Essay on Life and Death in Poetry - 2090 Words

Life and death are two things that we as humans must all face. The road from one to the other, from life to death, is a long and at times, both joyous and painful one. Robert Frost’s poems are a prime example of these times and trials. The poems I chose for this paper highlight them, and with Frost’s allegory, they present a sort of silver lining to the string of dark and dreary words he’s pieced together for these poems. The depressing tone to the poems â€Å"Acquainted with the Night†, â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay†, and â€Å"Stopping by the Woods on a Snowing Evening† could be attributed to the death of many of Frost’s family members, and how despite this he overcame it all, and at the end of his life, was a successful writer. These poems to not go†¦show more content†¦I think that the decisions that we make, and that he has made have lead him out of the furthest city lights. The second portion, looking down the saddest city lane, is telling us that the character has seen some very depressing things as the result of his decisions and the decisions of others. â€Å"I have passed by the watchman on his beat And dropped my eyes unwilling to explain.† (Frost) These two lines give us a much better direction as to where this poem, and whatever situation this poem is about has gone. The character has passed by authority, carrying whatever burden he has on his shoulders, be it legal or illegal, and gone unnoticed. This may not mean a police officer; it could be a parent, a religious figure, perhaps even God, or someone who is supposed to be able to sense the wrongness of this sad, darkened walk. â€Å"Remaining unnamed, the emotion of Frosts poem bridges the gulf between the personas conception of God and his spiritual capacity† (Murray). The character drops his eyes in shame, unwilling to explain such deeds to them. I believe that this is a good description of how sometimes , though we have made decisions and followed through on them, we are burdened by making them, and even more burdened by their outcome. Shame is too strong of a word to use here. We can compare such a decision to a mother of two children taking a better job. However, though this job offers her more money, she works more than forty five minutes awayShow MoreRelatedLife, Poetry, And Death1467 Words   |  6 PagesLife, Poetry, and Death Death, madness, and love are the main points of impulse in Sylvia Plath’s life, a habit that can be described as part of the unconscious. According to psychological studies, the effects of trauma and experience on an author can manifest itself in their writing (Caruth). For instance, we learned that the suffering of Sylvia Plath her whole life due to depression, the attempted of suicide, and the death of her father. Those traumatic experiences influenced the writing and interpretationRead More Death in Life in Alfred Lord Tennysons Poetry Essay981 Words   |  4 PagesDeath in Life in Alfred Lord Tennysons Poetry Alfred Lord Tennyson, a Victorian poet, used characters from history and mythology for his poetry. Much of his poetry touches upon the subject of death and loneliness. For example, the Lady of Shallot dies when she looks beyond her inner world, Mariana lives in constant sadness over her departed lover, and Tithonus lives forever in an agony worse than death. With a background of melancholia, isolation or anguish Tennyson conveys themes ofRead MoreEssay about Death in Life and Love in Dorothy Parkers Poetry529 Words   |  3 PagesDeath in Life and Love in Dorothy Parkers Poetry Dorothy Parker, an accomplished American poet, exposes the darker side of human behavior through her epigrammatic style of poetry. She believed that a writer must say what he feels and sees. She specialized in the hard truths, particularly about death, in both life and love. Some major motifs present in Parker’s work include loneliness, lack of communication between men and women, disintegration of relationships, human frailties, and theRead MoreEssay about Death in Emily Dickenson1313 Words   |  6 PagesDeath in Emily Dickenson With the thought of death, many people become terrified as if it were some creature lurking behind a door ready to capture them at any moment. Unlike many, Emily Dickinson was infatuated with death and sought after it only to try and help answer the many questions which she pondered so often. Her poetry best illustrates the answers as to why she wrote about it constantly. She explains her reason for writing poetry, â€Å"I had a terror I couldRead MoreJohn Keats s Life Of Poetry1024 Words   |  5 Pagesvery troubling and traumatic life and it shows in his writings of poetry. 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Often focusing on topics that were taboo at the time like mental illness and suicide, it is no surprise that Sylvia Plath wrote poetry in this style. Plath suffered from depression most of her life and used writing as an outlet (Spinello). In her works â€Å"Cut,† â€Å"I Am Vertical,† and â€Å"Lady Lazarus,† Plath exemplifies confessional poetry through the themes of resentment, death, and mental illness. To understandRead More The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe Essay1499 Words   |  6 Pagesspecial because he helped change poetry by giving it different focuses. Through looking at Edgar Allan Poes life, we will understand what motivated him to write what he did, what the meaning was behind these works, and how this changed poetry. Before Edgar Allan Poe, the common belief was that poetry should be about Truth, and that it should impart some morals. Poe disagreed, and strongly felt that poetry was not at all about passing along the Truth. Poetry should be about Beauty, and the excitementRead MoreEssay on The Death and Transfiguration of Poetry897 Words   |  4 PagesHonors September 30, 2012 The Death and Transfiguration of Poetry One of the greatest poetic minds of the 20th Century once said, â€Å"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things.† It was Solari’s chief aspiration to show this to the world. â€Å"The Death and Transfiguration of a Teacher†

Management Control in Mnc’s Free Essays

string(224) " which lets us believe that differentiation and / or integration processes are still on going; †¢ the adoption of heterogeneous organizations according to function maintains tension between integration and differentiation\." Control and organizational learning in MNCs: an analysis through the subsidiaries Abstract : For any large complex organization the problem of ensuring its constituent activity in accordance with overall policy and, at the same time adapt to its environment, is a central and continuing concern. Thus, the fundamental question which must be answered is ‘what control mechanism can facilitate the adaptation process in the local market? ’ In multinational corporations (MNCs), the control mechanism, imposed by headquarters, has an objective to integrate the subsidiaries’ activities to the global strategy. However, the presents on the local market necessitates the adaptation to the local environment characteristics. We will write a custom essay sample on Management Control in Mnc’s or any similar topic only for you Order Now The objective of this paper is to contribute solving the dilemma between control and learning in an MNC. The interaction between control and learning process will be analyzed. The literature study leads us to develop a typology based on two factors: the stage of the learning process (knowledge production and mobilization) and its locus (local or global). The combination of these two factors provides four configurations. The control system produces knowledge, both locally and globally, which can be mobilized by the local or global units. A proposition to resolve our main problem is formulated. The combinations of these four configurations make it possible for an MNC to resolve the dilemma between control and learning. An application of this typology has been carried out by analyzing case studies of MNCs operating in Indonesia. Keywords: control, organizational learning, multinational corporations, local / global 1 Introduction For many companies the process of internationalization strategy leads them to operate in many countries spread over whole continents; they are then confronted with the increasing risks related to uncertainty which rapidly developing countries present (e. g. Argentina in 2001 or Asia in 1997). The MNCs must thus deal with a great number of local heterogeneous situations, fast growth in one, crisis elsewhere, which require local adaptive apacities, but at the same time require the implementation of coordination mechanisms or effective control systems, which do not paralyse initiative and innovation. In order to define the issue of globalization, the question of integration and differentiation can be asked, as was initially developed by Lawrence and Lorsch (1967). The new element which emerges is that of the scale, that of planetary organizations. It is thus a question of answering the centralization / decentralization dilemma which is also described as a local / global dilemma. Beyond the terminologies, this traditionally structural issue has developed in a context where differentiation is at a maximum: national cultures, logistic structures, regulation, local industrial structures and, more generally, multiplicity of specificities. One of them seems worthy of interest to us, the case of a local situation which is characterized by a fundamental crisis. These situations are of particular interest for the researcher: adaptation to major upsets and the decisions taken to respond to these random upsets within a time and space period. This question can also be found in the design of the control mechanisms. Whereas the definition of Anthony (1988) lets us believe that the only purpose of management control is to implement strategy, but the reality is more complex with an explicit role of questioning that strategy (Simons, 1995). Control appears thus not only one factor of order and integration, which fights against entropy and inefficiencies, but also like a vector for learning intended to restore the effectiveness of inadapted local or global strategies. This aspect is even more relevant when the environment is strongly heterogeneous, even more so when it is changing a lot. While taking into consideration that â€Å"the suitability of the control systems to forms of learning which are sought after within the framework of the strategy ensures a certain organizational performance†, we will try to reformulate the traditional integration / differentiation dilemma in terms of control / learning interactions. This movement, this rotation, has the advantage of representing a traditional problem in a more dynamic way. After all, the question of adaptation is not so much a problem of structure as a problem of process. After having specified the subject of our analysis, the MNC, and having outlined the meanings selected of control and organizational learning, we will then describe their possible interactions in order to define an analysis grid. This grid will be tested on French companies located in Indonesia. Control / learning interactions in MNCs The denomination of an MNC covers various realities which all raise such varied problems, in particular as regards integration and differentiation. Between the global specialist which provides a more or less universal model in all the countries of the world and the transnational organization which locates its global processes according to the comparative advantage; there are major differences in terms of goals as well as means. After having assessed the various forms of organization involved in international activities and specified their dynamics, we will develop a framework of analysis of the control / learning interactions in order to propose an analysis grid. The structure of the MNC and its dynamics The diversity of MNCs has led to the proposal of various typologies. The most frequently quoted are those of Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) which distinguish global, multidomestic and transnational firms, and Heenan and Perlmutter (1979) which identify the ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric and regiocentric models. These two typologies have some common points, for example, the ethnocentric can be associated with the global firm. The typology of Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) will be used in preference to that of Heenan and Perlmutter (1979) which is more focused on the personal element. This factor remains the first lever of control but we wanted to focus on the way in which operations are organized, which will induce, inter alia, choices in the field of human resources. The configurations described by Bartlett and Ghoshal are ideal types which are seldom observed (Harzing, 2000). Organizational type Configuration of assets and competences Every MNC is faced with the integration / differentiation issue for two main reasons: †¢ organizations always show differences in relation to the standard described ideals, which lets us believe that differentiation and / or integration processes are still on going; †¢ the adoption of heterogeneous organizations according to function maintains tension between integration and differentiation. You read "Management Control in Mnc’s" in category "Management" There are strong differentiating and integrating tensions within the MNC; they are sometimes reformulated in the form of a centralization / decentralization dilemma. These same tensions are observed in the divisional company; they are at the origin of the appearance of a particular coordination mechanism, management control. The basis of this coordination mechanism is on the one hand the decentralization of responsibility and on the other hand the centralization of information. This observation indicates to us a particularly relevant analysis approach. Whereas the differentiation forces introduce into the organization a form of entropy which requires an additional control effort, the integration forces, initially motivated by the search for economies of scale, pose problems of local adaptation. Therefore, the increased learning capacities are essential in order to benefit from these economies. The idealtypic model of a transnational organization would thus be that of a company which is able to strongly centralize information, but at the same time able to inspire considerable learning faculties within its subsidiaries. An other way to appreciate the differentiation integration link is to analyse the relationship between learning and control. The need for the latter must nourish the former. A larger meaning of control Since its emergence in the 1920s at General Motors and its first definition as suggested by Anthony (1965), management control has always proved delicate to define. Nevertheless, there is a certain consensus around the second definition of Anthony (1988), who stated management control â€Å"as the process by which managers influence other members of the organization to implement the organisation’s strategies†. Analytical vision Synthetic vision The analytical vision leads us to consider control systems as a whole set of control tools or means. The synthetic vision provides varied analysis grids in terms of dimensions, goals or configurations. Whatever the approach adopted, the field of management control appears in the end to be particularly wide: there is a divergence between the organizational practices and the meaning outlined by the majority of the researchers. This is why it appears preferable to use the expressions â€Å"control† or â€Å"organizational control† which cover management control but largely exceed it. By retaining such a definition, it is not a question of defending a hegemonic vision of control but simply of underlining the need for developing a whole set of systems with coherent objectives. This coherence is necessary in order to reach its strategic objectives, which is the main aim of control, but also to induce the essential learning in order to reinforce or to question the strategy. The definition of organizational learning is quite as difficult as that of control. Organizational learning and associated concepts The literature reviews devoted to organizational learning are numerous (Koenig, 1994; Huber, 1991;Levitt and March, 1988; Fiol and Lyles, 1985). Each one proposes an individual analysis of the phenomenon. For Levitt and March (1988), â€Å"organizations learn when they code in routines, which guide the practices, of the lesson of their history†. The definition suggested by Argyris and Schon (1978) is complementary: â€Å"we learn when we detect an error and correct it. An error corresponds to a difference between what we await from an action and what occurs indeed, once the committed action. An error, it is the difference between the intention and the result obtained. We also learn when we obtain for the first time an agreement between the intention and the result†. Although Levitt and March (1988) emphasize the organizational dimension whereas Argyris and Schon insist on the individual dimension, the two reflexions indirectly agree about the recognition of distinct levels of learning. For Levitt and March (1988) referring to the work of Cyert and March (1963, pp. 123-125) and Nelson and Winter (1982, pp. 96-136), the two main categories of routine must be distinguished. In order to characterize these two categories of routines, they can be qualified as static and the dynamic ones. The static routines consist of the simple repetition of former practices whereas the dynamic routines are continually directed towards new learning. This second category is a risky process made of trial and error; these routines enable innovation and thus allow organizations to change. These two categories can be put in parallel with the two levels of learning as described by Argyris and Schon (1978): the single and the double loop learning. The first process, when a dysfunction is noted, aims at correcting it by rehabilitating the practices (single loop). The second process requires the principles which underlie the practices to be reformed in order to correct the noted dysfunction (double loop). Based on the work of Argyris and Schon (1978), Sinkula (1994) proposes a more detailed analysis by retaining seven hierarchical levels ranging from encyclopaedic knowledge (declaratory) to the deutero learning (way of producing new knowledge). Management control, in its most traditional and restrictive meaning, plays a privileged role in the learning process: its aim is to identify the deviances, the variations and to explain them in order to undertake corrective action. But is it a question here of individual or organisational learning? The question is of utmost importance even if the individual learning is the basis of the organizational learning. Learning is thus the production process of knowledge. Having defined the concepts of control and learning, their interactions can now be analyzed. Control / learning interactions The link between control and learning is frequently made (Simons, 1995; Macintosh, 1994) even if systematic analysis are still rare. This is one of the research avenues as identified by Bouquin (1999) which are all the more promising as the reporting system activities are the principal sources of knowledge (Huber 1991). Only Kloot (1997) has thoroughly investigated this interaction, even if particular consideration has to be given to the context of the empirical investigations: two Australian districts. Kloot (1997) associates control systems with phases of the learning process but she concentrates mainly on illustrating the role of control systems in generative learning, which is the only way of facing the changing environment. Control systems as varied as appropriate accounting information, performance evaluation systems or a quality improvement program all appear to enable generative learning. These observations confirm those of Simons (1995): that organizations, in general, have an interactive control system which, through debate and dialogue, must enable the emergence of new ideas and new strategies. Simons (1995, p. 106) evokes double loop learning for the interactive systems whereas the diagnosis control systems do not generate single loop learning. Nevertheless, there is a contradiction between the two approaches. Kloot (1997) identifies within the two districts, multiple control systems which enable a higher level whereas learning according to Simons (1995 ), organizations should only have one interactive system. One can envisage two explanations which are more complementary than exclusive: either the identified learning is not of a higher level, or the districts observed are undergoing a crisis period so that they use all their diagnostic control systems in an interactive way. However, the learning process can not only be limited to the sole acquisition of knowledge. Thus, Huber (1991) described this process through the following phases: acquisition of knowledge, distribution of information, interpretation of information and organisational memory. The interest of this division lies in the variety of locus of these phases. Acquisition can be dispersed or on the contrary concentrated in specific services, distribution can be spontaneous or planned, interpretation specialized or generalized and the memory can be distributed or centralized, thus producing a great number of possible configurations. Without exploring all of them one is able to notice that a control can be carried out with each phase. It thus channels the knowledge production process and in return also mobilizes it. knowledge and control: If control is described as a vector of learning (knowledge production), it should also be noted that, in order to have a global vision of the interactions, control systems also mobilize knowledge. This last point will not be developed1 just like the influence of strategic orientations on the types knowledge produced. It is possible to think that the prospectors, such as they are defined by Miles and Snow (1978), will seek to induce more generative knowledge whereas the defenders will privilege more adaptive learning. According to the strategy, the control systems process different types of data. The control mechanisms thus appear as a privileged means of organisational learning, in particular from the point of view where organisational learning is considered as the transformation of individual knowledge into organisational knowledge. The vision of organisational learning as a process which was developed by Crossan et al. 1999) break the learning up into four phases (intuition, interpretation, integration and institutionalization) and associate them to three observation levels. This enables the transformation conditions to be specified. It is first of all advisable to outline that Crossan et al. are interested in strategic change whereas we are interested in all types of learning or knowledge, fro m the most factual to the most elaborate . To resume again with the terminology suitable for international management, institutionalization can be local as well as global. Incremental learning can also lead to local and global change; the same is true for radical learning. It is in the phases of interpretation and integration that the control systems play a major part in the transformation of individual learning into organisational learning. We will not talk about the intuition phase which is basically individual, or the institutionalization phase which consists of using produced knowledge2. During the interpretation phase, the individual, through language, names things and starts to explain what was only feelings, foreboding or sensations. When interpretation moves from the individual to the group, it becomes integration. It is through the permanent exchanges between the members of a community and through shared practices that shared interpretations or the collective conscience develop. The financial indicators illustrate this process. The operations managers generally start by interpreting only the consequences of his actions (intuition followed interpretation). Analysis grid proposal The analysis of control/organisational learning interactions reveals two phases of the same process: knowledge production and mobilization. Vis-a-vis the great diversity of knowledge produced, as illustrated by the typology of Sinkula (1994), it is essential to specify the range the learning. In the case of the MNC, the characterisation of the scope of the learning can be made by analysing the learning locus. Does it relate to a local or global scale? Does it occur in an operational unit or in a central body? By associating the process phase (production / mobilization) and its localization (local / global), four cases thus appear. They correspond to four major types of interaction, which bring out four forms of learning induced by the control tools. The terminology adopted in this typology is more than metaphorical: Knowledge mobilization Global Box 1: The media model ERP, CRM and SCM The integration of information systems enables global knowledge to be produced and circulated, erasing any local specificities, which will be mobilized in the same way. Knowledge is mediatized by technology. Box 2: The initiatory model Studies carried out by head office Studies carried out by head office (global production) are circulated to all the subsidiaries. Each one interprets them to its own local situation. Global knowledge is adapted. Knowledge production by the control system Local Box 3: The evangelist model Identification of best practices The development process of a product used by a subsidiary (local production) is used by all subsidiaries (global mobilization). The best practice, once identified, will be the good word spread through out the organization. Box 4: The epidemic model Benchmarking Exchanges between subsidiary managers, within a benchmarking process, could mean that a locally eveloped practice could be used elsewhere, but always in a local context. Contagious circulation could be more or less widespread. Analysis grid for control/ learning interactions Let us describe these four situations by means of some examples. During a monthly meeting between a manager and his subordinates, a performance follow-up system makes it possible to identify an interesting management practice (local production). This knowledge can be mobilized locally through interpersonal exchanges (box 4, benchmarking being another illustration) or globally if the practice is formalized and circulated throughout the organization (box 3, the ideas box is another example). By processing information from databases, an analyst based at head office will be able to identify a good practice (global production). If these conclusions lead to the formalization of a new management process, the mobilization will be global (box 1, example of a new procedure). If its conclusions are merely available, only the interested people will interpret them and use them freely; the mobilization will be local (box 2). To emphasize the link between the place where the knowledge is produced and that of its mobilization gives the control systems a logistical viewpoint, how then does the control reach its targets? Learning in general, is not limited to the production of knowledge; it is also a way of transmitting that knowledge. The substance of our typology can be found in this dual observation. The â€Å"controlled learning† can thus be defined as the effort made when applying the resulting knowledge and therefore intended to make organisational control effective. The four highlighted forms address this problem very precisely. The media model is also that of the mass media (corporate communication) as well as that of individualized media. It is also that of propaganda, of Utopia which makes us think that a small group can produce a single mental framework, circulated by means of communication technology, thus mediatizing the message. The initiatory model is characterized by two attributes: it can be secret but more often discrete and specific to the person addressed. Discretion guarantees its specificity. In this model, the head office which produces knowledge circulates in a general and ritualized way, by adapting its application to local situations. The main aim of ritualization is to obtain commitment from the receiver. The evangelist model is based on the gospel truth, which solves the problem of circulating a general message by a minority or marginal employee of a message with universal vocation. In extreme cases, one could speak about prophecy. At the heart of the evangelist model one can find the problem of conversion. Finally the epidemiologic model corresponds to a kind of organized anarchy, a network model, without any center or aim, is built through a dynamic of individuals and thoughts. Is there an ideal type? Are some types more adapted than others to certain situations? At this stage of the analysis it is still difficult to decide. It is probably the combination of these four types of mechanism which increases the chances of succeeding internationally by exceeding the local/global or integration/differentiation dilemma. The purpose of empirical study is to further appreciate the relevance of this analysis grid by seeing it in action. Methodology The complexity of the phenomena studied as well as the exploratory character of this research justify the choice of a qualitative method. One must defend the right level of analysis. By asking the classical question concerning the link between differentiation and integration or, in a more dynamic way, the interactions between control systems and learning process, the favoured observation point is the subsidiary. From a strategic point of view, the question is not so much that of choosing a structure than that of the capacity of managing in a way which is adapted to each local unit. These factors are enough to justify the level of analysis but do not take into account the interest of the case which we are studying with the precise aim of testing our analysis grid. It was necessary to find a critical situation in which the need for adaptation was increased by the specific nature and dramatization of local conditions. Indonesia was very recently one of those environments which best met our methodological requirements. The contingencies enabled a multiple yet quite informed examination. These contingencies have their limits, they bare subjectivity. We will have controlled them through different circuits. The managers of six subsidiaries of the largest French groups setup in Indonesia were met by the members of a bicultural research team made up of two Indonesian and two French researchers. In all cases one of the team members spoke the mother tongue of the managers. We met other local members of staff who provided us which additional information. The interviews lasted between 2 to 4 hours. In five cases out of six, more than two interviews were carried out. An information retrieval made it possible for us to prepare and complete the information collected. In all cases, the interviews took place on site, and were accompanied by site visits. They were supplemented by other meetings at the Franco-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, within the economic development department and from among other Indonesian colleagues and specialists. Indonesia is the fourth most populated country in the world with 220 million inhabitants. The country began to climb out of the 1997 crisis which affected the all of South-East Asia. Although it is very rich in natural resources (oil, natural gas, tin†¦ ) and very vast (1. 8 million square kilometres), in 2002 the primary sector only represented 17% of the GDP as compared with 44% the secondary sector and 39% for the tertiary sector. The year 2002 is the period of study, i. e. during the period immediately after the fall of Suharto, after the social, political and economic shock. This was a period during which the companies interviewed had no clear general direction. The interviews carried out were general. They concerned three main topics: the description of the Indonesian subsidiary, the manager experience and the relations with the group. During these meetings, we gave greater importance to the facts while being very conscious of the limits of such an approach: the crisis situation encouraged the managers to rethink the facts or modify their interpretation in order find some sort of coherence. We sought to identify the actions and the reasons which caused them. The actions seemed to us to be more important than the mental framework. The limits of this test lie in the difficulty of separating the actions from their intentions. Complex coordination mechanisms Given the impact of the strategic orientations on the types of learning, the six cases were split into three groups which are characterized by the combination of two criteria: the degree of the firm’s involvement in Indonesia, and the level of centralized or decentralized control. The degree of involvement is characterized by the level of the investment and assets; the centralized nature can be evaluated by the number of expatriates, the share of the capital controlled and the reporting characteristics. This classification is more down to the researchers than the application of strict criteria. It outlines an analysis in terms of strategic groups, from the nature of the criteria used, but also in the way they describe of homogeneous configurations. This aspect will not be developed. This split only has a methodological aim: to compare control and learning systems by partially controlling the data through the strategies which generate them. The first two companies which correspond to the first group, are characterized by (1) minimal involvement, the following two (2) through a relative immersion in the culture and the economy of the country linked to a large-scale involvement and by the autonomy given to the local unit, and (3) global piloting is the last involvement strategy identified, as it implies a large-scale investment, but with global piloting. Let us remember that all the companies observed are in a similar situation: they are confronted by a country with an attractive market but whose political uncertainties induce risks which strongly influence the entry strategies. Minimal involvement The potential of the Indonesian market is arousing a lot of interest. The first to enter this market could take a decisive lead. Any lost time could only be made up for by paying the full price later on; the preemption market strategy is thus a reasonable one. However, all the companies do not have the necessary financial resources to tap the market or wish to reduce the risk; they thus minimize their investments, while ensuring a presence on the market. Two cases corresponding to this situation were studied. The way in which involvement is minimized is very different in both cases: an alliance in the first case and a commercial presence in the second case. The common point between these two cases is that the local entity is used as place for learning, for experimentation and for observation. One could wonder whether the law rate of involvement does not simply reflect the intention to learn. Giving up immediate profits is the corollary of the hope of substantial profits in the medium/long term. EXAMPLE: PT Bank BNP Paribas Indonesia began its operations in Indonesia in November 1989 under the name of PT Bank BNP Lippo Indonesia. This was a joint venture between the BNP group and the Lippo Indonesia group, one of largest Indonesian conglomerates. Up until February 2000, the distribution of the capital was split between the BNP group with 70% and Indonesian partner with 30%. In October 2000, following the merger between BNP and Paribas, this joint venture became Pt. BNP Paribas Indonesia. For the Lippo Group, the co-operation with BNP Paribas was the result of its strategic development plan in the financial business through an alliance with an organization of worldwide reputation. However, the drop in business after the 1997 crisis led BNP Paribas to increase its share to 100%. PT BNP Paribas Indonesia provides corporate banking services for large Indonesia companies and MNCs. That means that BNP Paribas does not have a retail activity on the Indonesian market, which would be very heavy in terms of investment. The presence of BNP Paribas in Indonesia can be justified by its will to accompany its traditional clients, the MNCs, on the majority of their markets. It is also a question of eing present on a market which could experience strong growth. Thus, BNP Paribas is preceding its clients when they decide to enter the Indonesian market. The weak presence of the competition frequently puts BNP Paribas in a position of being the only key player, hich enables it to demonstrate its know-how and which can help it to grow on other markets. The interest of this strategy is further intensified by the fact that BNP Paribas represents other banks in Indonesia. The manager of the subsidiary carries out the daily management operations. The strategic decisions are taken after consultation with the regional office based in Singapore. Many operations are carried out using the regional SOP (standard operation procedure) or logistics platforms. As with every corporate bank, PT. BNP Paribas Indonesia uses strict procedures in terms of credit granting. For these decisions, the senior banker who is located in Paris or New York plays a determining role; he ensures the follow-up of major worldwide account portfolio. In other words, the manager of the Indonesian subsidiary is the nterface with the client (large Indonesian companies or MNC subsidiaries) but also with the market to make the regional office aware of business opportunities. Immersion Whereas the two preceding case is characterized by a will to minimize investment in Indonesia, the following case can be distinguished by the amount of heavy investment. From these two cases, it is articularly hard to generalize, but the local managers appeared to us to be very receptive to the local culture. The two managers interviewed have few contacts with the French expatriate community This situation is also the result of the plant location of these groups which are not present in the center of the Indonesian capital, but rather symbolic located on industrial parks in the suburbs of this large city. Another common point, lies in the large amount of autonomy in decision making and action taking at the subsidiary. The control mechanisms which have been developed are particularly complex; they illustrate perfectly the local / global dilemma. 4 Case n °3 : Aqua, a subsidiary of Danone This agro-food company has invested heavily in Indonesia by taking a majority share in a family company with more than 7. 000 employees. The family was unable to finance its large industrial investment projects. However, the transition was carried out carefully, over several years, with the objective of completely taking over the Indonesian company. The local manager shows the group culture: after 4 months of presence, he speaks to its teams in ndonesian. The manager is the only expatriate; the other managers are Indonesian and mainly trained in the United States or in Australia. The company also benefits from support functions in finance, marketing and human resources, called â€Å"task forces†, all based in Singapore. Every month, one of these teams plays a consulting role. As concerns technology, the local managers are kept directly informed; indeed, the law wage costs bring about very different problems from those encountered elsewhere. Generally speaking, there are few procedures. The group values are internalised, except communication which has to meet the group’s standards. Besides the geographic mobility of the few foreign managers, training is one of the main vehicles for spreading culture. This is only â€Å"in-house training† according to their specificity, which is organized in Asia or in Paris. One is tempted to conclude that control is based on values, ways of thinking, enabling the company to adapt locally with complete freedom. It can be noted that the Singapore regional coordination ensures the group’s presence even if it is only temporary, minimal and specific. The subsidiary is responsible for its financial performance, but the group influences the marketing methods, technologies and finance through a close but discrete piloting. Global piloting The last two subsidiaries studied have one main feature: they both â€Å"undergo† strict control from their head offices. The difference being from the two previous cases is that these companies are based in the Jakarta business district, completely immersed in a cosmopolitan culture. They are characterized by the large presence of expatriates and various and numerous contacts with the Parisian headquarters. Case synthesis and discussion The observations carried out reveal three recurring factors: the presence of French expatriates, the existence of an intermediary level between the parent company and the Indonesian subsidiary and the misuse of the joint venture. The French expatriate manager often represents the first lever of control. This observation must however be balanced: there are other mechanisms highlighted in the case presentations and there is also bias in the case selection. The French expatriate manager is happy to share his experience which, for the researcher, facilitates the exchanges a lot. It is a means for them to break with a certain form of nsulation. However, when reading the directory of French companies located in Indonesia, one can see that usually the manager is French. The proposed theoretical framework was based on the local / global distinction whereas the reality appears to be more complex with the existence of a quasi-systematic regional direction. A buffer seems necessary either to apply decisions or to support local initiatives. The Asian office is often located in ingapore or Bangkok but sometimes in Paris. The office generally has few means; it is a country manager who frequently carries out this coordination role. The analysis of the role of this level would in itself be a research subject. Finally, the joint venture is often presented as a privileged way to enter an unknown market. This type of governance would make it possible to spread the risk and take advantage of the local partner’s market knowledge. This is what we observed for only one of our six cases. In the other cases, the co-operation is only an administrative constraint which should imperatively be respected in order to obtain authorization to invest in Indonesia. One of the limits of this type of organization is that it makes us believe that development opportunities can only be seized with a minimum of involvement hereas a strong implication is essential to overcome the real cultural barriers. For example, how can one imagine working with a partner who always says â€Å"yes† or more precisely never dares to say â€Å"no†? Having raised these recurrent facts, it is now interesting to present a synthesis of the control mechanisms observed by classifying them according to the proposed a nalysis grid A first striking fact is the difficulty to observe mechanisms enabling the global circulation of local learning, except in the case global piloting strategies (case 5 and 6, L’Oreal and Total). The fact that these mechanisms are not emphasized does not mean that they do not exist. The two cases are in particular engineers who go back to France presumably with bags of local knowledge thus contributing without doubt to the constitution of a more global knowledge. In the other case, his type of knowledge is circulated through interaction between the local manager and his international business manager in Paris. In both cases, one can witness the role of a local information agent. The similarity between the two cases is to be found in the media learning models which move from the center to the periphery and which make up a form of group culture, including sophisticated reporting systems, as well as a specialized structure for international business. The tools which make it possible to produce and mobilize global knowledge (box 1), in accordance with the global corporate model, are mainly not that suprising: it concerns information systems and communication strategy. When products need to be adapted to a market, apart from communication, RD centralization is a powerful control lever. An original tool has been identified with the case of the senior banker who can make us think of operational form of matrix structure. For the two global piloting cases (L’Oreal and Total) one can see the emergence of a configuration which is based on linking a media learning model (where the center lights up intensely the whole of its empire) and of an evangelist model, limited in range, which would seem to balance the other model. At this stage of the research, one could formulate the idea of a relation between these two models: the first would arouse the second, the latter being finally the control of the control. If the amount of investment justifies uniform knowledge, the weaknesses of the imperial model could be corrected by inoculation in the center of the organization coming from the periphery and brought about by the channel of conviction and personal experience from among the expatriate executives who were then repatriated. One observed the tools enabling organizations to capitalize from learning which is only produced and mobilized locally (box 4, the epidemic model). That mainly concerns cases 1 and 2 (Sanofi and BNP Paribas). It can be explained by the careful strategies of these firms and their limited involvement. The subsidiaries would be laboratories where one tries to adapt and control the local conditions for a possible expansion on a regional level. There is therefore a balance between the epidemic model and the media model which takes on the form of centralizing some knowledge which is mainly related to the technology of the product or service. This learning configuration thus enable a certain acclimatization, if possible, of a core competence and letting local learning processes adapt them. It has been noted that some tools producing global knowledge which will be differently mobilized from one country to an other: training, international experts and tasks forces (which only have an advisory role and distinguishing them from the senior banker). At first sight, we could have thought that these tools would not be widespread; that is not the case. Some of the tools observed are used in different ways. This is the case with corporate culture (box 1 or 2) or expatriates (box 1 or 4). A strong culture can lead to homogeneous behaviour at a global level (Total). However, when the respect for and the adaptation to local cultures are key values (Danone and Air Liquide), the culture brings about different behaviour according to the context. These two last cases are characterized by an initiatory learning model which is based on important information, expertise and training, but leaves the subsidiaries with a strong amount of autonomy. These companies core competences (technology, brand, markets knowledge†¦) could be circulated gently and unintentionally with support from the regional offices as concerns the cultural implications. This is backed up by a second occurrence: the need to adapt locally leads to the organization of learning around a central point made up of a local manager and his regional alter ego. Let us note that it is in these two cases that one observes the lowest number of expatriates and in some cases totally absent. These few cases not only illustrate the different types of control mechanisms used but also the variety of their uses. Two main results emerge. The first one is the identification of three learning configurations linked to the control systems. The first includes two flows, one based on the media model which is balanced by an other flow from an evangelist model. The second one is also based around a media model and uses local support through an epidemic mode. The third one which is also based on a media model which guarantees the group values, is organized around tension between an epidemic and an initiatory model. The first one ensures a certain homogeneity of initiatives and the second one the adaptation and the suitability. Conclusion The proposed analysis grid concerning the interactions control / learning which are based on the phases of the learning process (production and knowledge mobilization) and its locus (local / global) has been developed to study parent company / subsidiary relations. Numerous control tools which can be used in different ways have been observed; tools enabling the control / innovation or integration / differentiation dilemma to be overcome, to broaden its dynamic perspective and to provide deeper analysis of the adaptive process. This grid which was used during the observation period, even though superficial, has finally provided positive results. It reveals learning structures and takes into account their internal and external coherences. It appears to be relevant. One needs, of course, through further in-depth case studies, to test the validity of those three configurations which have been identified. Finally, since we are limited to examine the learning produced by the control system, it would be suitable to examine the relevance of this grid in relation to other sources of knowledge (i. . : dealings with the suppliers and customers, market research†¦ ). These results will necessarily be confirmed through further investigations. The perception of headquarters would be very enriching. One could also contemplate making some comparisons with the practices of American, British, Japanese or German companies. The interviewees have often underlined the differences that exist in practices between their group and their main competitors. It would appear that in terms of international management there exists a French exception. As far as the expert are concerned, the analysis grid represents a diagnostic tool which enables control system weaknesses or further action levers to be identified, to understand further the general configuration of relations between the parent company/ subsidiary and also the general coherence of adaptive mechanisms. It is finally possible to envisage using this grid to analyze other control situations. If we have chosen to work from the specific point of an international management problem, the suggested model could also be applied to other issues, provided that we take are taking into account a question of suitability between local and global learning and that there is a central link between this two points. We should also consider that organizational control systems play a key role in the acquisition, circulation, memorization and use of organizational knowledge. How to cite Management Control in Mnc’s, Essays

Exile And Illusion In Araby Essay Example For Students

Exile And Illusion In Araby Essay In â€Å"Araby† James Joyce portrays his childhood as a dark, hopeless and poverty stricken one. Which would lead one to believe that this was how Joyce himself grew up, which is somewhat true. In fact Joyce was born into a fairly prosperous family of Irish merchants, although like all Irish Catholics of the time, â€Å"the Joyces inherited a tradition of legal and cultural repression. †(Bloom) As time wore on the Anglo-Irish aristocracy took its toll on his family’s wealth taking away all of his fathers land as well as his career. This slide in social standing seemed to have discouraged Joyce’s creativity, as symbolized in his short story â€Å"Araby†. Joyce believed he was a victim of circumstance, and saw his Irish homeland as a prison because of that circumstance. Joyce ’s creativity was discouraged in a few different ways, we will examine the two major culprits, the church and religious symbolism, as well as the social restrictions he had to contend with. First let us discuss the religious symbolism implied throughout the story. In the opening paragraphs Joyce talks about the Priest whom had died where the narrator himself now lives. The home where the narrator had found a smut book, as well as the Priest’s will and paperwork of charitable contributions, since when does a Priest make enough money to have an extensive will, wonders the narrator? I also believe the Araby bazaar was a symbol of the church as Cleanth Brooks stated â€Å"The quest for the father, for the church, has been thwarted by reality. The bazaar turns out to be just as cold, as dark, and as man-made as the gloomy house of the dead priest on his own street. †(Fitzgerald) The dreary and sordid life Joyce recollects, does not only comes from his religious disappointments but also from his social shortcomings as well. Joyce felt that he was a marginal man, a victim of circumstances. The Anglo-Irish aristocracy as stated earlier took his family from well off, to poverty in the matter of a few years. Joyce in the story tells of this extreme poverty through his usage of negative words or phrases. He tells of â€Å"an uninhabited house of two storeys that stood at the blind end of his street. †(Paragraph 1) Or when he refers to the decaying neighborhood and the â€Å"dark dripping gardens where odorous arose from the asphits. †(Paragraph 3) These circumstances and disappointments characterize Joyce’s feelings of imprisonment within his homeland. Later on in life Joyce fled Ireland for other European countries where his creativity prospered and Joyce lived a rather fulfilling life as a writer and poet.

Pinocchio Essay Example

Pinocchio Essay Pick out the meaning of the words in bold print. 1. The furniture could not have been much simpler: a very old chair, a rickety old bed, and a tumble-down table. A. messyC. fragile B. shakyD. broken-down 2. When his legs were limbered up, Pinocchio started walking by himself and ran all around the room. C. stretchedC. flexible D. raisedD. bent 3. His two wooden feet were making as much noise as twenty peasants in wooden shoes. E. noblesC. aristocrats F. farmersD. carpenters 4. Geppetto looked like a good man but with boys he was a real tyrant. G. bullyC. tormenter H. leaderD. uddy 5. The Carabineer ended matters by setting Pinocchio at liberty and dragging Geppetto to prison. I. outsideC. on hold J. freedomD. close at hand 6. You will grow into a perfect donkey and that youll be the laughingstock of everyone. K. idolC. topic L. jokeD. flattery 7. But the Cricket instead of being offended at Pinocchios impudence, continued in the same tone. M. disrespectC. rudeness N. impatienceD. tim idity WORD STUDY Identify the figurative language used in each sentence. 1. He quickly peeled off the bark and shaped the wood. But as he was about to give it the first blow he heard a voice say: Please be careful!Do not hit me so hard! A. simileC. hyperbole B. metaphorD. personification 2. Pinocchio ran in leaps and bounds, his two wooden feet making as much noise as twenty peasants in wooden shoes. C. simileC. hyperbole D. metaphorD. personification 3. Stop laughing, I say! he roared in a voice of thunder. The mouth stopped laughing, but it stuck out a long tongue. E. simileC. hyperbole F. metaphorD. personification COMPREHENSION Select the correct answer about the chapters read. 1. Master Antonio was called Master Cherry because ________. A. he loved eating cherries. B. he had a lot of cherry trees at home.C. his nose was like a ripe cherry. D. his complete name was Antonio Cherry. 2. When Master Cherry first started to use the axe on the piece of wood, he heard a far-away litt le voice that cried ___________. E. Oh, oh! You hurt! F. Stop it! Oh, stop it! Ha, ha, ha! † G. â€Å"Ha, ha, ha! You tickle my stomach. H. Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard! 3. When frightened, Master Cherry encouraged himself by ___________. I. playing loud music J. singing a gay song K. lighting the whole place up L. dancing to his favorite steps 4. The nickname Polendina was given to Geppetto because __________.M. he had a corn farm N. he always wore yellow clothes O. his complete name is Geppetto Polendina P. the wig he always wore was like the color of yellow corn 5. Geppetto’s reaction when people called him Polendina: Q. He started to feel lonesome. R. He looked embarrassed and hurt. S. He become as wild as a beast. T. He gave the people his warmest smile. 6. When Master Cherry gave Geppetto the piece of wood, ___________. U. they gave each other a sound thrashing V. he purposely dropped it to hit Geppettos thin legs W. it slipped out of his hands and hit Geppettos thin legs X. hey shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives 7. The best description for Geppetto’s house: Y. The furniture was antique and expensive Z. It was an empty room on the ground floor [. The house was little but it was neat and comfortable . There was a fireplace full of burning logs on the wall 8. As soon as he got home, Geppetto ______________. ]. waited for the wood to talk ^. started cutting the wood like fireplace logs _. took his tools and the wood to a carpenter `. began to cut and shape the wood into a marionette 9. When Geppetto carved the nose of the puppet, ______________. a. t became so long, it seemed endless b. it looked like the ones of Master Cherry c. it stretched and stretched and hit the wall d. it started smelling food and became so hungry 10. After Geppetto carved the hands, the puppet ______________. e. grabbed his yellow wig f. threw away all of his tools g. started clapping out of joy h. slapped his fac e because it lacked control 11. Geppetto decided to name the puppet ____________. i. PinocchiB. PinocchioC. Pinocchia D. Pinnocchoo 12. Geppetto was taken to prison because ______________. j. he denied the puppet its freedom k. the policeman thought he was going crazy . the people accused him of hurting the puppet m. others believed his witchcraft because he made a talking puppet GRAMMAR Pick out the adverb in each sentence. 1. He grabbed the log with both hands and started to knock it about unmercifully. A. grabbedC. about B. both handsD. unmercifully 2. He waited briefly for the tiny voice to moan and cry but heard nothing. C. brieflyC. moan D. tiny voiceD. but 3. Geppetto set seriously to work to make the hair, the forehead, and the eyes. E. to makeC. to work F. seriouslyD. set POST READING WORKSHEET CHAPTERS 4-7 VOCABULARY Pick out the meaning of the words in bold print. 1.A boys appetite grows very fast and in a few moments the queer, empty feeling had become hunger. A. weirdC. typical B. funnyD. questionable 2. His stomach kept grumbling more than ever and he had nothing to quiet it with. C. worryingC. moaning D. soundingD. complaining 3. The hunger grew bigger and bigger, until soon he was as ravenous as a bear. E. greedyC. starving F. restlessD. ferocious 4. Having your pears peeled shows how dainty you are. G. niceC. lovely H. fragileD. elegant 5. Let us not be fussy about the food we eat. I. pickyC. cautious J. criticalD. demanding 6. We must accustom ourselves to eat of everything.K. agreeC. compose L. forceD. get used to 7. Pinocchio had eaten the three pears, or rather devoured them. M. nibbledC. absorbed N. swallowedD. gnawed WORD STUDY Pick out the correct spelling. 1. The Cricket was a wise old _______________. A. pilosoperC. philosoper B. pilosopherD. philosopher 2. Geppetto returns home and gives his own breakfast to the _______________. C. MarioneteC. Marionnette D. MarionetteD. Marrionnette 3. It thundered, and bright flashes of ___________ ____ now and again shot across the sky, turning it into a sea of fire. E. lightningC. lightening F. lightnhingD. enlighteningCOMPREHENSION Pick out the correct answer about the chapters read. 1. While Geppetto was being taken to prison, Pinocchio ___________. A. cried out for help. B. ran off as fast as he could. C. slowly walked out of the scene. D. protected him from the policeman. 2. The following is a fact about the Talking Cricket: E. He was more than one hundred years old. F. He was a young, wise, and brave philosopher. G. He got killed because Pinocchio stepped on him. H. He deserved to die because of his cruelty. 3. The Talking Cricket told Pinocchio that: I. Pinocchio was a Marionette with a wooden head. J. oys who do not go to school end up in the hospital or prison. K. boys who disobey their parents will be very sorry when they get old. L. Pinocchio will grow into a perfect donkey and he will be the joke of everyone. 4. Pinocchio told the Talking Cricket he was going to r un away because he ____________. M. refuses to obey his father N. hates to go to school and study O. likes to live like any other normal boy P. loves to chase butterflies, climb trees, and steal birds’ nests 5. The only trade in the world that took Pinocchio’s fancy: Q. Going to school and studying. R. Eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, and wandering all day. S.Chasing after butterflies, climbing trees, and stealing birds nests. T. Leaping over brambles and bushes, and across brooks and ponds. 6. The following is an opinion about the Talking Cricket’s death: U. The Talking Cricket fell from the wall, dead. V. The Talking Cricket was extremely mean to Pinocchio and he killed him. W. Pinocchio took a hammer and threw it with all his strength at the Talking Cricket. X. The Marionette did not think that the hammer would hit the Talking Cricket. 7. The main idea of Chapter 5: Y. Omelets can fly out the windows. Z. Pinocchio was one hungry marionette. [. Pinocchio c annot survive on his own. . The consequence of Pinocchio’s act against the Talking Cricket 8. 9. Pinocchio hated the dark street, but he was so hungry that, in spite of it, he ran out of the house. The night was pitch black. It thundered and bright flashes of lightning now and again shot across the sky turning it into a sea of fire. An angry wind blew cold and raised dense clouds of dust while the trees shook and moaned in a weird way. | The mood suggested in the paragraph above: ]. terrifyingB. shockingC. surprisingD. suffering 9. Pinocchio would not open the door because ______________. ^. the cat ate Pinocchio’s feet _. his legs were burnt and gone . Pinocchio was pretending that he cannot walk a. he did not want Geppetto to come near him 10. Geppetto’s first reaction when he saw Pinocchio’s burnt feet: b. He felt very sad and sorrowful. c. He consoled him and talked to him while crying. d. He gave him a sound whipping when he got in. e. He felt sorry for him and pulled three pears out of his pocket. 11. â€Å" you should not be so refined and fastidious about your food. My dear boy, we never know what might happen to us †| The line above means that we should ______________. f. eat our food quickly but cleanly g. be thankful for every food we have h. njoy eating whatever food we have i. not be too selective on the food we eat GRAMMAR Pick out the preposition in each sentence. 1. Pinocchio turned and saw a large cricket crawling slowly up the wall. A. largeC. slowly B. cricketD. up 2. Poor Pinocchio ran to the fireplace where the pot was boiling. C. poorC. where D. to D. fireplace 3. He ran about the room in search of a piece of bread. A. aboutC. piece B. searchD. bread POST READING WORKSHEET CHAPTERS 8-11 VOCABULARY Pick out the meaning of the words in bold print. 1. In less than an hour the feet were finished, two slender, nimble little feet, strong and quick.A. slowC. clumsy B. bouncyD. energetic 2. When poverty shows it self, even mischievous boys understand what it means. C. naughtyC. harmful D. obedientD. behaved 3. It is a nuisance that I have to go to school! E. troubleC. dangerus F. discomfortD. hindrance 4. The theatre was full of people, enjoying the spectacle and laughing till they cried. G. eventC. parade H. presentationD. performance 5. The antics of the two Marionettes brought joy to the audience. I. pranksC. liveliness J. funny actsD. jokes 6. At the unexpected apparition, no one dared even to breathe. K. spiritC. illusion L. visionD. nightmare 7.Pinocchio ran to him, scurrying like a squirrel. M. flyingC. rushing N. creepingD. fumbling WORD STUDY Identify the base word of the words in bold print. 1. When poverty shows itself, even mischievous boys understand what it means. A. chiefC. mischief B. misD. mischieve 2. On hearing himself addressed as your Excellency, the Director of the Marionette Theater sat up very straight in his chair. C. excelC. cell D. excellentD. excellence 3. He str oked his long beard, suddenly becoming kind and compassionate. A. passionC. passionate B. compassD. compassion COMPREHENSION Select the correct answer about the chapters read. . The effect of Geppetto’s diligent work in making Pinocchio’s new feet: A. Pinocchio needed an A-B-C book. B. Pinocchio looked like a gentleman. C. Pinocchio needed a suit of clothes. D. Pinocchio promised to go to school. 2. The kind of father Geppetto was in Chapter 8: E. A father with a soft heart. F. A father with eyes filled with tears. G. A father who gave punishment for mischief. H. A father who did everything to make his son happy. 3. As he talked to himself, he thought he heard sounds of pipes and drums coming from a distance: pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi. . . zum, zum, zum, zum. He stopped to listen. The tone of the paragraph: I. curiousityB. excitementC. adventureD. puzzle 4. This was written in letters of fire. J. Great Marionette Act K. Great Marionette Show L. Great Marionette Theater M. Grea t Marionette Performance 5. Pinocchio’s first statement to the boy in order to get in: N. What about my hat? O. Do you want to buy my shoes? P. For the price of four pennies, Ill sell you my coat. Q. Will you give me four pennies until tomorrow? 6. The performance which opened with two marionettes: R. Pinocchio and Harlequin S. Harlequin and Pulcinella T. Pulcinella and Signora Rosaura U.Signora Rosaura and Pinocchio 7. He had such a fearful appearance that one look at him would fill you with horror. V. SignoraB. Fire EaterC. HarlequinD. Pulcinella 8. The proverb illustrated in Chapter 10: W. No man is an island. X. Curiosity killed a cat. Y. There’s no place like home. Z. Two wrongs dont make a right. 9. 10. Bring that Marionette to me! He looks as if he were made of well seasoned wood. Hell make a fine fire for this spit. | Based on the paragraph, we can infer that ______________. A. Pinocchio will light a fire B. Pinocchio will burn to death C. Pinocchio will be mad e into a log D.Pinocchio will be made seasoning to a meal 10. Fire Eater’s sneezing meant that A. he was about to weep B. he was sorry for someone C. he felt sad and sorrowful D. he forgave whoever frustrated him 11. The theme for Chapter 11: [. justiceB. heroismC. honestyD. friendship 12. The event that happened last: A. All the Marionettes and the officers cried like babies. B. Pinocchio begged for mercy for his poor friend, Harlequin. C. Fire Eater ordered Harlequin to be tied and thrown to the fire. D. Pinocchio stood up and asked the officers to throw him to the flames. GRAMMAR Pick out the pronoun in each sentence. 1.Geppetto made Pinocchio a new pair of feet and sold his coat to buy an A-B-C book. A. aC. and B. toD. his 2. The Marionettes recognized their brother and greeted Pinocchio with loud cheers. C. theC. and D. theirD. with 3. The Marionettes ran to the stage and they danced and sang till dawn. E. toC. they F. theD. and POST READING WORKSHEET CHAPTERS 12-15 VOCA BULARY Pick out the meaning of the words in bold print. 1. Pinocchio noticed a tiny insect glimmering on the trunk of a tree. A. hidingC. blinking B. sparklingD. dancing 2. â€Å"Do not listen to them as they are either fools or swindlers! † C. snatchersC. impostors D. thievesD. enemies . â€Å"Wait, young man, well get it from you in a twinkling! † E. instantC. sparkling F. momentD. glimmering 4. There were the two somber figures still following him. G. sadC. hazy H. darkD. eerie 5. Their black sacks were drenched and dripping with water. I. filledC. soaked J. stretchedD. punctured 6. She had azure hair and a face white as wax. K. curlyC. short L. blueD. stiff 7. He trembled so hard that the joints of his legs rattled and the coins tinkled under his tongue. M. sprainedC. stiff N. shookD. long WORD STUDY Select the antonym of the word in bold print. 1. Good morning, Pinocchio, said the Fox, greeting him courteously.A. rudelyC. sincerely B. cordiallyD. courageously 2. A t the cheerful tinkle of the gold, the Fox unconsciously held out his paw that was supposed to be lame. C. habituallyC. thoughtlessly D. carelesslyD. intentionally 3. They pulled him unmercifully from side to side in order to make him open his mouth. E. gentlyC. heartlessly F. brutallyD. generously COMPREHENSION Answer the following about the chapters read. 1. The kind of boy Pinocchio was in Chapter 12: A. naiveB. helpfulC. loving D. immature 2. Do you want to double your gold pieces? The tone of the line is: B. curiosityB. fascinationC. persuasionD. interest 3.The following is an opinion about the Fox and the Cat: C. The two were walking together like two good friends. D. They tricked Pinocchio to take advantage of his gold pieces. E. They promised Pinocchio he will have twenty-five hundred gold pieces. F. The lame Fox leaned on the Cat and the blind Cat let the Fox lead him along. 4. The place to bury a gold piece to become a tree loaded with gold pieces: G. Dame Fortune H. Fiel d of Wonders I. City of Simple Simons J. Inn of the Red Lobster 5. The Talking Cricket and the Blackbird were similar. K. They were both a hundred years of age. L. They both wanted Pinocchio to be an obedient boy.M. They both gave Pinocchio wise advise but both were ignored. N. They tried to help Pinocchio but ended up dead. 6. During dinner, the Fox and the Cat felt that ____________. O. neither of them was very hungry after all P. they were still suffering from gold-piece indigestion. Q. both were very hungry and ordered a lot of food. R. they felt very weak but tried their best to eat a little. 7. Pinocchio’s disobedience to the Talking Cricket resulted in ____________. S. the loss his golden pieces T. his death U. finding himself in the hands of the Assassins V. his father’s grief not seeing him for many a day . An appropriate title for Chapter 14: W. The Talking Cricket Is Right X. The Assassins Chase Pinocchio Y. Pinocchio, the Stubborn Marionette Z. Pinocchio F alls Into the Hands of the Assassins 9. 10. Quick as a flash the Marionette sank his teeth deep into the Assassins hand, 11. bit it off and spat it out. Fancy his surprise when he saw that it was not a hand but a cats paw. | Based on the paragraph above, it can inferred that ______________. A. assassins are indeed real B. the Marionette had sharp teeth C. the assassins are the Fox and the Cat D. the assassins are neither the Fox nor the Cat 10.No one opened the door to Pinocchio because ____________. A. no one lived in the house B. the people were already asleep C. the house was not real D. everyone in the house was dead 11. The following is a fact: A. The Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair was a ghost. B. Pinocchio closed his eyes and pretended to be dead. C. There was no other way to kill Pinocchio but to hang him. D. Pinocchio was afraid when he saw his death dancing before him. 12. As he was about to die he thought of his poor old father and hardly conscious of what he was saying mur mured to himself: Oh Father, dear Father! If you were only here! |The mood of the scene is ______________. A. gloomB. troubleC. torture D. desperation GRAMMAR Select the proper noun in each sentence. 1. Toward evening, dead tired, they came to the Inn of the Red Lobster. A. toward eveningC. they came to B. dead tiredD. Inn of the Red Lobster 2. Poor Cat felt very weak. He ate only four portions of tripe with cheese. C. CatC. portions D. weakD. tripe 3. Pinocchio, not having listened to the good advice, falls into the hands of some bad guys. E. PinocchioC. hands F. adviceD. guys POST READING WORKSHEET CHAPTERS 16-19 VOCABULARY Pick out the meaning of the words in bold print. . The Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair had lived for more than a thousand years in the vicinity of the forest. A. opposite sideC. surroundings B. across D. Inner part 2. The Crow stepped out and felt Pinocchios pulse and solemnly pronounced that the Marionette is dead and gone. C. gravelyC. kindly D. seriouslyD. tho ughtfully 3. When the undertakers came carrying a coffin, he drank the medicine and felt better. E. lab assistantsC. attendants F. embalmersD. funeral directors 4. They marched out of the room muttering and grumbling between their teeth. G. roaringC. murmuring H. praisingD. complaining 5.The bedraggled pheasants were grieving for their bright feathers of gold and silver. I. confused C. wrinkled J. soiled and dirtyD. sick 6. The people were scuttling away hurriedly. K. stirringC. racing L. bustlingD. darting 7. There, just above him on the branch of a tree, sat a large Parrot, busily preening his feathers. M. groomingC. inspecting N. preparingD. messing WORD STUDY Select the synonym of the word in bold print. 1. The Poodle sat on the coachmans seat and snapped his whip gaily in the air. A. happilyC. quickly B. solemnlyD. glowingly 2. The Marionette mourned for hours over the length of his nose.C. criedC. sulked D. achedD. lamented 3. What are you laughing at? Pinocchio asked peevish ly. E. shyly C. patiently F. irritablyD. cautiously COMPREHENSION Select the correct answer about the chapters read. 1. The Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair is really a ______________. A. very kind fairy B. white witch C. ghost of a princess D. lively little girl 2. The doctors for the Marionette were: E. an Owl, a Poodle, and a Falcon F. a Falcon, a Talking Cricket, and an Owl G. a Crow, an Owl, and a Talking Cricket H. a Talking Cricket, a Falcon, and a Poodle 3. The doctor who knew the Marionette for many years: I.OwlC. Poodle J. CrowD. Talking Cricket 4. Pinocchio drank the medicine because ____________. K. his nose started to grow longer and longer. L. the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair begged him to. M. four black Rabbits, carrying a black coffin, entered the room. N. he swore to drink the medicine after taking a lump of golden sugar. 5. The sequence of Pinocchio’s recount on how he fell in the hands of the Assassins is as follows: I. They caught him and tied his neck with a rope and hanged me to a tree. II. One of them tried to put a hand in his mouth and he bit it off but it wasnt a hand, it was a cats paw. III.The Fire Eater gave him five gold pieces to give to his Father. On the way, he met a Fox and a Cat. IV. He started out in the darkness all alone. On the road I met two Assassins dressed in black coal sacks. V. They stopped at the Inn of the Red Lobster for dinner. They ate and went to sleep. When he awoke they were gone. O. III, V, IV, II, IB. I, II, III, IV, V P. V, IV, III, II, ID. II, IV, I, III, V 6. Pinocchio’s dishonesty led to ____________. Q. losing his gold pieces R. being laughed at by the fairy S. the shrinking of his legs T. his nose getting longer and longer For numbers 7 and 8, refer to the following paragraph.Pinocchio noticed that all the streets were filled with hairless dogs, yawning from hunger; with sheared sheep, trembling with cold; with combless chickens, begging for a grain of wheat; with large butterflies, unab le to use their wings because they had sold all their lovely colors; with tailless peacocks, ashamed to show themselves; and with bedraggled pheasants, scuttling away hurriedly, grieving for their bright feathers of gold and silver, lost to them forever. | 7. The mood of the passage: U. deceit C. betrayal V. poverty D. corruption 8. From the passage, it can be concluded that ____________. A. The setting showed animal cruelty.B. The community was deprived of luxury. C. The street was an image of richness and wealth. D. The place was a trading market of animal products. 9. Because of the robbery, Pinocchio learned that ____________. A. only a real boy can experience the magic of the field B. fields can grow gold just like beans or squash but he was in the wrong field C. In order to be wealthy, one must work and know how to earn with hand or brain D. The field can multiply gold pieces if the procedures were followed carefully and accurately 10. After finding the money, Pinocchio ______ ______. A. cried out loud like a little boy B. illed the parrot out of anger C. went back to the fairy and asked for help D. went to the courthouse to report the robbery 11. Pinocchio’s search for justice resulted in ____________. A. his getting his gold pieces back B. his being sent to prison for four months C. the imprisonment of the Fox and the Cat D. the judge’s decision to give him extra gold pieces 12. The City of Simple Simons: A. was just like any other cities B. was full of crimes and murders C. was dark and full of deceptive creatures D. was in good control by its government and their rules were just GRAMMAR Pick out the common noun in each sentence. . Pinocchio eats sugar but refuses to take medicine. A. PinocchioC. refuses B. sugarD. eats 2. The Marionette cannot wait to kiss that dear old man. A. MarionetteC. To kiss B. cannot waitD. man 3. They passed through the city and just outside the walls; they stepped into a lonely field. C. cityC. stepped D. outsi deD. lonely POST READING WORKSHEET CHAPTERS 20-23 VOCABULARY Pick out the meaning of the words in bold print. 1. The Marionette was kicking and squirming like a young whirlwind. A. wigglingC. worrying B. screamingD. creeping 2. I deserve it to be punished for I have been nothing but a truant.C. traitorC. liar D. fugitiveD. runaway 3. For a long time, the marionette has become a vagabond. E. beggarC. wanderer F. outcastD. tourist 4. He was awakened by strange whisperings and stealthy sounds coming from the yard. G. strangeC. mournful H. sneakyD. harsh 5. They had the audacity to make such a proposition. I. prudenceC. arrogance J. braveryD. shame 6. Chick-peas had always made him sick; but that night he ate them with a relish. K. hungrilyC. fast L. heartilyD. willingly 7. The sea was so heavy that he could do nothing with his oars. M. bladesC. powers N. paddlesD. sails WORD STUDYPick out the compound word. 1. The Marionette took the dog’s place and guards the farmer’s he nhouse. A. farmer’sC. henhouse B. MarionetteD. place and guards 2. Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer, who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop. C. PinocchioC. chicken D. watchdogD. chicken coop COMPREHENSION Answer the following about the chapters read. 1. The theme for Chapter 20: A. respect C. patience B. honesty D. obedience 2. The Serpent had ______________. A. bright green tail, fiery nose, and a pointed skin B. bright green nose, fiery tail, and a pointed eyes C. bright green eyes, fiery skin, and a pointed noseD. bright green skin, fiery eyes, and a pointed tail 3. The Serpent’s cause of death: A. He was caught in a trap for Weasels. B. He cried so hard and died on the spot. C. He laughed so hard and burst his artery. D. He choked after swallowing Pinocchio. 4. Pinocchio being got caught in the trap because ____________. A. he was about to steal some grapes B. he was about to steal eggs and chickens C. he was looking for a place to stay for the night D. he was looking for someone who could give him water 5. When Pinocchio was caught in the trap, who died? A. MelanoB. Melampo C. Melapo D.Melamo 6. Pinocchio was punished by the Farmer. A. He was brought to jail. B. He turned into a fire log. C. He became a watchdog. D. He was made a house slave. 7. To persuade Pinocchio, A. the Weasels will take eight chickens and will leave seven for Pinocchio. B. Pinocchio will bark once he sees the Farmer approaching to warn the Weasels. C. Pinocchio will pretend to be sleeping and will not bark in exchange for his freedom. D. the Weasels will take eight chickens and will leave one for Pinocchio. 8. Melampo is dead. What is the use of accusing him? The dead are gone and they cannot defend themselves.The best thing to do is to leave them in peace! | The tone of the line is ____________. A. justiceC. righteousness B. moralityD. honor 9. The Lovely Fairy with Azure Hair died because ____________. A. the fairy’s house was burned down to ashes B. t he Serpent’s ghost scared the Lovely Fairy to death C. the Fox and the Cat murdered the Lovely Fairy D. Pinocchio abandoned her 10. Geppetto’s destination in search of Pinocchio: a. AsiaC. Europe b. OceanD. New World 11. The following is an opinion: c. Pinocchio is as light as a feather. d. The Pigeon can fly as high as the clouds. e. Pinocchio found the chick-peas delicious. . The Pigeon does not want thanks for a kind deed. 12. The Marionette being made of wood floated easily along and swam like a fish in the rough water. Now and again he disappeared only to reappear once more. In a twinkling he was far away from land. At last he was completely lost to view. | The event that would most likely happen next: g. The Marionette will drown and die. h. Geppetto and Pinocchio will not be reunited anymore. i. The Marionette will be tossed by the waves to an island. j. Geppetto and Pinocchio will be reunited in the ocean but will both die. GRAMMAR Pick out the verb in each sen tence. 1.Freed from prison, Pinocchio sets out to return to the Fairy. A. freedC. sets out B. fromD. prison 2. Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer, who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop. C. is caughtC. watchdog D. FarmerD. coop 3. Pinocchio discovers the thieves and, as a reward for faithfulness, he regains his liberty. E. discoversC. reward F. thievesD. liberty POST READING WORKSHEET CHAPTERS 24-27 VOCABULARY Pick out the meaning of the words in bold print. 1. He lost all patience and turning to his tormentors, he said Careful, boys, I havent come here to be made fun of! † A. oppressorsC. enemies B. classmatesD. audience . One of them, more impudent than the rest, put out his hand to pull the Marionettes nose. C. vulgarC. brave D. naughtyD. shameless 3. Among these were many well-known rascals, who cared not a jot for study or for success. E. noteC. write F. tiny bitD. fragment 4. In the meantime, the boys, having used all their books, looked around for new ammunition. G. missileC. cartridge H. weaponD. protection 5. This numbness of feeling is not enough to mend Pinocchio’s pain. I. sensibilityC. dullness J. deadnessD. unconsciousness 6. He suffered keenly at the thought of passing under the windows of his good little Fairys house. K. ctivelyC. brutally L. intenselyD. furiously 7. At so much noise, the people hung out of the windows, anxious to see the end of the contest. M. eagerC. disturbed N. worriedD. concerned WORD STUDY Identify the figurative language used in each sentence. 1. It poured rain, it hailed, it thundered, and the lightning was so bright that it turned the night into day. A. simileC. hyperbole B. metaphorD. personification 2. The Marionette, being made of wood, floated easily along and swam like a fish in the rough water. C. simileC. hyperbole D. metaphorD. personification 3. Hurrah for Dr. Know-all! You have spoken like a printed book! howled the boys, bursting with laughter. E. simileC. hyperbole F. metaphorD. personifi cation COMPREHENSION Answer the following about the chapters read. 1. Geppetto did not learn this about begging: A. It should be done only by the sick or the old. B. It should be done only by the real poor in this world. C. It should only be done by helpless children who do not receive any help from their parents. D. It should be done only by people who havelost the means of earning their bread with their own hands. 2. The proper sequence of the following events in these chapters is ____________. I. Pinocchio met a little woman carrying two water jugs.II. Pinocchio met a Bricklayer who promised to give him five coins. III. Pinocchio met a Coal Man who promised to give him four coins. IV. Pinocchio asked twenty people and all said he has to work to earn for his bread. E. III, II, IV, and IC. IV, III, II, and I F. I, II, III, and IVD. II, IV, I, and III 3. Pinocchio gave in to the little woman’s bribery because she offered ____________. G. to give him a slice of bread H. to giv e him some cake and jam I. to let him drink in one of her water jugs J. to give him a nice dish of cauliflower with white sauce on it 4. Pinocchio told the little woman that he revealed her true identity ecause ______________. K. of his love for her L. of the shape of her eyes M. of the sound of her voice N. of the azure color of her hair 5. A marionette is different from a real boy because ____________. O. a marionette does not go to school P. a marionette does not grow taller Q. a marionette does not get hungry and thirsty R. a marionette does not talk or move without their puppeteer 6. Which statement does not tell the characteristics of good boys? S. Good boys go gladly to school. T. Good boys always tell the truth. U. Good boys love to play all day. V. Good boys are obedient and well-behaved. 7. Careful, boys, I havent come here to be made fun of. Ill respect you and I want you to respect me. | The tone of the passage is ______________. W. maturityC. arrogance X. childishnessD. disrespect 8. Pinocchio gained his classmates’ respect because ______________. Y. his kick and blow gained everybodys admiration Z. he showed respect and thus gained respect in return [. his patience proved that he was a boy worthy of being respected . he asked his classmates nicely to respect him because he respects them 9. Pinocchio’s only fault in school: ]. He had too many friends. ^. He was always late for class. _.He was not attentive in class. `. He was not as hard working as his classmates. 10. The evidence that pointed out Pinocchio as the suspect: a. his capC. his handkerchief b. his wooden feetD. his Arithmetic book 11. The main idea in Chapter 27: c. Pinocchio wishes to become a real boy. d. Pinocchio reaches the Island of the Busy Bees. e. Pinocchio goes to the seashore with his friends. f. Pinocchio and his playmates get into a battle. 12. The proverb that can be associated with Chapter 27: g. Bad company corrupts good character. h. Hope for the best, bu t prepare for the worst. i. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. . Yo

taxi driver essays

taxi driver essays The Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver represents a "descent into hell" through society's acceptance of pornography, violence and loneliness. The characters of Travis, Betsy, Senator Palantine and Iris are all typical of real people, either surrounded by or living in a world of lies. After the passenger (or viewer) gets into the cab, the driver begins with a blurred tour of the grungy, dark and dismal streets of New York and the faceless people that walk them. Though the streets are crowded, everyone is alone. Many wander to the sleaze strips to see the X-rated films that are now socially accepted by most of New York's inhabitants. As Travis says to Betsy when she mentions that she doesn't like that kind of film: "No, no. This is a movie a lot of couples come to". This shows the acceptance of society towards perversion, as if Betsy should enjoy that particular kind of film just because other people do. Even if the majority of people do something, it does not necessarily make it all right. As well, society has begun to accept violence. As Travis walks towards Wizard to get some advice, the camera looks down the block to a couple of prostitutes being harassed and assaulted by some young troublemakers with chains. This behavior is ignored by all that see it. Travis looks the other way, as if to say: "Hey, it happens all the time, so that makes it all right", subconsciously feeding his disgust with the scum of the world. Later, as Travis follows Iris and her friend from his cab, a large, furious black man storms down the street screaming "I'm gonna kill him!" which also goes unnoticed. Violence appears to be the solution to all problems in this film. The lonely cab driver represents the isolated people that walk the streets of New York. Although many of the people walk with others, they are still alone. As Travis says in the scene where Betsy is introduced, "She is alone. No one can touch her". He is attracted to her beca ...

A Background on Emotional Intelligence and IQ

A Background on Emotional Intelligence and IQ For many years lots of emphasis has been put on certain aspects of intelligence such as spatial skills, math skills, logical reasoning, verbal skills understanding analogies etc. Researchers were complicated by the fact that while IQ was able to predict academic performance to a significant degree and, in some way, personal and professional success, there was still something missing in the equation. Some of those people that they had fabulous IQ test results they did in life in a poor wayand someone is able to say that they were wasting their potential by thinking, communicating and behaving in a way that hindered their chances to succeed in their life later. Emotional intelligence (EI) in the other hand is the capacity, skill, ability or in the case of the trait emotional inteligence model it is a self-perceived ability which helps in order to control, access and identify the emotions of himself/herself, of others and of different groups. Many different structured models have been proposed to the scientific community but there is a great disagreement on how this term should be used. Despite these disagreements, which most of the times end to be technical, the trait emotional inteligence and ability emotional inteligence models, but not the mixed models, enjoy support in the literature and have successful applications in a variety of domains. The first roots of emotional intelligence we can say that it is Darwin’s work on the importance of second adaptation and the expression of the emotion for survival. Around the 20th century, although most of the traditional definitions of inteligence emphasized problem-solving and memory and generaly cognitive aspects, many influential researches in the intelligence field had shown how important are the non-cognitive aspects in the field of intelligence. In 1920 for example, E.L. Thorndike in order to describe the skill of understanding and managing other people he used the term social intelligence. In the same mann er, David Wechsler in 1940, described on intelligent behavior the influence that non-intellective factors have, and furthermore he argued that we should adequately describe these factors in order the models of intelligence to be complete. In the same manner Howard Gardner in 1983in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences he was the first that introduced the idea of multiple intelligences which included both intrapersonal intelligence which isthe capacity to appreciate one’s feelings, motivations and fears and to understand oneself and interpersonal intelligence which is the capacity to perceive the motivations, desires and intentions of other people. On the other hand Gardner’s opinion was that IQ scores only are not able to explain one’s cognitive ability. Thus, although the names given to the concept had a wide variety, there was a common belief that traditional definitions of intelligence and IQ scores only were lacking in ability to ful ly explain the cognitive performance outcomes of a person. The first one who used the term â€Å"emotional intelligence† is usually attributed to the doctoral thesis of Wayne Payne, A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence which was made in 1985. However, prior to this, the term â€Å"emotional intelligence† had appeared in Greenspan in1989 and in Leuner in 1966 also put forward an EI model, followed by Mayer and Goleman, and Salovey.The distinction between ability emotional intelligence and trait emotional intelligence was introduced in the start of the 21st century.

CSR- Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

CSR- Accounting - Essay Example Numerous multidimensional and global issues are inculcated in its umbrella that has strategic implications for the business and its policy makers. It is concerned not only with what the business does with its profits but also with how it obtains them. Corporate social responsibility, in other words, addresses how the company manages its economic, social and environmental impacts along with its stakeholder’s relationships in all the key spheres of influence (SEEP, 2009). With the modern advent of the concept of corporate social responsibility, it is now expected of the businesses and the companies in general to be transparent and accountable in terms of their social performance. This idea of corporate social responsibility both reflects as well as drives the societies’ changing customs along with the social roles the businesses are expected to play (SEEP, 2009). In other words corporate social responsibility is basically about what the organizations do in order to be socially responsible. It encompasses the way the company’s managers respond to the diverse expectations that its stakeholders have from the company in terms of stakeholder management, issues management, as well as environmental scanning (Black, 2006). In view of the neo-liberal economists the concept of its contribution to the society was thought completely absurd. Despite the formation of a welfare state in the post war years, notable efforts had started initiating for engaging the businesses in society. However, increasing constraints were put on social aspirations of businesses following the expansion of corporate economy throughout 1940’s and 50’s. While, 1970 onwards the general interest of businesses towards corporate responsibility started to rise again which was finally consolidated in the 1980’s (Marinetto, 1999). Corporate social responsibility got developed due to the extension of a few contributing factors, such as the advent of the

Should Games be Used for Education Purposes in the Classroom Research Paper

Should Games be Used for Education Purposes in the Classroom - Research Paper Example Today, educators are faced with varied alternatives on the method of teaching students. One such alternative is the use of video games in the learning process of a child. This paper will discuss the both the advantages and disadvantages of using video games for education purposes with the view in mind of coming to a conclusion as to whether or not games should be used for education in the classroom. According to Munoz, Kevitt and Lunney, unlike the traditional tutoring which depends on the subject taught and the knowledge and experience of the lecturer, educational games and virtual learning environments (VLEs), give the students the topic which they need to learn and at the same time they are able to attain the skills needed to manage the VLEs (Munoz, McKevitt and Lunney 2). They went on further to say that whereas traditional learning poses a problem in adaptability to the pace of each student; VLEs are able to adjust easily to each student’s pace. Bouchaut, Cig, et al concl uded that VLEs enriches a student’s education because of its â€Å"potential benefits in engagement, attitude, and learning intensity as well as increased collaboration, healthy competition, and detailed learning discussions† (Bouchaut, Cig and Dekker 9). Moreover, they stated that the â€Å"virtual world will help transform the classroom into a vibrant, energetic, and crucially learning focused place where students will actually want to learn more† (9). ... Having discussed the benefits gained from using VLEs, it is important to also look at the other side of the coin. A major drawback presented by critics of video games being used in education is the possibility that students might get too consumed by the games, thereby losing track of the real purpose which is to educate. Some even fear that it may cause addiction among students which will result in more time spent in front of the computer (Bakar, Inal and Kagiltay 2). Another disadvantage of using video games in teaching is that not all games are appropriate to the learning process (Bakar, Inal and Kagiltay 5). The probability of a mismatch between the game content and the educational curriculum exists (Munoz, McKevitt and Lunney 4). Appropriateness is not only concerned with the subject being taught. It is also concerned with the grade level of the students where the games will be used. Proponents of using video games say that its use increases motivation among students but this poi nt is contradicted by other educators who believe that it may also lead to problems in motivation because students have different likes and preferences (Bakar, Inal and Kagiltay 5). What may be a motivator for one student may turn out to be boring for another. The financial issues attached to using video games in the classroom are also major concerns of most schools. If they decide to use the VLEs, a huge part of their budget will have to be invested in computer systems which can accommodate the latest software available. Training of teachers is also inevitable which means additional costs for the schools. To close one’s eyes to the existence and usefulness of video games in the education of the current crop of students is