Essay on Disobedience in William Shakespeares King Lear

Disobedience in William Shakespeares King Lear How sharper than a serpents tooth it is to have a thankless child. Filial disobedience is a key theme in the play King Lear and in both the times it was set and written, children were not expected to disobey their fathers. Jacobean England was an extremely hierarchical society meaning that respect should not only be shown to the powerful and rich but also to parents and the elderly. Seventeenth century England would have been more devout in terms of religion than today and undoubtedly a Jacobean audience would have been familiar with the fifth commandment, Honour thy father and mother. Lear, like any king, Pagan or otherwise, would have been†¦show more content†¦This is the source of Lears outrage and he cannot believe that his most beloved daughter would not only go against his wishes, but also against the basic expectations he has of his children. This helps Shakespeare to show what an unstable character Lear is because he does not realise that Cordelia has actually done w hat he has asked and told him how much she loves him. Lears emotions at this point swing between the extremes of love and anger because of this: Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood And as a stranger to my heart and me. I.i.109-111 In his rage, Lear is willing to give up his love for his daughter even though he loves her immensely. It illustrates the fury and rash judgements that have become ingrained in his nature whilst king. He wants to prove to the court and possibly himself that, even though he is abdicating, he still wants to be seen as omnipotent. His self-importance and need for praise leads him to thinking that Cordelia has shamed him and therefore banishes her. In spite of Goneril and Regans obvious lies, Lear foolishly divides the kingdom between. Where Lear falls for their shallow lies, the audience sees through them and their sympathy lies with Cordelia. The audience also learn that the family dynamics depend on whether LearShow MoreRelatedAllegorical Elements In Macbeth Essay761 Words   |  4 Pagesit’s narrative and thus open a discussion King Lear , another of Shakespeare’s principle tragedies also opens a discourse into the political environment of Jacobean England or more sp ecifically the act of union. The drama explores a Kingdom that is divided and thus succumbs to chaos, it is only restored to natural order when the it unites again. This provides an opportunity to reinforce the act of union while condemning the division and civil disobedience/war. Much of the twentieth-century scholarshipRead MoreFemale Sexuality in Shakespeare4830 Words   |  20 PagesQuestion Compare and contrast the representation of female sexuality in Cymbeline, the Sonnets, and one of the plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure or King Lear.       Both Cymbeline and A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (AMND)  are both set in a patriarchal environment where both genders grapple for control. Valerie Traub defines the distinction between gender sex and gender behavior as â€Å"Sex refers to the . . . biological distinctions between

Humans And The Ai Possible Now - 2003 Words

Humans and the AI possible now, are truly one and the same What does this mean?. The Human body is but a foundry sundry? of systems and preconditioned thinking that is lead through cause and effect. AI is the pinnacle of humanity’s attempts at mimicking the creation of life through â€Å"artificial† thinking. John R. Searle argues that the intentionality in human beings is a product of the brains and its mental processes. He also notes that the certain brain processes are sufficient (indicating that there is at times a bare minimum of processes) for the â€Å"intentionality.† He also states that the instantiation of a computer program can be done by a human but the program would still lack the relevant intentionality. Searle also states that, â€Å"any mechanism capable of producing intentionality must have casual powers equal to those of the brain.† One important thing to note in Searle’s arguments is that he separates AI into two distinct categori es. Strong AI and weak AI. Strong AI being the advanced computers that are in fact, â€Å"minds,† and that these computers can actually understand things. Weak AI on the other hand, are the computers that act as nothing more than tools to be used to study and to serve any purpose we program it to do. Searle brings up several arguments that he refutes such as the â€Å"Systems Reply,† â€Å"The Robot reply,† â€Å"The Brain simulator reply,† â€Å"the combination reply,† â€Å"The other minds reply,† and â€Å"the many mansions reply.† The main argument thatShow MoreRelatedThe Controversy of Artificial Intelligence1476 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout its history, artificial intelligence has always been a topic with much controversy. Should human intelligence be mimicked? If so, are there ethical bounds on what computers should be programmed to do? These are a couple of question that surround the artificial intelligence controversy. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of artificial intelligence so that you will be able to make an educated decision on the issue. What is Artificial Intelligence? The first step in getting anywhereRead MoreThe Government Should Regulate Artificial Intelligence1655 Words   |  7 PagesIntelligence (AI) gradually occupies our life in different aspect and presents in different forms. AI will help big companies to cope with their data analysis and provide them with the best-calculated strategy. AI robots have already been employed in some countries like Japan to help with old people or patients who suffer from mental illness. Besides, in governmental and some important social areas like weather forecasting and military training also benefit a lot from AI. Moreover, AI has already defeatRead MoreThe Age Of Artificial Intelligence1418 Words   |  6 Pagesliving creatures have in some way or another. Animals can adapt to their environments and react to interference, and plants do the same. Human intelligence, however, is in an entirely different ball park. With the uprise of technology and advancements constantly being made, it has now come time to question the use of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, or AI, means giving non living things, such as computers and robots, the ability to think for themselves to an extent† (Pros and Cons of ArtificialRead MorePreparedness In Education805 Words   |  4 Pagesadopt AI get overshadowed by competitors and monopolies emerge. Riots break out on the streets as workers fight for their jobs, the welfare system collapses because of the surge in cost. The education system becomes even more selective as only highly desirable skill sets are needed, and thousands of students graduate and cant find a job. The 1% gets richer, as the world descends into chaos, not because AI took over, but instead because we were too ignorant to prepare for the inevitable. Now, whichRead MoreEssay On Artificial Intelligence Regulation1541 Words   |  7 PagesOrion Humphrey Katherine Pack ENGL 1101 22 October 2017 Artificial Intelligence Regulation Artificial intelligence, or AI, is not necessarily a new concept but hasn’t been remotely possible up until a few years ago. It’s recently been a hot topic among the tech community, religious folk, and really, the rest of the world. While in its infancy, AI has the potential to be dangerous and needs to be regulated. Artificial intelligence is something that’s taboo to a lot of people. They wonder whetherRead MoreEssay On Corporate Finance806 Words   |  4 PagesJust like humans, computers can now learn and adapt, thanks to machine learning, a subfield in AI. With artificial neural networks to mimic those of the human brain, intelligent computers can learn from examples, meaning that no task specific programming is required. While machine learning technology is still at infant stages in most industries, it is making ground breaking milestones in the financial sector. Among the areas experiencing major transformations is corporate finance. AI, in generalRead MoreThe Effects Of Artificial Intelligence On Our Lives1326 Words   |  6 PagesArtificial Intelligence in Our Daily Life AI, or artificial intelligence, is the automation of human processes by means of machine learning, often done by computer systems. These processes include acquisition of complex information and a set rules bound to conclude a reasoning or approximate conclusions. Applications of AI includes expert systems, speech recognition, and machine vision. Goals To discuss the impact of artificial intelligence in our lives and provide a specific set of examplesRead MoreThe Idea Of Artificial Intelligence1613 Words   |  7 Pagesscientific officer of the Allen institute for Brain Science in Seattle: â€Å"Within a decade these instances of ‘weak’ or ‘narrow’ AI—able to replicate specific human tasks—will permeate society. Siri is only the beginning. Driverless cars and trucks will become the norm, and our interactions in supermarkets, hospitals, industry, offices and financial markets will be dominated by narrow AI.† [1] (Christof) But with increases in technologies like facial recognition, algorithms that can teach themselves and chipsRead MoreDisadvantages Of Artificial Intelligence1587 Words   |  7 Pages It is seen and experienced in different institutions, be it public or private, small entity and global. AI, or artificial intelligence, is the automation of human processes by means of machine learning, often done by computer systems. These processes include the acquisition of complex information and a set of rules bound to conclude a reasoning or approximate conclusions. Applications of AI include expert systems, speech recognition, and machine vision. Artificial Intelligence uses algorithms thatRead MoreSocial and Ethical Impact of Artificial Intelligence Essay examples1503 Words   |  7 Pagescomputers in our everyday lives, it seems that the role of the computer has been reversed. Before we knew that the computer only understood what we programmed it to understand; however, now the majority of our society is learning more from computers than they are able to input into it. Dumm (1986 p.69) History The human aspiration to create intelligent machines has appeared in myth and literature for thousands of years, from stories of Pygmalion to the tales of the Jewish Golem. Anat Treister-Goren

Interview Reflection Paper On An International Manager Essay

Interview reflection paper By : Dendra Cowperthwaite Communication 101 11/19/16 Provide an introduction to your chosen career and the individual you interviewed. Why did you choose to interview this individual? Is his or her job exactly like the job you want or in a similar field? How did you locate the individual? An international manager is a broad title for someone who handles any and all interactions the business has on a national and global scale. They generally are responsible for all of the business that is conducted outside of the organization. There are often multiple people doing this job for bigger companies simply due to the size. They are broken down into smaller categories such as sales, marketing, and manufacturing. They must be culturally sensitive and know the business’ needs, and how to implements those in foreign markets. They also must be able to handle the political, cultural, and day-to-day challenges of doing business with other cultures. Furthermore, they must have a keen understanding of currency, and how that changes between countries. I chose to interview the individual I did because, as an owner of her own import-export business, she has great depth of experience in the field of international management. Although different from working for a company, it Is the same general principle, being that as she owned her own business, she did this job along with many others. Also, this is the goal for my life; the job is a backup plan, so IShow MoreRelatedIndividual Reflection Paper : Team Climate Action Challenge1000 Words   |  4 PagesIndividual Reflection Paper – Team Climate Action Challenge This semester I worked with Tobi Olaiya, Jahan Francois, Kate Raulin, and Xinran Zhao to create the Be Bright - Choose Solar campaign. I am proud of the work we have accomplished and our ability to overcome each barrier we met. Working through our team project provided some key lessons about the practice of public policy that our course readings have also emphasized, including (1) let your ideas evolve from something simple, (2) do not wasteRead MoreThe Human Resource Manager For A Prestigious Cable Company1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Portfolio Paper As the human resource manager for a prestigious cable company that has recently began developing plans of a new call center to handle customer service issues, it is indispensible I am well prepared to logistically assist in the developmental stages. My company is considering four (4) locations for the call center, which includes locations in Memphis, Tennessee; Montgomery, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Belhaven University, 2016). The company is planningRead MoreChanging Connection Between Professionalism And Managerialism1622 Words   |  7 Pagesargument will be developed through a critical review of Carvalho’s paper, regarding research scope, methods, main findings and practical implications of the research results. Carvalho’s (2014) article reports a case study of nursing in Portugal. The challenges from political and institutional environment on the professionalism are discussed to determine the change in the values, norms and practices of nurses’ profession with the interview of 103 nurses at managerial duties. Firstly, Carvalho (2014)Read MoreRethinking Project Management9242 Words   |  37 PagesReINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT International Journal of Project Management 24 (2006) 675–686 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijproman Rethinking Project Management: Researching the actuality of projects Svetlana Cicmil a c a,* , Terry Williams b, Janice Thomas c, Damian Hodgson d Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK b School of Management, University of Southampton, Highï ¬ eld, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK School ofRead MoreAuthenticity Within Hospitality Industry2129 Words   |  9 Pagesin particular. 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The final report must be submitted on the due date simultaneously in TWO WAYS: Submit as follows: 1) A traditional paper report (stapled, etc.) to be turned in at the very beginning of class on the due date, and 2) As an email to me in a single PDF file at mfields@uwindsor.ca. The papers should be in APA format and use at least five appropriate references (not Wikipedia or ask.com, etc.). Because some of the reports will be forwarded to Schukra, yourRead MoreWeek 5 Assignment BUS 3032548 Words   |  11 Pages â€Å"Looking Back Reflection† John Doe BUS 303 Human Resources Management Instructor John Doe August 18 2099 The purpose of this reflective paper is to show my understanding along with what I have learned about HRM (human resources management) and the different way HRM impacts the success behind every business, along with the rules and regulations that go with it. Over the last five weeks I have learned quite a bit about HRM and will reflect on that throughout this paper. â€Å"Human resource managementRead MoreBusiness Research Problem/Opportunity Analysis5047 Words   |  21 Pagesresearch process, which has started in the first three questions (problem statement, defining the concepts, operationalizing the constructs in objective measurable terms). Now you would need to decide how you would collect your data (e.g., surveys, interviews, looking at past reprimand reports, etc.), data analysis (e.g., descriptive stats, trend analysis, quantitative statistics, such as the ANOVA, t-test; record and interpret results. You will have to use the Management Research Question HierarchyRead MoreClinical Report on Lewins Field Change Theory1453 Words   |  6 Pagesreceptive to change, others may not be so forth coming. The concept of change in itself can be terrifying because people get used to doing things a particular way, therefore, any deviation from the norm poses difficulty. Within the context of this paper, I will examine two components related to my learning goal and my clinical placement at St. Michael’s hospital. First, the knowledge component will entail a critical review of five evidenced-based scholarly journals related to change and the Electronic

Analysis Of 500 Days Of Summer - 1714 Words

munication. 500 Days of Summer, which is one famous movie, we can recognize some important communication theory. In this paper, I would like to focus on the social penetration theory revealed in 500 Days of Summer. In this movie, some essential perspectives of penetration theory are revealed: depth and breadth of penetration, stages of the penetration theory, and verbal and non-verbal communication. In this essay, I am going to discuss these three characteristics revealed in the movie, 500 Days of Summer with my observations. First of all, depth and breadth of penetration is revealed in this movie. Firstly, the breadth of penetration is described by the Griffin (2009); â€Å"the range of areas in an individual’s life over which disclosure takes place†¦The breadth is the amount of information we disclose between two people.† In the case of the relationship between Tom and Summer we learned about, Tom’s breadth is his job, a fan of The Smith, and where he is f rom. In addition, for Summer, her breadth learned about her job, a fan of The Smith, and where she is from, and â€Å"Anal girl†. If I take one of example from these breadth, Summer does not tell when she started liking The Smiths, or how she discovered The Smiths, or what her favorite song by The Smiths is. None of that information is any more personal than â€Å"I love The Smiths.† I believe that the level of penetration is deep. As this story shows that at the first time they met, they talked small talk. However, the depth ofShow MoreRelatedScript Analysis Of ( 500 ) Days Of Summer 1018 Words   |  5 PagesScript Analysis - â€Å"(500) Days of Summer† (500) Days of Summer is a film directed by Marc Webb. This film is about Tom, a lovesick romantic who is blind sided when Summer, the love of his life, dumps him. He falls in love with her. But she doesn’t fall in love with him. He shifts back and forth through various periods of their 500 days together to try to figure out where things went wrong. For the most part, Webb was successful in translating the emotion of the script to the motion picture. ThisRead MoreScript Analysis Of ( 500 ) Days Of Summer 765 Words   |  4 PagesScript Analysis - â€Å"(500) Days of Summer† (500) Days of Summer is a film directed by Marc Webb. This film is about Tom, a lovesick romantic who is blinded side when Summer, the love of his life, dumps him. He falls in love with her. But she doesn’t fall in love with him. He shifts back and forth through various periods of their 500 days â€Å"together† to try to figure out where things went wrong. For the most part, Webb was successful in translating the emotion of the script to the motion picture. EachRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie 500 Days Of Summer 1136 Words   |  5 Pages500 Days of Summer Breaking traditional conventions of film creates a unique, thought provoking experience for the viewer. It is this originality that interests and captivates the viewer. Marc Webb’s ‘500 Days of Summer’ does exactly this through the films non-linear narrative, reversal of gender stereo types and the distortion of time in the film. Webb’s film breaks customs and challenges traditions of contemporary film making. ‘500 Days Of Summer’ breaks filmmaking tradition and distortsRead MoreSkyview Manor Essay examples1072 Words   |  5 PagesRev per Room Weighted Average Pr(East Single) = (50 / 80) x (2 / 10) = 12.5% $ 1 5 $ 1 .875 Pr(East Double) = (50 / 80) x (8 / 10) = 50.0% $ 2 0 $ 1 0.000 Pr(West Single) = (30 / 80) x (2 / 10) = 7.5% $ 2 0 $ 1 .500 Pr(West Double) = (30 / 80) x (8 / 10) = 30.0% $ 2 5 $ 7 .500 100.0% $ 2 0.875 $20.875 equals the Weighted Average Revenue per Night Calc Probability Step 2: Room nights rented in FY ended 3/31/62 = Total Rev / Rev per room night = $160,800 / $ 20.875 (per room) = 7703 rooms Read MoreEssay on Acc 557 Assignment 21151 Words   |  5 Pages|You are an Entrepreneur ! | An international education company which send students to the U.S.A from Turkey. The exact definition of the company is based on Summer Work And Travel program. Let’s find the definition out with the help of 5W1H questions. WHO Participants of the program need to be a student who is/has: ages between 18-30; a full-time student of any university, a GPA 2.0/4.0, Sufficiently proficientRead MoreA Study On Radarsat 11179 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent areal coverage (from ~50 km x 50 km/scene to ~500 km x 500 km/scene) and resolution (from 8 m to 100 m). The RADARSAT instrument also offers a range of incidence angles from 10 ° - 59 ° allowing us to choose from a selection of beam positions within each beam mode. RADARSAT-1 acquired images with HH polarization, which means that the sensor emitted and received horizontally polarized radiation pulses. RADARSAT orbits the Earth fourteen times a day, using a sun-synchronous, dawn-dusk orbit. On theRead MoreCutco Case Analysis1206 Words   |  5 Pagesexponentially in the next few years. Weaknesses · Sales reps are college student who sell Cutco during their summer vacations. · Commissions are given to area representative and Manager when purchased through a catalog. · Web costs range from $200K ? 500K. · Vector consumers prefer to order from web site. · Cutco has always marketed through direct selling. · Majority of sales are between May August. · Top 500 sales reps earn $5,500= $2,750,000 · Only 97K orders are received from 2.8M mailed catalogs. · Web sellingRead MoreWhat Does Calendar Anomaly Exist? Stock Market Of Both Developed And Developing Countries1701 Words   |  7 Pagesformer is represented by SP 500(Standard and Poor) from USA while the latter is represented by BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) from India. The daily data of stock return was collected for the time – period of July 1998 to December 2013, and analyzed using single factor ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) and two sample t-test of equal variance. 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Amazon, Intelliflicks, and Cleanfilms are all present in the market, but don’t possess enough force at this time to be considered a threat to Netflix. Blockbuster As of right now, Blockbuster is the biggest competitive threat to Netflix. Blockbuster was incorporated in 1989 in Delaware and is a major renter of home videocassettes, DVDs

Reflection on Nursing Care

Question: Demonstrates the impact of reflection on future practice through critical thinking and synthesis of ideas . Evidence of the identification of personal values and beliefs on caring as a nurse. Clear linkages of the creative representation in the reflection on values and beliefs . An engaging and clear creative representation of person-centredness within your practice and an application of the Synthesised Model of the Communication of Caring in Nursing Participation in online forum discussion . Relevance to practice ( /20) Analysis of how ordinary nursing practice that may be perceived as extraordinary. Evidence of how the creative representation will enable your future practice to be authentic to your values and belief . Answer: Reflection on Nursing Care Nursing is considered as a fusion of science and art wherein the theoretical framework is formed by caring. Caring and nursing are based on a relational understanding, connection and unity between the patient and the nurse. The art of caring in nursing is based on the metaphysical and empirical knowledge that forms the science of nursing (Robinson 2014). The personal values and beliefs on caring as a nurse include human dignity, justice, privacy and human relationship. These values and belief form the spiritual and humanistic approach to the art of caring in the nursing profession (Boyd 2013). Justified intentional care, competence and compassion forms the core of caring and nurses are expected to develop these qualities while being in their profession (Robinson 2014). This assignment is a critical reflection of the personal values and beliefs on caring as a nurse of a situation that was based on a geriatric care ward for a patient with dementia, following Bortons developmental frame work. I am a registered nurse working in the medical ward of a multispecialty hospital and this reflection is about an incident where I perceived an ordinary practice of nursing as extraordinary. This reflective incident is about a 70 years old patient named Harry suffering from dementia and started at 7:30 am when my shift starts. It is common for the elderly to develop diseases like dementia and Alzheimers disease with the increase in life expectancy (Fong et al. 2015). Dementia is a condition where the mental ability gets declined and interferes with the activities of daily life like communicating, thinking and memory. This patient was aged and was suffering from a long time without much improvement in his condition and I was involved in his nursing care. From this situation, I was providing the essentials of nursing care for an elderly patient with dementia as the process was challenging and it is quite difficult to manage the patients without having an appropriate understanding of the disease process (Peters, Villeneuve and Belleville 2014). I made active participation in the caring process by providing a safe environment for the patient and it was very much important to treat them with respect and maintain their dignity (Baborie et al. 2012). Person centered care was adopted for providing care to the patient as it is beneficial for the patients of dementia since they are considered as individuals rather than focusing on their disabilities and illness. It helps to treat the patients with respect and dignity (Brooker and Latham 2015). Harry was happy on my arrival and when I approached him for a bath, he became forgetful and confused and it is necessary for the nurses to supervise the patients of dementia during the process. Although the process went smooth, it got derailed at the end when he was asked to leave the bath as he started shouting with swearing and personal insults as he did not want to get out. From the incident, I developed mixed feelings as I belie ved that a previously happy patient turned agitated and distressed due to my actions and this evoked a feeling of guilt that made me upset. Although I was aware that mood swings are a part of dementia, however, considering his condition of ill health made me sad. However, I was happy that I eased the situation and was able to calm him down. This entire situation was ordinary from the perspectives of a registered nurse as they are used to the aggression of the patients of dementia, however, my perception and learning from the incident made it extraordinary for me. When Harry was informed about the changes in his behavior after he was pacified and how I handled the situation, he perceived the situation as extraordinary as well. Although it was my duty to handle such situations with care and kindness, he was surprised how someone can be kind when the patient is going rough and abusive. This was the perception of Harry of my patient centered care for his dementia and he perceived my ord inary nursing care as extraordinary. The outcome of this perception was beneficial for the treatment as he co-operated with me in his other care processes. During my process of pacifying Harry, I had a number of things going on in my mind. I was trying to apply the knowledge and theory of nursing care to get over this embarrassing situation created by Harry during his bath. His reactions were based on the thought that he will be allowed to do whatever he wish without any restriction and my actions were based on the scientific and ethical grounds of nursing care. On stopping him, he outburst with anger and this somewhat frightened and shocked me. However, the reaction was handled with care and I was there with him to calm him down as it was my professional and ethical obligation not to abandon the patient during the process of nursing care (van der Steen et al. 2013). According to the person-centered nursing framework, I was expected to provide holistic care and engagement to the patient and this was the reason I could not leave the patient on his time of discomfort. I was aware of the knowledge of the nursing care for the patient with d ementia and in such cases of patient anger, the most effective way to handle the situation is redirection of the topic in a firm and calm manner (Borson et al. 2013). This will ensure patient safety and reduce his confusion of expression of thoughts and following instructions. However, distracting his attention towards some other direction with the help of playful activities could have served the purpose effectively and made the situation better (Baborie et al. 2012). From the situation, I understood that even trivial events could bring about sudden changes in the mood of the patient with dementia that can even lead to aggression that has to be handled with appropriate patience and care, without leaving the patient. The broader issue that needs to be considered in this incident to make it successful is based on the critical analysis of why and where it went wrong that caused Harry to get angry Patients with dementia needs to be communicated in a way that makes them comfortable, based on the principles of person centered care of nursing (Borson et al. 2013). During his bathing process, if I communicated with Harry with small talks to distract him, the embarrassment could have been avoided (Catic et al. 2014). The consequence of this action could have made him feel ease with the situation and he could have avoided the verbal aggression (van der Steen et al. 2013). From this incident, I learned this skill which I will implement in my future cases of nursing care for the patients with dementia. I also realized that the curricula of the nursing schools should expand to include the courses on gerontology and geriatrics for providing specialized training for preparing the future nurses to provide optim al care to the patients with dementia and avoid such embarrassing situation to confuse and aggravate the patients. By reflecting on this incident, I have identified the gaps that I had in my knowledge regarding the nursing care of the patients with dementia that I bridged as the treatment progressed. Using Bortons developmental framework through action and reflection enabled me to develop the knowledge that is required in the practice of nursing (Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper 2001). Action and reflection as the core values enabled me as a nurse to work with the patients suffering from mental health and support their families by enabling mutual learning and co-production of the knowledge (Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper 2001). In this reflection, I used the framework of my theoretical knowledge and practical experiences to get over the problematic situation and established a dynamic theory of nursing practice. References Baborie, A., Griffiths, T.D., Jaros, E., Momeni, P., McKeith, I.G., Burn, D.J., Keir, G., Larner, A.J., Mann, D.M. and Perry, R., 2012. Frontotemporal dementia in elderly individuals.Archives of neurology,69(8), pp.1052-1060. Borson, S., Frank, L., Bayley, P.J., Boustani, M., Dean, M., Lin, P.J., McCarten, J.R., Morris, J.C., Salmon, D.P., Schmitt, F.A. and Stefanacci, R.G., 2013. Improving dementia care: the role of screening and detection of cognitive impairment.Alzheimer's Dementia,9(2), pp.151-159. Boyd, M.D., 2013. The Art of Nursing: Preserving History. Brooker, D. and Latham, I., 2015.Person-Centred Dementia Care: Making Services Better with the VIPS Framework. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Catic, A.G., Mattison, M.L., Bakaev, I., Morgan, M., Monti, S.M. and Lipsitz, L., 2014. ECHO-AGE: An innovative model of geriatric care for long-term care residents with dementia and behavioral issues.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association,15(12), pp.938-942. Fong, T.G., Davis, D., Growdon, M.E., Albuquerque, A. and Inouye, S.K., 2015. The interface between delirium and dementia in elderly adults.The Lancet Neurology,14(8), pp.823-832. Peters, F., Villeneuve, S. and Belleville, S., 2014. Predicting progression to dementia in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment using both cognitive and neuroimaging predictors.Journal of Alzheimer's Disease,38(2), pp.307-318. Robinson, S.G., 2014. True presence: Practicing the art of nursing.Nursing2015,44(4), pp.44-45. Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D. and Jasper, M., 2001.Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: A user's guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave. van der Steen, J.T., Radbruch, L., Hertogh, C.M., de Boer, M.E., Hughes, J.C., Larkin, P., Francke, A.L., Jnger, S., Gove, D., Firth, P. and Koopmans, R.T., 2013. White paper defining optimal palliative care in older people with dementia: a Delphi study and recommendations from the European Association for Palliative Care.Palliative medicine, p.0269216313493685.

The Sources of International Competitive Advantage of Vw free essay sample

Interconnectedness of Resources and Capabilities9 4. Conclusion10 5. 0 Bibliography11 6. 0. Appendix13 1. Introduction: 1. 2 Company Portray: The Volkswagen Group is one of the leading automobile producers in the world, delivering more than 9 million cars, generating sales of â‚ ¬193 billion and profits of â‚ ¬21. 9 billion in 2012 (Volkswagen Group, 2013). The group markets low- consumption small cars, luxury cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles under its 12 brands: Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT, MAN, Bentley, Scania, Bugatti, Lamborghini Porsche, Ducati and Volkswagen commercial vehicles. The group employs 550,000 people worldwide and operates 100 production facilities in 27 different countries, while selling its products in 153 countries (Volkswagen Group, 2013). The Group has recently launched â€Å"Strategy 2018†, with the goal of becoming the biggest automotive company in the world in terms of volume, by selling more than 10 million cars and trucks annually. Additionally the group seeks to elevate its profit margin to 8% (Taylor, 2012). Given Volkswagen existing strength and its ambitions for the near term future the firm must be regarded as one of the world’s most potent transnational companies. 1. Method of Analysis: An international competitive advantage can either be derived from the external environment a company resides in, or through its internal strategic and structural orientation (Sitkin and Bowen, 2013). To fully appreciate and understand the formation of the Volkswagen Group’s international competitive advantage it is essential to analyse its external sources first, scrutinize their interplay within Michael Porter’s ‘Diamond’ structure, and subsequently take note of the internal choices and decisions the managers of Volkswagen face in the quest to generate a sustainable international competitive advantage. . 0 External Sources Michael Porter has identified factor conditions, demand conditions and supporting and related industries as the three primary external sources of competitive advantage. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry complement Porter’s ‘Diamond† structure and aim to describe the impact the environment has on the internal orientation and disposition of a firm (Sitkin and Bowen, 2013). Thus it evaluates external circumstances’ direct impact on a company’s structure. Porter’s Diamond of National Competitive Advantage Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry Demand Conditions Demand Conditions Factor Conditions Factor Conditions Related and Supporting Industries Related and Supporting Industries Adapted from (Porter, 1990) 2. 1 Factor Conditions Factors of production at their most basic level constitute labour, land natural resources, capital, and infrastructure. According to traditional trade theories unlimited access to these basic factors marks a substantial advantage for industries (Porter, 1990). Today’s notions however, place significantly more emphasis on highly specialized, productivity-enhancing factors, resulting from sustained and heavy investment, as a source of competitive advantage (Porter, 1990). Germany offers two factors that are particularly appealing to the automotive industry: a highly specialized work force and an internationally renowned infrastructure. Of Germany’s 40 million people strong workforce 80% have enjoyed vocational training or hold an academic degree (Appendix 1). Scientists and engineers constitute around 6. 7% (Appendix 2) of the countries total workforce and 31% of all university level students are engaged in scientific or engineering studies giving further evidence for the workforce’s high compatibility to the needs of the automotive industry (GTAI, 2013a). Germany also offers an internationally unique dual education system, which combines on-the-job and vocational school training, thus guaranteeing industry relevant and specific training (GTAI, 2013b). Volkswagen has also benefited from stable labour costs and gradually falling unit labour cost of roughly 0. 3% a year between 2005 and 2010 (Appendix 3). This trend has led to a considerable competitive cost advantage for all German manufacturers (GTAI, 2013a). Germany’s infrastructure ranks second in the world in terms of quality behind Hong Kong’s (Appendix 4). This state of the art infrastructure allows Volkswagen to quickly and reliably move its in- and outputs. Additionally Volkswagen benefits from its relative proximity to Bremerhaven, the world’s largest carport for vehicle traffic (GTAI, 2013f). 2. 2 Demand Conditions Domestic demand has the potential to be an effective source of competitive advantage. Highly informed and demanding customers will exercise significant pressure on companies to continuously innovate and upgrade their products and services (Porter, 1990). Furthermore, a competitive advantage can arise from a customer base that is indicative of global demand trends, or better, shapes customer needs and wants elsewhere. If these conditions are given a company will be pushed to generate the most advanced products or services prior to demand spreading elsewhere in the world (Porter, 1990) The German consumer is probably the most demanding and sophisticated automobile consumer in the world. German consumers have traditionally set high standards in terms of engineering, design and safety, but due to rising fuel prices and environmental concerns in Germany, the spectrum of demands has grown even wider (The Economist, 2007). These high standards have enticed innovations in the past resulting in developments such as the four-wheel-drive system and continue to push VW ahead of its international competitors (Taylor, 2012). In an effort to tackle environmental concerns the VW Group recently committed to reducing the average emissions of its Volkswagen fleet to just 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre by 2020 (Volkswagen Group, 2013). It has also launched an ambitious project to produce the world’s most fuel-efficient car; the XL1, underlining the impact he German consumer has on Volkswagen’s goals and innovative spirit (Taylor, 2012). 2. 3 Related and Supporting Industries A close relationship with related and supporting industries, which are internationally competitive themselves, can reap rich rewards for firms (Porter, 1990). Through the formation of ‘clusters’, which are interconnected businesses and institutions working in close proximity to one another, firms can source the most cost-effective inputs in an efficient and quick manner (Sitkin and Bowen, 2013). More importantly, companies benefit from a rapid and constant exchange of information over new innovations, technology, and industry and consumer trends. The exchange of information coupled with very close personal relationships existing within clusters greatly improves a company’s prospect of attaining an international competitive advantage (Porter, 1990) The related and supporting network for the automotive industry in Germany is particularly strong. A total of five distinct automotive clusters exist in Germany (Autoanalysis, 2005). It is an international technological leader in crucial supporting industries to the automotive industry including machine building and electronics (GTAI, 2013b). Volkswagen derives particular advantage from the existence of the ‘Silicon Saxony’ cluster, which is located in its neighbouring state and currently ranks among the top five semiconductor clusters in the world (GTAI, 2013c). Furthermore Germany is the unquestionable world leader in machinery and equipment production, compromising almost 6,300 companies along the value chain and accounting for 17% of the world’s global machinery trade share (GTAI, 2013d). The automotive and electronics sector are also two of the biggest customers of the machine and equipment sector, demonstrating the strong cohesion of the German industrial sector (GTAI, 2013d). Volkswagen also derives great benefit from the existence of cutting-edge logistic firms in Germany, which spur the rapid and efficient transport of in-and outputs (GTAI, 2013e). 2. 4 Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry The national environment a firm resides in has a significant influence over the firm’s structure, strategy and nature of rivalry. Different cultural backgrounds favour varied managerial approaches and firm structures, which may be suited better to one industry rather than another. A competitive advantage can arise where a firm’s managerial practices, as favoured by the country it resides in, are particularly well suited to respond to the demands of the industry it competes in (Porter, 1990) Domestic competition is arguably the most important factor of Porter’s ‘Diamond’ model, due to the influence it exercises over the remaining facets. Fierce rivalry forces companies to continuously innovate and upgrade to remain in a competitive position nationally. Domestic competition not only toughens companies prior to international expansion, it is frequently the cause for their expansion (Porter, 1990). German culture favours hierarchical organisational structures and technical know-how is widely dispersed throughout top management. In return German companies have traditionally excelled in technically complex industries, where precision is a major determinant of success (Porter, 1990). These set of values and expertise have evidently backed Volkswagen’s path to becoming one of the premiere car manufactures and aided in its accumulation of unique resources and capabilities. Germany has traditionally been home to fierce domestic rivalry in the automotive sector. The Volkswagen Group competes intensively with its Audi and Porsche brands against BMW and Mercedes. The prestige of building the best car in Germany is immense and hence the competition is beyond financials and defiantly carries a personal note. 2. 5. VW ‘Diamond’ System It is critical to assess each of the determinant factors as part of the system of the ‘Diamond’ model. None of the determinants on its own is likely to result in a significant competitive advantage, as the state of one factor depends on the state of another (Porter, 1990). As all the individual determinants for VW are favourable, they perform a self-reinforcing cycle, where the benefits of innovation are spread across the entire automotive cluster. 3. 0. Internal Sources The foundation for developing competitive advantage internally lies with the managers’ ability to generate unique firm-specific resources and capabilities (Duhaime, Stimpert amp; Chesley, 2012b). Performance And Competitive Advantage Performance And Competitive Advantage Market Position, Resources, Capabilities Market Position, Resources, Capabilities Feedback Feedback Decision Making Decision Making Managers’ Mental Models Managers’ Mental Models Adapted from (Duhaime, Stimpert amp; Chesley, 2012) Such resources and capabilities need to be valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Valuable? Rare? Inimitable? Non-substitutable? Sustainable Competitive Advantage Not a resource Competitive parity Temporary Competitive Advantage Temporary Competitive Advantage No No No No Valuable? Rare? Inimitable? Non-substitutable? Sustainable Competitive Advantage Not a resource Competitive parity Temporary Competitive Advantage Temporary Competitive Advantage No No No No Adapted From (Warner, 2010; Hoskisson amp; Co, 2008) Duhaime, Stimpert and Chesley (2012b) indicate that through the utilization of the factors of time, building on past success, interconnectedness of resources and capabilities, investment and casual ambiguity managers can back the resource accumulation process and support the development of sustainable competitive advantages. Volkswagen’s international success in recent years can be attributed to two primary internal factors: the firm’s unconventional organisational structure and its tremendous interconnectedness of resources and capabilities. 3. 1. Decentralized Structure The Volkswagen Group’s corporate structure is highly decentralized and grants large autonomy to each of its 12 individual brands. Each brand is treated as a stand-alone company with its own board of directors, annual reports and individual design, engineering and manufacturing facilities (McElroy, 2012). While this approach contradicts general corporate notions, which encourage centralization to eliminate duplication of work and cut costs, VW is the world’s most profitable car manufacturer (McElroy, 2012). In fact its structure is strikingly similar to General Motors’ under its illustrious CEO Alfred Sloan. Sloan’s concept was based on offering GM’s various brands at different, yet overlapping price points (Duhaime Stimpert amp; Chesley, 2012b). The idea was to offer an ascending range of cars and allow a customer to gradually mount GM’s product scale over the course of his life (Duhaime, Stimpert amp; Chesley, 2012b). Similarly the Volkswagen Group offers an ascending and differentiated product range that allows consumers to upgrade over the course of their life and still remain customers of the Volkswagen Group. This poses a substantial competitive advantage, as none of VW’s international or domestic competitors offers an equally diverse and differentiated product range. 3. 2. Interconnectedness of Resources and Capabilities The more interconnected the resources of a firm are the more likely it is for the firm to use them in an efficient manner that will enhance the company’s overall performance. Similar to the existence of clusters in the external environment firms benefit from an intensive internal exchange of information and cooperation to foster innovation (Duhaime, Stimpert and Chesley, 2012a) Despite the Volkswagen Group’s decentralised corporate structure its resources and capabilities are highly interconnected and centralized. This interconnection is essentially the key to the company’s significant competitive advantage, and allow for the decentralized structure to work so effectively. Under its ‘toolkit strategy’ VW uses the same basic components for numerous models consequently lowering engineering, procurement and manufacturing costs (Taylor, 2012). Hence the key to its competitive advantage lies in differentiating its brands while using the same components in production and successfully employing economics of scale. As a result of the modular longitudinal matrix (MLB) introduced in 2007, Audi is now able to produce its entire product range with the same basic parts. Moreover VW will launch a new program called the modular transverse matrix (MQB) that will standardize critical parts in more than 40 small cars. When the integration is complete and successful it is estimated that VW could realise annual savings of $3 billion and further boost its scale and cost advantage (Taylor, 2012). 4. Conclusion The Volkswagen Group has been tremendously successful in generating an international competitive advantage over recent years. By productively utilizing Germany’s favourable external environment and through unconventional strategic and structural implementations the Volkswagen Group has become the most profitable automaker in the world. Strategy 2018† and the implementation of the modular transverse matrix (MQB) are bound to enhance VW’s advantage over its competitors even further. Therefore, its goal of becoming the biggest automaker by volume in 2018 seems all but certain. 5. 0 Bibliography AutoAnalysis, 2005, Benchmarking Study of European Automotive Clusters. pp. 16 Duhaime, I. M. , Stimpert, L. amp; Chesley, J. A. (2012)a. Strategic Thinking Todays Business Imperative. Ne w York: Routledge. pp. 29-32. Duhaime, I. M. , Stimpert, L. amp; Chesley, J. A. (2012)b. Strategic Thinking Todays Business Imperative. New York: Routledge. pp. 128. Germany Trade and Invest – Gesellschaft fur Au? enwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH . (2013)a. Labor Market Availability. Available at: http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Business-location-germany/Business-climate/labor-market-availability. html. Last accessed 9 April 2013. Germany Trade and Invest – Gesellschaft fur Au? enwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH . (2013)b. Automotive Industry. Available at: http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Industries/Logistics-mobility/automotive. html. Last accessed 9 April 2013. Germany Trade and Invest – Gesellschaft fur Au? enwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH . (2013)c. Electronics amp; Microtechnology. Available at: http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Industries/electronics-microtechnology. html. Last accessed 9 April 2013. Germany Trade and Invest – Gesellschaft fur Au? enwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH . (2013)d. Machinery amp; Equipment. Available at: http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Industries/machinery-equipment. html. Last accessed 9 April 2013. Germany Trade and Invest – Gesellschaft fur Au? enwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH . (2013)e. Logistics amp; Mobility. Available at: http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Industries/machinery-equipment. html. Last accessed 9 April 2013. Germany Trade and Invest – Gesellschaft fur Au? enwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH . (2013)f. Infrastructure. Available at: http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Business-location-germany/Business-climate/infrastructure. html. Last accessed 8 April 2013. Grant, R. M. (2010). Contemporary Strategy Analysis. 7th ed. Southern Gate: John Wiley amp; Sons Ltd. pp. 217 McElroy, J. (2012). How Volkswagen is run like no other car company. Available at: http://www. autoblog. com/2012/12/06/how-volkswagen-is-run-like-no-other-car-company/. Last accessed 8 April 2013. Porter, E. M. (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations, pp. 79-86. Harvard Business Review (online). Available at: http://kkozak. wz. cz/Porter. pdf. Last accessed 9 April 2013. Sitkin, A and Bowen, N (2013). International Business: Challenges and Choices. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 38-39. Taylor, A. 2012). Volkswagen: Das auto giant. Available at: http://management. fortune. cnn. com/2012/07/10/global-500-volkswagen/. Last accessed 8 April 2013. The Economist. (2007). The big-car problem. Available at: http://www. economist. com/node/8738865. Last accessed 8 April 2013. Volkswagen Group. (2013). The Group. Available at: http://www. volkswagenag. com/content/vwcorp/content/en/the_group. html. Last accessed 8 April 2013. 6. 0. Appendix Appendix 1: (Adapeted from Germany Trade and Invest) Appendix 2: Appendix 3: (Adapted from Germany Trade and Invest) Appendix 4: