20 5-Paragraph Essay Topics on American Culture

20 5-Paragraph Essay Topics on American Culture If you need to write about American Culture for your 5-paragraph essay, consider the 20 essay topics below: What Are the Reasons of Culture Changes? Why Didn’t the â€Å"Great American Melting Pot† Boil Culture Down into a Single Homogenous Entity? The Changes That Were Reflected in American Art, Music, Literature â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin† as a Reflection of Slavery How Influential Literary Works Massively Impact Society and Culture What Forces or Tensions Exert Pressure on American Culture to Change? What Particular Features of the Past Precedents Show the Changes in American Culture? American Culture: Shaped by Many â€Å"Tensions† of â€Å"Foreign† Ideals, Massive Amounts of Immigration and â€Å"Native† Originality How Is Counterculture Distinguished by Its Emphasis on Social Change and Experimentation and by Its General Rejection of the Ideals Upheld by Post-World War II Generation? How the Beat Generation Played a Part in Other Social and Cultural Movements Multiple History Effects on Art, Music, and Literature and Vice Versa â€Å"Kinder and Gentler† America Reflection in the Music of Tin Pan Alley Rock and Roll as a Result of Changes in Society How Many Cultural Events Are Directly Related to Historical Happenings? Is It Impossible for a Cultural Event to Transpire without the Shift in Social Norms and Ideals? Rock and Roll Music: the Combination of Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Country and Western Jazz Music: a Harmony of â€Å"Socially Elite† Piano and â€Å"Poor† Brass Instruments Who Do Some Works of Art Can Easily Fall Under Several Genres? The Evolution of Film Genres in the U.S.A The Reflection of the Beat Generation in Literature, Art and Music Sample Essay:  Kinder and Gentler America Reflection in the Music of Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley is an actual neighborhood in New York City (generally seen as 28th Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway) that served as the first home of the music publishing industry beginning in the 1880s and remaining well established into the 1920s and 30s. Tin Pan Alley was the direct result of the Reconstruction period following the end of the American Civil War. It is estimated that between the end of the war in 1865 and the year 1887, more than half a million new pianos were installed in parlors and homes across America. With the huge number of burgeoning musicians came the need for sheet music, and this instigated the development of an all new publishing industry, and a new musical form. With this opportunity for massive profits in sheet music sales came a strange combination of gifted composers and corporate investment. Musicians were hired by publishing houses, and gave up all rights to their works. Market research dictated the â€Å"themes† for the compositions they were to write, and soon the music of Tin Pan Alley was more industry than art. The vaudeville era was just beginning at the dawn of Tin Pan Alley as well, and this only helped to spread the tunes and songs being written in the city. Within twenty years publishers could easily sell the sheet music for a single song in the millions of copies! The lyrics to the most popular of the songs imply that the United States was happy and prosperous†¦but was it? With all the market research and clinical work done during the composition process is it accurate to say that the 1890s were as carefree as the songs indicate? We know that this was the period of time when the American â€Å"frontier† was officially declared as â€Å"closed†; when it was understood that there was no longer any unexplored areas of the country. We know too that child labor laws, particularly in the cities, had yet to put an end to abuse and poverty. The â€Å"gay 90s†, it seems, appear to exist only in the songs. Today, we understand that the widespread need for sheet music triggered a booming industry that aimed to sell people what they wanted a happier view of the United States. We know that this was partially inspired by the need to escape the devastation and conflict that remained from the Civil War era, and we know that this helped to shift the country into a new mindset. It also created a huge impact on business and the law because it initiated several copyright bills and created the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) to protect those writing the music. Clearly this indicates that there were positive and negative effects from the cultural phenomenon of Tin Pan Alley and the musical form that it created. It also laid the groundwork for a smoother transition into a newly emerging musical form – Ragtime – and this would quickly transition into one of America’s most distinctive musical genres – Jazz. References: Feldman, Gene, and Max Gartenberg.  The beat generation and the angry young men. Books for Libraries, 1971. Furia, Philip.  The poets of Tin Pan Alley: a history of Americas great lyricists. Oxford University Press, 1990. Gair, Christopher.  The American Counterculture. Edinburgh University Press, 2007. Holmes, John Clellon. This is the beat generation.  New York Times Magazine16 (1952): 109-15. Huggins, Nathan Irvin.  Harlem renaissance. Oxford University Press, 2007. Wintz, Cary D.  Black culture and the Harlem Renaissance. Texas A M University Press, 1988. Wise, T. E. Tin pan alley. (2011).

Free sample - Business Algebra Discussion. translation missing

Business Algebra Discussion. Business Algebra DiscussionIn order to have a good understanding of the forthcoming topic on Business Algebra, it is imperative to have a good grasp and understanding of previous topics before. The most significant is the graphical representation and interpretation of a given set of data. This is because graphical interpretation of data is widely common in business algebra and it cannot be avoided. Hence, if there are and difficulties in the plotting of a data set, and in its interpretation, then the understanding and utilization of the product output would be futile. It is therefore important to have a good knowledge of this area. Linear equations provide information on how quickly data is rising or falling, and this is known as the slope or gradient of the equation. The gradient is usually a quotient of the values on the x-axis and the y-axis, with the x-axis values as the numerators. The slope of the graph is a representation of the change in values of the given data set. Linear equations are usually in the form of y= mx+ c, where y represents values on the vertical axis of a graph and x the values on the horizontal axis, m is the gradient or slope of the graph and it can be positive or negative whereas c represents the point where the lie graph intersects the y-axis. A real life application of the linear equation would be in the population demographics of a country in population census analysis. The population of a country may be analyzed for the many times that a census has been carried out. In this case, the population, say in millions of people, would lie on the y-axis while the years would be on the x-axis. By plotting the population value of a given census interval for the number of census done, a linear graph would be obtained. This would not pass through the origin and a linear equation in the form of y= mx+ c would be obtained. In this equation, the y-value would represent the population number at a given time (year) represented by x-value. Therefore, the population of a country at any given year can be predicted. The slope of the graph, m, would in this case give the rate at which the population is increasing with time, and it can be used to project the expected population of a country in the future, assuming that all other constants are maintained. This may then help the government for example on budgetary allocations. A positive slope would represent an increase while a negative slope shows that there is a decrease in the population.

Aspects of contract and negligence for business Assignment - 1

Aspects of contract and negligence for business - Assignment Example Chen-Wishart (2012), explains that the process of making and an offer and its acceptance follows the â€Å"mirror image† rule. This implies that the other party accepts the terms of the contract just as stipulated in the offer. Consideration is yet another element of a contract that refers to a substance of value the two parties promise to exchange in the course of the transaction. The consideration validates the existence of a contract. Also known as, the â€Å"meeting of the minds† mutuality refers to the consensus the two parties must have about the terms of the contract. Before creating a legally binding agreement, the two parties must understand and agree to the unique terms of the contract. The terms are vital aspects of a contract since they influence the entire process of undertaking the activity. The two parties must, therefore, understand the terms of the offer. At the acceptance stage, the second party promises to undertake the activity as stipulated in the terms. The offering party, on the other hand, promises not to change the original terms since the contract laws bar changing such terms unless the two parties agree to. This makes mutuality an important feature in contracts (Frey & Frey 2001). The terms that Joe and Dilon set for their contract have some aspects of ambiguity. As explained earlier, in the creation of a contract the terms must always follow the mirror image rule. The mirror image rule dictates that the offer and the acceptance must never vary the terms of the contract. In the case, Dilon’s terms dictate that Joe must sell the products at the original quoted price. After filling the form, which indicated his acceptance of the offer, Joe provides his terms in which he indicates that the prices may increase. Such is a bargain, and the terms of the contract between the two parties are ambiguous. Despite the ambiguity between Joe and Dilon, the two form a legally binding contract. Joe must make the running

Water Crisis in Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Water Crisis in Middle East - Essay Example Still, conflicts related to water management have not been avoided. Current paper presents the various aspects of water crisis in Middle East. Reference is made, as example, to the water management problems of Israel, Palestine, Syria and Jordan. The academic studies developed in this field reflect different perceptions for the criteria on which water management should be based. This phenomenon could be explained by the following fact: the high development of technology has affected ‘the perception of people on nature’ (Selby 2005, p.332). Therefore, the terms under which water available in a particular area is characterized as a ‘resource’ have been differentiated today, compared to the past (Selby 2005). In this context, the rights of a state on its water resources are difficult to be fully defined while the support provided by international organizations for such issues is often inadequate (Selby 2005). On the other hand, the water resources worldwide fac e a continuous shrinkage, mostly because of the pollution but also because of the increasing global population. In certain countries, such as those of Middle East, the problem is more intense. In fact, there are countries in the particular region that can be characterized as ‘water – poor countries, meaning that their water production, per capita, is below 1000 m3/yr’ (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). ... 2. Water crisis in Middle East 2.1 History The lack of adequate water resources is not a recent problem. In addition, there are certain regions where the specific problem is quite critical: Africa, South and East Asia and Middle East are the regions that are mostly characterized by water shortage; in certain areas of these regions water shortage can be extreme leading local populations to survival concerns (Kummu et al. 2010, p.4). The water crisis developed in the above regions is characterized by the following trend: water shortage in each of these regions has been developed in different rate. More specifically, up to 1900s water shortage was extreme in Africa while from 1960s and up today water shortage is expanded across South Asia and Middle East (Kummu et al. 2010, p.4). In other words, the appearance and the rate of development of water shortage cannot be foreseen in advance (Kummu et al. 2010). In countries of Middle East water shortage is a common problem. For example, in Jo rdan ‘the drying of streams has led to the lowering of water levels across the country’ (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). In the above country, water shortage first appeared about 1960s and has highly expanded since then (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). The two factors that have been considered as enhancing the country’s water shortage problem are the following: a) the extremely dry climate and b) the rapid economic development of the country supported the increase of population, which, in its turn, led to the increase of need for water (Hadadin et al. 2010, p.197). In a recent report, where the ability of countries to cover their needs for water through their own

A Reflection of the Cyborg’s Manifesto Essay Example for Free

A Reflection of the Cyborg’s Manifesto Essay The Cyborg Manifesto’s general idea is that under different definitions, all of us could be considered cyborgs. A universal theory is not going to work because in reality, â€Å"cyborg is our ontology; it gives us our politics. † The manifesto was made for a â€Å"powerful infidel heteroglossia. † The manifesto is intended for people in the academe – students, instructors and professionals. The way that it is written is definitely not the style the common people would identify with. The writer’s playful use of words makes it very difficult to comprehend. Figurative languages were used many times in the essay; even its main subject – the cyborg – is a metaphor. I see myself as being one of the target audience but knowing it did not add to my interest on the essay. The essay anticipated and responded to possible objections. For example, Haraway stated that â€Å"the main trouble with cyborgs†¦is that they are the illegitimate offspring of militarism and patriarchal capitalism, not to mention state socialism†. However, she suggested that it might not be something to worry about. Haraway identified two main arguments in her manifesto. First, â€Å"the production of universal, totalizing theory is a major mistake that misses most of reality. † Second, â€Å"taking responsibility for the social relations of science and technology means refusing an anti-science metaphysics, a demonology of technology, and so means embracing the skilful task of reconstructing the boundaries of daily life, in partial connection with others, in communication with all of our parts. † These two arguments exhibit post-modernity and critic Marxism at the same time. She refused to accept a grand narrative, or what she calls a â€Å"totalizing theory†, which is a main concept of Marxism. She further contested the materialist dialectics theory by refusing the relation between society and science and technology. Clearly speaking, the arguments were made to suggest acceptable compromises between contending positions. Haraway stated that irony, the main argumentative style she used, â€Å"is about contradictions that do not resolve into larger wholes, even dialectically, about the tension of holding incompatible things together because both or all are necessary and true†. She adapted concepts from materialism, socialism, and feminism and post-modernized them to form an alternative that she deems not â€Å"totalizing† and does not miss â€Å"most of reality†. Nevertheless, to arrive at this alternative, she had to debunk certain theories or to call â€Å"assumptions† like Marxism into question. I can see in the essay that it does not have an explicit thesis. I think the essay is all about post-modernity, of adapting varying concepts and meanings. Moreover, it attempted to discuss a wide range of issues from religion to sexuality. Being a post-modern, the struggle for change is fragmented which means it can be done through a variety of perspectives and means. The thesis statement could be cyborg politics will make way for a â€Å"powerful infidel heteroglossia. † Cyborgs do not come to existence through human reproduction, it is post-modern and is â€Å"outside the salvation history†. It is a suitable term to use to when creating a post-gender world; this is why it was used as a metaphor to support the author’s proposal. As mentioned above, irony was used as an argumentative style because since it is a product of contradictions that were not resolved, it supports Haraway’s manifesto in compromising contradicting ideas. The term â€Å"cyborg† has been mentioned many times in the piece and it has been used in 4 different ways, it â€Å"is a cybernetic organism, a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction (p. 149). † There are many suggested meanings of the word cyborg in the essay. It was used differently on various parts of the manifesto. Haraway had implied different meaning of cyborgs in the essay aside from the ones she specified. She implied vagueness to word. She referred to it as something we could only see in the distant future but she also considered all of us as cyborgs. Reference: Haraway, Donna. A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century, in Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature (New York; Routledge, 1991), pp. 149-181.

Who Should Be Blamed For The H :: essays research papers

During Hitler’s reign as Fuhrer of Nazi Germany from 1933-1945, millions of innocent citizens of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and those of Jewish religion and race were executed. Hitler, although masterminding the plan of the perfect human race did not kill these people, rather ordered their deaths. In the early to mid-1940s death camps such as Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau, and Birkenau were created for the eventual extermination of the inferior peoples of Europe. Hitler commanded members of the Nazi party such as commandants, and SS troopers were ordered to follow through in the execution. The question is now, who is to blame for all of these deaths?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is impossible, in my opinion, to place the blame for all these deaths on one man’s shoulders. It is understandably argued that the soldiers and such were merely carrying out orders, yet they had the choice whether to follow through or not. The murderers claimed to be afraid to disobey the ever-powerful Fuhrer in fear of their own life. Yet, I still believe that no one can be ultimately forced to do something they do not want to. All humans have a choice to make decisions and follow their own path, which these men did not choose to do. For this, I believe the men should suffer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For example, Amon Goeth was Commandant of Plaszow, a work camp for Jews and Poles. Although, not a death camp specifically, thousands of men and women were executed within its confines. As leader of the camp, with direct orders from Hitler, he was expected to take part in the systematic elimination of the inferior peoples. Although only doing his job, he deserved punishment for his wrongdoings, as did all the other â€Å"butchers† of the camps.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Doctors were also under order of Hitler. They were used to perform experiments on the selected such as fertilization, immunization experimentation, and operations. These people were tortured and suffered blindness, immobility, among many other things. Once again, although these doctors were under order I believe that they should have suffered for what they had done to the prisoners.

Belonging Term Paper Essay

Belonging is just as much about exclusion as it is about fitting in. Belonging is a concept wholly linked to the morality and social connections one exercises. These factors foster the sentiments of alienation and acceptance hence showing how belonging is just as much about exclusion than fitting in. It is these factors that derive one’s belonging in society and hence some are excluded naturally. This collated idea is portrayed in Raimond Gaita’s memoir Romulus my father which is supported by George orwell’s 1984. Both texts emphasise the conundrum of belonging and how exclusion can be present with belonging as well as having the ability to fit in. Gaita expresses the irony of belonging in his memoir Romulus my father exposing how morality has an influencing factor in one’s belonging. Furthermore, Romulus’ nationalism for Romania is significant for his lack of belonging for his environment expressed through the line, â€Å"He longed for generous an d soft European foliage, but the eucalypts of Baringhup, scraggy†¦ seemed symbols of deprivation and barreness.† The lexical change present emphasises Romulus’ alienation as it detracts from the positives of his new nation. This notion is further supported by his underlying desire to always â€Å"consider himself Romanian.† The morality of his nationalism therefore causes him to not belong and hence proves how belonging is just as much about exclusion as it is about fitting in. Gaita evidently comments on how belonging of an individual is influenced by their morality and hence showing how exclusion can be a result from morality therefore showing how exclusion is a part of belonging. Similarly orwell’s 1984 conveys the message of how exclusion is a large part of understanding belonging. This is mostly illustrated by the characterisation of the protagonist, Winston, and his alter ego, Julia. Winston’s morality for the freedom of individuals is portrayed in the first chapter, shaped by the repetitious diary entries of â€Å"down with big brother.† In a society where the population admire and follow the government with every instruction, the morality of the protagonist defines him from the masses and hence he does not belong. This separation of morality is present in the line, â€Å"Winston turned his back to the telescreen,† the first inkling that he is trying to reduce the power that the government has over him. This notion is further emphasised through the metaphor â€Å"He felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the monster.† The metaphor alludes to how he is trapped between the Party’s nonsense principles and his own perception of reality, and ergo Winston experiences a metaphysical crisis that ultimately leads to his demise. Hence the protagonist’s exclusion, is what creates his belonging to the cause for freedom and ergo proving how exclusion is a large a component of belonging because morality is different between individuals. In addition, Romulus my father conveys how social connections can affect belonging of one, hence excluding as much as integrating belonging. This idea is mainly expressed through the polarised life of Romulus and Christine. Christine does not belong throughout the memoir due to her minimal social affiliations she has. As a result it leads to depression being described as â€Å"She was obviously and deeply depressed. Desperately lonely, she was glad of any conversation that came her way.† The emotive language of the extent of her depression emphasises how relationships are needed to find a sense of belonging which mirrors the basic philosophies of Martin Bruber and Maslow, where relationships are needed to prosper. Furthermore, while Romulus taught Raimond the value of morals Hora taught him how to express and think. Raimond’s philosophical view on the world stems to this pivotal relationship with Hora, taking on a parental role while Romulus was in hospital following the motor bike accident, giving Raimond a sense of belonging. The parental role Hora plays creates an affectionate belonging for Romulus, as supported by the line â€Å"It was the only time I remember when my love for Hora and my father caused confused emotions in me towards either.† These social interactions in the memoir evidently affect the belonging of few characters causing them to either belong or not belong. Orwell’s 1984 describes how relationships affect one’s belonging, hence excluding individuals. These relationships throughout the novel are limited because of restrictions and hence relationships are bland and isolate many. The protagonist’s social affiliations are fake with a subtle desire for authenticity which lead to his autodidact personality, excluding him from society. This concern is supported by the philosophy associated with relationships from the dystopia as â€Å"you don’t give a damn if they suffer. All you care about is yourself.† This narcissistic attitude mirrors the idea that the lack of relationships leads to many not belonging together. This issue is supported further by the conceptual â€Å"hour of hate.† The alliteration of the ritual and repetition in the novel emphasise the harsh nature of relationships based on hate and hence excluding Winston from belonging in the dystopia. It also acts as a motif to emphasise the break down of humanity and empathy in the novel. This notion of non belonging is introduced in the beginning of the novel as well through the sarcastic tone of â€Å"from the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, from the age of big brother,† where â€Å"from the age of† is repeated to portray the loneliness of the protagonist and how conformity is present throughout society. Therefore it is clear that orwell, expresses how belonging is just as much about exclusion as it is about fitting in.

“Globalisation is a good thing” to what extent do you agree with this statement? Essay

Globalisation is the growth to a global or worldwide scale. It is the increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies producing and trading goods in many different countries. When available goods and services, or social and cultural influences, gradually become similar in all parts of the world. Examples of globalisation are Companies such as Toyota, a Japanese company that has become globalised and is now a worldwide company. Another example is Nike which was originated in Beaverton, Oregon, United States and is now a worldwide company. MEDC’s and LEDC’s are linked through trade. The poorer countries produce and import products and merchandise to MEDC’s at a very low salary. Primark is an example of trading with other countries for unfair prices. From the clothes being made and brought many different countries have been involved Many other clothes companies to this as well. This is known as world trade system and can often be described as unfair for some. China is located in Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam, in the Northern hemisphere. China’s climate is Humid, sticky, dry and hot. Some major crops that are grown in China are rice, wheat, corn, soybeans and tuber crops. China has an extremely high population, just over 1.3 billion people with a birth rate of 12.17 births/1000. Its capital city is Beijing. One of it’s most famous landmarks is the great wall of chine, which is one of the seven wonders of the world. In recent years China has changed and developed rapidly especially economically. It is now the fourth largest economy in the world. A lot of Asian countries are now known as â€Å"newly industrialising countries†. This means that a country whose level of economic development ranks it somewhere between the developing and first-world classifications. These countries have moved away from an agriculture-based economy and into a more industrialized, urban economy, with higher and more technology. Globalisation is a good thing for china as it helps bring in higher profits as the products are kept extremely low as they do not need to pay people a high salary to make them. TNC’s have chosen to locate in china because employers are able to pay a lot less for a job than in the UK or a lot of other countries.†¨ Consumers in the UK and the rest of the developed world benefit from Chinese goods as to produce them in China rather than in the UK and then import them is a lot cheaper than to produce them in the UK as the minimum wage is a lot lower. Workers in China think globalisation is a good thing as it means employment and jobs for them, otherwise they would unemployed and couldn’t earn anything at all. This is why today most products have labelled on them â€Å"Made in China†. Globalisation is a bad thing for China as most of the time all globalization really does is make the rich richer and the poor poorer. In most LEDC’s standards of living are dropping further behind the richest countries. The gap in incomes between the 20% of the richest and the poorest countries has grown from 30 to 1 in 1960 to 82 to 1 in 1995. The increasing interdependence of countries in a globalised world makes them more vulnerable to economic problems like the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990’s. Many environmentalists are against globalisation because it causes a lot of transporting of exporting and importing products which cause pollution. Another reason why globalisation is a bad thing for china is that the national culture and languages can be eroded and destroyed by the modern globalised culture. China is helped a lot by globalisation as it provides many jobs which brings in money, but it is also a bad thing as it is making the difference between rich and poor a lot greater. Personally I think that globalisation is a good thing for China and helps them a lot as without it China would not make as much money as it does currently and China would not be the same country and would not be as developed either.

Analysis of Dr. King essays

Analysis of Dr. King essays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Kings use of rhetoric in I Have a Dream is one of persuasion, determination, and also at times, radicalism. The fundamental ideal that King orates is an outline of a country in which people of all races and religions would become unified, integrated, and equal. King wishes for immediate national action on the issue of segregation while asking people of the black community (and those with similar virtues) to harmonize and cooperate for a collective cause. Metaphors are key in addressing his speech. King uses metaphors and figurative language throughout his whole speech when conveying messages. He speaks of the check of constitutional rights to be cashed by the African Americans. King states that the American government had denied African Americans rights by putting it into a metaphor, saying that there has been, ...a check which has come back marked insufficient funds. King also strongly advocates nonviolence by stating, Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. King addresses his speech not only to colored Americans, but also to those of the white community who had struggled beside the blacks in a search for domestic equality. He refers to whites as our white brothers who have come to realized that their destiny is tied up with our destiny... King implies that there will be a biracial army to storm the battlements of injustice, meaning that people of all backgrounds in his audience will come together to fight discrimination. His reason for having had universal audience was so it would symbolize that everyone was in the fight for freedom together, that every American must fight for civic virtue. The last strategy used in the rhetoric is the idea of repetition. The most frequent ...

The UNIVAC Computer History and Development

The UNIVAC Computer History and Development The Universal Automatic Computer or UNIVAC was a computer milestone achieved by Dr. Presper Eckert and Dr. John Mauchly, the team that invented the ENIAC computer. John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, after leaving the academic environment of The Moore School of Engineering to start their own computer business, found their first client was the United States Census Bureau. The Bureau needed a new computer to deal with the exploding U.S. population (the beginning of the famous baby boom). In April 1946, a $300,000 deposit was given to Eckert and Mauchly for the research into a new computer called the UNIVAC. UNIVAC Computer The research for the project proceeded badly, and it was not until 1948 that the actual design and contract was finalized. The Census Bureaus ceiling for the project was $400,000. J Presper Eckert and John Mauchly were prepared to absorb any overrun in costs in hopes of recouping from future service contracts, but the economics of the situation brought the inventors to the edge of bankruptcy. In 1950, Eckert and Mauchly were bailed out of financial trouble by Remington Rand Inc. (manufacturers of electric razors), and the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation became the Univac Division of Remington Rand. Remington Rands lawyers unsuccessfully tried to re-negotiate the government contract for additional money. Under threat of legal action, however, Remington Rand had no choice but to complete the UNIVAC at the original price. On March 31, 1951, the Census Bureau accepted delivery of the first UNIVAC computer. The final cost of constructing the first UNIVAC was close to $1 million. Forty-six UNIVAC computers were built for both government and business uses. Remington Rand became the first American manufacturers of a commercial computer system. Their first non-government contract was for General Electrics Appliance Park facility in Louisville, Kentucky, who used the UNIVAC computer for a payroll application. UNIVAC Specs The UNIVAC had an add time of 120 microseconds, multiply time of 1,800 microseconds and a divide time of 3,600 microseconds.Input consisted of magnetic tape with a speed of 12,800 characters per second with a read-in speed of 100 inches per second, records at 20 characters per inch, records at 50 characters per inch, card to tape converter 240 cards per minute, 80 column punched card input 120 characters per inch, and punched paper tape to magnetic tape converter 200 characters a second.Output media/speed was magnetic tape/12,800 characters per second, uniprinter/10-11 characters per second, high-speed printer/600 lines per minute, tape to card converter/120 cards per minute, Rad Lab buffer storage/Hg 3,500 microsecond, or 60 words per minute. Competition with IBM John Presper Eckert and John Mauchlys UNIVAC was a direct competitor with IBMs computing equipment  for the business market. The speed with which UNIVACs magnetic tape could input data was faster than IBMs punch card technology, but it was not until the presidential election of 1952 that the public accepted the UNIVACs abilities. In a publicity stunt, the UNIVAC computer was used to predict the results of the presidential race between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. The computer had correctly predicted that Eisenhower would win, but the news media decided to blackout the computers prediction and declared that the UNIVAC had been stumped. When the truth was revealed, it was considered amazing that a computer could do what political forecasters could not, and the UNIVAC quickly became a household name. The original UNIVAC now sits in the Smithsonian Institution.

Effective Performance Management System for enhancing employees Essay

Effective Performance Management System for enhancing employees motivation - Essay Example The paper tells that in order to enhance the performance of employees, it is important for Human Resource (HR) department to address the needs of every employee so that he/she is motivated to make valuable contributions in the organization. Motivated employees tend to work harder and also at times come up with an immense amount of creativity in their job performance. There are many motivational theories that can be implemented in the organizations for enhancing the employee’s performance but the best way is to identify each employee’s expectations from the job and to develop a performance plan that is compatible with their requirements. Some of the popular motivational theories are Taylor’s Theory, Maslow’ Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg’s Two-factor theory, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, McGregor Theory X and Theory Y and etc.; the central crux of each of the theory is that employees’ performance can be enhanced only by identifying their req uirements from the job and providing them the opportunities of demonstrating their intellectual capabilities. The management of the organization needs to carefully review the resources required by the employee to perform the task in an effective manner and hence the management needs to ensure that the resources are provided to the employees. One of the integral processes or systems of HR department is Performance Management System (PMS). This is a system that ensures that employees’ performance is evaluated on an ongoing basis so that they can be provided guidance on managing their jobs effectively. With the help of an effective PMS, an organization can ensure that the employees are well-aware about the tasks that they have to perform, year-end goals that have to be achieved, factors on which their performance will be evaluated and the rewards and recognition that will be given to them for doing exceptional work. For the management, the performance management system allows th em to monitor the performances and accordingly work on the need and requirements of improving employee performances.

Stratigic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Stratigic management - Essay Example The following analytical tools namely: SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis as well as Porter’s Five Forces model analysis will be used in this case. The essay starts by outlining a brief historical background of the organisation in question for the sake of easier understanding then followed by an analysis of the above mentioned tools for scanning the environment in which the organisation operates. Environmental scanning plays a pivotal role in helping the marketing managers of an organisation to be in a better position to know the situation taking place on the ground for them to be able to gain a competitive advantage especially in view of the competition that may exist. Background Red Bull GmbH is widely acknowledged as the creator of the 'energy drink' category and has managed to maintain a close association with sports from the time it was launched in 1987. It is known for its sponsorship especially of extreme, alternative sports like white water kayaking, hand gliding, wind sur fing and snowboarding. Through the use of unconventional marketing strategies, Red Bull GmbH has come to be a force to reckon with in the energy drink market. SWOT analysis â€Å"A SWOT analysis is a useful instrument for helping managers to identify internal strengths and weaknesses of a business and external opportunities and threats facing it,† (Strydom J. p 31). Basically, SWOT stands for strengths (S), weaknesses (W) while on the other hand the external environmental factors are regarded as either opportunities (O) or threats (T). This analysis is very important to the managers as it allows them to focus on key strategic issues based on the notion that an effective strategy fully utilises the strengths and opportunities of a business and strives to minimise the weaknesses and threats. Potential internal strengths The major potential strengths for Red Bull include branding strategy. Red Bull was positioned as an energy drink that 'invigorated mind and body' and 'improved endurance levels' of the individual. The company’s slogan 'Red Bull gives you wiiings' also played a great role in reinforcing the positioning of the brand. This strategy played a very big strategic role in product development as well as strategic marketing. The branding strategy gave the company a major strength in that the product is completely different from the other energy drinks available in the market. This differentiation strategy has played a significant role in product development as well as marketing strategy as a result of the uniqueness of the product. The other major strength of the company in its product development and marketing strategy is that it uses unconventional marketing strategies. It targets the students and these are used to market the product. This is a major strength is the way the brand is positioned to the people whereby the aim is to attract consumers and appeal to their interests through its visibility. The packaging strategy has greatly enhanc ed the development of the product which is unique. Potential internal weaknesses The major notable potential weakness is that Red Bull did not rate very high with consumers on the taste dimension. It has been reported that the drink had a medicinal flavour though it smelt sweet. The taste was bitter and few people actually liked the taste of Red Bull. The company however did not focus on the aspect of taste in its promotions of the