2500 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

2500 - Essay Example The bearing used for this specific case of wind turbine is ball-bearings. The ball-bearings are used for low load and high speed machines. The ball bearings are generally manufactured from steel material. This material is preferred choice due to its high strength, and resistance of corrosion and high fatigue strength. As per standard practice, the outer race of the ball bearing is manufactured from high alloy steel bar, in most of the cases the inner races, wear rings are also manufactured from the same material. The recommended steel alloy for such manufacturing is BMS-931 and 8720H. The manufacturing process begins with the forging of the steel bar, the material is forged into different shapes like cups, cones etc. The forging process is generally hot forging; this process shall release thermal stresses from the material during the process. The forging process can be explained as, "exposure of the steel bar in the induction heater system, the heating process is halted after the temperature reaches the melting point of the material; at this temperature maximum formability for hot forging is attained". After the completion of hot forging, the material is pierced. The material used for the manufacturing is SAE-521000; the material is used in the form of forged rings. The centre-less grinding is applied on the material, which is extremely rough machining process. The material is then treated at high temperature, after which the hardness of the material is checked. The grinding on the material is conducted to secure smooth surface finish. During the process the material undergoes "honing and super finishing followed by washing; later anti-rush agent is applied on the object" (Bruce, 1997). The heat treatment process is extremely critical, and during this process the ample exposure to the heat will release thermal stresses within the object. The process is conducted "to

International Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Strategic Management - Essay Example On the other hand, firms of each particular industrial sector have to align their marketing strategies in accordance with the characteristics of the specific sector but also the position of their competitors. Specifically referring to firms operating in the pharmaceutical industry White (2006, 175) noticed that ‘the pharmaceutical sector regularly forms alliances, partnerships, and joint ventures with kindred industries such as biotechnology, diagnostics, health care, and information services’. In other words, firms operating within the pharmaceutical industry should carefully review their marketing strategy as the qualities, the effectiveness and the safety claimed (through the relevant marketing messages) can have a significant effect on consumers (patients) around the world. The development of consumer-directed advertising has helped towards the improvement of the marketing campaigns of pharmaceutical firms around the world (referring not only to the qualities of the products advertised but also to the effectiveness of these products). Moreover, consumers can be better informed on the solutions available for the treatment of a specific disease. Regarding the specific issue it is noticed by Holtz (1998, 199) that ‘the increase in consumer-directed advertising has helped to foster a health care atmosphere in which it is the patient, and not the medical practitioner, who initiates a discussion regarding possible drug therapy’. The importance of consumer-directed advertising in the pharmaceutical industry has been also highlighted by Wang et al. (2004). The above researchers referred to a specific form of advertising, the 4-C model which has been found to refer mainly to the following issues: ‘First, what the customer want should be sold; second, enterprise should take every efforts to decrease the cost of fulfilling the customers demand; third, enterprise should take every efforts to give

How Horror Movies Have Changed Film Studies Essay

How Horror Movies Have Changed Film Studies Essay Horror as a whole has been around for many years. Writers have unfolded tales of fear and fright in novels. Directors bring terror to life on the big screen. People have enjoyed being scared time and time again. But why do they like this? How has Horror become such a successful genre? Chilling stories were the humble beginnings of horror. In ancient times, the Greeks shared tales of hideous beasts with three heads, or powerful monsters that could turn a person to stone with a mere glance. Egyptian hieroglyphics told of a great beyond in which evil spirits, demons, and otherworldly beings dwelled. The Chinese worshiped and venerated their ghostly ancestors who would haunt them if they did otherwise. Every civilization had their share of myth and mystery, real or not. Horror novels originally come from a traditional Gothic writing style. The first mention of horror in literature comes from Horace Walpoles book The Castle of Otranto in 1764. Inspired by writers such as Ann Radcliffe and Matthew Gregory Lewis, Mary Shelley wrote the first rendition of Frankenstein in 1818. The nineteenth century in particular exploded with horrific literature writers, including Bram Stoker with the famous daunting tale of Dracula. Other well-known authors were Edgar Allen Poe, Wilkie Collins, and H. G. Wells. The first horror movies appeared on-screen in the 1920s. Credited as the first movie ever made, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was silent, dark and surreal, the specialty of the Grand Guignol Theater Company. The first monster movie, The Golem was released in 1920, which set the stage for the first vampire to appear on-screen in 1922. Though Nosferatu was the unauthorized German reproduction of Bram Stokers novel Dracula, it was nonetheless successful for the first film featuring these inhuman bloodsuckers. During the Depression of the thirties, people wanted something to keep them occupied and entertained. More people flocked to theaters and cinemas than ever before; 65% of the U.S. population saw films each week. Another reason for horrors sudden popularity was the invention of talkies, or movies with audio. Audiences now had soundtracks to keep them at the edge of their seats. Superb actors left guidelines for horror films for years to come. The thirties were one of the most successful eras in horror movie history. ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) The thirties were also explosions of the classic Universal monster movies. The franchise began with Dracula in 1931; although true to the original novel, the actor starring as Dracula never wore fangs! The same year, the original Frankenstein premiered. The next to appear was The Mummy in 1932. Finally in 1935 Werewolf of London came to the big screen; the actor, Henry Hull, also made alterations to his costume, using less fur and make-up that would otherwise cover his face entirely. The saga of these characters would continue until 1948, with Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, which was the last nail in the coffin for the golden days of Universal monsters. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 1, 26, 27, 53, 54, 126)) In the forties, American citizens wanted anything to get their mind off of war. They wanted good, quality movies which the Horror genre was all too happy to make. Lon Chaney Jr. was now the man in the yak hair suit starring as his most famous role the Wolf Man. All of Americas fan favorites grouped together in numerous movies, such as House of Dracula and the many Abbot and Costello Humor Horrors. After the craze died down, zombies, gigantic apes and ghosts took their place. ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) Atomic mutations were the craze of the fifties. Radiation exposure, mutations and gigantic beasts could be seen in just about every movie created during this time. Titles such as Godzilla, Them, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and Attack of the Crab Monsters appeared in every drive-in and were huge hits. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 202-207)) Then came what is now called the worst film ever made. Plan 9 from Outer Space was a horrid mash-up of mutants, zombie slaves, and alien vampire overlords. Though this did not mar the fifties in horror history, it is still a prime example of how not to make a movie. ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) In 1959 Jack the Ripper began an era for serial killers and slasher horror. The most well-known horror film director Alfred Hitchcock makes a name for himself with his film Psycho during this time. Hundreds of directors have attempted to copy this brilliantly terrifying film, but none can match it. Also made by Hitchcock in 1963 was The Birds. During the same year, the first splatter film Blood Feast was released. This was the first of many to have seemingly endless gore for no apparent reason. All of these films have one thing in common: They were created on low budgets. This was common in most sixties films, but nearly all of them were huge hits. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 290, 293)) ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) Seventies horror had audiences with nightmares for weeks. From Piranha to The Legacy, there was almost no humor in these movies. The Exorcist in 1973 set a gold standard in Horror and was voted the scariest movie of all time in October of 1999. People are said to have passed out in audiences watching this film. Not only were there possessed demonic children, but cannibals as well. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre made in 1974 barely showed the audience any gore, but mixed with a chilling soundtrack and terrifying characters, the viewers imagination filled in the gaps. Psycho-killers were re-defined entirely because of the seventies. The eighties were as terrifying as the decade before, with chainsaws, cannibals, and even more deranged predators prowling the night. The horror franchise skyrocketed with Friday the 13th, having eleven sequels to this brutal splatter film. A Nightmare on Elm Street wasnt much better, as audiences feigned sleep entirely because Freddy might get them. However, as proven by popularity, people couldnt get enough of horror. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 226)) The beginning of the nineties was when horror directors truly saw how de-sensitized the common person was. Those horror films of the past merely made them laugh. They needed something new, something that hit closer to home. The serial killer is a big part of nineties horror, such as in Se7en and Silence of the Lambs. Also coming into play were space monsters, aliens bent on destroying or taking over and then destroying all mankind. Unlike the fifties, these aliens looked real, had real motives, and were genuinely scary. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 258, 259)) ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) In 2000, the sequel to Final Destination was produced, marking the beginning of a chain of movies that hit the modern American harder than Saw ever did. These were events although typically never to happen on a normal day that could in fact happen at any given time. ((www.horrorfilmhistory.com/index.php?pageID=2000s )) Nowhere seemed like a safe place anymore, especially when viruses and zombie apocalypses were taken into account; 28 Days Later is a prime example of this. An on-going series that also goes along with this idea is The Walking Dead, first aired in 2010. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 227, 307)) Old horror films were scary in their time because the general public had never been exposed to movies that targeted fear before. They are not as impacting to us today because they were made to frighten audiences in that time period, who were not as de-sensitized as the modern human being. What a person was afraid of in the 1920s is certainly not the same as what we fear. ((Richard Sine, WebMD)) Newer horror movies are made for those who enjoy being scared. If a person intends to see the newest slasher film at a theater, theyve obviously been exposed to those elements before. Directors of these films assume that their audiences like the thrill of being terrified. A killing spree in a movie might seem harsh, but you may get little to no response from a seasoned audience. ((Richard Sine, WebMD)) Over the years the definition of horror may have been altered and re-defined, but as always the general public is satisfied. As long as there is fear, there is a director willing to put that fear into the next box office hit. Horror films have been cherished for years, and will continue on for decades to come. Who knows what the newest advertisement or feature presentation will bring? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™

The Ku Klux Klan: The First Era :: Racism Racist Essays

The Ku Klux Klan: The First Era With the ending of the Civil War in 1865, the period of American history known as the Reconstruction began. It was during this era that the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, spunoff from the freemasons, first came to power. The Freemasons usually tended to attract people in the upper-middle class, while the KKK and Knights of Labor, another racist group, attracted the working class. The KKK was formed mostly to restore the â€Å"peculiar institution† of slavery to America and to reinstate the Caucasian race as the most superior race in the world. A former Confederate general and Freemason, Nathan Bedford Forrest, founded the Klan in 1866 because Negroes were being allowed to enter the brotherhood of freemasonry. He served as the Klan’s first Imperial Wizard, and Albert Pike, another freemason, held the office of the Chief Justice of the KKK. He held this office while he was simultaneously Sovereign Grand Commander of Scottish Rite, Freemasons, Southern Jurisdiction. His racism was well known, and in justifying his actions, he stated â€Å"I took my obligation to white men, not to Negroes. When I have to accept Negroes as brothers or leave Masonry, I shall leave it.† (1) The bare facts about the birth of the Ku Klux Klan and its revival a half century later are baffling to most people today. Little more than a year after it was founded, the secret society thundered across the war-torn south, sabotaged Reconstruction governments, and imposed a reign of terror and violence that lasted three or four years. And then, as rapidly as it had spread, the Klan faded into the History books. After World War I, a new version of the Klan sputtered to life and brought many parts of the nation under its paralyzing grip of racism and bloodshed. Then, having grown to be a major force for the second time, the Klan again receded into the background. This time it never quite disappeared, but it never again commanded such widespread support. The origin of the Ku Klux Klan was a carefully guarded secret for years, although there were many theories to explain its beginnings. One popular notion held that the Ku Klux Klan was originally a secret order of Chinese opium smugglers. Another claimed it was begun by Confederate prisoners during the war. The most ridiculous theory attributed the name to some ancient Jewish document referring to the Hebrews enslaved by Egyptian pharaohs.

My American culture, but not my religion

Holding the values and beliefs of a religion other than Christianity often makes one wonder if they have broken the norms of American society. A norm, as defined by Miller (2002), is â€Å"a generally agreed upon standard of how people should behave, usually unwritten and learned unconsciously.†   While many Americans practice Christian beliefs, one of the benefits of living in a free nation happens when all religious denominations can practice their faith in peace, regardless of the majority preference. The list of Christian denominations includes Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, Methodist, Presbyterian and many others. Being an individual who reads of, and practices, many religions both old and new in the world I do not follow Christian beliefs. I would rather define myself as a mystic or perhaps even shaman since I have inclinations towards honoring the earth, nature and spirits; this is also a common practice among Native Americans. Salvation, or offering oneself up for saving by another being such as Jesus predominantly occurs in Christianity. However, I am at odds with this idea in my own spiritual practice. My beliefs stand in contrast because in my mind each person has the capability to save themselves, if they would only realize that inner strength. Of course, going to a Sunday service and honoring holidays such as Christmas and Easter are practices that I do not partake in either. However, I do honor the Solstices, which fall surprisingly close to many of the Christian holidays. Being a mystic in a predominantly Christian world can make for a lonely but very peaceful existence if you allow it. While others scurry around buying gifts during the Christmas rush, I tend to my natural wares, making blankets, canned goods and handcrafted candles along with other natural gifts for those in my family who are Christian. It saddens me at winter time to hear everyone complaining about how much the Christmas gifts they have to buy will cost them; and how they need to spend a great deal of care budgeting for their gift expenses. Everyone feels so pressured and rushed to get to the stores to find the perfect gift. While the rest of the world worries away their time, I relax on the sofa watching television and knitting another new blanket. At this point, when I am at odds with not only Christians but a capitalist nation (the dominant culture) that values material goods, I wonder if I am particularly selfish for not wanting to deal with the stress and headaches of grumpy customers standing in line at the stores. Luckily though, I am American by birth so although my religion may differ from the majority, I still blend in rather effortlessly with society. Other groups, such as new immigrants to this country struggle with many obstacles as they adapt to their new home. They must learn a new language, find employment and maybe need to attain some education to help them gain the financial means to support their families. This can present huge difficulties to immigrants since Americans predominantly speak English and the business world can show prejudice towards people who do not have adequate training in American based education systems. New immigrants must also learn the laws of our nation and the subliminal norms that we hold. One popular norm, for example, being that little boys wear blue and girls wear pink. Being part of the dominant culture I do not have to worry about figuring out such subliminal norms, I learned them as I grew up in this society. Nor do I have to worry about building socioeconomic status and attaining education and training in American schools to find and adequate job. I have already had that training, and luckily a stable financial background for building my own monetary status. Also, one of the blessings of being in the dominant culture allows me to understand how to behave in public gatherings. I know that I am not supposed to talk in class, or speak out loud during funerals. As an American I should not often show emotion either, crying in public is somewhat taboo. We tell our children to suck it up, or act like a big boy or girl when they have the urge to cry. These few examples show the norms that we learn growing up as American that other groups have to face and adapt to when living in the nation. Getting back to the issue of religion, standing outside of the cultural norm in terms of popular faiths has its benefits. When voting, I do not have to depend upon a candidate’s religious background or goals to help me decide which person I think would make a better leader. As I have mentioned before I also do not have to spend a great deal of money on gifts for various Christian celebrations either. When crisis strikes, such as the priest scandal ongoing in the Catholic Church, I do not have to worry that my children have been hurt by people we call on to save our souls or connect us to the Divine. One thing I do enjoy is that I can give to charity of my own choosing and am not obligated to give part of my funds to any one church. Overall, standing outside of the cultural norms of Christianity in the American culture has benefits, some of which have been mentioned in this essay. Being an American born citizen also gives me great advantages to help me blend into the society despite my varying religious beliefs. Other individuals such as immigrants have to struggle with things like learning a new language, discovering subliminal social norms, and attaining adequate education in the American school system that mainstream society does not have to worry about. I believe that I am very lucky to have the ability to stand both inside and outside of popular culture, because it gives me a well rounded perspective as to how both sides, the â€Å"included† and the â€Å"excluded† can feel. References Dubois, N. (Ed.). (2002). A Sociocognitive Approach to Social Norms. New York: Routledge. Miller, B. D. (2004). Cultural Anthropology (2nd Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Pettit, P. (2002). Rules, Reasons, and Norms: Selected Essays. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

To what extent do different approaches to change management facilitate or hinder organisational unification when companies acquire assets?

Abstract This paper describes three major approaches to change management, such as Kotter’s eight-step mode, Bridge’s transition model and Prosci’s ADKAR model. The focus on change management theories and leadership structure is important in order to provide viable recommendations to the top-management team at White Bird, whose performance with regards to change management is compared to the one of Perdue Farms. It has been also determined the most appropriate organisational structure for White Bird along with expanding the integration of employees and achieving adequate unification. Introduction The occurrence of change in the organisational context is an important precondition for business success. White Bird has tried to stabilise its integration processes within the formed holding (Cameron and Green, 2012). The recognition of applicable HR management issues is fundamental to provide properly structured orientation to the company (Hayes, 2010). The objective of this paper is to explore to what extent different approaches to change management facilitate or hinder unification when companies acquire assets. Comparative Case Study of White Bird and Perdue FarmsKotter’s Eight-Step ModelThe agriculture holding White Bird, which is based in Russia, is at a stage of integration and revitalisation of its HR management tasks. The process of managing business change in this organisation is fundamental to its improvement and growth. The acquisition of the organisation has led to the use of strong authoritative management (Cameron and Green, 2012). White Bird has been engaged in a process of applying crucial HR practices. In comparison, another company that operates in the agricultural sector in a developed country is Perdue Farms. This company, similarly to White Bird, relies on the implementation of change management theories in order to achieve a competitive advantage (Elliott, 2011). One of the change management theories that produce fast and effective results is Kotter’s eight-step model (Kotter, 1996). The focus of this theory is on the establishment of a sense of urgency, for ming a powerful coalition and developing vision. Both White Bird and Perdue Farms demonstrate the application of these principles of change management in their structure. White Bird is focused on ensuring a smooth change process, which includes the importance of making a relevant decision regarding the top-management team. Even though the present leadership style in the company is authoritative in nature, it could be beneficial for the organisation to develop another type competencies and leadership (Hayes, 2010). Participative leadership would provide a significant basis for the smooth integration of change management practices in White Bird. Participative or democratic leaders offer guidance to group members and allow input from other individuals in order to ensure a high level of motivation and creativity (Kotter, 1996). Perdue Farms has a flexible structure of leadership, which has contributed to the success of the company (Elliott, 2011).Bridge’s Transition Model of Change ManagementAnother change management theory that can be considered by White Bird is Bridge’s transition model, which provides a good understanding of what actually takes place when an organisational change occurs. Bridge differentiates between the processes of change and transition, implying that change is based on situational factors (Bridges, 2009). Therefore, the best organisational structure for this type of business would be a matrix structure, which combines elements of divisional and functional structure. As a result, the organisation of business activities would be properly completed considering the emphasis on dual management that would expand the decision-making skills of team members (Cameron and Green, 2012). A similar model has been applied at Perdue Farms, which has improved efficiency and reduced production cost to a significant extent (Elliott, 2011). White Bird can also maintain excellence in quality by integrating employees to corporate culture in order to create a single, unified organisation. It can be argued that White Bird should proceed in a manner that is consistent with its overall mission and objectives.Prosciâ€℠¢s ADKARModelThe change management model of Prosci, identified as ADKAR, can provide adequate orientation to the agriculture holding in terms of allowing change management teams to focus on achieving specific business outcomes (Hiatt, 2006). In general, ADKAR stands for awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement. These elements have proved efficient to the functioning of Perdue Farms, whose performance can serve as a relevant example of successful change management initiatives for White Bird. The most significant benefit associated with Prosci’s model of change management is that it provides a clear direction for managers to manage change in accordance with the organisation’s competencies, corporate culture and orientation to change (Hayes, 2010). Elements of employee participation and engagement are important in the process of maintaining organisational change at White Bird. In addition, the organisation should be able to implement new skills and behaviou rs along with the necessity to sustain the change (Hiatt, 2006). In conclusion, it can be presented the argument that the approaches of Kotter, Bridge and Prosci to change management can facilitate the process of organisational unification. Conclusion This paper focused on the determination of the extent to which different approaches to change management can facilitate or hinder organisational unification (Cameron and Green, 2012). Such discussion took place with regards to the performance of White Bird compared to the one of Perdue Farms. It has been concluded that Kotter’s eight-step model, Bridge’s transition model and Prosci’s ADKAR can represent significant benefits to organisations in a process of change (Hayes, 2010). Such findings have important implications to the leadership orientation and business structure of White Bird. References Bridges, W. (2009). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Philadelphia: Da Capo Press. Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2012). Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. London: Kogan Page. Elliott, S. (2011). Perdue Goes to the Farm with an Earnest Approach. The New York Times [online]. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/business/media/27adco.html?_r=0 [Accessed: 12 August 2014]. Hayes, J. (2010). The Theory and Practice of Change Management. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Hiatt, J. (2006). ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government and Our Community. Loveland: Prosci Inc. Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Watertown, MA: Harvard Business Press.