Essay about Tension in David Leans Great Expectations

Tension in David Leans Great Expectations In this essay I will be analysing the opening scene of David Leans version of Great Expectations to see how tension is brought to the screen. Great Expectations is a novel wrote by Charles Dickens in 1861 but set in 1812. The film version I will be analysing was produced in 1945. In the scene I will be analysing, it shows a young boy, Pip visiting the grave of his parents. While Pip is in the graveyard an escaped convict grabs him and questions Pip and when he finds out that he is living with a blacksmith he demands Pip to get him a file so he can free himself and some whittles which are scraps of food. The scene ends with Pip running off home.†¦show more content†¦From the appearance the viewer would think that he is a nice boy due to him being all clean, tidy and smartly dressed. This contrasts to the convict who looks dirty and wears dirty clothes and has a scary facial expression, this makes the convict seem frightening. The weather added to the rundown look of the graveyard, Pips actions in the graveyard as well as the appearance of the convict sets the scene and makes you know something is going to happen. The second area I will be analysing is camera angles, camera angles can change the way you perceive a scene, for instance if a low angle shot is used then it creates a feeling of power to the person or object it is being used on. In this scene lots of P.O.V shots are used. P.O.V shots are point of view shots; they show you what the character is seeing through their eyes. This helps you too see how scary the place is looking from hi eyes it is the way the director, David Lean, makes you feel sorry for Pip. At the start of the scene there is a long shot of Pip running to the graveyard it looks very dismal and very bleak. This adds to the impression of it being a bad place. When Pip meets Magwitch lots of low angle and high angle camera shots are used to show the power difference between the two characters. The camera never goes above Pips height in this scene this shows the dominance Magwitch hasShow MoreRelatedThe Opening Sequences of David Lean and Alfonso Cuarons Film Version of Great Expectations1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe Opening Sequences of David Lean and Alfonso Cuarons Film Version of Great Expectations In this media assignment I shall be analyzing and comparing the similarities and differences of two famous directors film versions of Great Expectations. The two directors are David Lean and Alfonso Cuaron. David Leans version was more popular and well known than Alfonso Cuarons because Lean was the first director to actually direct Great Expectations. This made it more difficultRead MoreEssay about A Comparison of Two Film Openings to Great Expectations1356 Words   |  6 Pagesof Two Film Openings to Great Expectations The story Great Expectations is based in Victorian times and was written by Charles Dickens in the 1860s. This novel which Charles Dickens wrote has been produced as a film one version by David Lean and another by B.B.C. The B.B.C version is the modern version and the version produced by David Lean is the traditional version. I will be comparing these two versions of the openings to Great Expectations. These two openingsRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations2277 Words   |  10 PagesAlthough Charles Dickens’ classic novel Great Expectations was published in 1861, modern-day playwrights, authors, and directors go to great lengths to preserve its timelessness. Many of these writers feel that the best way to keep the novel relevant to society is to alter the original novel to make it culturally relevant or acceptable. The idea of cultural studies in regards to literature and literary criticism began in the 1950s and â€Å"involves viewing and analyzing practically any recorded phenomenon

Essay about Interwar Avant-Garde Artwork And Its Community...

The â€Å"art and life† aspects of the interwar avant-garde are an advanced socially trivial form of art which to a bigger extent is symbolic of the visual setting of the human community. It is the art of expressionism in any artistic work which greatly influence its adaptation by the target audience. It has been evidently claimed that most artistic works of the early twentieth century have had a number of varied themes all encompassing the political environment of the time. The interwar avant-garde is a direct expression of the modernism in a society marked with low levels of civilization. It is indeed the expressive nature of artistic works that we claim high levels of civilization in our human society. This is the reason why art is quite†¦show more content†¦It is to be noted and comprehended that such aspects need not to be typically true but should in their presentation give the impression of reality or highly probability. It was such advanced expressionism that greatly influenced military professionals while at war during the early twentieth century. It is also noted that avant-grades gesture generally carries with it the notion of judgment on actions that are considered shocking. Many modern society artworks are rarely acted without incidences of bloody conflicts. This is particularly evidently witnessed in the warfare framed artworks. It is the art of expressing irresponsibility and might I add chaotic revolution within a movie or a working medium that makes the piece of art a truly unique masterpiece. It has evidently been noted that the adaptability of any piece of art is highly reliant on the element of visual modernity rather than an expression of the ultimate reality in the society. It is by involving exaggerative acts in a movie that assimilation of the intended social aspect is easily realized. Artworks must be appealing to the eyes of the audience. It is only from the visual appearance of the artwork that determines whether or not the audience will give it a chance or not. The suspense brought in art by the use of choki ng notion of judgment is what keeps the audience watching to find out what happens

Strategic Management for Gaining and Sustaining Competitive

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Management for Gaining and Sustaining Competitive. Answer: The advent of globalization and also the recent advancements in the technological fields have made the business world much more competitive than it was a few decades ago (West, Ford and Ibrahim 2015). Therefore, the various business organizations often take the help of various strategic and competitive market analysis frameworks to analyze the level of competition faced by them in the business market (West, Ford and Ibrahim 2015). The Porters five forces framework is one such framework which helps the various business organizations to analyze the level of competition faced by them in the current business market (Porter 1996). Spotify is a Sweden based company which was founded in the year 2008 and is generally considered to be one of the best music, podcast, and video streaming service providers in the industry presently (Spotify.com. 2018). The company was initially started in the nation of Sweden however presently the company caters to the needs and the requirements of the customer s from the various diverse parts of the globe (Spotify.com. 2018). A Porters five forces analysis of the company would reveal the following facts- Threat of new entrants The company Spotify is one of the leading ones in the world and caters to the needs and the requirements of the customers from the various parts of the world (Spotify.com. 2018). In addition to that, the company provides free as well as premium services to the customers (Spotify.com. 2018). Therefore, it would be apt to say that the company faces a very low level of threat from the various new entrants in the market in which the company Spotify conducts its business. Threat of substitutes The company in addition to the premium services also provides free services to the customers (Spotify.com. 2018). Furthermore, it is seen that many customers opt for the premium services provided by this particular company. However, it is seen that many companies provides the same kind of services to the customers at a much lower rate. Therefore, the company faces a significant amount of threat from the various substitutes which are operational in the same sector as the company Spotify. The following figure provides a list of the various competitors of the company Spotify in terms of the revenue earned by them since the year 2013- Figure 1: Monthly royalties for the top companies in the music sector Source: Spotify official website Bargaining power of the buyers It is significant to note that if the bargaining power of the customers is high then that is likely to affect the prospects or the interests of the company concerned (Porter 2008). The company Spotify has numerous competitors in the market which provide almost the same kind of services to the customers and that too at a much lower rate. Moreover, the switching cost is very low and this acts as an added advantage to the customers. Thus, it would be apt to say that the company Spotify faces a considerable amount of threat as the bargaining power of the customers who take the services offered by them is very high. Bargaining power of the suppliers In the opinion of Porter, if the bargaining power of the various suppliers whose services a particular company takes the help of is high then that is likely to impact the business of the concerned organization in a significant manner (Porter 2008). It is significant to note that the suppliers of the company Spotify are the various engineers as well as the developers who constantly upgrade the software as well as the website of the company Spotify (Spotify.com. 2018). Furthermore, the various users of the services provided by the company listen to the music over their mobile phones or computer systems. Moreover, it is to be noted that these suppliers exert a considerable influence on the business of the company Spotify. Thus, it can be said that the company faces a considerable amount of threat on this particular score. Thus, it can be said that the level of competition faced by the various companies or the business organizations in the present times has increased significantly. Therefore, it becomes essential for the various business organizations to conduct a thorough market analysis to develop new strategies so that they can overcome the market competition faced by them in the most effective manner. Thus, the various business organizations also conduct regular market as well as competitive analysis to find out the needs and the requirements of the customers and design their products or services as per the requirements of the customers. Competitive advantage can be defined as the process by means of which puts a business organization or a particular company in a superior advantage over the other companies or the business organizations (Amini, et al. 2012). In other words, the concept of competitive advantage can be defined as the process, which allows a particular company or country to produce a good or service at equal value but at a lower price or in a more desirable fashion (McGrath 2013). It is significant to note that the various companies or the business organizations often take the help of various innovative strategies to gain a competitive advantage over their rival business organizations. This strategies or policies might include price competition, quality service or goods and others. The concept of sustainable competitive advantage, on the other hand, can be defined as the process by means of which the various business organizations gain a sustainable advantage over their rivals (McGrath 2013). In other words, these advantages are the ones which are company assets, attributes, or abilities that are difficult to duplicate or exceed; and provide a superior or favorable long term position over competitors (McGrath 2013). Thus, it can be said that the concepts of competitive advantage and sustainable competitive advantage form an important part of the overall business strategy of the various business organizations (McGrath 2013). In the opinion of Barney articulated in his 1991 article "Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage", resource-based view can be seen as a reaction against the positioning school and its somewhat prescriptive approach which focused managerial attention on external considerations, notably industry structure (Barney 2014). Furthermore, his article states that the emergent resource-based view argued that the source of sustainable advantage derives from doing things in a superior manner; by developing superior capabilities and resources (Barney 2014). Thus, the primary focus of this particular theory articulated by Barney is on the way the various business organizations do the basic things of their business in a much superior manner in a bid to develop sustainable advantage over their rivals (Barney 2014). The business operations of the company Spotify when viewed in the light of the theories of competitive advantage of Barney and Porter will reveal the fact that although the company started less than a decade ago yet the company has been able to gain to gain to a sufficient amount of competitive advantage over its rivals (Barney 2014). This becomes very apparent from the above given analysis of the company in terms of the Porters five forces. Furthermore, the theory of Barney focuses on the need of the various business organizations to do things in a superior manner to gain a kind of competitive advantage over their rivals. The business operation of the company Spotify when viewed in this particular light will seem very superior in comparison to the same kind of services provided by the company Spotify. The company Spotify, for example, provides not only premium services to its customers from various parts of the world but also provides free services to the customers as well. The cust omers who take the help of the premium services offered by the company get some additional benefits as well. For example, the customers belonging to the premium section not only get access to unlimited number of songs belonging to various languages as well as genres but also get the option to download these songs and music albums. In addition to these, the premium clients of the company do not have to listen to the various kinds of advertisements which the normal customers who take the help of the free services had to. It is significant to note that these are very unique features which very few companies or business organizations in the present times offer to the customers or in the manner which the company Spotify provides to its customers. Therefore, it can be said that the company Spotify possesses a certain level of advantage over its competitors. To conclude, it becomes clear that competitive advantage forms an important part of the overall business strategy of the various business organizations. Thus, the various business organizations often take the help of various innovative business strategies to gain a considerable amount of competitive advantage over their competitors. Therefore, it is often seen that the various business organizations undertake a thorough market analysis to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. References Amini, A., Darani, M., Afshani, M. and Amini, Z., 2012. Effectiveness of marketing strategies and corporate image on brand equity as a sustainable competitive advantage.Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business,4(2), pp.192-205. Barney, J. 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120. Barney, J.B., 2014.Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage. Pearson higher ed. McGrath, R.G., 2013.The end of competitive advantage: How to keep your strategy moving as fast as your business. Harvard Business Review Press. Porter, M. E. 1996. What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, 74(6), 61-78 Porter, M. E. 2008. The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard Business Review, 86(1), 78-93. Spotify.com. 2018.Music for everyone.. [online] Available at: https://www.spotify.com/int/why-not-available/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018]. West, D.C., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E., 2015.Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press, USA.

International managers

Introduction Complex cultural realities are a common phenomenon for global business systems. The paradigm shift of the business world as a result of globalization has resulted in a mixture of cultures that make up a society. For example, the numbers of employees working in international companies has risen in the recent past, bringing the totals to an approximate 73 million people working in foreign companies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International managers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is worth noting that in all these business ventures, humans and all that is encompassed in humanity form the bedrock of discourses handling corporate social responsibility, human resource management, corporate governance, and sustainability (Palthe, 2008). Recognizing the importance of the person as a driving force in any organization is very essential. Culture is one of the parameters that define a human person. Ther efore, understanding the different cultures that define the different classes of people has become a rising concern for managers because they need to be aware of the different beliefs, preferences, and values of the different people. This is important for the successful running of any organization and this paper will focus on culture at an international level in the business context. Understanding Culture The definition of culture is very complex as is evident from the various definitions by different scholars. Engelen (2010) denotes that Kluckhohn’s (1951) definition of culture is the most renowned and consists â€Å"in patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting, acquired and transmitted mainly by symbols, making up the discrete achievements of human groups, including their embodiment in artefacts’†. The question whether a society is made up of one culture is very relative because different traditional ideas and their attached values are the fundamental p rinciples of culture. Practically, there is no single society consisting of a single culture in the contemporary society. However, such a society ideally exists, and may have existed, when people lived and were restricted to their specific cultures centuries ago, probably before colonization. In the contemporary world where globalization is the order of the day, a society is made up of numerous cultures and an example is the United States where people from all walks of life with different cultures are found. Hofstede’s Dimensions Hofstede’s dimensions have been at the forefront in describing culture and these have been extensively accepted by management and entrepreneurship scholars for application in the business world (Marino, Strandholm, Steensma Weaver, 2002).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Different cultures are defined on the basis of these dimensions a nd are used to govern management of international businesses. These dimensions are four and they are used to define different cultures. They are power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity vs. femininity (Hofstede, 1980). Importance of understanding cultural variation in International ventures It is important that international managers effectively manage their human resources because this is regarded as the key to competitive success (Rodrigues, 2009). The human resources are essential factors that keep an organization running, and if poorly managed, the involved organization would be headed for a downfall. The human resources however are influenced by traditional values and norms stemming from the cultural background, which is responsible for shaping the character, beliefs, personality, and behaviour of the human resource fraternity. Decision making is very important in companies and this is greatly affected by poor management of organiza tional variant culture (Parboteeah Cullen, 2011). When effective management and appreciation of cultural variation is lacking in a company, the degree of centralization in that company is very high, and is an impediment to the success of the company. When the structure in an international company is decentralized, then every person in the organization is empowered enough to air out their views and opinions. In so doing, they will be bringing in innovative ideas into the company since idea generation is likely to happen at lower hierarchical levels as indicated by Henard Szymanski (2001). Appreciation of cultural variation leads to cross-functional integration, which is the â€Å"interaction, communication, information-sharing, and coordination across departments in an organization† (Engelen, 2010). Cross-functional integration is very essential during the launch of a new product when all the staff within an organization need to come together and give their views, ideas and opinions on how to bolster the new product. When cultural variation is not accorded the attention it deserves, there is a lot of potential from the employees that goes unrecognized hence untapped due to lack of harmony and poor interpersonal relations within the organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International managers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cultural variation also affects the manner in which a company/organization is run. When a manager goes to a foreign land, he or she is expected to run the company in a way that is culturally sensitive to the lives of the local people in the foreign land (Mead Andrew, 2009). This is because issues like culture shock may occur if the international manager just imposes his or her ideas and opinions as borrowed from his/her previous area of work/stay. Consequently, this negatively affects the daily operations of the company/organization. The figure below sh ows the various ways through which culture influences business contexts: Cross-cultural business contexts When international managers fail to address these parameters that are affected by cultural variation, the resultant are the marketing mistakes and communication blunders that define marketing folklore. An example is when Ford’s low-cost truck was marketed using the brand â€Å"Feira†, a Spanish name which apparently means ugly old woman. Caliente was used in Mexico to market the Ford Comet but apparently, this word is a local slang for prostitute (International Culture, 2008). Such misconception can gravely impede the performance and productivity of an organization, and consequently affect the general achievement of the organization’s objectives. Means to Understanding cultural variation by International Managers The first and most important means through which international managers can gain understanding on appreciating cultural variance when running over seas ventures is to learn the different cultures in the area where the venture is located. Hofstede’s dimensions are a means of enabling the managers to be aware of the different cultures that exist. These dimensions can be presented to the managers in form of a model during a workshop as a means to create awareness and show case examples of incidences where cultural variation has affected the success of companies if not handled effectively and professionally. Hofstede’s dimensions provide a means that can be used by international managers in cross-national comparison since national cultures are perceived as core entities that define organizational culture (Shimoni, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Language is another important means that can be used to understand culture in general. An example is that of Chinese and American cultures where differences in language are obvious. Language may be a barrier in such a situation since Chinese mainly speak in Chinese and have to go to class to learn English. The same case applies to the Americans in as far as the Chinese language is concerned. International managers should ensure that a formal language, one that is understood by everyone, is adopted in the organization. This is because speaking the same language by a people with a similar cultural orientation hides the cultural differences that prevail and these differences may gradually accrue to culminate in detrimental effect to the organization. In addition, the use of a common language within an organization facilitates good interpersonal relations (Voigt, 2001). International managers can ensure that cultural variation does not become a threat to the overall productivity of an o rganization through effective management, as well as establishing standards to govern corporate social behaviour (Palthe, 2008). Effective management of human resources within international organizations is achieved by engagement in ethically acceptable activities. A company that upholds such ethical norms is perceived to be socially responsible and is associated with success like high returns due to its ability to attract customers, and recruit great talent and investors (Vance Paik, 2011). The impact of corporate social responsibility is a means through which managers can understand the essence of international cultural variation. Such impact include profitability as indicated in a 2007 Grant Thornton survey of U. S. Business Leaders and Fortune companies, which showed a comparative $2.5 million increased annual revenue in companies with CSR reputation as opposed to those without CSR reputation (Palthe, 2008). When managers witness such impacts, their understanding of cultural va riation and why it should be appreciated is enhanced. The pressure from stakeholders and the general public alike is an impetus drive for international managers to understand the importance of cultural variation. This is because these two groups of people have a heavy input to the success of the business since the public are the customers whereas the stakeholders are the resources that shape up an organization. The success of any international company is dependent of the ability of the international managers to understand their employees in relation to culture. According to Thomas (2000), it was not until two pharmaceutical companies from the same advanced and industrialized world merged, that the involved managers realized the essence of cultural variation in determining the success of international companies. Management cultures are used by international managers as a guide to gain understanding and act in companies in stated time and space. The means by which international manage rs manage the existing cultures within their companies is very important. In an example of Swedish and American companies in Thailand and Israeli, the manner in which the different cultures within the organizations are managed determines the success of the organization. In this example, Thai and Israeli managers review and appraise the management cultures within these multi-national companies instead of simply absorbing them (Cohen 1991; Frenkel Shenhav, 2003). This way, the managers are able to embrace those cultures that are congruent to the companies’ goals and sideline those that appear not to augur with these goals. The result is a hybridization of management, which is not a complete hybrid form, but one which is characterized by temporal and not clearly demarcated boundaries. The Thai offices are governed by local practices that are characterized by harmonious personal relations and maintenance of healthy interpersonal relations. In addition, the corporations’ p ractices are defined as active, assertive and involving every person in the organization. Conclusion The increase in global activity has resulted in the need for international managers to have a clear understanding of culture. This is due to the cultural influence on people’s work and interactions with others. International mergers should develop structures and procedures that are accommodative to both the local and foreign cultures within the organization. The success of any international business venture is dependent on the ability of the involved managers to balance the effect of involved cultures without highly regarding one over another. The human resource workforce in the organization is imperative regardless of hierarchy. International managers should learn to adopt a neutral approach that is not influenced by their own cultural standing when running multi-national organizations. References Cohen, E., (1991). Thai Society in Comparative Perspective. (Collected Essays). Bangkok: White Lotus. Engelen, A. (2010). Entrepreneurial orientation as a function of national cultural variations in two countries. Journal of International Management, 16, 354-368. Frenkel, M., Shenhav, Y. (2003). From Americanization to colonization: the diffusion of productivity models revisited. Organization Studies, 24, 1537– 1561. Henard, D., Szymanski, D. (2001). Why some new products are more successful than others. Journal of Marketing Research, 38 (3), 362–375. Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. International Culture. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.unice.fr/crookall-cours/iup_cult/_docs/_RUGM_Chapter-05.pdf Kluckhohn, C. (1951). The Study of Culture. In Lerner, D., Lasswell, H. Eds. The Policy Standard, pp. 393–404. Stanford. Marino, L., Strandholm, K., Steensma, K., Weaver, M. (2002). The moderating effect of national culture on the relationship betwe en entrepreneurial orientation and strategic alliance portfolio extensiveness. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 26 (4), 145–160. Mead, R., Andrew, T. G. (2009). International Management: Culture and Beyond. 4th ed. Chichester: John Wiley Sons. Palthe, J. (2008). Managing Human Rights and Human Resources: The Dual Responsibility of Global Corporations. Forum on Public Policy. Parboteeah, P., Cullen, J. B. (2011). Strategic International Management. 5th ed. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Rodrigues, C. (2009) International Management: A Cultural Approach. 3rd ed. LA: Sage. Shimoni, B. (2011). The representation of cultures in international and cross cultural management: Hybridizations of management cultures in Thailand and Israel. Journal of International Management, 17, 30-41. Thomas, R. J. (2000). Irreconcilable Differences. Accenture Outlook, vol. 1. Vance, C. M., Paik, Y. (2011). Managing a Global Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities in International H uman Resources Management. 2nd ed. New York: Sharpe Incorporated. Voigt, K. (2001). Japanese Firms Want English Competency. Wall Street Journal, B7B. This essay on International managers was written and submitted by user Luciano O. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.