Contrast of Carrefour and Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Contrast of Carrefour and Wal-Mart Essay Since the American entrepreneur, Clarence Saunders, opens his first Piggly Wiggly store in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916, the concept of self-service store has swept the globe. With the largest population in the world, China is expected to be the world’s biggest retail market which is now already the world’s fastest-growing market. ( Anon, 2011:1) As the world’s first and second largest retail groups, Carrefour and Wal-Mart are one their way piling in. However, with 5000 years of traditional history and 30 years of planned economy, china has already formed its own market tradition. Though, the two giants both need to face the special Chinese market, in some aspects, they use different strategies and have different market feedback. This essay will illustrate the similar strategies the two retail groups have been using and also analyze the ways they use to adapt to the Chinese market differently. To begin with, for opening the Chinese market, Carrefour and Wal-Mart both choose to cooperate with the local commercial. $1 billion was given to Wal-Mart’s 100 hypermarkets’ supply chain, ranging from food to electronics (Shu-Ching, 2010, P. 1). Similarly, Carrefour also tried to adapt to local conditions, i. . cooperate with Lianhua Supermarket Company in Shanghai. The reasons why they cooperate with local partners is not just because of the legal considerations, but also to have a deep understanding of the difficult and complex Chinese market (Peter, 2006, P. 6). Nevertheless, they use different strategies according to different company development plan. Wal-Mart focuses more on the long term partnership nationally or even internationally. Considering the different regional culture and local policy, Carrefour changes partnerships by local markets (Peter, 2006, P. ). Furthermore, Carrefour adopts different strategy throughout all its global market, focusing on locally sourced products, as well as its local management teams, which are almost comprised of domestic employees to be more familiar with the local tastes. Also, on purchasing larger market shares, expansion strategy is common used by the two retail market giants. Since Carrefour opened its first store in china in 1995, it has already operated 73 hypermarkets in 29 cities which makes about $2 billion profit (Peter, 2006, P. ). Likely, 338 shops in 124 cities makes Wal-Mart $7 billion annually which is just a little bit lower than whole Carrefour shops’ profit (Anon, 2011, P. 2). Moreover, they both regard second- and third-tier cities as a good growth opportunity, and have already built shops in western cities which are not so developed. Even though, they perform different strategies in expanding their market. Firstly, Wal-Mart aims at making central distribution center, while local distributors are more considered by Carrefour. Secondly, hypermarkets often constitute larger shopping and entertainment complexes, therefore, a large amount of Carrefour stores are built at the city center for customers to go by foot or by bike. Comparing to this, edge-of-town is where Wal-Mart outlets often located, where customers can have large parking facilities or even shuttle bus provided (Moreau, 2008, P. 1). Last but not the least, Carrefour builds its stores based on the organic expansion primarily. By contrast, Wal-Mart combines organic growth with large-scale acquisitions, which leads to its Chinese revenues doubled. Lastly, to perform well in Chinese tradition market, Carrefour and Wal-Mart both have their changes in shops and marketing. On the one hand, for saving a million yuan in electricity and water costs, two retail chains’ common aim is to achieving â€Å"zero-carbon† stores by next year, which forces them to open a range of new energy saving stores in China, such as using waste gas to heat water and fluorescent lights, making use of natural lighting and integrating energy-saving technologies (Anon, 2009). On the other hand, to discover new growth areas in retail profit, selling medicine has been put on the agenda. The two giants have already been in close contract with the Ministry of Commerce on the medicine retail business and affirming that world’s largest retailer’s distribution network will be covered by medicine sales (Anon, 2005). Although there are a lot of similar strategies in market development, the two retail groups also have their different development focus. In the first place, Wal-Mart awards its employees based on profit-sharing stock, which will improve employees’ skills, trust and constant work, while Carrefour focus more on salaries. In addition, Carrefour adopted a multi-format strategy, i. e. open smaller outlets in the discount format to create another profit growth, while Wal-Mart develops its presence in the hypermarkets format exclusively (Moreau, 2008, P. 3). In details, proved to be a dynamic format competing against hypermarkets operators, department stores get a CAGR increase of 9%, 2002-2007. Therefore, department stores sales continue to be boosted by the expansion period decided by Carrefour (Moreau, 2008, P. 2).

Business Plan For Candle Business In Nigeria Commerce Essay

Business Plan For Candle Business In Nigeria Commerce Essay Candles have been in existence for many years. At one time, people depended on them to light as well as heat their homes. Archaeologists have found proof of the existence of ancient candles in caves all over the world, most recently in France. The theory is that cavemen used candles as a source of light for etching their stories and charts on the walls of their homes. These candles were most likely created from fat derived from animals that were killed for food and fur. Even the ancient Egyptians created and used candles. Regardless of what material the candle is made of, to burn and provide adequate light and heat it has to have plasma, solids, gasses, and liquids. In todays modern world, we create candles for our own personal enjoyment, as crafts and hobbies for most people. Some people enjoy making candles so much that they turn their craft into a profitable business. With a little creativity, you can make some truly unique candles, simply by adding your own designs and skills. It is possible to make candles in every shape and size that you can imagine, and in any colours you can create. You can even add essential oils and fragrances to your candles, so that they not only provide decorative light, but a beautiful scent as well. Most of todays modern candles are made primarily out of paraffin wax, but some are also made of beeswax as well. Paraffin wax is a wax that is derived from plants, found naturally all over the world. Strict safety precautions should be followed when making your candles. It could be very easy to make a small mistake and suffer serious burns from the wax, not to mention the very real danger of fire, when using or creating candles. There should be separate area in your home or workshop especially for candle making, with fire extinguishers readily available in case of emergency. For a new candle making, it will be best to start with simple candle designs, then increase the difficulty as your skill increases. The basic techniques of candle making, have to be learn and setup your work area appropriately. Pay attention to temperatures, and make certain that you are careful to follow safety rules. Candle making is fairly easy once when understanding the basics and perfect techniques. The good news is that the supplies needed in candle making are fairly inexpensive, so no worry about wasting money if ruin along the way. 1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The broad aim of the study is to introduce candle manufacturing business into Nigeria market in other to improve their standard of living. Along this broad aim emerges the following specific objectives which are: To determine the viability of Candle manufacturing business in Nigeria market. To determine the feasibility of Candle manufacturing business in Nigeria market. To determine the market trends for Candle business. CHAPTER TWO MARKET SURVEY / ANALYSIS 2.1 MARKET The end users of candle are mainly householders. It is their source of lightening during power outage. As earlier mentioned white garment churches (the celestial and cherubim and seraphim) are the other end users of candle for making supplication to celestial bodies. Survey of candle making businesses revealed that there are also other major manufacturer of candle such as Candle Royal, Chem.-Bold, BBC Candle, star candle, China candle, to mention a few. This is a plethora of small scale manufacturers. The market for candle stick is relatively large, given the frequency of power outage and the high cost of generating plants and fuel, which is a substitute for power supply. While power outage and interruption is common place in the urban centres, the rural electrification schemes of the government are gradually taking off but not yet sufficient to provide alternative power. Consequently, the market for candle sticks is a promising one while the project stands a good chance of success. Presently the types of candle stick produced by the aforementioned manufacturers have been found to burn out relatively faster than expected. From experience and research they take between 3 to 5 hours to burn- off. Reasons adduced for this is mainly the interior content/ concentration of the melt paraffin wax and the size of the candle sticks. This limitation and weakness has resulted in the inability to satisfy existing demand satisfactorily. The situation would be much more precarious when importation of candles is stopped and demand is now concentrated on local candles. To improve on these weaknesses, our own candle is being strengthened with high concentration of good, tested and quality melt paraffin wax. We are also planning to make varied sizes of these white and coloured candle sticks to cater for various users. Also, the effect of these competitors has been examined by sensitising the price of the products at 5 and 10 percent reduction. 2.2 MARKET TREND Given all the above it has been extremely difficult to determine accurately substantial data which could be interpreted to reveal the trend of demand for candle sticks at the range in this study for obvious reasons: One, the candle making industry in Ibadan, Oyo state is relatively young and competitors unwillingness to part with their company data Secondly, the type of candle we envisage both in size and content is different from other competitors. Nevertheless, estimated existing production figure for all these competitors for 2008 is 2,112,000 units in Ibadan However this figure is inconclusive if the object was for a detailed analysis. Because of these limitations, one is constrained to look at the consumption trend. 2.3 PROJECTION OF DEMAND As earlier stated, because of the power outage, high cost of generating plants and fuel used, candle has readily become a good alternative. Also considering the unique size and content of our candle, we are of opinion that the project will have no problem in gaining access to the market. Information of candle consumption revealed that in 1998, Oyo state with a population of about 3.5 million people has an estimated demand of 3 million candles There is therefore a shortfall of 888,000 units which if imported candle takes 300,000 units would leave an existing demand of 588,000 units. This project is therefore assured of patronage with adequate promotion of the product by the promoters. THE MICRO ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS LOCATION THE ECONOMY: The Nigeria economy was shaped, and greatly influenced by the character of the colonial economy which was purely exploitative. The major impulse of colonial rule was the search for cheap and steady supply of raw materials for the bargaining industries in Europe foreign market for the massively produced goods outlet for surplus capital and employment of cheap labour (Gann and Digman (eds), 1969). The raw materials in keen demand included cotton for textile factories, rubber for types and other products, palm oil, hides and skin or leather products, timber for furniture, as well as mineral resources like Tin, Bauxite, Coal to mention a few. The mineral and agricultural endowments of the colonial territories, Nigeria in particular, were massively tapped and exploited for use in Western Europe and North America, an exploitation rationalized in terms of the advantage in primary products.(Onimode, 1981).The a kind of symbolic relations between colonial territories and metropol is was enacted which favoured the metropolis. This process was further reinforced by the export of the surplus capital necessary by the need to sustain the rate of profit and capitalist accumulation in Europe. Consequently Nigeria large internal market became a major dumping ground for equipment and a host of other consumer goods (Dike 1956).Successive indigenous governments in the country have tried to grapple with the constrains created by the colonial economy. However the massive wealth generated from the sales of crude oil has made the economy monoculture depending as it were on crude oil. Since oil has become a major political tool in the hand of world powers the price per barrel of crude oil has become vulnerable. This trend has serious implications on national economic growth and development. The dependency on crude oil also gives rise to other economic adversities. Nigerian economy, which was agrarian and self-reliant, has become dependent on food baskets from Western Europe and North America. Thus the country has become a dumping ground for all sorts of goods consumers and capital goods from these foreign countries. It was against this backdrop that the structural adjustment programme (SAP) was launched in September 1986 by the Federal Military Government. The specific and major objectives of SAP are; (1). To restructure and diversify dependence on the oil sector and economy in order to reduce dependence on the oil sector and on exports. (2). To achieve fiscal and balance of payment viability over the period. (3). To lay the basis for a sustainable non inflationary or minimal inflationary growth. (4) To lessen the dominance of unproductive investment in the public sector improve the sectors efficiency and intensify the growth of the private sector. POPULATION AND LABOUR (MAN POWER) MATTERS Aside her strong economic base Nigeria is blessed with abundant human resources. Going by 1991 population Census Nigeria has a population of over 88 million with balanced demographic distribution. Nigeria population in absolute and qualitative terms is indeed appreciable compared to the rest of African. Thus there is abundant supply of semiskilled and unskilled in particular as well as skilled labour. This has downward implication for the cost of labour which has been one of the attractions for investors (both foreign and indigenous). However worth salary and wage regulation effected in 2007, which put the minimum basic salary at N8, 500.00 for federal employees and N9, 500.00 for state and local government employees the prices of various categories of labour are rising. 2.5 LEGAL AND SOCIAL MATTERS Candle making business is not in the list of prohibited or government monopolies. Therefore an investor is free to start off the business upon completing some legal requirement. Business premises registration levies which involved a minimum of =N=10, 000.00 and =N=5, 000.00 for renewal per annum have to be met. Similarly, women should be adequately represented in the firms employment given the campaign for gender equality following Beijin conference of 1991. Grassroots participation in the manufacture of candle sticks should be given a pride of place. 2.6 THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT The Nigeria political history is a chequered one, characterized by military intervention in the power politics of the country. The first republic which commenced in October 1, 1960, operated a parliamentary system headed by Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The government was sacked in January 15, 1966, paving way for military regime for some thirteen years regime that fought civil war (1967 1970) and marked by intra military change. On October 1, 1979 the military regime handed over political power to civilian political authority headed by Alhaji Shehu Shagari under a presidential system of government. By December 1983 the military junta intervened once again in the politics of the county and this lasted till May 29, 1999 when the political power was transferred to the civilian political authority headed by Chief Olusegun Cbasanjo under a presidential system of government in the model of Second Republic. The Nigeria masses are highly mobilized and militant which was a fallout of the annu lment of June 12 presidential election won by Late Chief Abiola of the south west Nigeria. The annulment of the election result created socio-economic even political crises in the country. Be that at it may Nigeria political climate is becoming predictable and stable and the national questions are being finally addressed. A regime of socio-political stability and economic progress is guaranteed under the democratic political dispensation. CHAPTER THREE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND FABRIACATION The engineering design and fabrication of candle making equipment can be handled locally. Indisputably, the cost saving element is a big advantage to a new entrants into the business, with modest capital. The design and fabrication can be raised in size and sophistication depending on the capital available to the buyer. Machinery and other equipment necessary for the manufacturing of candle sticks are listed below. Candle moulding machine Water pumping machine( electrical) Overhead water tank Melting pot Pail or container to pour the melted wax into the moulding machine Scrapper Parking table The materials required for candle making are as follows: Paraffin wax ( by- product of petroleum product) Candle thread Cooking gas or coal pot Vegetable oil Water Nylon Labels Empty cartons Tape/ tape cutter OTHER CAPITAL ITEMS office furniture and equipment and fittings pick up van ( car) Standby generator CHAPTER 4 4.1 RESOURCES PLANNING AND COST MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION In order to ensure effective management of operation, provision should be made for the following organisational arrangements: MANAGING DIRECTOR As the owner of the business, he co-ordinates all facets of the business and ensure the smooth running of the business in all ramifications. PRODUCTION / QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER He/ she is responsible for the production of candle sticks , to meet specification and standards. He/she should be able to undertake repair function if and when it breaks down. It is recommended that the holder of the position should have HND or B.SC in Mechanical Engineering COMPANY SECRETARY/ ACCOUNTANT The accountant will be the financial offer of the company as well as the company secretary. He will among other duties, be responsible for the following matters: Maintance of proper books of accounts Credit control Budget preparation, monitoring and review Banking and Assistance to auditors It is recommended that the holding of the position should hold a B.Sc. Degree or HND in Accountancy or a professional qualification with at least five (5) years corporate experience. CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY Should possess certificate in secretarial Administration preferably Ordinary National Diploma (O.N.D) with proficiency in computer application software e.g. word processing etc and would be responsible for the typing jobs of the company and other assigned duties MACHINE OPERATOR Should possess certificate in production engineering preferably an Ordinary National Diploma (O.N.D). he would be responsible for actual production of the candle with adequate Supervision by the Production Manager. SALES MEN Should possess academic qualification in marketing preferably an Ordinary National Diploma with experience in selling same or related products. ORGANISATION CHAT MANAGING DIRECTOR COMPANY ACCOUNTANT SECRETARY PRODUCTION/QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY SALES MEN MACHINE OPERATOR CLERK DRIVER OPERATION OF THE COMPANY PRODUCTION: Production planning and control Production engineering Production design and Production auxiliaries ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE Accounting Policies Companys financial situation and Credit control system MARKETING: Product; Pricing system; Distribution system; Promotion; and Other processing PURCHASING: Raw material; Parts and components Work in progress Sub assemblies Maintenance and repair supplies and Other operating supplies PERSONNEL: Quality of staff Recruitment and selection Staff development and promotion Staff welfare Settling disputes/ complaint and Staff discipline 4.2 PROJECT COST AND FINANCING The estimated cost of candle manufacturing firm is =N= 2,087,000.00. This is inclusive of the cost of land and buildings, equipment, and other capital items and working capital. TABLE 1 PROJECT COST SUMMARY Land and Building COST IN NAIRA Land acquisition and development including Drainage, landscaping and other development 250,000 Office and Factory Building 400,000 Sub total 650,000 Plant and Machinery Machines, tools and equipment for manufacturing Water cooling system 250,000 Standby generator 120,000 Contingency cost 10% 37,000 Sub total 407,000 Other capital items Office furniture equipment and fitting 100,000 Motor van and Cars 600,000 Preliminary expense 80,000 Subtotal 780,000 Working Capital 250,000 GRAND TOTAL 2,087,000 LAND AND BUILDING Land requirement is approximately 1,200 sq.m for a building of 800 sq.m which provide for manufacturing, Office maintenance shop and raw materials plus finished goods storage. It is expected that the modest amount is expected to build the factory and office complex an inexpensive location. PLANT AND MACHINERY The cost of machinery to fully produce at 80% capacity has been approximated at =N=407,000. This includes the fabrication of the candle making machine, water pumping machine and overhead water tank and the melting pot and drum. Provision is made also for a standby generator to forestall the inadequacies in countrys power supply at =N= 120,000. A 10% contingency is also provided for to take care of increases in price. OTHER CAPITAL ITEMS Provision has been made for office furniture, equipment and fittings at a cost of =N= 100,000 and =N= 600,000 for the purchase of two vehicles i.e. =N= 350,000 for a second hand van and =N= 250,000 second hand car for running around. A provision of =N=80,000 is made for preliminary expenses like cost of registration of business with the government etc. WORKING CAPITAL Provision has been made for working capital to cover the following items Stock of raw materials 6 months Stock of finished goods 2 weeks Account receivable 2 weeks Operating Cost 1 month PROJECT FINANCING It is proposed that the total project cost of =N=2,087,000 be financed as follows NATURE STRUCTURE AMOUNT % Equity Shareholder 750,000 35.93 Working Capital commercial bank 250,000 11.97 Long term loan Development bank 1,087,000 52.10 2,087,000 100.00 SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY The required equity of =N= 750,000 represents 35.93% of the total project cost. This is expected to be contributed by the company promoters. WORKING CAPITAL The working capital requirement varies from =N=250,000 in the first year to =N=550,000 in the fifth year. This estimate is based on the following assumptions That 6 months stock of raw materials will be available That at any one time 2 weeks stock of finished goods will remain That accounts receivable will or average 2 weeks sales That operating cost for one month will be met. See calculation of working capital requirement. LONG TERM LOAN =N= 1,087,000 is the long term requirement which is expected to be obtained from a development bank for small scale enterprise (SME). This is expected to meet the cost of plant and machinery and to complete the factory and office buildings. INTEREST RATE Interest rate calculation was based on the notion that arbitrage will be =N=7.00 between deposit rate and lending rate coupled with the enforcement of senate motion that lending rate should come to 15% COMMERCIAL VIABILITY I have examined the proposals to establish the candle making factory in Ibadan, Oyo state and confirm that the company is economical and commercially viable as shown in the financial projections. The projection are based on the following assumptions Sale forecast and sales revenue Projected income statement Projected cash flow statement Projected balance sheet + The following are the highlights SALES REVENUE Net sales are projected to increase from =N=1,200,000 in the first year to =N=1,458,600 in the fifth year. In line with the increase in planned production from 480,000 units of candle in the first year to 583,440 units in the fifth year INCOME STATEMENT Profit before tax increases from =N=408,700 in the first year to =N=564,118 in the fifth year. This is a modest increase envisage in view of the newness of the business and stiff competition from other companies in the same business. TABLE 2 No. Required Recommendation =N= Production/Quality control manager 1 72,000 Coy Accountant/secretary/admin Mgr 1 60,000 Sales Men 1 36,000 Confidential Secretary 1 30,000 Machine Operator 2 48,000 Clerk 1 18,000 Driver 1 21,600 TOTAL 8 285,600 TABLE 3: SALES FORECASTS AND SALES REVENUE 4.3 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS I have been able to confirm that the project is economically viable based on my estimation and with economy condition of Nigeria. I have endeavoured to use the basics tools of economic analysis in the form of Benefit/ cost Ratio, Net present Value and internal Rate of Return ( IRR) sense but the actual net inflow of funds which will accrue to the firm as a result of undertaking this project i.e. all revenue from sales minus all cost, including any investment takes place. No deductions are made for depreciation. NET PRESENT VALUE The project shows a positive Net Present Value of when discounted at 15%. This shows that investment in this project gives profit greater than could be got by investing the same amount at the Firms Marginal Investment rate. (It is assumed that profit realised are withdrawn for use by the firm in any way it chooses) BENEFIT/ COST RATIO The benefit/ cost ratio which is the ratio of the discounts streams of benefit to the discounted streams of costs this shows that the benefits divisible from the project outweighs whatever costs incurred if all benefits and costs are discounted to present Values INTERNAL RATE OF RETURNS The internal rate of return on the other hand is the rate of return that is being earned on Capital tied up while it is tied up after allowing for recoupment of initial investment. This was found to be 24.6%. Given that we discounted at 15% i.e. we assumed the cost of Capital (interest) was 15%, the project would still earn a surplus of 9.6% over and above the cost of Capital while allowing for all the recoupment of the initial investment. In effect, if the rate of interest were increased by an additional 5%, the investment project will still be economically viable 5.3 SUMMARY, RECCOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION From the five year projection made and analysis carried out, we have found that this investment in the candle making business here at Ibadan would be a worthwhile one. In the first instance, considering the consumption nature of the city of Ibadan coupled with the larger population of people in the city, the product is assured of a ready market. In the second instance, having made a market survey showing that despite the fact that many similar products are available in the market, there is still an untapped market of about 25%. The acute power outage and interruption in the face of assurances by the power and steel Minister to rectify it, not withstanding, the product is assured of regular demand Meanwhile we have designed some marketing strategies like increasing the number of candles in the packet to 12 instead of the number 8 or 10 while still proposing to sell at N20.00, a price considered very cheap compared to other substitutes going for N40 or thereabout Other strategy is to use the company sales van to go round the state in the sales promotion, i.e. going from one town to the other with mounted speaker to create awareness and sensitise the public. We are equally envisaging going on air using the state media e.g. Television, radio and Newspaper to promote the product. On the return aspect of the project, the promoters and the financiers of the project e.g banks are assured of adequate and compensating returns on their investment. With a constant cash flow coupled with profit every year for the next five years, the company is projected to be on the right pedestal to carve a niche in the sector and be a potential leader in the candle making business. RECOMMENDATION We are however recommending that government give incentives to cottage industries like our own by providing the enabling environment e.g. provision of good network of roads, free flowing un-interrupted water and electricity supply to enable constant and peak production at all times. The interest rate could also be reviewed down through good fiscal policies by the financial regulatory bodies to reducing cost of financing. As usual, government should enforce the strict adherence to lending houses commitment to small scale manufacturing concerns Inflation rate should also be reduced or regulated to ensure growth of small companies CONCLUSION This candle making project from the foregoing study no doubt is a worthwhile investment and is recommended for financing.

Music theory

Music theory ABSTRACT MUSIC THEORY:- Music theory is the field of study that deals with how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It identifies patterns that govern composers techniques. In a grand sense, music theory distills and analyzes the parameters or elements of music – rhythm, harmony (harmonic function), melody, structure, form, and texture. Broadly, music theory may include any statement, belief, or conception of or about music. People who study these properties are known as music theorists. Some have applied acoustics, human physiology, and psychology to the explanation of how and why music is perceived. The Four elements of music:- Melody Harmony Rhythm Dynamics AESTHETICS:- Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics or esthetics) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as critical reflection on art, culture and nature. Aesthetics is a subdiscipline of axiology, a branch of philosophy, and is closely associated with the philosophy of art. Aesthetics studies new ways of seeing and of perceiving the world. AESTHETICS OF MUSIC:- Traditionally, the aesthetics of music or musical aesthetics concentrated on the quality and study of the beauty and enjoyment (plaisir and jouissance) of music. Aesthetics is a sub-discipline of philosophy. However, many musicians, music critics, and other non-philosophers have contributed to the aesthetics of music. In recent decades philosophers have tended to emphasize issues besides beauty and enjoyment. It is often thought that music has the ability to affect our emotions, intellect, and psychology; lyrics can assuage our loneliness or incite our passions. For this reason, the philosopher Plato proposed that music is a dangerous entertainment that should be closely regulated by the state. It is commonly believed that human responses to music are culturally influenced. For example, musical passages in Beethoven that sounded highly dissonant to his contemporaries do not sound dissonant to listeners today. As such, musics aesthetic appeal seems highly dependent upon the culture in which it is practiced. However, there is a physical background which defines sound being proper or improper. Proper sound is perceived as gentle sound while improper sound is more or less considered nice sounding depending on what the listener is used to listen to. Harry Partch and some other musicologists like for instance Kyle Gann therefore have studied and tried to popularize microtonal music and the usage of alternate musical scales. Also many modern composers like Lamonte Young, Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca paid much attention to a scale called just intonation. Some of the aesthetic elements expressed in music include lyricism, harmony, hypnotism, emotiveness, temporal dynamics, resonance, playfulness, and color (see also musical development). However, there has been a strong tendency in the aesthetics of music to emphasize musical structure as the most important (or even only) aesthetic element that is important in the experience of music. RHYTHM:- Rhythm is the heartbeat of music. As music passes in time, it is divided into perceptible sections, and each section subdivided further. Rhythm is the arrangement of sounds and silences in time. Meter animates time in regular pulse groupings, called measures or bars. The time signature or meter signature specifies how many beats are in a measure, and which value of written note is counted and felt as a single beat. Through increased stress and attack (and subtle variations in duration), particular tones may be accented. There are conventions in most musical traditions for a regular and hierarchical accentuation of beats to reinforce the meter. Syncopated rhythms are rhythms that accent unexpected parts of the beat. Playing simultaneous rhythms in more than one time signature is called polymeter. See also polyrhythm. Rhythm is, by its simplest definition, musical time. The origin of the word is Greek, meaning flow. Rhythm is indeed the embodiment of timely flow. As meter regulates and pulsates a poem, rhythm organizes music in much the same way. The regular pulsations of the music are called the beat. Stronger beats are referred to as accented beats. Measures of music divide a piece into time-counted segments. Strong beats occur in patterns. For instance, in 4/4 time, the conductor would beat a strong beat on the first beat of every measure and another accented beat although not as strong on the third count of the measure. Because the conductors arms move downward on strong beats, especially those that begin a measure, accented beats are also referred to as downbeats. In recent years, rhythm and meter have become an important area of research among music scholars. Recent work in these areas includes books by Bengt-Olov Palmqvist, Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, Jonathan Kramer, Christopher Hasty, William Rothstein, and Joel Lester. Rhythm either means tempo literally, or its percussion within tempo. Like instead of just 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4. you might Get a groove like: 1-+-+-2-+-+-3-+-+-4-+-+-1-+-2-+-. Rhythm is the variation of the length and accentuation of a series of sounds or other events. RHYTHM IN LINGUISTICS:- The study of rhythm, stress, and pitch in speech is called prosody; it is a topic in linguistics. Narmour (1980, p.147–53) describes three categories of prosodic rules which create rhythmic successions which are additive (same duration repeated), cumulative (short-long), or countercumulative (long-short). Cumulation is associated with closure or relaxation, countercumulation with openness or tension, while additive rhythms are open-ended and repetitive. Richard Middleton points out this method cannot account for syncopation and suggests the concept of transformation. A rhythmic unit is a durational pattern which occupies a period of time equivalent to a pulse or pulses on an underlying metric level, as opposed to a rhythmic gesture which does not (DeLone et al. (Eds.), 1975 ORIGINS OF HUMAN APPERCIATION OF RHYTHM:- In his series How Music Works, Howard Goodall presents theories that rhythm recalls how we walk and the heartbeat we heard in the womb. More likely is that a simple pulse or di-dah beat recalls the footsteps of another person. Our sympathetic urge to dance is designed to boost our energy levels in order to cope with someone, or some animal chasing us – a fight or flight response. From a less darwinist perspective, perceiving rhythm is the ability to master the otherwise invisible dimension, time. Rhythm is possibly also rooted in courtship ritual. Neurologist Oliver Sacks posits that human affinity for rhythm is fundamental, so much that a persons sense of rhythm cannot be lost in the way that music and language can (e.g. by stroke). In addition, he states that chimpanzees and other animals show no similar appreciation for rhythm. RYHTM NOTATION AND THE ORAL TRADITION:- Worldwide there are many different approaches to passing on rhythmic phrases and patterns, as they exist in traditional music, from generation to generation. African music In the Griot tradition of Africa everything related to music has been passed on orally. Babatunde Olatunji (1927–2003), a Nigerian drummer who lived and worked in the United States, developed a simple series of spoken sounds for teaching the rhythms of the hand drum. He used six vocal sounds: Goon Doon Go Do Pa Ta. There are three basic sounds on the drum, but each can be played with either the left or the right hand. This simple system is now used worldwide, particularly by Djembe players. Indian music Indian music has also been passed on orally. Tabla players would learn to speak complex rhythm patterns and phrases before attempting to play them. Sheila Chandra, an English pop singer of Indian descent, made performances based around her singing these patterns. In Indian Classical music, the Tala of a composition is the rhythmic pattern over which the whole piece is structured. Western music Standard music notation contains all rhythmic information and is adapted specifically for drums and percussion instruments. The drums are generally used to keep other instruments in time. They do this by supplying beats/strikes in time at a certain pace, i.e. 70 beats per minute (bpm). In Rock music, a drum beat is used to keep a bass/guitar line in time. TYPES In Western music, rhythms are usually arranged with respect to a time signature, partially signifying a meter. The speed of the underlying pulse is sometimes called the beat. The tempo is a measure of how quickly the pulse repeats. The tempo is usually measured in beats per minute (bpm); 60 bpm means a speed of one beat per second. The length of the meter, or metric unit (usually corresponding with measure length), is usually grouped into either two or three beats, being called duple meter and triple meter, respectively. If each beat is divided by two or four, it is simple meter, if by three (or six) compound meter. According to Pierre Boulez, beat structures beyond four are simply not natural. His reference is to western European music. Syncopated rhythms are rhythms that accent parts of the beat not already stressed by counting. Playing simultaneous rhythms in more than one time signature is called polymeter. See also polyrhythm. In recent years, rhythm and meter have become an important area of research among music scholars. Recent work in these areas includes books by Maury Yeston, Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, Jonathan Kramer, Christopher Hasty, William Rothstein, and Joel Lester. Syncopated rhythms are rhythms that accent parts of the beat not already stressed by counting. Playing simultaneous rhythms in more than one time signature is called polymeter. See also polyrhythm. In recent years, rhythm and meter have become an important area of research among music scholars. Recent work in these areas includes books by Maury Yeston, Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, Jonathan Kramer, Christopher Hasty, William Rothstein, and Joel Lester. Some genres of music make different use of rhythm than others. Most Western music is based on subdivision, while non-Western music uses more additive rhythm. African music makes heavy use of polyrhythms, and Indian music uses complex cycles such as 7 and 13, while Balinese music often uses complex interlocking rhythms. By comparison, a lot of Western classical music is fairly rhythmically (or metrically) simple; it stays in a simple meter such as 4/4 or 3/4 and makes little use of syncopation. Clave is a common underlying rhythm in African, Cuban music, and Brazilian music. In the 20th century, composers like Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich wrote more rhythmically complex music using odd meters, and techniques such as phasing and additive rhythm. At the same time, modernists such as Olivier Messiaen and his pupils used increased complexity to disrupt the sense of a regular beat, leading eventually to the widespread use of irrational rhythms in New Complexity. This use may be explained by a comment of John Cages where he notes that regular rhythms cause sounds to be heard as a group rather than individually; the irregular rhythms highlight the rapidly changing pitch relationships that would otherwise be subsumed into irrelevant rhythmic groupings (Sandow 2004, p.257). LaMonte Young also wrote music in which the sense of a regular beat is absent because the music consists only of long sustained tones (drones). In the 1930s, Henry Cowell wrote music involving multiple simultaneous periodic rhythms and collaborated with Là ©on T hà ©rà ©min to invent the Rhythmicon, the first electronic rhythm machine, in order to perform them. Similarly, Conlon Nancarrow wrote for the player piano.

When I Was Hit by a Car, and then Realized the Importance of Family :: Siblings Personal Narratives Essays

The Importance of Family It is hard to grow up as a young child without getting a few scraps and bruises. Kids are so active and have to have fun and burn off a little bit of energy. Imaginations are key to fun and to life. As a child one must come up with the most unusual games. Children do not realize at their age how important family is and just how much they give up for their child. It was 4 o’clock pm. The sun had just started to go down. Kids are outside playing after school. My brother Jason was in the 8th grade and I was in 3rd. We had another brother that always played with us too, but I guess that day he was currently busy at the time or just did not like the game Jason and I were playing. My brother, Jason, and I had come up with this game. It involved a soccer ball and a few lines and the only thing that really had made the difference, the garage door. We have a three-car garage and the two-car portion was always open when my brothers and I were in the front playing. We had to use the small door that only one car could fit through. It was the perfect size for the goal. Of course the oldest one would always come up with the rules, it itself was an unspoken rule. Jason had come up with some weird and out of this world rules. I do not remember all of them. One that sticks out the most was whoever was the goalie; they had to get the ball if it went onto the street or out of bounds. The ball we had played with was my favorite ball or toy in the world. It had my two favorite colors on it, purple and green. The ball was a size five, I was little so it had to fit me and how I played. I was pretty good at soccer and was a goalie on my school team; every now and then I would play the field. It was my favorite sport and Jason’s as well. He was very good at the sport and much bigger and stronger than I was, I was only 10. I was doing pretty well he would just hit is harder and harder. The traffic that day was at its usual.

Pottery in the Contact Zone :: Essays Papers

Pottery in the Contact Zone It is nearly impossible to discuss Native American art without taking into consideration the effect that western culture has had on it. Native American art, in its purest sense, is something that no longer exists. In its place is an amalgamation of an art form that was once completely Native American and the values that western culture has placed on that art form. This cultural phenomenon is what Mary Louise Pratt has termed the â€Å"Contact Zone† which is used to refer to the â€Å"social spaces where cultures meet, clash and grapple with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power such as colonialism, slavery or other aftermaths as they are lived out in many parts of the world.† (Pratt 34) What Pratt is referring to is the situation that is created when two completely distinct cultures, that operate on totally different levels, attempt to interact. Each culture brings with them certain values and traditions that the other may not e ntirely understand. This predicament often leads to confusion, misunderstandings or sometimes worse. The meeting of western and Indian cultures created exactly this â€Å"Contact Zone† situation that Pratt defines. The aftermaths of the situation have been both positive and negative and have simultaneously posed a threat to the art form while providing opportunities for the artists. Before contact with the western world, pottery making among the Hopi-Tewa Indians was a communal activity which served to strengthen social relations with tribal members not of the same family. Pottery thus objectified valued social relations where sharing with individuals not of one’s matrilineage was both important and necessary for households to functions. (McChesney, 13) As with most Native American tribes, the Hopi-Tewas strove to maintain a strong social network by dividing up the labor and working together to accomplish it. Immediately the differences can be seen between the social structure of American Indian cultures as compared to that of westerners’ which value individuality over community. With the introduction of the railroad to the areas of northern Arizona where the Hopi-Tewas lived, entered new social challenges that threatened the Native Americans’ lifestyles. In an attempt to operate in an American cash economy, many Native Americans began to make pottery to be sold in trading posts to collectors and tourists.

Film “Crash” Essay

The inclusion of the 2006 film â€Å"Crash† in a multicultural psychology class is an interesting way to show that prejudices within certain cultures can develop because they are based on the reality of the situation and that prejudices develop equally within all racial groups. No one group is more or less prone to racial prejudice than any other. â€Å"Crash† is also a study is extremes as virtually every character in the movie presents a view of other races that is based on biases, anger and misconceptions. Unfortunately, two of the scenes in the movie seem to reinforce stereotypes and that was a bit disappointing. The initial scene with Anthony and Peter discussing the stereotypes of being black men in an all white neighborhood and other people shying away from them was impacting and disappointing when it turned out that they two of them were in fact there for nefarious reasons. And, when we discover that Kim Lee’s husband was trafficking in Chinese slaves was also a sad stereotype that made the movie more impacting, but also was a disappointment that the writer resorted to that stereotype. The movie is so full of examples of prejudice that it is hard to determine where the commentary on the racism begins and where it ends. For example, in an early scene, Farhad and Dorri are attempting to buy a handgun from a local gun shop and the store owner immediately assumes that they are Arabs, based on skin color and accent. In a later scene, Dorri is talking with her mother who says, in response to â€Å"raghead† and other slurs spray painted on their store walls, â€Å"they assume we are Muslims when we are Christian†. (Haggis, 2006). The gun store owner reacts with anger assuming that Farhad is a terrorist and attacks him with any number of racial slurs based on his broken English. Farhad assumes that the Caucasian gun store owner was attempting to cheat him and continues with that prejudice later when Daniel arrives to fix the broken lock on the door of his store. One of the saddest commentaries the movie makes on the affects of racism is the scene between Daniel and Farhad, resulting in Farhad’s accusation that Daniel is trying to cheat him. Daniel is one of two characters in the movie who generally is shown as treating people the same regardless of how they treat him. When Jean Cabot has a screaming fit about the fact that she has been robbed at gunpoint by African Americans and that her locksmith is Hispanic, Daniel says nothing, just slams the key on the counter and leaves. He does instigate the attack on Farhad’s store, but that is motivated by the fact that Farhad will not pay him, not by any racial animosity, or at least no animosity that is demonstrated in the movie. Farhad’s daughter Dorri is the only other character whose racial behavior is not offensive. Dorri expressed disappointment at other’s actions towards her father and her father’s actions towards others, but she herself does not exhibit racism. Another interesting study in racism in the movie is in the conversations between Anthony and Peter. At one point, Anthony lectures Peter on the difference between stealing from people outside of the African American community and within the community. He also argues that gangsta rap is a government conspiracy to make the black community fight within itself. Peter shows his racism in his assumption that all country music is a racist plot against African Americans. Later, Peter’s inability to let go of his own joke about the country music costs him his life. In the scene when he is killed, Peter is laughing about the music and virtually picking a fight with the police officer played by Ryan Phillipe who picks him up on a cold night while he is hitchhiking. The officer, Tom Hansen, who has objected to racism over and over throughout the movie to this point, shows his prejudice when Peter says that he wanted to play ice hockey and then get irritated with the way that Peter mocks his music. When Peter finally finds the common ground that could bring them together, a statue of St. Christopher on the dashboard, he fails to come right out and say so. Instead he pulls his own statute out of his pocket. Had he simply spoken instead of taking action, his death could have been avoided. Again, the death is a sad commentary on the way that prejudices develop. When Hansen first encounters racism on the police force, he is offended and wants to be removed from the partner, John Ryan, who was openly racist. Later, Ryan tells him, â€Å"Wait until you lived a little longer† (Haggis, 2006). Ryan’s character is a blatant racist, pulling over the Thayers, a 40-something black couple for no reason other than to screw with them and molest Christine Thayer under the pretense of a search for weapons. Hansen is offended by the way Ryan treats the Thayers and then a night later shoots and kills a black teen, dumps the body and torches his own car to cover the crim. Even the â€Å"good† character is racist in this movie. Ryan explains to the HMO representative Shaniqua why he has developed his racist attitude but does so only after insinuationg that she received her job only because she was a black woman and after insulting her. For her part, Shaniqua could have overcome Ryan’s racism by doing the right thing herself, but because she encountered so much racism over the course of her lifetime, she perpetuated the racism by not doing the right thing and approving additional care for Ryan’s father. Ryan later sort of redeems himself by going into Christine Thayer’s burning car to rescue her after an accident, proving that even a bigot can do the right thing sometimes. In many ways the most disturbing form of racism shown in the movie is that of Jean and Rick Cabot. Jean Cabot explodes in anger after being robbed, attacking her housekeeper for not putting away the dishes from the dishwasher and assuming that her locksmith will sell her house key to gang bangers who will then rob her. By the end of the movie, her attitude is changed when the only one who will come to her rescue is her housekeeper. After getting treatment, she tells her husband that her friend of 10 years wouldn’t come take her to the hospital because she was getting a massage. Her husband and his staff were unavailable and only the housekeeper, whom she had yelled at earlier in the day and was, contemplating firing for no apparent reason, would take care of her. At least her reactions to other races were genuine. More disturbing were the actions of Rick Cabot. He treated all the races as equal stepping stones to his political career. His only question about a hero firefighter was â€Å"Does he look black? † until he learned that the man’s name was Saddam. Then he spent the time yelling at his publicist to find a better way to spin things for him. He allowed his people to offer to fail to prosecute a black detective’s younger brother, peter, for car theft in an effort to add an investigator of color to his inner circle. He ignored evidence that a white cop killed a black cop because the black cop was corrupt, not because the white cop was a racist, which he might have been. The examples of racism in the movie are too frequent to list in a paper. There’s the Puerto Rican/Guatemalan police woman who mocks a Chinese driver for not seeing her â€Å"blake lights† and not being able to see over the steering wheel. Her African American boyfriend tells his mother he’s sleeping with a white woman, explaining to her that it will upset his mother more than saying he’s sleeping with a Mexican. The Chinese woman, Kim Lee, says with authority that Mexicans don’t know how to drive. In a bit part, Tony Danza argues with an African-American television director that his co-star â€Å"sounds less Black† and that his character is supposed to be the smart one. All in all, â€Å"Crash† is an interesting commentary on racism across the culture, showing that many races share the same wrong perceptions of the other races. The movie is one stereotype after another, both coming out of the mouths of the characters, and in the characterization of the people within the movie. However, it is in fact a good way to learn that all cultures make the same mistakes and that they all need to stop making such biased assumptions. WORKS CITED Haggis, Paul. (Writer/Director), 2006, â€Å"Crash† USA: Bull’s Eye Entertainment.

Effective Training †Expectancy Theory Essay

Expectancy theory maintains that people will make an effort to achieve a standard of performance if they perceive that it will be rewarded by a desirable outcome (Wilson, 1999), giving more effort will result in better performance, these probable organizational rewards are valued by the employee, and better job performance will result to organizational rewards which includes an increase in benefits or salary. Desirable outcome is essentially a product of individual circumstances and perceptions and is therefore a subject to change. According to Wilson, at one time, lifelong employment and security of tenure at an equitable level of remuneration may have been the driving force for many employees. Those who have suffered the effect s of downsizing and redundancy are now likely to view the world in different manner, where jobs offering short term and reasonably remunerated employment prospects are more attractive than no job at all, and similarly, those in employment and those seeking employment are likely to have a positive view of work offering the prospect of development of differentiated and transferrable skills, as an investment in their future employability (Wilson, 1999). If one of the managers will say that he doesn’t have time for this theory stuff and he wants real-world training that will help him in his job, I will tell him first that, outsourcing, downsizing, delayering, and casualisation of jobs are all fashionable but these trends affect employees’ explicit or implicit relationships with their employer, and similarly, reduced career oppurtunities, shorter tenure, the need for transferrable skills to assist employability, and increased used of fixed term contracts weaken the traditional ties of loyalty to their company’s destiny psychologically as well as formally (Wilson, 1999). I will tell him that he should do anything which will encourage his employees to trust their organization or company because it is important to earn employees’ trust and loyalty to the company to achieve better productivity.