Case Study of Bata Ltd Essay

Bata Ltd. is a privately owned global shoe manufacturer and retailer headquartered in Ontario, Canada. The company is led by a third generation of the Bata family. With operations in 68 countries, Bata is organized into four business units. Bata Canada, based in Toronto, serves the Canadian market with 250 stores. Based in Paris, Bata Europe serves the European market with 500 stores. With supervision located in Singapore, Bata International boasts 3,000 stores to serve markets in Africa, the Pacific, and Asia, Finally, Bata Latin America, operating out of Mexico City, sells footwear throughout Latin America. All told, Bata owns more than 4,700 retail stores and 46 production facilities. Total employment for the company exceeds 50,000. Company Founded in 1894 The Bata family’s ties to shoemaking span more than two dozen generations and purportedly date as far back as 1580 to the small Czech village of Zlin. However, it was not until 1894 that the family began to make the transition from cobblers to industrialists. In that year, Tomas G. Bata, Sr. along with his brother Antonin and sister Anna, took 800 florins, some $350, inherited from their mother and launched a shoemaking business. They rented a pair of rooms, acquired two sewing machines on an installment plan, and paid for their leather and other materials with promissory notes. They produced stitched, coarse-woolen footwear. Within a year, the business was successful enough to enable the Batas to employ ten people in their factory, such as it was, as well as another forty who worked out of their own homes. In the same year, 1895, Antonin was drafted into the military and Anna quit the business to get married, forcing Tomas to assume complete control of the venture. He was just 19 years old. In 1900, Bata moved the operation to a new building located close to Zlin’s railway station and took the first major step in industrialization, installing steam-driven machines. The company enjoyed success producing light, linen footwear that appealed to a large portion of the population, who could not afford better-made leather shoes. Nevertheless, Bata came close to bankruptcy on more than one occasion and concluded that in order for his business to survive he needed to find more efficient ways to manufacture and distribute shoes. In 1904, he and three employees took a trip to the United States to learn firsthand the ways of mass production. Bata spent six months working as a laborer on a shoe assembly line in New England. On his way back to Zlin, he also took time to visit English and German factories. Upon his return home, Bata began to transform the family shoe business, not only by applying the latest production techniques–which would one day earned him the moniker, â€Å"the Henry Ford of the shoe industry†Ã¢â‚¬â€œbut also by finding a way to preserve the role of workers, which all too often changed dramatically during the transition from an artisan to an industrial approach to commerce. The Bata shoe business began to experience steady growth, so that by 1912 it was employing 600 full-time workers plus another few hundred who worked out of their homes in neighboring villages. Tomas Bata now began to exhibit another side to his personality, the social idealist. Because there was a shortage of housing in Zlin for his new workers, he constructed new homes, which he rented at cost. He also offered inexpensive meals in factory cafeterias and free medical care. He even built a new hospital to care for his workers. However, as soon as they began to earn higher incomes, area merchants raised prices. In answer, Tomas Bata opened his own less-expensive company stores to ensure that his employees were able to enjoy the fruits of their success. He also took steps to identify management talent among the ranks of his workers and instituted a training program that was ahead of its time. World War I Boot Contract a Turning Point Bata received a major boost in 1914, following the outbreak of World War I, when the company received a contract to produce boots for the Austro-Hungarian army. From the waste of these items, the company produced the uppers to a wooden shoe that it sold to the lower classes. Tomas Bata then invested the profits in new machinery, as well as in the opening of new retail shops, so that the business was well positioned to take advantage of the economic boom of the 1920s. Before the company could enjoy this strong period of growth, however, Tomas Bata and his employees were forced to take a major gamble together. In the years immediately following the end of World War I in 1918, an economic slump prevailed across the globe, leading to significant unemployment. Czechoslovakia, formed as part of the peace settlement of World War I, attempted to fight inflation, which had already devastated Germany, by adopting tight monetary controls. As a result, the country’s currency lost three-quarters of its value, which in turn led to a drop in demand for products, a cutback in production, more unemployment, and even less consumer demand–developments that together threatened national economic devastation. In August 1922, a group of industrialists met to discuss their plight. Unlike the others, Tomas Bata did not simply throw up his hands and blame the government. Instead, he called on the industrialists to take decisive steps to stimulate market demand, and he shocked everyone by announcing that he was going to cut the price of Bata shoes in half. Once the surprise of the moment wore off, Bata’s audience simply laughed at him. Bata was able, however, to convince his workers that he had a plan, albeit a radical one, that would work. He believed that the company had to cut costs to the bone and work at peak efficiency in order to halve the price of Bata shoes. Workers, ignoring their union leadership, accepted a 40 percent reduction in wages across the board. Tomas Bata, in turn, provided food, clothing, and other necessities at half-price to mitigate the loss of wages. In addition, he introduced measures that were pioneering, including the creation of individual profit centers and incentive payments to both management and workers to spur productivity. With his operations lean and efficient, he then launched a national advertising campaign. The response from consumers was swift and dramatic, as Bata stores, which had been virtually empty for months, were now swamped with customers looking for inexpensive shoes. Bata was forced to increase production, and not only did the company maintain full employment, it began to hire. The decision to cut prices proved to be a turning point in the history of the company, which now grew at a tremendous pace. Tomas Bata continued to innovate, improving on productivity primarily through the introduction of an assembly line approach. After five years, productivity improved 15-fold; after ten, the retail price of Bata shoes dropped by 82 percent. The employees’ faith in Tomas Bata was also rewarded. After accepting a severe wage cut in 1922, by 1932 they had seen their salaries doubled. They were now working for the largest shoemaker in the world. According to company lore, in fact, in some developing countries â€Å"bata† gained currency where there was no word for â€Å"shoe. † Moreover, Bata became involved in a variety of other industries, including socks, leatherwork, chemicals used in leather making, shoemaking machinery, wooden packing crates, tires and other rubber goods. The company launched its own film studio to produced advertising materials, and it soon evolved into a full-fledged enterprise that produced some of the earliest animated films. Because of the company’s involvement in transportation, as Bata became the world’s largest exporter of shoes, Tomas Bata even became involved in the manufacture of airplanes through the Zlin Air Company, which produced both sporting and business planes. He also became famous for housing his headquarters in the tallest reinforced concrete office building in Europe, which featured an elevator that housed his â€Å"floating office. † With a push of a button, Bata was able to confer, and keep an eye on, his employees on every floor without leaving his desk. Bata established operations in new markets, such as Singapore in 1930. The company, which in 1931 adopted a joint stock company form of organization, also established subsidiaries and shoe factories in a number of European countries as a way to circumvent tariffs that had been imposed in response to a worldwide economic depression. In mid-1932, Tomas Bata called together his team of executives and announced that in order for the company to weather increasingly difficult economic conditions and drive further growth, they would have to look to more distant markets, in particular North America. Just two days later, however, Tomas Bata was killed when an airplane he was in took off in a thick fog and crashed into a chimney of one of his buildings. He was 56 years old. Bata left a 22-year-old son, Thomas J. Bata, whom he had groomed since childhood to one day head the business, but in the meantime Bata’s half-brother Jan took over and continued the mentoring process. It was Thomas Bata who was to be dispatched to North America, to which the company was already exporting shoes, to establish a manufacturing operation. While most executives in the organization lobbied for the United States as the location for a plant, the young Bata was fixated on locating the business in Canada, a place he had romanticized since childhood after reading the works of Jack London. With the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the importance of organizing a North American operation took on increasing importance, as the company now made plans to relocate its headquarters to the West. In March 1939, with Germany on the verge of invading his country, Thomas Bata fled to Canada along with 180 Czechoslovakians. After being granted permission from the Canadian government, he started up operations in Frankford, Ontario, taking over a former Canadian Paper Company mill while a new factory was built. To aid in the Allied war effort, the company focused its personnel and equipment on the production of anti-aircraft equipment and machines used to inspect ammunition. For his part, Jan Bata moved his headquarters to the United States, but when blacklisted by the Allies he was forced to relocate to Brazil. The Bata Shoe Organization, as it was called, was now split between uncle and nephew, resulting in an eventual contest for management control and ownership. Thomas Bata essentially prevailed in 1949, but the contest continued to be played out in the courts of numerous countries until the end of 1966. The return of Bata operations lost to the Nazis was short lived after World War II. In 1945, the communist government installed in Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union had nationalized the country’s industry, usurping the original Bata shoe factory in Zlin and the company’s far-flung network of shops. Even Zlin’s name was changed, becoming known as Gottwaldov, a tribute to the country’s first communist president. ) Bata was further stripped of assets as other countries, including East Germany, Poland, and Yugoslavia, also nationalized their shoe industries. Now based in the West, Bata and its many Czechoslovakian expatriates began to rebuild the business, taking on an almost missionary zeal in the process. Rather than organizing in a centralized manner, the company established a structure based on autonomous operations, primarily in the new markets of developing countries. Also following the war, Thomas Bata married an aspiring architect named Sonja, a woman who would play an influential role in the success of the company, supplementing her husband’s manufacturing and sales expertise with a sense of design and style. By the mid-1950s, Bata was operating 56 factories in 46 countries. Thirty years later, Bata was in 115 countries, selling close to $2 billion worth of footwear each year through 6,000 company-owned stores and 120,000 independent retailers. Bata Shoes Returns to the Czech Republic in 1991 In the 1970s and 1980s, the manufacture of shoes began to shift increasingly to Pacific Rim countries, where lower labor costs provided a competitive edge that proved devastating to shoe companies around the world. With its widely cast operations and well-established distribution network, Bata was better able to compete, but it too suffered from a softening in its business. With the fall of communism in the late 1980s, Bata was able to return to the country where the family business was founded. The company was not able to resume ownership of its prior assets, which has been combined with other Czech shoe operations, nor did Bata wish to be encumbered with facilities that the communists had neglected for more than 40 years. Nevertheless, Thomas Bata was committed to establishing a business in his native country. After some study, the management team elected to focus on a retail distribution business and a modest manufacturing facility, one that was not part of the old Bata operation. A small factory established by the communist regime was found acceptable, and the company then selected a number of retail locations, which would total a 20 percent market share, and presented the government with a joint venture proposal that was accepted in late 1991. Thomas Bata, at the age of 80, elected to retire in 1994. His son, Thomas Bata, Jr. , had been serving as president since 1985. According to The Globe and Mail, Thomas, Jr. â€Å"took over at a time when the international shoe maker was experiencing heightened competition from strong global marketers. The movement toward free trade challenged its network of quasi-autonomous national companies. Mr. Bata tried to make changes, but insiders says he lost the support of key members of the board. † He was widely expected to succeed his father, but to the surprise of many, Stanley Heath, a Canadian with considerable executive experience with RJR Nabisco, took over as president and CEO to assume the day-to-day running of the business, while the younger Bata assumed the chairmanship, ostensibly charged with focusing on the â€Å"big picture. He soon left the family business and moved to Switzerland. His father, with a reputation as an autocrat, was slated to become honorary chairman, but the post proved to be far from ceremonial, as he continued to be involved in the company’s operations on a day-to-day basis and was not reticent about letting management know his opinions. Little more than a year after coming to Bata, Heath resigned for â€Å"personal and family reasons. â⠂¬  Taking over for Heath was a loyal company man, Rino Rizzo, who had been with the Bata organization since 1969. In 1999, Bata brought in Jim Pantelidis, an executive who had no experience in the shoe industry, to assume the CEO position. Pantelidis’s background was in retail gasoline sales, and during his career he had worked for one of Canada’s largest chains, Petro-Canada Corporation. Pantelidis instituted a plan to develop regional shoe lines, as opposed to lines created for individual countries. In addition, he wanted to create economies of scale by building regional infrastructures. The goal was to use the regional infrastructures to position the Bata brand on a global basis. The tenure of Pantelidis lasted just two years. In late 2001, Thomas Bata, Jr. returned, gained control of the business, and was named chairman and CEO, while Pantelidis left to â€Å"pursue other challenges. † Bata began to reorganize the company, essentially running the business out of Switzerland. It remained to be seen if he would be able to succeed where outsiders had failed in the effort to transform Bata from a federation of stand-alone local subsidiaries into a truly international company. Principal Subsidiaries: Bata Canada; Bata Europe; Bata International; Bata Latin America. Principal Competitors: Footstar, Inc. ; Jimlar Corporation; Payless ShoeSource, Inc. Product Profile: Legendary quality, trend-setting styles, and a tradition of innovation that goes back to 1894. For more than 100 years, the Bata brand has offered the best shoe at the best price. With contemporary and classic styles, the Bata collection has shoes and accessories for active men and women who appreciate great design and understand the meaning of value. Everyday shoes that look good and feel even better; nobody knows shoes better than Bata. Bata Ambassador Combining Italian design with handcrafted detail and the highest quality leather, Bata’s premium Ambassador brand sets the standard for European footwear. And its trend-setting style doesn’t sacrifice comfort. The Ambassador offers a flexible genuine leather upper, a leather lining to absorb moisture, and a polyurethane sole for a firm grip. A contemporary classic for the man who knows where he’s going. Combining great-looking style and design with the latest technology, Bata Benefit offers the ultimate in healthful comfort for men and women. Developed at Bata’s Shoe Innovation Centre in Europe, the Benefit collection breaks new ground in shoe design, exceeding the expectations of even the most discriminating customers. From sporty and casual to elegant and formal, From Bata Flexible, Bata Antistatic to Bata Air System, all Benefit shoes are made with high-quality leather and Bata’s trademark precision.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Nineteen

Jon The courtyard rang to the song of swords. Under black wool, boiled leather, and mail, sweat trickled icily down Jon's chest as he pressed the attack. Grenn stumbled backward, defending himself clumsily. When he raised his sword, Jon went underneath it with a sweeping blow that crunched against the back of the other boy's leg and sent him staggering. Grenn's downcut was answered by an overhand that dented his helm. When he tried a sideswing, Jon swept aside his blade and slammed a mailed forearm into his chest. Grenn lost his footing and sat down hard in the snow. Jon knocked his sword from his fingers with a slash to his wrist that brought a cry of pain. â€Å"Enough!† Ser Alliser Thorne had a voice with an edge like Valyrian steel. Grenn cradled his hand. â€Å"The bastard broke my wrist.† â€Å"The bastard hamstrung you, opened your empty skull, and cut off your hand. Or would have, if these blades had an edge. It's fortunate for you that the Watch needs stableboys as well as rangers.† Ser Alliser gestured at Jeren and Toad. â€Å"Get the Aurochs on his feet, he has funeral arrangements to make.† Jon took off his helm as the other boys were pulling Grenn to his feet. The frosty morning air felt good on his face. He leaned on his sword, drew a deep breath, and allowed himself a moment to savor the victory. â€Å"That is a longsword, not an old man's cane,† Ser Alliser said sharply. â€Å"Are your legs hurting, Lord Snow?† Jon hated that name, a mockery that Ser Alliser had hung on him the first day he came to practice. The boys had picked it up, and now he heard it everywhere. He slid the longsword back into its scabbard. â€Å"No,† he replied. Thorne strode toward him, crisp black leathers whispering faintly as he moved. He was a compact man of fifty years, spare and hard, with grey in his black hair and eyes like chips of onyx. â€Å"The truth now,† he commanded. â€Å"I'm tired,† Jon admitted. His arm burned from the weight of the longsword, and he was starting to feel his bruises now that the fight was done. â€Å"What you are is weak.† â€Å"I won.† â€Å"No. The Aurochs lost.† One of the other boys sniggered. Jon knew better than to reply. He had beaten everyone that Ser Alliser had sent against him, yet it gained him nothing. The master-at-arms served up only derision. Thorne hated him, Jon had decided; of course, he hated the other boys even worse. â€Å"That will be all,† Thorne told them. â€Å"I can only stomach so much ineptitude in any one day. If the Others ever come for us, I pray they have archers, because you lot are fit for nothing more than arrow fodder.† Jon followed the rest back to the armory, walking alone. He often walked alone here. There were almost twenty in the group he trained with, yet not one he could call a friend. Most were two or three years his senior, yet not one was half the fighter Robb had been at fourteen. Dareon was quick but afraid of being hit. Pyp used his sword like a dagger, Jeren was weak as a girl, Grenn slow and clumsy. Halder's blows were brutally hard but he ran right into your attacks. The more time he spent with them, the more Jon despised them. Inside, Jon hung sword and scabbard from a hook in the stone wall, ignoring the others around him. Methodically, he began to strip off his mail, leather, and sweat-soaked woolens. Chunks of coal burned in iron braziers at either end of the long room, but Jon found himself shivering. The chill was always with him here. In a few years he would forget what it felt like to be warm. The weariness came on him suddenly, as he donned the roughspun blacks that were their everyday wear. He sat on a bench, his fingers fumbling with the fastenings on his cloak. So cold, he thought, remembering the warm halls of Winterfell, where the hot waters ran through the walls like blood through a man's body. There was scant warmth to be found in Castle Black; the walls were cold here, and the people colder. No one had told him the Night's Watch would be like this; no one except Tyrion Lannister. The dwarf had given him the truth on the road north, but by then it had been too late. Jon wondered if his father had known what the Wall would be like. He must have, he thought; that only made it hurt the worse. Even his uncle had abandoned him in this cold place at the end of the world. Up here, the genial Benjen Stark he had known became a different person. He was First Ranger, and he spent his days and nights with Lord Commander Mormont and Maester Aemon and the other high officers, while Jon was given over to the less than tender charge of Ser Alliser Thorne. Three days after their arrival, Jon had heard that Benjen Stark was to lead a half-dozen men on a ranging into the haunted forest. That night he sought out his uncle in the great timbered common hall and pleaded to go with him. Benjen refused him curtly. â€Å"This is not Winterfell,† he told him as he cut his meat with fork and dagger. â€Å"On the Wall, a man gets only what he earns. You're no ranger, Jon, only a green boy with the smell of summer still on you.† Stupidly, Jon argued. â€Å"I'll be fifteen on my name day,† he said. â€Å"Almost a man grown.† Benjen Stark frowned. â€Å"A boy you are, and a boy you'll remain until Ser Alliser says you are fit to be a man of the Night's Watch. If you thought your Stark blood would win you easy favors, you were wrong. We put aside our old families when we swear our vows. Your father will always have a place in my heart, but these are my brothers now.† He gestured with his dagger at the men around them, all the hard cold men in black. Jon rose at dawn the next day to watch his uncle leave. One of his rangers, a big ugly man, sang a bawdy song as he saddled his garron, his breath steaming in the cold morning air. Ben Stark smiled at that, but he had no smile for his nephew. â€Å"How often must I tell you no, Jon? We'll speak when I return.† As he watched his uncle lead his horse into the tunnel, Jon had remembered the things that Tyrion Lannister told him on the kingsroad, and in his mind's eye he saw Ben Stark lying dead, his blood red on the snow. The thought made him sick. What was he becoming? Afterward he sought out Ghost in the loneliness of his cell, and buried his face in his thick white fur. If he must be alone, he would make solitude his armor. Castle Black had no godswood, only a small sept and a drunken septon, but Jon could not find it in him to pray to any gods, old or new. If they were real, he thought, they were as cruel and implacable as winter. He missed his true brothers: little Rickon, bright eyes shining as he begged for a sweet; Robb, his rival and best friend and constant companion; Bran, stubborn and curious, always wanting to follow and join in whatever Jon and Robb were doing. He missed the girls too, even Sansa, who never called him anything but â€Å"my half brother† since she was old enough to understand what bastard meant. And Arya . . . he missed her even more than Robb, skinny little thing that she was, all scraped knees and tangled hair and torn clothes, so fierce and willful. Arya never seemed to fit, no more than he had . . . yet she could always make Jon smile. He would give anything to be with her now, to muss up her hair once more and watch her make a face, to hear her finish a sentence with him. â€Å"You broke my wrist, bastard boy.† Jon lifted his eyes at the sullen voice. Grenn loomed over him, thick of neck and red of face, with three of his friends behind him. He knew Todder, a short ugly boy with an unpleasant voice. The recruits all called him Toad. The other two were the ones Yoren had brought north with them, Jon remembered, rapers taken down in the Fingers. He'd forgotten their names. He hardly ever spoke to them, if he could help it. They were brutes and bullies, without a thimble of honor between them. Jon stood up. â€Å"I'll break the other one for you if you ask nicely.† Grenn was sixteen and a head taller than Jon. All four of them were bigger than he was, but they did not scare him. He'd beaten every one of them in the yard. â€Å"Maybe we'll break you,† one of the rapers said. â€Å"Try.† Jon reached back for his sword, but one of them grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. â€Å"You make us look bad,† complained Toad. â€Å"You looked bad before I ever met you,† Jon told him. The boy who had his arm jerked upward on him, hard. Pain lanced through him, but Jon would not cry out. Toad stepped close. â€Å"The little lordling has a mouth on him,† he said. He had pig eyes, small and shiny. â€Å"Is that your mommy's mouth, bastard? What was she, some whore? Tell us her name. Maybe I had her a time or two.† He laughed. Jon twisted like an eel and slammed a heel down across the instep of the boy holding him. There was a sudden cry of pain, and he was free. He flew at Toad, knocked him backward over a bench, and landed on his chest with both hands on his throat, slamming his head against the packed earth. The two from the Fingers pulled him off, throwing him roughly to the ground. Grenn began to kick at him. Jon was rolling away from the blows when a booming voice cut through the gloom of the armory. â€Å"STOP THIS! NOW!† Jon pulled himself to his feet. Donal Noye stood glowering at them. â€Å"The yard is for fighting,† the armorer said. â€Å"Keep your quarrels out of my armory, or I'll make them my quarrels. You won't like that.† Toad sat on the floor, gingerly feeling the back of his head. His fingers came away bloody. â€Å"He tried to kill me.† † ‘S true. I saw it,† one of the rapers put in. â€Å"He broke my wrist,† Grenn said again, holding it out to Noye for inspection. The armorer gave the offered wrist the briefest of glances. â€Å"A bruise. Perhaps a sprain. Maester Aemon will give you a salve. Go with him, Todder, that head wants looking after. The rest of you, return to your cells. Not you, Snow. You stay.† Jon sat heavily on the long wooden bench as the others left, oblivious to the looks they gave him, the silent promises of future retribution. His arm was throbbing. â€Å"The Watch has need of every man it can get,† Donal Noye said when they were alone. â€Å"Even men like Toad. You won't win any honors killing him.† Jon's anger flared. â€Å"He said my mother was—† â€Å"—a whore. I heard him. What of it?† â€Å"Lord Eddard Stark was not a man to sleep with whores,† Jon said icily. â€Å"His honor—† â€Å"—did not prevent him from fathering a bastard. Did it?† Jon was cold with rage. â€Å"Can I go?† â€Å"You go when I tell you to go.† Jon stared sullenly at the smoke rising from the brazier, until Noye took him under the chin, thick fingers twisting his head around. â€Å"Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy.† Jon looked. The armorer had a chest like a keg of ale and a gut to match. His nose was flat and broad, and he always seemed in need of a shave. The left sleeve of his black wool tunic was fastened at the shoulder with a silver pin in the shape of a longsword. â€Å"Words won't make your mother a whore. She was what she was, and nothing Toad says can change that. You know, we have men on the Wall whose mothers were whores.† Not my mother, Jon thought stubbornly. He knew nothing of his mother; Eddard Stark would not talk of her. Yet he dreamed of her at times, so often that he could almost see her face. In his dreams, she was beautiful, and highborn, and her eyes were kind. â€Å"You think you had it hard, being a high lord's bastard?† the armorer went on. â€Å"That boy Jeren is a septon's get, and Cotter Pyke is the baseborn son of a tavern wench. Now he commands Eastwatch by the Sea.† â€Å"I don't care,† Jon said. â€Å"I don't care about them and I don't care about you or Thorne or Benjen Stark or any of it. I hate it here. It's too . . . it's cold.† â€Å"Yes. Cold and hard and mean, that's the Wall, and the men who walk it. Not like the stories your wet nurse told you. Well, piss on the stories and piss on your wet nurse. This is the way it is, and you're here for life, same as the rest of us.† â€Å"Life,† Jon repeated bitterly. The armorer could talk about life. He'd had one. He'd only taken the black after he'd lost an arm at the siege of Storm's End. Before that he'd smithed for Stannis Baratheon, the king's brother. He'd seen the Seven Kingdoms from one end to the other; he'd feasted and wenched and fought in a hundred battles. They said it was Donal Noye who'd forged King Robert's warhammer, the one that crushed the life from Rhaegar Targaryen on the Trident. He'd done all the things that Jon would never do, and then when he was old, well past thirty, he'd taken a glancing blow from an axe and the wound had festered until the whole arm had to come off. Only then, crippled, had Donal Noye come to the Wall, when his life was all but over. â€Å"Yes, life,† Noye said. â€Å"A long life or a short one, it's up to you, Snow. The road you're walking, one of your brothers will slit your throat for you one night.† â€Å"They're not my brothers,† Jon snapped. â€Å"They hate me because I'm better than they are.† â€Å"No. They hate you because you act like you're better than they are. They look at you and see a castle-bred bastard who thinks he's a lordling.† The armorer leaned close. â€Å"You're no lordling. Remember that. You're a Snow, not a Stark. You're a bastard and a bully.† â€Å"A bully?† Jon almost choked on the word. The accusation was so unjust it took his breath away. â€Å"They were the ones who came after me. Four of them.† â€Å"Four that you've humiliated in the yard. Four who are probably afraid of you. I've watched you fight. It's not training with you. Put a good edge on your sword, and they'd be dead meat; you know it, I know it, they know it. You leave them nothing. You shame them. Does that make you proud?† Jon hesitated. He did feel proud when he won. Why shouldn't he? But the armorer was taking that away too, making it sound as if he were doing something wrong. â€Å"They're all older than me,† he said defensively. â€Å"Older and bigger and stronger, that's the truth. I'll wager your master-at-arms taught you how to fight bigger men at Winterfell, though. Who was he, some old knight?† â€Å"Ser Rodrik Cassel,† Jon said warily. There was a trap here. He felt it closing around him. Donal Noye leaned forward, into Jon's face. â€Å"Now think on this, boy. None of these others have ever had a master-at-arms until Ser Alliser. Their fathers were farmers and wagonmen and poachers, smiths and miners and oars on a trading galley. What they know of fighting they learned between decks, in the alleys of Oldtown and Lannisport, in wayside brothels and taverns on the kingsroad. They may have clacked a few sticks together before they came here, but I promise you, not one in twenty was ever rich enough to own a real sword.† His look was grim. â€Å"So how do you like the taste of your victories now, Lord Snow?† â€Å"Don't call me that!† Jon said sharply, but the force had gone out of his anger. Suddenly he felt ashamed and guilty. â€Å"I never . . . I didn't think . . . â€Å" â€Å"Best you start thinking,† Noye warned him. â€Å"That, or sleep with a dagger by your bed. Now go.† By the time Jon left the armory, it was almost midday. The sun had broken through the clouds. He turned his back on it and lifted his eyes to the Wall, blazing blue and crystalline in the sunlight. Even after all these weeks, the sight of it still gave him the shivers. Centuries of windblown dirt had pocked and scoured it, covering it like a film, and it often seemed a pale grey, the color of an overcast sky . . . but when the sun caught it fair on a bright day, it shone, alive with light, a colossal blue-white cliff that filled up half the sky. The largest structure ever built by the hands of man, Benjen Stark had told Jon on the kingsroad when they had first caught sight of the Wall in the distance. â€Å"And beyond a doubt the most useless,† Tyrion Lannister had added with a grin, but even the Imp grew silent as they rode closer. You could see it from miles off, a pale blue line across the northern horizon, stretching away to the east and west and vanishing in the far distance, immense and unbroken. This is the end of the world, it seemed to say. When they finally spied Castle Black, its timbered keeps and stone towers looked like nothing more than a handful of toy blocks scattered on the snow, beneath the vast wall of ice. The ancient stronghold of the black brothers was no Winterfell, no true castle at all. Lacking walls, it could not be defended, not from the south, or east, or west; but it was only the north that concerned the Night's Watch, and to the north loomed the Wall. Almost seven hundred feet high it stood, three times the height of the tallest tower in the stronghold it sheltered. His uncle said the top was wide enough for a dozen armored knights to ride abreast. The gaunt outlines of huge catapults and monstrous wooden cranes stood sentry up there, like the skeletons of great birds, and among them walked men in black as small as ants. As he stood outside the armory looking up, Jon felt almost as overwhelmed as he had that day on the kingsroad, when he'd seen it for the first time. The Wall was like that. Sometimes he could almost forget that it was there, the way you forgot about the sky or the earth underfoot, but there were other times when it seemed as if there was nothing else in the world. It was older than the Seven Kingdoms, and when he stood beneath it and looked up, it made Jon dizzy. He could feel the great weight of all that ice pressing down on him, as if it were about to topple, and somehow Jon knew that if it fell, the world fell with it. â€Å"Makes you wonder what lies beyond,† a familiar voice said. Jon looked around. â€Å"Lannister. I didn't see—I mean, I thought I was alone.† Tyrion Lannister was bundled in furs so thickly he looked like a very small bear. â€Å"There's much to be said for taking people unawares. You never know what you might learn.† â€Å"You won't learn anything from me,† Jon told him. He had seen little of the dwarf since their journey ended. As the queen's own brother, Tyrion Lannister had been an honored guest of the Night's Watch. The Lord Commander had given him rooms in the King's Tower—so-called, though no king had visited it for a hundred years—and Lannister dined at Mormont's own table and spent his days riding the Wall and his nights dicing and drinking with Ser Alliser and Bowen Marsh and the other high officers. â€Å"Oh, I learn things everywhere I go.† The little man gestured up at the Wall with a gnarled black walking stick. â€Å"As I was saying . . . why is it that when one man builds a wall, the next man immediately needs to know what's on the other side?† He cocked his head and looked at Jon with his curious mismatched eyes. â€Å"You do want to know what's on the other side, don't you?† â€Å"It's nothing special,† Jon said. He wanted to ride with Benjen Stark on his rangings, deep into the mysteries of the haunted forest, wanted to fight Mance Rayder's wildlings and ward the realm against the Others, but it was better not to speak of the things you wanted. â€Å"The rangers say it's just woods and mountains and frozen lakes, with lots of snow and ice.† â€Å"And the grumkins and the snarks,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Let us not forget them, Lord Snow, or else what's that big thing for?† â€Å"Don't call me Lord Snow.† The dwarf lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"Would you rather be called the Imp? Let them see that their words can cut you, and you'll never be free of the mockery. If they want to give you a name, take it, make it your own. Then they can't hurt you with it anymore.† He gestured with his stick. â€Å"Come, walk with me. They'll be serving some vile stew in the common hall by now, and I could do with a bowl of something hot.† Jon was hungry too, so he fell in beside Lannister and slowed his pace to match the dwarf's awkward, waddling steps. The wind was rising, and they could hear the old wooden buildings creaking around them, and in the distance a heavy shutter banging, over and over, forgotten. Once there was a muffled thump as a blanket of snow slid from a roof and landed near them. â€Å"I don't see your wolf,† Lannister said as they walked. â€Å"I chain him up in the old stables when we're training. They board all the horses in the east stables now, so no one bothers him. The rest of the time he stays with me. My sleeping cell is in Hardin's Tower.† â€Å"That's the one with the broken battlement, no? Shattered stone in the yard below, and a lean to it like our noble king Robert after a long night's drinking? I thought all those buildings had been abandoned.† Jon shrugged. â€Å"No one cares where you sleep. Most of the old keeps are empty, you can pick any cell you want.† Once Castle Black had housed five thousand fighting men with all their horses and servants and weapons. Now it was home to a tenth that number, and parts of it were falling into ruin. Tyrion Lannister's laughter steamed in the cold air. â€Å"I'll be sure to tell your father to arrest more stonemasons, before your tower collapses.† Jon could taste the mockery there, but there was no denying the truth. The Watch had built nineteen great strongholds along the Wall, but only three were still occupied: Eastwatch on its grey windswept shore, the ShadowTower hard by the mountains where the Wall ended, and Castle Black between them, at the end of the kingsroad. The other keeps, long deserted, were lonely, haunted places, where cold winds whistled through black windows and the spirits of the dead manned the parapets. â€Å"It's better that I'm by myself,† Jon said stubbornly. â€Å"The rest of them are scared of Ghost.† â€Å"Wise boys,† Lannister said. Then he changed the subject. â€Å"The talk is, your uncle is too long away.† Jon remembered the wish he'd wished in his anger, the vision of Benjen Stark dead in the snow, and he looked away quickly. The dwarf had a way of sensing things, and Jon did not want him to see the guilt in his eyes. â€Å"He said he'd be back by my name day,† he admitted. His name day had come and gone, unremarked, a fortnight past. â€Å"They were looking for Ser Waymar Royce, his father is bannerman to Lord Arryn. Uncle Benjen said they might search as far as the ShadowTower. That's all the way up in the mountains.† â€Å"I hear that a good many rangers have vanished of late,† Lannister said as they mounted the steps to the common hall. He grinned and pulled open the door. â€Å"Perhaps the grumkins are hungry this year.† Inside, the hall was immense and drafty, even with a fire roaring in its great hearth. Crows nested in the timbers of its lofty ceiling. Jon heard their cries overhead as he accepted a bowl of stew and a heel of black bread from the day's cooks. Grenn and Toad and some of the others were seated at the bench nearest the warmth, laughing and cursing each other in rough voices. Jon eyed them thoughtfully for a moment. Then he chose a spot at the far end of the hall, well away from the other diners. Tyrion Lannister sat across from him, sniffing at the stew suspiciously. â€Å"Barley, onion, carrot,† he muttered. â€Å"Someone should tell the cooks that turnip isn't a meat.† â€Å"It's mutton stew.† Jon pulled off his gloves and warmed his hands in the steam rising from the bowl. The smell made his mouth water. â€Å"Snow.† Jon knew Alliser Thorne's voice, but there was a curious note in it that he had not heard before. He turned. â€Å"The Lord Commander wants to see you. Now.† For a moment Jon was too frightened to move. Why would the Lord Commander want to see him? They had heard something about Benjen, he thought wildly, he was dead, the vision had come true. â€Å"Is it my uncle?† he blurted. â€Å"Is he returned safe?† â€Å"The Lord Commander is not accustomed to waiting,† was Ser Alliser's reply. â€Å"And I am not accustomed to having my commands questioned by bastards.† Tyrion Lannister swung off the bench and rose. â€Å"Stop it, Thorne. You're frightening the boy.† â€Å"Keep out of matters that don't concern you, Lannister. You have no place here.† â€Å"I have a place at court, though,† the dwarf said, smiling. â€Å"A word in the right ear, and you'll die a sour old man before you get another boy to train. Now tell Snow why the Old Bear needs to see him. Is there news of his uncle?† â€Å"No,† Ser Alliser said. â€Å"This is another matter entirely. A bird arrived this morning from Winterfell, with a message that concerns his brother.† He corrected himself. â€Å"His half brother.† â€Å"Bran,† Jon breathed, scrambling to his feet. â€Å"Something's happened to Bran.† Tyrion Lannister laid a hand on his arm. â€Å"Jon,† he said. â€Å"I am truly sorry.† Jon scarcely heard him. He brushed off Tyrion's hand and strode across the hall. He was running by the time he hit the doors. He raced to the Commander's Keep, dashing through drifts of old snow. When the guards passed him, he took the tower steps two at a time. By the time he burst into the presence of the Lord Commander, his boots were soaked and Jon was wild-eyed and panting. â€Å"Bran,† he said. â€Å"What does it say about Bran?† Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, was a gruff old man with an immense bald head and a shaggy grey beard. He had a raven on his arm, and he was feeding it kernels of corn. â€Å"I am told you can read.† He shook the raven off, and it flapped its wings and flew to the window, where it sat watching as Mormont drew a roll of paper from his belt and handed it to Jon. â€Å"Corn,† it muttered in a raucous voice. â€Å"Corn, corn.† Jon's finger traced the outline of the direwolf in the white wax of the broken seat. He recognized Robb's hand, but the letters seemed to blur and run as he tried to read them. He realized he was crying. And then, through the tears, he found the sense in the words, and raised his head. â€Å"He woke up,† he said. â€Å"The gods gave him back.† â€Å"Crippled,† Mormont said. â€Å"I'm sorry, boy. Read the rest of the letter.† He looked at the words, but they didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Bran was going to live. â€Å"My brother is going to live,† he told Mormont. The Lord Commander shook his head, gathered up a fistful of corn, and whistled. The raven flew to his shoulder, crying, â€Å"Live! Live!† Jon ran down the stairs, a smile on his face and Robb's letter in his hand. â€Å"My brother is going to live,† he told the guards. They exchanged a look. He ran back to the common hall, where he found Tyrion Lannister just finishing his meal. He grabbed the little man under the arms, hoisted him up in the air, and spun him around in a circle. â€Å"Bran is going to live!† he whooped. Lannister looked startled. Jon put him down and thrust the paper into his hands. â€Å"Here, read it,† he said. Others were gathering around and looking at him curiously. Jon noticed Grenn a few feet away. A thick woolen bandage was wrapped around one hand. He looked anxious and uncomfortable, not menacing at all. Jon went to him. Grenn edged backward and put up his hands. â€Å"Stay away from me now, you bastard.† Jon smiled at him. â€Å"I'm sorry about your wrist. Robb used the same move on me once, only with a wooden blade. It hurt like seven hells, but yours must be worse. Look, if you want, I can show you how to defend that.† Alliser Thorne overheard him. â€Å"Lord Snow wants to take my place now.† He sneered. â€Å"I'd have an easier time teaching a wolf to juggle than you will training this aurochs.† â€Å"I'll take that wager, Ser Alliser,† Jon said. â€Å"I'd love to see Ghost juggle.† Jon heard Grenn suck in his breath, shocked. Silence fell. Then Tyrion Lannister guffawed. Three of the black brothers joined in from a nearby table. The laughter spread up and down the benches, until even the cooks joined in. The birds stirred in the rafters, and finally even Grenn began to chuckle. Ser Alliser never took his eyes from Jon. As the laughter rolled around him, his face darkened, and his sword hand curled into a fist. â€Å"That was a grievous error, Lord Snow,† he said at last in the acid tones of an enemy.

The Failure of Circuit City Stores Research Paper

The Failure of Circuit City Stores - Research Paper Example The articles will be chosen from business journals or from some databases. Among the chosen journal, one with the most valuable information that reflects organization’s core business values and corporate culture will be selected to conduct the study. Through this report, the outlook of the author of some article will be presented and critical discussion about the same topic will be carried out. Finally the learning outcomes from the study and article will be illustrated. The company chosen to conduct the study is Circuit city Stores Inc. Before getting into any critical discussion about the area of study, a brief over view of the chosen company will be presented in the next section. Circuit City Stores: A Brief Overview Circuit city Stores Inc. was an US based retailer which was founded in the year 1949. The company used to sell branded products in the category of entertainment software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and also large appliances. It was headquartered at Richmond, Virginia, USA. However in the year 2009 the company was closed due to bankruptcy and failure to grab any customer (Wallace, Gifford & Dougias, 2004). During the time of its liquidation, the company was the second biggest consumer electronics retailer just after Best Buy. Throughout its lifespan the company had 567 Circuit City superstores nationwide. Initially 155 stores were closed during the time when it filed bankruptcy in 2008. Finally in the year 2009, lack of consumer demand and economic downturn has forced Circuit City Stores to completely shut down its operation (McCrorey, 2012). The company placed the headquarters for sale in the year 2010 and ultimately it was purchased by a New York-based Lexington Property Trust at a staggering $17 million. After its liquidation Systemax is the present owner of Circuit City Store. Systemax acquired the brand name, e-commerce business and trademark at a public sale or an auction which was held at the Circuit City Stores. Syst emax now uses the brand name of Circuit City as in order to sell consumer electronic online (Circuitcity, 2012). It has now become an online store and operates as circuitcity.com. The new online store sells various electronic products such as computer parts and accessories, camera, surveillance devices, audio, GPS devices, cell phones, software, toys and video games, and home & office essentials among others. Presently the company competes with Target Corporation, Walmart, Boater’s world and Best Buy among others (Plunkett, 2006). Selected Articles The articles which have been shortlisted for the purpose of the study are presented below in a tabular form. Name of the Article Author(s) The rise and fall of Circuit City Amy Hart, Erika Matulich, Kimberly Rubinsak, Kasey Sheffer Nikol Vann and Myriam Vidalon. Circuit City Gearing Up For Holidays Alan Wolf Circuit City to Close 69 Stores Erik Gruenwedel Circuit City Curbs Expansion, may Close Stores ALAN WOLF Why Circuit City Bus ted, While Best Buy Boomed Anita Hamilton Circuit City: A Brief History in Time Alan Wolf Closed Circuit Erik Gruenwedel Liquidation Of Circuit Enters Its Final Phase Alan Wolf All the articles provide some amount of information regarding Circuit City Store and how it gradually went down or rather was forced to put down the lid. According to the requirements, one article has to be chosen for the purpose of this study. Therefore, from the aforementioned journal articles, the one which has been chosen to perform the study is the rise and fall of Circuit City by Amy Hart, Erika Matulich, Kimberly Rubinsak, Kasey Sheffer Nikol Vann and Myriam Vidalon. The primary reason for choosing this article is the clarity of the article. This article clearly describes how the company went bankrupt in 2009 and what the

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How do practitioners in a child care centre encourage babies and young children to learn to talk - Research Paper Example It is not very common to have a relative look over their children. This is when the role of child care centers comes into the spotlight. Over the time, women have come to realize the importance of child care centers in helping them look over their children while they are away; at the same time, working mothers are relieved of the tension of having their children unattended. There has been a surge in the demand for qualified and experienced people who can take responsibility and care for young children. Moreover, the demand for child care workers is also high because of the high turnover rate of the job; this is because the wages given to child care workers are low, making the turnover rate as much as 31 percent (Eberts & Gisler, 1999). It has become more of a rule, rather than a something arising out of necessity, for women to work outside their homes. There has been a shift from the parenting approach to child care to a market approach to child care (Lamanna & Riedmann, 2008). Therefore, a number of alternatives have surfaced over the years to facilitate working mothers while they are away. In America, the three main types of child care options that are preferred are in-home care, family child care and child care centers. Child care centers are also known as day care centers. Where in-home child care includes hiring a nanny or au-pairs, family child care is concerned with the caring of a child from the personal residence of the care giver. Both have advantages and disadvantages of their own. In-home care provides the child care in his or her own, and is very personalized for the child. However, the little exposure the child gets of the outside world, along with the lack of authentic proof of the character of the care giver, makes the in-home care option less preferable. On the other hand, family care centers are generally preferred for their small child to care giver ratio as well as the dependency on the

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An Analysis of William Shakespeares Othello Essay Example for Free

An Analysis of William Shakespeares Othello Essay In the play Othello, the characters depend only on their eyes, and with that, they jump to major conclusions. Many times in life we often take things for what we see them as or what they appear to be instead of looking to see what something or someone really is. Reality is often disguised by appearance. The tragic plot of Othello hinges on the ability of the villain, Iago, to mislead other characters, particularly Roderigo and Othello, by encouraging them to misinterpret what they see. Through Iago’s manipulation of Roderigo, treachery towards Othello, and Desdemona’s deception towards her father, Shakespeare demonstrates that appearance is not always reality. Although Iago made it look as if him and Roderigo were partners in crime, it turns out Roderigo was just being manipulated. Roderigo is one of the many characters who are duped into believing Iago is actually trying to help him. He convinces Roderigo to to keep his hopes up for Desdemona by saying, â€Å"It cannot be that Desdemona should long continue her love to the Moorput money in thy pursenor he his to her . . . â€Å"(1. 3. 338-340). Iago is convincing Roderigo that the love between Othello and Desdemona cannot last much longer so he should just wait and everything will work out. â€Å"Honest† Iago, who only wished to further his plan of revenge on Othello, lied to Roderigo who had come to his â€Å"friend† for help. Roderigo had left after their conversation believing his good friend was helping him. Later in the play, Iago also convinces Roderigo that Desdemona loves Cassio. Iago subsequently manipulates Roderigo’s jealousy and resentment towards Cassio and Roderigo helps remove Cassio of his lieutenancy. Roderigo is merely a puppet to Iago’s treacherous plot to eliminate Cassio. To Othello, it may seem that Iago is an honest and trustworthy friend, but it turns out he is the opposite. Virtue! a fig! tis in ourselves that we are thus and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. (1. 3. 5). When Iago makes an analogy between gardening and exercising free will, were reminded of the way that Iago is the ultimate master gardener, so to speak. Part of what makes him such a brilliant manipulator of Othello is his ability to plant the seeds of doubt and jealousy in Othellos mind. Iago is only doing this to serve his own purposes so that is plan will work out in the end. Iago is able to manipulate people into falling for the traps he sets. This misplaced trust is what leads Othello to his downfall. Desdemona is continuously distrusted by those who love and trust her most, especially Brabanito. Brabantio refuses to believe Desdemona loves Othello. Brabantio thinks Othello used witchcraft to woo Desdemona. Desdemona elopes with Othello without her father’s permission. Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee. (1. 3. 10). Brabantio suggests that, because Desdemona deceived her father when she eloped with Othello, Desdemona will likely deceive her husband. Desdemona, as we know, is completely faithful to Othello. Desdemona deceives her father in order to be with Othello. All of this manipulation, treachery, and deceit is what leads each character to their own downfall. Not only are looks deceiving, but looks alone, only cause trouble, trouble that is sometimes unfixable. People today, just like those in the Shakespearean period, jump to conclusions just by seeing. It is important to get all the facts before something tragic happens just like in Othello. Seeing isn’t always believing.

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Hostile Or Friendly Takeovers Mergers Economics Essay The process of mergers and acquisitions is gaining a significant importance in todays corporate world and is extensively used for reorganizing the business organizations. (Cartwright, Cooper, 1992).The phrase mergers and acquisitions refer to the characteristic features of Corporate strategy, corporate finance and management that deal with the purchasing, selling and combining of different companies that can support, fund, or give their hand to an upcoming company in a given industry and grow rapidly without having to create another firm(Gauhan, 2007). There are many reasons why MNCS go in for merging and acquisition, the most important among them are the rising market, political power, defensive reactions, economies of scope or synergies, reduction of transaction and information costs.( Gaughan,2005) The factors that generates a firm to go in for merger and acquisition are identified in the budding regulatory changes that happen internationally, regionally at national levels and in the fast pace of technological change which enhance the market opportunities of a business, technological interrelationship, communications and cross border reconstituting. The advantages of MAs are evaluated in terms of the ability to exploit the scale and scope of economies, gain the market control, economize the transaction costs, diversify risks, and to provide access to the existing know-how It is. (Cantwell, Santangelo, 2002) A multinational enterprise (MNE) considering an entry into a foreign market by foreign direct investment (FDI) has to consider two strategic decisions regarding the organizational form of its foreign operation. First what is the level of control i.e. whether it will be a full ownership or a joint venture and, secondly, the mode of foreign entry i.e. setting up a new venture via Greenfield investment or merger and acquisition (Muller, 2007). Let us analyze the circumstances which make MA activity the optimal entry mode into a new international market in the forthcoming paragraphs. In the period of global competition, firms realise that the effectual use of universal sourcing will contribute significantly to the performance of the market. With the materialization of new products and technologies, the firms began to experience a new developing cycle which is accompanied by the degree of competition in the market. Most of the development of the industries experience four processes and they are starting up, developing, maturing and the declining (Wang, 2009). With the invention of new products and technologies, the industries start experiencing a new developing cycle. In the initial stages of development due to less competition firms preferred greenfield investment as the optimal mode of entry in to the foreign market. As the industry started maturing the speed of the MAs which is one of the main factor started to be seen as the biggest advantage over the Greenfield investment or any other entry modes (Kang, 2001). One of the most fundamental motives for MAs is th e speedy growth and the growth through MAs are a quicker process and it takes only few months than the other entry modes. An example of this kind is the German automobile company Daimler-Benz which realised that it needed a bigger occurrence in the U.S automobile market, therefore it did not waste its time by building new factories in United States which would have taken years, instead it acquired the number three U.S. automobile company, Chrysler, and merged the two operations to form Daimler-Chrysler(Barba Navaretti,2006). Firms either expand within their own industry which is the internal growth or they expand outside their business category which is the external growth to increase the market share or the removal of a rival. When the firms grow internally, competitors respond quickly and take the market share and in due course of time the firms advantages dissipate. The firms are left out with only solution of acquiring other companies that have possessions. For example Johnson a nd Johnson, rather than internally trying to be on the fore front of each of the major area of innovation decided to purchase those companies who had developed successful products. This strategy simply describes that instead of suppressing its competitors by its internal growth JJ stretched out for acquisition to increase its market power and this is referred to as inorganic development (Gaughan, 2007).Companies like Nestle use acquisition as a form of external growth to improve its organic growth( Morschett, Schramm-Klein,2009) Merging so as to create synergy is most often the cited validation for an acquirer to shell out a premium to the target firm. Synergy is created by redeploying a firms assets. The acquiring firm may transfer a resource from the target firm to the acquiring firm and assets may be redeployed from the bidder to the target. Authors like Colombo, Conca, and Gnan (2007) found that a strong forecaster of acquisition performance was the extent to which the asset is redeployed from the target. For example, Renault acquired Nissan and therefore the leadership skills of CEO Ghosn were redeployed to the benefit Renault and firms like Ford and GM were unsuccessful in enticing Ghosn away from Renault (Hopkins.D, 2008) Economic motivations are an important subcategory of MA establishing the economies of scale thereby reducing the costs due to superfluous resources of two firms in the same or related industry. Thus acquiring a firm in the same or a related industry results in considerable overlap between the two firms and reduces costs. When Daimler-Benz acquired Chrysler it announced that the merger would lead to $1.3 billion of cost savings in the first year mainly through collaboration (Morck, Yeung, 1992). Diversification is another important strategy that motivates the firms going in for MA.Diversification is growing outside a companys current industry category. Firms either diversifies to extend their product, extend their market, or purely diversify. When a firm is specialized in a given technology or product base it tries to enter new market by entering in to different industries, different social group or different geographical location. An example of this type is G.E which was merely an electronic company through a pattern of acquisitions and diversification started operating in insurance, television stations, plastics, medical equipments and so on(Hitt.M,Ireland.D,2009). Often firms go in for merger and acquisitions to exploit a core competence and take an insubstantial skill, know-how, or information and purchase it by spreading its use to additional industries where it can create a competitive advantage. For example the company such as Honda by its internal combustion engines develops a core competence and tries to use it as a basis of competitive advantage in different businesses (Hopkins, 2008) (Morosini, Shane, Singh, 1998) say that the larger the distance in culture of the countries in which merger partners are based the greater the potential benefit Cultural differences can also be a source of complimentary strength in the cross border MAs i.e. cultural differences between countries, like the nations strength allows working in groups for example collectivism in Japan versus the individualistic in the U.S, clearly shows that by the combination of two companies that are based out of different culture and country might result in a stronger combined company (Hennart, Young-Ryeol, 1993). Companies in order to improve their product development and to improvise their research and development which is important for the future growth of many companies go in for MA and cross border activities. During the 1990s a widespread consolidation took place in the pharmaceutical industry and the motive for such a merger was to come up with new drugs and mounting costs of RD, this explains the reason for the mega merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham merged in order to increase the RD budgets.(Gaughan.P,2007) Changes in the technology results a firm to either buy or sell depending on its position with respect to technological changes and effects. For example, Indias third largest software exporter Wipro had a success history of 10 acquisitions. Most of the acquired companies were based out in Europe and dealt technology or RD services. The Nerve Wire, AMS and Mpower helped Wipro gain skills in areas like financial securities, utility consulting and technologies respectively. (Paulson, Ed., Huber, 2007) CONCLUSION These were one among the few strategic factors that motivate a firm to opt for the Merger and Acquisition than going in for the other modes of entry. Despite the fact that by far the largest part of worldwide FDI takes the form of MA while in some regions Greenfield investment is most prominent.

Explain why there is a need for world development Essay -- Economics

Explain why there is a need for world development I believe that world development is needed for the following reasons: Â · In the world today, richer countries are the rulers and poor countries their slaves, for they do not choose to be indebted to the rich countries and they have repaid this debt back, however it is only in interest. The rich countries cannot seem to let go of the money given to them by the poorer countries, it's these repayments that cripple the poorer countries' economies and make sure that they can never be anything more than poor. In Timothy 6v10 it says 'For the love of money is the root of all evil' and that many people have 'broken their hearts with many sorrows', what the bible is teaching here is that money can corrupt people, and sometimes people who have money care about it more than they care about other people. This is what I think has happened to the rich countries, they are so blinded by their own greed that they do not recognise others needs until it becomes so obvious they cannot ignore it any longer, like the famine in Ethiopia. ..

Postmodernism Essay -- Art History

Postmodernism Postmodernism blends old themes with new contemporary issues to create beautiful artwork that commands, questions, and captivates all viewers to participate in discovering its inner meaning. Along with an inner meaning and beauty, it was used as a form of communication that was directed towards social, political, and cultural problems within the world. An architect Robert Stern states, â€Å" The fundamental shift to post-modernism has to do with the reawakening of artists in every field to public responsibilities of art. Once again art is being regarded as an act of communication.† (Wilkin, Schultz, Linduff, â€Å"Art Past Art Present, p.579) The postmodern era emancipated its artists from old traditional barriers that bounded them. The belief that everything could be used to produce art was used to the fullest. For instance, mediums like photography, computer animations, and movies. Even non-precise metals like steel, aluminum, and iron were used along side w ith gold and silver. Technology was a great medium that was also utilized, as newer and improved technology was developed some one would utilize it to immortalize his/her artwork. One of the well-known artists of the postmodern era was Jean-Pierre Yvaral. Jean utilized technology called digital imaging to manipulate pictures and transform them into his own creative art pieces. A well-known publicized piece Jean created was called â€Å"Mona Lisa Synthetisee.† (Fiero 4th Edition â€Å"The Humanistic Tradition† p.159) Blending the old with a twist of the new, Jean took the Mona Lisa, which was created by Leonardo da Vinci and cropped out only her head and digitized it to produce a perspective like image. This image had four sides, right and left, top and bo... ...sm era produced many more than two fine artists that have been depicted here in this essay. There is one thing that all of them have in common though, each and every piece of work they produce has similar qualities. They all communicate a message that handles social, political, and cultural problems. How they communicate their message is solely up to the artist, because they are not bound by limitations, but there own creativity. As for the next movement it too will be filled with influences of the postmodern era as the influences of previous movements have influence postmodernism. Bibliography 1. Fiero, Gloria K. â€Å"The Humanistic Tradition,† 4th Edition, published by McGraw-Hill  © 2002 2. Wilkins, David G., Schultz Bernard, Linduff, Katheryn M. â€Å"Art Past Art Present,† 3rd Edition, published by Prentice Hall, Inc and Harry N. Abrams, Inc.  © 1997

University of Tennessee Sports :: Free Essay Writer

University of Tennessee Sports It has been a very busy and exciting week at the University of Tennessee. Students had their second week on campus after spring break so that meant a lot of tests to be taken. However, most people in East Tennessee cared more about the activities of the Vols Athletic Department. The week started with a look at the known - - namely the Coach Phillip Fulmer led Football Volunteers starting their second week of spring practice. The Vols completed their first week of Spring Practice with a scrimmage on March 31st after learning of a knee injury to offensive tackle Michael Munoz. Coach Fulmer and his staff were not going to let that slow down their practice schedule. On Tuesday, the team continued their workouts at Neyland Stadium in a light rain with lots of rotation on the offensive line. Coach Fulmer said on Thursday that he has been pleased with the progress of the offensive linemen and hopes to develop enough talent this spring and summer to have lots of depth on the line. Be assured that Coach Fulmer and his entire staff are looking forward to the Orange and White Game on April 21st and to welcoming the latest recruiting class to Knoxville this summer. Of course there was some other news up on the hill this week. In case you missed it, the Men’s Basketball Team has a new coach. Robert â€Å"Buzz† Peterson is coming to lead the Vols to the next level of the college basketball hierarchy. Coach Peterson comes to Knoxville after a season at Tulsa where he led his team to the National Invitational Tournament championship. Prior to his stint at Tulsa, he was head coach of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. But what most people recall about Coach Peterson is that he was Michael Jordan’s roommate when they played for Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina, winning the NCAA Championship in 1982. Coach Peterson brings a lot of excitement and energy to the Volunteers. The players seemed enthusiastic after their first meeting with Coach Peterson. Jenis Grindstaff said that having the coaching decision finalized will allow the team to focus on the next season and really likes the enthusiasm that Coach Peterson brings. Forward Ron Slay said that Peterson has already challenged him to a game of pool.

“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning Essay

Robert Browning sets the tone of â€Å"My Last Duchess,† by using three significant poetic techniques, one of which is imagery. Browning uses the Duke’s monologue to sketch out images in the reader’s mind of the Duchess herself, and the sinister personality of the Duke. Browning also uses another key device, which is diction to illustrate the darkness in this poem. Browning’s careful word choice adds to the description of the Duchess and perhaps her disgraceful behavior, as well as the Duke’s terrifying jealousy, and expectations. Finally, Browning also uses symbolism, which is instrumental in showing the Duke’s jealousy, which possibly could have led to the Duchess’ demise. Robert Browning is able to achieve a haunting, mysterious, and eerie tone in â€Å"My Last Duchess,† by using imagery, precise diction, and symbolism. The imagery in â€Å"My Last Duchess,† conveys a clear picture in the reader’s mind of not only of the Duchess, and her portrait, but also the darkness of the Duke’s life. The Duke begins his soliloquy by saying, â€Å"That’s my last duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive,† (1-2) already the reader is hit with the image of the late Duchess’ portrait. A mysterious tone lurks as the Duke speaks because the reader now wonders how the Duchess died. As the Duke continues with his speech, he vividly paints a picture of the Duchess. The Duke recounts how the painter, Fra Pandolf compliments her beautiful skin by saying, â€Å"Paint / Must never hope to reproduce the faint /Half-flush that dies along her throat† (17-19). As the Duchess blushes at Pandolf’s kindness, the Duke’s jealousy is building up. As the Duke and his guest make their way downstairs to meet the rest of the company, the Duke says, â€Å"Notice Neptune, though / Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity† (54-55). The image of Neptune as he tames the sea horse is a perfect example of the Dukes temperamental, and controlling personality. This image reflects his domineering disposition, which adds to the haunting, eerie tone. An eerie and mysterious tone is further enhanced by Browning’s use of diction. Browning’s particular word choice in this dramatic monologue steers the reader to believe that over time the Duchess’ flirtatious nature becomes more difficult for the Duke to handle. As he says to the emissary, â€Å"Sir, ’twas not / Her husband’s presence only, call that spot / Of joy into the  Duchess’ cheek,† (12-14) the Duke begins to explain how she is charmed by anyone, and â€Å"too easily impressed† (24). In addition to being overly impressed by gifts from â€Å"officious fools,† (27) the Duke is especially upset as he says, â€Å"she ranked / My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift.† By marrying the Duchess the Duke gave her the gift of nobility, and she now holds a higher social rank. He feels that that gift alone should maintain her happiness, and commitment to him. The Duke’s anger, and jealously have now escalated, and the reader begins to question what his madness will carry him to do. Another meticulous selection of words Browning uses is, † Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, / Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without / Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.† (43-46) The poem has now turned very mysterious, how was the Duchess executed, and who other than the Duke is responsible? Browning is able to make the Duke’s controlling nature apparent through the use of symbolism. The Duke’s need to be dominate and in control at all times is frightening. The portrait of the late Duchess is a symbol to show the Duke’s dominance. The Duchess had slightly rebelled against the Duke, and he questions her fidelity when he says, â€Å"She thanked men, good! But thanked / Somehow I know not how† (31-32). The Duke was distraught that he was unable to control her innocent blushes, or friendly smiles at others. It finally came time for the Duke to take matters into is own hands, he then, â€Å"gave commands,† (45) and â€Å"then all smiles stopped together† (46). The art is a symbol that he is now able to control her every glance and every smile. Not only does he now have complete control over her, his guests are only allowed to see her when he draws a curtain and permits them to. It is exceptionally haunting that the Duke is so obsessed with having the power to control someone. The imagery brought to the reader’s mind as the Duke is entertaining the emissary is chilling. Browning’s comparison between the Duke and Neptune increase the mysterious effect. As the Duke explains that he refuses to allow his next wife to behave the way the late Duchess did, mystery sets in as it makes the reader question if he is capable of committing this crime  again, and how the Duchess was brought to her demise. Browning’s word choice also enhances the mystery and eeriness of the poem. By using diction, the Duke’s controlling personality was described. Finally, Browning uses the Duchess’ portrait as a symbol In conclusion, Robert Browning achieved a haunting, mysterious, and eerie tone through the use of three poetic techniques.

Christian Dior Essay

The House of Dior – A fashion house that over six decades is still going strong. From a humble beginning to a power house of fashion, this house of fashion has begun a â€Å"New Look† for their market during the start if it’s business and beyond. With avant-garde designs, Christian Dior has changed women’s fashion in his era. Starting a fashion business is no mean feat. One may need all the preparation and planning in order to be successful and have your creations reach the market. The House of Christian Dior Christian Dior, a Frenchman, started his career in the 1930’s by selling his sketches to numerous prospective clients. Soon his market was in love with his sketches and designs and that deemed his creations as a â€Å"New Look†. With such creations, Christian Dior needed financial support that was when he got Marcel Boussac (a textile manufacture) to back him up to open his own house of fashion. Boussac was able to persuade Christian Dior to have him set up his place along a trendy Paris street, which Boussac was readily able to fund Christian Dior’s endeavours. With such financial support, Christian Dior began to produce creations that were considered avant-garde at that time and he was able to freely create and design whatever he had come up with without any financial difficulty (Bawa, 2002). Christian Dior knew what he wanted in life and that was to be a part of the arts. He loved to draw and sketch and to create masterpieces. This has made him successful; he knew what he wanted to do. For an aspiring entrepreneur, one must know that before they start their own clothing line or fashion business they need to know that this is what they really want to. If not, the outcome would be less successful or become a failure (Amed, 2007). Christian Dior had financial support that one can dream of. For an entrepreneur, they need to have financial stability, business partners, and the like to easily start their business. Without this, it would be a tough challenge to get by to launch a business or even try to start one. When it comes to materials, Christian Dior did not have any problems in having a short supply of that. He had his business partner to thank for and this gave him an advantage to turn his creations into reality (Charleston, 2004). One must take note that during his time it was during the Second World War that textiles were rationed. He took the initiative to have women, not only in Paris, but throughout the whole world to have them feel more feminine. He had that idea and turned it into a reality. Even if his designs and creations were well received by his peers and prospective clients, there were numerous detractors that openly disliked his attitude. They deemed Christian Dior as extravagant due to his designs using fabric up to eighty yards long. One must see that Christian Dior clearly didn’t have a market due to the hardships that the whole world was currently going through. What he did was he created one. It wasn’t merely being in the right time and at the right place, he saw the need that women wanted during his time, and he began to create the solution to that even at the cost of being deemed extravagant and being boycotted by powerful governments of state. Still he persevered and went on with his plan to change the world fashion market. With Christian Dior’s untimely death in 1957, the house of Dior was stopped suddenly in their tracks, but Dior did not leave his house open for attack, he had two competent men under him that can drive his fashion house beyond. Yves St. Lauren stepped in and headed the House of Dior into success with his designs. The house of Dior had numerous changes in the artistic development and currently has John Galiano. Starting a fashion business needs the entrepreneur to be at least five or ten steps ahead and having a fresh outlook and flow of ideas that they want to put into their market. They need to also know the latest trends and fads that the current market has in order to supply what the client wants. Not only having those ideas one must have a very good business plan in order to plan and execute strategies, decisions, and plans of actions when situations arises, especially those that are out of the box scenarios. The bottom line is that one must have passion for what they believe in. They need to believe in what they do is the right thing to do. Without these, starting up a business or even just planning for it would make all attempts useless and unfruitful. References: Amed, I. (2007). The Business of Fashion: Basics 1 – Setting up your own fashion business – what do I need to know first? Retrieved on March 9, 2008, from http://uberkid. typepad. com/fashionbusiness/2007/02/the_business_of_2. html Bawa, M. P. (2002). Christian Dior. History of Fashion. Retrieved on March 9, 2008, from http://www. historyofashion. com/historyofashion/dior. html Charleston, B. D. (2004). Based on original work by Harold Koda. â€Å"Christian Dior (1905 1957)†. In Timeline of Art History. Retrieved on March 9, 2008, from http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/hd/dior/hd_dior. htm

Freud’s View on Religion

Freud maintained interests in the subjects of God and religion throughout his long career. Freud considered the practice of religion and religious rites to be some sort of neurological obsession. Taking the concept from Feuerbach, he also saw religious ideology as a projection of infantile wishes. If religion was a kind of neurosis, it is marked by an unhealthy dissociation between oneself and reality. If religion was a continuation of the childish tendency to project one’s imagination unto reality, it is marked by an abnormal association between one’s fantasies and the objective world. Either way, religion is a sickness that needs to be cured. Freud gave the clearest expression of his views on religion in his book The Future of an Illusion. In order to explore Freud's conception of religion, we must first clarify certain points. When Freud speaks of religion, he is usually talking about the traditional, fear-based, authoritarian, organized religion. There are other kinds of religion too. For instance, when William James talks about religion in his Varieties of Religious Experience and when Freud talks about religion in his The Future of an Illusion they are referring to wholly different approaches to God. James is talking about mystical experiences, while Freud is indeed talking about infantile beliefs. Unlike James' profound investigations into sublime spiritual matters, Freud's observations are more or less commonsensical. Freud's theories of origins of religion are sometimes criticized for being unscientific speculations, but really there is not much of a need for scientific corroboration of Freud's views because they are just commonsensical. When one looks objectively at the various religions and religious beliefs in our world, one is bound to reach to conclusions somewhat similar to those of Freud. Freud may have couched his observations in a more scholarly language, but essentially what he is saying is very simple and easily relatable. When he says religious rites are manifestations of obsessive neurosis, he simply means religions are mostly ridiculously lunatic affairs. And when Freud says religions are infantile projections, he means they are simply childish nonsense. It is difficult to come to any other conclusion when we look at the whole phenomenon of organized religion from a rational perspective. Freud mostly has Judeo-Christian tradition in mind when he condemns religion. Though Freud’s observations could be broadly applicable to many other world religions of the past and the present, they would make most direct sense when we keep the Jewish and Christian religions in mind. Freud’s main proposition is that religion is a projection of human longings and desires. But desires and longings for what? — for security of course. The Future of an Illusion and its sequel Civilization and its Discontents are Freud’s reflections on the origins and nature of civilization. Freud talks about religion in the context of civilization. Before the advent of civilization, man lived in wilderness. In our modern times, surrounded by the innumerable comforts of science and technology, i. e. , civilization, we may not be able to properly appreciate the fact, but situations of life posed constant threat and continual hardship for wandering groups of early humans, and this was how we lived for literally hundreds of thousands of years. Civilization is relatively a very recent manifestation. Religion in its rudimentary forms most likely predates civilization by tens of thousands of years. Freud constantly ties up religion with civilization since they essentially serve the same function – provide security against fearsome, elemental forces of nature. â€Å"The principal task of civilization, its actual raison d’etre, is to defend us against nature,† says Freud, and nobody would dispute this assertion. Now, the principal task of religion too is the same, though it approaches this issue of security from a different angle. And while civilization provides real security, religion provides only imaginary one, nothing more than an illusory feeling. Outside the setting of civilization, the basic question before an individual human being as he tried to live his life and cope with his surroundings was: how to survive, how to â€Å"defend himself against the superior powers of nature, of Fate†¦? The first step toward security is what Freud calls, humanization of nature: A great deal is already gained with the first step: the humanization of nature. Impersonal forces and destinies cannot be approached; they remain eternally remote. But if the elements have passions that rage as they do in our own souls, if death itself is not something spontaneous but the violent act of an evil Will, if everywhere in nature there are Beings around us of a kind that we know in our own society, then we ca n breathe freely, can feel at home in the uncanny†¦ This was how the first very primitive religions began, long before the advent of civilization. Say, if civilization began roughly 5 – 6000 years ago, and agriculture began some 10 – 12000 years ago, there is evidence for religious rites to have taken place as far back as 80,000 years or in fact much earlier, going back to the dim beginnings of the species Homo sapiens. Religion was therefore the first effort of man to establish a rapport with nature. The intention was wholly a noble one — to connect with the greater existence — but human minds were understandably extremely primitive so long ago in time, their lifestyle was totally brutish, there was no language either, and so instead of a poetic or philosophical reverence for Nature, men could only develop a routine of arbitrary, superstitious rituals in an effort to appease nature. Knowledge of our evolutionary beginnings was not well-developed in Freud’s time, nevertheless his speculations were based on the intrinsic logic of things and so some of them were neatly corroborated by scientific discoveries that were made much later. Superstitious religious beliefs did not really make man secure, but they at least provided an illusory sense of confidence: We are still defenceless, perhaps, but we are no longer helplessly paralysed; we can at least react. Perhaps, indeed, we are not even defenceless. We can apply the same methods against these violent supermen outside that we employ in our own society; we can try to adjure them, to appease them, to bribe them, and, by so influencing them, we may rob them of a part of their power. Freud says, â€Å"life and the universe must be robbed of their terrors. This was the big project man was on. However, there was no way man could achieve this at a time when he could not even build a primitive shelter for himself and had to live inside the caves. Even in the modern times, with such fantastic advances in science, we are still far from achieving this. The primitive man could only project beings with whom he could relate unto the abstract Nature, and achieve some kind of co nsolation through such an effort. This was not an altogether futile effort; besides consolation, it could also have led to other practical benefits. A replacement like this of natural science by psychology not only provides immediate relief, but also points the way to a further mastering of the situation. † From these very primitive beginnings, religions too went on evolving along with man’s growing awareness of his world. Freud continues with his logically derived conception of the evolution of religion. Freud has nothing against the way primitive religions evolved, because obviously human kind was in its childhood for all that time. Therefore it was only natural. What Freud is against are the present-day monotheistic religions of the world. Monotheism first evolved after a few thousands of years of civilization. Freud’s birth religion, Judaism, was one of the pioneers of monotheism. Although the monotheistic religion was a tremendous leap of abstraction over the primitive pantheistic religions, it was still an evolution of the primitive religions. Religion in whatever form, including the deeper spiritual and mystic modes, is a search for security, as is civilization. Whereas civilization has a valid basis, religion continued to be a purely imaginary enterprise. Civilization is a reflection of intelligence, maturity and capability of man, whereas religion is its exact opposite, although civilization and religion have been going together for so long. With monotheism, religion attained a kind of maturity, but unfortunately all the deep childishness still remained with it, being only thinly concealed. Freud remarks the following about the evolution of religion: And thus a store of ideas is created, born from man’s need to make his helplessness tolerable and built up from the material of memories of the helplessness of his own childhood and the childhood of the human race. This store of childish ideas continued to serve as a basis for the supposedly monotheistic religions too. Religion turned out to be an essentially childish pursuit. The parallels between religious tendencies and child psychology run deep. A very young child lives in a space where reality and dream/imagination constantly merge. In other words, he is not capable of clearly distinguishing between reality and imagination. For him, fairies in the stories he read could be as real as his friends at school. Freudian psychoanalysis traces all the mental complexes of an adult person to his childhood. This is the essential modality of psychoanalysis. The tendency of people to believe in religious doctrines is thus traced back by Freud to the tendency of children to confuse between reality and imagination. One needs this tendency or faculty first to indulge in any kind of mythmaking which is at the core of all religions, whether monotheistic or pantheistic — this capacity to take one’s own and collective mental projections for reality. Once this is in place, a person can go on projecting whatever suits him. A human child is so utterly helpless if he had to live on his own in this enormously complex world, unlike juvenile animals which come more or less ‘prepackaged’. The child’s overwhelming need is security. This security is provided by his parents. The child realizes his total dependence on the parents; consequently, the attachment to the father-figure or the mother-figure has gone very deep in the collective psyche of humanity. Security is very deeply associated with the father figure, especially in Western cultures and the ancient civilizations they evolved from. And although the child grows up into a man, and becomes much more capable and stronger in fending for himself, he still remains weak and helpless in face of many situations of life. The search for security continues, and the need for greater security is ever present. A benevolent and compassionate God watching over human affairs from his heaven – if he existed – would have been the ultimate protection for humans. But even if he does not exist, and no one has ever seen him, it need not present much of a problem because humans possess the faculty of confusing reality with imagination, and can easily make their own gods as well their own God. This faculty was particularly pronounced in people who lived in the early stages of civilization – which corresponded to the intermediate stages of evolution of religion. These men belonging to the ancient cultures of the world created thousands of gods and elaborate mythological stories featuring them — all of them being nothing more than products of their fertile but childish imagination. In the subsequent ages, men became more mature, their rational faculties developed, and they sought to make meaning of their world in a more focused manner, instead of just seeking security and comfort. This development was helped by the fact that enough of security and comfort were present already, therefore a higher need to make sense of his world developed in man. Religious cults continued to emerge and evolve; they were not simply arbitrary mythological stories anymore but contained more coherent narratives that answered philosophical questions and provided a framework of meaning to human existence. These latter day religions were apparently much more sophisticated than most of the primitive religions, nevertheless they were still highly childish and nonsensical. Science is a legitimate way of seeking comfort and security, and philosophy is a legitimate way of seeking meaning of human existence, but religion is a pseudo way of seeking all these three. Religion is like a drug that can provide a false sense of happiness and elation without in any way actually leading to greater happiness and joy. That was way why Freud was so much opposed to the existence of religions, they essentially belonged to a childish, outmoded phase of human evolution, even the apparently more sophisticated ones. Religions are nothing but an illusion. They provide comfort, solace, security, meaning and significance to human life — but they only seem to do so, in reality they only provide fake substitutes for all these. An illusion means an appearance without substance, and it is a very apt word to describe religions. There is nothing wrong in seeking greater meaning and security in our lives, in fact this search is what makes us human, this is a healthy need of human existence. But there is a much more prevalent neurotic version of this need which is easily satisfied by mere appearances and falsities, and which is easily catered for by the religions of the world. Religions are an outcome of neurosis, they are a disease of the human mind, and Freud genuinely hoped that religions could be cured by the spread of psychoanalysis some day in the future.