Gladiator Essay - 1467 Words

Gladiator There have been many sports movies made over the years. Some have been good, while others have been flops. Many sports movies have not been considered overall good movies simply because they were sports movies. I feel that one of the best and most overlooked sports movies of all time is the movie Gladiator. Gladiator is not only a good sports movie, but it is an all around good movie. Before we can call an all around movie a good movie, we must first define what a good movie is. A good movie can be defined as a movie that has many exceptional movie elements. The following are some major movie elements: plot, drama, special effects, theme, and character acting. For my review of the movie Gladiator, I will first†¦show more content†¦Special effects have become especially popular in the 1990’s. The most common special effects are computer generated additions to movies of objects that don’t exist to actually film but can still be viewed in the movie. Special effects are for certain genres of movies. Science Fiction and futuristic movies would need a large quantity of high quality special effects to be a successful movie. A theme should be common in a movie if the movie is related to life in any way. The general purpose of movies is to entertain, but the greatest form of entertainment is achieved when the audience feels that it has received a moral lesson that will affect their own lives. The final major characteristic of a good movie is character acting. It is obviously important to have good actors, but the actors must also personally fit into the parts they are playing. High quality actors that fit into the roles they are playing are quite necessary for the movie to be a successful movie. The movie Gladiator has a fascinating plot. A brief description of the plot will now be given. A summary of the quality of the plot will be given after the brief description. Gladiator is a current film takes place in the slums of Chicago’s south side. The main star in the movie is a character named Tommy Riley. Tommy’s mom has died, and his father has accumulated a large amount of gambling debts. Their financial problems have taken them from their old home in Bridgeport and landedShow MoreRelatedGladiator Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesGladiator Ridley Scott is an expert at fabricating highly visual motion pictures with energetic, radiant stories. Blade Runner and Alien dazzled the viewers with high tech action and suspense. Now the roman epic Gladiator vividly captures the time period and atmosphere in which its characters inhabit. With a star line up of actors (including Joaquin Phoenix - Clay Pigeons, To Die For, Connie Nielsen - Devils Advocate, Mission to Mars) playing the smallerRead MoreThe True Nature Of The Gladiators966 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Gladiators have long been regarded as entertainers performing spectacles of great violence for an avid audience. Many scholars debate whether the gladiators could be considered athletes due to the stark differences between the Greek athletes of the Olympics and the Roman gladiators of the arena. There are many myths surrounding the gladiators. Most people think that the gladiators were savage and would fight each other to the death every time they entered the arena. Many people are alsoRead MoreEssay about Gladiator441 Words   |  2 Pages Gladiator Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator is an epic tale of honor, love, loyalty and power. If you could only see two movies a year make Gladiator one of them. It is full of action, adventure, drama, deceit and love. Russell Crowe plays the Roman General, Maximus, who heads the Roman Army in their conquers of Europe and Africa under the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Maximus has served Rome for â€Å" two years, 264 days and this morning,† and is anxiously awaiting his release byRead MoreGladiator, by Ridley Scott1120 Words   |  5 Pagesone film that stands out among the rest has to be Gladiator. Gladiator can be argued as one of the greatest action movies of all time, and for good reasons. The soundtrack, dialogue, and characters have no equal in the revenge action category of film, and can be considered tops of pure action films. Gladiator is a perfectly well rounded movie that adds the best of all worlds to create the masterpiece seen today. Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Gladiator, was released to the public in 2000. Received withRead MoreThe Gladiator Of The Roman Empire1150 Words   |  5 PagesScott Galati Mr. Berger World history 1010 11/30/14 Roman Gladiators The Romans liked watching other people die; their gladiator games were there live entertainment. It is believed that the first gladiators were slaves who were made to fight to the death at the funeral of a famous aristocrat, Junius Brutus Pera, in 264 BC. The fight between the two was arranged in his honor. Gradually the gladiator games became separated from funeral ceremonies and were staged by the wealthy as a means of displayingRead More Roman Gladiators Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesGladiator Gladiatorial events were a token of the Roman civilization. A brutal form of sacrifice adapted from the earlier civilization of Etruscans, who believed when a person dies, his spirit relies on a blood sacrifice to survive in the afterlife. The first event to take place in Rome was in 264 BC, when Decimus Brutus held a sacrifice to honor his dead father (Roman Gladiator). Soon after these events became an undeniable part of the Romans lives, used for political power and general entertainmentRead MoreThe Gladiator Trailer Essay1849 Words   |  8 PagesIn the summer of 2000 a box office hit was released. â€Å"Gladiator† was a brilliant action film set in Ancient Rome, which appealed to over 15s from both genders. The film was hugely successful and raked in over $190,000,000 in the U.S box-office and $434,000,000 worldwide. However the film wouldn’t have been nearly as successful as it was without the help of an exciting and gripping trailer to appeal to the target audience. Trailers are very important in the film industry because it’s the oneRead MoreA Review of Gladiator Essay668 Words   |  3 PagesA Review of Gladiator Hail Caesar, and the return of the Roman Empire. From Quo Vadis to Spartacus, Hollywood has enjoyed a long and fore filling relationship with the sword-and-sandals epics and Ridley Scott (Alien Blade Runner), has released a monumental spectacle; managing to make this forgotten genre bigger, better and more bloody than ever before. Ridley Scott shines as a director through Gladiator. Not only has he managed to create the multiple plotsRead MoreRoles of Gladiators in Roman Society1741 Words   |  7 PagesGladiators were mostly unfree individuals either condemned criminals, prisoners of wars who had lost their citizenship rights, although, some of them were volunteers who were mostly freedmen or very low classes of freeborn men who chose to be a slave for monetary rewards or for the fame. Gladiators were brought for the purpose of gladiatorial combat and would endure branding, chains, flogging or death by the sword and subjected to a rigorous training, fed on a high-energy diet, and given expert medicalRead MoreGladiator Movie. vs History1409 Words   |  6 Pagesor actually cared about the citizens of Rome. The movie Gladiator portrays Roman life and the gladiatorial games. Really though, how does the movie compare to the history of the Roman Empire? I am really interested in the actual history of the gladiators and the movie is one of my favorites. That’s why I chos e to do my review on it and I came to find out that the movie didn’t give me the information on the real life and times of the gladiators. In the movie, after the death of the emperor, Maximus

`` Twilight Zone Of The Digital Age `` - 1032 Words

A block feature that reduces an individual’s presence to the crystallized static of no-signal white noise; an electronic chip implant that records all visual and auditory experiences and replays personal memories on screen; a digital copy of one’s consciousness configured by code; and an app that assembles the internet personas of the dead in order to recreate them—these are some of the futuristic devices portrayed in the hit British television series Black Mirror. Created by British broadcaster and writer Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror premiered on the United Kingdom’s Channel 4 network in 2011 and gained a global following and mass critical acclaim after its debut on Netflix in 2014 (). Referred to by critics as the â€Å"Twilight Zone of the digital age,† the show employs satire, black humor, and science fiction elements while offering a profound look at the consequence of technology, its dystopic bearings, and its parallels with our own modern so cial and cultural realities (). As an anthology series, each episode of Black Mirror is a self-contained story that nevertheless fits into the show’s larger thematic narrative of cultural alienation due to the shifting role of technology and its transformation of social relations. Despite the disconnection of each particular episode from the others, the narrative unfolds in each creative universe via distinct plot devices and storytelling patterns, making for a viewership experience that is discomforting, eerie, and ultimately,Show MoreRelatedSci Fi (Science Fiction) and Fantasy Essay849 Words   |  4 Pagescomic books becoming so popular, especially amongst teenagers, Science Fiction has made its way into the â€Å"cool† zone. So many movies nowadays are based on books, many of which have a strong Science Fantasy element. People of all ages are becoming interested in the genre thanks to new series such as Harry Potter by JK Rowling a tale filled with fantasy element s like wizards and warlocks. Twilight a love story that revolves around vampires, written by Stephanie Meyers, is a very popular fantasy trilogyRead MoreWalt Disney s Theme Park1440 Words   |  6 PagesKingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Disney World has one hundred and sixty attractions which is almost triple the amount of attractions at Disneyland Anaheim. Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are amongst some of the main attractions. In addition, Disney World has three hundred and sixty-seven restaurants.The restaurants range in cuisine from all over the world. Regular tickets are one hundred and seven dollars. ValueRead MoreThe Uncertain Role Of Technology2505 Words   |  11 Pagesfirst robot or the creation for the prototype of the first computer. However, technology goes back father than the evolution of the Internet, or the instillation of space satellites. In fact, the beginning of technology extends as far back as the Stone Age, twenty-five million years ago, with man’s discovery of using the sharp sides of a stone as a cutting tool. Had it not been for the technology of Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone, the world of communication, as we regard it today, could be lessRead MoreThe Uncertain Role Of Technology2505 Words   |  11 Pagesfirst robot or the creation for the prototype of the first computer. However, technology goes back father than the evolution of the Internet, or the instillation of space satellites. In fact, the beginning of technology extends as far back as the Stone Age, twenty-five million year s ago, with man’s discovery of using the sharp sides of a stone as a cutting tool. Had it not been for the technology of Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone, the world of communication, as we regard it today, could be lessRead MoreEssay about Why we believe in ghosts2803 Words   |  12 Pageswhite that wails in the night. Celt’s believe that each family seat has its own banshee that protects them. It is said that if you hear the women screeching or crying, she is warning your family of a death that is soon to come (Guiley 53). â€Å"Irelands age old rituals permeate the lives of country and city people alike†¦ the rituals of a pagan culture steeped in antiquity, are very much evident in the country people, their beliefs and practices.† (Barrett par 13). Ireland and Scotland is steeped in theRead MoreThe Music Industrys Digital Revolution4674 Words   |  19 PagesThe record industries have change from the days of buying records to, A-track and now in this digital age of streaming. The supplies and demand business has takeover music industries, it is now, how we get it, how fast you get it and at what cost you to the consumers for the music. The demand would be a more convent way of listing to your favorite artist and the supply would be for different companies to stream the music to the consumer to keeping it current, this was the birth of Napster (napster2004)Read MoreSatallite Tv Channel6318 Words   |  26 PagesExecutive summary: Satellite TV is most important mode of entertainment for all classes and age of people in Dhaka. Day by day its demand is increasing rapidly in Dhaka city. These satellite programs have lots of impact in our day to day life but having instead of good effect bad comes first like they are causing very worse influence over the people of Dhaka city and are also affecting the cultural life. Our culture based on some social value, norms, language, tradition which are getting affectedRead MoreProduct Placement10682 Words   |  43 Pagespoised for the most growth, with PQ Media predicting the 2009 figures to more than double by 2014, when product placement is projected to be a $6.1 billion market. [24] A major driver of growth for the use of product placement is the increasing use of digital video recorders (DVR) such as TiVO, which enable viewers to skip advertisements.[citation needed] This ad-skipping behavior increases in frequency the longer a household has owned a DVR. [edit] Products Certain products are featured more than othersRead MoreProduct Placement10670 Words   |  43 Pagesfor the most growth, with PQ Media predicting the 2009 figures to more than double by 2014, when product placement is projected to be a $6.1 billion market. [24] A major driver of growth for the use of product placement is the increasing use of digital video recorders (DVR) such as TiVO, which enable viewers to skip advertisements.[citation needed] This ad-skipping behavior increases in frequency the longer a household has owned a DVR. [edit] Products Certain products are featured more than othersRead More4g Communication22481 Words   |  90 Pagessystems along with cellular telephone systems. The 4G systems not only will support the next generation of mobile service, but also will support the fixed wireless networks. The 4G systems will interoperate with 2G and 3G systems, as well as with digital (broadband) broadcasting systems and IP-based one. The 4G infrastructure consists of a set of various networks using IP (Internet protocol) as a common protocol so that users are in control because they will be able to choose every application and

Effect of Job Description and Mentoring in Recruitment and Retention â

Question: Describe about the Effect of Job Description and Mentoring in Recruitment and Retention Transcript? Answer: The following is an transcript conversation between a senior HR Manager and a junior HR. Senior HR: Hello, Welcome to our organization. You would be the new Human Resource Manager for the Sales Department. Junior HR: Thank You, Sir. I am extremely fortunate to be able to seek this position in a reputed company such as this. Senior HR: Good. I am sure you must be well aware of the fundamental roles of an HR in any reputed organization. Would you be able to elaborate on the role? Junior HR: Yes, Sir. I am absolutely aware of the responsibilities. To begin with, the HR manager is the sole person who is responsible for providing correct job description so that the organization may be able to recruit the right person for the rights job. In this respect the HR manager should provide the following information namely well phased job description, a separate duty statement, the effective job purpose, background information, required skills and post requirements (Allen and Bryant, 2012). Senior HR: You are absolutely correct. However, there lie some other details as well in order to surround all the necessary details that concerns with the work of the HR. For instance, the HR has certain duties pertaining to the gaining of adequate information and the requirements to mentor the needs of the organization. Will you be able to give any details regarding this? Junior HR: Absolutely Sir. I would definitely be able to throw light in this regard. The HR of any organization should devise effective mentoring programs for the fresh employees. The HR needs to develop peer-to-peer mentor programs, career guide programs and intellectual guide programs. It is the duty of the HR to make provisions for creation of a congenial environment within the organization. I can also give references by scholars who have researched on this issue. Warner (2013) had opined that it is the duty of the HR manager to frame effective recruitment and selection strategies, formulate employee management strategies, provide advice to the management on employee legislations, generation of effective training and performance appraisal strategies and devise strategies related to staff development. Senior HR: Indeed, your knowledge in this sphere is appreciated. You have been able to quit clearly express the role that is required to be undertaken by any HR. however, you must also be aware that the role of any HR is not restricted to the bringing in proper manpower and creating guides and programs. There are a number of issues that come forward during the working of the organization and generally these have to be faced by the HR Manager. Do you have any idea as to the issues that are generally faced by the HR Manager? Junior HR: I am well aware of some of the major issues that are faced by the employees as result of the lack of responsibility by the HR Manager. Some of the issues are: The employees remain confused about their roles and functions within the organization The productivity of the employees decrease and they start finding the job monotonous The employee has no idea the standard or the expectations that the organization has from the employee thus the employee under performs or over performs (Way, 2011) The lack of problem management and mismanagement of official gossips distracts the employees from their role within the organization (Brice, 2012) The retention rate of the employees within the organization reduces and the organization experiences high employee turnover rates because the employee recruited may not be suitable for the job (Smith, Wilde and Brasch, 2012) These are some of the problems that are faced by the employees. Senior HR: You are absolutely right with regard to the issues. However there is some other issues as well that you have missed. For instance, the employees working without clear direction often tends to become confused, de motivated and develops a casual and negative attitude towards the organization and in return take drastic shifting decision. Further, lack of an effective job description demoralizes the employees and they develop uncertain attitude regarding their future growth. Junior HR: Yes Sir, I have overlooked these points. Senior HR: Never mind. Lets move on to the other details of the job. Do you have any knowledge regarding the possible impact of the failures of the HR team on the organizations? Junior HR: Yes, Sir. I do have some idea regarding the impact of HR failures. Allen, Finkelstein and Poteet (2011) opined that lack of job description raises the employee turnover rate and affects the organizational goal achievement. The report of Forbes shows around 76% of the organizations are experiencing employee turnover within six months of fresh recruitments due to lack of proper job description. Moreover, the recruitment expenses are also high (Mitchell and Gamlem, 2012). If the organization clearly mentions the job description at the time of recruitment then the employees will have a clear concept of the organizations mission and vision (Zoogah, 2013). Majority of the public sector organizations lack HR management team. The lack of a professional HR leads to lack of mentoring programs within these companies especially in the financial sector. Hence, the productivity of the employees in public sector banks and financial institutes are very low. The overall work process also t ends to slow down because of the lack of effective management (Forde and O'Brien, 2011). Senior HR: You indeed have a lot of knowledge with regard to HR management. I wish you all the very best in this new sphere. References Allen, D. and Bryant, P. (2012).Managing employee turnover. [New York, N.Y.] (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017): Business Expert Press. Allen, T., Finkelstein, L. and Poteet, M. (2011).Designing Workplace Mentoring Programs. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons. Brice, A. (2012). Minority Recruitment and Retention for Universities: Bilingual Special Education Faculty.Multicultural Learning and Teaching, 7(1). Forde, C. and O'Brien, J. (2011).Coaching and mentoring. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press Ltd. Mitchell, B. and Gamlem, C. (2012).The big book of HR. Pompton Plains, NJ: Career Press. Smith, J., Wilde, M. and Brasch, J. (2012). Internet Recruitment and Retention for a 6 Months Longitudinal Study.Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 44(2), pp.165-170. Warner, M. (2013).'Making Sense' of Human Resource Management in China. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Way, C. (2011).Tools for effective mentoring programs. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press. Zoogah, D. (2013). Career Motivation, Mentoring Readiness, and Participation in Workplace Mentoring Programs: A Cross-Cultural Study.Journal of African Business, 14(1), pp.19-32.

Sneaker Industry Essays - Fashion, Sneakers, Reebok, Nike, Inc.

Sneaker Industry The athletic shoe industry is one of the largest markets in the United States today. This segment operates globally with many competitors. This industry provides us with T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts and of course, athletic footwear. Three major corporations dominate the industry itself: Nike, Adidas, and Reebok. Nike controls 44% of the entire market, Adidas owns close to 12%, while Reebok maintains about 12% as well. The Nike Corporation was established in 1981, and in its first year as a public company, it led the industry and was sold in more than forty countries worldwide. They have remained on top for the majority of their existence, due to their diverse and ever changing product line. Nike's largest concentration is on the sneaker market itself. They sell all kinds of athletic apparel and equipment, from sneakers and warm-up pants to soccer balls and football pads. Adidas and Reebok also sell more than just sneakers; all three dominate the industry in footwear as well as apparel. There are many competitors such as New Balance, Puma, Champion, and Fila. These companies do not run the market like Nike, Adidas and Reebok, they own much smaller segments. Due to the fierce competition in the industry, the only way to pull ahead is with product differentiation. Nike pulled ahead in 1988, with the concept of Nike-Air Cushioning. This sparked the differences between all companies. The idea of air pockets, air consoles and cushioning seemed to become the biggest trend in the sneaker market. Later on the product differentiation became the tool to capitalize on. Rubber grip sneakers became popular, which spun the concept of different kinds of shoes for different activities. There became separate shoes for walking, running, cross training, basketball, indoor soccer, football, wrestling and aerobics. The sneaker industry has so many products to choose from. The products differ in color, shape and category. The price is basically the same. The average pair of athletic sneakers is around $70 to $85. Nike Air Max sneakers are much more expensive, the average price of this model is $125. The quality of sneakers are basically equal. The sale usually comes down to preference and how much the consumer wants to spend. Sneakers are not a total necessity, but then they are not quite a luxury either. Almost everyone has at least one or two pairs of sneakers, but the only difference would be the brand. There are many generic brands to choose from, so if you do not want to spend $70, you honestly do not have to. The industry itself is basically elastic. As the economy goes down so do sneaker prices, when the economy is on the rise, sneaker prices skyrocket. Nike has been able to sustain a competitive advantage since their first year. They have established their name through advertisements and quality. The name Nike is known worldwide, so are Adidas and Reebok. These firms have created a link between a solid product and a solid company. Consumers trust the products that these three companies sell, that is why they are able to charge the prices that they do. Consumers are not just buying the shoe, they are also investing in the label. Business

TQM Research Paper

TQM Research Paper Introduction The past two decades have witnessed the rise and fall of countless short-lived fads. Some have attracted a flurry of book, articles, and seminars; others have been completely discredited. Businesses have realized that there is a need to restructure their business practices and become more customer-focused. All recent business approaches and techniques have generally aimed at improving performance, increasing profits, gaining market share, and most importantly satisfying the customer who has become more educated and more demanding than ever. In the last two decades two organizational development models have dominated the business world for a considerable period of time namely Total Quality Management (TQM) and Business Process Reengineering (BPR). Statement of Objective This paper aims to shed a novel light on the two most recent and prominent management approaches, namely TQM and BPR. In an attempt to examine the interaction between radical BPR and incremental TQM with respect to change management, I shall briefly discuss the two constructs and contemplate the roots and basic tenets that underlie each. BPR has been referred to in the literature as the successor of TQM and has been treated as an equal. I shall treat the similarities and common grounds among the two, as well as the differences between them. Next, I shall touch upon the weaknesses and highlights that distinguish each, and then move on to construct an integrated model in an attempt to reconciliate the two opposing camps. In this model, BPR cannot withstand, but be an integrated part of the more comprehensive TQM effort, which is the broader platform for organizational change. As such, BPR is rendered as a technique to be employed under the more exhaustive TQM approach. I shall support my presentation by recent books and articles that have dealt with the issue, in addition to examples and case studies from the literature that have implemented change programs based on TQM and BPR principals. This research paper gains significance, as the debate is more heated than ever concerning the survival, decline, or assimilation of the two strategies. Total Quality Management Over the past 20 years, quality has been hailed as the key factor for success. However, the organizational world has been increasingly moving away from the traditional quality concept, as a function of inspection, control, audit, and review, as these are all now seen as non-value adding. Some of TQMs basic concepts came out of Bell Telephones labs in the early 1920s. Refined and developed by Deming, Juran, Crosby, and then Ishikawa and Taguchi, and later on others TQM calls for continually improving quality by using statistical measures to track, both, problems and the results of efforts to fix these problems. Edwards Deming, the guru of the quality approach, describes quality as having no meaning other than that defined by customer needs and desires. A satisfied customer is not enough, says Deming in one of his early lectures of the 1950s in Japan. Business is built on the loyal customer, one who comes back and brings a friend. A more recent definition of TQM offered by Almaraz in 1994 maintains that: TQM refers to a management process directed at establishing organized continuous improvement activities, involving everyone in an organization in a totally integrated effort toward improving performance at every level. The TQM philosophy provides the overall concepts that foster continuous improvement in an organization. This philosophy stresses a systematic, integrated, consistent, organization-wide perspective involving everyone and everything. It focuses primarily on the total satisfaction for both, internal and external customer, within a management environment that seeks continuous improvement of all systems and processes. The TQM philosophy emphasizes the use of al people, usually in multifunctional teams, to bring about improvement from within the organization. It stresses optimal life cycle cost and uses measurement within a disciplined methodology to target improvements. The prevention of defects and emphasis on quality in design are key elements of the philosophy. The elimination of losses and reduction of variability are important aims. Further, it advocates the development of relationships between all parties: employee, supplier, and customer. TQM provides a flexible, responsive managem ent approach able to act and react to all the forces of todays and tomorrows economic world. It focuses the resources of an organization on identifying and acting on the internal and external forces that will influence an organizations operations. TQM gears an organization toward continually improving quality, increasing productivity, and reducing costs to ease economic pressures. It focuses on total customer satisfaction through highest product and service quality at lowest life cycle costs to compete in the global environment. TQM stresses constant training and education, downsizing, and service value. A further understanding of Total Quality Management comes from the terms that make up the name. Total means total comprehensive participation, i.e., the involvement of everyone and everything in the organization in a continuous improvement effort. Quality is total customer satisfaction, whether internal or external customers. Management is the leadership of an organization that creates and maintains the TQM environment. The basis of quality in TQM is a process-based structure consistent with the Deming PDCA Cycle: Plan, Do, Check, Act. Although it has been recently suggested that TQM is Ð ¡outÐ ¢ or that it was essentially a 1980s phenomenon, the interest in TQM has scarcely subsided . Today such diverse practices are being done under the name of TQM that it seems to have lost its boundaries. Some consider TQM as a management attempt at cultural transformation and treat it as synonymous with cultural change and excellence. (12) Others consider it a method of cutting losses and, among other things, reducing waste and scrape while boosting customer satisfaction. There is no one agreed upon definition for TQM. Total Quality Management is both a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that are the foundation of a continuously improving organization. The terminology differs from one organization to another; however, there are four essential elements of all definitions of TQM and these are: continual improvement, people orientation, quantitative methods, and, last but not least, customer focus. TQM integrates fundam ental management techniques, existing improvement efforts, and technical tools under the disciplined approach focused on continuous improvement. TQM has been especially remarkable for its long tenure atop the heap and has been labeled King of the Hill. Business Process Reengineering Business reengineering is the concept of changing the fundamental way work is done in order to achieve radical performance improvement in speed, cost, and quality. The term BPR first appeared in the Information Technology (IT) field and was then used in the broader context of organizational change processes to refer to the use of modern information technology to radically redesign business processes. BPR will shatter assumptions and simplify processes utilizing IT as an enabler. According to its originators, Hammer and Champy, reengineering refers to the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service, and speed. BPR can be better understood by analyzing the terms of its original definition. Fundamental rethinking is the reconsideration of the basic questions of why do they [organizations] do what they do? And why do they do it the way they do? Radical redesign means uprooting the old and creating new structures and processes. As such reengineering is about reinventing the business and not improving or modifying it. Dramatic refers to the achievement of quantum leaps rather than incremental improvements in BPR application, which demand blowing up of the old and replacing it with something new. Hammer and Champy define the fourth term, business process, as a collection of activities that takes one or more kinds of input and creates an output that is of value to the customer. BPR is, above all, an improvement philosophy. It aims to achieve step improvements in performance by redesigning the critical processes through which an organization operates, maximizing their value added content and minimizing everything else. This approach can be applied to an individual process or to the whole organization.(the essence of BPR:20) Povey explains that the basic premise of BPR, the rapid redesign of critical core processes of an organization, generates breakthrough improvements in the performance and result in a competitive advantage in the global market place. Hammer and Champy speak of three types of organization that undertake reengineering.. The first is the desperate type, in which crisis management has taken control in an organization whose costs keep piling up, products and services keep falling behind, and nothing seems to be going right. The second type is the organization that is not facing any immediate threat, but would want to improve its status before b eing caught up in the storm. The third type includes organizations that are ambitious and aggressive. They want to enhance their performance and get a better leverage over their competitors. Reengineering requires a shift to process orientation, teamwork, IT, and customer focus. Some good BPR tools include process mapping, value analysis, and half-life principle. The reengineering effort is characterized by focusing n process mapping, product and process elimination, process simplification and integration, process improvement, teamwork, and the active leadership and participation of top management in change. Recent field studies have provided evidence that reengineering, is applicable, without any variations to the concept, to all types of organizations, be they manufacturing, service, non-profit, private, or public. I. TQM BPR: Common Grounds and Similarities Before trying to point out the differences between TQM and BPR, it is more useful to find the similarities. These points represent a wide viewpoint and are meant to highlight the broad commonalties between the two approaches, not to suggest that BPR and TQM are similar in their application methodologies. It is worth to note that while BPR and TQM share many of the same dimensions and goals, the two are not mutually exclusive and need to be done jointly. A. Quality Improvement and Process focus: Both, TQM and BPR, are quality movements that seek to enhance an organizations capabilities for the future. Quality goals concentrate on the reduction of variation in processes and the application of effective measurement systems. Customers play a central role in being the determining factor of the standards of quality. In todays world, quality is in the eyes of the beholder, i.e., the customer. It is the customers perception that counts. BPR has much in common with TQM in hs respect. The definition of the process to be reengineering is in part a technical matter, concerning judgements about where the problem actually lies in the light of available information. Within the organization, this customer-defined quality is translated into process-focus. At the heart of TQM is the idea that improvement comes from addressing the processes, which deliver the defective or inadequate end-results, rather than on concentrating on the results themselves. As for BPR, the process focus is an intrin sic paradigm of the reengineering strategy. Critical success factors are used to identify the organizations core processes, which will undergo redesign. Conformance quality (meeting customer requirements) and perceived quality (exceeding customer requirements) improve profitability. Reducing waste and increasing productivity are natural by-products of a systematic process of quality improvement. As such, both TQM and BPR aim at improving an organizations operations to enhance its ability in delivering quality products and services with the ultimate aim of augmenting productivity, increasing profitability, and gaining market share. B. Top Management Support: Setting the stage for quality improvement involves everything that the business does from becoming aware of the need for significant change to establishing a commitment to actually follow through. The desire to actually deliver quality involves senior managements initiation and continued commitment, constituting the basic drive behind the whole process. It involves goal setting, barrier reduction, training, and leadership. Setting the stage means that one must create an environment in which business improvement is encouraged and nourished. A vision of change for quality must accompany such efforts and be dispersed through out the organization. As management establishes the vision of what it wants to accomplish and where it wants to go, it must put in place support systems to help employees understand and implement the forthcoming change. To ensure positive results, steering performance must be consistent with the vision. Without executive sponsorship, the quest for quality, whether in TQM or BPR, is a joke. Leadership is the most important ingredient for launching and sustaining a quality improvement process. Leaders of firms need to establish clear, result-oriented goals and communicate their expectations. Management has the total responsibility for effective management of its quality campaign. Top management must take part in a companys quality operation and to guide its quality systems. Executive commitment is not only about management, but also about leadership. Leaders establish unity of purpose, direction, and create an environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organizations benefit. The role of management can be sensed in every step along the way. It provides leadership, develops the vision, establishes objectives, pursues strategy, establishes and monitors planning, monitors implementation, provides policy, conveys commitment, assures resources, eliminates barrier s, participates, appoints responsibilities, assures customer satisfaction, presents information and the list goes on and on. Senior managements role is to lead the change, not to manage it. It is responsible for shaking the barriers, i.e. removing road-blocks set up within the organization by people opposing change. Senior management must provide inspirational vision of the ultimate goal to be achieved C. Serious investment in the human resource: Empowerment, Teamwork, Training For any quality campaign to be successful, you need top-down active leadership that facilitates real change and a bottom-up quality management improvement process in order to achieve real sustainable bottom line results. Managements role is to invest in the campaign by motivating and involving others through broadening the ownership base of the idea. Only when employees develop a sense of ownership, will they embark upon it with true enthusiasm and motivation. Ownership must ultimately rest with the line operations in terms of engagement and accountability, for it is this human element of the organization that will ultimately deliver the quality and present the organizations image to the final customer. Delivery of quality implies a commitment and dedication, not only by senior management, but also by every single person within the organization, and sometimes outside of it. Harnessing the skills and enthusiasm of everyone is conditioned on providing employees with the adequate skills, tools, and authority to adapt to and adopt their new roles. TQM and BPR rely for their success on an active subject with interpretive powers. Empowerment and other associated ideas such a participative management, delegation of authority, and decentralization are based on placing responsibility for making decisions in the hands of workers. As one CEO put it: we are only as good as our employees and our employees are as good as we allow them to be. Despite the risks associated, such concepts have proved to boost job satisfaction, increase motivation, reduce absenteeism, lower turnover, and improve the work environment. Empowerment is not optional, rather a pre-requisite and can be considered one of the basic pillars of both technique. Hammer and Champy assert that empowerment is an unavoidable consequence of the reengineering project. Nevertheless, such concepts are under u sed during application phase of BPR, resulting in various people related problems. From the concept of empowerment follows the concept of group-work or teamwork. Teamwork is a technique where by individual members of a team work together to achieve a common goal. Teams are an essential structural ingredient of both approaches. Teams are needed to meet the challenges of the environment. The increased value placed on empowering employees as a means of improving productivity while simultaneously improving employee satisfaction leads to increased reliance on teams. Employees need to work together to meet new challenges. The theme is central to both TQM and BPR, as it aids communication, improves cooperation, reduces internal competition and duplication of effort, and maximizes talents of employees on a project. Teams are a vital management tool given that collaborative decision making allows for creativity. The need for fewer layers of management and more information for better communication and more efficiency will arise. Decreasing hierarchy will also remove organiza tional blockages to critical change. Hence, employee empowerment will facilitate and quicken the pace of work. Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric and leader of its rebirth in the 1980s and the 1990s, has become the spokesperson for organizational change. He described the critical importance of cross-functional teams and project teams in the new flattened architecture of GE with fewer layers of management. Cross-functional teams are essential to implement the new managerial role to yield increased value to customers. Teams go hand in hand with managements assumptions of its new role and flattened organizational culture. As such, reorienting an organization towards quality requires teamwork, both horizontally and vertically, given the fact that teamwork can be very powerful as weaknesses and strengths of individuals are balanced, brainstorming enhanced, and skills and knowledge concentrated. It is vital to build profound knowledge in teams about the business, customers, associates, b est practices, technology, and other factors related to the organization. As such, training is a must. Learning must precede thinking and a solid foundation for creative thinking need be established through benchmarking. In his book, The Circle of Innovation, Tom Peters speaks of the eraser mania. The problem with moving on is not about learning new things, but about forgetting the old ones. Organizations are so intent on pushing forward with the new that they forget to help employees let go of the old, thus, overlooking the personal losses of employees involves with change. They often hold on, resisting change. The reasons for this resistance include perceived loss of identity, value and worth in the eyes of the organization, disorientation, and the risk of failure. Continually training and educating employees is necessary due to the pace of change in todays world, not to mention a TQM or BPR undertaking. Providing training is imperative, especially in the area of team member effectiveness that focuses on skills of active listening, resource sharing, conflict resolution, negotiation, and interpersonal skills including how to handle contributions, input, and feedback from others about the work. At th e same time, upper level management may require training in self-directed team activities to understand what their employees are doing. While an organization may have had in place an extensive training program prior to TQM or BPR, there is no guarantee that the program in place will focus on the skills and abilities needed after the change has occurred. Training should focus on both the technical abilities in the new roles as well as interpersonal skills. Training on teamwork, trust, and decision-making must be emphasized to aid employees in adapting to their new roles. Enhanced individual skills and attributes will better enable teams to be more flexible and responsive to change. Successful change attempts are heavily dependent on training the human resource. An organization stands and falls with the people in it. It is therefore imperative to understand and anticipate individuals expectations, emotions and behavior. This includes managing for fear and resistance to change. Communication is crucial factor not only to an organizations employees, but also to all its stakeholders, including owners, external customers, suppliers, press, Еetc. These aspect are frequently neglected in implementation of TQM, and more so in BPR. While these are intrinsic aspects of the Total Quality Approach, they are only marginal where BPR is concerned. In comparison with TQM, BPR under-rates the Ð ¡humanÐ ¢ dimension. C. Metrics and Measurement: The selection and application of relevant performance metrics is critical to achieving success. Performance metrics must fit the business objectives and must be customer focused and driven. Todays quality standards are defined by the customers whose needs, desires, and expectations vary considerably. As such, a company should use the same measures as their customers in order to create a common ground for evaluating performance. Results should be directly measurable in terms of customer satisfaction, process cost, process quality, process speed, and ultimately in increased shareholder value and capital creation. II. TQM vs. BPR: Strategy Differences A. Radical vs. Incremental The major substantial difference between TQM and BPR, it has been argued, is the principle of radicalization. This Ð ¡radicalÐ ¢ element of BPR change is a striking departure from the incremental change of TQM projects. Process reengineering approaches process improvement in a drastic manner wiping out the old and putting in place new processes. While process management is based on the concept of continuous, evolutionary improvement, process reengineering searches for breakthrough improvements and revolutionary methods for doing work. To encourage a radical organizational rethink, the starting point for reengineering is a blank sheet of paper. The reengineering effort tears apart the current process and systematically rebuilds it. Continuous improvement of TQM responds to growing customer needs and expectations and ensures a dynamics evolution of the quality management systems in a slow, but sure mode. The pace of reengineering is ambitious, in comparison with TQMs conventional cha nge programs. B. Innovation vs. Improvement: The other major difference between TQM and BPR has to do with the level of change. A number of authors view organizational improvement activities as points on a continuum ranging from incremental improvement to radical change. Due to its focus on existing processes, TQM will rarely lead to radical innovation; rather it brings about change in a snowball effect so that the end result shows significant departure from the initial state of affairs; but still change and improvement are no more than incremental. It is within this context that the debate arises as to whether or not BPR, as a vehicle of radical change and innovation, is becoming a substitute for the incremental improvement of TQM. The logic behind it is that as the external environment is becoming more volatile and a more radical approach to change is needed. The clean slate approach in implementing BPR is in itself a thrust for creative thinking. Separating those responsible for scrutinizing the process from those charged wi th identifying the role of IT guards against any biases or hindrances created by current system limitations, processes, people, or activities. The above argument leads to another theoretical debate concerning implementation and the relative merits of clean slate verses a dirty slate. While, in theory, the clean slate allows projects to be modeled without contamination from the status quo, the dirty slate approach is regarded as more pragmatic. Michael Hammer advocated beginning the reengineering process with a clean slate ignoring past business approaches and working toward a complete redesign of the entire organization. While this is the ideal approach, Hammer concludes that it may not be feasible in some organizations where limited resources demand that reengineering proceed one division at a time, beginning with the area of the organization that is most amenable to change; Davenport explains that while restricting possibilities for process innovation, and although more difficult in design, the dirty slate approach is more realistic, financially viable, and easier to implement. One thing is for sure, BPR, most definitely, does not mean tinkering with what already exists or making incremental changes that leave basic structures intact. C. Risk and Pay-back Period: The pace of reengineering is ambitious, in comparison with TQMs conventional change programs. As such, high risk due to radical change is a natural consequence of BPR. Reengineering programs promise significant benefits higher margins, lower expenses, and improved productivity, to name a few. But these efficiencies are seldom gained without trade-offs. The sweeping changes brought about by reengineering cannot fail to influence a companys risk profile. Risk managers need to devise training programs that will help minimize the impact of change. Reengineering without training and education is unthinkable. Risk management is an inherent part of reengineering. Companies must assess the risks associated with changing business processes. TQM, in contrast to BPR, if of a much lesser risk. It involves neither the radical nor the dramatic changes that are an intrinsic part of BPR; rather TQM addresses the organization from a cultural standpoint that works on changing attitudes and behaviors over a long time period. A short-term focus in TQM weakens the organization and rarely ensures that the ultimate goal is achieved and sustained. It frustrates the people involved because they quickly realize that it takes time to develop the skills, attitudes, and knowledge required to make a difference to customers and to the bottom line. A long term focus, however, signals strong unwavering commitment and eventually wins over the people who must make it all happen. A long-term focus and a sense of urgency are entirely compatible attitudes in TQM and, in fact, are the right ones. BPR, on the other hand, is a one strike or one shot thing. Its relative short time frame results in quick outcomes, which renders it even more risky. TQMs incremental improvement-oriented changes are a long-term investment. Miraculous results will not appear overnight, especially because TQM is addressing a culture issue. Changing attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs is the most difficult and lengthy process and organization can undergo. D. Focus: Strategy and Customer TQM programs have highlighted the role of processes in delivering quality. In his book Out of Crisis, Deming stated, I should estimate that in my experience, most troubles and most possibilities for improvement add up to proportions like 94% that belong to the system and 6% to special causes. Peppard and Rowland explain that the systemÐ ¢ here refers to the process, i.e., the way things are done, and not who does them. However, TQM programs have placed greater emphasis on the people and techniques aspects rather than on the process elements. TQMs process focus is towards control and measurement so that variation could be eliminated and quality raised. Implementations of TQM programs, in addition, have often reinforced functional boundaries, overlaying the concept of the internal customer as a means of improving the process interfaces between departments. The clear focus of BPR is processes and minimizing the non-value added content in them. In his book Beyond Reengineering, Michael Hammer speaks of the shift to process centered organizations and explained that such a shift is about eliminating non-value adding work and establishing higher performance. Becoming process oriented is all about being customer outcome oriented. BPR seeks to generate ideal processes either from a clean slate design, or from systematic redesign of existing processes. The target of the organizational change is the business process, and not the organizational culture, as is the case with TQM. The effectiveness of the change effort can, thus, be assessed with respect to the performance of those processes, not with respect to changes in attitudes, values, and beliefs. As to the customer focus, Peppard and Rowland assert that while BPRs primary concern is the external customer, while TQM has introduced more than one type of customer s through the concept of the internal customer. III. Advantages and Disadvantages While most researchers and practitioners agree that failures of TQM and BPR, in most cases, are mainly due to misapplications, this does not abolish theory pitfalls. A review of the literature reveals the major strengths and weaknesses of TQM and BPR. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages and bring about improvements, as well as handicaps. BPR rates highly in terms of innovation and IT utilization, while TQM provides the best practices for continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. A. BPR In addition to its dramatic quantum leaps, innovative opportunities, and short time frame, BPR possesses the privilege of exploiting Information Technology capabilities. However, its revolutionary nature can be very stressful on the human component of the organization and financially exhaustive. 1. Information Technology: BPR was the first large-scale systematic application of Information Technology (IT) to management. Information technology has become a key enabler for organizational change and is conceived as a mandatory component of all reengineering efforts. It is viewed as a one of the tools for achieving business process redesign. Information technology can provide help in managing large amounts if information efficiently. It can also provide significant improvements in operational performance by short-circuiting supply chains and industry value systems, and it can allow companies to re-consider their business scope. On an operational level, technological solutions can reduce manual work by creating electronic workflow and automating clerical routine tasks. IT also plays an important role in supporting knowledge workers by delivering information timely and accurately, and by facilitating communication and networking. 2. BPR and Downsizing BPR calls for making major changes to a businesss fundamental operations, with cost reduction as the primary goal. Because change associated with BPR often calls for reducing the number of workers, it has been closely associated with concepts like downsizing and rightsizing. The terms have been so confused, that many criticize BPR as resulting in corporate anorexia and hollow-shell-corporations the terms referring to organizations that have viewed BPR as a short-term way to boost profit by gutting a companys work force that it has lost its essential functions by such trimming. During implementation, BPR often translates into wholesale staff cuts. However, while downsizing may be an often-cited by-product of BPR projects, it definitely does not summarize the reengineering effort. Hammer did tackle this issue and has explained that downsizing and restructuring mean doing less with less, whereas reengineering means doing more with less. It is worth noting that, cost cutting approaches is a means for improving efficiency, but does not necessarily elevate effectiveness. 3. Neglecting the Human element The threats and risks that BPR brings along are scary to the people of the organization. Obliteration of existing processes as advocated by Hammer in his very first article on BPR is not only impractical, but also potentially disastrous and doomed to failure in the absence of a culture of change that soothes employees. Reengineering can impose a cultural upheaval on a company. In the absence of a clear vision, fear and turf protection become the main drivers of behavior as people worry that their skills become obsolete or will not be utilized in the new organization, thus loosing their jobs. Most cited BPR downfalls have been due to a failure of adequately addressing human resource questions and a general lack of management understanding and commitment to the reengineering effort. Such failures have been categorized into four elements: failure to translate the future vision of the company into appropriate cultural and behavioral expectations that can be communicated to all employees; the absence of systematic means to benchmark current practices against those required to achieve the vision; the lack of a focused development process to help individuals close the gaps between their current levels and those required by the reengineering vision; and the inattention to the supporting HR systems that must maintain the vision. Reengineering neglects to deal adequately with the people of the organization who ultimately determine whether reengineering works or not. The horrific effects of typical reengineering efforts on the morale and motivation of the survivors are often overlooked. Initiatives often fail because focus has been concentrated on the processes and ignored the people who make them work. Common long-term losses include moral problems B. TQM Total Quality Management has also been claimed to have its own pros and cons. 1. Functional Culture TQM possesses the asset of an effective culture that emphasizes the role of the customer, whether internal or external. It is well known that corporate culture can have a significant impact on an organizations economic performance. The culture that has resulted in an organization that has undertaken a quality campaign is greatly conducive to corporate goals and strategies. The customer, as well as process focus, the prevention versus inspection policies, fact-based decision making, the highlight on feedback, and most importantly, the care bestowed upon employees install an open responsive culture. The weight placed on continuous improvement through continual learning is significant. Today, organizations have become information-processing networks capable of enhancing their positions only through learning. Learning is a major core value for an organization seeking excellence, as it has become synonymous with quality. A total quality management campaign entails a complete involvement o f the entire organization in a management led attempt to achieve success. In such a culture, the employee is king, as he/she is viewed as the ultimate pronouncer of quality. Employees are trained and empowered to take responsible decisions and are considered as collaborates in organizational work. It is such a culture that distinguishes flourishing organizations and allows them to acquire the competitive advantage necessary in order to compete. 2. Lack of Strategic Impact TQM has been criticized on many accounts. Some have argued that the element of continuous improvement mentality inhibits learning. Others have condemned it on the grounds of lacking innovation and radical capability, stating that Ð £incremental change isnt enough for many companies today. They dont need to change what is; they need to create what isnt. Yet, others have denounced it as deficient in IT focus and utilization. However, the most captious criticism of TQM has been its lack of strategic impact. VI. Reconciliation and Integration It is apparent that that there are major problems within the foundations of each individual approach. However, there is also a clear opportunity to unite them to fill each others gaps. In an attempt to re-conciliate the two approaches, two theories have erupted. The first integrates BPR under TQM by using the former as a tool or a subset of the latter. Leach considers TQM more likely to lead to success and concludes that BPR is more of a designed tool for TQM, but it is not a substitute. The agreed upon view in this camp is that it is more constructive to incorporate BPR as a valuable tool within the framework of TQM. As Macdonald put it, TQM provides the essential cultural framework to enable BPR. The second camp, on the other hand, entertains the idea of applying TQM after BPR as the latter builds the platform and prepares the stage for the former. TQM can be used to continually improve the company after BPR has radically changed it. Many supporters of this view have summarized it with the cliche revolutionize and then evolutionize. But even so, BPR cannot stand on its own without follow up. This follow up is incorporated in the continuous improvement offered by TQM. While both approaches offer valid arguments, there seems no need to adopt an either/or position. Practitioners can create an integrated model where both incremental and quantum improvements are possible within a continuous improvement environment. In such a model, the building blocks are an integration of the best practices of the two methods building on the strengths of both and eliminating most of their individual weaknesses. TQMs stable culture, people participation, and evolutionary nature can be used to eradicate or neutralize the stress and fear caused by BPRs revolutionary nature. The changes commensurate with BPR usually scare employees and de-motivate them. For true success in todays environment, management needs to consider employee participation, for which TQM creates the proper cultural milieu for change. BPR, on the other hand, provides the quick strike and innovative capabilities, in addition to the best practices of IT. TQMs main contribution would be a continuous change and improvement methodology, without which the solutions that BPR offers will bear little fruit. Both kinds of change can and should be pursued, even though their requirements are different. A. Common Weaknesses: Nevertheless, the two approaches fail to address some common weaknesses, which, if left un-addressed, become weaknesses of the integrated model, rendering it insufficient and ineffective. 1. Lack of strategic impact: Not conducting strategic business planning to set the future direction of the company prior to starting the TQM initiative has caused major failures. The inherent lack of strategic integrity embodied within TQM is considered to be one of its main flaws. Similarly, in most cases BPR is undertaken to achieve medium-term cost and time saving rather than longer term strategic benefits. A greater focus on learning at the expense of the preoccupation with cost and time could increase the strategic impact of many BPR applications. 2. Lack of `people focus: The survey conducted by the authors (1998) suggested that TQM offers more people focus than BPR. However, the impact of change on people, and the way organizations are dealing with their people, is still considered a problem within both. The failure of many recent large-scale efforts at corporate change can be traced directly to employee resistance, lack of support, lack of enthusiasm and generally lack of the right culture to support the framework. Managing business productivity has essentially become synonymous with managing change effectively. To this end, companies must not only determine what to do and how to do it they, but also need to be concerned with how employees will react to it. It is becoming increasingly clear that the engine for organizational development is the people who do the work. Without altering human knowledge, skill, and behavior changes in technology, processes, and structures is unlikely to yield long-term benefits. Human development has been viewed as a more suitable alternative to `traditional organizational development in a strategy for bringing about dramatic performance improvements. The new work pattern is flexible working hours, knowledge workers, working from home, etc. So while these patterns emerge, organizations must change the way they deal with their people to yield maximum benefits. The success of an organization lies more in its intellectual capabilities than in physical assets. The cap acity to manage human intellect and to convert it into useful products and services is fast becoming the executive skill of the age. Thus, the model to be developed will be people oriented where high performance can be achieved only through people. B. The Proposed Model for Performance Excellence: Organizations are unique and each must find its path to success by continuously learning and customizing best practices. Thus, this model shall be set up in such a way so as to present a broad framework of generic ideas applicable to all organizations. The model can be considered a recipe; a mixture of best practices from BPR and TQM. However, it is not suggested that such a model will be a silver bullet. Its effectiveness depends on thoroughly understanding the business and the people in it. The aim of the model is to help organizations achieve performance excellence by ensuring a healthy balance between stability and continuous change. Stability comes from a bedrock of culture and values shared by organizational people, supported by a stable strategy, and systems that change only in a `creation or reorientation effort. Continuous change comes from continuous learning, and both aspects rely on fully committed and educated people. Hence, the objectives of the model will be to focus o n delighting the customer, to emphasize organizational people as the main competitive advantage and to develop a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. The model proposes turning organizational attention from cost-cutting and staff reduction to employee well-being by proposing an equal emphasis on the three main pillars of organization development, i.e. process, people, and information technology. The `process and `IT aspects, however, are continuously changing subject to daily improvements, and can easily be copied by competitors. Thus, the only source of competitive advantage is the organizations people (96.7% of the respondents agreed that having trained, motivated and well-led organizational people would result in performance excellence). According to John Jr. Welch, CEO of General Electric, the pace of the 90s will make the 80s look like a picnic a walk in the park. Competition will be relentless. The bar of excellence in everything we do will be raised everyday. Successful organizations in the next century will work on the edge of chaos where they must be spontaneous, adaptive, and alive. This, in turn, suggests the need for human and system flexibility and continuous learning within an organization held together by consistency of purpose, through a clear shared vision and open communication. Processes and people surround, and work for, the customer, and are held together by a clear set of organizational values and goals. As such, the main building blocks of the model are as follows: 1. Customer obsession: Past attempts to achieve and retain competitive advantage have largely looked internally within the organization for improvement. However, more so in the future, a major source for competitive advantage will come from more outward orientation towards customers and competition will focus on superior customer value delivery. The customer who should enjoy all the attention is the end user, as opposed to internal customers, suggested by TQM. 2. Vision and values: is he substance that binds the organization together. This includes the strategic planning and management capability, and outstanding leadership. The model proposes integrating the latest techniques of strategic management and thinking within the planning, implementation, and assessment stages. It is also suggested that the main competitive advantage for which organizations must aim is creating a `self-renewal learning culture, with the main competitive weapon being its people. The function of strategic planning in the new management model is to align all the efforts of the organization to customer satisfaction, quality, and operational performance goals. Companies use their strategic planning processes to drive the whole improvement process. 3. Business process excellence: Process excellence combines the incremental improvements of TQM and the more revolutionary steps associated with BPR. The major enabler for the coming century will be IT. Potentials of IT cannot be left unrealized by an organization aiming to survive in the future. However, businesses must creatively integrate IT with human expertise to meet customer needs. 4. People: Organizational people development should be the focal point as the source of future success. Workforce development is a top priority because it is the leverage of an association. The model aims to set out best practices in a culture of participative management, team structure, reward, training and development, recruitment, motivation, commitment, communication and knowledge management. TQM is based on a set of philosophies that emphasize continuous improvement in processes to increase customer satisfaction. To accomplish this objective, TQM requires flexibility and cross-training, cross-functional team problem solving, employee empowerment and ownership of the process. These are also essential to reengineering. For managers and employees ignorant of TQM and its requirements, a jump into the reengineering bandwagon may spin out of control. Reengineering is certainly risky, but it should be a calculated risk. Professionals experienced with TQM possess the skills necessary to organize and plan the changes designed to increase customer satisfaction, and are, thus, better prepared to utilize those skills on a large scale. In the external environment, for any company, change has become the only constant. Technology changes, information change, competition changes; everything changes and the organization itself need to change. In the midst of this flux rises the need for another constant to counter the effect of change, and that would be a culture of change: a culture that adapts the organization to new trends, introduces innovations, fosters creativity, and above all prepares its human element to the turbulence of change paving the way and soothing along the way. An Example: BTNI, a semi-autonomous unit subsidiary of British Telecommunications plc. is regarded as having a leading edge in managing quality and change. The company is an example of an organization that believed reengineering in a crisis situation is inappropriate as crisis in itself promotes fear, confusion, and panic, none of which is conducive to focused BPR. As such, BTNI undertook a number of change strategies before embarking upon BPR, namely BS 5750 / ISO 9000 accreditation, total quality, and finally process redesign. Senior management views incremental change brought about by TQM as greatly valuable, but on its own is not enough. They note that TQM has introduced some surface changes to behavior, while underlying processes, which maintain sub-optimal performance, remained untouched. Sometimes shots of radical change that can only be brought by BPR are also necessary. BTNI also notes that upon embarking upon the BPR project, teams made great use of already documented end-to-end proces ses as part of the TQM efforts. The reengineering implementation teams had to take risks in pursuit of excellence, relying on change management skills and techniques acquired from the TQM experience. (7) VII. Conclusion: TQM and BPR have arguably been so influential due to the amorphous and comprehensive nature of their philosophies. All things considered, TQM, as well as BPR, are applicable to all business sectors, encompassing all aspects of the business and touching upon all corners of an organization without any constrictions. Neither approach guarantees success. It is not a case of follow the rules in the book and youll hit the jackpot. It all depends on organizational intelligence and ability to adapt either approach to its own size, form, products, and management. This research paper has presented an argument for integrating BPR and TQM. The individual strengths and weaknesses of each have been shown to complement one another. From the evidence presented, it can be concluded that the way forward for organizational development is an integrated model, one that builds on the best practices of BPR and TQM and adds strategic planning and a stronger focus on people. Although processes and Ð ¡ITÐ ¢ (the main focal areas in TQM and BPR, respectively) are crucial components for success, they are the easiest to perfect in an organization, and can be easily replicated by competitors, thus, providing little competitive advantage. People and knowledge management are perceived to be the main sources for competitive advantage in the future.

Forget about the Dark Ages

Forget about the Dark Ages Forget about the â€Å"Dark Ages† Forget about the â€Å"Dark Ages† By Maeve Maddox Movie makers and many writers are fond of using the terms â€Å"Dark Ages† and â€Å"medieval† to denote ignorance, intolerance and unspeakable violence. For example, a character in Pulp Fiction threatens his captive this way: Ima get medieval on your ass. Some writers who use the terms Dark Ages, Middle Ages and medieval have a very vague idea of the historical time periods designated by them. A common misconception is that â€Å"Dark Ages† and â€Å"Middle Ages† mean the same thing. So far as the Dark Ages can be acknowledged to be a meaningful term at all, it signifies that time between the breakdown of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, and the establishment of more stable European governments by the end of the tenth century. The Dark Ages were marked by raiding and pillaging. The Middle Ages were a time of architectural, artistic, and literary achievement. The blurb at the beginning of Christian Duguay’s 1999 film about Joan of Arc is a perfect example of the confusion that exists regarding these terms: Once in a time known as the Dark Ages There lived a legend whose coming had been foretold by the great prophet Merlin. The â€Å"legend† referred to here is Joan of Arc (1412-1431). When Joan died in 1431, the Renaissance had already begun in Italy. Joans mother and brothers were still alive when Leonardo de Vinci, Italian High Renaissance Painter and Inventor, was born in 1452. Historians dont use the term â€Å"Dark Ages† anymore. It was a term invented by the Italian poet Petrarch in the 1330s to convey his feeling that the culture of ancient Greece and Rome had been superior to everything that succeeded it. The expression Middle Age for the period between classical civilization and the present came into use in the fifteenth century. The term Middle Ages was first used systematically by a German historian, Christoph (Keller) Cellarius (1638–1707). The historical period designated by the term spans a thousand years. Modern historians divide the Middle Ages into three periods: Early Middle Ages: 500 -1000 C.E. The last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed in 476. This was a time of great unrest during which Visigoths sacked Rome, Vikings pillaged France and England, and the energetic expansion of the new religion of Islam threatened the existence of Christianity. High Middle Ages: 1000-1300 C.E. Former rovers and raiders settled down. This is the age of great European cathedrals and Islamic centers of classical and scientific study. The cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was begun in 1160 and completed in 1345. Avicenna (Ibn Sina) wrote one of the first scientific encyclopedias during this time. Late Middle Ages: 1300-1499 C.E. The age of renewed interest in classical texts in Europe, and the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press. The two precipitated the Protestant Reformation and catapulted the world into the modern period. Like the term Dark Ages, the term â€Å"Middle Ages† was coined as a kind of put-down. The idea is that nothing much of value existed between the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome and the re-birth of the classical ideal in the Renaissance. Writers may wish to take another look at the terms Middle Ages and medieval. They don’t deserve to be used haphazardly as synonyms for ignorance and brutality. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of PhrasesIs There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

Analyze two pictures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze two pictures - Essay Example In this image, Nauman uses the literal depicting of linguistic performativity method in order to achieve layers of potential meaning to the viewer. Notions of identity and body, the role played by language, artistic process and the phenomena of spatial awareness and participation of the viewer can be said to be the most recurring themes in the Nauman’s artwork. Comparing the time this photograph was taken and when the â€Å"Self Portrait† by Albrecht Durer, 1500 was painted, it can be seen as a daring art since it is colored and digital, and that time they were considered to be artless and perfunctory in nature. It brings out the notion that the artist of the image was engaging insolently with the limits of discourse and art practice (Danto 149). In comparison with the oil painting, the photography can be identified to represent non-art functions even though it denies the autonomy and authorship of art. With the image acknowledging the representation of language through letters in art and manipulating power of the language, Nauman brings the notion that language in photography can function as a tool for guiding people in the society. Of course, language, images are inseparable from language as representation and can be invaluable source material in any artist’s future works that the pivot of the language instability by use of documentation through the camera. Therefore, this kind of Nouman’s art, transformed the world of art by bringing an installation or digital art. In the Eating my words photography, the tacitly mute Nauman derides the notion that, the image depicts self-expression in the context of art as well as to the public or viewer (Morgan 152). In the photography, language and the way it relates to the visual content of the photograph are seen as the central actors directed cleverly by Nauman. Following an innovative, rigorous approach, Nauman explores vario us means of expression and is considered

Short Article discussion about Sex, Gender and Society Essay

Short Article discussion about Sex, Gender and Society - Essay Example Society establishes many norms, it would seem, as it pertains to gender and sexuality and, in some instances, it would seem that the average person does not consider where these values and norms actually came from. In American society, as described by the article, men often see women’s physical attributes as being objects for manipulation. This is clearly a social construction as described by the article. It is not astonishing, actually, considering that psychology and the domain of sociology reinforces the social belonging is one of the most fundamental and universal needs for improving one’s self-esteem and ensuring healthy social development. Perhaps in today’s society, with such strong norms and expectations about what is acceptable for men versus women, that going along with these social norms and complying with their dominant expectations actually underpins the desire to be accepted at the social level. For instance, when men socialize, they often make either derogatory comments about women’s anatomy or express, as a group, how beautiful and sexy they find these attributes. To not go along with this banter could mean social humiliation or ostracizing. It would seem, based on the reading, that fitting in might underpin conceptions of gender today and only when social belonging becomes less prevalent as a human need will gender roles and expectations evolve as well. Social norms in a society are clearly potent and powerful concepts. It is interesting to consider how stereotypes and biases also fit into what constructs norms and whether they are widely accepted or individual in society. In the domain of social sciences, there is a plethora of literature about cultural differences and how individuals in domestic versus foreign societies see gender roles, group roles, and cultural values in general. For instance, in China, losing face in front of others is a very strong emotional component of behavior and when reputation is lost, people feel

Good Girl Gone Bad and Date Chris Brown Essay Example for Free

Good Girl Gone Bad and Date Chris Brown Essay Rihanna used to be one of my favourite singers back in the days. She started to change not only her image, but her music. I did some research and looked up what made her change this much. Her songs used to be what made her change this much. Her songs used to be much more sex-free. My research shows that Rihanna could have had experiences, or just wanted a change in her. I asked myself, How has Rihanna changed throughout her career?, and I could come up with many assumptions, but I want to make sure my assumptions are correct. I want to talk about her relationship with Chris Brown, her album A Girl Like Me and her album Good Girl Gone Bad. Rihanna started to date Chris Brown, an American entertainer. On February 8, 2009, Rihanna and her boyfriend Chris Brown had an argument that twisted into physical abuse. Rihanna was injured severely with facial injuries. Chris Brown turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department in Wilshire. On March 5, 2009, Chris Brown was charged with felony assault and because of making criminal threats. On June 22, 2009, he pleaded guilty and accepted to do community labor, five years probation and domestic violence counselling. He released a video online to apologize for what he had caused and is deeply saddened by it. He repeatedly apologized to Rihanna and accepts full responsibility for his actions. Right after this commotion, Rihanna had her fourth album, Rated R, which was released in November 2009 and was expressed as a very dark and mature impression due to earlier events. Her debut single, Russian Roulette, was a success. It is a mid-tempo pop song that contains famous RB ballad characteristics. According to the lyrics, the song is about a violent romantic relationship that ended unexpectedly. That song received positive reviews about her vocal performance and the song lyrics. Her third global single, Rude Boy, was released and recognized as the biggest worldwide success from the whole album. The song is about a girl who is getting attention from the guys, and they want her. They are probably just teasing her and cat-calling her, but Rihanna is much more like show me what you got. Its about a womans sexual freedom. Rihannas second album, A Girl Like Me, which was released in April 2006. It sold 115,000 copies in its first week and was certified Platinum. It alternates between the sunny dancehall/pop, hip-hop, club, adult music. The songs in this album were hardly about getting back at a guy or having an intercourse. Her songs were simply songs just to dance to, about someone losing her trust, love and compassion. Her lead single in that album, SOS, was number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was her first single to top the charts of United States. Her second single, Unfaithful, was a major worldwide hit. Songs like these were what everyone used to listen to, and not only people who have had an abusive relationship, or had their heart broken. Rihannas third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad was released in 2007. She wanted to start in a fresh track with the help of some music producers. She changed her image then to a more rebellious image. She dyed her hair black and cut it short. We figured Good Girl Gone Bad was the perfect title because it showed people Im my own person now. Not doing what anyone wants me to do. Im not the innocent Rihanna anymore. Im taking a lot more risks and chances. I felt when I cut my hair, it shows people I\m not trying to look or be anybody else, Rihanna tells MTV News. During an interview on UK radio station, Capital FM, Rihanna explained the meaning and reasoning behind the album title: Bad is not sleazy. Bad has its own term to every individual and in my case it just means Ive gotten a little rebellious on the album, broken out of my shell and Im taking risks Michael Jackson Bad kind of way.

The Struggle of an Outsider Essay -- Race Relations, Native American

Throughout our readings this semester, the theme the outsider has been present. The outsiders in these selections have all had similar roles. One of the main roles was subjection that developed from the feeling of unequal standings. This subjection silenced and forced many from the mainstream. The Native Americans were outsiders to the Europeans. The Europeans had different beliefs and ideas about life which they forced upon the Native Americans. Suddenly with the arrival of Europeans, Indians became strangers on their own territory. They lose the stability which came with knowing the simply pleasures that surround them. They could not longer listen to wind or feel the sun’s touch but they were forced to fight just to keep a place on the land in which now could be owned. â€Å"Could there be a more efficient way to distress and murder them by inches than the way they have taken† (Apess 484).Even if the Indians were successful in keeping a small portion of land, they were afraid of when it would be taken from them. Before the Europeans, they never knew this world. They were somehow â€Å"ignorant of time, either by the sun or moon; nor do they reckon by the month or year. They understand the seasons in terms of the ripening of fruits, the dying of fish, and the position of stars† (Cabeza de Vaca 32). The perplexing thought for most Native Americans was the Europeans claimed to be Christians but seemed so engulfed with hatred toward this people constantly causing destruction to this innocent group of people. William Apess of both European and Native American descent writes of Europeans who â€Å"would think it no crime to go upon Indian lands and cut and carry off their most valuable timber or anything else they chose† (Apess 484).Slowly, the N... ... control. Simon Rosedale is also an outsider in this society although not for the same reason as Lily. Mr. Rosedale Jewish background prevents him from acquiring a position in this society. Although Rosedale is quite wealthy, he cannot advance in this society unless he can marriage a member that has rank in society like Lily at the beginning of the novel. â€Å"Why should I mind saying I want to get into society† (Wharton 200). Mr. Rosedale intentions are obvious and he uses his wealth to try to succeed in obtaining a role in this society. Lily and Rosedale both posses attributes of outsiders trying to earn their way in a vain society. Many of the outsiders in our readings tried desperately to gain acceptance to the inside. They were subjected to the ideas and beliefs of others. They also were forced to take off their identity to gain acceptance in their society.

How major minerals differentiate from trace minerals

How are the major minerals differentiated from the hint minerals? What are 2 factors that can diminish bioavailability of a mineral? What are 3 maps of minerals in the organic structure? Minerals that we need to devour more than 100mg per twenty-four hours see as major mineral, minerals that we need to devour less than 100mg per twenty-four hours is considered as trace mineral ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) . The bioavailability of a mineral is referred to a step of the proportion of the sum in a diet that is absorbed and utilized for normal organic structure map. The sum of mineral that is absorbed from the GI piece of land determines their bioavailability. However it is different between minerals. Bioavailability is affected by the interactions with other dietetic constituents in the GI piece of land. For illustration, vitamin C enhances iron soaking up but tannins suppress it. Besides, the looks of cellular transporters, which allow the mineworkers to be transported into blood stream from stomachic lms, besides affect the bioavailability. When there is less transported, intending the mineral will hold lower bioavailability ( Harvey, L 2001 ) . Minerals in our organic structure keep the H2O balance in our organic structure. The concentration of the minerals in and out of the cells drives the H2O in and out of the cells. When the concentration of Na is higher in the cell, the H2O will travel into the cell through osmosis. Besides, Na, K and Ca assistance in the transmittal of nervousnesss urges throughout the organic structure. In the absence of Ca, musculus contractions will ne'er happen. Some minerals like Mg, Cu and Se act as cofactors and enable enzymes to transport out chemical reactions ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) . What are the chief maps of Na and how is extra Na eliminated from the organic structure? Intakes of salt in the Australian diet remain high ; explicate why there is a demand for Na at all in the diet. What are some schemes for diminishing Na in the diet? Excess Na is eliminated out of the organic structure by micturition. When the Na degree is high in our organic structure, we have higher blood force per unit area. This reduces the production of chymosin enzyme by kidney. Therefore, angiotensinogen is less produced, so angiotesin II is non form. Angiotesin II helps in the release of aldosterone by adrenal secretory organ. Since the permeableness of kidney tubule is controlled by the aldosterone, the kidney tubule is non permeable to sodium when the Na degree in blood is high. Therefore, the Na is so excreted together with H2O in the signifier of piss ( Campbell et al. 2009 ) . Sodium helps in the soaking up of glucose and some aminic acids in little bowel. Besides, it is of import in musculus contraction and presenting the nervus impulse through the nervus cells. Muscle contraction and nervus impulse conductivity is conducted by the shifting of both the K and Na ion across the nervus cell membrane. Sodium besides aids in H2O balance. Sodium is the chief solute in extracellular fluid. It regulates the ECF and plasma volume. When the sum of Na in organic structure additions, more H2O is retained in our organic structure until extra Na is excreted ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) . There is a demand for Na at all in the diet because salt is of import in the agitation of nutrients. Fermentation preserves nutrients for due to the suppression of peculiar types of bugs. Salt inhibits the growing of spoilage bacteriums and Fungis that present in the nutrient. Salt besides helps to pull H2O and sugars out of works tissues during agitation of veggies which reduces O and prevents the growing of lactic acid bacteriums. Salt is besides used in the processing of merchandises such as sausages and restructured meats. The presence of salt solubilizes myofibrillar proteins that are indissoluble in H2O. It helps to pull out these salt-soluble proteins to the surface of the meat and lodge the little pieces of meat together during cookery ( National Center for Biotechnology Information 2010 ) . Schemes for diminishing Na in the diet are to cook the nutrient with small salt. Beside, nutrient can be prepared with sodium-free flavoring such as basil, bay foliages, curry, garlic and ginger. Last, ever choice low-salt merchandise or salt-free merchandises when available ( Rolfes, Pinna & A ; Whitney 2006 ) . Where is most K in the organic structure found? What are 2 serious upsets linked to low K consumptions? Why is hyperkalemia rare? Potassium is largely found in the cells of the organic structure and performs many of the same maps as Na. Low blood K is known as hypokalemia. It is a life endangering disease. Low K can besides do high blood force per unit area. Hyperkalemia is rare because even though the consumption of K is high, the extra K is readily excreted by kidney ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) . What are the maps of Mg in the diet? Where is Mg in the organic structure found and what are the symptoms of Mg lack. Which groups are most likely to be magnesium deficient? Magnesium is of import in stabilising the ATP by adhering to the phosphate group of this molecule. Magnesium is needed by more than 300 enzymes that utilize ATP, including those required for energy metamorphosis, musculus contraction and protein synthesis. Magnesium is besides needed for Deoxyribonucleic acid and RNA synthesis. Its function in Ca metamorphosis contributes to cram construction to cram construction and mineralization. It is besides of import for nervus transmittal, bosom and smooth musculus contraction. It besides decreases blood force per unit area by distending the arterias, prevents bosom beat abnormalcies and protect against bilestone formation ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) . Magnesium is chiefly stored in bone. Magnesium lack causes irregular pulse, sometimes accompanied by failing, musculus cramp, freak out, sickness, purging and ictuss. This is due to the damage of Na and K pumping ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) . Magnesium lack most frequently occurs in people who have been fed intravenously for a long clip, whose diet does n't incorporate adequate Mg, or who are unable to absorb and egest the mineral decently ( Harvey 2001 ) . Describe the function of Ca in the patterned advance of osteoporosis, including in your drumhead an overview of Ca metamorphosis, demands in the lifecycle and Ca beginnings. Further discourse how make parathyroid endocrine and vitamin D regulate serum Ca? Osteoporosis is a disease caused by the low consumption of Ca. When Ca consumption is unequal, organic structure withdraws Ca s from the bone to maintain the indispensable map of Ca. For illustration, Ca is needed to maintain our musculus catching ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) . Bone formation needs Ca and P and other minerals. As bone begins to organize, Ca salts and phosphorus signifier crystal, hydroapatite, and bind with the collagen fibres. As the crystal become denser ( mineralization ) , they give strength and rigidness to the maturating castanetss. Collagen protein allows the skeleton to absorb impact. When Ca degree in blood is low, parathyroid endocrine is released by parathyroid secretory organ. This endocrine associated with 1,25 ( OH ) 2 vitamin D stimulate the release of Ca from the bone into blood stream to increase the Ca degree in blood. Besides, the endocrine besides increases the consumption of Ca in bowel to increase blood Ca degree. Third, parathyroid secretory organ besides increases blood Ca in association with 1,25 ( OH ) 2 vitamin D to increase the kidneysaa‚Â ¬a„? resorption of Ca which eventually prevent the elimination of Ca. When blood Ca degree is high, the release of parathyroid endocrine falls. This causes the Ca elimination via the piss to increase. The synthesis of 1,25 ( OH ) 2 vitamin D besides decreases, doing bead in Ca soaking up. Besides, thyroid secretory organ secretes hormone calcitonin which prevents the Ca from loss from castanetss. The Ca degree in blood eventually back to norm al degree. Calciums are usually come from yoghurt, milk and cereal ( Bryd-Bredbenner et al. 2009 ) .

The Black Jacobins

1. What perspective does C. L. R. James’ The Black Jacobins present on the history of black struggle for freedom? To what extent does it help you better understand the history of African Americans? C. L. R James in The Black Jacobins had gone beyond the recount of an historical event. His work did not only depict the black struggle for freedom but it gives us the opportunity to encounter with various slaves responsible for the fall of the French rule. C. L. R James also offers us the perspective of the empowerment of the black community. Contrary to others authors, James gives us a detailed account of the rebellion of those slaves. He shows us that the slaves (both men and women) were not passive ‘object’ and that they â€Å"constantly rebelled and resisted their fate, whether through organized rebellion, individual violence, or still more subtle means† (Baptist, nd). The Black Jacobins is therefore more that an historical account, it is a heritage that one should take into example and should be proud of. C. L. R James enables us as readers to visualize and participate in the struggle of the black for freedom. He gives us new perspectives and prospects to consider. For example: he shows the rebellious side of the slaves and pay tribute for it. Unlike others authors, James denounces the atrocities endure by the Haitian slaves. In chapter One of The Black Jacobins, he makes a clear account of the punishments that the white owners imposed on the black which he clearly defined as The Property. The various punishments were mutilations, whipping, tortures and death. The author shows that both male and female slaves were tortured and both resisted tortures. They culminated a deep-rooted sense of anguish which lead to resistance. In James’ views, they did not only resist but they struggle too. They attacked their defendless masters, killed them, poisoned them and their wives and made use of Vodou to hurt them. As C. L. R James (1938) states the slaves â€Å"remained, despite their black skins and curly hair, quite invincibly human beings†, whom instinct of survival was to defend themselves by any means available. Another perspective that the author demonstrated in The Black Jacobins is the loyalty and the faithfulness that the Haitian slaves had in their culture and religious beliefs. Even, if they were converted into Catholicism, they remain faithful to their cults and beliefs and continued to practice it into secrecy. Many authors had debated on the role of Catholicism in slavery and many had argued that slaves became submissive and respected the ‘paroles’ of the bible. For example Rodriguez (1997, p165) stated that â€Å"The Roman Catholic Church was firmly established as an expression†¦. Slaves were baptized and instructed to Catholicism, and all subjects were ordered to observe Sundays end church holidays†. However James depicts us another picture of those slaves. Instead of portraying submissive slaves going to the church, he talks about their secret celebrations of vodou which inspired fear to the masters. Vodou was a mean for them to â€Å"cherish a dream of freedom† (James, 1938) and also to some point have a control on their masters who feared the vodou cults. Through those vodou cults, the slaves were able to regroup themselves and thus prepare their revolution. C. L. R James also stresses on the obstacles that the slaves had to face when struggling for their freedoms. He carefully portrays the life and struggle of some particular slaves. One of those slaves is Makandal, an African maroon who attempted a revolution, without success. He also talked about mulattos and their implication in the revolution of the Haitian slaves. Without C. L. R James, those slaves would have remained in anonymity. The author of The Black Jacobins also put forward the perspective that somehow the French were in a way responsible for the revolution of the Haitian Slaves. The French revolution played a significant role in awakening the consciousness of the black. As C. L. R James (1938) stated: â€Å"they had heard of the revolution and had constructed it in their own image: The white slaves in French had risen, and killed their masters, and were now enjoying the fruits of the earth. It was gravely inaccurate in fact, but they had caught the spirit of the thing. Liberty. Equality. Fraternity† This notion of liberty makes them struggle alongside to gain their freedom. C. L. R James also makes a worthy account of Toussaint L’Ouverture’s life, stressing on his contribution in the revolution of the Haitian slaves. In his article C. L. R James and the Black Jacobins, Hogsbjerg (2010) stated that: James demolished the foundations on which over a century of British scholarship on abolition had rested. The Black Jacobins is a book which did not see from the upper class/oppressors perspectives like almost all slavery books. It is a book which enables us to see the revolution through the oppressed one. On reading The Black Jacobins, my visions about slavery changed. Almost every book I read before described slaves as submissive, however The Black Jacobins did the contrary. It helped me understand the courageous and rebellious character that the slaves had. I also acquired a lot of knowledge about the Haitian population, whom in some way resemble the Mauritian population in their struggle. The First chapter of the book, entitled The property is the most touching and also revolting thing I read in my life. Touching, in the fact that, as readers, we penetrated the book and become one of the slaves but on seeing all those atrocities done to slaves, we felt revolted. The Black Jacobins is a heritage which should be forwarded from generation to generation. It did not only talk about struggling in a slave society but it talks about struggling in every day’s life and situation. C. L. R James did not only make an account of the slaves’ tortures and struggle for freedom, he had also make us penetrated in the owners world. Those who dominated society for their own interest. After reading the book, I also become more aware of the humanitarian character of the slaves. Many authors described slaves as objects. But however in The Black Jacobins, we see that those slaves do have feeling. They were in fact jealous, anguish, happy, sad, revolted, etc. To conclude I will say that C. R. L James The Black Jacobins is a chef-d’oeuvre. It revealed the revolt and the true struggle that the slaves had to face in order to obtain their freedom. It is also a tribute to all those who resisted and helped in making the Haitian revolution possible.Bibliography†¢James, C.R.L, 2001. The Black Jacobins. 4th edition. England. Penguin †¢Rodriguez, J, 1997. The Historical encyclopedia of world slavery, Volume 1 ;Volume . California. Library of Congress†¢Hà ¸gsbjerg. C, 2010. CLR James and the Black Jacobins, international socialism a quarterly journal of socialist theory available at < http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=639&issue=126> [accessed on 23 avril ] †¢Baptist.E.nd. Introduction available through the database of Slave Resistance < http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/index.html> accessed on 23avril]