Theodore Adorno’s notions of ‘standardisation’ and ‘pseudo-individualism’ might be applied to contemporary pop music

Basing your discussion on an analysis of at least 2 contemporary artists or bands, consider the ways that Theodore Adorno's notions of ‘standardisation' and ‘pseudo-individualism' might be applied to contemporary pop music. Do you see any problems or shortcomings from this approach? Popular Culture has enticed much research; with the increase of media studies there are a number of minds picking apart what they see. With icons filing up and saturating mediums such as television, magazines, radio stations to name a few, the celebrity filled industry is undoubtedly causing a stir amongst the masses. Theodore Adorno (1903-69) emigrated to England in 1934 to escape Nazism. He lived in the United States of America for 10 years, (1938-48) before returning to Frankfurt, where he was a member at the ‘Frankfurt Institute of Social Research'. Theodore Adorno was a key figure in the study of popular music and had intrinsic Marxist view on the capital nature of society. Adorno believed that the culture industry â€Å"is the central agency in contemporary capitalism for the production and satisfaction of false needs†. (Adorno, T and Horkheimer, M. 1977, p349). He argues that popular music is a mass-produced and shallow standardised part of the culture industry. This would suggest that all aspects of popular music including types of songs, song lyrics and parts of songs e.g. chorus, are all standardised. (Longhurst, B. 1995, p5). Popular music is therefore divided into particular categories or genres of music such as rock, pop, rap, heavy metal and reggae etc, however according to Adorno, all popular music is standardised consisting of verse, chorus, bridge, that are interchangeable from one song to another. The effects of standardisation are often hidden by what the industry calls pseudo-individualisation. These are incidental differences, also known as ‘frills' that are put within a song to disguise that it sounds the same. Adorno distinguishes sharply between pop music and serious music between high culture and low cultures. Serious music, which he regards as classical, Beethoven or Mozart for example, plays to the pleasures of the imagination offering an engagement with the world, as it should be. Especially due to this separation his theories were often attacked for being elitist. The comparison of pop music and serious music was a main topic for him. Adorno describes individuals who enjoy popular music â€Å"corrupt by immersion and open to the domination of industrialised capitalist systems.† (Longhurst, B. 1995, p8). This view accounts for the emotional needs that popular music may fulfil as ‘false and immature, rather than deep and/or penetrating. â€Å"Adorno continued to equate the form with Tin Pan Alley and jazz orientated variations of it, ignoring the rise of rock and roll in the early 1950's. This undermined his critique and resulted in his views generally being strongly rejected by more contemporary rock analysts.† (Shuker, R. 1994; 23). Adorno claims that Popular music is churned into a production line where everything sounds similar, it's an industry that exploits us for profit and social control, to accept certain conditions about the world in which we live through a capitalist society. It would be fair to say that to some extent this is true. We do live in a capitalist society and in the music industry the process of absorption is achieved by capitalism through advertising and marketing of a product with a pop star or pop band. Everything about them becomes a commodity, their clothes, image, likes and dislikes etc, transcends its immediate functional use to become a key symbol of a whole lifestyle. The argument implies that the rise of the popular music to mass status is a consequence of the symbolic strategies invested in it rather than the actual quality of the music. This essentially means that although the products of the culture industry are alike in most cases, some ‘individuality' is consciously added to make it different from the rest even though essentially it is the same product. This is pseudo individualism. Adorno uses the Hollywood star system as an example, â€Å"the more dehumanised its method of operation and content, the more diligently and successfully the culture industry propagates supposedly great personalities, and operates with heart throbs.† (Adorn, T. 1991, p87). A modern day example can be seen in boy bands such as ‘Westlife', ‘Nsync', ‘Backstreet boys' and the most recent ‘One true voice' derived from ‘Popstars the rivals', a spin of show produced originally as ‘Popstars' in January 2001. Although the music is very similar in structure, tonality and content, the customer can choose between several versions of these boy bands. It could be suggested, â€Å"the culture industry produces culture, which the masses consume unthinkingly and are thus confirmed as unthinking. It is a culture which produces satisfaction in the here and now, depoliticising the working class, limiting its horizon to political and economic goals that can be achieved within the oppressive and exploitive framework of capitalist society†. (Storey, J. 1998 p188). The audience, through a selection process selected the new boy band, One True Voice over a number of weeks. A group of 5 males aged between 17 and 22, they do fit into a typical boy band category. They released a Christmas song called ‘Sacred Trust' which is actually a cover version of another male group the ‘Bee Gees'. Adorno would claim that we as masses consume everything the business churns out and on a personal level I would agree as this appears to be both standardised and contains pseudo individualism as it is sung by a new group with added frills however this has been apparent in popular music for generations and manufactured groups will continue to use this method in order to generate more sales. We live in a consumerist society where these manufactured groups are providing a service for their audience. A major critique of this is that Adorno does not look at the emotional response of the audience and how standardisation is also a form of pleasure. By this it mea ns that standardisation is a form of security for the audience and this predictability is often welcoming. Adorno and other writers of the Frankfurt school, especially Herbert Marcuse (1898-1978) sees the process of the culture industry as a means of capitalist society to stabilize itself. Theodore Adorno claimed that popular music operates as a tool of social ‘cement'. Although his writings was published in 1941, his accounts on popular music does not account for the complexities of recent popular music and popular culture. He is heavily criticised due to his unchanging elitist views and it would be fair to say that popular music is not as monolithic as Adorno claims. The perspectives offer a relevant but quite pessimistic and what can be considered as narrow minded views of popular music. They have offered foundations for interpretation and understanding of music however many theories since have built on how audiences' contextualise and use the products of mass culture rather than what the culture industry does to the audience. Antonio Gramsci's (1891-1937) work on Hegemony opened many doors for thought, including ideas that ‘members of society negotiate with the products of the culture'. (Fiske, J. 1992, p309). Hegemony helps identify that popular culture is not simply imposed on the subordinates by the bourgeoisie and that people are not simply â€Å"passive and helpless mass incapable of discrimination and thus at the economic, cultural and political mercy of the barons of the industry†. (Fiske, J. 1987, p309) Fiske suggests that audiences draw contrasting ideas from different text. Madonna is a fine example where pleasure of the audience is in the â€Å"power of a severely suboridatly subculture to make their own statements and own meaning†. (Fiske, J. 1987, p233) These theories have their strengths and differences in helping unpack the tapestry of music. One element they all share is the acknowledgement that pop music has important social effects. Who are the main consumers of popular music? Youth are highest consuming marketing within pop music accounting for the highest percent of single sales. Bradley (1992) accounted the significance with youths and music as reaction to post war teenager with an increase in disposable income and new position in society. James Coleman (1961) highlighted the separateness of youth culture from adult society and its closeness to the market through consumption of popular music. Consumption has been linked to youth culture as far back as the 50's, where growing western markets created specific products and goods for the teenager. (Wulff, H. and Taliai, A. 1995). An example of success in popular music is Madonna. She is a key figure in the pop industry as a pioneer for breaking conventions within gender and sexuality, and has been around for 3 decades, now in her 50's still appealing to the youth, However much debate on Madonna has taken place focusing on her image rather than her music. She has been perceived as ‘the lowest form of irresponsible culture a social disease' and ‘an inauthentic product of the culture industry who was involved of the exploitation of others of the gain of that industry'. (Bryman, A. 2001). In relation to Adorno he may have perceived Madonna to be a cultural product, taking pseudo individualism to an extreme, which in turn made her very popular. Madonna moves from various genres of music and blends them together; she had a hit record with ‘Don't cry for me Argentina' a more operatic song very different to what is considered mainstream music. I feel that Adorno would have critiqued this as popular classical as she took something that can be considered elitist and brought it into popular culture. This view is contrasted with her comparison as an ‘organic feminist who ‘allows girls to see that the meaning of feminine sexuality can be in their control, can be made in their interests, and that their subjectivity's are not necessarily totally determined by the dominant patriarchy'. (McClary, S. 1991.) McClary in her analysis of Madonna has found her to be exceptional as a musician who has endured maintained an incredible amount of power as a successful female artist over three decades. A simple look at her back catalogue and it is apparent that she uses sexual power as a commodity alike many women throughout western history. Including seventeenth century composer Barbara Strozzie, who was one of a few women who broke through the elite circle of classical music, by posing bare breasted for publicity. It would be very interesting to know what Adorno would account for that. (Rosand, E. 1986). Madonna however ‘brings hypocrisy to the surface and problematizes it'. With publications of her book, sex and video discourses like ‘in Bed with Madonna' She takes a key role in the aggressor sexually. She connects the notions of power and sex and projects it back outwards into the main stream hands on hips Gautier bust pointy and proud. Her intentions never simplistic, it is possible her representations aim to detach stigmas and notions of taboo to certain sexual matters. ‘This may lead to greater tolerance for those engaged in these ‘perverted' practices' and a layered stream of meanings dipictable from her messages. Irony has been depicted as a key strategy in her possible master plan. In ‘Like a Virgin' her little girl voice and play with signs of famous temptresses, her pouts, her coquettish nature and using ‘†traditional music signs of childish vulnerability projecting her knowledge that this is what patriarchy expects of her and also her awareness that this fantasy is ludicrous†. (McClary,S. 1991, p153). A principal factor in the understanding of Madonna messages is the language of cultural experiences and perceptions that she speaks to her audience with. Madonna gives her audience standardisation in the sense that some of her music can be chopped and changed however she also gives her audience challenging and contrasting views about being a woman in today's society, that could be argued against Adorno as being engaging, testing and also plays to the pleasures of the imagination offering engagement to the world as it is now. Her audience within popular music are aimed specifically at the mass (for financial and wider broadcast of her messages) and ‘as evidence in that she plays for the lowest common denominator-that she prostitutes her art an extension of her self'. Prostitution is a service never the less, and it evident that she uses her role to play with traditional boundaries and identities. Madonna uses the tool of fantasy a mode typical of the culture industry, however she here compliance to the powers stop, as she twist notions within them. Her fantasies have been seen as ambiguous and unsuccessful for men and she has been compared to a genuine ‘Boy Toy' as male interpretations and reactions to a majority are often that of anxiety and unease rather than appease. (Rolling stone 508 March 28th 1989). On the other hand, the power of Madonna is undoubtedly clear, her vast empire of her Production Company, her own music label and a net value of 600 Million speaks volumes about her nature as a business women as well as an artist and social figure. It is fair to say that that although popular music in today's generation can be considered as standardized, and to a great extent, manufactured music will always be so, Adorno's views are out of date and biased as he had a very low opinion of popular music. Being a musician himself, his opinions were based on his own assumptions of high and low culture and although he did make some substantial claims about standardization and pseudo individualization, popular music today has more important factors to be dealt with such as the messages it is portraying. One being that we do live in a consumerist society where essentially everything is a product, even classical music today, which Adorno would have considered high art is now commercialized and used as a commodity to sell through advertising. Through it all music captures a moment or feeling that Adorno does not account for. Music is another form of expressing an emotion whether it is classical or pop music and it is there for enjoyment, to provide a service and an option to listen to whatever pleases the ear.

Indian Independence Movement Essay

The Constitution of India is the Supreme Law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens. It is the longest[ written constitution of any sovereign country in the world, containing 448 articles in 22 parts, 12 schedules and 97 amendments. Besides the English version, there is an official Hindi translation. Dr B.R. Ambedkar is widely regarded as the father of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution was enacted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The date 26 January was chosen to commemorate the Purna Swaraj declaration of independence of 1930. With its adoption, the Union of India officially became the modern and contemporary Republic of India and it replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country’s fundamental governing document. The Constitution declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty, and endeavours to promote fraternity among them. The words â€Å"socialist† and â€Å"secular† were added to the definition in 1976 by constitutional amendment.[ India celebrates the adoption of the constitution on 26 January each year as Republic Day | Background Main article: Indian independence movement The major portion of the Indian subcontinent was under British colonial rule from 1757 to 1947. The impact of economic, political and social exploitation during this period helped the gradual rise of the Indian independence movement to gain independence from foreign rule. The movement culminated in the formation of the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947, along with the Dominion of Pakistan. The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950, proclaiming India to be a sovereign, democratic republic. It contained the founding principles of the law of the land which would govern India after its independence from British rule. On the day the constitution came into effect, India ceased to be a dominion of the British Crown. The Indian constitution is the world’s longest constitution. At the time of commencement, the constitution had 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules. It consists of almost 80,000 words and took 2 years 11 months and 18 days to build. In the United Kingdom the office of the Secretary of State for India was the authority through whom Parliament exercised its rule (along with the Council of India), and established the office of Viceroy of India (along with an Executive Council in India, consisting of high officials of the British Government). The Indian Councils Act 1861 provided for a Legislative Council consisting of the members of the Executive council and non-official members. The Indian Councils Act 1892 established provincial legislatures and increased the powers of the Legislative Council. Although these Acts increased the representation of Indians in the government, their power still remained limited. The Indian Councils Act 1909 and the Government of India Act 1919 further expanded participation of Indians in the government. Government of India Act 1935 Main article: Government of India Act 1935 The provisions of the Government of India Act 1935, though never implemented fully, had a great impact on the Constitution of India. Many key features of the constitution are directly taken from this Act. The federal structure of government, provincial autonomy, a bicameral central legislature consisting of a federal assembly and a Council of States and the separation of legislative powers between the centre and states are some of the provisions of the Act which are present in the Constitution of India. The Cabinet Mission Plan Main article: 1946 Cabinet Mission to India In 1946, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee formulated a cabinet mission to India to discuss and finalize plans for the transfer of power from the British Raj to Indian leadership as well as provide India with independence under Dominion status in the Commonwealth of Nations.[6][7] The Mission discussed the framework of the constitution and laid down in some detail the procedure to be followed by the constitution drafting body. Elections for the 296 seats assigned to the British Indian provinces were completed by August 1946. The Constituent Assembly of India first met and began work on 26 November 1946. The mission consisted of Lord Pethick-Lawrence, the Secretary of State for India, Sir Stafford Cripps, President of the Board of Trade, and A. V. Alexander, the First Lord of the Admiralty. However, Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, did not participate. Indian Independence Act 1947 Main article: Indian Independence Act 1947 The Indian Independence Act, passed by the British Parliament on 18 July 1947, divided British India into two new independent states, India and Pakistan, which were to be dominions under the Commonwealth of Nations until they had each finished drafting and enacted a new constitution. The Constituent Assembly was divided into two for the separate states, with each new Assembly having sovereign powers transferred to it for the respective dominion. The Act also terminated British suzerainty over the princely states, each of which was left to decide whether to accede to one or other of the new dominions or to continue as independent states in their own right. However, in most cases the states were so dependent on central institutions that they were widely expected to accede to a dominion. When the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, it repealed the Indian Independence Act. India ceased to be a dominion of the British Crown and became a sovereign democratic republic. 26 November 1949 is also known as National Law Day. Constituent Assembly Main article: Constituent Assembly of India The Constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, which was elected by the elected members of the provincial assemblies.[8] Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Sanjay Phakey, Jawaharlal Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Kanaiyalal Munshi, Purushottam Mavalankar, Sandipkumar Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Nalini Ranjan Ghosh, and Balwantrai Mehta were some important figures in the Assembly. There were more than 30 members of the scheduled classes. Frank Anthony represented the Anglo-Indian community, and the Parsis were represented by H. P. Modi. The Chairman of the Minorities Committee was Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, a distinguished Christian who represented all Christians other than Anglo-Indians. Ari Bahadur Gururng represented the Gorkha Community. Prominent jurists like Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, Benegal Narsing Rau and K. M. Munshi, Ganesh Mavlankar were also members of the Assembly. Sarojini Naidu, Hansa Mehta, Durgabai Deshmukh, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and Vijayalakshmi Pandit were important women member Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is hailed as the prime architect of Indian Constitution The first temporary 2-day president of the Constituent Assembly was Dr Sachidanand Sinha. Later, Rajendra Prasad was elected president of the Constituent Assembly. The members of the Constituent Assembly met for the first time on 9 December 1946. Independent India India acquired independence on 15 August 1947 though sections of the country were carved out and stitched together to create another new country, Pakistan. The â€Å"institutional† road to independence was perhaps laid down by the Government of India Act of 1935, where the gradual emergence of India as a self-governing entity had first been partly envisioned. Following India’s independence in 1947, the Constituent Assembly deliberated over the precise constitutional future of India. On 26 January 1950, India became a Republic, and the Constitution of India was promulgated. Jawaharlal Nehru had become the country’s first Prime Minister in 1947, and in 1952, in the country’s first general election with a universal franchise, Nehru led the Indian National Congress to a clear victory. The Congress had long been the principal political party in India, providing the leadership to the struggle for independence, and under Nehru’s stewardship it remained the largest and most influential party over the next three decades. In 1957, Nehru was elected to yet another five-year term as a member of the Lok Sabha and chosen to head the government. His ‘regime’ was marked by the advent of five-year plans, designed to bring big science and industry to India; in Nehru’s own language, steel mills and dams were to be the temples of modern India. Relations with Pakistan remained chilling, and the purported friendship of India and China proved to be something of a hoax. China’s invasion of India’s borders in 1962 is said to have dealt a mortal blow to Nehru. Nehru was succeeded at his death on 27 May 1964 for a period of two weeks by Gulzarilal Nanda (1898-1998), a veteran Congress politician who became active in the non-cooperation movement in 1922 and served several prison terms, principally in 1932 and from 1942-44 during the Quit India movement. Nanda served as acting Prime Minister until the Congress had elected a new leader, Lal Bahadur Shastri, also a veteran politician who came of age during the Gandhi-led non-cooperation movement. Shastri was the compromise candidate who, perhaps unexpectedly, led the country to something of a victory over Pakistan in 1965. Shastri and the vanquished Pakistani President, Muhammad Ayub Khan, signed a peace treaty at Tashkent in the former Soviet Union on 10 January 1966, but Shastri barely lived to witness the accolades that were now being showered upon him since he died of an heart attack the day after the treaty was signed. Shastri’s empathy for the subaltern classes is conveyed through the slogan, â€Å"Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan†, â€Å"Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer†, which is attributed to him and through which he is remembered at Vijay Ghat, the national memorial to him in New Delhi in the proximity of Rajghat, the national memorial to Mohandas Gandhi.

Alan Greenspan’s misunderstand of the causes of the consequences and causes

Today's policymakers must see past Alan Greenspan's misunderstand of the causes of the consequences and causes of the extraordinary grown of the U. S. ‘s account deficit. According to Greenspan, high rates of saving abroad led to increased consumption in the U. S. An alternative view to the cause of the growth in the deficit is that increased globilization made trade between richer countries and poor countries possible. Rich countries began to buy cheaper goods in poor countries, and poor countries continued to buy their own domestic goods because they were cheaper than those abroad.As a result, the U. S. deficit, which was balanced in 1991, rose to $850 billion in 2006. With the increased trade effects of globilization taking place, the central banks of countries which had a surplus prevented their currencies from appreciating by printing their own currencies and buying thousands of billions of dollars to sustain their competitive advantage. Greenspan argues that no real harm believe that no real harm has been done by these trade imbalances, and that rising debt and progress go hand-in-hand. It seems more likely that the rise of the U. S.Deficit and the paper money creation have generated an economic bubble around the world that is close to imploding. In order to stave off a complete systemic meltdown, the central banks of Europe, the U. S. , and the U. K. have injected billions into the credit markets. The Federal Reserve has been prompted to issue a round of aggressive rate cuts. U. S. lenders have expanded their balance sheets at an unprecedented pace, and the U. S. government is currently rushing through a $150 billion emergency stimulus package in an effort to prevent a world recession. Overall, it seems that Greenspan has confused cause with effect.

Archaeology Home work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Archaeology Home work - Essay Example Anthropology entails studying the life of man. Studying the life of man entails looking into man’s behavior and traits, also known as culture, and man’s physical characteristics. Anthropologists get answers ascribed to humans by living within communities and examining them. Archaeology, on the other hand, is about studying the history of man, which is the origin of humanity and the evolution of man through examining the physical remains of their existence. These remains include tools and buildings. One of the greatest challenges that archeologists face is acquiring knowledge on the interpretation of material culture in relation to humans (Renfrew & Bahn, 2012, 12). For instance, archaeologists may discover historical tools but fail to interpret with accuracy how man used them. To understand man’s use of specific material artefacts, ethnography has become a part of archaeology. Ethno archeology enables archeologists to live within communities so that they develop a better understanding of the use of material culture. Archaeology qualifies both as a science and as a humanity. Archaeology qualifies as a science through its involvement in the collection of evidence, performing experiments, the formulation of a working hypothesis and undertaking additional tests on this hypothesis against additional data, and finally coming up with a deduction. In addition to that, archeology employs scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating, which helps to estimate the date when an artifact existed, scientific analyses and experiments undertaken on residues found in pots. Archaeology has developed greatly in the recent past, expanding the field it covers from the earliest periods to the later times. Archeology serves to not only provide an insight into the life of man as it was more than 10, 000 years in the past, but also helps in explaining human civilization (Renfrew & Bahn, 2012, pg15). One of the most

Case summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Case summary - Essay Example Also a show cause was requested to justify why more penalties should not be imposed if the Tarkanian was not suspended from the athletic program. Following this Tarkanian was suspended. â€Å"under color of† state law; thus, liability attaches only to those wrongdoers â€Å"who carry a badge of authority of a State and represent it in some capacity, whether they act in accordance with their authority or misuse it.† Legal Reasoning: NCCA had no governmental powers during the investigation and did not have the power to impose sanctions of the employee of the members. It was UNLV’s decision to suspend Tarkanian when he had the option to retain him. College athletics has turned into a billion dollar industry with athletes generating huge revenues for the universities and other stakeholders. But the fact that athletes are not paid or financially compensated has given rise to a lot of issues. Athletes receiving money under the table has grabbed the attention of the media and there is increased pressure on the universities to pay the athletes for their participation. But before making the decision various factors have to be looked into such as the spending of the revenue generated. Not all sports generate the same revenue as that generated by basketball and football. Hence, the revenue generated by these popular sports need to be used in funding other lesser popular sports and hence balance the whole sports programs. This will help in increasing the participation in the number of Olympic sports. The athlete’s education is sponsored in return to their participation in the university sports. But as there is increased pressure to address the issue of payment to the athletes in order to reduce corruption, a minimal compensation to the athletes would be best under the circumstances. But it must be ensured that it is approved by NCCA and all the members follow the same in

Using technology in class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Roles of the Nurse Leader Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Roles of the Nurse Leader - Term Paper Example Answer: No: 2 A nurse leader injects the sense of responsibility in the minds of other nurses. She also makes them aware of the roles and responsibilities of a nurse as a healthcare provider. A nurse leader performs her job related activities with full commitment and dedication. A nurse leader gives priority to her responsibilities over her personal matters. A nurse leader provides proper treatment to the patients based on her job related experiences and knowledge. â€Å"They may be responsible for overseeing a ward, scheduling, supervision, employee reviews and other business aspects of the medical field† (Ellis-Christensen, n.d.). Moreover, a nurse leader is a self-driven person who not only performs her professional activities up to the level of perfection but also mobilizes and motivates young nurses to be committed with their job responsibilities. Answer: No: 3 In maintaining continuous competency within the nursing profession, a nurse leader works with full commitment to wards the goals. If a nurse leader shows some kind of negligence towards the job responsibilities, it affects the whole career of that nurse. Therefore, it is very important for a nurse leader to show dedication and commitment towards her job in order to achieve excellence and experience. It is the role of a nurse leader to motivate other nurses to carry out their job responsibilities with complete faith and devotion because nursing profession is a social service related to health, which can not bear any kind of negligence towards any of the responsibilities. Answer: No: 4 A nurse leader’s leadership role within the nursing profession is multidimensional. A nurse leader protects the rights of other members related to the profession and injects a sense of self-respect in the members. A nurse leader guides other nurses towards the path of ethics and principles. A nurse leader never lets other members feel down due to any problem related to the profession, rather mobilizes all m embers to raise their voice against the policies, which affect their rights. Answer: No: 5 A nurse leader plays a considerable role as a professional role model for young nurses. Punctuality, good manners, and job commitment are some of the factors, which make a nurse a real role model for the young nurses. If a nurse leader does not come to the hospital on time or if she communicates rudely with patients and other nurses, she cannot become a good role model for other nurses because of the bad image, which she reflects to the young nurses. Therefore, it is extremely important for a nurse leader to have good manners in order to become a professional role model. Answer: No: 6 I will make every effort to become a professional role model for other nurses. I will promote and support nursing as one of the best professions of the world. As a professional nurse, I will give priority to my job responsibilities over my personal matters. I will not show any kind of negligence towards my job re sponsibilities and will show complete commitment and dedication towards my profession. Moreover, I will try to exhibit a dynamic personality in order to become a perfect role model for my subordinates. Part: 2 Answer: No: 1 A nurse leader plays the role of a researcher by identifying various researchable issues and taking steps to resolve those issues. A nurse leader takes part in different scientific investigations. A nurse leader is always aware of all research issues and plays a

HS610 week 6 Conf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HS610 week 6 Conf - Essay Example This strategy works in close collaboration with the framework for national responses otherwise referred to as the NRF. NIMS is charged with providing templates for incident management whereas NRF is responsible for the provision of structures along with mechanisms utilized by the developers of incident management policies at the national level (FEMA, 2011). By utilizing the strategies laid out by NIMS, the nations tend to benefit by scaling down their activities while improving on their scalability. Its other benefits include the enhancement of cooperation along with interoperability among rescue workers, preparedness for any hazards that may affect the workers and the efficient coordination of resources through various organizations. Finally, it benefits the rescue workers efforts by enabling the integration of their best practices to continuously improve on their efforts. The strategies laid out under NIMS are mainly based on the existing balances between standardization along with flexibility (Walsh, Christen, Lord & Miller, 2011). The core components of this strategy are preparedness, communicating and the management of information along with resources and issuing of commands while managing the response activities. It also involves managing and maintaining ongoing the operations aimed at saving lives and property while reducing the harm that may be caused on the environment (Kamen, 2005). On the other hand, the emergency management approaches of the Whole Community are philosophical means through which the residents, practitioners in the emergency management field and their communal along with organization leaders work in collaboration with the government agencies in managing emergencies (FEMA, 2011). This is mainly done for the purpose of ensuring that they comprehend and assess their communities needs while determining the best ways for organizing an

Personnel management-Part I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personnel management-Part I - Essay Example accordance with the changes that are continuously occurring in the business environment in order to maintain their competitiveness and ability to lead the market. The aim of this essay is to help the reader understand how to conduct training and development in an effective way. In order to yield the maximum out of the training and development program and making it effective and impactful, there are many roles a supervisor or trainer can play. These roles help the supervisor in encouraging the employees and inducing confidence and interest in them. (Reece et al, 2010). The most important role of a supervisor is that of a coach. A good coach identifies the trainee’s strengths and weaknesses in such a way that he would neither get over-confident (due to his strengths) nor too overwhelmed (due to his weaknesses). He helps the employee pin-point his skills and interests and improve accordingly. He would also suggest ways through which the employee could transform his weaknesses into his strengths, increase his productivity and prosper in his career at a faster pace creating a win-win situation for himself as well as the organization. A good trainer is also a good advisor. He keeps an eye on the employee’s shortcomings and advices accordingly without putting him down. He helps his subordinates in setting up realistic career goals that would help him as well as the organization in the long run. He would provide the employee with all the necessary information and instructions that are necessary for him to know, in order to perform his tasks more efficiently. A good supervisor evaluates his subordinates in an open and transparent manner. He is apt at giving frequent feedback but of constructive nature that is intended to boost the employee’s morale and help him develop. He restrains from useless criticism that might bring the employee’s morale down and imparts objectivity. He also plays the role of a motivator and boosts the workers’ self-confidence by

Computer Forensics Essay Example for Free

Computer Forensics Essay Computer forensics, also called digital forensics, network forensics, or cyberforensics, is a rapidly growing field that involves gathering and analyzing evidence from computers and networks. Because computers and the internet are the fastest growing technology used for criminal activity, the need for computer forensics specialists will increase in years to come. A computer forensics specialist examines computer media, programs, data, and log files on computers, servers, and networks. Many areas employ computer forensics specialists, including law enforcement, criminal prosecutors, military intelligence, insurance agencies, and information security departments in the private sector. A computer forensics specialist must have knowledge of the law, technical experience with many types of hardware and software products, superior communication skills, a willingness to learn and update skills, and a knack for problem solving. When a problem occurs, it is the responsibility of the computer forensics specialist to carefully take several steps to identify and retrieve possible evidence that may exist on a suspect’s computer. These steps include protecting the suspect’s computer, discovering all files, recovering deleted files, revealing hidden files, accessing protected or encrypted files, analyzing all the data, and providing expert consultation and/or testimony as required. A computer forensics specialist must have knowledge of all aspects of computers, from the operating system to computer architecture and hardware design. There are three main areas of law related to computer security that affect computer forensics and those come from the fourth and fifth amendment, the U. S. federal rules of evidence and hearsay and finally the three U. S. statutory laws. Computer forensic specialists must be very careful when doing any type of investigation and be sure to follow the laws, if the laws are broken in any way they can be charged with a felony. In conclusion to sum up what computer forensics is in a short it is simply the application of computer investigation and analysis techniques in the interests of determining potential legal evidence.

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler Since its establishment in 1924, Chrysler has been the leading automobile company manufacturing various motor vehicles such as the Chrysler Six; which was the one of the first modern cars to be built. Chrysler Six was claimed to be the first car scoring several firsts, for instance, oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four wheeled hydraulic brakes and other such tech parts. Chrysler took over its competitor, American Motors Corporations in 1987. This was one of its initial mergers and acquisitions that placed Chrysler on the third position of United States auto manufacturers. On the 12th of January 1998, Chrysler Corporation merged with the German company, Daimler. In the period leading up to the merger, both companies were experiencing high profit growths. Daimler admired Chryslers entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking while Chrysler respected the methodological engineering and technical capabilities of Daimler. The two companies were interested in a merger as it would complement their capabilities and resources which would produce greater profits. The merger was touted as a corporate merger of equals and held high expectations among all stakeholders of the organizations (Darling, Seristo, Gabrielsson, 2005). Soon after the merger, both subgroups experienced various conflicts due to different national and corporate cultures, business practices, management and leadership styles and inefficient communication networks. Negotiations between senior leaders frizzled and led to the lay-off of then Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton. Due to the lack of management support, communication and the eventual domination of Daimlers culture over Chryslers, key executives who had been credited with Chryslers success in the 1990s left the organization. This resulted in a management brain drain which evolved into a crisis situation for DaimlerChrysler. Subsequently, an organizational restructuring, production cutbacks and cost cutting measures were announced. However, it was unable to resolve the crisis and thus faced huge losses which eventually resulted in a merger failure. Chrysler dropped from its third position in the United States automobiles chart when it went through a merger with Daimler-Benz. Although it was a merger of equals, it was soon overridden by Daimler-Benz due to Globalization, Classical Approaches, Systems Approaches, Management Styles, Leadership Processes as well as Culture. Soon it was realised that Daimler and Chrysler could not function successfully, and thus in 2009 DaimlerChrysler filed for bankruptcy which left a mark on the history of United States automobiles. The main focus of our report will centre on Chrysler, throughout the period before and during its merger with Daimler, and how internal and external factors affected its operations. GLOBALIZATION When Chrysler first started out, it scored several firsts in the industry such as an oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, and other advanced Chrysler parts. As the company progressed on, it went through several disturbances in its environment continuing into its merger with Daimler. Globalization started taking its toll on Chrysler.Globalization, according to Miller, K. (2009), is the improvement of transportation and telecommunications system making our world, both on a personal and organizational level ever more connected, efficient and interconnected towards a more global economy (p. 2). Chrysler embarked on its journey of manufacturing efficient automobiles through various improvements such as significantly expanding the electronics and computer content on vehicles, with applications ranging from power train controls for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, to enhanced safety systems and chassis controls and to on-board communication systems. Moving on in the years, Chrysler developed vehicles using outdated and expensive structures even as its sales and resources shrinked. Since Chryslers business was heavily weighted to North America, this made the organisation more vulnerable to local economic fluctuations and less able to take advantage of developing markets, as stated by the New York Times. Climate change also made an impact on Chrysler. As Stephen J. G. said, The decision to drive cars long distances to work was common among people in North America and Europe in the past 60 years. Cities grew larger. The development of suburbs often placed homes far from work places; massive road construction encouraged extravagant car useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Driving a car is the most air polluting act an average citizen commits. Chrysler produced auto vehicles that were manufactured without any consideration to its environment. Stephen J. G. (2008), said that Chrysler faced criticisms for their larger vehicles as they were exploiting the innate human tendency to seek domination over othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Bigger is better. However, in 2009, due to climate change, Chrysler changed their tactics, targeting buyers with their higher fuel efficiency and smaller automobiles. Soon after, Chrysler came up with a Hybrid car which boasted fuel efficiency. Chrysler is further expanding on this idea by following it through till 2011 by making new models of the car but using the same technology, for instance, the electric vehicle Dodge Ev. We can view Chrysler in two different views, namely the Utopian view and the Dystopian view. For the Utopian view, we know that Chrysler will continue to change along with globalization and expand its horizons further than North America. It can also adapt with other cultures and societies by learning from its past and bringing it forward to use it in its future. Despite several downfalls, Chrysler always manages to pick itself up and survive through mergers, with Daimler in 1998 and Fiat in 2009. In terms of the dystopian view, clearly, due to its several changes, Chrysler is losing its original organizational structure. Chrysler is maintaining its image by retaining the Chrysler logo for its automobiles despite merging with various other organizations. Nevertheless, even though Chrysler has worked hard to preserve its external image, it has undeniably lost its charm to potential buyers and its customer base. SYSTEMS APPROACHES During the period of cultural change in the 1990s, Chrysler made some improvements to its organizational system. It increased the involvement of people in its operations which improved the permeability of its operations with its suppliers and customers. Before the merger with Daimler, Chryslers management had allowed permeability in its operations in which there was a two way communication between Chrysler and its customers through feedback and information flows. Recognizing the importance of receiving information from customers for improving their focus on development, Chryslers system processes utilized positive, growth and deviation amplifying feedback. In which, customers were requested to provide feedback about their products. Through processing these inputs from customers and workers, Chrysler modified its products to achieve higher profits (Zatz, 1994). In addition, Chrysler improved its system properties namely, holism and negative entropy. The CEO, designers and assembly line workers held meetings together to create and gather information and ideas. This resulted in the creation of successful products by the company (Zatz, 1994). This shows the property of holism where the end product achieved was greater in value than what the employees could have created individually. Chrysler also practiced negative entropy as it valued customers feedback and provided information of its operations to the public. However, after the merger with Daimler, Chryslers existing organizational system processes and properties were replaced by the dominant Daimlers system. This resulted in organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs. The loss of Chryslers successful system resulted in high losses for DaimlerChrysler (Darling et al, 2005). The merger also brought about a high level of uncertainty among employees of Chrysler. According to Cervone, T (2009), communication was an area where DaimlerChrysler fell apart, because there were differences about what needed to be communicated and how to communicate. Daimlers style of communication was solely top-down management communication. However, Chrysler used a more in-depth and extensive communication network with its employees. Therefore as employees were unable to receive important information after the merger, equivocality was high among employees of Chrysler. This was due to the different enactments by employees which created multiple informational environments due to the limited information received in the communication networks. Karl Weicks Theory of Organizing states that reducing equivocality is central to the process of organizing in an organization. It also states that through the use of assembly rules and communication cycles, equivocality should be resolved. In the case of DaimlerChrysler, no effort was made to reduce equivocality and this eventually resulted in the departure of key executives of the organization, creating huge losses for the merger (Darling et al, 2005). The period of merger was a time of uncertainty, disorder and constant conflicts among employees of Daimler and Chrysler. There were various conflicts that stemmed from a vast difference in national and corporate cultures, conflicts on compensation as well as travel expenses. Failure to integrate or assimilate the organizational practices and cultures of both companies created disorder in the merger. Furthermore, the period after Chryslers CEO was fired by Daimler due to differences and the subsequent domination of Daimlers management, pulled Chryslers employees further into disorder (Darling et al, 2005). The New Science Systems Theory states that when systems are at the edge of chaos, order can emerge from disorder. It emphasizes the importance of relationships and being open to information to create new and innovative organizational processes. The high level of disorder present in the merger could have been advantageously used by the management of DaimlerChrysler to create a sustainable and innovative new system. However, as there were problems in the management itself and a lack of information flow and disharmony among employees in the organization, this opportunity was lost to DaimlerChrysler. CLASSICAL APPROACHES As with most German companies, Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality. There was a high emphasis placed on the respect that junior workers had to show those higher up in the hierarchy, and it was expected of workers to take extreme care not to make mistakes when names and titles were concerned. Chrysler, being an American company, was practically the complete opposite of this. There was very little emphasis placed on hierarchies within the company, and the management encouraged a very comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Many a time, mid-level executives could make decisions without fear of negative repercussions from higher-ups. In fact, it was this spontaneity and risk-taking attitude that Chryslers success was partially attributed to. (Vance Paik, 2006.) Upon the merger of the two companies, the actions of Daimler-side co-chairman Schrempp made it clear that despite touting the merge as a marriage of equals, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The Chrysler executives were used to ensuring that their opinions were heard by the rest of the board, no matter what their level was in the corporate hierarchy. This style of communication was unheard of in German companies, and Schrempp felt so threatened by this openness that he removed them from the company to preserve his position and power. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) Schrempp also axed some individuals from the post-merger management board, and a large majority of those fired hailed from the Chrysler division. Communications-wise, we can see that Daimler favored a top-down, formal style of communication within the company as seen from their strict hierarchy and style of decision-making. Chrysler, on the other hand, preferred to encourage an open floor of discussion, allowing as many employees as possible to participate and took their input into consideration. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was that of being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. (Vance Paik, 2006.) In Daimler-Benz, all decisions were made by a board of management executives in the main headquarters in Germany. Those in the lower levels of management had no power in making decisions, as everything would first have to be put past those at the very top of the corporate hierarchy. This cost the company their stability in the time period immediately after the merger, where many problems had the tendency to occur. Despite Chryslers executives being those who were used to making decisions on their own, without having to go through higher levels of authority, they were unable to make any quick decisions which might have saved the company due to Daimlers insistence on forcing them to adopt German style of decision making, which was an arduous, intricate process, and thus took a very long time. Although Frederick Taylors theory of Scientific Management offers that there is only one best way to accomplish any task, the case of DaimlerChryslers failed merger shows that this is not necessarily so there are situations which call for spontaneous, quick thinking as well. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) The reason for Chryslers apparent assimilation into Daimler, as opposed to there being a stabilized platform of equals between the two, was made clear by the remark passed by Schrempp in an interview conducted in October 2000. In it, it was insinuated that the German co-chairman had intended for it to be an acquisition of Chrysler instead of a merger of equals from the very beginning. This was ironically the exact same view that Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton had rejected so vehemently. It is then easy to see exactly why such a large majority of the Chrysler executives (about two thirds) had been either fired or left the company and replaced by managers from the Daimler corporate grid (Darling et al., 2005). DaimlerChryslers Hierarchy MANAGEMENT STYLE Despite many labelling the merger of DaimlerChrysler as the deal of the century (Keegan, 2005) where the merger of equals would bring out the best of both organisations, DaimlerChrysler went under major crisis after their merger. According to Darling, Seristo and Gabrielsson (2005), crisis is defined to be situations that interrupt an organisations usual activity and process (pp. 346-347). Crisis occurred within the newly merged company due to a few reasons; Firstly, the merger of Daimler and Chrysler resulted in irreconcilable differences in its managerial and leaderships styles. Managerial-leadership, or the lack of it, makes or breaks an organisation in times of crisis. According to Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid, Chryslers management belonged to the Country club style of management, where organisational leaders exhibited a high concern for its people as compared to the low concern for production. Chrysler, being an American based company, had its managers concentrating efforts on the establishment of a pleasant workplace with friendly and comfortable human relations. On the other hand, Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management. As quoted from Daimlers Chairman Dieter Zetsche, Daimler systematically train [their] employees so that every one of them clearly understands that compliance is not optional its an integral element of [their] corporate culture (2009), which is characterised as high concern for production and low concern for people. The organisations main objective would be to ensure that its managers focus on arrangements of components in the workplace to maximize efficiency and attain goals. Hence, unlike the American based Chrysler, German Daimler management had little concern for human needs. According to Darling et al. (2005), The DaimlerChrysler merger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was not an ordinary merger. This merger had embedded within it the existence of two very strong yet different organizational cultures that were expected to become integrated to facilitate achievement of the goals and objectives of the merged cross-cultural global enterprise. Failure to successfully integrate the two cultures gave rise to a crisis that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ threaten[ed] the existence of DaimlerChrysler. As there was no clear distinction of a culture after the merger, employees from both companies encountered various intergroup conflicts. These conflicts escalated during the interactions of these now interdependent sub bodies of an organisation that lived in mistrust and continued to perceive opposition of goals, aims, and values, each perceiving the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals. Both companies failed to drop their existing organizational culture and find a shared direction or vision. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust between the two subgroups, as could be seen from how Daimler and Chrysler both openly showed their conflict. They failed to reach a compromise, much less a collaboration to solve the differences to resolve the conflict. Many later commented that the DaimlerChrysler merger was nothing more than an outright acquisition of Chrysler by the German automaker (Keegan, 2005). American President of Chrysler group Jim Holden, together with the management, was eventually replaced by Zetsche and the German management from Daimler, who tries to instil the German practice on the American organisation, hence causing the organisational culture of Chrysler to be dominated by the Daimler management. As the merged organisation fought to survive in the highly competitive manufacturing sector, they adopted the Likerts System I due to the Blake and Moutons Authority-Compliance leadership style, the exploitative authoritative organisation, which is characterised by motivation through downward communication, top-level decision making, the giving of orders, and top level control. Although the strict hierarchical regime might have worked with the German Daimler, it only served as a harsh culture shock to American based Chrysler. Chrysler and Daimler succeeded on their own because of their unique features. Merging without collaboration simply meant that their uniqueness had to be sacrificed, hence causing them to lose their edge in the market. LEADERSHIP PROCESSES After the merger of DaimlerChrysler both subgroups experienced a high level of change. Many problems surfaced during the organizational change process. Firstly there was a lack of management support by Daimler and Chryslers management. According to Darling et al. (2005), Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton who was in charge of the integration of the two companies, lacked the leadership skills or political savvy needed to help the new entity develop a unique culture that represented the best of both worlds. Secondly there was inconsistent action on the part of the management on both sides. Daimler-Benz and Chrysler both had extremely different styles of management and corporate culture. As a result, both companies experienced clashes in operational practices during and after the merger, which quickly escalated in intensity and frequency to the point where the merged company found itself entering a state of crisis (Darling et al, 2005). The leaders of DaimlerChrysler were thus unable to form a clear management vision to be shared with others in the organization. Ownership tension, characterized in this case by these two issues, hampered the successful implementation change efforts and subsequently resulted in a failed merger. In addition, communication between the two subgroups was poor. Daimler practiced an autocratic top down communication style, while Chrysler used an in depth and extensive communication style (Cervone, 2010). As the cultures and communication networks of the two subgroups were not assimilated, there was no clear communication network to both subgroups. Also there were differences about what needed to be communicated. This resulted in uncertainty and anxiety among all organizational members. Despite the multitude of problems experienced by DaimlerChrysler, during the change process, there was no clear effort by the leaders to successfully implement the change process by providing effective management support and reducing uncertainty for organizational members. These problems escalated and subsequently became one of the main factors that caused the merger failure. CULTURE In the early 1990s, Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Its relationships with its customers and various stakeholders deteriorated. These problems adversely affected the companys profits (Zatz, 1994). In order to boost its falling profits, Chrysler made efforts to create a strong organizational culture that increased individual and organizational performance to greater levels. Chrysler began by revamping its core assumption of innovation with a multitude of effective values. These values supported individual participation, growth and improvement in processes which resulted in an overall increase in organizational performance. They are also described as themes for excellent cultures by Peter and Waterman. The values Chrysler incorporated are; the involvement of people in which ideas were solicited from suppliers, customers wants and needs were collated via customer feedback, assembly line workers were included in the planning process and mechanics were consulted early in the process. The value of learning or the Hands-on, value driven theme in which members actively took part in the analysis of past mistakes and achievements in order to improve their overall processes was implemented. In addition the value of quality was created. Chrysler had in place a product quality improvement partnership program to improve quality by increasing teamwork. This is similar to the theme of Simultaneous loose-tight properties as employees exhibited a unity of purpose of achieving quality through diversity in the form of teamwork. The program was a success as it produced the 1966 Grand Cherokee and Chrysler PT cruiser which consistently appeared at the top of the quality charts (Zatz, 1994). These values were encouraged by top management and in time, supported by all employees. This form of synergy was represented in the organizations behaviours and artefacts. Chrysler adopted a participative decision making style, practised wide communication on all networks, implemented low power distance which resulted in a freewheeling open culture that was indifferent to positions or hierarchy. Chryslers Onion Model in the 1990s In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler. The merger was touted as the merger of equals. However, Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures during merger negotiations. This led to conflicting corporate cultures, unresolved problems and ultimately a failed merger (Darling et al, 2005). The German culture of Daimler-Benz was generally less individualistic then Americans. They were uncomfortable with anxiety and ambiguity, practised indirectness in communication and gave respect for title, age and background. While, Daimlers culture consisted of an autocratic leadership style, top- down management and limited involvement of employees. Daimler was characterized as being conservative, efficient and safe. This collided with Chryslers values and opposed its American values of a free-wheeling and open culture. They were characterized as being risk-taking and innovative. Therefore, misunderstandings soon occurred due to the differences in their communication styles, planning and decision-making processes and leadership styles (Darling et al, 2005). During the merger, there were long heated discussions between the CEOs of Daimler and Chrysler about the differences in their corporate cultures and behavioural traits. They recognized the differences but were unsure of how to assimilate the cultures. Finally, they decided that if the differences were far apart, they would pick a spot in the middle and they would merge (Cervone, 2010). By doing so, the CEOs failed to recognize that organizational cultures are often ambiguous. There are potentially multiple manifestations to a corporate culture which are diverse and dynamic. Thus, picking a spot in the middle of two different cultures will not create an effective culture for DaimlerChrysler. Also, organizational cultures are not unitary. It is impossible to characterize an organization as having a single culture as there are multitudes of subcultures existing in conflict or harmony with one another. As such, the CEOs decision to pick a culture that is midway between their cultures will not result in success. This would fail to recognize the subcultures within the organization that largely impacts its behaviours and decisions. In addition, organizational cultures are complicated. Integrating two independent companies with divergent cultures into one cohesive organization is a major undertaking (Zatz, 1994). Simply picking a culture will not create a sustainable culture for DaimlerChrysler. This objectifies culture by simplifying it and de-emphasizing the complex processes via which organizational culture is created and sustained. Culture is in actuality pervasive and it affects the everyday business of the firm (Weber, Camerer, 2003). Thus, more effort is needed to collaborate both cultures. The leaders should create joint basic assumptions and related values for the organization. This would create a shared meaning among all employees and subcultures which would in turn create similar behavioural traits. This level of synergy in cultures will result in success for DaimlerChrysler. Furthermore, organizational cultures are emergent. It is a product of constant interrelationships between organizational members in different contexts and settings. After the merger, cultural workshops were put in place to integrate both subgroups of the company. These workshops were not supported by both members and thus failed. Subsequently, no other efforts were made by the management to integrate the members. As no clear distinction of a culture was made, Daimlers culture grew to be more dominant and oppressing to employees of Chrysler. Employees became increasingly dissatisfied and there were constant cultural collisions in the interrelationships between Daimler and Chryslers employees. This led to the departure of key Chrysler executives who had led the company to success in its domestic and international markets for creativity, efficiency and profitability. As a result, the companies faced huge losses (Zatz, 1994). This situation could have been avoided by integrating employees of both corporations. By creating opportunities for employees to interact in settings such as orientation of members to the newly merged company, company events, department dinners or joint work teams, would have increased familiarity and created cohesive relationships between employees. Also, communication networks should be expanded and fully utilized to disseminate information during the merger in order to reduce uncertainty and increase support of the merger. These methods would have allowed a cohesive culture among members of both companies to emerge over time. CONCLUSION Why was Chrysler a success? Chrysler initially pioneered several automobile parts, making it more accepted in the automobile market. After being criticised for not being environmentally friendly, Chrysler replied to the criticisms by introducing a new line of automobiles such as Hybrid cars and electric cars in the Dodge EV series and brought the brand back into demand. Why was DaimlerChrysler a failure? The merger of Daimler and Chrysler did not thrive as many people had predicted. It would have became the collaboration of the century if only they had managed to solve the problems that occurred within the newly formed DaimlerChrysler. The issues they faced were: There were problems with the organizational system processes of the newly merged organization. Chrysler, on its own, constantly strived to improve its system properties, for instance, holism and negative entropy. However after it was merged with Daimler, they went under organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs resulting in a high level of uncertainty among employees due to limited information received in communication network. Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality, while Chrysler placed very little emphasis on hierarchies within the company. Furthermore, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was them being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. The lack of a suitable managerial-leadership also caused a crisis. Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management over Chryslers style of management of the Country club. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust when they failed to even reach a compromise to resolve their conflict. Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures and assimilate them during merger negotiations, thus causing DaimlerChrysler to lose its edge in the market, which ultimately led to a failed merger. What they should have done to solve the problems? During the negotiations prior to the merger, leaders of Daimler and Chrysler should have identified the vast differences in the national and corporate cultures of both companies. As both of the companies merged to complement their capabilities and resources, the domination and oppression of Daimlers culture over Chrysler adversely affected the merger. Chrysler experienced a loss of culture and an erosion of its successful values which reduced its overall capability. Therefore, the leaders of DaimlerChrysler should have exhibited cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence to facilitate the growth of a cohesive culture. Through the collaboration of shared meanings and values, DaimlerChrysler would have created a successful merger. What happened to Chrysler in the end? Chryslers sales tumbled 30 percent in 2008 and it ended the year with only $2 billion in cash and reliant on a government bailout to keep it afloat. After which Fiat took an interest in Chrysler after thorough research of whether it will have minimal downside and be profitable. As JP Morgans analyst Himanshu Patel said, the merger for both Fiat and Chrysler could help the U.S. automaker secure another round of bailout funds. This is a strategic alliance, said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer with Solaris Asset Management in New York By Gilles Castonguay and Poornima Gupta We hope that Chrys

Evaluating the Communication Strategy adopted by Yahoo

Evaluating the Communication Strategy adopted by Yahoo Founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Yang, Yahoo! began as a hobby and has evolved into a leading global brand that changed the way people communicate with each other, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information. Today, Yahoo! Inc. attracts hundreds of millions of users every month through its innovative technology and engaging content and services, making it one of the most trafficked Internet destinations and a world class online media company. The majority of Yahoo! offerings are available in more than 30 languages. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a presence in more than 25 countries, provinces, and territories. Yahoo!s vision is to be the centre of peoples online lives by delivering personally relevant, meaningful Internet experiences (Yahoo, 2010) Yahoo! operates the web portal http://www.yahoo.com which provides content including the latest news, entertainment, and sports information. The portal also gives users access to other Yahoo! services like Yahoo! Mail which is the most popular product, Yahoo! Maps which provides the user with maps of cities and town , Yahoo! Finance enables user to have achieve to financial trade and stock market, Yahoo! Groups is a large collection of online discussion boards and Yahoo! Messenger which offer free communication . The majority of the product offerings are available globally in more than 20 languages. When any organisation is formed is main objective is to serve a certain purpose or need. Yahoo aims to be the center of peoples online lives. Customer is king and it is always important to provide a personal responsibility in order to maintain the customers loyalty and trust. Customer are always regards as the number one priority and keeping them satisfied is main goal always. Main body External And Internal Communication Corporate Communication is an essential aspect of an organisation and one that can determine the success of the organisation. It is the management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall purpose of establishing and maintain favourable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organisation is dependent on ( Joep Cornelissen 2008) http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680040405005.png Markwick and Fill model helps with explaining how an organisation presents itself to each stakeholders and how it enables to distinguish itself from all other organisation In every organisation employers are the one of the key assets that helps the business establish itself in the market. Yahoo! believes that Work and play join forces to revolutionize the web When Yahoo! Started it was a directory of websites. They pioneered a new profession for its employees called Web Surfer which involved categorizing sites of every stripe in which they have to decide what to include, where to arrange the information and how to describe things in a clear point of view. In embarking on the task of bringing order to so much information, Yahoo! established foundational principles which are as relevant today as they were when the Web was new: Be simple, clear, direct. Be useful, inclusive, and provide context, not judgment. Employers are not confined to their offices for hours. Yahoo! believes that Work and play join forces to revolutionize the web. Forbes magazine has named Yahoo one of the best companies to work for. Yahoo! believes humor is essential to success and it applauds irreverence and dont take ourselves too seriously. We celebrate achievement. The company fosters an environment of teamwork, offering video games and Foosball, and celebrating achievements and milestones with company parties. Environment Yahoo! has a strong commitment to corporate citizenship, and strives to conduct business in an environmentally responsible manner. Yahoo! is constantly trying to give back to the community in a lot of ways. It ranked number one environment corporate citizen in the Corporate Responsibility Officers 10 Best Media list in 2007 We use ingenuity and technology to reduce our dependence on natural resources such as energy, materials, and water. And each Yahoo! employee pitches in to help reduce waste. This teamwork makes decreasing the overall environmental impact almost as much fun as yodeling. We endeavor to use our global reach to promote the story of sustainability. As a result, we are increasing value to our customers and shareholders, providing an example to other companies, and contributing to a more sustainable  future. Yahoo believes in sharing the success with the communities it lives and works in and strive to do our very best for their employees, shareholders, customers and the  environment. Yahoo is committed to provide the best online user experience to all individual disable or non-disabled alike. In 2008 Yahoo! developed the accessibility lab which designers and engineers studied how disabled children and individuals soon computers and assess the internet Yahoo!s commitment to accessibility is not only socially responsible but also a reflection of our mainstream business practices. Yahoo! fundamentally respects its customers. Identity, Reputation and Image Every organisation has an image that gels with its reputation.By establishing an identity in a market a company is able to distinguish itself from other corporations in the market. Apart from being a leading global internet brand Yahoo!s When is come to identity Yahoo regards itself a corporate citizen it has associated itself with two charities which are Trans Tanz And Hope HIV. Tranz Tanz charity in Tanzania that aims to provide people living with HIV and AIDS with drug treatment and testing facilities in regional health centers without charge. But since many people cannot afford public transport .Trans Tanz provides free bus service transporting patients to and from the health centers and their homes. In 2010 on world aids day it plans to use motorbikes to deliver the drugs and test kits from the Health Centers to the patients home. Hope HIV supports people in sub Saharan Africa who have been affected or orphaned by HIV/AIDS by providing education and emotional support to the victims. HopeHIV aims to make the victims future one of hope rather than despair. By being associated with such charities Yahoo! is able to project its image of itself as a caring and responsible corporate citizen contributing to the fight against one of the deadliest diseases around. This enables to boost Yahoo! brand recognition and royalty to its customers (Yahoo 2010) Culture http://www.designedforafrica.org/images/blog/hofstede.jpg Every organisation has a culture which generates the image of an organisation to the outside world. It determines how the corporation presents itself. Hofstede Framework for assessing culture helps us in identify Yahoos culture. One of factor for cultural assessment is Power Distance in Yahoo the level between the top level management and employees is low which means ideas and view are encouraged and accepted by the management to surfaces anywhere within the organisation. All employees are treated equally and are encouraged to communicate openly (Yahoo Code of Ethics) Individualism is hugely prevalent in all Yahoo ! companies since it an American establishment. With regard to the Masculine and femininity approach Yahoo! adopts both the styles.Yahoo is committed to being a leading global company and strives to do so with integrity. They execute the task flawless and dislike any shortcuts on the other hand Yahoo adopts a famine approach towards its relationship with its employees .Yahoo employers are regarded as valuable assets and the company takes good care of them by providing them with all of perks (dental medical insurance etc).When it comes to uncertain factors affecting the environment Yahoo is able to adapt to it. Yahoo always tries to anticipate the trends in the market and quickly embrace it. Role Of Human Resource Management Human Resouce Management is regarded as one of the most important functions in an organisation. It acts as a guideline for the organisation to add value to its business. One of the main roles of Human Resource management is to meet the needs of management, HRM is a strategic management tool that links people in an organisation towards the goals and objectives of the business. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0690170707001.png The Harvard analytical framework explains how the organisation operates in a business environment. Situational factors influence the organisations HR strategy choice. With reference to the work ethics of Yahoo! it conducts itself with integrity that upholds the values of the organisation. The style of management adopted is different from most business organisation they believe that humour is essential for success. The power distance between the top management and employers is low as Yahoo accepts view, ideas and opinions from anywhere within the organisation. By enabling employers to express themselves will lead to more dedication and commitment which in turn helps Yahoo to achieve their targets. Stakeholders interest is an essential aspect in an organisation. Yahoos management consist of high skilled and qualified people. To name a few one of them being Micheal J. Callahan who is the executive vice president of Yahoo! his role is to advise the companys management and board of directors on strategic and corporate matters. When it comes to Yahoos marketing strategy Elisa Steele is in charge Elisa handles the global marketing strategy as well as global communication and regional marketing. Yahoo! considers itself to be an equal opportunity employer and believes in treating it employers with courtesy and respect. With the wide number of employers working in Yahoo! coming from different backgrounds the organisation has zero tolerance towards unlawful workplace harassment and always strives to maintain an environment where all cultural backgrounds are embraced. The HRM policies of Yahoo! provide guidelines on how the organisation accepts its staff to conduct themselves and how communication between various departments should be carried out in a structured manner so that it is complaisant with the laws and regulations which are applicable to all their worldwide operations. David who works as the Chief Human Resouces Officer say I constantly listen to feedback from employees on how the HR processes can improve and do my best to address Yahoos concerns. Employers are encouraged to take up new challenges to learn more about the business and with that exposure they will be able to contribute immensely to the team and Yahoo! as a whole HR Outcomes The HR outcomes revolves around the commitment the employers have towards the organisation, The staff views and ideas are always considered by the management and discourage them to be spectator in the organisation this helps with developing an emotional bond between the employers and the organisation itself. Long Term Consequences It has been 15 years since Yahoo! established itself and during its time period it was been able to emerge as one of the top most successful companies in the world .With all the success it said gained Yahoo! has not forgotten the staff who have been with the organisation from the start and their efforts havent gone unnoticed . Conclusion In light of the above analysis undertaken by me for Yahoo! I feel that the communication strategy adopted by the firm is extremely efficient .Yahoo has adopted an excellent corporate strategy that enable the organisation to communicate corporate messages to all its stakeholders. Yahoo is one of the most successful media and communication enterprises in the internet industry. People from all over the world come to Yahoo to find information that matters to them the most and Yahoo never fails to deliver that to their customer. All the employers in yahoo are recognised and rewarded thereby sustaining their contribution towards the success of the company.With regard to corporate reputation Yahoo has consistently communicated and projected its corporate images towards the stakeholders as being authentic , unique and responsible with its association to a large number of charitable organisation and fight against AIDS.

Frankenstein: Who is the victim? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Frankenstein, the monster and Victor are both put through many depressing and hurtful situations. I think that the monster was the true victim. He was rejected by everyone he came across from the day he entered life. His creator was never there to teach him right from wrong or responsibility. And also, the monster's soon-to-be wife was killed before his eyes. These agonies are what make the monster more of a victim than Victor Frankenstein does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, the monster was abandoned by his creator Victor, the only man he's ever had a relationship with. He was made eight feet tall and very grotesque. At first sight, his creator rejects him. The monster tries to integrate himself into society, only to be shunned universally. When the creature goes to the village, he is attacked because of his horrifying appearance. He assists a group of poor peasants and saves a girl from drowning, but because of his outward looks, he is rewarded only with beatings and disgust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The monster is left to live his life with no help from his creator after being abandoned. While having the mind of a newborn, this is not easy for him. By not knowing right from wrong, he murdered Victor's loved ones in order to get attention. He never had anyone to teach him how to live life with dignity and respect. This is a major loss for a living being. The creator is at fault here because the monster does not know better. Victor should have taken responsibility by accepting, raising, and controlling the monster.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Victor destroys his work on the female monster meant to ease the monster's solitude, the monster is overcome with suffering and sadness. These feelings affected his state of mind and caused him to do wrong things. He did not deserve to see his one and only mate be destroyed.

Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Essay

During the late nineteen-forties, it was common for playwrights such as Tennessee Williams to use symbolism as an approach to convey personal thoughts, through the attitudes of the characters and the setting. Williams' actors have used symbolism to disguise the actuality of their thoughts and to accommodate the needs of their conservative audience. A Streetcar Named 'Desire' has a few complicated character traits and themes. Therefore, they have to be symbolised using figures or images to express abstract and mystical ideas, so that the viewers can remain clueless. Williams not only depicts a clear personality of the actors but he also includes real-life public opinions from the past (some of which are contemporary.) These opinions were likely to raise controversies on issues such as prejudice, social gender expectations and men and women's roles in society. There have been numerous occasions when symbolism has taken place in A Streetcar Named 'Desire.' Firstly, Stanley is insulted several times by Blanche (his sister-in-law) Stella (his beloved wife) and other residents of the 'Quarter'. For example, the term 'animal' has been constantly spoken of, to define Stanley's malicious and ill-natured conduct. In scene four, Blanche tries to persuade her younger sister to go elsewhere and leave her husband. On page 163, she complains: Blanche: He acts like an animal, has an animal's habits! Eats like one, talks like one! There's even something - sub-human - something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something - ape-like about him there he is - Stanley Kowalski - Bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle! Furthermore, when the play begins, Stanley enters the ground-floor apartm... ... of the play, Williams may be hinting that Blanche is gradually being ruined. Perhaps her 'white radio' being tossed 'out of the window' tells us that Stanley is already against Blanche and does not like the sound of her being around. I shall conclude this essay with a brief understanding of symbolism. It is a very useful concept and often needed to give the audience a few suggestions. Symbolism makes people think and broadens their mind with varieties and ideas. In A Streetcar Named 'Desire', symbolism has been significantly used to show the roles of men and women in society and how they expect each other to be treated. It has disguised many possible sexual scenes; therefore, Williams has succeeded in transmitting some of his themes or ideas. Some of these are sexuality, madness, jealousy, racism, cruelty, loyalty, gender relationships and conflict.

Wedding in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, wedding marks the beginning of a new life. Men and women who decide to get married will throw out their old clothing and buy new ones (Wedding Customs). They attribute new life by means of having new properties and things. Marriage is also sacred and calling the couple bride and groom is a very common way. The best way to call them is by looking upon them as man and wife. Choosing a spouse in Saudi Arabia is never easy before. The tradition of arranged marriage was a big issue for the Arabs (Monger 11). The most common basis of choosing the best spouse is by examining the wealth of the family and how powerful they are in the society. Tribal alliances are also another basis for the marriage that’s why there are instances when a man is married to his first cousin (Monger 11). At present, this tradition is still followed but the good thing is that brides are now allowed to choose their potential mates. The basis for their choice should be the properties and assets that the man could provide her as they establish their own family (Wells 171). Marital foundation in Saudi Arabia is often based on the Sharia law or on what is written in the Quran (Robertson). Cultural barriers can be solved if the couple is really willing to pay tribute to the culture of Saudi Arabia. Despite of the many changes in customs and traditions in marriage, women in Saudi Arabia are strictly prohibited to marry men who are not Arabs. They are only permitted to marry a non-Arab once they are given consent by the King. â€Å"This holds true if the Arab is not a citizen of a country belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council† (Robertson). Westerners are qualified to marry an Arab woman only if they came from rich families and who will decide to live outside the country right after their wedding. In the case of marrying a male Arab, a woman should ready herself to submit her life not only to her husband but to his gamily as well. â€Å"Parents of the husband to be have a huge amount of influence over the couple† (Robertson). Dating is not part of the culture in Saudi Arabia; most couples are based on the choice of the bride’s mother (Monger 11). She will decide if a man is the best match for her daughter. There are also instances when matchmakers are paid to find the perfect husband for a female Arab. A woman must also marry for the sake of her welfare and safety (Kavanwal). Female are well treasured in the culture of Saudi Arabia, the men around them should look after them and give all their needs which includes clothing, food, shelter and protection (Robertson). â€Å"Caring for a woman becomes burdensome, and traditionally, women are married as soon as possible† (Kavanwal), Saudi women marry much younger than expected. If a 10 year old girl gets married, it is not a big deal for her family as long as the groom is capable of providing all her needs (Wells 171). The most common age for a Saudi woman to get married is between the age of 16 to 18 while the groom is between 16-20. There is such a thing as polygamous households where a young bride will end up as a junior wife because she married a much older man (Wells 172). For those who marry more than one wife, the traditional view is because they wanted to have more children and in order to satisfy the sexual needs of husbands. In this fast changing world, the western part of the world greatly influenced the people of Saudi Arabia. Arabs are now open to international influence like making oil sales and reinventing the wedding tradition with a different twist. Marriage has become more expensive and detailed based on the preference of the couple. For wealthy families, wedding is frenzy in Saudi Arabia. Women will begin competing for attention because they are adorned with splendid accessories which are mostly expensive (Wells 172). A traditional wedding in Saudi Arabia is always accompanied by an engagement party. This is celebrated by means of introducing the bride and the groom to each other. The bride to be is expected to be as beautiful as possible. Her hair is arranged like a camel’s hump and is piled up. Her skin is painted white, her eyes painted with black circles and her nails manicured to perfection (Kavanwal). She sits on a table and waits for her groom and the groom’s family like a figurine on display. There are rare instances wherein a bride is allowed to speak over the meal and decides if she wants to marry the groom chosen by her family. Once an agreement is made, the detail of the wedding will be discussed by both parties including the contract, the dowry and what should be done with the properties once the couples decides to divorce (Wells, 172). The dowry or mahr in Islamic language is paid by the groom to the bride’s family as a sign of good intention for his wife to be. In the earlier times, it is paid by means of camels, sheep or goats but at present the dowry is paid by means of money in Riyal currency (Monger 105). The amount of dowry depends on the social status of the family of the bride. The more influential the family, the higher is the dowry to be paid. Court registry is now part of the marriage in Saudi Arabia. A contract is based on the negotiation of the groom and a male representative from the bride’s family. A witness will attest the validity of the contract under the Sharia law. After the document is signed, the marriage is considered valid and binding. The marriage contract can also include prenuptial agreements like children custodies, divorce, and permission of wife to travel outside the country and if marriage should be terminated in case the husband dies (Wells 172). Sahria Law allows male Arabs to marry up to four wives (Kavanwal). But he must assure the family of the wife that he can support everything and provide a good life to all of his wives and children. Now that the modern period is costly, more and more Saudi men prefer marrying 1 wife only. The cost of getting married is never easy because it includes many things and practices (Kavanwal). Signing the marriage contract in the court is not the only basis of marriage in Saudi. It should be incorporated by a henna party where the wedding events are held for the bride and another party for the groom (Robertson). Henna parties are intended for the bride only (Monger 150). It is usually done before the wedding and a sugaring is done where all body hairs are removed from the bride. There are also instances where female circumcision is done during henna parties. If the sugaring was not able to remove all the hair from the bride’s body, the groom has the right to divorce her because this is a sign of dishonoring and displeasing him (Kavanwal). The groom on his wedding night will wear white colored clothes and covers himself with a Bisht (Wedding Customs). The bride on the other hand wears an abaya that covers her hair (Kavanwal). The bride wears a long white gown while the bridesmaids are dressed in red which signifies youth and virginity. Guests are all female and the only male present is the groom (Wells 172). The wedding also includes the gift ceremony where the groom gives his offering to the bride which is usually a piece of jewelry that is equivalent to the price of the dowry. The celebration of the wedding is based on the generosity of the groom and his family. Meanwhile the gentlemen and other male relatives are gathered in one room as they sip coffee of tea (Wells172). After the wedding rites, the groom will pay respect to his relatives as he comes with his father and sits with them to drink some coffee before they leave (Robertson). The same thing goes with the bride who will come with her mother and also drink with her relatives. The said ritual is done to release the stress of the newly weds (Wedding Customs). This will ensure them that their new life will be free of any struggles and be well prepared in facing the new life. In most cities of Saudi Arabia, wedding should be celebrated very well by letting other people know that a special event is going on. This is done by the bridegroom and his friends who will go to the party hall which is usually located near the groom’s house. His friend on the other hand will take their cars and honk its horns while flashing the headlights so that neighbors and other people will know that a wedding party is being held (Wedding Customs). Cake cutting is also present in the wedding culture of Saudi Arabia. The said ceremony is the symbolic representation of how couples will look after each other (Wedding Customs). Marriage marks the beginning of a more intimate relationship between the bride and the groom because they are expected to take care of one another. The cake cutting ceremony is done by the bride and the groom who walks towards the table where their wedding cake is placed (Robertson). The guest gives way for them and with astonishment they will witness how the bride gets his bride’s hand and they will hold the knife together. They will cut a small portion of the cake and the groom will take a piece of the cake and allow his bride to take a bit of the piece (Monger 49). The bride will also do the same thing as she holds another piece and let her groom eat it. After the cake ceremony, the crowd will start rejoicing for them (Monger 49). Marriage customs in Saudi Arabia also includes the part where the bride and groom goes to their wedding tent or most commonly known as the honeymoon. If the groom is not capable of paying his own apartment, he has the alternative to take his wife and live with his parents. The house of the newly weds are comprised of the groom’s siblings and other relatives. Nevertheless, male and female are segregated as much as possible even at home (Kavanwal). Marriage under the culture of Saudi Arabia is quite complicated especially if the woman is not an Arab. Living with the groom is often associated with the fact that the woman will also live with families and relatives of the male Arab. Extended family is a typical scenario in Saudi Arabia. Since women are not allowed to socialize with men, the only circle of friends of the wife will be those who are related to her husband like his relatives for example (Robertson). This becomes a problem for foreigners who are married to male Arabs especially if they are not familiar with the language of Saudi Arabia. Females are not allowed to go out, drive and take public transportation if they are not accompanied by relatives or their children (Robertson). The goal of marriage in Saudi Arabia is to establish a family that is stable and happy (Wells 172). Although there are lots of expectations from the family of the bride and groom, husband and wife also struggle to meet their romantic fulfillment. The most vital factor in their marriage is financial stability and social standing. This is the main reason why most marriages in Saudi are prearranged and marrying one’s cousin is common. Being aware of each other’s family background will ensure that the risk of having bad family life is avoided.