Thursday, April 2, 2020
The Da Vinci Code

Ever since Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code became a bestseller, critics never ceased coming up with a variety of different explanations as to this book’s popularity with the readers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Da Vinci Code specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, most of them do agree with a suggestion that the key to The Da Vinci Code’s popularity is being concerned with author’s ability to fuse religious and conspirological motifs into a one inseparable compound – thus, presenting readers within nothing less of an ‘intellectual bomb’, which sets off by being exposed to readers’ curiosity. In his book Key to the Da Vinci Code, Ferris (2005) points out to the fact that The Da Vinci Code’s very format established objective preconditions for this novel to be avidly read: â€Å"The book is a complex blend of symbolism, historical theories, secret societies and religion, which separately presented would make for some heavy reading†¦ In the context of a novel, however, a much wider audience is exposed to the ideas in the book†(Ferris 9). Nevertheless, it appears that the actual secret of Brown novel’s popularity is not being concerned with author possessing a supreme literary talent, as much as it is being concerned with the process of Western societies growing increasingly secularized, which results in these societies’ members becoming naturally inclined to think of religious dogmas from essentially desacralized perspective. As of today, a clear correlation can be seen between the quality of living in every particular country and the extent of citizens’ sense of religiosity – the higher are the standards of living, the lesser is the chance for those who enjoy these standards to be endowed with strong religious beliefs. For example, the number of practicing Christians in such cou ntries as Denmark, Sweden and Norway is estimated to account for only 1%-2% of total population. As Durkheim (1954) had rightly noticed in his famous book The Elementary Forms of Religious Life: â€Å"Religion no longer thrills us, because many of its aspects have passed into common usage to such a degree that we are no longer conscious of them, or because they do not meet our current aspirations†(Durkheim 30). At the same time, the conceptual matrix of Christianity continues to be considered by many policy-makers in the West as a source of divinely inspired morality. For example, it never even occurred to the former American President George Bush that there was anything wrong with him making references the to the ‘good book’, while explaining what had prompted him to decide in favour of attacking Iraq.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In its turn, this ex plains why many intellectually advanced citizens are being subconsciously predisposed to pay a close attention to just about any work of literature or a movie, which is being aimed at desacralizing religion – by doing it, they establish themselves as rationale-driven and therefore, responsible individuals. Thus, Brown’s novel is best referred to as the intellectual by-product of post-industrial era, the socio-political realities of which point out to people’s sense of irrational religiosity as the ultimate indication of their lessened social value. This is exactly the reason why The Da Vinci Code is being banned from bookstores in countries where citizens’ lessened biological worth has been allowing Catholic Church to enjoy an undisputed religious and political authority, throughout the course of centuries (Philippines, Mexico, Peru), while contributing to these countries’ economic and geopolitical backwardness more than any other factor. Apparentl y, intellectually inflexible individuals simply cannot handle a simple truth that just about any religion is not being divinely inspired, as self-appointed ‘servants of God’ would like us to believe, but man-made. And, once believers are being rid of their illusions, in regards to the essence of religion as nothing but simply a sublimation of people’s death-related anxieties, Church’s religious authority will get to be automatically delegitimized down to nothing. It goes without saying, of course, that the best way of undermining Catholic Church’s religious authority and revealing its true essence as nothing but one of the most lucrative and most shameless commercial enterprises that world has ever known, would be exposing ‘savior’ as a mortal individual, endowed with sexual urges, just like the rest of people. As one of novel’s most prominent characters, Sir Teabing had put it: â€Å"A child of Jesus would undermine the critica l notion of Christ’s divinity and therefore the Christian Church, which declared itself the sole vessel through which humanity could access the divine and gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven†(Brown 216). Nevertheless, we cannot agree with religiously minded critics of The Da Vinci Code, who often refer to the plot of Brown’s novel as being based upon pseudo-historical speculations, and therefore – not worthy of readers’ attention.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Da Vinci Code specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apparently, it never occurred to Christian critics that, while referring to novel’s affiliation with the literary genre of fiction as the foremost proof to the sheer fallaciousness of the claims, contained in it, they actually contribute to promoting Brown’s cause even further – whatever the improbable it might sound. The reason for this is simpl e – while being encouraged to analyze what accounts for fictious motifs in The Da Vinci Code, readers are being simultaneously provoked to analyze what represents fictious motifs in the Bible. In his book The God Delusion, Dawkings (2006) had made a perfectly good point, while stating: â€Å"The only difference between The Da Vinci Code and the gospels is that the gospels are ancient fiction while The Da Vinci Code is modern fiction†(Dawkings 97). Despite the format of Brown’s novel, it does operate with a variety of historically proven facts, which Christians do not like discussing, simply because these facts leave very little doubt as to the Bible being anything but the actual ‘word of God’. For example, in his dialogue with the characters of Langdon and Sophie, Sir Teabing provides readers with the insight onto the fact that, before being incorporated into Christianity’s dogma as its integral element, the divinity of Jesus was actually vo ted upon by attendees of Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.): â€Å"At this gathering (Council of Nicaea)†¦ many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon – the date of Easter, the role of the bishops, the administration of sacraments, and, of course, the divinity of Jesus†(Brown 199). As historical accounts indicate, during the course of the Council, its participants would never hesitate resorting to utilization of a naked force, in order to substantiate their pro and contra-divinity arguments. Here is how Grant (1975) describes the initial stages of the Council: â€Å"At the beginning, most of the bishops presented written accusations against selected colleagues. The charges could not have been theological, since the theological question had not yet been stated†(Grant 5).Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In other words, the recognition of Jesus’ divinity that had taken place during the course of the Council, was largely incidental – the number of bishops who voted in favor of recognizing Jesus’ divinity simply happened to be slightly larger than the number of bishops who voted against. In all probability, mostly illiterate bishops did not even fully realize what would be the consequence of such their decision. And yet, Catholic Church never ceased referring to the Council of Nicaea as the birthplace of a so-called ‘holy tradition’, which is still being revered by devout Catholics as something that has been passed down to them by God himself. Therefore, it is not the historical inaccuracies, contained in The Da Vinci Code, which upset Catholic clergy the most, but the fact that Brown’s novel exposes the inner workings behind the respectful faà §ade of Catholicism. As it has always been the case, throughout the course of history, Church did no t only actively try to slow down the pace of cultural and scientific progress in Europe, but it even strived to withhold the information about what Bible was all about from its own flock. Up until the time of Reformation, translating Bible from Latin into secularly spoken languages used to be considered a major sin, punishable by death. Apparently, in his novel Brown had succeeded with encouraging people to make critical inquiries about whether Catholic Church even has a right to claim any religious authority, in the first place, given its ‘glorious’ deeds in the past and also in the present. Why is it that those high-ranking Church’s officials who never get tired of preaching humility to believers, find it appropriate driving around in bulletproof limousines that often cost millions of dollars a piece? Why is it that, when they get ill, the ‘representatives of Jesus on Earth’ chose in favor of undergoing medicinal treatment in privately owned Swiss clinics, as opposed to relying on the ‘power of God’s miracle’ alone, as they expect ordinary believers to do? Why is it that the very term ‘Catholic priest’ is now being commonly perceived as synonymous to the term ‘child molester’? Why does Catholic Church continue to refer to the usage of contraceptives as ‘sinful’, hence contributing to the problem of overpopulation in the countries of Third World and ultimately, to the rise of mortality rates in this region of the world? Dan Brown can only be thankful for the fact that he does not live in time when Catholic Church was at the peak of its power (Dark Ages); because otherwise, Catholic ‘lambs of God’ would deal with the author of The Da Vinci Code rather decisively – tying him up to a pole and setting it on fire. As Nicolosi (2009) had put it in her article Just Say No to ‘The Da Vinci Code’: â€Å"You don’t debate the devil. You do not give evil the authority to question God. ‘The Da Vinci Code’ represents a debate in which the questions start with Satan’s presumptions†(BeliefNet). Just as it is the case with just about any self-righteous Christian fundamentalist, Nicolosi would do her utmost, while combating what she believe represents evil. Unfortunately, it never occurred to this person, clearly not overburdened with intelligence, that one of the sources of all evil in the world are the uncritical religious beliefs, on the part of steadfast ‘lambs of God’, like herself. Thus, it would not be much of an exaggeration to suggest that, even though Brown’s novel does contain a fair amount of historical inaccuracies, it nevertheless represents an undeniable literary, historical and above all – educational value. By reading The Da Vinci Code, people will learn to adopt a critical attitude towards just about any issue, concerning the process of religious Ã¢â‚¬Ë œwolfs in lamb’s skin’ taking an advantage of citizens’ naivety, while proceeding with the agenda that has always been the foremost trademark of those who professionally work on behalf of an organized religion – the accumulation of material riches. We can say that, by publishing The Da Vinci Code, Brown had driven yet one more nail into the coffin of Christianity, as semi-religious cult of suicidally-minded desert-dwellers, which encourages people to exterminate ‘infidels’ (a particularly godly deed), which teaches them not to marry, not to wash before eating, not to tend crops, not to bury dead (Kingdom of heaven is at hand), and which had unleashed the hell on Earth (Crusades, Inquisition), well before the coming of a hypothetical Antichrist. Given the fact that, unlike Islam, Christianity had long ago ceased being ‘alive’ religion, one should simply ignore the hysterical reactions of ‘defenders of Christian faith’ , in regards to the publishing of The Da Vinci Code – eventually, these people will learn that trying to discourage others from reading Brown’s novel is being just as futile as trying to bite their own elbows. The historically predetermined process of people coming to realization of the fact that God resides within, as opposed to residing up in clouds, simply cannot be stopped. And, the sooner particularly aggressive believers realize it, the better it will be for them. References Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. Sydney: Anchor Books, 2009. Dawkings, Richard. The God Delusion. Toronto: Bantam Press, 2006. Durkheim, Emil. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York: The Free Press, 1954. Ferris, Stewart. Key to the Da Vinci Code. London: Crombie Jardine, 2005. Grant, Robert â€Å"Religion and Politics at the Council at Nicaea†. The Journal of Religion, 55.1 (1975): 1-12. Nicolosi, Barbara â€Å"Just Say No to The Da Vinci Code†. (2009) BeliefNet. 19 Aug . 2009. This essay on The Da Vinci Code was written and submitted by user Raquel Ramirez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Gogatsu byou May Sickness
Gogatsu byou May Sickness After Golden Week (a succession of holidays) is over, a symptom called, Gogatsu byou occurs to some Japanese people. Gogatsu means May and byou means sickness. It is a depression that affects some new students or employees during the first few months of their new life (the Japanese school year starts in April). It is not a medical term and is usually diagnosed as an adjustment disorder. It is always hard to get back to a regular routine after a nice long vacation. Japanese Translation ä ºâ€Ã¦Å"ˆçâ€"… ã‚ ´Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£Æ' «Ã£Æ'‡ãÆ' ³Ã£â€š ¦Ã£â€š £Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£â€š ¯Ã£ Å'ç µâ€šÃ£â€š 㠣ã Ÿã ‚㠨ã ら㠄㠫ã€ ä ºâ€Ã¦Å"ˆçâ€"…㠨ã „ã †çâ€"‡çŠ¶Ã£ «Ã£ ‹ã ‹ã‚‹ä º ºÃ£ Å'㠄㠾㠙。æâ€" °Ã£ â€"ã „çâ€Å¸Ã¦ ´ »Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¥ §â€¹Ã£â€š ã ŸãÆ' ¶Ã¦Å"ˆã ®Ã©â€"“㠫〠æâ€" °Ã¥â€¦ ¥Ã§â€Å¸Ã£â€šâ€žÃ¦â€" °Ã¥â€¦ ¥Ã§ ¤ ¾Ã¥â€œ ¡Ã£ «Ã£ ¿Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£â€šÅ'る㠆㠤çâ€"…㠮よ㠆㠪も㠮㠧㠙。(æâ€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã£ ®Ã¥ ¦Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ º ¦Ã£ ¯Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ¦Å"ˆã «Ã¥ §â€¹Ã£ ¾Ã£â€šÅ 㠾㠙。) ä ºâ€Ã¦Å"ˆçâ€"…㠯åÅ' »Ã¥ ¦Ã§Å¡â€žÃ£ ªÃ¥ ç § °Ã£ §Ã£ ¯Ã£ ªÃ£ ã€ é ©Ã¥ ¿Å"éšÅ"Ã¥ ® ³Ã£ ¨Ã¨ ¨ ºÃ¦â€" ã •ã‚Å'る㠓㠨ã Å'Ã¥ ¤Å¡Ã£ „㠧ã ™ã€‚å ¹ ¸Ã£ „㠪ã “㠨㠫〠æâ€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã£ §Ã§ § 㠯ä ºâ€Ã¦Å"ˆçâ€"…㠫㠋㠋㠣ã Ÿã “㠨à £ ¯Ã£ ‚り㠾㠛んã Å'ã€ æ ¥ ½Ã£ â€"ã „é• ·Ã£ „ä ¼â€˜Ã£ ¿Ã£ ®Ã£ ‚㠨〠æâ€" ¥Ã¥ ¸ ¸Ã§â€Å¸Ã¦ ´ »Ã£ «Ã¦Ë† »Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£ ®Ã£ ¯Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ¤â€°Ã£ ªÃ£â€šâ€šÃ£ ®Ã£ §Ã£ ™ã‚ˆã 。 Romaji Translation Gooruden wiiku ga owatta ato gurai ni, gogatsu byou to iu shoujou ni kakaru hito ga imasu. Atarashii seikatsu o hajimeta ni, san kagetsu no aida ni, shinnyuusei ya shinnyuushain ni mirareru utsubyou no youna mono desu. (Nihon no gakunendo wa shigatsu ni hajimarimasu.) Gogatsu byou wa igakutekina meishou dewa naku, tekiou shougai to shindan sareru koto ga ooi desu. Saiwaina koto ni, nihon de watashi wa gogatsu byou ni kakatta koto wa arimasen ga, tanoshii nagai yasumi no ato, nichijou seikatsu ni modoru nowa taihenna mono desu yo ne. Note: The translation is not always literal. Beginners Phrase It is always hard to get back to a regular routine after a nice long vacation. Tanoshii nagai yasumi no ato, nichijou seikatsu ni modoru nowa taihenna mono desu.㠟㠮ã â€"ã „ 㠪ã Å'ã „ や㠙㠿㠮ã ‚㠨〠㠫㠡㠘ょ㠆ã ݋ „㠋㠤ã « も㠩る㠮ã ¯ 㠟㠄㠸ん㠪も㠮㠧ã ™ã€‚æ ¥ ½Ã£ â€"ã „é• ·Ã£ „ä ¼â€˜Ã£ ¿Ã£ ®Ã£ ‚㠨〠æâ€" ¥Ã¥ ¸ ¸Ã§â€Å¸Ã¦ ´ »Ã£ «Ã¦Ë† »Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£ ®Ã£ ¯Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ¤â€°Ã£ ªÃ£â€šâ€šÃ£ ®Ã£ §Ã£ ™ã€‚
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Political theories and ideologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Political theories and ideologies - Essay Example Political ideology is an ideology whose focus is on the political arena. The political system is a way in which the existing societies make and analyze their decisions about the most important value. Political ideologies have two partial exceptions; two cases in which focuses on the importance of religious beliefs, that is those of liberation and Islam. Political philosophy, political ideology, and political theory all relate in that they focus on the different ways of thinking about all the political ideas. All political philosophies which are every political statement about how the government or the people should behave has a statement on how they behave, which is political theory This paper tackles the ideologies of nationalism, globalism, and feminism; it comprises some comparisons of the three ideologies. For nationalism, it is set of beliefs, which help produce a divergent set of the already existing nationalisms. Nationalism is important today; there are forces, however, that diminish nationalism, and these forces include internationalism, globalization, and religionalism. Nationalism also means the national awareness of oneself as part of a bigger group, identification with a group and patriotism. However contradicting the theory of nationalism is, scholars still view it as an ideology some state that nationalism is the most powerful tool in the political ideologies. They say that it is one of the least expected ideologies but still one of the most important in contemporary international politics. This results from the increased awareness about national identities through pressing for their distinctiveness and rediscovering their national history and making of demands under national self-determination. Nationalism has both the bad and the good aspects, which mean theirs and ours. The good and the bad often reflect the analysis of all the types of nationalism and the impacts associated to it. Traditionalist view nationalism
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra Essay
A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra - Essay Example Franz Joseph Haydn, the leading composer of the classical period who is renowned as â€Å"Father of the symphony†as well as â€Å"Father of the string quartet†(Last.fm, 2008). To add to the glory of the event, the third piece which was played was Symphony No.2 other wise called Little Russian, composed by the Great Russian composer, Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. The dynamics involved in the piece Iron Diamond were Adagio-Vivace assai, Adagio, Menuetto Allegretto, Finale and Vivace whereas the second piece included Andante sostenuto-Allegro vivo, Andantino marziale quasi moderato and Scherzo. The movements in Symphony No.2 were Allegro molto vivace, Finale and Moderato assai. The concert was conducted by Nan Harrison Washburn, the music director of Plymouth Canton Symphony Society and winner of sixteen ASCAP awards for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music from American Symphony Orchestra League (Plymouth, 2008). The harmony of Flute, Piano, Violin, Bassoon, Clarinet, Horn and other wind instruments left the audience float in the thin air of music. The concert was arranged to inspire music lovers and was promoted as a research scenario for the music students as the ticket rates were discounted for them. The performance was well enjoyed by the crowd as they could be found lost in another world of dreams and passions.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Operations management of the Tata Motors Group
Operations management of the Tata Motors Group The concept of operations management is related to the optimum utilization of the resources in the best possible way. In todays complex business environment it is very important to understand the importance of every management process. operations management is a very important factor for the maximum utilization of resources in any firm. Introduction Established under the parent company, Tata Group, in 1945, Tata Motors Limited has become Indias largest automobile company. It was the first Indian automobile company to list on the New York Stock Exchange. Tata Motors began manufacturing commercial vehicles in 1954 with a 15-year collaboration agreement with Daimler Benz of Germany. This partnership has led Tata Motors to not only become Indias largest automobile company but also Indias largest commercial vehicle manufacturer; the worlds top five manufactures of medium and heavy trucks and the worlds second largest medium and heavy bus manufacturer. Having just entered the passenger vehicles market segment in 1991, Tata Motors now ranks second in Indias passenger vehicle market. Tata has enjoyed the prestige of having developed Tata Ace, Indias first indigenous light commercial vehicle; Tata Safari, Indias first sports utility vehicle; Tata Indica, Indias first indigenously manufactured passenger car; and the Nano, the worlds least expensive The company that has been taken for the purpose of demonstrating operation management and its effectiveness is Tata motors India Pvt. Ltd. The fact that tata motors came up with a small car in the Indian market and has been very succesfull it needs to be understood that what it is that instigated the success to such a boundry. Tata Motors is Indias largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of USD 20 billion in 2009-10. It is the leader in commercial vehicles and among the top three in passenger vehicles. Tata Motors has products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments. The company is the worlds fourth largest truck manufacturer, the worlds second largest bus manufacturer, and employs 24,000 workers. Since first rolled out in 1954, Tata Motors has produced and sold over 4 million vehicles in India. Established in 1945, when the company began manufacturing locomotives, the company manufactured its first commercial vehicle in 1954 in a collaboration with Daimler-Benz AG, which ended in 1969. Tata Motors is a dual-listed company traded on both the Bombay Stock Exchange, as well as on the New York Stock Exchange. Tata Motors in 2005, was ranked among the top 10 corporations in India with an annual revenue exceeding INR 320 billion. In 2010, Tata Motors surpassed Reliance to win the coveted title of Indias most valuable brand in a annual survey conducted by Brand Finance and The Economic Times. Tata Motors has auto manufacturing and assembly plants in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar , Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Sanand,Dharwad and Pune in India, as well as in Argentina, South Africa and Thailand. Tata Motors aimed to increase its presence worldwide. In 2004, it acquired the Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company of South Korea. The reasons behind the acquisition were: Companys global plans to reduce domestic exposure. The domestic commercial vehicle market is highly cyclical in nature and prone to fluctuations in the domestic economy. Tata Motors has a high domestic exposure of ~94% in the MHCV segment and ~84% in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment. Since the domestic commercial vehicle sales of the company are at the mercy of the structural economic factors, it is increasingly looking at the international markets. The company plans to diversify into various markets across the world in both MHCV as well as LCV segments. To expand the product portfolio Tata Motors recently introduced the 25MT GVW Tata Novus from Daewoos (South Korea) (TDCV) platform. Tata plans to leverage on the strong presence of TDCV in the heavy-tonnage range and introduce products in India at an appropriate time. This was mainly to cater to the international market and also to cater to the domestic market where a major improvement in the Road infrastructure was done through the National Highway Development Project. Tata remains Indias largest heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer and Tata Daewoo is the 2nd largest heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer in South Korea. Tata Motors has jointly worked with Tata Daewoo to develop trucks such as Novus and World Truck and buses namely, GloBus and StarBus. In January 2008, Tata Motors launched Tata Nano, the least expensive production car in the world at about 120,000 (US $3000).The city car was unveiled during the Auto Expo 2008 exhibition in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Tata has faced controversy over developing the Nano as some environmentalists are concerned that the launch of such a low-priced car could lead to mass motorization in India with adverse effects on pollution and global warming. Tata has set up a factory in Sanand, Gujarat and the first Nanos are to roll out summer 2009. Tata Nano Europa has been developed for sale in developed economies and is to hit markets in 2010 while the normal Nano should hit markets in South Africa, Kenya and countries in Asia and Africa by late 2009. A battery version is also planned. Tata Motors Limited is Indias largest automobile company, with revenues of 35,651.48 crore (US$7.74 billion) in 2007-08. It is the leader in commercial vehicles in each segment, and among the top three in passenger vehicles in India with products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments. Tata vehicles are sold primarily in India, and over 4 million Tata vehicles have been produced domestically since the first Tata vehicle was assembled in 1954. The companys manufacturing base in India is spread across Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Pune (Maharashtra), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and Dharwad (Karnataka). Following a strategic alliance with Fiat in 2005, Tata set up an industrial joint venture with Fiat Group Automobiles at Ranjangaon (Maharashtra) to produce both Fiat and Tata cars and Fiat powertrains. The company is establishing a new plant at Sanand (Gujarat). Tatas dealership, sales, service and spare parts network comprises over 3500 touch points. Ta ta Motors also distributes and markets Fiat branded cars in India. Current Situation The Tata Motors group is a passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturer based in India. The motor group was established in 1945 as part of the larger Tata Group. They have long been known for their commercial vehicles and in the past ten years entered into the passenger car market. Currently, Tata Motors has a line of five passenger vehicles and a large line of commercial vehicles producing pickups, trucks, tractor trailers, tippers, and buses. Both product lines of the Tata Motors group have seen success, but much of this has been built upon the more deeply established commercial vehicle product line. Tata Motors commercial line has been established for several years in many market segments such as Europe, Africa, The Middle East, Australia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Tata Motors has expanded their business and market share around the world through a series of acquisitions. In 2004, they acquired Daewoo commercial vehicle Company in South Korea which was South Koreas second largest truck manufacturer. This acquisition gave Tata Motors a significant presence in the Korean market. They have also entered into joint ventures with companies such as Thonburi Automotive in 2006, which allowed them to manufacture and market pickup trucks in Thailand. Tata Motors have been making global headlines in the auto industry lately; the largest news being their acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. Tata paid 2.3 billion dollars to Ford for the two brands that cost Ford 5.3 billion (Carty, USA Today). This is a major step for the company because it catapults them into the luxury car business which they are not known for at this time. Tata, like many new businesses it acquires, is allowing this new segment of the business to be run by previous management since they have more experience in the luxury automotive business. Tata will give us some space. They want us to run our business, be a premium British car company (Mike ODriscoll, managing director of Jaguar). This is yet another large acquisition for the Tata Motors group and could create great success for the company in the near future. Corporate Governance Since Tata Motors is a part of a large conglomerate company it needs to have a strong corporate governance to ensure that its employees act ethically and the business continues to run smoothly especially during the ever changing and dynamic global economy. Tata Groups corporate governance is founded upon a rich legacy of fair, ethical, and transparent governance practices (tatacarsworldwide.com). One of the more important parts of this is the transparency of the company people have a right to know what the company is doing not only to ensure ethical practices, but for the insurance of their many shareholders whom have a right to know the inner workings of the company Tata has created some models for employees to guide themselves through everyday business practices to ensure that the corporate governance is continuously being upheld. The Tata business excellence model is upheld by Tata quality management services. Quality management is an in-house group dedicated to helping the various Tata companies achieve their business objectives through specific processes. The two main processes that the quality management services employees focus on are business excellence and business ethics. These two objectives have helped build Tata into the strong, dynamic company it is today. These models are entrenched in the companys ethnical standards and Tata feels strongly about enforcing both throughout the company. Tata quality management services plays the role of supporter and facilitator in the journey that Tata enterprises undertake to reach the peaks of business eminence while, at the same time, adhering to the highest ethical standards (Tata.com). To further prove their commitment to quality and ethical practices Tata has introduced annual quality awards for those companies conducting business with the utmost quality. These awards are called the JRD quality value awards named after the late chairmen JRD Tata. These awards are presented annually on July 29th, the birthday of JRD Tata. Tata has committed to ensuring quality and ethical standards not only within Tata Motors, but throughout their many other branches and sectors of the Tata Group. They have done so by benchmarking quality standards through the Tata business excellence model as well as providing incentives for companies to strive to improve the quality of their service, by awarding JRD quality management awards. Financial Position Tata Motors have increased its earnings over the years through their various acquisitions and joint ventures with truck manufacturers in Southeast Asia. Gross profit in the year 2006 was 1,160.9 million and increased to 1,510.1 million in the year 2007. Earnings after taxes also increased significantly between 2006 and 2007 increasing from 336.6 million to 405.5 million in 2007. After a large drop in revenues from 2004 to 2005 when the company first went public on the NYSE it has been increasing revenues greatly annually, from 4,422.0 million in 2005 to 7,354.0 in 2007. Core Competencies Tata Motors is able to maintain, as well as increase, their market share by capitalizing on their core competencies. Tata Motors is active, competitive, and dynamic in all aspects of the automotive industry, which means that there must be many different activities going on in all areas of the company. As a result of the ever evolving automotive industry Tata Motors must always be changing and one way to stay at the forefront of the industry is to make continuous improvements in technology through research and development. One way that Tata Motors has done this is by producing one of the most efficient and low cost vehicles on the market. Acquisitions, mergers, and expansion is another core competency that Tata Motors has is embedded in their company structure and philosophy. Another core competency that Tata Motors holds is being located in the India. This location has allowed them to understand not only the Indian market but also the dynamics of emerging and developing markets. This market understanding and knowledge allows Tata Motors to manufacture their products at lower costs, sell them to emerging markets while making profits as well as take advantage of the strong labor base in India. PEST Analysis Political Since Tata Motors operates in multiple countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, it needs to pay close attention to the political climate but also laws and regulations in all the countries it operates in while also paying attention to regional governing bodies. Laws governing commerce, trade, growth, and investment are dependent on the local government as well as how successful local markets and economies will be due to regional, national and local influence. In accordance, Tatas headquarters in Mumbai, India, strictly controls and regulates operations in all dealerships and subsidiaries, in addition to knowing and abiding by all labor laws in the multiple countries where they have manufacturing plants it has to watch political change. Economic Operating in numerous countries across the world, Tata Motors functions with a global economic perspective while focusing on each individual market. Because Tata is in a rapid growth period, expanding or forming a joint venture in over five countries world-wide since 2004, a global approach enables Tata Motors to adapt and learn from the many different regions within the whole automotive industry. They have experience and resources from five continents across the globe, thus when any variable changes in the market they can gather information and resources from all over the world to address any issues. For instance, if the price of the aluminum required to make engine blocks goes up in Kenya, Tata has the option to get the aluminum from other suppliers in Europe or Asia who they would normally get from for production in Ukraine or Russia. Tata Motors also has to pay close attention to shifts in currency rates throughout the world. Currency fluctuations can equate to higher or lower de mands for Tata vehicles which in turn affect profitability. It can also mean a rise in costs or a drop in returns. But they also have to pay attention to not just the domestic currency, the rupee, but also to the dollar, euro, bhat, won, and pound, to just name a few. Just because the rupee is strong against the dollar does not mean it is strong against all the other currencies. Attention to currency is important because it influences where capital investment will develop and prosper. Social Undoubtedly, the beliefs, opinions, and general attitude of all the stakeholders in a company will affect how well a company performs. This includes every stakeholder from the CEO and President, down to the line workers who screw the door panel into place, from the investor to the customer, the culture and attitude of all these people will ultimately determine the future of a company and whether they will be profitable or not. For this reason, Tata Motors tends to use an integration and rarely separation technique with foreign companies they acquire. In 2004, Tata Motors acquired Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company, which was at the time Koreas second largest truck maker. Rather than using de-culturation or assimilating Daewoo, Tata took an integrated approach, and continued building and marketing Daewoos current models as well as introducing a few new models globally just as it had been done under Korean management. Technology Tata Motors and its parent company, the Tata Group, are ahead of the game in the technology field. The foundation of the companys growth is a deep understanding of economic stimuli and customer needs, and the ability to translate them into customer-desired offerings through leading edge RD (Tata). Employing 1,400 scientists and engineers, Tata Motors Research and Development team is ahead of the pack in Indias market and right with the rest of the field internationally. Among Tatas firsts are the first indigenously developed Light Commercial Vehicle, Indias first Sports Utility Vehicle and, in 1998, the Tata Indica, Indias first fully indigenous passenger car, as well as the increasingly famous Tata Nano, which is projected to be the worlds cheapest production car (Tata). In the automotive industry, it is becoming increasingly crucial for manufacturers to stay on top of the technology curve with new problems always rising such as escalating gas prices and pollution problems. Tata rec ognizes this and dedicates lots of resources and time into research and development to be even with or preferably ahead of other competitors, global trends, and changing economies. In all, an automobile manufacturer must change, adapt, and evolve to stay competitive in the automotive game, and this is exactly what Tata is doing with their rapid growth, and extensive research and development. SWOT Analysis Strengths Tata Motors excels when it comes to innovation through intensive research and development. Their ability to make the least expensive car on the market, the Nano which will retail for $2,500, is far beyond what any other car dealership has created. This innovation gives Tata Motors their main competitive advantage. Tata Motors makes everything from tractor-trailers to the worlds least expensive car. This product diversity grants them a competitive advantage over their competitors because they can satisfy more markets and customer needs. Another strength that Tata Motors possesses is high corporate responsibility. They donate a portion of their profits from stock increases towards a specific charity. This highlights Tata Motors overall desire for community improvement while also emphasizing Tata Motors high morals and values which is something money can not buy. Tata Motors is unique in a way in which when it buys a company. Tata Motors keeps the original management of that company int act. The company that Tata Motors purchases will look exactly the same in terms of management and organizational structure as if it was never purchased by Tata Motors. Weaknesses There are strings attached with every new invention and improvement on products. These strings are Tata Motors weaknesses and what other groups perceive as their weaknesses. One weakness that Tata Motors faces is its inability to meet safety standards. Although they have made the most inexpensive car out on the market, it has yet to pass all the safety standards which is a legal factor. Some consumers and pessimists inquire as to how Tata Motors can make such a cheap car and withstanding a car accident or not just falling apart after hitting something once. Pessimistic people also want to believe that car manufactures are already doing everything they can to keep costs low for the consumer, and if that is the case, then putting the cheapest car out on the market automatically questions if it is safe to drive.Tata Motors only have been making passenger cars for the approximately last ten years. This can be viewed as a weakness from a customer standpoint since a decade does not seem li ke a lot to consumers and therefore they will think that Tata Motors is inexperienced car manufacturing. Opportunities Tata Motors has already opened the doors for many new and innovative ideas, but not only for their company, but their competitors as well which could turn into a threat. One of the major opportunities that Tata Motor faces is that as of right now 90 percent of China and Indias adult population do not own cars, partly because cars are costly and require more expenses after purchased. So the market for a low-priced car is huge which benefits Tata Motors perfectly since they produce the lowest priced car on the market. This is a huge opportunity for Tata Motors because if they can get their feet into that market of people that do not have cars because they cannot afford them, then they will make large profits down the road. Chinas total car sales are estimated at over 8 million dollars annually and they were the worlds second largest car market in 2006. Chinas government forecasts that demand for cars will top 20 million by 2020. With Tata Motors in the market with the cheapest car, Chinas demand for cars will probably increase even more significantly which will in turn increase sales for Tata Motors. As of March 2008 Tata Motors finalized a deal with Ford Motor Company to acquire the British businesses, Jaguar Cars and Land Rover. This is a huge opportunity for Tata Motors since they will acquire the large knowledge base and technologies for producing and marketing luxury vehicles. This acquisition helps them dive into the more mature markets in Japan, Europe and the U.S. The knowledge transfer from these two companies will greatly improve Tata Motors ability to continue to grow and flourish in both developing and developed market segments. Threats The obvious threat to Tata Motors is intellectual property rights. Tata invented the cheapest car on the market and every automobile manufacturer wants to know how Tata did it. Headhunters are soon going to find out this valuable information and make it available to their own company. This is a huge threat to Tata Motors because at first they had low competition, but once other car manufactures find out how they invented such a low cost car, and then these companies too will jump on board and design their own line of low cost automobiles. On one hand this can be a threat, but on the other it may not affect Tata Motors at all because people will still want to purchase their product since they were the pioneers of all the excitement. Another main concern that Tata Motors faces is that cheap cars in India will have an adverse effect on pollution and global warming because most of the population will be able to afford the cars.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Changes in the twenty first century workplace Essay example -- Technol
It was once a common belief that if employees worked hard, showed up on time and followed the rules that they would be guaranteed a job for life. However, over the last decade there have been changes in the workplace. There are two main causes for this change. The changes in the work place in the twenty-first century are being caused by advancements in technology and expansions in globalization through the Internet. The advancement in technology across the world is a major cause of the changes in the workplace. For instance, the advancements in computers are astounding. Mainframe computers have given way to personal computers, then laptop computers, and now hand-held tablets. Findings of a study by IDC, a market research company, showed that by 2015 more people will be connecting to the Internet using tablets, smart phones, and other mobile gadgets compared to those who use the Internet through their desktop computers (Schroeder). Cell phones have also seen a revolution by becoming faster, more efficient and more feature-rich. It is even possible to check email on the way to work using a handheld device. A Nielson fact sheet outlining the usage of various devices in America shows that â€Å"there are 223 million cell phone users over the age of 13, and 25% of the mobile devices sold during Q3 of 2009 were smart phones. That is estimated to go up to between 40-50% during 2010†(Heimbuch). Individuals can text, status update, tweet, or reach other seamlessly by mobile devices that can fit in their pockets. Even the printed word may become obsolete according to Aaron Bradley, as outlined in his online article called â€Å"A Modest Proposal for Newspapers in the 21st Century.†In his article, he discusses how the printing of newspapers is be... ...in the new â€Å"flat world†individuals need to figure out how to become â€Å"untouchable.†He explains that â€Å"untouchables are people whose jobs cannot be outsourced, digitized, or automated†(184). He explains that in a â€Å"flat world†there is no longer a job based solely on geographic, but rather in most cases an available job â€Å"will go to the best, smartest, most productive or cheapest worker-wherever he or she resides†(183). He goes on to show that companies and individuals have to look at the global picture today in order to succeed (183). The work place has changed through the course of the centuries. Technology and globalization are the causes of the change in the workplace in the twenty-first century. Who does what work, when, and how will continue to evolve as technology becomes increasingly more advanced and communication across the globe becomes more seamless.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Earth Science: Atmosphere Essay Essay
The atmosphere is practically everything above the Earths surface. It starts at ground level and then just goes on upward, getting thinner and colder until it finally dissolves into space. The atmosphere makes our world livable. It is responsible for winds, weather, temperature and a lot more features that make the Earth different than other planets. Without it, the Earth would be more like the moon. From a general point of view, the atmospheres composition seems simple. It contains oxygen produced mostly by algae and other plants. Statistically speaking, it is composed of 79% nitrogen, 20% oxygen and 0.036% carbon dioxide. The rest is made up of small amounts of other gases. The atmosphere is divided into four layers. The atmosphere also has a layer of ozone. The layers of the atmosphere listed from lowest altitude to highest altitude are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. The troposphere extends from the Earths surface up to about 14 kilometers in altitude. All human activities occur in the troposphere. The troposphere is the layer where all weather we experience takes place. It is a thin layer of the atmosphere. The warmest part of the troposphere is at the bottom. Commonly in the troposphere, altitude increases as temperature decreases. However there is an exception. Depending on wind currents, mountain ranges can cause lower troposphere areas to have an opposite effect. The next layer is called the stratosphere. There are gradual changes from the troposphere to the stratosphere. The stratosphere starts at about 11 km in altitude. Here, the air flows mostly sideways. Most commercial aircraft travel takes place in the lower part of the stratosphere. Extremely high and wispy clouds can form in the lower stratosphere; however no major weather formations can take place in the stratosphere. In this layer, temperature increases as altitude increases. The third layer of the Earths atmosphere is the mesosphere. This layer extends from 50 to about 80-90 km in altitude. Temperatures in the upper mesosphere fall as low as -100 °C. The temperature varies in this layer by latitude and season. Temperature decreases with altitude in the mesosphere. The mesosphere is commonly known as the middle layer. The last and uppermost layer of the atmosphere is the thermosphere. In this layer, temperatures can reach an outstanding high of 1982 degrees celcius! Extreme thermosphere temperatures are a result of UV radiation absorbtion. Radio waves bounce off the thermosphere. The aurora is found in the thermosphere. The Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis are the northern and southern lights. They cause magnetic storms near the polls. The ozone layer is concentrated in a thin layer located at the uppermost part of the stratosphere, approximately 15-30 km above the Earths surface. Ozone is an exceptionally reactive form of oxygen. The roll of the ozone layer is to protect the Earth from the harmful effects of ultra violet radiation. To complete its role, ozone needs atmospheric oxygen. Ultra violet radiation is bad because it causes breaks in the human bodys nuclear proteins leaving opportunity for cancers and other health issues to take place. U.V. radiation also has bad effects on some crops, materials and marine organisms. Ozone is much less widespread than normal oxygen. The formation of the ozone layer is a tricky matter. Out of every 10 million molecules, about 2 million are regular oxygen. Another important topic on the atmosphere is atmospheric pressure. Air pressure is defined as the gravimetric force applied on you by the weight of air molecules. The Earths atmosphere presses down on every surface with a force of 1kg/cm2. This means that the force on 1000 square centimeters would be nearly a ton! Weather scientists measure air pressure with a barometer. Air pressure effects weather in the sense that if there is high air pressure, there will be cooler temperatures and sunny skies. If there is low air pressure system, there will be warmer temperatures and possibly thunder storms. The atmosphere is extremely vital to Earth. Without it, the Earth would be unprotected from UV radiation and there would be no persistent climate and weather patterns. It is our jobs as humans to do what we can to protect the atmosphere. WORK CITED. The book I used was. Earth Science Demystified by Linda Williams. Published by Mc Graw Hill. 2004
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