Saturday, August 31, 2019

Absurdity in Camus’s The Plague

Albert Camus tried to make sense of plague's challenge to the human spirit in this novel set in North Africa. It is a chronicle of human suffering. â€Å"But what does that mean – ‘plague'? Just life, no more than that.† (Camus, Gilbert 1948 : 307).The old asthmatic, who spends his days transferring peas from one pan to another, summarizes the overarching theme of Camus's narrative: life and death, in a world that does not seem to care for us. The Plague is a powerful literary work, despite its many logical and other shortcomings, which we will be looking into. Camus is obviously trying to stimulate the reader to think about the problems of life and ways to confront life in a seemingly absurd and cruel world — although how far he succeeds in this attempt is doubtful.Over the course of a few days in sometime in the 1940s, in the Algerian city of Oran, thousands of rats emerge into the streets in dying conditions. At this point begins the outbreak. Absurdity creeps into Camus’s story in more ways than one. Dying rats and the spread of bubonic plague is not an unprecedented phenomenon in human history. In the mid 14th century, the devastating black plague exterminated nearly one third of the population of Europe. Spanning three years, it was a disaster of colossal proportions.A major episode of Bubonic plague occurred in ancient Greece, as well as in the late Roman period, killing people in hundreds of thousands. The narrator of the story himself acknowledges the fact of a ten thousand people dying every single day in Constantinople. Therefore, on the first sign of rats dying en masse, all the nations and international authorities would be alerted, not just the city officials. But that does not strangely happen in Camus’s account. No action is taken at all for a long time, though much hullabaloo goes on.The Plague recounts a specific (albeit fictional) epidemic taking place in a particular location at a particular time, alt hough the year is not clearly specified. Therefore historical and practical questions are important in making sense of the story.Camus’s novel was published in 1947, in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. It is reasonable therefore to assume that the Oran episode might have occurred towards the end of the war or in the first years of peace. Towards the end of the First World War, a massive outbreak of Influenza pandemic killed an estimated 40 million people worldwide.No one would even remotely want such a disaster to happen all over again at the end of the Second World War, and therefore no one would have taken the matter lightly. The moment the news is in the media, it would have sent shivers across the national capitals all over the world. By no stretch of imagination, Bubonic plague can be considered a local issue.One cannot possibly conceive any city authorities to be complacent over such a grave matter, thereby delaying action and letting the infection take hold in the populace. Leave alone the local authorities, national and international authorities would immediately jump into the scene taking all possible action to contain the burgeoning plague. That a plague is on its way is clear as day from the first deaths of rats to anyone who is least educated, however the city officials go on merely debating, discussing and hesitating.In 1994, a case of pneumonic plague, a deadlier air-borne version of bubonic plague, broke out in the Northwestern India. The word plague was in the air, and hundreds of thousands of people immediately started evacuating their houses, even before the authorities could rush into action. In the end, few people died of the actual infection, more people must have perished in the stampedes to catch trains and buses.In Camus’s novel that seeks to question the very meaning of human life and existence, however, no such commonsensical, logical measures are taken.Common people behave meaninglessly, authorities beha ve absurdly, international authorities do not even figure in – all this in spite of the narrator, Bernard Rieux, being a doctor himself. Even when the doctor starts worrying, he worries about his own city, not the continent and the world, as if plague knows any city limits. Region-specific infectious diseases such as Ebola infections which break out in West African countries from time to time are called endemics, not epidemics.According to the novel, one is given to understand that Bernard Rieux is preoccupied with his wife’s impending trip to a sanitarium and is therefore at first not alarmed by the rats dying on the streets with blood spurting from their muzzles.Doctors are always preoccupied with something or other, yet any doctor spotting a number of rats dying in such a ghastly manner would have issued red alert instantaneously. Rats dying by coughing up blood are strangely viewed by every one concerned as a sanitation issue! This is a preposterous way of telling a story.

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 30~31

Thirty Theo â€Å"Listen,† Theo said, cocking his ear toward the cave mouth. â€Å"Vehicles. The SWAT team is here.† Molly glanced to the back of the cave. From the light of the colors Steve was flashing she could see that the pilgrims had surrounded the Sea Beast and were stroking his scales. She turned back to Theo. â€Å"You've got to stop the helicopters. Call them and stop it.† â€Å"Molly, it's not the news helicopters that will hurt him, or us. It's those guys who just pulled up.† Theo peeked out the mouth of the cave and saw two four-wheel-drives parking down on the marine terrace, about a hun-dred yards from the cave mouth. Of course, he thought, they still think they need cover. Molly brandished her broadsword, holding it only inches from Theo's stomach. â€Å"If he's hurt, I'll never forgive you, Theo Crowe. I'll track you down to the ends of the earth and kill you like the radioactive scum that you are.† â€Å"That Kendra or Molly talking?† â€Å"I mean it,† she screamed, almost hysterical now. Steve roared from the back of the cave. â€Å"Don't go nuts on me, Molly. I'm doing my best. But the only thing your pal seems likely to do is eat me. He doesn't seemed real motivated by anything else.† Molly slumped to her knees and hung her head as if someone had sucked the energy out of her through a valve in her boot. Theo fought the urge to comfort her, afraid that if he even touched her shoulder the Sea Beast might attack him. Then it hit him. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed the Head of the Slug. Mavis Mavis Sand had spent a lifetime making mistakes and learning from them, and that perspective made her feel as if she knew what was good for people better than they knew themselves. Consequently, Mavis was a meddler. Most of the time she was content to use information as her tool of choice and rumor as her means of delivery. What someone knew – and when they knew it – controlled what they did. (The Spider, pulling digital strings from his basement web, had exactly the same philosophy.) Today she'd had a heap of problems dumped on her, none of them directly hers, and she had been pondering them all morning without much luck in coming up with a way to manipulate the information to solve them. Then the call came from Theo, and it all clicked: Theo was right, they could use the monster's instincts to get them out of the cave, but if she played the mix right, she could solve a couple of other problems as well. She put down the phone and Catfish said, â€Å"Who that?† â€Å"It was Theo.† â€Å"That ol' dragon ain't et him yet? Boy must be livin a charmed life.† Mavis leaned over the bar, close to Catfish, took his hand in hers, and began squeezing. â€Å"Sweetie, put on your friendly persuasion hat. I need you to run down to the pharmacy and pick up something for me.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† Catfish said, wincing as the bones in his fingers compressed under her grip. When the Bluesman was gone, Mavis made a quick phone call, then went to the back room and dug through boxes and filling cabinets until she came up with what she was looking for: a small black box attached to a long cord with a cigarette lighter plug on the end. â€Å"Don't worry, Theo,† she said to herself. â€Å"I put my life in the hands of machinery a long time ago, and I'm doing just fine.† She giggled and it came out sounding like the starter cranking on a fuel dry Ford. Catfish A Bluesman hates to be told what to do. Authority rankles him, inspires his rebellion, and plays to his need to self-destruct. A Bluesman doesn't take to having a boss unless he's on a chain gang (for the chain gang boss ranks below only a mean old woman and a sweet young thing in the hier-archy of the Blues Muse, followed closely by bad liquor, a dead dog, and the Man). Catfish had a boss who was a mean old woman: a distinct and disconcerting turn of the Blues screw that might have driven a lesser Bluesman to shoot hisself, get shot, get hold of some bad liquor, or bust up his guitar and take a job down to the mill. But Catfish hadn't taken nigh unto eighty trips around that cruel, cruel sun without gaining some per-spective, so he would go to the pharmacy as he was told. He would talk to the fish-fucking white boy with the combed-over hair that waved in the air like the sprung lid on a bean can. And when he was done, he would pick up his pay from the mean old woman who was holding it hostage and he would get his wrinkly Black ass out of this town and go nurse his heartbreak on the moving trap that was, is, and always shall be the road. So Catfish strolled a rolling Delta moonwalk of a stroll (redolent of sas-safras and jive) into Pine Cove Drug and Gift, and the four blue-haired chicken women behind the counter nearly tumbled over each other trying to get to the back room. Imagine it: a person of the Dark persuasion in their midst. What if he should ask for a vial of Afro-Sheen or some other ethnic-ally oriented product with which they were totally unfamiliar? Why, the smoke alarms would melt, screaming like dying witches, when their col-lective minds steamed to a stop. Do we look like thrill-seekers? Wasn't it enough that we had to put up that sign reading NO HABLA ESPANOL and acknowledge the existence of thirty percent of the population, even in the negative? No, we shall err on the side of safety, thank you, and in lieu of sand in which to bury our heads, we shall head into the back room. Winston Krauss, who was counting fake Zolofts behind his glass wall, looked up and saw Catfish coming down the aisle toward the counter and immediately regretted that he hadn't installed bulletproof glass. Still, Winston was a man of the world, and you don't indulge the fantasy of molesting dolphins without becoming familiar with the ways of people of color, for that is who dolphins prefer to hang out with, when they aren't hanging out with the Cousteaus, or so it appeared on the Discovery Channel. He stepped out of his booth and met Catfish as he reached the counter. â€Å"Good day, me brother-mon, ye,† Winston said in his best island dialect. â€Å"What can I be gettin for ye?† And there was that welcoming smile, only a dreadlock and a white sand beach short of a travel poster. Catfish squinted, removed his fedora, ran a hand over his shining scalp, stepped back, turned his head to the side and studied the pharmacist for a moment, then said, â€Å"I will slap the shit out of you. You know that?† â€Å"Sorry,† Winston said, coughing somewhat, as if trying to dislodge the errant Jamaican from his throat. â€Å"What can I do for you, sir?† â€Å"Mavis down to the Slug sent me up to ax you somethin.† â€Å"I'm familiar with her medical records,† Winston said, â€Å"You can have her call me if she has a question.† â€Å"Yeah, she don't want to call you. She want you to come down to see her.† Winston adjusted his bolo tie. â€Å"I'm sorry, but you'll have to have her call me. I can't leave the store.† Catfish nodded. â€Å"That what she thought you'd say. She say to ax you if she can have a big jar of them sugar pills you selling instead medicine.† Winston glanced at the back room where his staff was huddled like Anne Frank and family, peering out through the crack in the door. â€Å"Tell her I'll be right over,† Winston said. â€Å"She said to wait and come with you.† Winston was visibly sweating now; oily beads rose on his scalp. â€Å"Let me tell the staff where I'll be.† â€Å"Hurry up, Flipper. I ain't got all day,† Catfish said. Winston Krauss shuddered, hitched up his double knits, and waddled around the counter. â€Å"Ladies, I'll be back in few minutes,† he called over his shoulder. Catfish leaned over the counter to where he could see the row of eyes peering out of the crack and said, â€Å"I be back in a few minutes my own self, ladies. I needs some medicine what can help me with this huge black dick I have to carry around. The weight of it like to break my back.† There was a collective intake of breath so abrupt that the drop in pressure sprung the barometer on the wall and made Catfish's ears pop. Winston Krauss turned and scowled at Catfish. â€Å"Was that really necessary?† â€Å"Man's got to look after his reputation,† Catfish said. The Sheriff Burton had them cover him while he moved down through the rocks and across the marine terrace to the Blazers. He found Sheridan crouched behind the fender, his M-16 trained on the cave entrance. â€Å"Rough morning, Sheriff?† Sheridan said, showing a hint of a smile at Burton's disheveled suit. Burton looked around at the other team members, who were all staring through rifle scopes at the cave entrance. â€Å"So we only have five?† â€Å"Morales is coaching Pee-Wee Football today. The others are on regular duty. We couldn't pull them off.† Burton scowled. â€Å"As far as I know, they only have the one weapon, but it's a fully automatic AK. I want two men on either side of the cave mouth, one down in that crevice where I was pinned down can deliver the gas, followed by concussion grenades. I'll stay here with a sniper rifle to take out anyone who gets past the entry crew. Shoot anything that moves. Let's go, five minutes. On my mark.† â€Å"No gas,† Sheridan said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"No gas and no concussion. You wanted us here without checking in. That stuff is kept in the locker at County Justice. We just have the body armor and our own personal weapons.† Burton looked around at the other men again. â€Å"You guys all have your own personal M-16s, but no grenades?† â€Å"Yes, sir.† â€Å"So I have a standoff? I had a standoff before, Sheridan. A standoff doesn't do me any good. Come with me.† He pushed a fresh clip into his 9 mm. and turned to the others. â€Å"Cover us.† Burton led the SWAT commander to a spot in the rocks just below the cave mouth. â€Å"Crowe?† Burton called. â€Å"You've had enough time to consider my offer!† â€Å"Offer?† Sheridan asked. Burton shushed him. â€Å"I haven't decided yet!† Theo shouted. â€Å"We've got thirty people in here to discuss it with and they're not being cooperative.† Sheridan looked at Burton. â€Å"Thirty people? We can't shoot thirty people. I'm not shooting any thirty people.† â€Å"Five minutes, Crowe,† Burton said. â€Å"Then you have no more options.† â€Å"What's the offer?† Sheridan whispered to the sheriff. â€Å"Don't worry about it. I'm just trying to get the subject separated from the hostages so we can take him out.† â€Å"Then we'd better have a description of the suspect, don't you think?† â€Å"He's the one in handcuffs,† Burton said. â€Å"Well, aren't you the fucking hero?† Sheridan shot back. Skinner Skinner watched from the front seat of the Mercedes as the Food Guy was loaded into the back of the Suburban with the cage in it. The Bad Guys hadn't even left the windows cracked. How would the Food Guy breathe? He wouldn't be able to sit in the front seat and put his head out the window either. Skinner was sad for the Food Guy. He crawled in the backseat of the Mercedes and lay down to nap away his anxiety. The Head of the Slug The first thing Catfish saw when he came through the doors of the Head of the Slug was Estelle standing at the bar, and he could feel the crust peeling off his heart like old paint. Her hair was down. Brushed out, it hung to her waist. She was wearing a pair of pink overalls that had been splattered with paint over a man's white T-shirt – his T-shirt, he realized. She looked to him like what he always thought home was supposed to look like, but as a Bluesman, he was bound by tradition to be cool. â€Å"Hey, girl, what you doin' here?† â€Å"I called her,† Mavis said. â€Å"This is your driver.† â€Å"What I need a driver for?† â€Å"I'll tell you.† Estelle took his hand and led him to a booth in the corner. Winston Krauss came through the door a second later and Mavis waved him over to the bar. â€Å"Son, I'm about to make you the happiest man in the whole world.† â€Å"You are? Why?† â€Å"Because I like to see people get what they want. And I have what you want.† â€Å"You do?† Mavis stepped up to the bar and in low, conspiratorial tones, began telling Winston Krauss the most titillating, outrageously erotic tale that she had ever told, trying the whole time to remember that the man she was talking to wanted to have sex with marine animals. Over in the corner booth, Catfish's modicum of cool had melted. Estelle was smiling, even as tears welled up in her eyes. â€Å"I wouldn't ask you to do it if I thought it would put you in danger. Really.† â€Å"I know that,† Catfish said, a gentleness in his voice that he usually reserved for kittens and traffic cops. â€Å"It just that I been runnin from this my whole life.† â€Å"I don't think so,† Estelle said. â€Å"I think you've been running to this.† Catfish grinned. â€Å"You gonna take them old Blues off me for good, ain't you?† â€Å"You know it.† â€Å"Then let's go.† Catfish stood up and turned to where Mavis and Winston stood. â€Å"We ready? Y'all ready?† He noticed that the front of Winston's trousers had become overly tight. â€Å"Yeah, you ready. You sick, but you ready.† Mavis nodded, a slight mechanical ratcheting noise coming from her neck, â€Å"Take the second turn out, not the first,† Mavis said to Estelle. â€Å"From there it hugs the coast, so there's no hills.† â€Å"I have to go get my mask and fins,† wailed Winston. Thirty-one Molly â€Å"Has it been five minutes yet?† Molly was sitting cross-legged, her sword held across her knees. Theo jumped as if he'd been poked with an ice pick, then checked his watch. He crouched by the cave mouth, listening for the sound of either salvation or death. â€Å"About a minute left. Where the hell are they? Molly, maybe you should find some cover.† â€Å"What cover?† She looked around the cave. It was an open chamber; the only cover would be the darkness in the back of the chamber. â€Å"Get behind Steve.† â€Å"No,† Molly said. â€Å"I won't do that.† She heard a voice come from the back of her mind. â€Å"Get to cover, you daffy broad. What, do you have a death wish?† â€Å"I have abandonment issues. I'm not going to turn around and abandon someone else,† Molly said. â€Å"What?† Theo said. â€Å"I wasn't talking to you.† â€Å"Fine, die. What do I care?† said the narrator. â€Å"Bastard,† Molly said. â€Å"What?† said Theo. â€Å"Not you!† â€Å"Molly, how did you get those guys to come out and drag me into the cave before?† â€Å"I just told them to.† â€Å"Well, take their clothes back to them and tell them to get dressed.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just do it. And tell them to hang on to Steve's sides and not let go, no matter what he does.† â€Å"Now who's nuts?† â€Å"Molly, please, I'm trying to save him.† The Sheriff Burton checked his watch. â€Å"That's it. Get into position. We're going in.† Sergeant Sheridan wasn't so sure. â€Å"They have thirty hostages and we don't have any recon of their positions and we don't have a full team. You want to take this guy out with thirty witnesses?† â€Å"Goddamn it, Sheridan, get your men in position. We go on my signal.† â€Å"Sheriff Burton.† Theo's voice from the cave. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'll take your offer,† Theo said. â€Å"Give me five more minutes and I'll come out. We can all leave together. The others will come out after you're gone.† â€Å"You just want him anyway, right?† Sheridan said. â€Å"He's the only one that can hurt the operation.† Burton turned it over in his mind. He'd been determined to take out the constable and the woman, but now he had to rethink things. If he could get Crowe away from the others, he could dispose of him with no witnesses. Burton's cell phone rang. He flipped it open. â€Å"Burton,† he said. â€Å"You shouldn't have made disparaging comments about my weight, Sheriff,† the Spider said. â€Å"Nailsworth, you piece of sh – † The line went dead. Suddenly the sound of a wailing Blues guitar came screaming over the marine terrace. Burton and the SWAT team turned to see an old white station wagon driving along the edge of the terrace, next to where it dropped to the beach. An inhuman roar rose up out of the cave, and when Burton looked back to the cave all he saw was a huge reptilian face coming at him. Winston Krauss Winston sat in the back of the station wagon, steadying the Marshall amplifier that was screaming out the notes from Catfish's Stratocaster. The amp was plugged into Mavis's black box and a cord ran over the seats into the cigarette lighter, next to where Catfish was playing. After the first few notes, Winston's hearing had shut down due to temporary deafness, but he didn't care. He could hardly believe his luck. Mavis had promised him the biggest sexual thrill of his life, and he had doubted her. But now he saw it. It was the most gorgeous creature he'd ever seen. Steve The feelings of self-pity, jealousy, and heartbreak were new to him, but the response that welled up in him when he heard the sound of his enemy was more deeply imprinted on his lizard brain and it displaced all the newer feelings with rage and the imperative to attack. He stormed out of the cave with pilgrims hanging on his back by the ridge of armored plates that ran down his spine. Two layers of protective covering slid over his eyes, shortening his vision, but it was the sound that guided him anyway, the sound that carried the strongest association with the enemy. He flashed bright crimson and yellow as he charged over the rocks, kicking aside the vehicles and shedding pilgrims as he made his way to his enemy at the shore. Theo Molly stood in the cave entrance, screaming for Steve to stop. Theo grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away just as the Sea Beast, dangling pilgrims, charged past them. She elbowed Theo in the forehead, stunning him for a second, and she made for the cave entrance. Theo caught her outside on the rocks and held her. â€Å"No!† Theo wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her side, and lifted her off the ground, then held her kicking as he braced for gunfire. But none came. Burton was climbing to his feet just below them, focused on the Sea Beast as it passed. â€Å"Shoot that thing! Shoot it! Shoot it!† The SWAT commander had rolled out of the way and come up with his weapon ready, but with people hanging all over the beast, he didn't know where to shoot, so instead let his weapon fall to his side as he stared in amazement. Burton drew a pistol and began running after the Sea Beast. Below, two of the SWAT team had already broken into a run from behind the Blazers just as the Sea Beast bowled them over. The other two were pinned underneath one of the crushed vehicles. As they fell, each pil grim jumped to his feet and ran after the Sea Beast, who was making a beeline across the grassy terrace toward the white station wagon. Theo watched as the car stopped, Blues slide notes still screaming out of the back, and Estelle Boyet crawled out of the driver's seat and ran around to the back. The guitar playing stopped for a second as the passenger side opened, and out stepped Catfish Jefferson, holding a Fender Stratocaster. â€Å"Let me go!† Molly screamed. â€Å"I've got to save him! I've got to save him!† Theo yanked her back toward the cave. When he was able to look again, someone he didn't immediately recognize had crawled out of the station wagon, and Catfish handed him the guitar. Sheriff Burton was running after the Sea Beast, waving his weapon around, trying to get an angle to shoot without hitting one of the pilgrims. He stopped, dropped to one knee, steadied his aim, and fired. The Sea Beast roared and whipped around, throwing the last of the pilgrims into a tumble in the grass. Molly whipped her head back into Theo's chin at the same time she drove a heel into his knee. Theo let go of her and she rushed over the rocks and down toward the monster. Catfish Estelle had brought the car right to the edge of the drop-off to the rocky beach. Catfish looked at the surf beating on the rocks below, then at his guitar cords coiled in the front seat, then at the rocks again. They just might be long enough. But the dragon was going to get to them before he could find out. â€Å"Hurry!† Estelle shouted. Catfish stood mesmerized by the charging monster, not a hundred yards away. â€Å"Go,† he said weakly, â€Å"get yourself out of here.† â€Å"No!† said Winston Krauss. â€Å"You promised.† There was a gunshot and the Sea Beast whipped around in his tracks, bringing Catfish to his senses. â€Å"Let's go,† he said to Winston. Then he looked at Estelle over the top of the car and winked. â€Å"You go on. This ain't your time.† Catfish played a few notes on the Stratocaster and then ambled after Winston to the surf. The pharmacist ran into the water up to his knees, then turned around. Catfish was having trouble climbing over the rocks to the water while keeping the guitar cord from catching. â€Å"That's far enough,† Catfish said. He walked into the surf and stood next to Winston, keeping the guitar high to keep any spray off of it. â€Å"Give it,† Winston demanded. â€Å"You ain't got a lick a sense, do you?† â€Å"Give it,† Winston repeated. Catfish played four bars of â€Å"Green Onions† on the Strat, the notes still blaring out of the amp in the station wagon, then draped the strap around Winston's neck and handed him a guitar pick. â€Å"Have fun,† Catfish said. â€Å"Oh, I will,† Winston said, a lascivious grin crossing his face. â€Å"You know I will.† â€Å"Play!† Catfish said as he turned and ran up the beach. He saw Estelle already making her way away down the shore away from the commotion. Behind him, the sour, rattling notes began to emanate from the amp in the station wagon as gunshots filled the air. Molly The sheriff fired three more times as he backed away from the Sea Beast, missing not only the monster but the entire North American continent. Molly threw herself sideways from a full run into the back of Burton's knees and cut his legs out from under him. She came up in a crouch, putting herself between Burton and the Sea Beast. The sheriff thought he heard the song â€Å"Green Onions† and shook his head to clear a hallucination. The Sea Beast roared again and the sheriff vaulted into a crouch, ready to fire, but instead of a sea monster in front of him, he saw a woman in a leather bikini. He looked over his shoulder and watched the Sea Beast snap up the white station wagon in its jaws and toss it aside. The guitar sounds stopped and the Sea Beast slid over the bluff to the beach. Seeing that the danger was gone, he trained his sights on the woman. People were streaming by him on either side after the monster, wailing like a crowd of banshees. Molly looked over her shoulder and saw Steve going into the water, then turned back to Burton. â€Å"Go ahead, you prick. I don't care.† â€Å"You got it,† Burton said. Winston Krauss He was just beating on the guitar strings now, but it didn't matter. The amplifier wasn't working anymore and this beautiful creature was coming to him. Winston was so turned on he thought he'd explode. She was coming to him, his dream lover, and he yanked the guitar from around his neck, ready to receive her. â€Å"Oh, come on, baby. Come to papa,† he said. The Sea Beast charged into the water, throwing spray fifty feet in the air, then snapped his jaws over Winston, severing the pharmacist's body into two sleazy pieces. The Sea Beast swallowed Winston's legs and roared, then snapped up the remaining piece and dove under the sea. The Sheriff â€Å"I don't think so, Sheriff,† Sheridan said. Burton looked over his shoulder without taking the gun off Molly. Sheridan had his M-16 trained on the sheriff's back. â€Å"Don't fuck with me, Sheridan. You're in this with me.† â€Å"I'm not in this. Lower your weapon, sir.† Burton lowered the pistol and turned toward Sheridan. Molly started to leap forward and the SWAT commander pointed the M-16 at her. â€Å"Right there,† he said. She stopped. The pilgrims were all standing at the shore now, wailing as they looked out. Molly gestured in that direction and Sheridan nodded. She ran toward the shoreline. â€Å"What now?† Burton asked. â€Å"I don't know,† said Sheridan, â€Å"but no one has been shot here, and I have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of attention around this event, so no one is going to get shot.† â€Å"You wimp.† â€Å"Whatever,† Sheridan said. â€Å"Hey, Burton!† Theo Crowe was running down the hill toward them. â€Å"You hear that?† When they looked up, Theo ducked behind one of the wrecked Blazers and pointed toward the southern sky. â€Å"Film at eleven.† Burton could hear them now: helicopters. He looked to the south and saw the two dots coming over the horizon. Two of the SWAT team members were topping the next hill. They had started running when the monster first came out of the cave. The other two were still pinned under one of the overturned Blazers. He turned back to Sheridan. The big cop was watching the approaching helicopters. â€Å"Game over,† Sheridan said. â€Å"Guess it's time to start thinking about my deal with the D.A.† Burton shot him in the face, then broke for the far side of the rocks to his Eldorado before the others had time to figure out what had happened. Theo Theo came up behind Molly and touched her lightly on the shoulder. When she turned, he could see tears streaming down her cheeks. Then she re-turned to staring out to sea with the others. She said, â€Å"All I ever wanted is to feel special. To feel like something set me apart.† Theo put his arm around her. â€Å"Everyone wants that.† â€Å"But I had it, Theo. More by having Steve in my life than when I was making movies. These people felt it, but not like me.† The two helicopters were coming in close now and Theo had to speak right into her ear to be heard over the thumping blades. â€Å"No one's like you.† There was a stirring in the water just past the surf line, and something was rising in the kelp bed. Theo could see the purple gill trees standing out on the Sea Beast's neck. He was heading toward shore. Theo tried to pull Molly closer, but she broke loose from him, jumped off the bluff, and ran into the surf, scooping up two baseball-sized rocks as she went. Theo went after her and was halfway across the beach when she turned and looked at him with eyes filled with such pleading and desperation that it stopped him in his tracks. The helicopters were hovering only a hundred feet over the beach now. The wash from the blades kicked up sand in the faces of the onlookers. As the Sea Beast approached shore, only his eyes and gills above the water, Molly threw one of the stones. â€Å"No, go away! Go!† The second stone hit the Sea Beast's eye, and he stopped. â€Å"Don't come back!† Molly screamed. Slowly the Sea Beast sank below the surface. The Sheriff The speedometer on the Eldorado was approaching sixty when Burton topped the last hill before the cattle guard. He had to get to the airport and use the open ticket in his briefcase to join his money in the Caymans before anyone could figure out where he had gone. He'd planned for this all along, knowing he might have to make a run for it at some point, but what he hadn't planned was that there would be two Suburbans and a Mercedes parked just over the top of the hill. Before he could stop himself, he hit the brakes and wrenched the wheel to the left. The tires dug into the pasture and sent the Eldorado up on two wheels, then over. There was none of the slowing of time or compression of events that often happens in accidents. He saw light and dark, felt his body being beaten around the Caddy, and then the crash of smashing metal and breaking glass. Then there was a pause. He lay on the ceiling of the overturned Eldorado, peppered with pieces of safety glass, trying to feel if any of his limbs were broken. He seemed okay, he could feel his feet, and it didn't hurt when he breathed. But he smelled gas. It was enough to remind him to move. He grabbed the briefcase with his escape kit and slithered out the broken back window to find the Eldorado half-perched, half-smashed over the front of a white Suburban. He climbed to his feet and ran to the truck. It was locked. Sheridan, you prick, you would lock your truck, he thought. He didn't notice the people handcuffed inside the K-9 cage in the back. The Mercedes was his last chance. He ran around it and yanked opened the driver's side door. The keys were in the ignition. He climbed in and took a deep breath. He had to calm down now. No more mistakes, he told himself. He started the Mercedes and was turning to back it down the hill when the dog hit him.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Most Americans should not use credit cards Essay

Most Americans should not use credit cards - Essay Example Yet, while banks use this threat of increased risk to justify the higher interest rates, the same institutions also charge significant late fees, overdraft penalties, and debt-collection surcharges on consumers when they miss payments or go into default. These additional fees are included in the fine print of credit card agreement statements that few people bother to read or study before signing up with a bank. Consequently, credit cards can lead to significantly higher charges over time for the same retail items than if the identical goods were purchased with cash or second-hand at a discount. Because many retail purchases such as electronics, automobiles, or other appliances can lose as much as 50% of their value against new item prices when they are used, there often is no opportunity for consumers to resell goods purchased with credit for the same price as the original item. These factors combine to make credit card use personally inadvisable for most consumers, though society pr esents few options in alternative to this form of lending. Economists, financial advisors, and analysts have been warning consumers for decades about the serious consequences that the use of credit cards for purchases can have on a family budget. However, the use of credit cards can also have wider and more subtle social effects that even change the fundamental values of a culture. George Ritzer (1995), author of â€Å"The McDonaldization of Society,† described some of these issues, writing about the globalization of consumer credit card culture and its values, which leads to â€Å"†¦consumerism and indebtedness, fraud, invasion of privacy, rationalization and dehumanization, and homogenization stemming from increasing Americanization.† (Ritzer, 1995) Consumerism can be viewed as a value system which replaces traditional community symbols such as those found in religion, nationalism, and ethnic identities with a status-based symbolic hierarchy founded in displays of wealth through conspicuous consumption. In its crudest form, the person who has the most wealth has the greatest amount of power and status in a society, and this is reflected in mainstream values by the subtle distinctions made between individuals based on their manner of dress, collection of consumer gadgetry, or other symbolic displays of purchasing power. While some individuals may reject this value system in favor of more traditional or forward-thinking models, the stereotypes of consumerist behavior are repeated incessantly through popular media where advertising and entertainment are joined with a consumerist worldview that values people based upon what they buy rather than what they create or express. Critically, it can be argued that such a transition impoverishes America and the world when it is exported, in that these values are false, manipulated, and designed to fuel corporate profits for a minority of society rather than promote what is good and progressive for the greater whole of the global community. Paul Heidhues and Boton Koszegi discussed the manipulation of consumer behavior in the sale and marketing of credit cards within the larger consumerist system of values in their study â€Å"Exploiting Naivete about Self-Control in the Credit Market†. (Heidhues and Koszegi, 2010) These researchers argue that the cultural programming of individuals to seek â€Å"

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Describe major aspects of British colonialism in India and its Essay

Describe major aspects of British colonialism in India and its influence on the Indian population - Essay Example New inventions of the 18th century gave rise to a new production process in the Great Britain – called factory production. It was the beginning of Industrial Revolution in Europe. Industrial revolution (â€Å"The origins of Industrial Revolution in England†) created a need for new markets for sales of the finished product and search for raw material. British quest for a new market was the primary reason for colonizing India. In 1600, a trading company, by the name East India Company (â€Å"South Asian History – Colonial India†) was formed in London with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth I. East India Company’s main activity was trading with India. East India Company made twelve voyages (â€Å"South Asian History – Colonial India†) to India in the year of 1601 – 1613. By that time, other traders from Europe, Dutch, French, Portuguese, were also present in India. Until 1614, the Company was struggling to get the right to trade in In dia along with other European countries. In 1614 (â€Å"Indian History†) British envoy secured approval for trading from the Moghul Emperor Jahangir. Unlike traders from other countries, East India Company was able to penetrate (â€Å"Indian History†) deep inside the India. East India Company set up factories (â€Å"Indian History†) in different cities of India including in Bengal. English settlement rose in Bengal. Later East India Company made Calcutta in Bengal its trading center. During the year 1740 and later, hostility between England and France was on pick. British government heavily backed arming of East India Company. The Company fought several battles with France in those years to establish dominance over Hydrabad and Carnatic regions of India. By mid 18th century, the Company had his own army consisting of British and local people. East India Company fought the first battle in 1757 against the Ruler of Bengal (â€Å"Indian History†) and won the battle. This was the beginning of fall of India under

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Impeachment Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Impeachment Process - Essay Example Impeachment is a process intended to expose and correct political crimes (Gerhardt). Formally, impeachment can be defined as the â€Å"Constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may accuse of misconduct high officers of the Federal Government for trial in the Senate† (Lectic Law Library). It is an exclusive congressional power, which is neither subordinate to judicial review nor it can be subjected to presidential veto. Whether the officer is forced to leave office or not depends upon the conviction of the Senate. SUMMARIZED AMERICAN IMPEACHMENT HISTORY: Article I, Sections 2 and 3 ensure the right of the House to impeach public officials, the President and the Vice President. The House of Representatives have instigated above 50 impeachment resolutions since 1789. Of these, the Senate received only 15 cases and from these 15 cases, only one involved a President. Two of the cases were dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, six ended in acquittal and seven in con viction (Kingsley). The most famous impeachments of the US history have been of: Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and William J. Clinton. Johnson was impeached in 1868 for defying the Tenure of Office Act but he was acquitted May 1868 by being one vote short of the two-thirds required Senate majority. This acquittal taught a lesson to the Congressmen that impeachment could not be used as a tool for settling policy differences with executives. Richard Nixon was impeached in 1974 on the basis of three articles of impeachment, involving bribery, treason, perjury and other executive power abuses. As conviction became inevitable for his high crime charges, to avoid the dishonor of trial, Nixon resigned from his post in August 1974. Clinton was impeached in 1998 for having improper relationship and issues of character. He was, however, acquitted by the Senate in 1999, because it could not gather sufficient votes for conviction. His impeachment was more recognized as political warfare rather than actual basis for impeachment. This precedent could be used by future House members to analyze critically the consequences of impeaching a President with substantial public support. THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS: The impeachment process is a two step process: 1. The Impeachment Power: The House of Representatives: The impeachment process is initiated when a member of the House under oath declares a charge of impeachment against the president or any other civil officer. It is on the disposition of the House of Judiciary Committee whether or not to go forward with the impeachment based on the investigation and the charges filed. The resolution passed by the Judiciary Committee authorizes whether grounds exist for the investigation to proceed or not. A thorough investigation takes place before entertaining any votes whether the accusations hold any reality or not. If evidence of some kind of treason exists, by majority vote â€Å"a resolution impeaching the individual in question and se tting forth specific allegations of misconduct, in one or more articles of impeachment, will be reported to the full House† (Halstead). The House thereafter votes for each article of the resolution, and on the basis of

Monday, August 26, 2019

Dr zhivago final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dr zhivago final - Essay Example Zhivago is an exciting, moving, adore tale concerning a pair of individuals caught in dreadful moments; The Great War and the Russian revolt. Majority of the individuals discover about it by the David Lean movie of the sixties; however, it remained thrilling to revisit the manuscript and look for so much new ideas there, which not at all appeared in the movie that individuals may view presently for the first instance. The film may offer people sight; however, the familiarity of television may allow people to move nearer to the core of the associations. Question 1 Scenes that were portrayed extremely well in the Film by David Lean and his team and Campiotti and his team included: One of the scenes that is well portrayed is the scene where Lara fires Komarovsky at a merrymaking; however, fails to aim him; after Komarovsky makes advances to her and sexually harasses her. Komarovsky notices that Lara has the capacity to harm him; nevertheless, he does not desire to threaten his status th rough being associated with her. He concludes to look for her a residence to live; however, he will keep distance from her. This still is the moment when Yury notices Lara and admires her but he does not inform her of his feelings. Meanwhile Tonya is ravaged by her mother’s demise. ... They manage to get a baby girl though their relationship becomes complex. Thus, Pasha decides to join the army where he mysteriously disappears while in the army and Lara decides to work as an army nurse to try and search for him. The third scene, which shows Lean’s men competence in the film, is when the Red’s men kidnap Yury and they force him to do job for them as their nurse. After two decades working for the Red’s, Yury manages to run away through Siberia. Sick and tired, he arrives at Lara’s residence because Lara does not shift from one place to another. Lara takes care of him, they continue with their love affair until when Yury receives a letter from her spouse Tonya informing him that she has conceived a baby girl, and she will move away from Russia. Yury decides to look for his family and then Lara resolves on staying with Komarovsky to escape hazard. Strelnikov fires himself to death on realizing Lara’s affair with Yury and Yury decides to go back to Moscow, to his family. The scene that Campiotti and his team performed really well is the introduction scene where they introduce Lara and Yury as young children. They are depicted as young individuals ready to embark on life. Yury is from a very affluent household and does not anticipate anything will reform. However, when the revolt emerges, it is a little somehow as what transpired following September 11th, which means life takes a new turn wholly. The reason why these scenes were performed so precisely in the film is that they exhaustively brought out the real image of the characters and the motive of the film. They are so clear and non-ambiguous and thus they send the message straight to the viewers. The reason why I would like to keep them is that they bring out the sense of

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Søren Kierkegaard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SÃ ¸ren Kierkegaard - Essay Example He notably only traveled abroad five times, four times to Berlin and once to Sweden. Despite this fact, he still managed to take from his studies and many experiences to form a universal model for understanding the different stages and aspect of living. His many works garnered him acclaim among fellow scholars and mathematicians of his era, and like many of the greatest philosophers his works have been heralded as timeless. One of Kierkegaard's most notable works is his theory of the spheres of existence. For the philosopher, existence meant to become progressively more individualistic (Kierkegaard, 175). Keirkegaard believed this individualistic existence caused everyone to travel along a path toward self-realization and this process, he noted, had three stages. These stages being, Ethical, Religious and Aesthetic, as "All human beings are currently at one of this stages, depending on the extent to which they have achieved their life-project (Kierkegaard, 175)." By more individualistic, Kiekegaard means that through each stage individual gain a higher understanding of self than they had before and it is through the privileged perspective provided by the assessment of and graduation from the previous stage that allows the person to attain this new form of self. Kiekegaard goes on to further note that, "Each stage is a way of seeing life, a way of understanding the world. They are different ways of livi ng out one's existence, independent spheres of life, situations which embody a certain stability. Living fully in the aesthetic sphere will never lead to the ethical one, and the upholding of ethics will never open the door to religion." He closes by pointing out that no one stage can completely dominate and individual's life and if one were to allows this to happen they would stay stagnant and not progress through the stages. Aesthetics The first stage of Kierkegaard's progression of existential stages is aesthetics recognized as the 'immersion in sensuous experience; valorization of possibility over actuality; egotism; fragmentation of the subject of experience; nihilistic wielding of irony and skepticism; and flight from boredom (Stanford, p1)." This stage of existence is a very selfish one that involves excessive self-indulgence. Kierkegaard refers to temptation and the appreciation and distraction of beauty a lot in this section.Ethics Ethics in Kierkegard's work has more than one meaning, "It is used to denote both: (i) a limited existential sphere, or stage, which is superseded by the higher stage of the religious life; and (ii) an aspect of life which is retained even within the religious life (Stanford, p1)." This is basically the stage where one starts to asses their life and view themselves objectively. It is recognized as the stage of reasoning this stage is 'limited' in that it is the stage that comes before the religious stage, but it is retained within the religious stage in that the traits used in the ethical stage must also be used to make the valuable choices in the religious stage. Ultimately the final obligation to transition from Ethics into the religious stage is to completely relinquish one's reliance on reason for one's trust in faith. Religion The final stage of existence that Kierkegaard recognizes is the stage of Religion, and specifically Christianity. Kierkegaard

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Construction Economics Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Construction Economics Assignment - Essay Example Many people took out very large mortgages. In 1983, the average new mortgage was approximately 2.1 times annual average earnings. By 1989 this had risen to 3.4 times annual average earnings. House prices were rising uncontrollably and bringing considerable inflationary pressures to bear within the economy. As a result, the government increased rates and reduced government assistance to home ownership. The impact of these measures plus a worsening economic environment drove house prices down and the housing market into a state of recession (Williams and Holmans, 1996). In mid 1989 house prices started a downward trend for the next six years, falling by 12 per cent, before reaching a trough in July 1995.In the years 1990 - 1995 house prices fell by around 12.2%. Many people found themselves in a position of having negative equity on their property because the value of the mortgage now exceeded the property value. This meant many people were unable to move house without taking a loss. Then, in 1996, house prices began to rise again. The UK housing market started to recover with a 7 per cent increase in prices. The low interest rates enjoyed by UK homeowners have reduced mortgage payments as a proportion of gross earnings for the average purchaser from 22 per cent to just 15 per cent. Consequently, mortgage payments account for a smaller share of income than at almost anytime since 1983 and are well below the 36 per cent peak in 1990. Since May 1997, house prices have been on a steady rise. Many factors have contributed to this increase including growing population, rising employment, increasing number of households, limited supply of new housing properties and the emergence of alternatives like buy-to-let. Another important reason is the increase in popularity of real estate as an investment avenue. Fall in the level of confidence in traditional investments and increase in speculative avenues has contributed immensely to this. The fall in long-term real interest rates - the gap between inflation and interest rates on government bonds - has helped support property investments. The most complimenting factor, however, has been the short-term interest rate set by the Bank. The sharp fall in prices at the end of 1980s and early 1990s pushed the interest rates to very low levels in relation to rents and other assets and incomes. This, combined with the realization that lower interest rates were meant to stay, created a strong and steady rise. By 2001, though house prices were still below their long-term trend, the boom had begun to fade. Further to this, there followed a series of global events that ruptured the boom even further. In response to the bursting of the dotcom bubble, September 11 and the start of the Iraq war, the Bank cut rates, taking them all the way down to 3.5% during 2003. Then, however, the Bank switched into tightening mode, raising Bank rate five times between November 2003 and August 2004. The results of this on the housing market were significant, producing the famous 2004-5 pause in prices. Determination of equilibrium price and quantity The determination of price depends on the type of market organization the product belongs to. In a competitive market, the point of intersection of market demand and supply curves determines the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Nokia marketing analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nokia marketing analysis - Essay Example This Finnish telecommunication giant has developed expertise in transmission system manufacturing. They are the largest selling mobile phone company across the globe (Younis, 2009). In modern era telecommunication industry has created a lot of interest among people. People use mobile for daily communication purpose. This report will try to throw light on different marketing models used by Nokia to sustain in market. These marketing models include PESTLE (considering political, economical, social, technological, legal, environmental condition of a particular country), Porter's Five Forces of Competition and SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threats) for Nokia. PESTLE Analysis for Nokia Nokia has emerged as international telecommunication company in last 50 years. They need to focus on macro environment of a particular country to expand their business. The company must have clear knowledge about market condition of origin country in terms of macro environment (Political condition, Economic situation, social factors, technological aspects, environmental condition and legal structure of the country).

Final Strategic Plan and Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Strategic Plan and Presentation - Essay Example Strength includes all the positive factors of Dynasties Motors which will help in their future growth. Weaknesses are the shortcomings in the company. These are the internal factors which can be controlled easily. The external factors are the Opportunities and Threats. The opportunities show us all available opportunities for the company to grow. We need to utilize them. The threats are the dangers and the negativities that can harm us. We need to avoid them as we cannot control them. Our pricing strategy will be dependent upon focused Blue Book qualities (wholesale and retail) in addition to vehicle taking care of expenses. We wont surpass aggressive retail costs, and will endeavor to offer at wholesale in addition to a reasonable profit, for the most part 15-25%. Quality and value say a ton in regards to our vehicles. The vehicles that are uncommon or not promptly accessible to take care of demand will be estimated in like manner. The normal business imprint up for comparative vehicles is 20-30%. Sales payment is dependent upon a percent of profits. We will put satisfactory time and assets into preparing every part of the sales group and into great client relations. Salesmen will be paid a share of their pay dependent upon requisition. Great execution is compensated with expanded requisition and rewards. However honesty wont be relinquished for sales. Client fulfillment will keep on ing a top necessity. All potential sales will be attended to in a convenient manner and long haul salesperson-client relationships will overshadow sales conclusion. We anticipate that sales will build at a moderate rate for every month for every item in the first year. From June through September we need negligible development throughout our begin up period. October through December we anticipate that diminished sales due will chronicled patterns, and deterioration in quality dependent upon less request. February through August we want

Thursday, August 22, 2019

History of Electrocardiography Machine Essay Example for Free

History of Electrocardiography Machine Essay History of electrocardiography prevails over two centuries as an intellectual exercise as the process of inventing an electrocardiogram started with the Galvani’s idea of animal electricity. In 1842 this idea was further reinforced by Italian physicist Carlo Matteucci who illustrated by his experiments that electric current could be quantified from inactive heart muscle. German physiologist Emil Dubois-Reymond further explored this phenomenon and confirmed Carlo Matteucci’s conclusion and labeled this changing current in the resting muscle as â€Å"action potential†. He further developed a device that could deliver stimulation pulses to the muscles and was capable of computing discharge current of muscles at short intervals. In 1856 Rudolph von Koelliker and Heinrich Muller recorded an â€Å"action potentialâ€Å"on the spotaneous beating heart. But the major development came in 1872 when French physicist Gabriel Lippmann introduced a capillary electrometer. This capillary electrometer was based on the principle of â€Å"polarization† and â€Å"surface tension†. Structurally it was a slender glass tube with mercury-sulphuric acid base. The mercury meniscus stirred with the influx of electrical potential and was observable by a microscope. In 1893, Willem Einthoven who is considered as the inventor of modern electric cardiogram and its various principles used the term electrocardiogram at a conference of the Dutch Medical Association. But major development occurred during the three years staring from 1901 when Einthoven dissatisfied with capillary electrometer and it slow response, designed a string galvanometer. This galvanometer contained a string eletromagnet to produce a magnetic flux, two piece poles, a quartz string between the two piece poles, peepholes in the two piece poles to observe the position of string. It further contained a lamp and timing systen to examine the shadow of string at different time intervals. The weight of this whole apparatus was about 600 pounds. He further modified the string galvanometer to invent a more effective electrocardiograms. However in 1902, Einthoven brought out the first electrocardiogram that was recorded on his string galvanometer. This was a giant’s leap in the history of bio-medical. In order to produce string galvanometer on commercial level, Einthoven discussed the possibilities with Horace Darwin of Cambridge Scientific Instruments Company of London. So this event made the electrocardiogram to come out of experimentation and to be used in medical profession. Einthoven, in 1906, circulated the first presentation electrocardiograms recorded with a string galvanometer. These electrocardiograms included the specimen of left and right ventricular and atrial, atrial flutter, ventricular premature beats etc. In 1910, Horatio Williams who was professor at Cornell University Medical College, New York issued electrocardiograms of patient that manifest atrial and ventricular ectopics, ventricular hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation that were recorded in hospital using a complex system of cables. This was first large-scale use of electrocardiograms in the hospitals. With the advent and introduction of vacuum tubes, the electric galvanometer was further modified and improved. In 1926, Ernestine and Levine used these vacuum tubes to produce enlarged images. Cathode rays tube further helped to produce portable electrocardiograms. Today electrocardiograms works on the same principles that were devised Einthoven in the first decade of 20th century. References Burchell HB. A centennial note on Waller and the first human electrocardiogram. Am J Cardiol 1987; 59:979-983 Burch, G.E. A History of Electrocardiography. Chicago. Year Book Medical. 1964. Burnett J. The origins of the electrocardiograph as a clinical instrument. Medical History Supplement 5: 1985, 53-76. Published as a monograph. The emergence of modern cardiology. Bynum WF, Lawrence C, Nutton V, eds. Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine:1985. Fye WB. A history of the origin, evolution, and impact of electrocardiography. Am J Cardiol 1994;73:937-949 Plonsey, R. Bioelectric Phenomenon. New York. McGraw-Hill. 1972.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Fonterra Organisation Analysis

Fonterra Organisation Analysis In this assessment I would like to discuss about Fonterra organization which is famous for the service of its milk and other dairy products. Fonterra is a multinational company providing its services all around the world. Its head office is situated in New Zealand because it is a kiwi company. Fonterra have partnership with other companies and co operates with the farmers as well. Fonterra deals with more than 140 countries and it covers 33 % part of the world in dairy products. Part 1 Demographics Fonterra is the company which deals all around the world. In business there is one important thing that we have to be really careful while we communicate in all departments. In Fonterra also so they have to communicate well with their staff and their stakeholder as well. It is not easy to proper communicate in big organisation but they do really well. Effective communication in the organization and experienced staff- In business communication staff plays an important role because they take message from people and pass to top level of organisation. So they have to hire professional and experience staff so it easy to communicate for them with all department and all other people. They make clear context and understand easily, so it will be easy to give feedback because they understand very well what exactly want to know. For example I work in wine store when we get any Chinese customer, its really hard for us to understand him and explain what he wants to know. Thats why we have Chinese staff as well because they can talk in their language which helps them to understand easily. In Fonterra they organize meeting in the end of month or annually. Different modes of communication- They communicate across the world through different ways of communication like media newspaper fax and phone email letter etc. Effective communication is the part of business and they do same things. They have their head office in Auckland New Zealand. They have branch office all around the world which helps them to make easy communication. Organisational Goal: The goal of Fonterra is that to be famous and successful dairy company all around the world because of their service quality and performance. Every organisation has their own goal but to achieve the goal they use different strategies and plans as well. Before to take any decision first thing that they discuss all things and make clear to everyone about their goal. Their main objectives are- They want to expend their business in different countries. Company want to improve the level of customer satisfaction. Provide information to customers more quickly and efficiently. High awareness of health and safety measures. Awareness of rules and regulations of every country in which Fonterra is running its business. Before make any policy, they take feedback from people so it will be easy for them because they know very well what people expecting from them. To achieve their goal, they have to care about those people who link with organisation. They hire the people through all around the world. So it will easy to communicate with supplier and customer because they will communicate in different languages. They will provide any information what they want to know. They will provide information day and night through whole year which help them to achieve their goal. Organisation culture and Ethics These two things are really important in an organisation. People have different values experience and attitude because everybody has their own thinking and belong to different religion and culture. Ethics also play an important role in business. Ethics means about moral values, everybody have moral values where they decide what is good or bad. For example farmers expect more prices for their milk and they feel like organisation do not give them much importance even company giving them proper attention. Another example is china where Fonterra going in loss even them applies the same vision which they apply to other countries and making profit there. Behind of this, there is one reason because they are from different culture, values and expectation from the organisation. Thats why they have to create their vision behalf on the people expectation and values. Management of knowledge resources In organisation, there is really important thing that how you manage your knowledge resource. If you manage your knowledge resource in well way, you can run your business successfully. The same thing applies in Fonterra as well but they use really well their knowledge share ideas to each other. They know very well in business its really hard to rely on one country when you have business all around the world. Thats why they import and export from other countries as well. They always communicate all other companies and people as well to get information about the market. Quality of product They always care about their quality of products thats the way where they can attract more people to invest money and more customers as well. When they export their products that time they provide health certificate as well. They hire staff all around the world because in this way they can communicate well with the people and know them better. For example I am basically from India so I have more information about the people like what they exactly expect from the company than about any other countries. Human resources- They know very well importance of the farmers and they always try to make them happy and now they take decision that farmers can have their own share in company. They know very well so in this way they can encourage the farmers to increase their productivity. They always follow the rules. They always care about environment and they communicate with farmers and all other person who link with company. For example last time they warn farmers that if they will not follow the rules so they ready to face problems and their milk not be collected. Group Dynamics: There is always easy to work in group rather than individual. Because it is really effective to work in group specially a big company like Fonterra. There is really hard to work in without participation of all department of the company. When you work in group it is easy to support the people in group it is really beneficial. In group it is easy to clarify the problems and in group it is easy to find the solution of those problems. There is no barrier while they communicate; there is no difference of juniors or seniors. Improvement in relations- People are specialised in their field when they work in group, it is better opportunity to know each other. Here they can share their ideas to each other. Helps in making new and innovative ideas- In groups the different people suggest different types of ideas. There is another thing about group that they have small groups where people can express their idea and its easy to explain and understand. In this way we can say that if Fonterra is famous company all around thats result of their group work. They use different ways of communication while they work in group. Meeting management: Meeting management in an organization there are lots of importance of meetings but we have to be careful while we in meeting .we have meeting because of some purpose. In Fonterra also have meeting monthly or annually. Where people come from all department and they discuss about their strength and weakness. They decide like what position they have in market and where they stand now. What they need to improve their weakness and how they can perform much better. Following are the things we have to concentrate on: Select the person- the first thing about meeting that we have to make sure that that are coming to the meeting. We have to confirm that they are able to come or not. Send the agenda- in Fonterra they send agenda to those people who are going to participate in meeting, so in this way they can know about agenda and they can prepare some work for meeting, so it is easy to discuss in meeting. Time and place- we have to decide time and place and tell to every participant trough mail, Phone txt or fax and just make sure that is that it is right for them to come on that place and time. We have to start meeting on time, so there is lesson for those entire participant who comes late and they can come in time next time. Provide hard copies of agenda- it will be easy for everyone, they have chance to discuss more about the agenda. Purpose we organise meeting for any purpose .so we have to be careful when we in meeting that are we going in right track, we have to discuss all those points which we have in agenda. We have take opinion from all participants so we can discuss and give them feed back as well. Clarify the Agenda and role we have to clarify the agenda and the roles of all participants. It will be easy for them to understand because they know abjectly what they have to do after that they will try to give their best. It is really beneficial for the organisation. Meeting progress we have to evaluate the meeting like we have to see that everybody is interesting to take part in discussion. In meeting thats really important that they present there physically and mentally as well. In the end we have to finish meeting on time and just make sure that it shouldnt get boring because if meeting takes long time it start to get boring, there is no point of meeting when participant start to get tired and get bored. Stakeholders: Here I am going to talk about of those people, organisation, people or societies which are link or affected by company or those act which are done the company. Fonterra is really big company so there is lot of stakeholder. Farmers- Firstly I would like to talk about farmers, more than 10000 farmers co operate the company, so they always communicate with them they have meeting with them and keep in touch with them through different type of communication, where they listen and give them feedback as well, for example Fonterra decide that farmers can own and control by their own, this decision will really attract more farmers so thats also a way of communication. Government- Fonterra always communicates with government like before to take any project approval etc. they communicate with them through different ways media mails letter and meeting as well. For example last time, they have problems with use of water and to throw wastage of production in the water. That time they collect information about this matter from all responsible people and provide to government. Other dairy companies, they have commitment to other dairy company and communicate with them trough video conference, teleconference even they are far from each other but there is no matter. Investors- Investor invests their money which helps to grow the company. Fonterra also sales shares in some countries to make it economically better. Employee- Employees play a vital role in the expansion of organizational business and give their best to run the company. Fonterra give them proper attention while they communicate different ways like- online, email, phone, fax etc. Customers- Customers are the main stakeholders of any company. It depend on them what response they give for any product or company .they communicate with them through newspaper media and advertisement, for example last time they have offer buy any two product of Fonterra and get 25% off on those product. Thats also way of communication. Network: Network in Fonterra they use different type of communication. They are really conscious about people when communicate with them but it depends what method they using while they communicate. They use different aspects of communication such as: Intrapersonal communication: In Fonterra they make small group where they communicate to each other. Mass communication: It is really easy way of communication. In this method we communicate through media channel like radio TV or news paper .for example we get the news about Fonterra that they doing well and contribute a lot in economy of New Zealand and they are going to increase the price of some products. We get all those news through newspaper radio and TV. Internal communication: In Fonterra there is lot of importance of internal communication. They communicate with all departments in the company and all stakeholders as well. Moreover, they discuss about their aim and performance, provide all information to them. Which helps them to find out the problems? Besides this, they tell them what their responsibilities and what they have to do. In the company they doing well communicate to each other through different methods. They have another good thing that they listen and understand to each other and give them feedback as well .they have clear context so which makes easy to understand for everyone. Conclusion: Fonterra is the famous and popular company because of their product and services. They care about everyone around them. They always complies laws and rules which makes them different from others. The communication process is really easy even the company is worldwide. The culture of organisation is very friendly which help everyone to enjoy the work and encourage them to give their best at workplace. At the end we can say that it is not an easy jobs to the mange the things but them doing well. Recommendations: Suitable place- First thing I would like to recommend that the production place is too far from the market area or where they sale their product. Some time it is really difficult to communicate and also wastage of time and money because staff have to go one place to another place. Special focus- Another thing is that they have to concentrate more where they are facing loss like- china. It will help them a lot to make profits. They also encourage the more farmers to come in dairy industries which will beneficial for them and farmers as well. In this way they can increase their productivity and profitability.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Management Theory Analysis Of Case Study Business Essay

Management Theory Analysis Of Case Study Business Essay In present, the success of an organization significantly depends upon its management and the theories or designs adopted by it for successfully handling its different aspects. The concept of management is been used from last several years but applied in different manner. The different use of management has been evolved in the form of management theory. The concept of management theory has developed from classical theory, bureaucracy, human relations, and social psychological schools, systems and contingency approaches to contemporary management approaches. All the above mentioned management theories have been given by different theorists with their own viewpoints and assumptions that can be applied in workplace according to the needs. Nowadays, application of management theory is important because it assist organizations with an approach to make its entire people more productive. IT facilitates individuals and professional with diverse approaches and tactics that they can use to manage their business and human resources. The vital key to an organizations success is its people and if it is able to manage them, it can effectively attain its pre-determined goals. All the aspects management, management theory, contemporary theories of management, organizational designs, enterprise within organizations and organizational structures are somehow related to each other. All of these are different but interrelated as these are used by a firm to manage its processes, operations and resources. All of these aspects and development of management theory will be discussed in detail in this assignment in concern to the given scenario of Computing for Commerce (CFC). This assignment will be done with the help of analyzing all previous researches done in this field and its applicability in workplace. A number of theorists and researchers have analyzed the management theory and its practice at workplace. They have given several theories or approaches that can be used to improve the productivity of workplace. These different theories and approaches will be analyzed to understand the applicability of management theories and approaches in workplace. The company selected for the discussion and applicability of management behaviour and theory is Computing for Commerce. It was established by Nico Van Barneveld in 1984. It was started as centralized payroll bureau that handle payroll transactions for companies who are too small to run their own payroll departments. It produce monthly payroll statements, transfer funds into employees bank accounts and calculate monthly tax deductions which are paid to the inland revenue on behalf of its clients. From the time of its origin, the size of its customers has grown from 50 customers to 300 customers. The company operates with a flat structure and still runs everything in a hands on manner. Critical Review of CFCs Management Style and Practices In 1984, when Nico Van Barneveld founded Computing for Commerce, it was serving only few customers. Now, as company has expanded in terms of its operations and customers it should adopt some different approach rather than only a flat organizational structure or conventional management styles and practices. The management practices and styles adopted by CFC was effective in old time but now, it is confronting severe issues and it is all because of its ineffective style of management. The concept of management exists from past some centuries but it has become substantial from last few decades. This is because of the failures confronted by various organizations in concern to their management behaviour and practices. From last some decades, CFC has confronted several opportunities as well as challenges and it is all due to increasing globalization and rising level of competition. For capitalizing on existing opportunities and minimizing the effect of heightening challenges, it adopted different expansion strategies. The expansion strategies assisted the company in enlarging its customer base, but it didnt help it in managing its operations and resources. The company employees were dissatisfied that evidences that it should have adopted some effective management theory as from last several years a number of management theories have emerged. Theories like classical theory, bureaucracy, human relations, and social psychological schools, systems and contingency approaches could significantly assist business organizations (Miner 2007). The adoption of different management theories would have facilitated CFC with an appropriate management style or practice to manage their operations and as well as their resources like finance and human resources. This could also be understood with the help of discussion of the development of management theory, different schools of management and their implications for the organisation of CFCs challenges and opportunities. Classical Organizational Theory: The classical organizational theory developed throughout the first half of this century. This management theory is merger of Taylors scientific management, Webers bureaucratic theory and Fayols administrative theory (Almashaqba Al-Qeed 2010). Classical organization theories pertain to formal organization and concepts for increasing management efficiency. Taylor introduced scientific management concepts in 1917, Weber gave the bureaucratic approach and Fayol explicated the administrative theory of the organization (Walonick n.d.). With the help of all these theories or some of these theories, CFC would have easily resolved its troubles related with the management of its employees and their distributions in the management of their work. These theories could significantly assist CFC in increasing its management efficiency as it is vital for the company with its increasing expansion (Organizational Theories n.d.). The advantages and disadvantages of these different classical theories in concern to CFC can be understood with their discussions: Taylors Scientific Management Approach: The scientific management approach was developed by Taylor and it is grounded on the conception of planning of work for attaining efficiency, standardization, specialization and simplification. This approach concentrated on the need of increasing mutual trust among management and workers as it is a key to increase productivity (Rimer 1993). If CFC also makes use of this approach, it can effectively plan all its operations and distributions of its employees or trainers. Taylor explicated the subsequent four principles of scientific management through which business organizations can improve their productivity: Old rules-of-thumb should be replaced by a scientific approach. Organizations should select employees on the basis of some analysis, and then should be taught, trained and developed. Concentrate on the need of cooperation among management and labor so that all work can be done in accordance to the developed scientific principles. Scientific training of the workers so that work can be divided effectively between workers and managers with effective planning and control (Walonick n.d.). With the help of this approach CFC may also plan and control all its business operations like payroll transactions and PC Application training. The allocation of local centre managers and trainers would also be done on scientific basis. This will assist the company in making formal divisions among its workers and managers and as well as in adopting systematic procedures (Almashaqba Al-Qeed 2010). On the other hand, this approach also has some limitations like in modern time it is not very much relevant as nowadays concentration on production is replaced by people. In modern time, companies cannot use their employees just as a mean of production they have to treat their employees in a fair and imperative manner (Miner 2007). Webers Bureaucratic Approach: Bureaucratic approach was given by Max Weber in 1947. He elaborated theories given by Taylor and emphasized on the need to abbreviate diversity and uncertainty in organizations. As well, he concentrated on the establishment of clear lines of authority and control. This bureaucratic theory also stressed on the need of a hierarchical structure of power (Walonick n.d.). It assisted the businesses in identifying the significance of division of labor and specialization. In addition to this, a formal set of rules was also bounded into the hierarchy structure so that companies can effectively insure stability and uniformity (Organizational Theories n.d.). By making use of this approach CFC can easily and effectively modify its flat organizational structure that is not suitable nowadays as it is expanding its operations. With the help of bureaucratic approach, the company can significantly develop as a formal organization based on structure, specialization, certainty and stability, rationality and uniformity. This formal structure will assist the company in resolving all its present challenges and capitalizing on available opportunities. In addition to the above discussed advantages, this approach also has some limitations as it will not assist the company in the management of aspects like inflexibility, impersonality, displacement of aims, limitation of classification and self-protraction. It will bring forth a vertical organizational structure that will give rise to many levels of management. Many levels of management will increase complexity and difficulty in attaining coordination. Administrative Theory: The last significant classical theory is Administrative theory that is also known as principles of management. This theory was validated in 1930. It was developed by Fayol in 1949. This theory stressed on the development of a universal set of management principles that could be applied to all organizations (Organizational Theories n.d.). The different elements of this theory are associated to the accomplishment of tasks, principles of management, the conception of line and staff, committees and functions of management. This theory assisted in the identification of the management principles rather than personal traits. Other theorists only shared their beliefs but Fayol was first that recognized management as an ongoing process of evaluation. By making use of this theory CFC can significant attain several advantages in terms of functions of management (planning, organizing, training, commanding and coordinating), line and staff and principles of management (Sapru 2006). All these concepts will assist the company in managing its business operations, customers, stakeholders and other associates. The 14 principles of management will help the company and Nico in an effective management of its organization and its resources. The company will become able in dealing with all its existing issues related with management of operations and resources (Walonick n.d.). In addition to all these advantages, the company may also confer some disadvantages if these principles are not managed in an appropriate manner. It may increase chaos and confusion among the company and its employees. With the discussion of classical theory, it can be said that it can help CFC in the management of its organization but it is very rigid and mechanistic. In this theory, employees have minimum power over their jobs and working conditions that is not relevant with modern era. In modern era employees are given significant preferences in spite of production as until or unless they are not happy, a firm may not attain its objectives. Neoclassical Organization Theory: Neoclassical theorist stressed on the significance of individual or group behaviour and accentuated on human relations. On the basis of the Hawthorne experiments the neoclassical approach stressed on the development of social or human relationships among the operators, researchers and superiors (Organizational Theories n.d.). The considerations of this theory were more pertinent to rendering productivity rather than only making changes in working conditions. The neoclassical theorists argued that business can attain productivity increases by developing high morale. High morale is affected by the amount of individual, personal and close attention workers receive (Mirowski 1983). By making use of this theory, CFC can effectively develop its employees rather than only adopting changes in work pattern or conditions. This theory can facilitate company and Neo on concentrating on human nature aspects. With the help of this management practice, CFC will become able in establishing an informal organization structure and focussing on the development of its employees (Walonick n.d.). With the implication of this theory, Neo will become able in understanding that an employee is not a mechanical tool. An employee is a social being who have several aspirations that affect his performance and productivity. This understanding would assist Neo in developing the productivity of his employees by providing them effective opportunities and motivation. With the application of this theory Neo will also become able in understanding the importance of work group and participative management. Participative management will assist CFC in attaining all available opportunities and in expansion and resolving issues of employee dissatisfaction. Work group will assist it in deriving the benefits of synergy. In this way, this theory will substantially help CFC in the management of its employees that are most vital aspect of a business growth. In addition to above discussed advantages, this theory also has some disadvantages. The management behaviour and practices rendered by this theory sometimes may create failure as there is lack of monitoring that is vital. This theory implies for loose control over subordinates that is not applicable in present competitive environment. At some extent it is essential to monitor subordinates as otherwise they may divert from the given duties or responsibilities. Contingency Theory This theory is a kind of behavioural theory that asserts that in general there is no effective way to systematize a corporation, to direct it and undertake decisions. In spite of this, the best way to manage an organization depends upon its internal and external situation. It was developed by Chandler in 1962 and Lawrence and Lorsch in 1969. In respect to this theory different contingent approaches were developed in the late 1960 (Bacher 2007). Contingency theorists suggested that previous theories like Webers bureaucracy and Taylors scientific management had broke down because they overlooked the environment (Walonick n.d.). In modern time, management style and organizational structure of a firm is substantially influenced by its internal and external environment or contingency factors. If CFC make use of this theory can effectively resolve all its troubles related with expansion and management of its operations. An analysis of its environment will significantly help the company in its future business decisions (Organizational Theories n.d.). With an internal environment analysis, the company can easily identify the substantial reasons of its employee dissatisfaction and level of their performance. On the other hand, external environment will assist it in its future business planning and decisions. With the use of contingency theory, the company will effectively become able in managing its conflicts rather than avoiding it. In addition to these advantages, this theory also has some disadvantages like it is applicable only in a situation when organizational environment is unstable or changing (Jacques 2007). As well, this also demands management time, money, and effort so that coordination can be attained. Systems Theory This theory was suggested by Hungarian biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy in 1928. This theory emphasised that all the elements of an organization are interconnected and if there occurs change in a variable it might affect several others also (Northouse 2009). In concern to this theory, organization is considered as open system that is continually interacting with its environment. By applying this theory CFC can effectively derive immense success. It will assist the company in shaping its reality on the basis of its actions. It will help Neo in understanding how its own actions have shaped its present position and that in turn will boost his confidence. With this, he will become able in understanding that its success is related to all its business elements (Kast Rosenzweig 1972). If it makes changes in an element it has to evaluate other elements also so that determined objective can be attained effectively (Walonick n.d.). This theory will help CFC in focussing on all its business elements rather than at a single element. Additionally, it also has disadvantages like its concept of nonlinearity adds massive complexity to understanding of organizations. Its nonlinearity introduces significant complexity and that makes it difficult to understand the relationships between variables. This may also drive CFC towards confusion so it is better to understand its affectivity so that complexity may not arise (Organizational Theories n.d.). The relationship among all its business variables needs to be identified for effective functioning. Approaches to Contemporary Issues in Management Nowadays, the new conception of management has entirely replaced the traditional perspectives of management. In present managers from all around the world are trying to seek new insights about how they can lead in a much better manner and how they can motivate, organise and manage their organisations (McKenna 2000). All these efforts of universal managers are highly affected by the contemporary issues of management confronted by them. With the increasing globalization and healthy world trade conditions, more and more companies are trying to operate at international level. All companies want to reach at the benefits of global expansion so that they can reap the existing opportunities. The effect of globalization has forced companies to move into foreign markets that in turn present several issues in front of managers in concern to management (Daft 2009). They are confronting issues like decreasing level of motivation, downsizing, managing diversity, and management of rapid change and meeting with the competing demands of all stakeholders. Similar is the situation with CFC and need to be managed effectively. All these contemporary issues in management can be resolved effectively at CFC by making use of advanced approaches towards employee motivation, management style, change management and fulfilling competing demands of all stakeholders. For motivating its employees the company can make use of approach of employee empowerment. This will develop self-leadership among CFCs employees and they will become authorized to lead others (Jacques 2007). The deliverance of authority to employees will increase their motivation towards the fulfilment of CFC goals. In addition to employee empowerment, the CFC may also make use of different types of management styles and change management approaches. Both of these will assist the company in responding to change in its internal and external environment. For managing its internal environment the company should make use of participative management style as this will assist in the development of flexible management (Holbeche 2006). It will heighten the communication among company managers and employees that in turn will increase their level of performance. The changed management approach like planned change will assist the company in dealing with its external environment and effect of globalization (Luthans 1998). Participative approach towards management and effective modes of communication will assist, CFC in significantly meeting with the competing demands of all its stakeholders. Internal and external environment analysis will assist it in understanding the needs and requirements of its customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders (Harris Hartman 2001). In this way, it can be said that in present there are various approaches that can be used by CFC for dealing with the contemporary issues of management. Evaluation of CFCs Enterprise Culture Consideration of its Operating Structure CFC is a small size firm and its enterprise culture is not as effective as it need to be in present time. The company operates in the simplest manner and does not give importance to social values of employees, associates and its stakeholders. Due to its weak enterprise culture it confronts several issues in concern to its employees, associates, stakeholders satisfaction. The company operates as a sole trader that has several advantages as well as disadvantages for it (Murray, Poole Jones 2006). The only person that owns the CFC is Neo. In this type of company structure, Neo being a sole proprietor has absolute control over his business and he is totally responsible for its management. This type of structure has little start up costs and it is elementary. All the profits made by this type of company structure are kept by Neo only and it is quite flexible as whatever changes are required can be made easily. On the other, this structure also render Neo with several disadvantages like he has to manage all business related tasks and as his business is expanding, it will become difficult for him only to manage all business operations. He is exclusively responsible for paying all debts and it is also difficult for a sole trader to raise funds for expansions (Spedding Rose 2008). With the discussion of these disadvantages of sole trading, it can be said that the CFC should make use of some other company structure. Now as company is increasing in its size and customer base than it should make use of following company structures: Limited Companies: Limited companies subsist with their own right. The companys finances are distinguished from the personal finances of their proprietors. Shareholders may be people or other companies and they are not accountable for the companys debts unless they have given guarantees. The main types of limited company are private limited companies, public limited companies and private unlimited companies (Pride, Hughes Kapoor 2009). In this type of business structure, there is limited liability. It means that each shareholder or member is liable only at the extent of the amount invested by him. This type of structure also avoids double taxation. On the other hand, it also has some limitations like restrictive transfer of ownership (Needham Dransfield 1994). Partnerships: In this type of company structure, two or more people share the risks, costs and responsibilities of business. Each associate is self-employed and enjoys a share of the profits. In this type of company structure, partners make decisions by coordinating with each other that usually results in assured success. It reduces the risk of individually running and managing a business (Spedding Rose 2008). It is a relatively simple and flexible way to manage a business. On the other hand, it also has some disadvantages like it is not essential that both the partners follow all established rules and ethics. They may take advantage of other for fulfilling their own needs. Co-operatives: It is a distinct type of business structure that is user-owned and user-controlled business that allocates margins to its users on the basis of use of patronage. This structure authorizes its users to attain ownership by patronizing the business. It also has risks like uncertainty, and follows up of established code of conduct (Pride, Hughes Kapoor 2009). With the above discussion of different types of business structures, it can be said that CFC should make use of some other operating structure in spite of sole trading. As now, the size of company is increasing in terms of its operations, customer base and overseas expansion; it is not possible for Neo only to manage each business aspect. In this situation, he should adopt some other company structure like partnership or limited company. Analysis of CFCs Organization Structure From the time of its origin, CFC is operating with flat organizational structure. In the company everything runs in a hands on manner. The company has four key staff in the centre of the company that handle management functions like finance and marketing. As well, the company also has a dedicated central IT team of three people handling the payroll service. The company is running on flat organizational structure because it feels this structure is appropriate in accordance to its small size. With the help of this flat structure the company is able in attaining effective communication among its employees and management. It also assists CFC in the development of effective team spirit, less bureaucracy and rational decision making (Furnham 2005). In addition to these advantages of flat organizational structure, the company also confronts several disadvantages like it may limit its growth and structure. Functions of an individual or department could be blurred and merge with the job roles of others as there are not any distinctions between individuals roles (Daft Marcic 2008). With the discussion of these advantages and disadvantages of flat organizational structure, it can be said that CFC should adopt some other organizational design. As now companys operations and customer base is increasing day by day and it is also planning to establish its operations in overseas locations, the company should change its old organizational structure. Subsequent are the various organizational designs that can be considered by CFC for the effective management of its new overseas ventures: Functional Structure: It is a type of departmentalization in which positions are grouped on the basis of their main functional area. In other words, in this type of structure positions are grouped into units on the basis of similarity of expertise, acquisitions and work activities (Montana Charnov 2000). It is most common method of grouping activities. CFC can also make use of this structure as it will assist it in running its overseas operations effectively. With the help of this structure, the company will become able in grouping its several employees on the basis of their functions like marketing, finance, operations, management etc. It is a logical structure and can help the company in managing its increasing size and employee base. With the help of this functional structure, Neo will effectively utilize its greater variety of skills. This structure will provide clarity to its members regarding their roles and duties and with this they will get specialization in specific business area (Drucker 2008). This role clarity and specialization will develop employees leadership skills. Divisional Structure: A divisional organizational structure is a type of departmentalization in which positions are grouped according to similarity of products, services or markets. With the help of this organizational structure, CFC can divide its complex functional units into smaller, more flexible and administrative units. The functions of its payroll departments can be classified into different divisions (Luthans 1998). This will assist the company in promoting independent and self-contained units in its overseas ventures. This can also be used for managing its increasing size and technology. Employees satisfaction level will also increase with this type of structure as they will became independent and will operate according to their own rationality in concern to given goals. Each division or unit of the company will react quickly that is vital for operating successfully in overseas ventures. In addition to this, organization and coordination will also become easy and speedy (Storey 2004). Hybrid Structure: Other substantial organization structure that can be used by CFC for managing its increasing size and customer base is hybrid structure. This structure will assist the company in adopting both the functional and divisional structure at the same level of management (Agarwal 1983). With the help of functional structure, the company will become able in deriving advantages of economies of scale, greater competence of managers and competence in resource utilization (Murphy Saal 1990). As well, with the help of divisional structure it will become able in concentrating on its services and markets. Matrix Structure: The last significant organizational structure that can be used by CFC for managing its overseas ventures is matrix organizational structure. It is type of departmentalization that superimposes a horizontal set of divisions reporting relationships onto a hierarchical functional structure. With the help of this structure the CFC can take advantages of decentralized decision making. In addition to this, it will facilitate the company in attaining strong project or product coordination (Griffin Moorhead 2009). With this structure the company will become able in quickly responding to changes and making a flexible use of human resources. With the discussion of all substantial organizational designs, it can be said that CFC can easily make use of above discussed structures. With the help of these advanced organizational designs the company will become able in managing its overseas ventures by analyzing goals, values, cultures, size, technology and tasks. Evaluation of Global Issues that affect CFC and its New Venture In the last few years, Nico has seen the evolution of outsourcing as a most important new way of doing business. He has also decided that CFC must grab this opportunity on an international scale. In this concern he has determined to open an outsourced IT support centre in the far east to take account of the lower wage structure in that part of the world. He also have plan to open an outsourced call centre of more or less 200 people working from the overseas territory on behalf of approximately 50 UK based companies. For its global ventures, Neo has discovered three countries of interest that are Vietnam, Cambodia and Philippines. Nico knows very little about these countries working practices and environment that can negatively affect its operations. For handling with these global issues, it is essential that the company take into account existing market forces, barriers to trade and related aspects. Nowadays more and more countries are adopting and signing different agreements so that they can operate without any limits or constraints in foreign locations. The concept of free economy has emerged with the evolution of aspects like protectionism, trading blocs (EU, NAFTA etc) and importation quotas and import duties. By analyzing all these aspects and benefits limitations of free market, CFC can effectively enter the selected foreign countries (Pride, Hughes Kapoor 2009). Protectionism: It is the economic policy that limits trade between states with the use of techniques like tariffs on imported goods, protective quotas and a kind of other government ordinances. These constraints in this economic policy were planned to deter imports, and preclude foreign take-over of domestic markets and companies. This policy is intimately coordinated with anti-globalization (Hill 2008). It is a contrast to free trade that is still used in some nations but is been abolishing from last several years with increasing globalization. Trade Blocs: A trade bloc is a kind of intergovernmental placement that is mostly part of a regional intergovernmental organization. With these agreements regional impediments to trade like tarif