Wednesday, November 27, 2019

12 Angry Man By Reginald Rose Essays - English-language Films

12 Angry Man By Reginald Rose In the 1950's, Reginald Rose penned his masterpiece, 12 Angry Men. This play introduces us to twelve men of various statures. All of these men are part of the jury who will decide the fate of a young man, who has been accused of murdering his father. At first glance of the testimonies of the witnesses in the trial, the reader, or audience, would probably agree with the norm of the jury on the guilt of the young man. If it weren't for one character in this play, juror No. 8, the deliberations of this trial would have been non-existent. At the end of this story, another juror, No. 3, states his nearly impenetrable opinion, nearly causing a hung jury. After reading or watching this play, the audience has some insight into the fact that despite how unfavourable a persons opinion may be, it is the courage to hold ones ground - sometimes with no other support but from him/herself - that must be recognized as a virtue. This story starts off in the courtroom with the jurors making their way to the deliberation room to talk about and vote on the fate of the accused. A vote is cast to see where they stand with one another on their opinions. The men have various reasons for voting the ways they do. Take, for example, who No. 7 says, "This better be fast. I've got tickets to The Seven Year Itch tonight" , or No. 2 who is "a meek, hesitant man who finds it difficult to maintain any opinions of his own. Easily swayed and usually adopts the opinion of the last person to whom he has spoken", and No. 3 whose son won't talk to him anymore because of his father's bitterness against young people. Some of the other men on the jury believe that "you can't believe a word [people from the slums] say", and since the boy is from the slums, they don't believe his testimony. It is only juror No. 8 who came into the jurors room with a non-bias attitude and who left his personal baggage at the door. He believes that "maybe we owe him a few words", but the others believe that they "don't owe him a thing". The evidence against the accused convinces all the jurors of the boys guilt, except for juror No. 8. The evidence that has convinced the rest of the jurors soon gets analyzed by juror No. 8, which causes the others think twice about their verdict. The reason why juror No. 8 went into such detail about all of the evidence is because "[He] had a peculiar feeling about this trial. Somehow [he] felt that the defense never really conducted a thorough cross-examination. [He] mean[s], [the defense lawyer] was appointed by the court to defend the boy. He hardly seemed interested. Too many questions were left unasked." There were three pieces of evidence that the prosecution brought up, which each on its own, could have probably convinced a jury of the boy's guilt: the obscure knife, and the two witnesses: the old man , the neighbour downstairs, and the woman, the neighbour from across the street. All of these key pieces of evidence were looked over in the jurors room. Nobody but juror No. 8 saw the flaws with each. Take, for example, the rare switch-knife - which we find out to be not-so-rare - that the boy had bought from a local corner store. "The storekeeper identified it and said it was the only one of its kind he had in stock." This testimony had convinced eleven of the jurors until juror No. 8 "swiftly flicks open the blade of a switch-knife and jams it into the table next to the first one (knife). They are exactly alike." After this incident, another juror sided with juror No. 8. Next, the old man's and the woman from across the street's testimonies gets put to their tests. Like juror No. 3 said, "[T]he old man heard the kill yell, ?I'm gonna kill you.' A second later he heard the father's body falling, and he saw the boy running out of the house fifteen seconds after that." With the Jury Room's furniture, juror No. 8 reenacted the scene that would had to have taken place if the old man were to be able to see all he said he did. Juror No. 8 proved that the old man wouldn't have been able to move as quickly

Sunday, November 24, 2019

How to Write a Comic Book, According to a Veteran Comics Editor

How to Write a Comic Book, According to a Veteran Comics Editor How to Write a Comic Book: A Beginner's Guide Rachel Gluckstern  is a Reedsy editor who has worked for over  ten years within the Batman Group. In this post, she gives her top tips for how to write a comic book, graphic novel, sequential artwork - whatever you like to call it.Comic books remain a mystery to the general public. Let’s face it. Understanding the relationship between the words and pictures, and how the art elevates the story, isn’t a code immediately cracked for a writer new to the medium.Writing a comics for the first time can be hugely intimidating, knowing that at heart, it’s a visual product. But like anything else, it all starts with the manuscript. And whether you’re writing a bombastic, superhero blockbuster or a deeply personal, intimate memoir, there are technical details you’ll find handy to remember as you tackle this task.Are you ready to get started, true believer? Here are 7 foolproof tips to get you started on your comic book.Do you want  to write a comic book and are looking for an artist or an editor? Check this page for our best illustrators, and this one for our top developmental editors!Have you ever thought of writing a comic book? Would you add any tips to the ones above? Let us know your thoughts, or any questions you might have for Rachel, in the comments below!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Issues Surrounding Childhood Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Issues Surrounding Childhood Labor - Essay Example Although not all the children get spoiled in child labor, most of them are deprived of their educational prospects. In developing countries that aim education to provide chiefly employment prospects, child labor plays a catastrophic role. The very essence of education is lost in such nations. The entire mass of children, adolescents and even adults get numbed to the health risks involved in child labor. The most unbearable but never spoken out tragedy is that the meager earnings and ‘the altogether changed life style’ veils their biological sufferings. The approaches of Governments in this regard vary from time to time and places. The main lacuna in attainment of the governments’ goal of reducing child labor in several countries is the employers’ ambition to get low cost production fueled by the poor peoples’ need for basic needs. Historians and thinkers view this issue of child labor vehemently against the practice. Their recordings of changes, cult and vision reveal that we have just begun the journey in the way of getting the practice eradicated. I have picked the following works to get a clear idea on how child labor had plagued throughout in America and other countries too. The author has expressed the magnitude of ill-effects of child labor in his preface itself by way of presenting the huge volume of child population that never came to the screen of data collectors’ endeavors. The blindness of fatty employers towards the pathetic plight of child laborers and the highly numb practices adopted both by the employers and parents are depicted by the author elucidating the full scenario of child labor. The author has admonished the practice of child labor and hinted the usage of the terms ‘legal employment’ and ‘illegal employment’ as a measure of simple quantification of the problem. But unfortunately legal employment has been misconstrued as a license to practice the ill. That

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Analysis Paper - Essay Example The writers offer some proposals for reforms and examples of Universities that have attained quality and efficiency in their learning, teaching and research missions. The main purpose of the essay is to highlight the high cost of higher education, the decline in education standards and propose ways of attaining quality education among American institutions of higher education. The main ideas are cost, quality, and efficiency of education among colleges in the society. The first paper of the essay highlights the increasing cost of education, the proposals that will reform the college system and finally examples of Universities that have excelled in their mission. Thesis: colleges are worth the price of admission. First, I disagree with Hacker and Dreifus that the costs of college tuition have increased over the generation. The writers have ignored the economic developments witnessed by the country over the past few years. In this case, the authors do not factor the drastic rise in inf lation and increase in money supply in the economy. Accordingly, the authors compare the costs of tuition with mortgage repayments, but fail to factor the high economic hardships experienced by institutions in securing alternative sources of funding due to economic meltdown and financial crisis (Hacker and Dreifus, p 180). I also disagree with Hacker and Dreifus that ‘higher education has lost track and its enduring purpose’. I agree with the authors that colleges must persuade students to be more engaged and attentive. In this way, Professors must be capable of challenging young minds in solving societal problems. It is true that employers have for long complained of poor graduate skills, despite the high costs that such students incur while pursuing university degrees. However, I believe the writers have conducted their research on few institutions and ignored the fact that each institution of higher learning has its unique qualities. Generally, it would be wrong to c onclude that higher education has lost its enduring purpose (Hacker and Dreifus, p 188). I also agree with Hacker and Dreifus that universal enrolment should be a nations’ goal. All students must be granted equal opportunities of access through implementing different courses that cater for unique learning needs of each aspiring students. For instance, universities must blend both arts and sciences in their curriculum in order to tap the unique talents of aspiring students. According to me, techno-teaching is a noble idea that will provide students with more visual and interactive learning experience. It is true the current advancement in information communication technologies can foster the learning outcomes and experiences in colleges and universities through providing visual aids to learners and establishing interactive online platforms for student discussions (Hacker and Dreifus 182). Hacker and Dreifus claims that too many benefactors donate to Universities that are alrea dy over funded (p 183). However, I believe that benefactors have their right to donate to their past institutions or universities where in their view perceive the universities offer quality education to the students. In this case, the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

MicroEconomics Unit3 & 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MicroEconomics Unit3 & 4 - Assignment Example Railway transportation is a government monopoly in most of the countries. Usually, government prohibits private companies from entering into rail road transport and thus makes it a government monopoly. For example, in India, government is the owner of rail road and no other competitors are allowed in this field. Monopoly eliminates all type of competition and thus results in low quality output. In addition, consumers have no choice to make but forced to buy the item supplied by the monopolist. Consumers are exploited most of the time. Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the best examples of monopoly in US. Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League by a joint organizational structure. The structure developed between the National League and the American League since 1901. In 2000, the two leagues ceased to be separate legal entities, with the commissioners office assuming all responsibilities for running MLB. MLB operates as a single league and it is the most important sports leagues of the United States and Canada. It is currently composed of 30 teams — twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada. MLB is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution. Under the direction of the Commissioner of Baseball, Major League Baseball hires and maintains everything related to baseball from umpiring crews to advertisements. It negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts. After the 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Major League Baseball maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of minor league

Friday, November 15, 2019

History of US Federalism

History of US Federalism Khang Le In the US government, we have a system of checks and balances. With this system, the government and the separate branches can counter each other and maintain a balance of powers. It ensures that no branch of government becomes too strong and takes over another branch. In other words, this maintains a balance of powers. They become balanced because they can keep the other branches in check and they all have their own set of powers and responsibilities. The purpose of the checks and balances system is to make sure that democracy is upheld and that decisions made by the government work for everyone in the US. When the US government as we know today was being formed, the founding fathers decided that it would be best to split the government into three entities. The judicial branch is the Supreme Court and they oversee the determination of whether a law or policy is constitutional. By constitutional, I mean that the said policy or law is within the premises of the Constitution. The reason why the Supreme Court must do this is because Thomas Jefferson made it so that the interpretation of the Constitution was loose-ended, meaning that it would be up to the judges to deem it constitutional. If it was not loose-ended, then that would mean the judges would have to adhere strictly to the Constitution and go word for word to interpret that law or policy. The next branch is the executive branch. The executive branch is the president himself. He is the commander-in-chief of the army. During times of war, the president will oversee the manpower of the army. He has the power to appoint new justices, which are the supreme court judges. But he can only do so with the approval of the Senate.ÂÂ   He sometimes drafts new bills so that it can become laws by the next year. He also has the power to veto a bill passed by Congress. Vetoing is the power to overrule a law and deny it from being a law. This however can be overturned by Congress. Congress belongs in the legislative br anch. They are the people that come up with new procedures and laws to be passed. If for some reason the president vetoes their bill the first time, they can overrule it by having a second vote and having over two-thirds of Congress vote in favor of the bill. Sometimes, when there is a stalemate, a tie between votes, the vice president become the tiebreaker. There have been very few occasions where the Vice President had to come in to break a tie. The most recent one being President Trumps Vice President. Now, once a bill has passed and becomes a law, it is then tested by the citizens of the United States. When someone believes that the law is unjust, they are allowed the right to file a lawsuit. The lawyers then make arguments for the case and a judge will preside the hearings. If they lose, they can appeal to higher courts and may eventually reach the Supreme Court. In the case where the legislative branch does not find the ruling of the Supreme Court to be favorable, they can pro pose a new bill and then the process starts all over again. Congress, namely the Senate, also are the ones in charge of approving treaties with other countries. The president may be the face of the country but he doesnt have all the power. The principle behind these branches of government is that with separation of powers, not one part of the democratic government has too much power and they keep each other in check. This kind of checks and balances are applicable to constitutional governments. The media plays a huge role in the political process, especially if there was a misdoing on behalf of the government. With the arrival of social media and a wide variety of ways to attain news, the political process is under more scrutiny than ever. The only problem would be that how much the government censors or covers up. Because of that, sometimes the people become unaware of how laws work or that there could be loopholes in laws. Federalism is the way the United States is being run. Every single one of the states in the US shares a relationship with the national government. Basically, the federal government has a set of laws that need to be abided by. The state governments can enforce the laws to the extent that they believe is correct. For example, in some states, people can enter bars at the age of eighteen whereas in others, you must be twenty-one to do so. This system was created in this way to govern large and diverse nations. Not all areas can be governed the same, which is why federalism helps gives power to the states but the central government can still stay in power because it serves as a starting point for the states to follow. Before the United States became what, it is today, it was a confederation. While it was a confederation, the central government was weak and had almost no power, meaning that it had no way of providing itself with money and no military strength. While the states had all the power, the lacked a unified system and couldnt get their ideas together and could not be cohesive. After federalism kicked in, while the central government could impose laws and taxes onto the states, the states themselves can do what they saw fit and in accordance to the law. A bicameral Congress with the House of Representatives and a Senate also help to distribute the power from the states and central government. Because it is a representative system, the people are closer to the government and it makes for an efficient voting process because there are many opinions and it usually doesnt take too much time to vote. Both the concepts of dual federalism and cooperative federalism have originated in the USA. Dual federalism is referred to as layer cake due to the existence of distinct wall between powers and responsibilities of national governments and that of state governments. Cooperative federalism is referred to as marble cake. Dual federalism has horizontal power structure betw een national and state governments whereas cooperative federalism has a vertical structure between the two. In dual federalism, national government and state governments enjoy sovereignty in their respective fields. No such thing exists in cooperative federalism. Dual federalism is a rigid structure where at cooperative federalism is a flexible structure. Dual federalism promotes competition and tension; cooperative federalism promotes cooperation. The third section I am going to discuss is about the Civil Rights, the two Amendments that I am going to discuss are Amendment IV ( Search And Arrests ), it says The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Basically, the police officer, in order to make a lawful arrest, must have a warrant in order to do so. If he doesnt have a warrant then it will be considered unlawful arrest and search. In order to get a warrant, the police officer must have evidence or probable cause that supports it. The police officer, or whoever has the evidence, must swear that it is true to his or her knowledge. The second Amendment that Im going to discuss is the fifth Amendment. It saysÂÂ   No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger, nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. As it was in 1791, the Fifth Amendment continues to be very important today. Americans are protected against being tried repeatedly for the same crime. The government cannot bring you to trial again and again for the same offense, hoping to get the result they want. This means that if you are suspected of committing a crime, its up to the state to prove its case against you. You are innocent until proven guilty, and governmental authorities cannot deprive you of your life, your liberty or your property without following strict legal codes of conduct or due process. The Fifth Amendment also protects private property against a government taking. In 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Kelo v. City of New London that local governments could take private property from one person and transfer that property to a corporate entity with the expectation that the property would become more useful to the public. The ruling drew a sharp dissent from Justice Sandra Day OConnor, who warned that it will allow governments to seize any property simply to allow developers to upgrade it. OConnor wrote, Nothing is to prevent the state from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall. Since that decision, several local governments have declared their intent to take peoples homes in order to convert them into office complexes, shopping centers and mega-stores. As local governments continue to search f or ways to increase tax revenue, hard-working homeowners must be wary about their homes being taken away. Designating such possessions as necessary for the public use is often a sham, with the desire to increase tax revenues being the real motivation of local governments. Since the Kelodecision, some state legislatures have passed laws which ensure that such possession takings cannot occur. But unless the American public remains educated and focused on preserving this important constitutional right, it, along with their homes, could be taken by the government. The 14th Amendment said All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any pers on within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall b e held illegal and void. And the last one is The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. For the last section, I think a relevant topic of discussion would be president Trumps travel ban. I believe this is relevant because its political process involves heavily on the president and the Supreme Court. The president may have issued a policy that bans travel from seven different countries but the Supreme Court had deemed it unconstitutional and overturned it. This relates to the concept of checks and balances. While the president is going to keep his promise with banning Muslims from entering the country, the Supreme Court is telling him that he is misusing his authority. Many people in the United States are affected by this too. Several families that are refugees are being deported out of the country and back into the dangerous areas. I think this is unjust and selfish of the current president. Simply because a person or a family comes from a certain ethnic group, does not mean that they are automatically connected to the series of terrorisms that have happened in the Unit ed States. While most of the high profile attacks came from Muslims, a lot of terrorist attacks on American soil have been committed by our own countrymen. The news sources that I have read are liberal in their language and are very left-winged. As an immigrant, I also fear for my safety, because if the current president can do as he pleases, then there could be one day where he opens a loophole and I could be his next target. It is a big help knowing that the democratic system still works for the most part. Even though the president may be doing everything in his power to feed his selfish needs, the legislative branch and the judicial branch are there to keep him in check. Bibliography http://www.cfodailynews.com/new-law-changes-form-w-2-filing-deadlines-for-next-year/ http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/10/politics/civil-rights-act-interesting-facts/ http://study.com/academy/lesson/cooperative-federalism-definition-examples.html https://www.reference.com/government-politics/dual-federalism-198d7baf19c6304f http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-dual-federalism-definition-examples.html https://www.reference.com/government-politics/examples-check-balances-b7e5586db201a3d6 https://legaldictionary.net/checks-and-balances/ http://valocalgovernment.tripod.com/id34.html http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/lesson_13_notes.htm

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Darkness Illuminated

Since the conception of humanity, man has been fascinated with that presence which illuminates, yet cannot be touched. Mankind has brought it into his religions, giving it a great deal of importance in his creed. Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light as a tool of God that illuminates the darkness of human iniquity and exposes its permanence. He studies the psychological theme of the impossibility of eradicating sin from the human heart in his novel The Scarlet Letter. The use of light in order to fortify this psychological theme confirms its significance in the novel. As though he were weaving an elaborate tapestry, Hawthorne meshes lights intense symbolism into his characters natures until a chef d’oeuvre manifests itself upon the loom of the readers intellect. This tapestry serves as a subtle background upon which the characters sinful hearts are bared. As Hawthorne navigates the reader through the passages of his dark tale, one follows Hester as she goes to Governor Bellinghams mansion. Light is reflected by almost every aspect of the extravagant dwelling. Through the narrators words, we see the Governors house as Hester sees it: â€Å"†¦though partly muffled by a curtain, it [the hallway] was more powerfully illuminated by one of those embowed hall windows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hawthorne 101). One can envision the brilliant sunlight streaming though the immense window, slicing through the facade of the Governors feigned sanctity. Is not simplicity one of the fundamental tenets of the Puritan faith Yet Bellingham, the very person that passed judgment on Hester and her sin is laid bare to the readers opened eye. Here, light shows Governor Bellingham to be corrupt due to his improvident lifestyle. In his genius, Hawthorne defines light not only as a presence, but as an animate consciousness. Still acting as a tool of God, light seems to run away from Hester when she tries to touch it. Pearl, in her inexplicable intuitiveness, says to Hester, â€Å"†¦the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom† (Hawthorne 180). Although Pearl makes this comment concerning the scarlet â€Å"A†, one may argue that the sunlight is actually afraid of Hesters sin, and not the scarlet â€Å"A†. In this case, light is used to remind Hester of her sin and to bring it to the front of her mind as punishment for her adultery. Not only does light show Hesters sin to herself, it shows her sin to others as well. Near the end of the story, Mistress Hibbins speaks with Hester, â€Å"I know thee, Hester; for I behold the token. We may all see it in the sunshine; and it glows like a red flame in the dark† (Hawthorne 237). By shining on the palpable reminder of Hesters sin, the sunlight screams to others of the scarlet letters noncorporeal counterpart: her immorality. Though the scarlet â€Å"A† is intrinsically only a superficial indication of Hesters sin, Mistress Hibbins goes beyond this surface detail when she says, â€Å"I know thee†, implying that she perceives the immutable nature of Hesters sin. Light can expose not only exterior indications of human sin, but can also make known the sin itself. Hawthorne leaves the reader with a crystal clear picture of how light is a brutal reminder of mans permanent sin. It cuts, pierces, even shatters the masks which man tries to place over his sin. Man no longer falls on his knees in awe of the dazzling lightning bolt or the godlike rays of sunlight through misty clouds. He no longer regards light as a magical deity to be worshipped. Despite this, Hawthorne again bestows upon light its original glory as a thing of God. Its role remains constant as an exhibitor of iniquity, a spotlight lancing into the sordid darkness of mankinds damned souls.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Our Casuarina Tree Essay

Our Casuarina Tree is a poem by Toru Dutt, an Indian poet. The poem gives an objective description of the tree and the charm associated with poet’s childhood. It begins with an account of the giant tree with a creeper wrapped around it like a huge python. It is the centre of busy life of birds and beasts. The tree is depicted as grand and charming. It has become dear to the poet because of the memories that surround it – memories of a time when happy children played under its shade. The thought brings out an intense yearning for the playmates, who are now no more alive. For their sake, the tree has become a symbol of their memory. The tree is an immortal memory of the poets joyous past which the cruel waves of time had swept away. The last stanza unfolds a desire of the poet for the immortality of the tree – May Love defend thee from Oblivion’s curse. In the poem the poet celebrates the beauty and the majesty of the tree. She uses the medium of the tree to receive her memories of the past. The poet attempts to recapture the happy time of her childhood in the company of her siblings – Abju and Aru. She immortalises those glorious moments of happiness by recalling the memory of the tree. The emphasis goes beyond that one tree. In this poem, the poet delicately recaptures the past and binds it to her present. The tree has been made immortal by Toru dutt. The first two stanzas scrutinize the tree objectively. The following two subjectively analyses its relation with the poetess’ own state of being. It connects the immortal tree to the mortal siblings, and thereby renders them immortal.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Leading the revolution †Book Review

Leading the revolution – Book Review Free Online Research Papers Leading the revolution Book Review Primero le quitarn los clientes; luego, se llevarn a sus empleados y finalmente lo sacarn del negocio.  ¿Quienes?: empresas como Sephora, eBay, Virgin, Dell, Gap, Amazon.com, AOL, o E-trade, que son las nuevas revolucionarias de los negocios; las que con su impulso renovador se estn infiltrando e influyendo sobre todas las industrias del mundo. Aun asà ­, en vez de temerles, la comunidad empresaria deberà ­a desarrollar modelos innovadores de negocios para imitarlas. Las flamantes compaà ±Ãƒ ­as revolucionarias estn tirando abajo los viejos esquemas y construyendo nuevos modelos. Entre el personal de las nuevas revolucionarias pueden encontrarse activistas, radicales y guerrilleros: se trata de personajes poco convencionales que estn construyendo un nuevo orden en la industria, donde la imaginacià ³n cuenta ms que el capital y romper con las reglas es ms trascendente que el conocimiento. Pero el desafà ­o no alcanza sà ³lo a las recià ©n llegadas: tambià ©n las empresas experimentadas, las revolucionarias de cabellos grises son bienvenidas a la aventura.  ¿Cà ³mo lograrlo? Estimulando la imaginacià ³n en cada uno de sus empleados, desarrollando nuevos parmetros financieros que se concentren en crear nueva riqueza y organizando un mercado interno rebosante de nuevas ideas, capital y talento. En suma, Leading the Revolution describe la innovacià ³n, pero sin mostrar nuevos productos y tecnologà ­as; en cambio, prueba que de ahora en ms la innovacià ³n debe ser concebida como un modelo de negocios radicalmente nuevo. Segà ºn Hamel, sà ³lo las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as capaces de crear revoluciones industriales y de guiarse por ese imperativo revolucionario, llegan a prosperar en la Nueva Economà ­a. A lo largo de su obra, Hamel provee un detallado manual sobre lo que cada ejecutivo puede hacer para comenzar la revolucià ³n en su propia corporacià ³n. Al final, traza una agenda para hacer de la innovacià ³n tanto una capacidad ubicua como un servicio de calidad para el cliente. Su lema es que el cambio radical es la ventaja competitiva del nuevo milenio, y por eso las empresas deben reinventarse continuamente, no sà ³lo cuando estn en crisis. La clave del à ©xito de las empresas de Silicon Valley no es la e del comercio electrà ³nico, tampoco su valor tecnolà ³gico, sino la i con que empiezan las expresiones imaginacià ³n e innovacià ³n. Las tecnolà ³gicas y las punto-com, por ejemplo, son empresas jà ³venes, hambrientas y totalmente despojadas de tradicià ³n. Es el poder de las i, ms que el de las e, lo que determinar quià ©nes sern los ganadores y quià ©nes los perdedores en la economà ­a del siglo XXI. Tambià ©n estn los casos de compaà ±Ãƒ ­as como Nokia, Enron y Charles Schwab, que han demostrado ser capaces de reinventarse continuamente a sà ­ mismas y a sus mercados, probndole al mundo que las grandes compaà ±Ãƒ ­as sà ­ pueden innovar, aunque muy pocas lo hagan. Las herramientas para encabezar la revolucià ³n del cambio estn a continuacià ³n. El fin de la era del Progreso La era del Progreso comenzà ³ en el Renacimiento, alcanzà ³ su adolescencia exuberante durante el Iluminismo, logrà ³ su madurez rotunda en la era industrial, y murià ³ con el comienzo del siglo XXI. Ahora comenzà ³ un nuevo tiempo: la era de la Revolucià ³n. En esta nueva era, cualquier compaà ±Ãƒ ­a que se se desenvuelva lentamente est transitando el camino hacia su propia extincià ³n. En primer lugar, los revolucionarios de la nueva era tomarn el mercado y los clientes de aquellas compaà ±Ãƒ ­as que no se renueven. Luego, se llevarn a sus mejores empleados. Y, por à ºltimo, tomarn sus acciones. La pelea est servida: la vieja guardia versus la vanguardia; la oligarquà ­a versus la revolucià ³n; el poder de la incumbencia versus el poder de la imaginacià ³n. Y en la disyuntiva, cada organizacià ³n elige quà © camino tomar. Sin embargo, no hay de quà © preocuparse porque la Revolucià ³n tambià ©n presenta oportunidades que no se pueden desperdiciar. Por primera vez en la historia es posible trabajar sobre la imaginacià ³n y no sobre lo hecho en el pasado; explorar nuevos mundos, revertir el paso de los aà ±os y trascender las distancias. En la era de la Revolucià ³n, el futuro ser distinto del pasado, y quizs infinitamente mejor. El mundo corporativo atraviesa un momento en el cual el à ºnico là ­mite que existe es la imaginacià ³n. Por otra parte, en un mundo no-lineal sà ³lo las ideas no-lineales sern capaces de crear riqueza. La innovacià ³n no-lineal significa que las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as deben romper con las ataduras del pasado e imaginar soluciones completamente nuevas para las necesidades de sus clientes. En consecuencia, los revolucionarios ya saben que la competencia no est planteada en tà ©rminos de productos o servicios, sino de conceptos de negocios. La novedad no est dada por caracterà ­sticas fà ­sicas de lo que se compra, sino por las nuevas relaciones. Por ejemplo, comprar un seguro a travà ©s de Internet es un modelo de negocios radicalmente distinto del acostumbrado, en el cual las personas debà ­an acudir a una direccià ³n fà ­sica y realizar una transaccià ³n de tipo personal; el nuevo modelo planteado por el comercio electrà ³nico presenta relaciones virtuales con caracterà ­sticas propias y, adems, permite comparar las pà ³lizas al instante y asegurarse de que se est tomando la de m enor precio. El desafà ­o de la innovacià ³n Los innovadores son aquellas personas capaces de repensar los modelos de negocios existentes y convertirlos en nuevas formas de crear valor para los clientes, sorprender a los competidores y proveer nuevas ganancias a sus inversores. Pregà ºntese a usted mismo si conoce y practica las claves para llevar a cabo la Revolucià ³n. Soà ±ar, crear, explorar, inventar, imaginar, ser pionero  ¿es eso lo que usted hace en su organizacià ³n? Si no es asà ­, usted aà ºn es una persona irrelevante en su empresa, y probablemente su compaà ±Ãƒ ­a està © volvià ©ndose irrelevante tambià ©n. La agenda de la nueva era de la Revolucià ³n est construida sobre lo que ya existe, pero tiene el deseo de ir ms all. Y se sostiene sobre las siguientes bases: Mejora continua ms innovacià ³n no-lineal. Innovacià ³n de productos y servicios ms innovacià ³n de conceptos de negocios. Liberacià ³n de riqueza ms creacià ³n de riqueza. Suerte ms capacidad. Visionarios ms activistas. Cientà ­ficos, marketineros ms Silicon Valley. Aquellos que se comprometan con esta nueva agenda pronto descubrirn que la era de la Revolucià ³n tambià ©n es la era de las oportunidades. Las expectativas de los accionistas No se engaà ±e creyendo que la buena suerte de las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as jà ³venes y calientes a la hora de cazar inversores durar para siempre: pasada la fiebre por las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as capaces de generar beneficios a gran velocidad, los inversores querrn que esas expectativas iniciales coincidan con una buena performance de ganancias a largo plazo. La pregunta a continuacià ³n es cà ³mo crecer para mostrarles a los accionistas (que son cada vez ms exigentes) que puede crear valor para ellos. Y el desafà ­o no es sà ³lo para las firmas de la vieja economà ­a, sino tambià ©n para las recià ©n llegadas: muchos de los programas corporativos de està ­mulo a la eficiencia, share buybacks, o fusiones que suelen disparar las cotizaciones accionarias de las empresas en un primer momento, terminan causando rendimientos decrecientes. La razà ³n es que tales decisiones estn focalizadas en liberar riqueza, pero no en crearla. Asà ­, la atencià ³n corporativa sigue puesta en los procesos y sistemas internos de la corporacià ³n, con lo cual à ©sta pierde diferenciacià ³n respecto de sus competidores. En cambio, los inversores premiaron a firmas como Cisco, Home Depot, Pfizer, Charles Schwab, Intel, y otras, porque fueron capaces de crear nuevas industrias, nuevos productos, nuevos servicios y, por sobre todo, nuevos modelos de negocios. Han sido revolucionarias en sus mà ©todos de generacià ³n de riqueza y por eso estn entre las preferidas por los inversores. Claro que por estos dà ­as a las empresas les resulta imposible satisfacer las crecientes expectativas de los accionistas si no crean nuevas ganancias; para crearlas deben innovar buscando una fà ³rmula que la competencia no haya empleado. Es que, en la nueva economà ­a, los inversores no buscan administradores, sino emprendedores heroicos. Mientras que los administradores se concentran en desbloquear los retornos existentes para los accionistas (asegurando que a travà ©s de tercerizaciones, fusiones, sinergias o recortes de gastos podrà ­a ser liberada), los segundos estn obsesionados por el desafà ­o de generar nuevos retornos. De igual manera, en el universo corporativo abundan las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as que en los à ºltimos aà ±os distribuyeron saludables retornos para sus accionistas, pero al mismo tiempo registraron muy poco o ningà ºn crecimiento en su valor total de mercado. Algunas de ellas son Dun Bradstreet, Times Mirror, Fortune Brands y Philip Morris. En general, las firmas que generan valor poseen estrategias altamente diferenciadas. Adems de enfrentar con solvencia a sus competidores, tienen capacidades à ºnicas, activos à ºnicos, valores à ºnicos, y un posicionamiento de mercado à ºnico. Esto confirma que la estrategia de cada corporacià ³n debe ser diferenciada, porque bastar observar si el crecimiento de sus rendimientos, el retorno de la inversià ³n, los mrgenes de operaciones y la relacià ³n precio-ganancia se parecen al promedio de las otras empresas del sector, para saber si hay problemas. Si tales parmetros resultan muy similares a los de las otras empresas de la misma industria, entonces la empresa no es innovadora y no est haciendo nada para obtener ganancias de fuentes no tradicionales.  ¿Est usted diferencindose de sus competidores o convergiendo con sus estrategias? Para saberlo, pregà ºntese lo siguiente: 1)  ¿Dejamos que los otros definan las expectativas de nuestros clientes? 2)  ¿Cà ³mo nos ven nuestros competidores: como disciplinados ante las normas establecidas o expertos en desobedecerlas? 3)  ¿Nuestra estrategia cambià ³ radicalmente en los à ºltimos dos aà ±os? (los à ºltimos dos meses si se trata de compaà ±Ãƒ ­as de Internet) 4)  ¿Ha habido algà ºn tipo de erosià ³n de nuestro price premium o cost advantage? 5)  ¿Se nos ha vuelto cada vez ms difà ­cil atraer talentos de categorà ­a internacional? Tarde o temprano, todo modelo de negocios llega a una situacià ³n de rendimientos decrecientes; y en los dà ­as que corren, ese momento llega cada vez ms pronto. Si desea escapar de los temidos rendimientos decrecientes, admita que no todo est marchando bien en su empresa, y asuma el compromiso de crear nuevas ganancias como fundamento para una estrategia de innovacià ³n. La cadena de tiendas minoristas Gap, por ejemplo, pasà ³ de vender jeans y un surtido de prendas para adolescentes bajo un formato poco diferenciado, a crear un inmejorable portfolio de marcas propias que se venden en tiendas exclusivas. Harley Davidson pasà ³ de venderles motos a algunos rebeldes, a venderles un concepto de rebeldà ­a a personas adineradas e inmersas en la crisis de la mediana edad. Negocios que se reinventan En la nueva economà ­a, la unidad de anlisis para la innovacià ³n no es un producto o una tecnologà ­a, sino el concepto en el cual se basa cada negocio. La renovacià ³n de un concepto de negocios es la capacidad de imaginar formas dramticamente nuevas para diferenciarse de lo existente, y la meta de toda innovacià ³n es introducir mayor variedad estratà ©gica en una industria o segmento competitivo. Cuando esto efectivamente sucede, y los consumidores perciben esa estrategia de diferenciacià ³n, aumentan las posibilidades de que la empresa se convierta en la creadora de ganancias, pues los consumidores tambià ©n valoran en forma positiva la innovacià ³n. Para ser revolucionarias en su sector, las empresas deben desarrollar una capacidad instintiva para pensar los modelos de negocios como una totalidad. Para lograrlo, debe saberse que cada modelo de negocios est compuesto por: Una estrategia central, es decir, la forma en que la firma elige competir. Incluye la misià ³n del negocio, el alcance del producto en el mercado, y cà ³mo se diferencia de otros. Recursos estratà ©gicos. Son las competencias centrales, los activos estratà ©gicos, y los procesos involucrados. Cambiar dramticamente la base de recursos que se usan para competir, puede ser una importante fuente de innovacià ³n. Interfaz con el cliente. Est compuesta por cuatro elementos: grado de cumplimiento y apoyo, informacià ³n y penetracià ³n, dinmica de las relaciones y estructura de precios. Cadena de valor. Se trata de todo aquello que rodea a la firma, que complementa y amplà ­a sus recursos. Incluye a los proveedores, socios y alianzas. La forma en que est diseà ±ado y cà ³mo se maneja este elemento puede convertirlo en factor de innovacià ³n. Ahora, estos componentes se describirn ms en detalle: Configuracià ³n: se refiere a la forma à ºnica en que las competencias, activos y procesos de la empresa se combinan e interrelacionan para apoyar una estrategia en particular. Por ejemplo, la mayorà ­a de los bancos envà ­an a sus clientes un resumen para la tarjeta de crà ©dito, otro para la hipoteca, otro para informar sobre el estado de cuenta, otro para ahorros e inversiones, y otro para prà ©stamos obtenidos. La combinacià ³n de resà ºmenes que cada uno recibe por mes refleja la configuracià ³n interna de casi todos los bancos - cada rea de producto es un centro de ganancias separado. Sin embargo, el Virgin Direct, a travà ©s de su Virgin One Account, supo diferenciarse de sus competidores estableciendo una nueva configuracià ³n: envà ­a un solo resumen de cuenta a sus clientes, en el cual concentra todas las operaciones de la relacià ³n entre el cliente y el banco. Beneficios para el cliente: se refiere a las necesidades y deseos del cliente que estn siendo satisfechos por el producto o servicio actual. Los beneficios vinculan la estrategia central con las necesidades del cliente. Entorno: hace referencia a lo que la firma hace por sà ­ misma y lo que contrata de los distintos miembros de la cadena de valor. Cambiar el entorno contribuye a menudo a innovar en el concepto de negocio. Adems, existen cuatro factores que apoyan el modelo de negocios de una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a y que determinan si à ©ste ser capaz de crear valor: Eficiencia: implica que el valor que el cliente establece sobre los beneficios que recibe excede el costo de producir tales beneficios. Es un modelo de negocios difà ­cil de sostener en el largo plazo. Diferenciacià ³n: cuanto ms à ºnico, exclusivo y diferenciado sea el modelo de negocios, aumenta la posibilidad de obtener resultados por encima del promedio. Compatibilidad: un concepto de negocios tiene que ser internamente consistente, es decir, que todas sus partes deben trabajar en forma conjunta, y demostrar asà ­ compatibilidad, para alcanzar el mismo objetivo final. Multiplicadores de ganancias, que a su vez se dividen en cuatro grupos: 1) Rendimientos crecientes. Para beneficiarse de ellos un modelo de negocios tiene que aprovechar alguna de sus tres fuerzas subyacentes: los efectos de redes, los efectos positivos del feedback, o los efectos del aprendizaje. Con relacià ³n al primero, Visa, MasterCard o American Express son buenos ejemplos. Cuanto ms comerciantes aceptan estas tarjetas, mayor es la posibilidad de que la gente quiera tenerlas. Y cuanto ms gente las tenga, ms comerciantes las aceptarn. Se trata de un cà ­rculo virtuoso. El concepto de feedback se utiliza en un sentido similar, es decir, que el aprendizaje es un multiplicador de ganancias, siempre y cuando la empresa desarrolle los mecanismos necesarios para internalizar su propia experiencia y conocimientos mejor que sus competidores. 2) Desplazamiento del competidor. Se trata de encontrar una ventana de oportunidades, que ofrezca ventajas competitivas, atravesarla y cerrarla una vez adentro. Esto puede realizarse a travà ©s de la apropiacià ³n (ser el primero), obstruccià ³n (establecer algà ºn estndar tecnolà ³gico, controlar alguna infraestructura costosa, tener acceso preferencial a un comprador del gobierno, o tener una patente), o capturar a los clientes (a travà ©s de, por ejemplo, contratos de largo plazo). 3) Economà ­as estratà ©gicas. En sus tres variantes: escala, foco o alcance. Este à ºltimo, por ejemplo, implica el aprovechamiento de recursos que aumentan la eficiencia, tales como marcas, facilidades, mejores prcticas, talentos escasos o infraestructura tecnolà ³gica. 4) Flexibilidad estratà ©gica. Incluye amplitud del portfolio, agilidad operativa y bajo breakeven. La clave es apropiarse de uno o dos de estos multiplicadores de ganancias para definir un concepto innovador del negocio. Adivinanzas Construir posibles escenarios futuros es una actividad rutinaria para la mayorà ­a de las empresas; para hacerlo, toman sus mayores incertidumbres ( ¿cà ³mo se comportar el precio del petrà ³leo?,  ¿hacia dà ³nde evolucionar el movimiento ecologista?,  ¿quà © pasar con la seguridad global?) y planifican escenarios para construir su futuro posible. En la era de la Revolucià ³n, sin embargo, los managers tienen que imaginar alternativas que rompan con el orden establecido. No se trata sà ³lo de especular sobre lo que podrà ­a llegar a suceder en el futuro, sino de imaginar lo que se puede lograr bajo las circunstancias actuales. Tampoco se trata de hacer predicciones, sino de imaginar cà ³mo ser el futuro. Los revolucionarios piensan como tales, y esa es una visià ³n que sà ³lo ellos pueden desarrollar, sin la ayuda de las firmas consultoras ni de gurà ºes. Cada empresa tiene que desarrollar sus dotes de adivinacià ³n e imaginacià ³n futurista; mirar diferente para ser diferente. Las siguientes herramientas sern à ºtiles para los managers que quieran convertirse en adivinos: Sea un adicto a la novedad. Busque constantemente nuevas experiencias, visite nuevos lugares, aprenda cosas nuevas, contctese con nuevas personas. Sorprà ©ndase a sà ­ mismo. Encuentre las discontinuidades. Si puede responder a las siguientes preguntas, correr con ventaja dentro de su industria:  ¿Dà ³nde y cà ³mo se est creando el potencial para generar nuevas reglas y nuevos espacios?  ¿Cul es el potencial para la revolucià ³n implà ­cito en las cosas que estn cambiando justo ahora o que acaban de cambiar?  ¿Cules son las discontinuidades que se pueden explotar?  ¿Quà © aspecto de lo que est cambiando podemos entender mejor que cualquier otro de nuestros competidores?  ¿Cul es la dinmica que har que nuestro nuevo concepto de negocios sea relevante en este momento? Encuentre tendencias que otros no aprecian. Nadie es el dueà ±o del futuro; lo que alguien sabe sobre lo que est cambiando en el mundo, puede saberlo cualquier otro. La clave est en mirar hacia donde los otros no miran. Encuentre la gran historia. Busque temas trascendentes. Siga la cadena de consecuencias. No se conforme con averiguar los efectos que los acontecimientos tendrn en el corto plazo: piense en las posibles consecuencias inesperadas. Siga cavando para encontrar el oro. Enterarse de que muchos adolescentes pasan cada vez ms tiempo navegando en Internet que mirando televisià ³n no tiene ningà ºn valor. Lo que realmente sirve es preguntarse por el perfil de los que se conectan o a quà © sitios entran, o quà © les da la Red que no encuentran en la televisià ³n. Recuerde que algunas cosas no cambian. Aprenda a usar las nuevas herramientas para satisfacer los deseos histà ³ricamente ms arraigados en los seres humanos. Experimente. La à ºnica forma de entender una discontinuidad es experimentndola; no alcanza con leer acerca de ella. Establezca una rutina. La mayorà ­a de las personas descarta lo que es nuevo o pequeà ±o. Como disciplina, puede proponerse exagerar lo nuevo y lo pequeà ±o. Esto no significa invertir en estas cosas, sino abrir la mente a nuevas posibilidades. Sea un hereje. Son los herejes y no los profetas quienes crean revoluciones. Las empresas pueden concentrarse en ver lo que est cambiando, pero sà ³lo vern las oportunidades si logran escapar a las ataduras de la tradicià ³n. El desafà ­o no es tener un pensamiento de largo plazo, sino desarrollar un pensamiento no-convencional. En conclusià ³n, el problema con el futuro no es lo desconocido: el gran dilema es que el futuro ser diferente. A quienes no sean capaces de pensar en forma diferente, el futuro siempre los tomar por sorpresa. Por ello: Rompa con los dogmas. Nunca deje de preguntarse por quà ©. Celebre lo obvio. Vaya a los extremos, sea radical. Encuentre los y; por ejemplo, piense en un producto que sea econà ³mico y de alta calidad. Distinga entre forma y funcià ³n.  ¿Por quà © la gente piensa que Internet puede matar a los diarios? Porque ven a estos à ºltimos como una forma ms que como una funcià ³n. Comience una nueva conversacià ³n; aplique distintos estndares y conceptos para cada tema. No se puede hablar en los mismos tà ©rminos sobre innovacià ³n que sobre desempeà ±o operacional. Todas las anteriores son opciones confiables que lo ayudarn a descubrir oportunidades para revolucionar su modelo de negocios. Rebeldes corporativos Para que florezca la innovacià ³n en el modelo de negocios, todos los sectores de la empresa deben compartir la responsabilidad en la elaboracià ³n de la estrategia: à ©sta no debe ser una responsabilidad exclusiva de la alta gerencia. En realidad, no se pueden cambiar los modelos de negocios si no se renueva tambià ©n la forma en que se distribuye el poder dentro de las organizaciones. Allà ­ la figura de los activistas ser decisiva: ellos se encargarn de ayudar a construir una jerarquà ­a imaginaria, romper con el organigrama tradicional y trabajar (en el proceso de formulacià ³n de la estrategia) sobre la base de uno nuevo; uno en el que mande el que tiene imaginacià ³n y no el que ocupa el cargo ms alto. Al final, no olvide que los activistas no son anarquistas. Por el contrario, constituyen una oposicià ³n leal dentro de la empresa; su objetivo es crear un movimiento dentro de la misma y una revolucià ³n fuera de ella. Reglas de funcionamiento Cada compaà ±Ãƒ ­a funciona en base a cuatro fà ³rmulas: el modelo operativo, el modelo de negocios, el modelo mental y el modelo de polà ­tica. Si los cuatro se encuentran alineados, entonces no cabe espacio para la innovacià ³n, porque el alineamiento no permite el disenso ni las alternativas. La salida, entonces, es crear los espacios que den lugar a la innovacià ³n alcanzando, por ejemplo, un modelo de las siguientes caracterà ­sticas: Hay que tener presente que en un mundo discontinuo los modelos de negocios no duran para siempre. Y cuando comienzan a decaer, la tentacià ³n lleva a las empresas a invertir la energà ­a humana y el capital para hacer ms eficiente el modelo operativo. En à ºltima instancia, o se inventan nuevos conceptos de negocios, o se reinventan drsticamente los ya existentes. Sin embargo, no hay otra forma de innovar respecto de un concepto de negocios, si no cambia el modelo mental de la compaà ±Ãƒ ­a. Pasos para comenzar la insurreccià ³n Paso 1: Construya un punto de vista que explique cà ³mo est cambiando el mundo, quà © oportunidades hacen posible estos cambios, y cules son los conceptos de negocio que podrà ­an explotar los beneficios de esos cambios. Si logra comprender los principios de la innovacià ³n en el concepto de negocios, si aprendià ³ a ser su propio profeta, entonces usted y su empresa estn en buen camino para desarrollar su propio punto de vista. Este debe ser creà ­ble, coherente, fcil de comunicar, adems de comercial y emocionalmente convocante. Paso 2: Escriba un manifiesto Tener una ideologà ­a personal y corporativa no alcanza: es preciso contagiar a los dems con esas ideas. La clave es escribir un manifiesto que convenza sobre la inevitabilidad de la causa revolucionaria, sobre las necesidades y aspiraciones humanas, que defina claras implicaciones para la accià ³n, y que requiera de apoyo, que es allà ­ donde la gente podr sumarse. Paso 3: Forme una coalicià ³n Nadie puede cambiar el rumbo de su compaà ±Ãƒ ­a con buena voluntad; incluso los presidentes de las empresas tienen que seducir, adular y convencer a sus subalternos para que las cosas se hagan. El camino entonces es formar una coalicià ³n, y asà ­ transformar la autoridad individual en autoridad colectiva. Porque si los rebeldes corporativos estn fragmentados, aislados y no se ponen de acuerdo, ser fcil desanimarlos. Paso 4: Elija sus aliados y sus momentos Tarde o temprano el movimiento revolucionario se convertir en un imperativo. En ese momento, los activistas debern contar con una persona o un grupo que sean los reales apalancadores del poder. Para ello hay que descubrir quià ©nes son las personas dentro de la organizacià ³n dispuestas a dar el primer paso. Una vez identificados los aliados, verifique a quà © presiones estn sujetos, cules son los principales temas de sus agendas, quà © objetivos tienen para sà ­ mismos y para la empresa, y cules de ellos estn buscando ayuda e ideas. Tambià ©n es importante estar preparado para adaptar los propios objetivos, de forma tal que sean compatibles con las metas de sus potenciales aliados. Finalmente, haga una lista de todos los eventos y ocasiones - reuniones, seminarios, conferencias- que podrà ­a aprovechar para influir directamente sobre sus aliados. Paso 5: Sume y neutralice Avergonzar al otro y confrontarlo no son estrategias efectivas en un ambiente corporativo. En cambio, hay que manejarse con proposiciones del tipo ganar-ganar y procurar la reciprocidad. Paso 6: Encuentre un intà ©rprete Muchas veces se habla, pero no se est seguro de que los dems comprenden lo que se est diciendo. Dado que, en variadas oportunidades, los otros manejan lenguajes, valores y experiencias diferentes, los revolucionarios necesitan intà ©rpretes para comunicar sus ideas a la alta gerencia. Paso 7: Gane poco, gane pronto, gane siempre Todo su esfuerzo puede resultar vano si no puede demostrar que sus ideas realmente funcionan. Comience con poco si quiere lograr mucho. Los activistas exitosos como primera medida inventan una serie de experimentos escalonados, diseà ±ados para probar el nuevo concepto de negocios y para justificar las eventuales subas en las necesidades de inversià ³n. Paso 8: Aà ­sle, infiltre, integre En los primeros pasos de su campaà ±a activista, usted querr aislar su proyecto del resto de la organizacià ³n. Sin embargo, para atraer recursos deber dar el salto hacia la infiltracià ³n. Aun asà ­ muchas veces se necesitan ms que recursos, ya que la oportunidad no reside en un nuevo negocio sino en la reconfiguracià ³n de los negocios ya existentes. Por ejemplo, si usted es un comerciante minorista, no puede relegar su comercio electrà ³nico en alguna incubadora de negocios offline. En este punto, ms que infiltracià ³n se necesita integracià ³n. Y recuerde que los activistas deben tener como valores la honestidad, compasià ³n, humildad, pragmatismo y coraje. Todos pueden Hasta tanto una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a no institucionalice el activismo, difà ­cilmente podr reinventarse a sà ­ misma y reinventar su industria. Porque una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a que no pueda re-pensar el sentido ms profundo de su negocio y de la forma en que compite, pronto pasar a ser obsoleta. La clave es, entonces, asumir la revolucià ³n como una forma de vida. Considà ©rese la siguiente matriz simple, de dos por dos, que refleja el desafà ­o doble de reinventar las estrategias centrales y de crear una revolucià ³n en la industria. Las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as que son incapaces de cambiarse a sà ­ mismas o a la industria en la que estn insertas son adictas a la eficiencia. En realidad, ya estn muertas y constituyen polos de atencià ³n para empresas con mayor capacidad de imaginacià ³n que toman para su propio beneficio las habilidades y los activos de las primeras. En contraste, los burà ³cratas lentos podrà ­an haber sido revolucionarios en su industria alguna vez, pero ahora estn presos en su propio invento. Por su parte las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as visionarias por à ºnica vez son aquellas que han logrado reinventarse a sà ­ mismas en algà ºn momento, pero que probablemente no lograrn hacerlo de nuevo. Los revolucionarios con canas, el caso ms raro, son las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as que se han reinventado a sà ­ mismas y a su industria ms de una vez. Las canas provienen no de los aà ±os sino de la experiencia: su estrategia de negocios ha pasado por varios ciclos. Existe un mito generalizado alrededor de este grupo, que dice que las grandes y ms antiguas compaà ±Ãƒ ­as no pueden innovar ni llegar a producir cambios en su propia industria, lo cual es falso. Enron, Charles Schwab, GE Capital, Cisco y otras compaà ±Ãƒ ­as se han reinventado una y otra vez a sà ­ mismas y a los sectores en los cuales operan. Tambià ©n hay ejemplos de empresas ms jà ³venes que han logrado el triunfo en este sentido. Tal es el caso de Amazon y AOL, que han cambiado sus modelos de negocios ms rpido de lo que la mayorà ­a de las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as tardan en renovar sus folletos promocionales. De cualquier manera, todavà ­a ninguna empresa ha logrado internalizar por completo los cà ³digos de la nueva agenda de innovacià ³n. Sin embargo, es conveniente observar a las que ya han comenzado a transitar ese camino - los casos recià ©n mencionados- y aprender de sus experiencias. Las reglas de la innovacià ³n Pregunta:  ¿cà ³mo hacer para construir organizaciones que sean perpetuamente innovadoras? Respuesta: tome en cuenta lo siguiente: Olvà ­dese de las expectativas razonables. Cualquiera que sea el objetivo (crecer en rendimientos, en ganancias o en eficiencia) la innovacià ³n no-lineal nunca comienza con metas razonables. Sà ³lo cuando la gente adhiere a metas que no son razonables aparecen las ideas innovadoras. Haga una definicià ³n elstica del negocio. Muchas compaà ±Ãƒ ­as se definen a sà ­ mismas por lo que hacen ms que por lo que saben hacer (sus competencias centrales), y lo que tienen (sus activos estratà ©gicos). La clave, sin embargo, es lograr una definicià ³n elstica de la compaà ±Ãƒ ­a, considerando la suma de sus competencias centrales y sus recursos estratà ©gicos. Defina una causa, no sà ³lo un negocio. Sin un propà ³sito trascendente, los individuos carecern del coraje para comportarse como revolucionarios. No necesitamos una economà ­a de manos y cabezas sino una economà ­a de corazones, en la que cada empleado pueda sentir que est contribuyendo con alguna causa que puede establecer una diferencia genuina y positiva. Escuche a todos. Si un gerente quiere establecer estrategias revolucionarias debe aprender a escuchar las opiniones de los revolucionarios. Abra el juego a los capitales no tradicionales, al talento y a las ideas de negocios novedosas. Provea incentivos para los empleados que estn dispuestos a tomar un riesgo y que quieren formar parte de la construccià ³n de algo nuevo. Es una buena forma de que los grandes talentos abandonen sus cà ³modas posiciones en oficinas tradicionales y se sumen a su proyecto. Manà ©jese con prudencia. Ser revolucionario no significa que tenga que tomar riesgos enormes para hacer valer sus ideas. Pague lo que corresponde. Los emprendedores no trabajan por un sueldo, pero sà ­ por un promisorio porcentaje de las acciones de la empresa. La nueva agenda En suma, si quiere estar entre los là ­deres de la Revolucià ³n, remueva los cimientos para abrazar la nueva agenda de la innovacià ³n. Examine los fundamentos filosà ³ficos que sostienen sus convicciones acerca del liderazgo, la creacià ³n de riqueza y la competitividad. Y cada vez que encuentre un ladrillo viejo y fracturado, squelo y ponga uno nuevo en su lugar. Para comprometer a su organizacià ³n con la construccià ³n de capacidades para generar una innovacià ³n radical, hay que estar convencido de tres cosas: De que las inversiones en innovacià ³n reportan enormes dividendos. De que su organizacià ³n cuenta con un rico potencial de ideas que claman por desarrollarse y con capacidades emprendedoras que estn desaprovechadas. De que es posible que la innovacià ³n se convierta en una capacidad sistemtica de su empresa. Para que la innovacià ³n sea la prioridad en la agenda corporativa, las empresas deben incorporar los siguientes componentes: Habilidades. La empresa debe estimular a su gente para que reconvierta sus habilidades y pueda enfrentar la era de la Revolucià ³n. La capacitacià ³n es tediosa, y el aprendizaje implica un trabajo duro, pero no hay otro camino para lograrlo. Medidas. Los parmetros tradicionales, tales como costo, eficiencia, velocidad o satisfaccià ³n del cliente, no obligan a una compaà ±Ãƒ ­a a revisar cà ³mo se est desempeà ±ando con relacià ³n a competidores nuevos y poco ortodoxos, en el camino a la creacià ³n de riqueza. Por ello, las empresas necesitan una nueva manera de medir su capacidad relativa para inventar nuevos conceptos de negocio y crear nueva riqueza. Una de esas medidas es el à ­ndice de creacià ³n de riqueza (WCI; Wealth Creation Index), que se obtiene al definir el dominio competitivo (cules son las compaà ±Ãƒ ­as posicionadas por encima y por debajo de la propia, tomadas en el sentido vertical de la cadena de valor), y luego calculando los cambios en el valor de mercado de su compaà ±Ãƒ ­a versus el valor de mercado del dominio completo. Tecnologà ­a de la informacià ³n. Para institucionalizar la innovacià ³n radical, las empresas necesitarn construir mercados electrà ³nicos altamente eficientes para las ideas, el capital y el talento. Mientras lo hagan, ya no ser la funcià ³n de management del conocimiento la que constituya el liderazgo de la tecnologà ­a de la informacià ³n corporativa, sino el mercado de la innovacià ³n. Procesos de management. Existen muchos motivos para pensar que los procesos corporativos establecidos suelen ser hostiles a la innovacià ³n. Muchos de ellos se rigen por el calendario; tienden a la conservacià ³n ms que al crecimiento; toman el modelo de negocios existente como punto de partida; se focalizan en los clientes y mercados actuales; estn formados por defensores del pasado y son militantes anti-riesgo. En tales casos, la solucià ³n es identificar tres o cuatro de los principales procesos de la compaà ±Ãƒ ­a y asignar un equipo que trabaje sobre la redefinicià ³n de cada uno de ellos. Cada equipo deber escribir un nuevo enunciado de la misià ³n de ese proceso; una que incluya explà ­citamente la innovacià ³n no-lineal y la creacià ³n de riqueza. Por à ºltimo, deber considerarse que la innovacià ³n es un proceso dinmico, compuesto por distintos elementos: -Imaginacià ³n Diseà ±o Experimentacià ³n Evaluacià ³n Escala Ideas, que se mueven como una rueda de la siguiente forma: Los herejes y los adictos a la novedad imaginan nuevas posibilidades. Utilizando los principios de la innovacià ³n en el concepto de negocio, diseà ±an modelos de negocios coherentes con esas ideas. Lanzan experimentos de pequeà ±a escala para testear la viabilidad de sus conceptos de negocios y luego los adaptan. Habiendo probado un experimento o dos o tres, evalà ºan lo que han aprendido. Y dependiendo de lo aprendido, deciden escalar, seguir adelante, o bien avanzar con otro ciclo experimental. Para hacer que la rueda corra ms rpido usted puede: Utilizar la aproximacià ³n sucesiva (haga un experimento detrs de otro). Usar a los clientes como socios para desarrollar su idea. Eliminar rpidamente los experimentos perdedores. Adems, considere la posibilidad de contar con un portfolio de innovacià ³n. Piense en los diseà ±os de negocios nacientes o en los experimentos en su fase inicial como opciones para el futuro. Las posibilidades de que su compaà ±Ãƒ ­a pueda crear nueva riqueza son directamente proporcionales al nà ºmero de ideas que desarrolla y al nà ºmero de experimentos que comienza. Por ello, es conveniente contar con un portfolio de ideas (conceptos de negocio creà ­bles aà ºn no testeados), un portfolio de experimentos (el conjunto de las ideas que tiene algà ºn mà ©rito particular), y un portfolio de nuevos negocios (experimentos que aparecen como ms prometedores). Finalmente, tenga en cuenta lo siguiente: La innovacià ³n no es toda la historia, pero es la gran historia. Research Papers on Leading the revolution - Book ReviewAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaQuebec and CanadaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XCapital PunishmentRiordan Manufacturing Production Plan19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraGenetic EngineeringThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Mousterian Middle Paleolithic Tool Industry

The Mousterian Middle Paleolithic Tool Industry The Mousterian industry is the name archaeologists have given to an ancient Middle Stone Age method of making stone tools. The Mousterian is associated with our hominid relatives the Neanderthals in Europe and Asia and both Early Modern Human and Neanderthals in Africa. Mousterian stone tools were in use between about 200,000 years ago, until roughly 30,000 years ago, after the Acheulean industry, and about the same time as the Fauresmith tradition in South Africa. Stone Tools of the Mousterian The Mousterian stone tool production type is considered a technological step forward consisting of a transition from Lower Paleolithic hand-held Acheulean hand axes to hafted tools. Hafted tools are stone points or blades mounted on wooden shafts and wielded as spears or perhaps bow and arrow. A typical Mousterian stone tool assemblage is primarily defined as a flake-based tool kit made using the Levallois technique, rather than later blade-based tools. In traditional archaeological terminology, flakes are variously shaped thin stone sheets knapped off a core, while blades are flakes which are at least twice as long as their widths.   The Mousterian Toolkit Part of the Mousterian assemblage is made up of Levallois tools such as points and cores. The tool kit varies from place to place and from time to time but in general, includes the following tools: Mousterian point/convergent scraper: short, broad triangular projectile points struck from prepared coresLevallois flakes with retouch: sub-oval, subquadrangular, triangular, or leaf-shaped flakes struck from cores, which may have been retouched, that is to say, a series of small purposeful flakes have been removed from the flake to create an edge which is either sharp for cutting or blunted to make it safe to holdLevallois blades: elongated oval or rectangular blanks removed from cores with basal preparation and correction of the core convexityLevallois cores: include two types, pebble and bipolar. Pebble cores are clasts or angular rock fragments from which a series of flakes have been detached by percussion; bipolar cores are those created by placing the clast on a hard surface and striking it from above with a hard percussor History The Mousterian tool kit was identified in the 20th century to solve chronostratigraphic problems in western European Middle Paleolithic stone tool assemblages. Middle Stone Age tools were first intensively mapped in the  Levant  where British archaeologist Dorothy Garrod identified the Levantine  facies  at the site of Mugharet et-Tabà ¼n or Tabun Cave in what is today Israel. The traditional Levantine process is defined below: Tabun D or Phase 1 Levantine (270 to 170 thousand years ago [ka]), laminar blanks from Levallois and non-Levallois unipolar and  bi-polar  cores, higher frequency of retouched piecesTabun C or Phase 2 Levantine (170 to 90  ka) oval or rectangular blanks from cores, Mousterian points, side  scrapers, notches, and denticulatesTabun B or Phase 3 Levantine (90 to 48  ka), blanks from Levallois cores, Mousterian points, thin flakes and blades Since Garrods day, the Mousterian has been used as a point of departure to compare stone tools from Africa and southwest Asia. Recent Critiques However, United States archaeologist John Shea has suggested that the Mousterian category may have outlived its usefulness and may even be getting in the way of the ability for scholars to effectively study human behaviors. The Mousterian lithic technology was defined as a single entity in the early 20th century, and although during the first half of that century a range of scholars tried to subdivide it, they were largely unsuccessful. Shea (2014) points out that different regions have different percentages of the different tool types and the categories are not based on what scholars are interested in learning. Scholars would like to know, after all, what was the tool making strategy for different groups, and that is not readily available from the Mousterian technology in the way it is currently defined. Shea proposes that moving away from the traditional categories would open up paleolithic archaeology and enable it to address the central issues in paleoanthropology. A Few Mousterian Sites Levant Israel: Qafzeh, Skhul, Kebara, Hayonim, Tabun, Emeireh, Amud, Zuttiyeh, El-WadJordan: Ain DiflaSyria: El Kowm North Africa Morocco: Rhafas Cave, Dar es Soltan Central Asia Turkey: Kalatepe DeresiAfghanistan: Darra-i-KurUzbekistan: Teschik-Tasch Europe Gibraltar: Gorhams CaveFrance: Abric Romani, St. Cesaire, Grotte du NoistierSpain: LArbreda CaveSiberia: Denisova CaveUkraine: Moldova SitesCroatia: Vindija Cave Selected Sources Bar-Yosef O. 2008. ASIA, WEST: Palaeolithic Cultures. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 865-875.Close AE, and Minichillo T. 2007. Archaeological Records: Global Expansion 300,000-8000 years ago, Africa. In: Elias SA, editor. Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science. Oxford: Elsevier. p 99-107.Culley EV, Popescu G, and Clark GA. 2013. An analysis of the compositional integrity of the Levantine Mousterian facies. Quaternary International 300:213-233.Petraglia MD, and Dennell R. 2007. Archaeological Records: Global Expansion 300,000-8000 years ago, Asia. In: Elias SA, editor. Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science. Oxford: Elsevier. p 107-118.Shea JJ. 2013. Lithic Modes A–I: A New Framework for Describing Global-Scale Variation in Stone Tool Technology Illustrated with Evidence from the East Mediterranean Levant. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 20(1):151-186.Shea JJ. 2014. Sink the Mousterian? Named stone tool industries (NASTIES) as obstacles to investigating hominin evolutionary relationships in the Later Middle Paleolithic Levant. Quaternary International 350:169-179.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Write an analysis of Shakespeare's use of language in Act 1 scene 5 of Essay

Write an analysis of Shakespeare's use of language in Act 1 scene 5 of Twelth Night. You should also comment as appropriate on the relationship between language - Essay Example o-earth characters who appeal to the working classes, side-by-side with complexities of plot which would satisfy the appetites of the aristocrats among the audience† (Geraghty, 2002). To create these complexities that could interest the aristocracy as well as the commoners, Shakespeare’s plays usually contained some form of commentary upon his society and its values within the text and Twelfth Night, or, What You Will is no exception. The play is a romantic comedy, relating the story of a pair of twins washed up separately upon the same shore, each thinking the other is dead, which happen to come individually upon a pair of nobles and romantic foolishness ensues. Through a variety of language styles, diction and word play, Shakespeare manages to convey social position as well as degree of intelligence within his characters in such a way that calls into question the prevailing assumptions and conceptions of his day as can be seen through an analysis of Act 1, Scene 5 of t he play. This scene is neatly divided by the arrivals of two of the characters to Olivia’s house. At the opening of the scene, Feste, the house jester, returns after an unexplained absence and must charm his way back into his mistress’ good graces. In doing so, he makes jokes with the other characters present until the scene is interrupted by the arrival of Viola, disguised as Cesario, delivering a message of love from Duke Orsino for Olivia. The conversation between Olivia and Cesario sparks an immediate and intense interest from Olivia. In both halves of this scene, language variety reveals social class as well as sincerity of intention within the characters portrayed. An example of how variety of language style is used in the first part of this scene can be found as the language style of Feste changes depending upon whom he is speaking with. As he speaks with fellow servant Maria, his responses are quick witticisms based upon sexual innuendo: â€Å"He that is well hanged in this

Friday, November 1, 2019

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Political science - Essay Example Tough and legally fixed system of racism and segregation prevented the interracial contacts with Indians and Negros, which were brought to the USA as slaves, thus the spirit of nationalism between the settlers was strong from the very beginning. It is not easy to determine what American nationalism is. Americans are young nation and the process of ethnical consolidation in it has divergent character. Many national groups keep the elements of cultures of the countries they originate from. American nation is the nation, which consists of the people, who made their choice voluntarily and it is not based on ethnic communities. American values are not whims and not the results of the force of circumstances. They are given to American citizens by their history and fixed in their life experience, documents, traditions and customs. American values work for Americans, thus they live with them and are ready to die for