similarly is unrelenting: the older person who is reluctant to use a computer has a life shaped by others’ use of computers and may even accept a basic mobile telephone, once considered a glamourous accessory (Coeckelbergh, 2012). As globalisation becomes an increasingly significant factor in countries’ economic success, technological competence is becoming an essential tool for surviving and thriving not only in society, but in its constituent parts, such as employment, education, agriculture, and industry. 2. Advantages and disadvantages of modern technological progress The younger generation today, like many previous generations, seeks to change the world and make it a better and more comfortable place in which to live (Griswold, 2012). They want to be contributors to peace, economic reforms, the improvement of public services and many other aspects of the society. For them, the best way to contribute to these changes is through modern technology. (Weiser and Brown, 1997). This does not necessarily mean that youth wants to make a huge change on the view of the world where they grew up, or that they just want to split away from the norms of society. Instead, they believe that the advances in communication, through technological means, will facilitate social change as no previous generation has had the opportunity to learn so much, so authentically, from one another (Griswold, 2012). The ability for real-time conversations, forums, information exchange, visualisation of other cultures, and greater social equality across the world has developed more in the last 20-25 years than at any other time in history. This has allowed commentary on situations as they develop, rather than purely through the perspective of written media. For example, the role of social media during the ‘Arab Spring’, not only through Twitter but Facebook and other social media platforms, provided contextualisation for the media reports at a time when media bias is increasingly critically examined (Khondker, 2011). Thus, this generation is able to confirm journalists’ interpretation of an event, even in film, with those who are participating on both sides of the event, as well as casual observers. This is unique in history. The degree to which unfettered access to opinion, counter-opinion, reportage, and propaganda will truly reshape the world is yet to be determined. The Habermasian interpretation of the development of the public sphere holds some analogies, as the democratisation of critical analysis unfolded in fin-de-sià ¨cle Viennese coffee houses (Habermas, 1989). According to di Maggio et al. (2001) extensive social effects, both optimistic and pessimistic, have been claimed for many communications technologies before our current computer-based age of information technology. The so-called I.T. revolution (which tends to be presented as the ‘final’ communications revolution) can be seen as having been preceded by the ‘writing revolution’ and ‘the print revolution’, and only the latest phase of an ‘electronics revolution’ which began with telegraphy and telephony. Winston (1998) criticises technological determinism and instead develops his theory of cultural determinism. In this theory, Winston considers not how technology shapes society, but rather that the evolution of technology, which is not static, is mediated and manipulated by society. Thus, as a result of these manoeuvres, the ‘radical potential’ of a specific technology is stifled; society therefore only accepts that which it believes itself to be in a position to accept (Winston, 1998). Systems and machines like computers, mobile phones and operating systems, which just involve one click on the computer, replace the things which used to takes hours or even days. Almost every home has a computer and telephone, and individuals within those homes often each have a mobile phone (Bennett and Maton, 2010). For some people, the application of technology is the only technique for them to develop patience, as even the tedious business of waiting can be ameliorated by keeping busy with a mobile phone, especially for youth. One of the most important advantages of modern technology is globalisation, which has allowed the world to feel ‘closer’, and permitted the worlds economy to become a single, interdependent system (Barrell and Fic, 2014). This means that people can not only share information quickly and efficiently, but can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. Zhong (2007) observes that, in todays stock markets, financial infrastructure, global news organisations, powerful militaries, strong governments and big corporations, instantaneous communication is an asset society cannot afford to lose. The internet allows interconnection and promotes globalisation and information sharing. The reduction in the cost of instantaneous communication over the last 20 years have considerably expanded its potential, by making it accessible to developing as well as developed economies. However, modern technology does not bring advantages but some disadvantages as well. The similarity of lifestyles, whereby communication channels homogeneity, can have deleterious effects (Griswold, 2012). Before the rise of film, television, and the internet, people had different cultures and traditions that were reflected in the way they wear clothes or design buildings. Now, in a form of creeping conformity, people tend to build the same models of house and wear the same fashions. The new, modern technology is excellent in many ways, but its philosophical, physiological, and psychological effects remain unknown in a period when technological interaction and live communication through computer use, internet chat, mobile phones, and SMS texts are part of the everyday life of -teenagers and the youth of today. This not only includes issues such as the debate on whether mobile telephones increase the likelihood of brain tumours, but the behavioural responses of children to ‘instant’ gratification, or whether mobile phone addiction will become a significant disability (di Maggio et al., 2001). These are issues which remain unresolved; their resolution will not be immediate. 3. The vision of teenagers in this day and age With the growth of technologies as the internet and computers, teenagers and young people are becoming more dislocated from society (Griswold, 2012). Isolation is one form of this problem. The Japanese phenomenon of hikikomori, whereby young people (commonly, males, and more increasingly, adults) sequester themselves, using only technology to keep in touch with society, is believed to affect almost two million people worldwide (Longo, 2010). Social interaction results in levels of stress and distress to the degree that individuals cannot cope, and seek refuge instead in an environment which they feel is fully within their control. Additionally, education is being transformed by technology. Stimulating students is not a matter of making a great speech or a dominant lesson anymore; educators need to be brought down to a teenagers level of understanding (Weiser and Brown, 1997). The need and wishes of modern youth are very different from those of their parents, as can be seen in hikikomori (Longo, 2010). The most inspiring tool for teens and their lifestyle is the internet, mobile technologies, and computers (Griswold, 2012. Teenagers and young people also have changed in comparison with teens in the past, taking into account eating habits, an active way of life, spending free time, and the importance of music and fashion. The affordability of many of these factors has changed considerably since, for example, the post-war generation (Bennett and Maton, 2010). The most important change, however, is that they are a technology generation. For teens in todays world, mobile phones, internet, music, movies, television and video games are very important. Most teenagers prefer watching television and playing computer games to reading books. They dislike reading because watching television or playing online role-playing games is easier and they do not have to use their own imagination (Davies and Eynon, 2013). Computer games have the capacity to provide teaching opportunities but they are also harmful to health (Longo, 2010). Teenagers prefer to spend free time in front of a computer rather than to walk, play football, go to a swimming pool, or just simply meet a friend in the park and have a chat. The long term effects of these changes are not likely to be evident for at least three more generations. According to di Maggio et al. (2001), the internet expands daily and reaches more and more people globally. As a society, improvements in literacy may rise due to the growth of the internet. The young generation cannot imagine their day’s homework without the support of the one of most important modern technological developments, the internet. The internet is very useful and an important tool for studies, as there they are able to see the latest reports and articles, find and practise exercises which are relevant to their studies, as well as submit assignments and other work. Further, a teenagers social life becomes inextricably linked to social networking, especially through live chat and Facebook. They would rather say that this is the easiest way to communicate with each other, as well as learning new things and having fun (Davies and Eynon, 2013). Many things can be done through the internet. Young people can download music and other files and play online games with their real or virtual friends. In this way, therefore, the internet influences the teen view to the world and its future. It also gives them an opportunity to interact with other teens and discuss relevant issues. One important aspect of teens using internet is their freedom to post criticism of government leaders. Youths have limited abilities to communicate meaningfully with government as they cannot vote; the internet permits them to give their beliefs about what is wrong and what is right from their point of view, (Davies and Eynon, 2013). On social websites youths can have relations and communication with their friends or just someone who is far away from their homes and around the world, chatting on the worldwide web, emailing or just playing games. This has been extended considerably with the advent of smart phones (Bennett and Maton, 2010). Using the internet teenagers can go shopping with their friends using the same website, use microphones or cameras to film themselves, nearly in the same way as they would go out together for real shopping. Thus, the public sphere – through recreational chat as well as more complex interactions – is extended in the manner akin to that described by Habermas (1989). Nevertheless, this change to ‘life online’ means that, inevitably, many real world problems manifest themselves in the internet, and then have a further real world consequence. This can be seen in the phenomenon of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying targets the sexuality, physical attractiveness and friendships of children and teenagers (Davies and Eynon, 2013). Victims do not know what to do or where to turn. Cyber bullies harass victims anonymously. The psychological damage is horrific because the victims own peers have turned on them and there is nowhere for them to go, with teenage suicides and attempted suicides reported in the past (Griswold, 2013). A ‘dis-connect’ from human reactions could contribute to cyber bullying. People learn to communicate mostly through text messages or online, and do not learn important aspects of human interaction, such as noticing and accepting non-verbal signals (Griswold, 2013). Without these signals and characteristics it is easy to be misunderstood and for the victim to be dehumanised (di Maggio et al., 2001). This is also true of online dating (Winston, 1998). People are normally aware of what someone is saying or not saying, through gesticulations and voice tones. Without these cues, it is difficult to appreciate how the other person is feeling and whether there is truly a connection. Youth can start to feel as if who they are is not recognised, that they are reviled or that nobody wants them, when for example the text message or email was simply not received. Young people have created and developed a communication culture that incorporates many special features, such as a rise in the use of text-based communication channels (Davies and Eynon, 2013). Teenagers intersecting and selective use of communication channels has been shaped by multimedia communication (Weiser and Brown, 1997). Thus, their public sphere utilises a wider range of platforms than previously; nevertheless, it is still merely an extension of the public sphere, just as television and newspapers were (Habermas, 1989). Regardless of their form, the media landscapes created by teenagers serve to articulate their personal space, as well as enabling their presentation of self and defining their relationships to others). This can be seen in young peoples relationship to the mobile phone and other forms of interactive technology, which is consistent with their general consumption styles. An addictive use of the phone has been related to trendy and impulsive consumption styles prevalent among females (Davies and Eynon, 2013). Technology enthusiasm and trend-consciousness was linked to impulsive consumption and hard values more prevalent among males (di Maggio et al., 2001). In contrast, a frugal mobile phone use was not related to gender but to environmentalism and thrifty consumption in general. The traditional gender division in mobile phone use styles that could be observed is interesting in the light of conjectures that genders are becoming more alike in their use of new technology. The increasing trend towards ‘instant gratification’ that has been fed by high rates of credit over the last 30 years is exacerbated by an impatience facilitated by devices such as smart phones (Griswold, 2012). The net result of several of several generations for whom this is true has not yet been realised. 4. Conclusion Technology is one of a number of mediating factors in human behaviour and social change, which both acts on and is acted upon by other phenomena. Being critical of technological determinism is not to discount the importance of the fact that the technical features of different communication technologies facilitate different kinds of use, though the potential applications of technologies are not necessarily realised. Enthusiasm for technological progress typically involves technological determinism. As Potter and Sarre (1974, p. 485), caution that, in reaction to the changes taking places amongst today’s youth, there is evidently an unmistakable tone of moral disapproval directed against cultural interval – that is, resistances to structural and normative adaptations occasioned by innovation. This is not new. Every generation expresses concern for the pace and nature of change, and questions whether change is driving society or society desires the changes wrought. In the meantime, the technological revolution will enable people’s lives to be easier, in ways such as social interaction, education, manufacturing, and so on. Withdrawing from the degree to which technology has shaped society will be very difficult, and likely to lead to large-scale economic chaos (Barrell and Fic, 2013). The rise in costs, for example, through slower communications or manual manufacturing methods, would result in an overwhelming, if temporary drain on the economy; nevertheless, given the decrease in fossil fuel availability, this may be a future that society needs to consider. Humans are highly adaptable, as the integration of change previously has demonstrated. There may be a social cost in this, as Thoreau (1854) speculated, but this flexibility has permitted societies of many different forms to flourish for millennia. The liberty for people discuss change, as Habermas (1989) has described, has expanded in the last three hundred years. Nevertheless, thinkers such as Thoreau and Habermas are prepared to question not only technological progress but change in its most elementary form. This is what will preserve humanity from self-destructive change. Many people may feel that teenagers are unwittingly ‘walking into’ self-destructive change through their eager acceptance of technology in every aspect of their lives (di Maggio et al., 2001). Whilst this may be a legitimate concern, it should also be borne in mind that teenagers are not merely being controlled by devices but are using devices to facilitate change – through social media. This was apparent during the ‘Arab Spring’ (Khondker, 2011), and was widely welcomed. Enthusiasm for technological progress typically involves technological determinism. As Potter and Sarre (1974, p. 485), caution that, in reaction to the changes taking places amongst today’s youth, ‘there is evidently an unmistakable tone of moral disapproval directed against cultural interval – that is, resistances to structural and normative adaptations occasioned by innovation. This is not new. Every generation expresses concern for the pace and nature of change, and questions whether change is driving society or society desires the changes wrought. The human willingness to use change meaningfully and self-reflect, it is hoped, will protect society from itself. 5. References Barrell, R. and Fic, T. (2013). Integration, globalisation, technology and trade patterns in the EU8. Research in Economics and Business: Central and Eastern Europe, 2(1), pp. 1-13. Beniger, J. (1989). The control revolution: Technological and economic origins of the information society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Bennett, S. and Maton, K. (2010), Beyond the ‘digital natives’ debate: Towards a more nuanced understanding of students technology experiences. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(5), pp. 321-331. Coeckelbergh, M. (2012). â€Å"How I learned to love the robot†: Capabilities, information technologies, and elderly care. In Oosterlaken, I. and van der Hoven, J. (eds), The capability approach, technology and design. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 77-86. Davies, C. and Eynon, R. (2013). Teenagers and technology. Hove: Routledge. De Tocqueville, A. (1835). Democracy in America: Volume I. [1990] New York: Vintage Books. Denning, P.J. and Metcalfe, RM. (eds) (1997). Beyond calculation: The next fifty years of computing. New York: Springer. DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E., Neuman, W.R. and Robinson, J.P. (2001). Social implications of the internet. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, pp. 307-336. Griswold, W. (2012). Cultures and societies in a changing world (4th edn). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Habermas, J. (1989). The structural transformation of the public sphere. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Khondker, H.H. (2011). Role of the new media in the Arab Spring. Globalizations, 8(5), pp. 675-679. Longo, G.O. (2010). Communication, technology, and the planetary creature. Communication, Capitalism Critique, 8(1), pp. 18-27. Oosterlaken, I. and van der Hoven, J. (eds) (2012). The capability approach, technology and design. Dordrecht: Springer. Potter, D. and Sarre, P. (eds) (1974). Dimensions of society: A reader. London: University of London Press/Open University Press. Thoreau, H.D. (1854). Walden; Or life in the woods. Boston: Ticknor and Fields. Weiser, M. and Brown, J.S. (1997). The coming age of calm technology. In Denning, P.J. and Metcalfe, R.M. (eds), Beyond calculation: The next fifty years of computing. New York: Springer, pp. 75-85. Winston, B. (1998). Media technology and society: a history: From the telegraph to the Internet. Abingdon: Psychology Press.

The Effect Of Openness To Experience Commerce Essay

The Effect Of Openness To Experience Commerce Essay Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to show a correlation between Openness to Experience and Job Success and test the mediation effect Creativity and Intellect have on this relationship. Design Methodology: An online survey was administered to over 300 people out of whom 166 filled the questionnaire. This survey contained scales of inventories to gauge the Openness to experience, Creativity, Intellect and the Job Success of the respondents. The respondents filled the survey and the results were then analysed using the SPSS software (v.16.0). The correlation between Openness to experience and Job Success was tested along with the mediation effect of Creativity and Intellect. Findings: Creativity and Intellect fully mediated the relationship between Openness to experience and Job Success. Openness to experience and Job success were found to be positively correlated. Research Implications/Limitations: This study shows a correlation between Openness to experience and Job Success. This topic of study can be expanded to show relations between other personality traits and Job Success. Future research can go further and show the differences between the degree of this correlation for several industries and for male and female managers. Practical Implications: The findings of this paper could be used during the recruitment process for companies and during the intake process for business schools. Originality/Value: This paper is one of the first to prove the correlation between Openness to experience and Job Success. The role of creativity and Intellect in this relationship is also explained by this paper which is another first. Keywords: Openness to experience, Intellect, Creativity, Job Success, Human resources Paper Type: Research Paper Introduction Retention of a manager on any job in any sector is largely dependent on that managers success in his job. Job success not only determines the motivation levels of the manager (Winter, 1991) but also has a significant impact on the overall success of the organisation. (Pfeffer and Veiga, 1993) Thus ensuring Job success is critical to Modern Business. Several factors are known to affect Job success and it is important for companies to pick the right factors to measure in order to predict Job success with sufficient accuracy. This paper looks to determine the relationship between Openness to experience and Job success mediated by Creativity and Intellectual ability with a view to provide companies the option of measuring any of these parameters and being able to predict Job success to a reasonable extent. Of all the dimensions of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) model, openness to experience is considered to be the most vast and least understood. Most research has studied this dimension as a part of personality and few have focussed on studying the link between openness to experience alone and job success. This research aims at creating a comprehensive model linking openness to experience and job success with creativity and intellect as mediators, which has not been done in the past. Building on research done on understanding the openness to experience dimension of the FFM and measuring job success of new hires, we will try to understand the relation between them. We will also see the effect of the two mediators, creativity and intellect on this relation. Research objective The objective of this study is two-fold: To check whether the Openness to experience is a valid predictor for Job Success To check if this relationship between Openness to Experience and Job Success is mediated by Creativity and Intellect Research Gap and Hypotheses OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE Despite trait theories being often downplayed, Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality has remained popular. Also called the big five theory, FFM describes personality in 5 broad traits viz. Openness to Experience (O), Conscientiousness(C), Extroversion (E), Agreeableness (A) and Neuroticism (N). McCrae and Costas (1997) asserted that openness to experience is one of the broadest constructs in personality psychology. Openness to experience describes an individuals imaginative capacity, independent thinking, aesthetic sensitivity, intellectual curiosity, preference for variety and attentiveness for inner feelings. A person with a low score in openness is seen to prefer the conventional and routine (Costa McCrae, 1992; McCrae, 1996). JOB SUCCESS Career success has been defined as work related accomplishments that an individual has amassed due to their work experiences (Judge et al, 1995). Researchers have not accepted the popular conception of measuring success only in terms of salary or the position occupied in the organization (Gattiker Larwood, 1986 etc.). In recent times most research on job success has defined it as being composed of two parts, extrinsic success and intrinsic or perceived success. Extrinsic success is measured using observable parameters like salary, job title, and number of promotions (London Stumpf, 1982). The perceived career success is measured using a self appraisal of job performance (Rode et al, 2008). Childs and Klimoski (1986) used 12 career success items like earnings, self assessed success, number of people supervised and perceived peer rating to measure job success. Also, people who primarily measure success in terms of external criteria have said that enjoying their work is important to t hem (Sturges, 1999). OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE AND JOB SUCCESS Openness to experience would contribute to job success in situations where the nature of the job is such that it requires people to be open to new situations and learning (Bing Lounsbury, 2000). In fact, Bing Lounsbury tested openness to experience to job performance in US based Japanese manufacturing companies. The research supported a positive relation between two and the explanation to this could be that the local population had successfully adapted to the traditional Japanese style of working (Bing Lounsbury, 2000). Burke and Witt have shown through their research findings that other personality variables acts as moderators in the openness to experience job performance relationship (Burke Witt, 2002). Research has shown that those who are more open towards the external environment are more adaptable while those who are more open towards the internal environment would be preoccupied with their internal thoughts and hence less aware of the changes in the environment(Griffin Hesketh, 2004). Young graduates from business schools join jobs that require them to be adaptable and learn as quickly as possible. Hence we expect that openness to experience will be positively correlated to job success. There has been limited research studying these parameters in India and a model linking openness to experience, creativity and intellect to job success has not been developed. In particular, the research tries to study these relations in the context of business school graduates in their initial career stages. With management education in India gaining popularity amongst students and professionals, research needs to be done to find out the predictors for job success in this field. The Western ideas of success may not necessarily hold good for India and it is time that studies focussing on India are conducted. Also, it is important to determine how far the parameters used in the selection criteria for admissions or recruitment are predictors of future job success. CREATIVITY AND INTELLECT AS MEDIATORS As stated in the previous section the correlation between Openness to Experience and Job Success is likely but this relationship is not empirically very strong. It is hence likely that these two parameters are mediated by other constructs. We feel that Creativity and Intellect function as mediators for this relationship. CREATIVITY There have been several studies about creativity conducted by several researchers. According to Lubbart (2000-01) creativity stems from a any process which gives rise to a novel, adaptive production. Glover and Gary (1975) assert that creative individuals are said to exhibit high levels of tolerance to uncertainty and to employ unusual problem solving techniques. William Scott (1965) defines creative behaviour as any unusual response or combination of responses which are also uniquely adaptive and which result in products highly valued by society. Creativity is thus characterised by something new or novel about the way things are done or idea that are produced. OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE AND CREATIVITY Barron (1988) described the creative person as possessing alertness to opportunity, keen attention, intuition, a liking for complexity as a challenge to find simplicity, and a drive to find pattern and meaning, Openness to new ways of seeing, independence of judgment that questions assumptions, et al. These qualities find strong parallels in the FFM dimension of Openness to Experience. Research by McCrae and others have demonstrated that, among the five factors of personality, only Openness to Experience correlates significantly and positively with divergent thinking. They have established a positive covariance of openness to experience with artistic interests (Costa, McCrae and Holland, 1984) and liberal values (McCrea and Costa, 1985). Other researches also show strong empirical and conceptual support to uphold the correlation between openness to experience with creativity (Griffin and McDermont, 1998; Leung and Chiu, 2008). People who are high on openness to experience may wider range of experience, and greater appreciation of the merits of novelty and the potential for improving and changing the status quo, than individuals who are low on openness to experience. These qualities together with their greater sensitivity may cause them to come up with novel solutions to problems and creative ideas. In contrast, individuals who are low on openness to experience may find more comfort in the status quo (George and Zhou, 2001). Griffin and Hesketh (2004), stated that the facets of Openness can be broadly sub-divided into openness towards internal and external environment. While Actions, Ideas and Values appear to describe areas external to the person, Fantasy and Feelings describe openness to areas inside the person. Facets of Openness from each of the Openness scales will differ in their ability to predict creativity. The external openness facets are expected to be better predictors of creativity at work than the latter (Pace, 2005). In our study we predict that among participants in the target group, having more openness to experience would be positively correlated with the level of creative potential. CREATIVITY AND JOB SUCCESS There have been several papers which have linked Creativity to Job Success in some way. A research in Pharmaceutical industry by Mats Sundgren and Alexander Styhre (2003) explores creativity as one of the most critical success factors and important assets in an RD specific organisation. Taewon Suh and Hochang Shin (2005) used the relation between creativity and job performance to ascertain the difference between profit and non-profit organisations. Richard Beatty (1974) asserts that Job Performance and Job Success related and that job performance in fact leads to job success. This could be taken as evidence for a linkage between Creativity and Job Success. The linkage between Creativity and Job success has been used by several researchers (such as Caroline Marshall (2000) in varied research projects. The linkage can also be justified by using the assertion of authors Tudor Rickards, Mark A. Runco, Susan Moger that creativity and leadership step from the same roots and that they have a lot in common . Since leadership is known to be a strong contributor to job success (Kowalski and Campbell, 2000), a linkage between Creativity and Job Success can be expected. As an example from the business of sales and marketing, Julie Britt, independent marketing consultant cites several examples how creativity is essential for success in this profession (2008). Several similar examples can be identified in real life like Bradley/Reids resourceful approach to promoting the Seward Sea Life Center discussed by Tracy Barbour (2001). INTELLECT Intellect is derived from the Latin word intellectus meaning discernment, understanding. This concept has been a constant subject of debate (Feuerstein et al., 1980; Spitz, 1986; Taylor and Richards, 1990; Chen-Shyuefee and Michael, 1993). Intellect has been viewed as both a single entity and as a collection of mental abilities (Heraty and Morely, 2000). An early model of intelligence was proposed by Thurstone (1939) who identified a number of primary mental abilities using factor analysis. Subsequently, Guilford (1956: 1959: 1967: 1981) proposed the structure of intellect (SOT). Utilising factor analysis, the model identified and organized intellectual abilities according to the mental processes involved, the kinds of information featured and the particular form that the items of information took. The SOT model consists of five kinds of psychological processes (operations), three types of stimuli (contents) and six forms of products (newly generated information serving as output ari sing from the application of a psychological operation upon given information) (Khattab et al., 1982). OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE AND INTELLECT There are claims that Openness to experience and Intellect are practically the same thing but Robert McCrae (1994) contends that Intellect while, is a major contributing factor to Openness of Experience. Goldberg (1999) examined the correlation between these two factors using the International Personality Item Pool. This analysis revealed that Intellect encompasses traits reflecting intellectual engagement and perceived intelligence whereas Openness encompasses traits reflecting artistic and contemplative qualities related to engagement in sensation and perception, establishing that these two factor as related but separable aspects. Lexical studies also show that there are many other terms that characterise people high in only openness (such as artistic, perceptive), or only intellect (such as intelligent, philosophical) or both (such as imaginative, original) (George Saucier 1992). The relation between intellect and openness has also been asserted by Colin G. DeYoung, Noah A. Shamosh and Adam E. Green, Todd S. Braver and Jeremy R. Gray (2009) who propound that Intellect and Openness to experience are related. Some research (George Saucier 1992) also exists to substantiate the relation by asserting that both openness and intellect are a part of the same factor namely Factor V of the Five factor model of Personality traits. This view has been contended by Paul Trapnell (1994) by asserting that Openness and Intellect are separated by a couple of factors, but the fact that these two are related is undeniable. INTELLECT AND JOB SUCCESS Intellect has been synonymously used with intelligence by researchers across the world. (Heraty and Morely, 2000) Also, research has shown that intelligence is an integral part of mental ability with strong correlations being obtained between these two constructs. (Schweizer and Moosbrugger, 1999) Tracey et al investigated the utility of mental ability and conscientiousness in predicting technical job success and successfully established that mental ability was a better predictor of performance for new managers, whereas conscientiousness was a better predictor of performance for experienced managers using a sample of restaurant workers. Dr. Colonia-Willner, in a landmark study involving 200 high level managers at a bank employing more than 22,000 people demonstrated that a major factor in achieving success in the workplace depends on intelligence (1999). Business schools across the world have been looking to prepare students for the complexities that would befall the students in the business world and their prime focus is on improving the mental abilities; the ability to think. (Lim, 2002) In their paper, Mol et al express astonishment at the lack of importance afforded to intelligence while measuring performance of expatriate managers. They have managed to bring out the relevance of intelligence in selection of managers by means of 30 primary studies. Using these associations between mental ability and job success as established by many a researchers, the link between mental ability and intelligence already established and the fact that intelligence and intellect have been used interchangeably we have conceptualized that intellect could be positively correlated with job success. In conclusion to the above section, we propose the following hypotheses. See Figure 1 for further clarifications. Hypothesis 1: Openness to experience is positively correlated to Job Success Hypothesis 2: Openness to experience is positively correlated to Creativity Hypothesis 3: Creativity is positively correlated to job Success Hypothesis 4: Openness to Experience is positively correlated to Intellect. Hypothesis 5: Intellect is positively correlated to job success. Research Design Sample In this study, we examine measures of openness to experience, creativity, job success and intellect among a sample group of 166 people all with varying periods of work experience in various sectors. Sample Design The design used for this study is snowball sampling. This design was chosen since it is suitable in cases where it may be difficult for researchers to identify participants. The researchers contacted people they knew and these people further referred the questionnaire to their contacts. Administration: The data for the study was collected using an internet survey. An online questionnaire was prepared and administered to participants in the target group. The participants for the study were contacts of the researchers with an MBA and 1-4 years of work experience. These people were asked to share the questionnaire with people who had the same characteristics and they were also included in the study. A question asking people the number of years of their work experience was put in the survey so that those people who had lesser or greater work experience would not be included in the study. This data was collated and used for analysis. Measures The following model summarises what we were testing through this research paper. Creativity Openness to Experience Job Success Intellect Figure 1: Model Operational Definitions Openness to experience: For the purpose of our research openness to experience is the proclivity of an individual to new situations and learning and a greater awareness of his environment. Creativity: We have taken the definition of creativity as a means of producing or thinking something new. The key aspect of creativity is originality. Intellect: For the purpose of our research intellect is defined as that cognitive ability which helps a person analyze complex situations and solve challenging problems. Job Success: We have taken the term Job Success to mean the extent to which a person is able to achieve the intended purpose of the job. Scales The study uses borrowed scales from professional and academic domain. OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE One of the most accepted measure of the FFM dimensions is the Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness Personality Inventory Revised (NEO PI-R:Costa McCrae, 1992). The NEO PI-R measures each dimension with six sub dimensions called the facets. Its sub-dimensions are for openness to experience are Fantasy, Aesthetics, Feelings, Actions, Ideas and Values. McCord designed the M5 questionnaire to assess traits of normal personality based on the facets described by Costa McCrae. M5 is a self report measure that provides scores each facet based on six independent lower level facets. The M5 claims to strong internal reliability and good validity (Proctor McCord, 2009). The study administrates the M5 openness to experience inventory that measures similar facets of the NEO PI-R construct. Table 1 provides descriptions of each of these and the corresponding dimensions from the M5 instrument. (Refer Appendix A for the scale) Table : M5 Instrument Dimensions NEO PI-R Facet M5 Definition of high scorers Fantasy Imagination Have a vivid imagination fantasy life which they believe enhances life Aesthetics Artistic interests Highly esteem and can be moved by art, music, poetry beauty Feelings Emotionality Are receptive to inner feelings, deeply experience emotions see them as important Action Adventurousness Have a willingness to experience new activities, foods, places prefer novelty to routine Ideas Intellect Open-mindedness willingness to consider new ideas pursue intellectual interests Values Liberalism Willingness to re-examine social, political religious values Lack of free available personality inventories is a major constraint for academic research. Cost factors and copyright issues inhibit flexible availability, editing and modifying of the professionally accepted measurement tools. For the purpose of our research we shall use the personality item inventories from the public domain collection of International Personality Item Pool (IPIP, 2001). Lack of free available personality inventories, copy right issues and cost factors have inhibited the usage of professionally accepted measurement tools for the present academic research. For the purpose of our research we shall use the personality item inventories from the public domain collection of International Personality Item Pool (IPIP, 2001) to measure creativity and intellect. IPIP is intended as an international effort to develop and continually refine a set of personality inventories. The scales provided in this collaboratory can be used for both scientific and commercial purposes. The Abridged Big Five Dimensional Circumplex (AB5C) taxonomy of personality traits was developed to integrate the 5-dimensional simple-structure and circumplex models of personality. It consists of the 10 circumplexes formed by pitting each of the Big Five factors against one another. The model maps facets of the Big Five dimensions as blends of 2 factors. CREATIVITY In this study we have used the Abridged Big Five-Dimensional Circumplex(AB5C) propounded by Hofstee, de Raad, Goldberg [1992] for measurement of creativity. The AB5C taxonomy of personality traits was developed to integrate the 5-dimensional simple-structure and circumplex models of personality. It consists of the 10 circumplexes formed by pitting each of the Big Five factors against one another. The model maps facets of the Big Five dimensions as blends of 2 factors. The alpha coefficient of the scale as reported on IPIP website is 0.81 indicating the scale has good reliability and internal consistency. This scale is a five point Likert scale. INTELLECT In this study we have used the Abridged Big Five-Dimensional Circumplex propounded by Hofstee, de Raad, Goldberg [1992] for measurement of intellect. The alpha coefficient of the scale as reported on IPIP website is 0.81 indicating the scale has good reliability and internal consistency. This scale is a five point Likert scale. JOB SUCCESS The study measures job success as perceived by the person. Selected items related to organization success as defined by Gattiker Larwood (1986) will be measured on a five point Likert type scale. The alpha coefficient of the scale specified is 0.75. Analysis The 10 items on the Openness to experience scale (10 point M5 Questionnaire) were summed up to create an aggregate score for Openness to Experience. The 7 items on the Job Success scale created by Gattiker and Larwood were summed up to create an aggregate score for job success. The 10 items on the IPIP (Domain AB5C) Creativity scale were summed up to create an aggregate score for creativity. The 10 items on the IPIP (Domain AB5C) Intellect Scale were summed up to create an aggregate score for intellect. The data was analyzed for the Cronbachs alpha value to determine the reliability of the scales. The data was then analyzed using Multiple Mediation Regression developed by Baron and Kenny (1986) which is a four-step process. This process was performed for both creativity and intellect. First, we performed a regression using openness to experience as the independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. Second, we performed a regression using creativity as the independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. Third, we performed a regression using openness to experience as the independent variable and creativity as the dependent variable. Finally, we performed a regression using openness to experience and creativity as the independent variable and job success as the dependent variable to identify the effect of mediator. The same process was repeated with intellect instead of creativity. Results and Discussion The Cronbachs alpha values are tabulated below: Table : Cronbachs Alpha Values Variable Scale Calculated Cronbachs Alpha Openness to Experience 10 point M5 Questionnaire 0.809 Creativity IPIP (Domain AB5C) Creativity scale 0.774 Intellect IPIP(Domain AB5C) Intellect Scale 0.743 Job Success Gattiker Larwood Scale 0.809 Creativity Openness to Experience Creativity Creativity The results of the regression are tabulated below: 0.386 * 0.595 * Model 1: 0.335* Job Success *Significant at 0.05 level Table : Regression Analysis Results Model 1 Step Regression Variables Coefficients Dependent Variable Independent Variable R2 Unstandardized Beta Std. error Standardized Beta 1 Job success Openness to experience 0.112 0.289 0.063 0.335 2 Creativity Openness to experience 0.354 0.614 0.065 0.595 3 Job success Creativity 0.149 0.322 0.06 0.386 4 Job success Openness to experience Creativity 0.166 0.141 0.241 0.077 0.074 0.164 0.288 In the table, step 1 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with openness to experience as independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. The analysis shows that there is a significant positive correlation between openness to experience and job success. Also the results show that there is a possibility of mediation. Hence, Hypothesis 1 is supported. Step 2 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with openness to experience as independent variable and creativity as the dependent variable. The analysis shows that there is a significant positive correlation between openness to experience and creativity. Hence, Hypothesis 2 is supported. Step 3 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with creativity as independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. The analysis shows that there is a significant positive correlation between creativity and job success. Hence, Hypothesis 3 is supported. Step 4 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with openness to experience and creativity as independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. The regression between openness to experience and job success in step 1 is significant whereas in step 4 is not significant indicating that creativity fully mediates the relationship between openness to experience and job success. The mediation effect was tested using an online Sobel Calculator and was found to be statistically significant (Mediated effect = 0.171, Sobel Test Statistic Z-Score = 4.666, p Step Regression Variables Coefficients Dependent Variable Independent Variable R2 Unstandardized Beta Std. error Standardized Beta 1 Job success Openness to experience 0.112 0.289 0.063 0.335 2 Intellect Openness to experience 0.364 0.540 0.056 0.604 3 Job success Intellect 0.158 0.383 0.069 0.397 4 Job success Openness to experience Intellect 0.172 0.130 0.296 0.077 0.086 0.150 0.307 Model 2: 0.397* 0.604* Intellect Openness to Experience Openness to Experience Job Success Intellect 0.335* *Significant at 0.05 level Table 4: Regression Analysis Results Model 2 In the table, step 1 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with openness to experience as independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. The analysis shows that there is a significant positive correlation between openness to experience and job success. Also the results show that there is a possibility of mediation. Hence, Hypothesis 1 is supported. Step 2 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with openness to experience as independent variable and intellect as the dependent variable. The analysis shows that there is a significant positive correlation between openness to experience and intellect. Hence, Hypothesis 4 is supported. Step 3 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with intellect as independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. The analysis shows that there is a significant positive correlation between intellect and job success. Hence, Hypothesis 5 is supported. Step 4 shows the coefficients for regression analysis with openness to experience and intellect as independent variable and job success as the dependent variable. The regression between openness to experience and job success in step 1 is significant whereas in step 7 is not significant indicating that intellect fully mediates the relationship between openness to experience and job success. The mediation effect was tested using an online Sobel Calculator and was found to be statistically significant (Mediated effect = 0.185, Sobel Test Statistic Z-Score = 4.811, p Implications The study shows that Openness to Experience is fully mediated by both, Creativity and Intellect in relation to job success. Thus we can

Motivation In The Workplace Essay -- Business Management

Motivation in the workplace is one of the major concerns that managers face when trying to encourage their employees to work harder and do what is expected of them on a day-to-day basis. According to Organizational Behavior by John R. Schermerhorn, James G. Hunt and Richard N. Osborn the definition of motivation is "the individual forces that account for the direction, level, and persistence of a person's effort expended at work." They go on to say that "motivation is a key concern in firms across the globe." Through the years there have been several theories as to what motivates employees to do their best at work. In order to better understand these theories we will apply them to a fictitious organization that has the following three types of employees: salespeople, production workers, and administrative staff. We will discuss which of these theories would or would not be most effective to motivate these employee groups and try to explain why. The motivation theories that will be discussed are: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, ERG (Aldefer), Two-Factor Theory (Herzberg), Equity Theory (Adams), and the Expectancy Theory (Vroom). Let's start with salespeople. Salespeople Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory says that there are five levels of individual needs from self-actualization and esteem at the top levels, to social, safety and physiological levels at the bottom. Maslow felt that some of these needs are more important than others and that the important ones must be satisfied before the rest of a person's needs can be satisfied. Since a salespersons basic responsibility is to sell merchandise this motivational theory would not be a good choice for an organization to use to motivate them. The reason for this is because s... ...nt from one culture to another and even from one individual to another. Clayton Alderfer's ERG theory emphasizes a unique frustration-regression component. This means a lower-level need can become activated when a higher-level need cannot be satisfied. This would not be a good motivation theory for administrative staff since their goal is to usually get ahead. Both the Equity and Expectancy theories focus on thought processes. The equity theory may or may not motivate administrative staff depending on how each individual perceives the fairness of their work outcomes relative to others. The Expectancy theory does not specify which rewards will motivate particular groups of workers. Individual motivation directly determines work effort, and the key to motivation is the ability to create a work setting that positively responds to individual needs and goals.

Causes Of The Salem Witch Craft Trials :: essays research papers fc

Witchcraft, Insanity, and the Ten Signs of Decay Since there never was a spurned lover stirring things up in Salem Village, and there is no evidence from the time that Tituba practiced Caribbean black magic, yet these trials and executions actually still took place, how can you explain why they occurred? The Salem Witchcraft Trials began not as an act of revenge against an ex-lover, as they did in The Crucible, but as series of seemingly unlinked, complex events, which a paranoid and scared group of people incorrectly linked. And while there were countless other witchcraft trials, Salem’s trials remain the best-known. In Salem, fears of witchcraft perpetuated by popular writings were personified when two girls were said to be bewitched. A hysteria overcame the people of Salem, whose trials went awry. In less than six months, 19 men and women were hanged, 17 innocents died in filthy prisons, an 80-year old man was crushed to death, and two dogs were stoned to death for collaborating with the Devil (Richardson 6). How could an entire village, including scholars, believe in witchcraft? Were these trials justified? Or were they evil, as many people think? How could respected, learned men believe the accounts of psychotics? Most importantly, could the trials have been avoided? A major cause of the Salem Witchcraft trials was superstition, an â€Å"irrational [belief] ... resulting from ignorance or fear of the unknown† (Saliba). A lack of scientific reasoning led many people to believe that, for instance, walking under a ladder would bring seven years of bad luck. The Puritans in Salem had even more reasons to be superstitious. Cotton Mather’s â€Å"Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions,† with its inaccurate accounts of witchcraft, terrified. In addition, crude medical techniques, constant food poisoning, and unsanitary conditions killed many Puritans. (In the Trials, dead people and dead livestock were used as evidence of witchcraft.) More importantly, war with a nearby Indian tribe was imminent (Schlect 1); when livestock died, the Puritans thought their village was cursed, vulnerable to Indian attack. With several factions vying for control of the Village, and a series of legislative and property disputes wi th the nearby Salem Town which controlled Salem Village, it is easy to see how the people of Salem were so vulnerable to the notion of witches taking over their town. The Puritans who settled in Massachusetts left England because they thought the Church was obscuring God’s glory with its obsession of earthly things.

Shapiros Poem Auto Wreck :: essays research papers

Shapiro's Poem Auto Wreck Philosophers have pondered the meaning of life and death since the beginning of time. There are many hypotheses. From reincarnation to Valhalla-then on to heaven. There have been many proposed solutions. Yet no one fully understands dea th. In Shapiro's poem "Auto Wreck," he illustrates the irrationality of life for it can be taken away at any given time for no rational reason.Shapiro uses metaphors to emphasize the fantasy-like and wild setting of the auto wreck. The following is an excerpt taken from "Auto Wreck":"And down the dark one ruby flare Pulsing out red light like an artery."This statement contrasts the red light emitted from an ambulance to the blood of an artery. The idea that a light is spurted out like blood is abstract and bizarre. In addition to that metaphor, Shapiro writes:"One hangs lanterns on the wrecks that cling Emptying husks of locusts, to iron poles."This rhythmical sentence paints a picture of locusts, grassÄ ho pper like creatures, clinging to a luscious green jungle of grass. Yet symbolically this jungle is the twisted, black, and crisp auto wreck. This depiction of the auto wreck is extravag ant and almost unreal. Using metaphors, Shapiro portrays the fantasy-like auto wreck in which wildness is indispensable.In addition to Shapiro's use of metaphorical phrases, he emphasizes the lack of comprehension of the on-lookers as a result of death's inconsistency with logic. Shapiro directly tells the reader, "We are deranged." The word "we" symbolizes u s, as a whole institution or better yet-society. He goes on further to say, "Our throats were tight as tourniquets." By this he means that the on-lookers were stopped, almost speechless, as they gazed upon the wreckage contemplating the reason b ehind death. Finally, Shapiro writes:"We speak through sickly smiles and warn With the stubborn saw of common sense."What the writer is getting through is that the on-lookers attempted to rationalize the accident with their common sense. But their "common sense," or their logical reasoning ability, was being sawed upon as they continued to puzzle over death. Once again, the old age question of "What is the meaning of death?" was tackled at the scene of the auto wreck.Finally, Shapiro asks rhetorical questions which could never be answered by logical means. One question which Shapiro asks is "Who shall die [next]?" This question could never be answered for death strikes without cause but randomness.