Sunday, January 26, 2020

Organisational Strategy, Culture and Leadership

Organisational Strategy, Culture and Leadership Introduction Future challenges for business organisation will vary in so many ways compared to the past. Organisations in this 21st century are working on different ways of doing things to stay in the competition or beat it. In this fast moving and fluctuating economic environment, finding market opportunities and developing a competitive edge for any organisation is critical and it involves lots of executive time and effort. To ensure sustainable growth for any company, the leaders of any organisation should plan strategically and tactically to meet the needs and wants of the customer in the long run and increase the shareholder value. In this context, leadership in modern organisations is a challenge in this dynamic social and cultural environment. As Elkin(2007) describes, strategies for organisational wellbeing is their ability to understand what should be done today and tomorrow to live up to customer expectations and prosper in the long run. Jonson et al (2008) argue that historical and cultural perspectives of an organisation are vital to understand the opportunities and the threats in the business environment. So, it is clear that the culture of an organisation is the central thesis of organisational strategy and implementation. To ensure successful Strategy formulation, implementation and the evaluation/measurement, need right talent within the organisation. This is where leadership of the organisation comes handy. Giving employees a purpose, directing them willingly to it and creating a feeling of importance and ownership is very important to drive the organisation towards the super ordinate goal. Therefore, it is evident that leadership in an organisation is vital in organisational development and change to achieve strategic objectives. Strategic leadership is the ability to shape the organisations decisions and deliver high value overtime, not only personally but also inspiring and managing others in the organisation. Lynch R (2009: 9) Lynchs clearly state about delivering high value or increasing shareholder value, ensuring individual and team performance in a stressed atmosphere where the change is the name of the game plan. Therefore, the author of this paper attempts to understand the concepts of organisational strategy, leadership and culture and how each of these concepts and theories can be applied in a practical scenario. Specifically, the author attempts to understand and clarify how organisational culture influence leaders in forming and performing organisational strategies. Organisational Strategy Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations Johnson et al (2008: pg 3) In simple term literature describes strategy as a long term plan, a course of action to achieve competitive advantage, a path to get from where they are to where they want to be. Elkin (2007) describes strategy as a process of positioning an organisation in its environment to achieve and sustain competitive advantage profitably. Whereas, McGee et al (2005) in their chapter on the concept of strategy, discussing Chandlers (1963) definition on strategy concludes that it as the determination of basic long -term goal and objectives, and the action plan and the allocation of resources to achieve them. Mintzberg (1994) defines strategy as a set of interrelated decisions to achieve articulated results and Appelbaum (1991:pg.41) definition characterises strategy: As a coherent grouping of actions intended to gain distinct advantage over competition Why strategy To achieve business stability and growth in this competitive business environment, even a sole trade organisation cannot do things on an adhoc basis. The Pereto Principle (80 20 rule) applies to products, customers and markets as well. Therefore, the leaders should plan to invest in 20% value adding markets. This requires logical and creative thinking in place and some extra effort from leaders. According to Jonson et al (2008), Elkin (2007) and Juran (1994), to ensure sustainable growth and to enhance shareholder value, todays organisation should have a long term direction, and a course of action to bridge the competition. Companies who make occasional improvements at a pedestrian pace cannot possibly hope to keep up with their competitors; they need to set ambitious goals Juran (1994.pg 48) Saying this Juran (1994) further emphasises the need for set goals to keep up with their competitors. Lafley ( 2009), chairman Procter & Gamble (P & G) says that they are purpose driven and values and principle led, he further state that is why they could navigate through two world wars, regional, local wars, periodic panics and recessions. Having formulated five main strategies (Product, Operations, social responsibility, employees, stakeholders www.pg.com) for P&G, they emphasis the need for a long term direction for survival and sustainable growth and is a living example for a strategy driven organisation. Basic Dynamics of Strategy Every organisation has to manage its strategies in main three areas; The organisations internal resources; The external environment within which the organisation operates; The organisations ability to add value to what it does. Lynch R ( 2009:52) And further, he describes five key elements of strategy which are needed for value addition and create the competitive edge over competitors; those are sustainability, process, competitive advantage, the exploitation of linkages between the organisation and the environment, vision. McGee et al (2005) introduces main three factors that control organisational plans, decisions and actions. In his model of basic dynamics in strategy, he explains that goals are derived considering external environment [PESTEL, Five forces Model (Porter, 1980)] and resources that an organisation has. Strategy formulation, execution and evaluation are highly integrated with organisations external and internal environments. Johnson et al (2008) also takes kind of similar approach and believes them as basic dynamic of organisational strategy. Leadership Leadership is fundamental aspect of strategic management and paramount in strategy implementation Sherman .et al (2007:pg.167) Leadership is the ability to influence, motivate individuals and teams to get the contribution towards organisational strategy willingly. (House et al, 1997; Blanchard, 2007). These are the qualities that Nelson Mandela got even after being in the jail for 28 years (www.anc.org.za, New York Times, 1990), Mother Theresa was another example with a great passion to motivate and persuade people for the end state (nobelprice.org). Hughes and Beatty (2005) state that individuals and teams become strategic as they think, act, influence towards sustainable competitive advantage and he further emphasis that Strategic thinking, Strategic acting and strategic influencing are key skills for a leader. As an example, Martin Luther Kings I have a Dream changed the Americas direction as a country in terms of culture, strategy as well as leadership. It is his acumen as a leader, ability to shape decisions to deliver high value which created this atmosphere (Lynch, 2009). When looking at great leaders in the past and the future, it is clear that the self belief, confidence, courage, integrity and being yourself, with skills (Goffee and Jones, 2000) have guaranteed the sustainability as a nation or any formal or informal organisation. Why leadership In most of the organisations in todays business context, interest of employees and employers are not aligned. As success highly depends on human capital readiness, it is leaders responsibility and the ability to get the right commitment from all in the ship. Doz and Thanheiser (2000) say that Inventing a creative recipe and cooking a perfect dish still require much talent from leaders. So, it is leaders responsibility to formulate strategy and create a strategic intent to drive the organisation for results. In any organisation existing structure is very important for employees as they are comfortable with the existing power bases, rewards and recognitions as well as the job security. Appelbaum (1991) emphasises that success of any strategic change is highly depend on the key people. So, adjusting the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities would be the challenge and leaders have to apply different types of leadership styles depending on employees educational, cultural, religious and social background as well as the organisational values and beliefs. Leadership Styles Leadership literature emphasises that there is no single effective style of leadership (Goffee and Jones, 2000; Gill, 2001; Higgs and Rowland, 2003). But Sherman et al (2007) points out that transformational leadership has been successful in getting the work done willingly while giving people a sense ownership. He further states that transformational leaders are change agents and cheer leaders in organisations. Sherman continues saying that transactional leaders enhance organisational performance by providing support and guidance to accomplish specific tasks or functions. Yukl (2006) calls transformational leadership as relationship oriented and transactional as task oriented where he points out that the appropriate mix of both depending on circumstances as situational leadership. Servant leadership takes place when leaders assume the position of servant in their relationship says Russell Stone (2002). Autocratic route is rarely an acceptable option even in sole trader organisations , Nolan et al (2007). It is very clear that different authors argue in various ways and has come up with a range of suggestions for leading styles. For example, Jack Welch approach to turn around GE is a prime example of varying leadership styles depending on the situation and the long existed organisational and the social climate. At the initial stage as a senior leader, he creates a vision and strategy to re-organise and drive GE towards success where he had to dismiss people, sell under performing units etc. During this time, he uses his positional power and authority and acted as an autocratic leader most of the time as a result he was nick named as Neutron Jack. Once he made GE lean and a flexible organisation without boundaries his approach was more democratic. Fujio Mitarai at Canon is also renowned for taking a similar kind of approach where as Paul Kennedy a fictional HBR leader is renowned as a soft negotiator who is not willing to push for best deal, critics called him as a Laissez -faire leader. But nobody justifies his approach was wrong and is totally Laissez-faire approach (Strategic Direction, 2006) as Laissez-f aire style is associated with dissatisfaction, unproductiveness and ineffectiveness. Though Jack Welch was earlier called as a neutron, later he was recognised as a transformational leader who turns around GE as the most recognised and valuable organisation in the world. He proved that the right mix with all styles drives organisation towards success. Goffee and Jones (2000) state that being your self, with skills is important as a leader, so it is clear that successful leaders represent this argument introducing their own way of doing things. Prime example is Finnish mobile manufacturer Nokia, Jorma Ollila, who is a silent CEO but with high-performance. It is believed that he take servant to transformational style as and when required. Organisational Culture Deshpande and Webster (1989), define culture as a set of tacitly understood rules and procedures which guide employees behaviours depending on the situation where as Williams at el. (1993) describes it as common and stable beliefs, values and attitudes . Schein (2004) and Johnson et al (2008) share their view stating culture as a shared basic assumptions that has worked well in the past, so they are forced to think and feel same when it comes to same kind of situations and Johnson put this into his words; Organisational culture is the basic assumptions and belief that are shared by members of an organisation that operate unconsciously and define in basic taken for grated fashion an organisations view of it and its environment. (Johnson et al, 2008: pg 189) Therefore, in general culture can be defined as norms, values and belief or assumptions people in an organisation shares commonly and be guided by. For example, Fujio cho, the president Toyota says that their business practices are based on core principles created values, beliefs and business methods and he further states those have become competitive edge over the years. So, for Toyota, culture is more important and they drive organisation benefiting from their strong homogeneous culture (Liker, 2004) Johnson, et al (2008) emphasis that individuals are surrounded by four different cultures, namely national/regional, organisational field, organisational and functional/divisional and he further states that the importance of understanding all four frames of culture in order to be successful in the business environment. McDonalds approach to enter and operate in India is a prime example for this. McDonalds menus in India do not contain pork or beef. Vegetarian and non vegetarian food products are kept separate throughout the sourcing, supply chain, cooking and serving process, (cordthinking.wordpress.com). They have been successful in achieving their strategic objectives with the thorough understanding the all forms of cultures that Jonson explains. Burt et al (1994) and Burt (2000), say that in some sectors corporate culture does not have say on performance but in others culture play a pivotal role in creating completive edge. Toyota, PG are prime example for organisations which take edge from their strong cultures. He continues stating that understanding cultures contingent value is important as it says when and when not to consider about culture in strategy formulation and leadership. Composition of culture Literature describes culture is a composite of values, belief, behaviours and norms which has been existence and accepted for a certain period of time (Schein, 2004; Liker, 2004; Burt, 2000). Where as Johnson, et al (2008) points out that paradigm is the base for culture and he explain in his below model that behaviours, belief and values are guided by this paradigm. Types of cultures Sherman et al (2007) introduces three different types cultures in organisations; Homogenous characterised by consistency, consider organisation as one and they react to changes as a unit. Toyotas culture is prime example for it as all employees values, behaviours and belief are guided by the culture. Differentiated there are majority and minority subculture but the majority runs the organisation. Fragmented small units maintain their unique cultural identities; a subculture will dominate only due to organizational necessity. It is not clear that which culture runs the firm. Trade unions and other formal and informal groups also have a say and influence on organisational decisions. Royal Mail trade union dispute and current organisational issue have been created through these cultural norms as they do not have a strong organisational consensus. Strategy, Culture and Leadership Schein E.H (2004) sees culture and leadership as two sides of same coin and he further says that leaders first create cultures and then groups and organisations. The culture often determines the degree of co-operation and commitment among the staff as well as the organisations strength of purpose and the CEO is usually responsible for setting this tone Appelbaum (1991:pg.50) Therefore, strength of organisational purpose, employee commitment and co -operation are highly depending on organisational culture. As Appelbaum (1991) says, leader is the creator of it. To achieve sound business performance while exploring unprecedented business opportunities with highest risk ever, business managers plan strategically. PGs connect develop, GEs work out are transformational strategies from which they turn around their organisations. According to Appelbaum (1991), Leaders can ignore the culture, fit culture to strategy or fit the strategy to culture compromising performance. In GEs and PGs case, strategic leaders were not ready to compromise on results they really cared about value addition in terms of customers, shareholders and for the society as whole. For example PGs A.G. Lafley has created a homogeneous culture which supports their strategy. Understanding the importance of culture for organisational well being he as the leader lives with it talks it all the ti me, in almost all reports such as sustainability, annual reports etc makes sure that they communicate their values, beliefs and the organisational purpose to all stakeholders and in that leadership creates the culture which supports to organisations end state. Schein (2004) says understanding culture is desirable for all but is a must for leaders. So, it is evident that Welch and Lafley live with this argument when driven their organisations to greatest states ever. The Work-Out in essence turned the company upside down says Welch so that the workers told the bosses what to do. That forever changed the way people behaved at the company (www.1000ventures.com). Formulating sound organisational strategy, giving sense of ownership and creating the right cultural environment have been the key to winning leaders success at GE. In contrast to GE and PG, Toyota takes a different approach as they have a strong culture in built to the organisation. They train their leaders from inception to live with their values, and belief and to get the commitment from shop flow level to the board for their culture driven strategy. (Like, 2004; Appelbaum ,1991) further talks about the need of a right mix stating leadership is responsible for creating comprehensive aspirations and goals for all emphasising the need to blend aspirations with values to get the commitment to the organisational strategy. Sherma.et al (2007) emphasises that creating the right culture to support strategy does not guarantee performance. According to him it is all about creating an organisational profile which consists of organisational culture, competitive method, market approach, leadership style and the structure. Jack Welch at GE has taken this into consideration creating different profiles at different stages of the strategy execution at GE changing his styles of leading from Autocratic, transformational to servant changing organisational structure from hierarchical to a more flexible boundary less organisation. Practitioners argue that organizations can have sound strategies in place and well documented policies and procedures. But the success relies on how competent an organisation is to implement it. Many strategies fail due to poor implementation Mcdonald (1998.pg 458) It is highly recognised that managing the knowledge workforce in this 21st century is critical and retention is a challenge with the unprecedented opportunities around. As McGee et al (2005) state in his basic dynamic of strategy it is very important to know what we have within (human capital, competencies, and other resources). In this context social and emotional intelligence of leaders come into handy. GE Welch accepts that this aspect of his leadership has been poor though he has been successful. Therefore, it is still in debate what leadership style is best suit for organisational success and what strategy is best or how culture should be changed to support organisational strategy. But it is very clear, if a leader does not want to compromise on where they want to be, the organisations should formulate strategy and demand a cultural change. This is all about taking the challenge to deliver results. From formulation of strategy, implementation and to measurement of success leadership of any organisation pay a pivotal role. Any organisation capable of placing drivers in the right seats will ensure organisational success in the long run as those drivers are capable of creating the right profile for the organisation creating the right balance among leadership, culture and strategy. Conclusion Energy stems from a genuine belief from both leadership and self and focus, innovation and growth derived from organisational strategy, (Kipp, 2005). To ensure sustainable growth in this fast moving unpredictable business environment, it is vital to have these all elements in place. But the success depends on how competent the organisation in implementing their well defined plans (McDonald, 1998). In this context, organisational culture can act as a barrier or as a strong favourable factor for positive organisational changes. According to Drago (1996), culture can be used to focus on resources and activities for the set direction as IBMs cultural emphasis is exceptional customer service, which organisation as a whole are driven and lived with. Therefore, it is pivotal for any leader to have a cultural awareness in formulation, exaction and evaluation of strategy process for any organisation irrespective of their purpose of existence. Ultimately it is leaders ability to strike the right balance between Strategy, leadership and culture to realise organisational vision ethically, Kaplan and Norton (2001). 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Friday, January 17, 2020

Visualising Alternate Futures of a City

The excitedly excessive secret plans of future, with air lanes clicking with winging vehicles and keen practical existences has ever struck a chord in our Black Marias. The appeal of these phantasmagoric scenarios have survived non merely in architecture, but elsewhere and largely so in films. It is through films that the uncommon feeling can be encountered with the most dynamic result. But what is it about these future landscapes set out by movie shapers that engages us so much? This can be best stated by what Nicolai Ouroussoff said in ‘Future Vision Banished to the Past ‘ diligently equaling the bulldozing of Nakagin Capsule Tower, â€Å" †¦ like all great edifices, it is the crystallisation of a far-reaching cultural ideal. Its being besides stands as a powerful reminder of waies non taken, of the possibility of universes shaped by different sets of values.† For pupils like me who are occupied in the perceptual experience and enquiry and architecture of infinites, and in the comprehension of people utilizing these infinites, I presume it to be sensible to state that we oft view these infinites from another’s position, but overlook their context and portraiture. We can state that metropoliss are touchable composings, but as Lefebvre ( 1974 ) comments, the societal building of metropoliss and topographic points is a critical component in how people see the environments that surround them. Representations of topographic points evoke the imagined every bit good as the existent ; Calvino ( 1974 ) in his Invisible Cities provinces, â€Å"The oculus does non see things, but images of things that mean other things.† The metropolis and its portraiture in film provide alone vantage points from which we can deconstruct public infinites in ways that long-established scientific disciplines do non let us. The metropolis is a character. Its history is romanticized. Its hereafter is fantasized. Its present signifier contains at one time a inactive record of its history and the dynamic elements which shape its hereafter. The character of a metropolis is determined by a synthesis between its physical construction and its societal skin color it evolves out of a duologue between the forces of past and present. It expands, keeping its ain signifier in memory while being thrust into an unsure hereafter. And now, to this noise of forces at work on the character of the metropolis comes a new voice. One which brings vision to the procedure of development: movie images and future environments. Architects and contrivers have traditionally focused attending on the present physical and societal demands of the urban environment. With the dynamic technological and societal alterations of the 19Thursdayand 20Thursdaycentury it became progressively necessary to gestate the hereafter of the metropolis beyond the incremental alterations which had characterized its historical development. While clearly a self-aware act of religion in the viability of the metropolis as a cultural establishment, future visions were besides an avowal of our possible to make the hereafter. We can foretell economic impacts and industrial end products, forecast population tendencies etc but statistics do non make a vision for the hereafter. The procedure of visualizing alternate hereafters of a metropolis is phenomenon specific to the 19Thursdayand 20Thursdaycenturies. The heritage of this modern-day signifier, born out of the extremist transmutations of the industrial revolution emerged in the mid-19Thursdaycentury as an intrinsic procedure in determining the signifier of the metropolis. Presented though a scope of formats- literature, pulling media and in movies, these visions created a agencies to help determination doing about the hereafter of the metropolis. These images represented theoretical, bad or even fanciful visions of what the metropolis could be. In the development of the pre-industrial metropolis, the hereafter was basically an extension of the yesteryear. In the 19Thursdaycentury, the hereafter of the metropolis took on an individuality of its ain which could be moulded by the visions of its society. For the first clip the urban environment was conceived as a moral force for without a unequivocal hereaf ter, its society jointly engaged in the procedure of its ain development. The demand for happening an appropriate hereafter of the metropolis became a procedure of contriving the hereafter of the metropolis. In 1939 New York Worlds Fair, inspired by the heroic poem them, â€Å"Building the World of Tomorrow† , presented an array of futuristic images and signifiers. The hereafter of the metropolis was detailed in the â€Å"Futurama† , a huge scale theoretical account of a typical urban Centre in the twelvemonth 1960. Produced by industrial interior decorator Norman Bel Geddes, this exhibition was to act upon a coevals of urban contrivers. The hereafter of a metropolis continues to a subject of literature and architectural rendition. Following traditions established modern-day visions while limited in public handiness, continue to propose their viability in determining our construct of the urban hereafter. Although supplying an of import function in our apprehension of the metropolis up to this really twenty-four hours, print media is inherently limited in its range and influence. Gesture images have the potency for rendering the hereafter in such a provocative new manner. Unique to this medium are three mechanisms which empower movie with an exceeding ability to convey thoughts. The first relates to the indispensable nature of the movie experience. While demanding of the spectator a suspension of incredulity, film creates a province of head which heightens the world of the clip and topographic point rendered in the movie. Although non a replacement for real-world experiences, the consequence of the movie is to capture the kernel of a narrative and render in a touchable context. By leting us to ‘live’ in the hereafter as if it already existed, movie provides an chance to measure the societal and physical effects of a peculiar vision. A 2nd property of film is handiness. Cinema is a democratic medium which invites engagement by a broad public audience. The visions of designers and other interior decorators working in print media communicate chiefly to other professionals go forthing the populace mostly incognizant of their work. Third, the genre of scientific discipline fiction provides a format for non-traditional interior decorators to go on prosecuting in the procedure of visualising the hereafter of the metropolis. While artistic visions of the hereafter were popular in the 19Thursdaycentury, the consequence of their work began to worsen with the bend of the century. The projections of designers and other traditionally responsible for the signifier of the metropolis began to take clasp in the early portion of this century. While supplying a more rational mentality on the hereafter, these visions besides began to take the signifier of existent proposals for the metropolis. Within the kingdom of scientific discipline fiction film, managers, set interior decorators, industrial interior decorators and host of other ‘visual futurist’ could prosecute in suggesting alternate hereafter for the metropolis. In researching the impact of movie, it is of import to understand that visions of the hereafter in every medium are plants of fiction. In developing a model for the rendition of a narrative, movie creates a scene in clip and topographic point. Essential to our apprehension of the narrative, the physical environment of the movie typically organize a background to our events which are more meaningful. In movies which with future environments, the scene may go every bit of import as the events which occur within it. The coming of movie allowed society to research possible hereafters are placed in the class of Science fiction. Although a cinematic extension of traditional airy projections in other media, the genre of scientific discipline fiction movies have been misunderstood and delegated to the function of phantasy. The purpose of this survey is to research movies which focus on the physical and cultural facets of the metropolis. While in many instances films suggest progresss in scientific discipline and engineering, it is clearly non the primary motive within the context of the narrative. However they are categorized in the cinematic medium, specific sci-fi movies have had a voltaic consequence on our construct of urban hereafter. Blending constructs and images from disparate sources- traditional renditions of architecture and urban design, progresss in scientific discipline and engineering, art, literature and other medium from the 19Thursdaycentury, these movies created a vision which influenced the signifier of the metropolis in the 20Thursdaycentury. In following the nature of this influence, it is possible to associate constructs and images from specific movies straight to construct illustrations in the metropolis. For illustration, the perpendicular graduated table and fictile articulation of the interior infinites in the movieThingss to Come ( 1936 )is strikingly similar to atrium infinites of the hotel developed by the Hyatt corporation along the east seashore of United States of America. However, this attitude underestimates the productive consequence these movies have on our apprehension of the hereafter. The influence of these visions affected both the general populace and those professionals involved in the design of the metropolis. In organizing public outlooks about the hereafter, these movies provided a benchmark which professional interior decorators are obligated to react to. â€Å"As the mist began to clear† , wrote German manager Fritz Lang on his first visit to Manhattan in 1924, â€Å"a metropolis of huge proportions began to emerge. Filled with visible radiation and energy. The looming steeples of edifices pierced the clouds while everyplace people and machines raced about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  For Lang, the metropolis of New York became a symbol for the societal struggles built-in in a modern metropolis, and the inspiration for provocative urban vision he was subsequently to show in his movie. While there exists a scope of Science fiction movies which articulate the formal composing of the future metropolis in deepness, two illustrations possibly be singled out for the intelligence and influence of their vision, every bit good as the contrasting historical places which they occupy in the development of this of this genre of movie devising. Viewed together, the movies Metropolis ( 1927 ) and Blade Runner ( 1982 ) encompass virtually the full spectrum of cinematic visions of the metropolis. In these movies the metropolis emerges as an built-in character within the model of the narrative. It is the really nature of this character- both the strength of its physical scene and the peculiar relationship which the histrions have to this environment, which create a realistic context for conceive ofing the hereafter of a metropolis. The physical and societal urban environment which these two movies undertaking is at one time familiar and radically different. The kineticss generated by these enigmas gives the movies a 3-dimensional texture, a quality which moves the experience of the movie beyond the single images it represents. Fritz Lang’s vision of the metropolis inCitiesestablished film as the unequivocal medium for jointing the hereafter of the urban environment in the 20Thursdaycentury. The subject and ocular linguistic communication of the movie have influenced virtually every other movie on the topic to day of the month. The urban hereafter ofBlade Runner,a vision of Los Angeles in the twelvemonth 2019 is borrowing in subject and image fromMetropolis,the usage of engineering and modern-day production techniques setsBlade Runnerapart from other movies of its coevals. In developing an apprehension of the mechanisms which consequence alteration in the composing of the urban environment, it is clear that movies play an of import function in determining its hereafter. The demand for visualizing the hereafter, emerging out of the societal and technological transmutations of the industrial revolution, found an appropriate vehicle for look in the modern-day medium of scientific discipline fiction film. Bibliography Arnheim, Rudolf, Film as art, UoC Press, 1957 Banham, Reyner, Theory and Design in the First Machine Age, MIT Press, 1960. , Beck, Geogary. City in the image of scientific discipline fiction film, MIT Press, 1986 Ferriss, Hugh, The Metropolis of tomorrow, Oxford, 1929. Jensen, Paul, The Cinema of Fritz Lang, Barnes & A ; Company, 1969 Tewdwr-Jones, Mark, Modern Planning on Film: Re-shaping Space, Image and Representation, 2013

Thursday, January 9, 2020

The Brave, Condemned, And Wicked - 1133 Words

Armani Astudillo Mrs. Segovia Theory Report 07 March 2017 The brave, condemned, and wicked The advancement of technology does not imply the enhancement of humanity , within â€Å" A Brave New World†, by Aldous Huxley, shows a world in which individuality is stripped and replaced by uniformity which can be shown best in the John the â€Å"savage†. Perception has its way of fitting people s circumstances to fit their complex, and in its’ entirety that s what this dystopian novel is about. Human emotion is replaced with universal thinking and the corruption of one s sense of self to the point where civilization has a â€Å"hive mind†complex. â€Å"Community,Identity,Stability† (5) are the words engraved into the society Huxley portrays as the United†¦show more content†¦That through this way of living, happiness is achieved and the problems of the world are gone†¦ though this may be true, the happiness that is talked about within chapter 4 be lenina, â€Å"there’s one thing we can be certain of; whoever he may have been, he was happy when he was alive. Everybody’s happy now.† â€Å"Yes, everybody’s happy now,† echoed Lenina. They had heard the words repeated a hundred and fifty times every night for twelve years.† Through The advancements in science, and essentially shaping their minds, their happiness is simply a facade due to their lack of understanding. This was Huxley’s purpose when creating John, he was the perfect contrast for such structural behavior. When corrupted by the â€Å"new world† the piece john lost that was most important was his belief in his happiness, the happiness that was brought upon by the likes of shakespeare and the world he knew. Another key component of John’s conception as a character was his sexual desires.. As introduced at the beginning of the novel, â€Å"Soma† ( paraphernalia) (56) is used as a numbing agent, a pill that rids oneself of control and releases their natural, yet enhanced sexual desires. Engaged in â€Å"orgy-porgy† they lose control of themselves and suddenly nothing else mattersShow MoreRelatedEssay on Remaking Beowulf as a Christian Hero1029 Words   |  5 Pagescalled Grendel, notorious prowler of the borderland, ranger of the moors, the fen and the fastness; this cursed creature lived in a monsters lair for a time after the Creator had condemned him as one of the seed of Cain - the Everlasting Lord avenged Abels murder. Cain had no satisfaction from that feud, but the Creator sent him into exile, far from mankind Read MoreEssay on Voltaire and the Beginning of the Enlightment1305 Words   |  6 Pagesdictated against the injustices in the world. However before long, Voltaire fled the country again due to an essay he composed in England containing studies of great English philosophers and their ideas, called the English Letters. The book was condemned as scandalously contrary to religion, morals and society, then burned publicly in Paris.4 Voltaire’s rebellious ideas were constantly threatened and attacked, his only response was more essays and letters more threatening and rebellious, diggingRead MoreLady Macbeths Ironical Fate Essay1597 Words   |  7 Pagesin her hands: Heres the smell of the blood still. / All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little/ hand. Oh, oh, oh! (Macbeth V. i. 52-54). Lady Macbeth knows that there is no remedy that could lift the burden on her soul, which is condemned to suffer as much in life as in the afterlife. The irony of Lady Macbeth is th at she ends up being tormented by the same dark spirits that she invoked. The darkness that she asked to cover her crime it is the one that now scares her: DOCTOR: HowRead MoreConfucianism And Legalism1556 Words   |  7 PagesThe Book of Shang. â€Å"Sophistry and cleverness are the aid to lawlessness; rites and music are symptoms of dissipation and license; kind and humanness are the mother of transgressions; employment and promotion are opportunities for the rapacity of the wicked.† This is important to note, because in Confucius’ texts, he states, â€Å"A man who is not Good - what has he to do with music?† Here, we can see the differences and conflicting ideologies between Confucianism and the Qin. Confucius said, anyone who doesRead MoreShakespeares use of soliloquies to present Macbeth and Hamlet2032 Words   |  9 Pagesnonetheless allows the phantom dagger, soon stained with imaginary gouts of blood, to affect him greatly. In the second half of the soliloquy, Macbeth describes himself moving towards Duncan across a nightmarish landscape; â€Å"Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse† – Ma cbeth is subconsciously sure that Duncan’s death is unnatural and that they act will haunt him. â€Å"Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives†; the oxymoron emphasises the relationship between the two contradictory terms of ‘heat’Read MoreIndian Thought in Emerson Thoreau and Whitman2241 Words   |  9 Pagesof Grass in 1855, he was almost universally condemned for the formlessness of his poems and the grandiosity of his heretic philosophy. But Emerson made it a point to write a letter to the author: I am very happy in reading it.... It meets the demand I am always making of what seemed the sterile and stingy Nature, as if too much handiwork or too much lymph in the temperament were making our Western wits fat and mean. I give you joy of your free and brave thought. I have great joy in it. I find incomparableRead MoreOrder and Disorder in Macbeth4047 Words   |  17 Pagesof them decide they must kill Duncan. From the beginning of the play, we s ee Macbeth is a loyal warrior, albeit a vicious one with no trouble killing. It is in the first scene that Macbeth’s brutality is illustrated. An army captain reported: â€Å"For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor’s minion, carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, TillRead MoreAudiences Sympathy for Macbeth in William Shakespeares Play3064 Words   |  13 Pageswould be fined for not attending church on a Sunday and the priest would be the most important person in the village. Witchcraft was believed in and anything remotely evil would be pinned upon curses being made and spells cast. Those condemned, as witches would be punished by execution. People of those days led short brutal lives and disease was much more prevalent. The play is based in 11th century Scotland and although it is set in medieval Britain, it exploresRead MorePuritanism in the Scarlet Letter6423 Words   |  26 Pagesinterpretation, was synonymous with a good life. Although the Puritans have been very strict in religious way, on the other hand they could be quite tolerant. The grade of tolerance was dependent to the extent of the appropriate thing. For example they condemned the drunkard, but not the consumption of alcohol itself. And they did not taboo sexuality, as long as it was sexuality between husband and wife and not extramarital sexuality. But the strict Puritan code was far from tolerant. Relationship betweenRead MoreEssay about Faustus Study and Opening Speech3593 Words   |  15 Pagesthe emperor’s court, Faustus is opposed by a collection of noblemen who are brave, if unintelligent. At Vanholt, though, he faces down an absurd collection of comical rogues, and the worst of it is that Faustus seems to have become one of them, a clown among clowns, taking pleasure in using his un limited power to perform practical jokes and cast simple charms. Selling one’s soul for power and glory may be foolish or wicked, but at least there is grandeur to the idea of it. Marlowe’s Faustus, however

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The Ethical Systems of Kant and Mill Essay - 2185 Words

The ethical systems of Kant and Mill: A comparison and contrast Ricardo Renta What part does happiness play in determining the morality of an act in a situation? Can a concept that ties morality to the search of happiness truly be rational? What of the opposite? Is it possible to view every situation with objectivity, never taking into account an emotion (like happiness)? The questions above concern themselves with the part of the central tenets of the ethical views of two very important philosophers, respectfully: John Mill and Immanuel Kant. The ethical theories that these two philosophers laid out clash with each other in fundamental ways, from how reason was defined, to the role that â€Å"happiness† played in determining the ethical†¦show more content†¦The second formulation, which Kant titled â€Å"Humanity As An End In Itself â€Å", simply states that true morality stems from ones interactions with people. In this formulation, Kant states that humanity is an end in itself, and should never be treated as a mean. What Kant meant by th is is that humans, being rational creatures, should never be treated as objects to reach an end, but that the way you treat them should be an end in itself. Kant argued that by objectifying another person, or possibly even yourself, you are undermining the human potential of rationality and will. John Mills system of ethics, was very much different than that of Kants. Mills system, which he based on utilitarianism, placed happiness and morality on the same side of the proverbial coin, rather than on opposing sides. For Mill, the foundation of morality rested upon the level of happiness (or absence of suffering) that a decision would bring. This is not to say that the happiness of one trumps all else, however. Instead, Mills theory states that the most ethical choice that can be made is the one that brings the most happiness to largest amount of people. This allows Mills system to check unbridled selfishness, making you take into account the feelings of others. In keeping with the theme of happiness/pleasure, Mill believed that there existed two basic types of pleasure: pleasuresShow MoreRelatedImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill1261 Words   |  6 Pagesthat inspire the action, or the consequences that result from the action?† Second, the philosophers I am going to disc uss throughout this paper are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Now before I tell you my answer to this question I am going to explain these who these two philosophers are and what their viewpoints on ethics are. Immanuel Kant was born in what is now Germany in 1724 and died in 1804 and was the type of philosopher to act out of duty. He believes that actions should be performed outRead MoreThomas Mill And Immanuel Kant Essay1484 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is really ethical? What is right? What is wrong? What are the factors involved in making the distinction between killing and letting die? What is the difference between killing one to save five and leaving one to die while rescuing five? Philippa Foot created a thought experiment that presents two cases known as Rescue I and Rescue II. In these cases, one must create a dissimilarity between doing and allowing. They must ask themselves what would be the moral thing to do. Philosophers have triedRead MoreLast Year, One Of The Most Talked About Mainstream Movies1636 Words   |  7 PagesDoss served with distinction at Hacksaw Ridge, saving approximately 75 people, including enemy soldiers, as a medic. For his bravery, Doss became the first ma n in American history to earn the Medal of Honor without firing a bullet. To discern the ethical issues of this movie, it is useful to examine a scene from Hacksaw Ridge (2016) that is emblematic of the potential pitfalls the movie possesses. Late in the film, Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) is scavenging the now quiet battlefield for woundedRead MoreThe Best Fit890 Words   |  4 PagesImmanuel Kant was one of the best philosophers in the 17th century, and created the Categorical Imperative, and John Stuart Mill was one of the best philosopher on the 18th century, and created The Utilitarianism ethical system, but which one made the best moral theory that best fits our culture and community? As we have seen in Chapter 7, ethics differs from culture to culture. In our culture we developed ourselves wanting materials and adventures that gives us pleasure and happiness. The ethical systemsRead MoreEssay on The Golden Rule in Kant and Mills Ethical Theories1320 Words   |  6 Pagespurpose. The two most important philosophers that deal with ethics are Im manuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Kant’s ethical theory is Kantianism or deontological ethics. Mill’s ethical theory is utilitarianism. Both philosophers’ theories have many differences; Kant’s theory deals with conduct, seeking reason for good action in duty. Mill’s theory deals with consequences and maximizing human happiness. However both Kant and Mill’s ethics relate to the important biblical principal of the Golden RuleRead MoreFord Pinto Case For A Defective Fuel System903 Words   |  4 PagesFORD PINTO ASSIGNMENT The Ford Pinto case involved the explosion of Ford Pinto s due to a defective fuel system. The fuel system was designed in a way that even with a small hit the car would explode. After the cost-benefit analysis, Ford decided to go with its original gas tank designed despite the crash-test result. At that time Ford thought that would be the most ethical decision for the business. But later in 1978 media paid more attention to the Pinto gas tank stories, which resulted in accidentsRead MoreThe Trolley Problems875 Words   |  4 Pagesin that the two cases are two morally different ways of presenting the same dilemma. The key difference between the switch case and the platform case is the directness of the consequences of one’s actions. I will argue using Kant’s deontological ethical theory why one should pull the lever but not push the backpacker because of the different affects on morality that arises with the change in role you play in each scenario. When presented with the switch case a utilitarianist and most people wouldRead MoreImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill1206 Words   |  5 Pagesmorality, there is no right answer to dilemmas only different opinions. Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers with two different views on a person’s moral conscious. Kant believes morality is a duty that people should hold above their own happiness. On the other hand, Mill believes happiness is the goal of morality and the more happiness is acquired at the end is the most moral. According to Immanuel Kant, morality is a duty people must hold above their own happiness. For something toRead MoreComparing Political Philosophy Theories1095 Words   |  5 PagesAssociate Level Material Ethical Theory Comparison Chart Respond to the prompt for each of the five ethical theories listed. One section on each chart has been filled in as an example. What is good? (1–2 sentences) Aristotle – Virtue EthicsMill – UtilitarianismKant – DeontologyConsequentialismNodding – Care Ethicswhat would you say is our principal or highest objective by nature? According to Aristotle, it is the attainment of happiness, for it is that alone that we seekRead MoreEthical Theory and Bullying in Sports1462 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿BULLYING IN SPORTS AND ETHICAL THEORY Introduction In contemporary American sports, coaches can, at times, be extremely temperamental and my resort to bullying tactics to try to motivate their players to get them to perform at their highest possible level. This may take the form of face-to-face confrontation in which coaches challenge individual players in private, or it may take the form of publicly humiliating individual players or groups of players in front of the rest of the team to motivate