Christopher Columbus - 2210 Words

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS One of the greatest explorers of all time, Columbus was most renowned for discovering America. However his death went barely acknowledged. How much of his life was fact, how much fortune did he return with and has time and history painted an image greater than the man. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS Christopher Columbus was born in the port city of Genoa, Italy. Although scholars are unsure sure of his exact date of birth, history generally recognizes that his birth took place between August 25 and October 31, 1451. Columbus was born to an affluent wool weaving family, his father Domenico Colombo, Colombo is the Italian spelling of Columbus, and his mother Suzanna Fontanarossa. He was the eldest of five children,†¦show more content†¦Christopher Columbus was an entrepreneur, as well as an opportunist; on his second voyage he carried with him African slaves to the new world. 12 Columbus also claimed a dowry offered to the first person to see land on his maiden voyage. During his first voyage, on October 12, 1492 a lookout spotted land a couple hours after midnight from the crow’s nest of the Pinta. The lookout’s name was Rodrigo de Triana for his sighting; he should have received a pension of 10,000 Maravedis per year. That was roughly what an able sailor could make in a year at the time, however Columbus pocketed the money himself, claiming he saw lights the night before. 13 This however would not be a onetime occurrence, in 1491 Columbus made a final appeal to Spanish Monarchs but his plan was rejected. In the past his plan was rejected for technical reasons, such as his assessment of the size of the ocean, it was believed to be too large to cross or the distances and measurements that Columbus came up with were not accurate. This time, the request was denied due to simple greed. â€Å"Columbus had asked for one tenth of all the riches in the indies, and his demands for the titles of admiral, which would give him the right to judge commercial disputes; of viceroy, which would make him the personal representative of the monarchs; and of governor, which would enable him to act as supreme civilShow MoreRelatedEssay on Christopher Columbus? Or Not Christopher Columbus?1329 Words   |  6 Pages On Columbus Day students across the na tion will learn how Columbus discovered the New World and about his fantastic travels to the New World. Children will learn poems, stories, songs and rhymes about his travels and about himself as well on this day. When introduced to Columbus as a young student he is portrayed as a respectful gentleman and as a hero, when in reality he is a selfish man who takes advantage of lesser people and schools should be teaching their students about who Columbus reallyRead MoreThe Christopher Columbus741 Words   |  3 Pages Little may one know about Christopher Columbus, other than the fact that â€Å"Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492†. Even though he was claimed to have discovered the Americas, he was never the first to arrive there because (according to historians) the Vikings were there first. But, his discovery led other people in Europe know about the Americas therefore changing the world. Columbus shaped the world as we know it today. Columbus was born around 1451 in the republic of Genoa (what today wouldRead MoreChristopher Columbus And The Columbus1365 Words   |  6 PagesChristopher Columbus Most people think of Christopher Columbus as the person who discovered the Americas. 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I was told that ChristopherRead MoreThe Journey Columbus By Christopher Columbus1628 Words   |  7 PagesDeveloped Through the Uncovering of San Salvador in 1492 Christopher Columbus’s adventitious finding of San Salvador led to the initial European â€Å"discovery† of the New World. Columbus, an Italian explorer, attempted to sail west from Spain to India, funded by King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile (Christopher Columbus’s Exploration). He sailed west using three boats: the Nià ±a, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria (Christopher Columbus the Italian Explorer). They reached the island of GuanahaniRead MoreChristopher Columbus Essay1097 Words   |  5 PagesChristopher Columbus was born in 1451 at Genoa. Genoa was a seaport that was on the Ligurian sea. His name was Cristoforo Colombo and that was translated into English as Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus had two brothers, which he was older than both. Christopher Columbus had little schooling just like most of the people during that age. Genoa was a busy seaport and Christopher Columbus learned much from the sailors. Christopher Columbusâ €™s father was a poor weaver. Christopher Columbus workedRead MoreThe Voyage of Christopher Columbus1541 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican History I 07/08/05 Christopher Columbus Voyage to North America Spanish exploration first began with a series of revolutions. First, the Commercial Revolution generated economic stability. Second, the Intellectual Revolution generated interest in the Earths composition and the pursuit of exploration. Europe then called for a political revolution to end the disorganized and disorderly rule of its government. This revolution returned order and stability to the government and renewed interestRead MoreLegacy of Christopher Columbus2614 Words   |  11 PagesThe Legacy of Christopher Columbus Abstract After many centuries, a lot of controversy still surrounds Christopher Columbus. He remains to be a strange figure in history regarded as a famous explorer and a great mariner who made many discoveries in his days. Other people still regard him as a visionary and a national hero while others chose to remember him as a brutal and greedy person who used the rest of the humanity for his own selfish gains. Despite the fact that there have been protests inRead MoreChristopher Columbus Is Not A Hero Essay1610 Words   |  7 PagesChristopher Columbus is commonly known as the â€Å"discoverer† of the Americas. From a young age students are taught all the wonderful things he did for our land and how well he interacted with the Natives. Although the truth is disregarded and as students grow, they come to learn that Columbus was not a hero in fact. Columbus came close to causing a genocide of the Native Americans, and basically began the â€Å"white power† movement that America is forced to deal with today. The truth of what ChristopherRead More Christopher Columbus Essay474 Words   |  2 Pagesin search of a direct sea route from Europe to Asia, Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered the Americas. However, in four separate voyages to the Caribbean from 1492 to 1504, he remained convinced that he had found the lands that Marco Polo reached in his overland travels to China at the end of the 13th century. To Columbus it was only a matter of time before a passage was found through the Caribbean islands to the cities of Asia. Columbus was not the first European to reach the Americas Vikings

Manage Under Uncertainty Free Essays

string(114) " human resources that they have in order to generate more creative ideas and solutions to issues the company has\." University of Newcastle October 2012 [Yellow Auto Case Study] [GSBS6001 Individual Assignment] [By: Shih Yun Lin (3172398)] Executive Summery Managers are constantly faced with critical decisions that will heavily impact on the company’s competitive ability and profitability. This report will analyse the critical decisions made in the case study The Change Story of Yellow Auto Company from a sociologic decision making perspective. The case study presents four main decisions which are: increase of market share, change in decision management style, clarify job description and invest greater time and money in human resources. We will write a custom essay sample on Manage Under Uncertainty or any similar topic only for you Order Now The analysis of these decisions centres on the relationships between employees and managers and the positive and negative attributes of group decision making. The case study demonstrates that the decisions made by Yellow Auto have been successful in achieving the organisational objective of an increase in market share and an improved human resources quality. Recommendations have then been made in order to improve the company’s future decision making process including: a more consultative decision making process for high risk decisions, a hybrid management style, a different set up for job descriptions and quality management for human resources activities. Table of Contents Executive Summery2 Introduction3 Critical Decisions4 Increase of Market Share4 Change in Management Style5 Clarify Job Descriptions6 Invest Greater Time and Money in Human Resources6 Recommendations7 Conclusion9 Reference List10 Introduction Companies must constantly make critical decisions in order to choose strategies in order to gain a competitive advantage or keep up in the rapidly evolving market. The factors influencing decisions and the relative advantages and disadvantages can be viewed from multiple perspectives. This report will analyse the decisions made in the case study The Change Story of Yellow Auto Company from a sociologic decision making perspective. The sociological perspective focuses on the patterns of social relationships, interaction and culture and how this impacts on the company’s decision making process. Various critical decisions have been made in this case study including: Increase of market share, change in decision management style, clarify job description and invest greater time and money in human resources. These decisions have all strongly impacted the company and will continue to impact it in the future. These decisions will be explored with a sociological focus, discussing positive and negative attributes of each decision. Recommendations will then be explored in regards to how the company can improve their decision making in the future. This case study report is based on credible research retrieved from published books and accredited journals obtained from the internet. Critical Decisions Increase of Market Share The first critical decision in the case study is the goal set in 2001, to increase Yellow Auto’s market share to 50%. This goal has been derived by the top managers alone and without any input for from the middle managers or front line staff. The managers believe the only way to achieve this goal is through an improvement in the human resource quality. There are many sociological factors in this decision including autocratic management style and small group decision making. Firstly Yellow Auto’s management style is comparable with that of McGregor’s Theory X management style in which top management makes all the decisions and maintain a strict control over the business (Mathis, 2010). This decision making and enforcing style can be effective due to the nature of small group decision making, in which smaller groups are able to reach consensus more easily. This is due to it being a more timely approach as lower number of people correlates to a reduced number of differing opinions and an increase in the participation of all members. The group is then able to work out the differences in points of view and come to an agreement. The communication flow from this point is then one way as determined by the autocratic style and the decision can be implemented throughout the rest of the organisation. There are also many negative attributes with the style of decision making however as the subordinates of Yellow Auto have not been included in the decision making process they may not be as motivated to implement the decisions made by the top managers. This is exacerbated in the case study as this decision to increase the market share of the company is risky due to the economic situation in Turkey. Turkey had experienced a financial crisis in both 2000 and 2001 the latter being ‘particularly far reaching in terms of its impact, resulting in a major collapse of output and employment’ (Onis, 2006). Accepting this level of risk without the consult of other employees can increase uncertainty within the company and cause employees to feel segregated from the company. Furthermore the use of a small group in this decision making process has the potential of experiencing the Abilene paradox (Harvey in Teale, 2003:290) in which some top managers may not voice their concerns to avoid being discredited or appear to lose faith in the organisation. In order to identify and address these potential issues management of Yellow Auto decided to work with academics in the implementation of this decision. Change in Management Style Following an audit from the external consultants they proposed that the utocratic management style currently in use is a barrier preventing the company from achieving their goal of an increase in market share. Accepting this advice, the top management of Yellow Auto change to a more democratic management style opening systems of communication and the development of trust in employees throughout the organisation. This changes the group structure of Yellow Auto as where previously employees could be considered part of Scott’s ou t status, they have now have the opportunity to move up to the fringe status or actively participate as a primary set member (Scott in Harrison 1999:222). This leads to increased motivation with employees and gives them a greater connection to the company. By increasing the amount of people participating in decision making, Yellow Auto are able to utilize the diverse human resources that they have in order to generate more creative ideas and solutions to issues the company has. You read "Manage Under Uncertainty" in category "Essay examples" There are downsides into an increased group size however as reaching a consensus with more people is much more difficult. There is also an increase in the time it takes to make a decision and leads to unproductively and can create divisions within the company. Clarify Job Descriptions Another critical decision made in the case study is to interview all employees in order to analyse their jobs and clarify their job descriptions. This was completed due to employees stating that their responsibilities were not clear and authority and relationships were not clearly defined. Upon completing the analysis it was observed that some of the tasks between managers and employees were overlapping and steps were introduced in order to distinguish between tasks and develop more comprehensible job descriptions. By distinguishing and identifying employee’s roles, the relationships between the employees are explained and can lead to better understanding of authority and improve communication throughout the organisation (Mathis, 2010). It also prevents particular roles from overlapping and can ensure that the right employee is completing the necessary job. While ensuring that job descriptions are up to date and clearly defined this can also have some negative implications for the company. Firstly in order to complete this is very costly and time consuming. It can then freeze the job, preventing it from evolving and result in a lack of flexibility and remove initiative from the employee. By describing the responsibilities of the employees it reinforces the boundaries of responsibility and can lead to the ‘it’s not my job’ (Mathis, 2010) reflex. Invest Greater Time and Money in Human Resources The final critical decision made in the case study was to invest greater time and money into human resources. This decision has a heavy focus on sociology with the relationship between employees and an emphasis on communication. Yellow Auto hired new staff to fit the right jobs and invested heavily in their training. Training included individual aspects such as interpersonal skills, time and stress management as well as group sessions which increase coordination and communication and team spirit. These training methods and exercises focus on building the characteristics of effective groups including: cohesion, group roles, norms, conformity and interaction (Ayson, 2012). Cohesion is created through the team building activities and the job descriptions which also lead to an understanding of the roles and norms of the group. This allows for group activities to be conducted in an acceptable manner with each member of the group knowing how to act and what duties they must perform. This creates an environment in which the employees can work together easily without confusion and make decisions as well as perform their individual tasks to an acceptable standard. These characteristics also have negative attributes and can encourage groupthink, where ‘independent critical thinking and objective moral judgment will be suspended in deference to group norms and in observance of group consensus’ (Harrison, 1999:184). Setting particular roles may also create a reliance on particular group members and if they are not present or leave, then the group suffers and is not able to operate without the person carrying out their tasks. A similar issue that is present with these three characteristics is the reduction in innovation as the group has set standards of behaviour and expectations the need or ability to generate innovative responses is reduced. Lack of innovation and individual thinking is also an issue with conformity. In order to demonstrate that the group is performing well and in order to reduce conflicts, individuals conform to the group’s suggestions and decisions (Popova, 2012). While this may be beneficial in the sense of reaching decisions and working cooperatively in order to achieve goals, it limits the effectiveness of the group and the results of the group could be the same as that of an individual. Another positive aspect of Yellow Autos investment in human resources is the group interaction achieved through this program. As the employees train and work together communication and teamwork skills are improved which results in a greater ability of the group to work together in order to achieve organisational goals. It also allows employees to understand how to use each individual’s skills and abilities in order to improve the decision making process and produce superior outcomes. Recommendations The decisions made and the decision making process in the case study are open to criticism. The result of these decisions however demonstrates that the correct steps were taken in order to achieve and exceed the organisations goal of an increase in market share to 50%. In light of the success of Yellow Autos decisions there are still various recommendations that can be made including: a more consultative decision making process for high risk decisions, a hybrid management style, a different set up for job descriptions and quality management for human resources activities.. Firstly the decision to increase market share to 50% was a high risk decision which had potential to highly negatively impact the company. Due to the nature of this decision as high risk and potential impact to the majority of employees Yellow Autos managers should have not made this decision alone. Instead this should have been a consultative process with employees and academics to discuss the potential impacts and rewards of the decision. This will lead to motivation for the employees as they have been a part of this decision as well as increase in commitment to the company as the employees can feel valued by the organisation as they are playing an active role in its future (Teale, 2003). Secondly, the company’s management style began as autocratic and then changed to democratic at the request of the academics. Yellow Auto should not just use one management style, but a hybrid of the two in order to effectively make and enforce decisions. By using a hybrid management style the top managers can decide the level of employee consultancy depending on the nature of the decision and its affect on the company and employees. This will ensure that the right amount of employee contribution and new ideas are gathered as well as coming to a timely and efficient solution. Another recommendation is how the job descriptions are set. While ensuring tasks are not overlapping and there is an understanding of employee’s roles and responsibilities are necessary, the job descriptions should not be written in a way that restricts the employee’s activities or discourages flexibility and initiative. Finally with the heavy investment in human resources Yellow Auto needs to ensure that these activities are quality controlled and that the group interactions and decision making activities are effective. For example this means that issues such as conformity need to be addressed and such as demonstrated in the Asch Paradigm in which managers can encourage individuals to speak up, which then in turn enables other employees to snap out of conformity (Popova, 2012). Conclusion A number of critical decisions have been raised in the case study including the decision to increase market share, change in management style, clarify job description and invest greater time and money in human resources. The decision making process involved in reaching these decisions and the potential positive and negative outcomes have been analysed from a sociological perspective. The case study has demonstrated that these decisions have yielded the desired result of an increase in market share and had many other benefits towards the company. Even so various recommendations have been made in order to improve Yellow Autos decision making process and improve the successfulness of the company. Reference List Ayson, S. (2012). Managing Under Uncertainty: Sociology of Decision Making, Lecture Slides. Harrison, F. (1999). The Managerial Decision-Making Process. 5th Ed. Houghton Mifflin Mathis, R. (2010). Human Resource Management 13th Edition. South-Western Cengage Learning Onis, Z. (2006). Beyond the 2001 Financial Crisis: The Political Economy of the new Phase of Neo-Liberal Restructuring in Turkey. Retrieved October 19, 2012, from http://www. cesran. org/Dosyalar/MAKALELER/ZIYA_ONIS_Beyond_the_2001_financial_crisis. pdf Popova, M. (2012). Elevator Groupthink: A Psychology Experiment in Conformity, 1962. Retrieved October 19, 2012, from http://www. brainpickings. org/index. php/2012/01/13/asch-elevator-experiment/ Teale, M. (2003). Management Decision-Making: Towards an Integrated Approach. Pearson How to cite Manage Under Uncertainty, Essay examples

How does Luhrmann make Romeo and Juliet appeal to a younger more mainstream audience Essay Example For Students

How does Luhrmann make Romeo and Juliet appeal to a younger more mainstream audience Essay Baz Luhrmann has adapted William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet play and turned the tragic love story into an action packed love thriller. Luhrmann adapted this play in 1996. This film was a huge success in capturing the imagination of it target audience young people. Baz Luhrmann adds more modern props music and action to his film this is to make it more captivating for a younger mainstream audience. The prologue at the start of the film is on a little television in a dark room so immediately the audience is watching. Luhrmann then zooms into the television at the news report. The effect of this is to let the audience relate to this as if it was happening now. Baz Lurhmann added a shot clip in this clip the setting and storyline are introduced. This adds verisimilitude to this as it is a shot in a helicopter as if it was on a news report. The fight scene occurs at the start of the film the captures the audiences attention and keeps them captivated. This scene is set in a petrol station rather than a town square. Luhrmann set it in a petrol station as it is modern and a place where lots of people will go. The opening fight scene occurs at the very beginning of the film, this scene creates a violent chaotic and angry environment. It also creates an image of hate between two families. The film is set in Verona; Baz Luhrmann chose to set it in Mexico as it is dirty and a typical hot country. From the setting we can also learn that there is a big class difference the Capulets and Montagues. This is shown in there clothes and cars; the Capulets have a very stylish clothes they are dark with religious symbols on them and are very wealthy this is shown by there car it has tinted windows and customized whereas the Montagues car is bright colored and the clothes they wear are Hawaiian very bright with pictures of palm trees on them. This scene is suggests that the target audience is young or old males, this is because males usually prefer fighting action explosions examples of this are when the petrol station explodes and the fighting between gangs. This will appeal to a different audience rather than the original as it appeals to young males whereas the original appealed to females as it was a tragic love story. The fight scene does not just effect the Capulets and the Montagues it also effects there families and the public as we see in the petrol station scene as the public are running away and peoples jobs are suffering from it. We also see this in the montage of images of there faces so most of the public will know about there brawls. Baz Luhrmann used freeze frames to introduce the main characters. Freeze frames of Tybalt, Benvolio and Abra were used in this scene. Abra capulets freeze frame is a close up low angle shot, this gives the effect that Abra is powerful as it shows him from a low angle. Baz Luhrman also uses close ups of the Montagues and Capulets car plates this lets the audience know who is who. There is a clear difference in the cars the Montagues is a vibrant yellow color whereas the Capulets car is a dark stylish car. The Capulets car is engine is a lions roar this is to make the Capulet sound dangerous. Baz Luhrman used a lot of close ups in this film for example the close ups of Tybalt and Benvolios faces, this is to show the facial expressions on each character the effect of this is to see if the characters are scared or angry. .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 , .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .postImageUrl , .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 , .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2:hover , .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2:visited , .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2:active { border:0!important; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2:active , .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2 .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6f6a07afe2c8e464f951428dfe4469a2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Philosophical Analysis - The Kid by Charlie Chaplin EssayBaz Luhrman used old western films to get ideas for this film. The western genre is used a lot in this scene. There is a close up of Tybalts shoe when he steps out of the car, there is the sound of clinking of a cowboys spurs. There is also swinging signs this relates to the western theme as the swinging signs are meant to represent the swing tavern doors. Tybalt also smoke a cigar this is related as cowboys used to smoke cheroots. Sound is a major part in this film Baz Luhrman uses a wide range of sound in this fight scene. Sounds are exaggerated and amplified to give mass effect. In the montage there is orchestral music this creates suspense and excites the audience. The pictures mix well with the music there is lots of woosh sounds in this scene this is to emphasis the movements of characters these sort of sounds had more style to the scene. There are explosions and gunshots in the last bits of the scene these sounds create a sense of action and drama, these sounds are diegetic because if we were there we would be able to hear them. Costumes were used to distinguish between the two families. The Capulets wear darker colours, religious symbols and more stylish whereas the Montagues are more hip, the average Mexican with buttons undone more laid back. The Capulets clothes are dark with religious icons on their tops this shows us that they are very religious and care for god. They also have different patterns on there guns as we see in the two freeze frames that the Montagues coat of arms has a gun and skull this shows they are very violent. This scene creates and exciting action feel for the audience. It creates a violent mood as there is lots of violence happening in this scene. It creates this by using amplified sounds, fast editing and a wide range of different shots. Baz Luhrman adapted Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet by doing all these things so a younger audience could relate and have a better understanding in what is going on.