Opedipus, a tragic hero free essay sample

Sophocles’ Oedipus is one of the most well-known tragic heroes in the history of drama. His strange fate leads him to tragic downfall that leaves both the reader and the audience feeling emotionally affected. According to the definition of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, Oedipus’ troublesome story qualifies him as a tragic hero. Oedipus is the embodiment of Aristotle’s characterization of a tragic hero through his ability to preserve his virtue and wisdom, despite his flaws and predicament. The Aristotelian view of a tragic hero does not expose the lack of morality or even the wickedness of the protagonist, based on an error of judgment. The tragedy and drama so perfectly fit the Aristotelian characteristics of Oedipus. Considering Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, it can be found that Oedipus fits the character description seamlessly through various traits that he displays and the origin of his tragic fall: There remains then the man who occupies the mean between saintliness and depravity. We will write a custom essay sample on Opedipus, a tragic hero or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He is not extra-ordinary in virtue and righteousness and yet does not fall into bad fortune because of evil and wickedness but because of some hamartia of a kind found in men of high reputation and good fortune such as Oedipus and Thyestes and famous men of similar families (Adade-Yeboah, Ahenkora, Amankwa, 2012, pg. 2). Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero fully fits the character of Oedipus because of the various traits he displays and the origin of his fall. Even though Oedipus is not a saint, his extraordinary ability to outsmart the Sphinx and solve the riddle gives him much reverence. Oedipus earns consecration as King, a reward for saving the people of Thebes, which grants him more power as he comes a sacred leader of the city. The Priest addresses Oedipus: â€Å"Great Oedipus, O powerful King of Thebes† (Sophocles, 425, pg. 860). Even though this near saintliness has been dangerously stained through his incestuous relationship with his mother, Jocasta, despite that he did not know she was his mother. Following Aristotle’s concept, Oedipus’s downfall does not stem from his wickedness, but from a combination of factors. One factor that greatly contributes to Oedipus’ downfall is his anger towards Tiresias, which greatly reflects his own weakness. Oedipus loses his temper when the blind prophet tries to warn him: â€Å"Am I to bear this from him? Damnation Take you! Out of this place! Out of my sight! † (Sophocles, 425, pg. 870). By losing his temper, Oedipus demonstrates the error of judgment that Aristotle refers to in his definition. The responsibility of tragedy is placed on the weakness that reveals that wrong has been done; however, Aristotle refuses to hold blame to the hero whose goodness and virtue he still holds true. Aristotle targets human error, opposed to the lack of morality as it the cause of tragedy. Although Oedipus is guilty of incest and character flaws, his virtue is unquestionable, as he reveals guilt and responsibility. At the end of the play, even his anger is redeemed. He displays copious wisdom after he becomes blind and doomed to exile. â€Å"†¦or kill me, hurl me, Into the sea, away from men’s eyes for ever†¦ Of all men, I alone can bear this guilt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sophocles,425 pg. 894). Aristotle’s point is validated by Oedipus’ strength, a tragic hero’ goodness confirms that he is not evil, just capable of making mistakes. Overall, the diversity of the language significantly enhances the play and enables the play to be appreciated by different audiences. â€Å"Aristotle believes that the language must be sweet in tragedy. The level of language used by different characters should differ to depict the social stands of the characters† (Adade-Yeboah, Ahenkora, Amankwa, 2012 pg. 1). Additionally, he focuses on meaningful language reflected throughout the entire play, and stresses that tragedy must be taken seriously. Aristotle presents that there is a complex relationship between tragedy and emotions. For him, it is expressed through pity and fear. Konstan argues: The idea that the object of pity does not deserve his fate is present in the definition Aristotle offers in the Rhetoric; in the Poetics, however, Aristotle exploits the concept of similarity in order to explain the terror that tragedy induces. If the characters on stage are enough like ourselves-the context indicates that the sense is morally similar-then we will experience their fear as our own. (Konstan, 1999, pg. 1) Unquestionably, the audience reacts to the sequence of events in the play; feeling pity for Oedipus about his fate and the predicament he faces. Aristotle praises a brilliant arrangement that makes the play more attractive and creates higher expectations: The putting together of the separate actions is very crucial. The beauty of the plot therefore lies in the arrangements which must have magnitude and not be a matter of chance. Indeed, the subtle manipulation of the plot which brings suspense also ends in the discovery (Adade-Yeboah, Ahenkora Amankwa, 2012 pg. 1). He thinks that the actions should be reflected through a plausible plot to which the audience can easily relate and identify with for the accomplishment of a true tragedy. Finkelberg argues that Aristotle calls: â€Å"for the creation of a full-scale illusion of real-life experience and, as a result, for the audience’s emotional identification with the characters. Only such emotional identification would lead to the proper tragic pleasure that Aristotle seeks† (Finkelberg, 2006 pg. 6). Following Aristotle’s idea of plot, Oedipus the King has a very distinguishing plot that creates suspense and thoroughly engages the audience. Through the enactment of real life experiences, genuine emotions are created by those who can identify with the experiences and can find a strong connection between the fictitious characters and themselves. The sequences of events do not follow a chronological order, which enhances the suspense of the plot. For instance, as the play begins, Oedipus is already the King of Thebes; however, the truth about his biological parents is not discovered by the audience until much later. Aristotle promotes a plot that signifies a balance of wholeness, completeness, magnitude, and complexity. (McManus, 1999) This is determined by the length and complexity of the play as it relates to the seriousness and significance of the plot. This article establishes a thorough connection between the action and the plot that are interdependent and fundamental to the play: â€Å"Tragedy, by implication, is an ‘action that is serious. ’ The action is linked up with the plot because the plot is the imitation of the action. In other words, the plot is the synthesis of the individual acts. The word â€Å"serious† means that the action must surround a person of high class, an aristocrat† (Adade-Yeboah, Ahenkora Amankwa, 2012 pg. 2). This description matches the character of Oedipus who is not only a nobleman but also a virtuous and good man. According to Scheeper’s article: â€Å"Aristotle refutes the ‘simplistically’ structured tragic plot, which involves a good man coming to misfortune, as completely immoral, and rejects the simple moral plot, in which a bad man succumbs to hardship, as utterly un-tragic† (Scheepers, 2005, pg. 137). As in Oedipus the King and through the character of Oedipus, he believes that the hero does not have to be morally evil, but virtuous. Aristotle employs Virtue and morality as two major concepts in his references to the tragic hero and tragedy. The audience generally identifies with the characters through these two concepts; in addition to the characters actions and how they can be related to the audiences own lives. This explains the audience’s emotions throughout the performance or reading. As Konstan explains: The context in the Poetics indicates, as we have seen, that the relevant point of similarity in the case of tragedy is moral likeness: it is, generally speaking, in character, rather than age, family, or profession, that we are analogous to the protagonists of a play (Konstan, 1999, pg. 2). Although drama is an illusion of real life, it may represent a reflection of a character that some may identify with. As Gillet and Hankey write: â€Å"The reactions portrayed in Oedipus make vivid not only the idea of character traits but also the role of virtue in moderating what we might do in situations that interact with our characters in potentially disastrous ways. † (Gillet and Hankey, 2005, pg. 1) Aristotle’s concepts of a tragic hero, tragedy and drama are suggestively important. The Aristotelian tragic hero is a dynamic character with endowed virtue, whose fall stems from an error in judgment, not from the character’s wickedness. Moreover, Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy recognizes the imitated real life experiences and at the same time exposes necessary fundamentals of drama. Sophocles’ Oedipus fully exemplifies Aristotle’s view as a tragic hero, as he manages to obtain virtue and wisdom, even though his temper has been tested which leads him to his inevitable downfall. ?

Where to Find Full-Text Sociology Journals Online

Where to Find Full-Text Sociology Journals Online Finding full-text sociology journals online can be difficult, especially for students with limited access to academic libraries or online databases. There are a number of sociology journals that offer free full-text articles, which may be especially useful for students who do not have easy access to an academic library. The following journals offer access to a selection of full-text articles online. The Annual Review of SociologyThe Annual Review of Sociology, in publication since 1975, covers the significant developments in the field of Sociology. Topics covered in the journal include major theoretical and methodological developments as well as current research in the major subfields. Review chapters typically cover social processes, institutions and culture, organizations, political and economic sociology, stratification, demography, urban sociology, social policy, historical sociology, and major developments in sociology in other regions of the world. The Future of ChildrenThis publications aim is to disseminate information on issues related to childrens well-being. The target of the journal is a multidisciplinary audience of national leaders, including policymakers, practitioners, legislators, executives, and professionals in the public and private sectors. Each issue has a focal theme. Topics covered have included the protection of children, children and poverty, welfare to work, and special education for children with disabilities. Each issue also contains an executive summary with recommendations and a summary of articles. Sociology of Sport OnlineSociology of Sport Online is an online journal that deals with the sociological examination of sport, physical education and coaching. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive HealthPerspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (formerly, Family Planning Perspectives) provides the latest peer-reviewed, policy-relevant research and analysis on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the United States and other industrialized countries. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular CultureThe Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture is a scholarly record of research and opinion on the intersection of crime, criminal justice, and popular culture. Western Criminology ReviewThe Western Criminology Review is the official peer reviewed publication of the Western Society of Criminology which is devoted to the scientific study of crime. Keeping with the Societys mission as stated by the president of WSC the journal is meant to provide a forum for publication and discussion of theory, research, policy, and practice in the interdisciplinary fields of criminology and criminal justice. Globalization and HealthGlobalization and Health is an open access, peer-reviewed, online journal that provides a platform for research, knowledge sharing and debate on the topic of globalization and its effects on health, both positive and negative. Globalization essentially refers to anything supra-territorial, anything that transcends the geopolitical boundaries of the nation-state. As a process it is being driven by liberalisation of markets and technological advancements. In essence, it is about human proximity people are now living in each others metaphorical pockets. Behavior and Social IssuesBehavior and Social Issues is an open-access, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that serves as a primary scholarly outlet for articles that advance the scientific analysis of human social behavior, particularly with regard to understanding and influencing important social problems. The primary intellectual frameworks for the journal are the natural science of behavior, and the sub-discipline of cultural analytic science. The journal is particularly interested in publishing work related to issues with social justice, human rights, and environmental implications, but all significant social issues are of interest. IDEA: A Journal of Social IssuesIDEA is a peer-reviewed electronic journal created for the exchange of ideas related mainly, to cults, mass movements, autocratic power, war, genocide, democide, holocaust, and murder. International Journal of Child, Youth, and Family StudiesThe International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies (IJCYFS) is a peer reviewed, open access, interdisciplinary, cross-national journal that is committed to scholarly excellence in the field of research about and services for children, youth, families and their communities. Social MedicineSocial Medicine is a bilingual, academic, open-access journal published since 2006 by the Department of Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Latin American Social Medicine Association (ALAMES).

Argumentative paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argumentative paper - Essay Example The taking constitutes significant facts that include losing at the very least $10, 000 when he was not permitted to fulfill his obligation to Ford during the Chief/Bronco game. The rule promulgated by FAA is unconstitutional for businesses, such as that of Ben is not illegal nor does it mislead the people. The purpose of the law is vague and the rationale behind it finds no balance to the nonexistence of impending danger as unreasonably feared by these government offices. The business of advertising through aircrafts has little to no possibility of having any relation to the goal of fighting terrorism or preventing its effects. People such as Ben are unduly deprived of their commerce because of such muddled policies. The First Amendment is inclusive of its protection of Commercial speech and this must be given weight in the case at hand. Under the Central Hudson Test, as promulgated by the Supreme Court in the case of Central Hudson Gas & Electric v Public Service Commission,  "Commercial speech will be protected by the First Amendment if it is a lawful activity and not misleading, there is a qualified government interest, that such interest is substantial and parallel to the regulation and finally, that the regulation is legitimately laid down. This leads to the conclusion that the business of Ben must be protected based on the given requisites.

Impact and Outcomes of Effectual Risk Based Planning Applications Essay

Impact and Outcomes of Effectual Risk Based Planning Applications - Essay Example Broad policy alternatives and a process of restructuring the existing practices have to be adopted in order to overcome the present impasse. I advocate a local level policy shift rather than a Federal level overhaul. Public administration consists of non-profit governmental institutions that form the bulk of a country’s administrative system. The process of planning at institutional level might require a cohesive and articulate strategy with a particular focus on existing inadequacies of the system. Non-profit public sector institutions operate on the principle of public welfare at the grassroots. However, there is an imbalance in these institutions when it comes to efficient management processes and institutional structures. Ill-defined targets often serve as hurdles that have to be surmounted even before the project is started. Project risk perception and management is another such area in which both leadership and intelligence are lacking. It is imperative to question the unprivileged immunity from public scrutiny that is almost taken for granted by local level administrators whose attitudes have, over the years, been conducive to producing negative outcomes in the sphere of public adm inistration. Causal factors include a host of fallacious assumptions too. Risk has a variety of meanings and senses that defy our articulation or assessment capabilities. Therefore in risk-based planning process there can be no perfection or certainty in determining a set of variables that impact on the planning process and the eventual outcomes. Both endogenous and exogenous variables impact on these outcomes, irrespective of our hypothetical presumptions on what shape those outcomes should take. Community or county level administration might seek to exert pressure on Federal bodies to facilitate legislation that cohort principles of public choice theory. For instance the Risk-Based Homeland Security Grants Act

The Truth about Rap Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Truth about Rap Music - Essay Example The Home Affairs Committee of Great Britain’s Parliament debated whether or not rap music had a positive influence on Britain’s youth. Ultimately, the Home Affairs Committee agreed that rap music like any other type of music could incite criminal behavior. However, the Committee acknowledged that given rap music’s appeal to the youth, has been used productively. For instance pastors have been using some of the more exciting genre of rap to inspire Britain’s youth and to influence positive behavior. Great Britain’s Youth Offending Teams are also using rap music that could have a positive and encouraging impact on troubled youth (Great Britain Parliament 2007, p. 127). Positive rap does not draw the kind of media attention that gangsta or materialistic rap draws and this accounts for general perceptions that rap music is corrosive and inciting. Rap artists such as De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Common, Wyclef and Talib Kweli use rap lyrics tha t promote education, responsibility and pride in ethnicity. In this regard, positive rap contributes to the individual listener’s own personal value and to the good of that listener’s own humanity (Elligan 2004, p. 43).

Employee Issues And Failure Of Mergers And Acquisitions Management Essay

Employee Issues And Failure Of Mergers And Acquisitions Management Essay Globalization has demanded change in business practices because of its initiated competition (Schuler and Tarique, 2007). However, two streams can be found in the literature suggesting two different views about this phenomenon of globalization. One view suggests that it is being evolved to accomplish the power, politics, and wealth accumulation objectives and to do so, it has been instilled through carefully planned strategies, plans and tactics (Chomsky, 1999; Schuler and Tarique, 2007). Other view conveys a contrasting philosophy asserting that it is a social phenomenon which is benefiting the people around the globe by reducing monopolies of few (Castells,1996). Though these two views convey two opposite messages stating it political fixture designed for the purpose of gaining control of power, authority and wealth or a phenomenon which is operating to benefiting the people around the globe has instigated challenges for the business organization, somehow. Whether these are threats or opportunities, these are challenging (Mourdoukoutas, 2006). This phenomenon has changed the face of the world economy, and economic conditions of most of the countries are forcing the organization to change their business strategies. The organizations are using various forms of collaborations and alliances such as mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures inside and across the national boundaries in order to survive through the threats or to grow on the new challenging opportunities provided by globalization. Kogut and Singh (1988) state that collaborations such as joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions are the source of sharing and spreading and sharing risks over partners firms. According to Contractor and Lorange (1988) such collaborations allow developing and harnessing knowledge of the host organization. Choi and Hong (2002) suggest that collaborations can be for the purpose of knowledge or/and material flow. However, many of such collaborative efforts are not successful and according to Datta (1998), employee resistance is the key factor that hinders the success in such collaborations. And this essay, in fact, analyses the statement often employee-related issues prevent a merger or acquisition from succeeding in order to offer a better understanding of the factors of such failures by reviewing the relevant literature and using a case study. However, main focus of the essay is on collaborative relationships with main focus on joint ventures. Employee Related Issues and Failure of Mergers and Acquisitions As states in the given statement that often employee-related issues prevent a merger or acquisition from succeeding, Datta (1998) asserts that these are the conflicts and interventions arising from the employees that hamper the success of mergers or acquisitions. Kumar and Andersen (2009) state that these conflicts and resistance from employees stem from three levels due to their unwillingness to be the part of the new development and insecurity associated with this new formation. Das and Kumar (2009: 18-19) explain these levels stating that Pragmatic conflict occurs at the level of the functional specialists, moral conflict falls within the domain of alliance level managers, and cognitive conflict involves the top level managers, i.e. the individuals who are responsible for initiating and managing the alliance based strategy of the firm. Pragmatic conflict centers on issues of operational coordination among partner firms, moral conflict revolves around the appropriateness of behaviors among the partner firms, while cognitive conflict focuses on issues pertaining to the strategic rationale for continuing with or exiting from the alliance. Das and Kumar (2009) it is the top management which should be made responsible for their lack of vision about the intensity of change and then failure to manage change, resulting in failure of such collaborations. Change Management and Success of Collaborative Efforts Organizational change usually is perceived or rightly believed to contain threat or challenging opportunities of personal loss or rewards respectively as consequences of the change for the stakeholders. Lorenzi and Riley (2000) state that these threats or risks can fluctuate from simply disturbance of established routines to job insecurity if we talk about the internal stakeholders. While Hall (2002) classifies the change as shot tem and long-term and states the trade-offs between short and long run. Use of the term change management has been widespread in management writings and organizational studies (Ackoff, 1981, 1990). Interest of managers and researchers in change management topic has been stimulated by the commentary of Peter Drucker (1999), stating whether change can be managed at all or organizations are merely led or facilitated because of its episodes. In the words of Lorenzi and Riley (2000) Change management is the process by which an organization gets to its future state, its vision. While traditional planning processes delineate the steps on the journey, change management attempts to facilitate that journey. Consequently, implementing change instigates crafting a vision for change, and it proceeds further by empowering and allowing individuals to work as agents in the process to accomplishing that vision. These agents require realistic and future oriented strategies, plans and tactics to make successful transformation. However, since managing change is not simple and requires top managers to have a holistic approach which addresses all the major factors and disturbances arising from them. Factors Requiring Attention Kauser and Shaw (2004) that though employees can affect the success of such collaborations, however, there are plenty of factors that have more devastating impact on the success. In fact, firms investing in such collaborations face various uncertainties, resulting in affecting the intended outcomes. Gulati and Singh (1998) state that such uncertainties can stem from numerous factors that can be critical in hampering success in the firms with different norms, cultures, future plans and intentions. If these are the international joint ventures, various factors such as difference in national cultures, varying labour market conditions, different political and legal system can be crucial in defining success in collaborations (Bratton and Gold, 2007). Unavailability of timely and adequate allocation and sharing of resources is one of the main reasons that can cause some type of failure in such collaborative efforts and hence should be given proper focus while addressing the change arising from collaborations (Boddy et al, 1998). Given the dynamic and volatile business environment, timely and adequate allocation of resources, including human, capital an information, are vital in the success of mergers and acquisitions (Yan and Zeng, 1999). Earlier, Yan (1998) believed that bargaining power, control and trust are the main factors that can play central role in the successful mergers and acquisitions. Sirmon and Lane (2004) state that cultural compatibility should be taken care, while going into such collaborations. Lorange and Roos (1992) that these are the intentions of the collaborating firms that cause issues, resulting in impeding the success. Lorange and Roos (1992) further state that difference in objectives, and differing practices, norms, values also contribute towards failures. Fey and Beamish (2000) suggest that varying intentions, lack of cultural compatibility, and differences in objectives are the main factors that create uncertainties in employees, resulting in impeding the success. Hennart et al, (1998) collaboration without clear identification of need and objectives of collaboration, lack of concentration towards qualitative factors cause failures because it hinder effective decision making. Looking at the above statements and assertions, it can be argued though employees related issues can cause failures but it is the failure to manage change due to lack of vision to identify the factors and manage them is the main reason. Employee related issues such, according to Hennart et al, (1998), arise from lack of trust in the new working arrangements. If top management is able to remove these issues by giving incentives, ensuring security and involving them in the entire process of initiation and development of such collaborations, employees related issues can be solved (Sirmon Lane, 2004). Yan (1998) evidence that such failures are the result of incomplete contracts because of improper decision-making on behalf of the people who are supposed to manage change by efficiently responding to and reacting to changing business environment through proper attention to various internal and external factors. Sirmon and Lane, (2004) suggest that it is the lack of vision to predict the s everity of change which can result from the new business arrangements. These collaborations demand employees new roles and hence, human resource management should be well prepared to play its new roles in these changing business arrangements along with their traditional roles of hiring, training etc. Inability to do so means failure of collaborations whether it is mergers, acquisitions or joint ventures (Sirmon and Lane, (2004) and in this regard, role of human resource management need to be changed due to globalization and its wedged factors such as culture, political and social structures, economic conditions, labour market conditions, market size. Human resource management role should be sensitive to all the factors and effective in cross cultural environment, both organizational and national (Scullion and Linehan, 2005). For instance, national culture, defined by Hofstede (1980, 1991) as values, beliefs, and assumptions distinguishing people of different societies from one another, with Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Collectivism-Individualism, and Masculinity-Femininity dimensions affect the HRM role and practices in this era of globalization, where companies are driven to go limitless in terms of nationalities. For example, Budhwar and Boyne (2004) state that in India, hiring and promotion is completed keeping in view religion, caste system, and culture. (Clark Pugh (2000) suggest that feminine culture of Netherland is not suitable to use hard HRM. According to Hofstede (1983) and Blunt Jones (1986), that Kenyas culture showing uncertainty-avoidance dimension needs that organization should take care various ceremonies such as funerals and marriages. Similarly, tensions arsing form different organizational culture (in case if it is different) and national culture requires more than traditi onal HRM role (Cooke et al 2008). This means that in case of international collaborations, these factors can cause serious problems and hence organizations need to develop and deploy a policy that pay attention to these factors as well to avoid future harms. In case of mergers and acquisitions in different countries, political, legal, and social structures influence HRM role and functions (Noe Ford, 1992). Economic system of a specific country with different governance structures is also hard on playing its cards to alter the HRM role and practices in its own terms. Labour Market conditions, (Ali, 2000), market size (Tayeb, 2005) also needs different motivational and promotional strategies as same standard for all markets cannot work. Same quantitative target will not work for sales persons in London and Lancaster. Role of unions is also important in shaping HRM decisions of selections, promotions, wages (Collins et al, 1993), and motivation (Rosen et al, 1986) It means that new business environment may require different business practices, demanding different role of HRM and that is its role envisioned in strategic HRM (SHRM. Bratton Gold (2007: 56) define SHRM as The HR polices and process that result from the global competitive activities of multinational companies and that explicitly link international HR practices and processes with the worldwide strategic goals of those companies It means that HRM is no mere an administrative facility but has received or expected recognition as a strategic business collaborator. Companies are  actively relating  the HRM in the development and implementation of both people and business strategies (Christina Evans, 2003). It means that HRM needs to manage people and proactively support the overall management and decision making of the organizational. According to Guest (2002) managing people includes ensuring commitment from employees, building high trust and flexible roles, creating focus on value s, flattering hierarchical structure of the organization, and ensuring autonomy at national level and enhancing self control. In the era of globalization, where new forms of organizations are unavoidable, Christina Evans (2003) goes further to explain the HRM role stating that it contributes to overall development of the organization through performance measures, agenda building, translating strategic level strategies into HR deliverables. Holbeche (1999) suggests that role of HRM is strategic rather than operational, proactive rather than traditional reactive, changing instead of stagnant, and of employee champion. Ulrich (2000) suggests that HRM role in competitive world is turning knowledge into action. Keeping in view the new role of HR, this essay suggests that it is not the employee related issues that cause problems; rather it is the ineffective role of HR that can cause predicaments for the collaborating firms. Black and Gregersen (1999) state that if seen from individualistic perspective, Resistance from the employees to adopt new practices, procedures and values can be a problem and can be a factor in failure of mergers. There could be conflicting interests of the employees of local and foreign companies, which could enhance the complexity of the task for expatriatesAnd this signifies the fact that the employees involved in such collaborations, especially expatriates, require interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, along with comprehensive understanding of the foreign culture to efficiently work with employees of different cultures The above statement brings attention to the fact that though employees resistance and issues related to employees such as lack of strong interpersonal skills and inability in understanding of different cultures are vital in creating troubles in the success, it also bring attention to the fact the important new role of HR to train them and make them suitable for such unavoidable assignments, in the current business scenario. Hence, once again, this essay argues that if we look at the surface, it looks the employees related problems; however, in-depth investigation tells us that it is the over-all ineffectiveness of the organizational policies and practices that hinder success. Luo (1998) asserts that success of such arrangements depends upon the right choice of partner. Luo states the partners selection significance stating various factors vital in this regard including organizational practices, routines, norms, values, culture, structure, government connections, effectiveness of distribution channels, skill and capacity development, position and experience in the industry. Brouthers et al., (1995) propose the four cs formula for the success such arrangements, and these four Cs are compatible goals, complementary skills, cooperative organizational culture, and commensurate risk-taking orientation. This suggestion of Brouthers et al., (1995), further signifies the value of clearness in business objectives, responsibilities and understanding of the partners. Zeira, et al., (1997) found significant positive relation between objectives clarity and and success of mergers and acquisition. For the purpose of re-iterating this point, survey results of Thompsons (1996) study identifies that cross-cultural communication issues, lack of business objectives clarity, and intentions of partner firms create fatal towards the success of such collaborations. According to Thompsons (1996; 145) Disagreements and misunderstandings over the business objectives of the relationship and over business strategies were most fatal and threatening to the success Kealey et al., (2006) suggest that issues arising from environment create the major hindrances and, to a particular level, these problems can be alleviated, and the level to which these problems are alleviated, determines the failure and success. Kealey et al., (2006) identifies some such issues which have been stated as under: Congeniality of the organizational cultures and compatibility among them General economic health of the economy (host) along with international economic conditions, resources availability such as financial and human, and consumer demands and competition. Regulatory and law and order situation of country (host), such as foreign investment restrictions, import and export controls and policies Friendliness, health, and effectiveness of firms Social and political climate, and ability of the management to manage change pro-actively Looking at the above discussion and emphasis on change management, role of human resource management and external environmental factors along with clarity of objectives, trust, and intentions of the partners, and significance of selection of firms for such collaborations, this essay argues that though importance of employee related issues can be a problem in the success of mergers and acquisitions is always their but these are issues which are the result of improper HR policies, ineffective change management. Case of Rolls-Royce and BMW It was, in fact, joint venture resulting in acquisition between Rolls-Royce and BMW stared in 1989 and broken, after 10 years, in 1999. Habib and Mella-Barra (2002) express their point of view about termination of this collaboration stating that it is possible that the venture ended because of failure to cooperate on the part of the two partners, such an explanation is unlikely given that BMW was paid in Rolls-Royce shares, which have made BMW one of the largest shareholders of Rolls-Royce, with a 10% stake. From this termination it is also argued that Rolls-Royce wanted to acquire know how the pertenr regarding to re-enter the aircraft engine manufacturing after long time because Rolls-Royce was not in the business before the initiation of joint venture. And when Rolls-Royce believed that they have gained substantial knowledge of how to run the business independently, it terminated the collaboration. While Minehart and Neeman (1999) suggest an another reason stating that this close was consequence of various conflicts arising from lack of consensus on investment decisions and trust and together with imbalance in powers of decision making. Therefore, if combined these stated reasons, it was the differences in intentions, goals, conflicts, power disparity and lack of trust that cause termination of this venture. Hence, it was not the employee related issues rather some organizational level issues which caused the end the collaboration. Conclusion This essay analyses various factors which can cause failures to mergers, acquisition and particularly joint ventures. In fact, this essay analysed the statement often employee-related issues prevent a merger or acquisition from succeeding to reach a certain conclusion. This essay argues that though employee related issues play detrimental role in such collaboration, however, these issues are the result of the certain inefficient practices including inability to manage change, ineffective HR policies and practices, lack of clear objectives etc. These factors also include intentions and lack of trust and differences in objectives. The case of Rolls-Royce and BMW confirmed above ideas suggesting that, it has been the differences in intentions, goals, conflicts, power disparity and lack of trust that cause termination of this venture. Therefore, these were not the employee related issues rather some organizational level issues which caused the end the collaboration.

Student Loan Debt Should be Forgiven Essay examples -- Student Loan De

Does the amount of student loan debt have an effect on the economy? If so would forgiving student loan debt help lower the national debt or would it just increase it? According to Mary Claire Fischer, a writer for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, â€Å"two-thirds of students who receive bachelor’s degrees leave college with an average debt of twenty-six thousand dollars† (Fischer). This means that the average student debt has doubled since 2007 (Ross 24). The total student loan debt is $1.2 trillion with $1 trillion being from federal student loans (Denhart). This debt accounts for six percent of our nation’s $16.7 trillion debt (Denhart). Since student loan debt is such a big part of the national debt, if the student defaults on their loan then the United States tax payer has to carry the burden of the loan (Denhart). Students who are graduating with debt do have a couple of different options that they can choose from. There is a six month grace period after graduation to allow the student time to find a job and programs to try to help eliminate debt. â€Å"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates that one-fourth of the American workforce may be eligible for repayment or loan forgiveness programs† (Atteberry n.p.). The problem with these programs however, is that they are hard to get into and stick with. Some of these programs that are options for students may require that student to move to another city or even another country. This option would work well for someone who is able to move, but what about someone who cannot leave where they currently live. These graduates may not want to leave because of family for example. Another problem with these programs is that the student with loan debt must fully comp... ... Emily. â€Å"Student Loan Forgiveness: What you Don’t Know (but Should).† USA Today. 6 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. Denhart, Chris. â€Å"How the $1.2 Trillion College Debt Crisis is Crippling Students, Parents, and the Economy.† Forbes. 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015. Fischer, Mary Claire. â€Å"Student Loan Forgiveness: What to Know.† MSN. 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2015 Morici, Peter. â€Å"Forgiving College Debt Won’t Help Students.† CNBC. 14 May 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. Pisani, Joseph. â€Å"A Guide to Student Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Options.† Huffington Post. 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. Ross, Andrew. â€Å"Mortgaging the Future: Student Debt in the Age of Austerity.† New Labor Forum (Sage Publications Inc.) 22.1 (2013): 23-28. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2015 Webly, Kayla. â€Å"Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea?.† TIME. 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.