William Shakespeare s King Lear - 858 Words

Every good story has a hero and a villain. The villain is usually considered to be evil and have evil intentions, but often has good hidden somewhere deep inside them. This is definitely the case for the character of Edmund in Shakespeare’s play â€Å"King Lear.† Edmund betrays and deceives both his brother Edgar and his father Gloucester in order to achieve wealth and power. While his actions are corrupt and wrong, he should not be considered as entirely evil. His personality and his social status are contributing factors to his villainous actions. Throughout the play, Edmund never actually accused others of anything; instead, he planted false ideas in others and guided them towards making the accusations themselves. Also, Edmund’s attempt to save Lear and Cordelia as he is dying shows that he has some good and is not completely evil. Edmund’s actions make him seem evil, but his actions can be attributed to his personality and his social status. Edmund de sires to be seen as an honorable man, and he desires wealth and power. Edmund is an illegitimate son to Gloucester as a result of Gloucester’s adultery, meaning that Edgar will inherit all of Gloucester’s wealth and power. Edmund decides that the only way he can become his father’s heir is to convince Edgar to leave and Gloucester to believe that Edgar is a villain. He creates a fake letter from Edgar, knowing that â€Å"If this letter speed, And my intention thrive, Edmund the base shall top the legitimate† (King Lear Act 1,1).Show MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1564 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare is universally known for his literary output both in poetry and drama. Whether through his laugh-invoking comedies or his heart-wrenching tragedies, Shakespeare’s plays have changed the course of literature. Many of his plays about love are widely praised by all, but Shakespeare s King Lear differs from the rest due to its definitio n of love. King Lear serves as an battleground between deception and compassion, between flattery and honesty. Rather than focusing on romantic loveRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1550 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION: By facilitating the growth of evil within William Shakespeare’s King Lear, it is evident that the tragedy’s protagonist, King Lear can be held accountable for his own victimization and ultimate downfall. The most notable aspects of this self-induced victimization include Lear’s own lack of practical wisdom and divergence from the natural order, combined with the neglect of kingship, that enables Lear as a tragic hero to create the conceptual framework in which the ulterior motives ofRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear3086 Words   |  13 PagesJerion Young Ms. Woods English IV 4 March 2015 King Lear William Shakespeare uses several literary elements in his writing, elements which are especially apparent in his play, King Lear. Shakespeare uses excellent creativity and description when writing this tragedy. â€Å"Neither has Shakespeare placed in the mouth of any other character in this play such fatalistic expressions as may be found in King Lear and occasionally elsewhere†(A.C. 2003). The way King Lear talks in this play is very evil compared toRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1611 Words   |  7 Pagesexperience life-changing events that jeopardize our sense of identity and make us question how we value ourselves. Our perception of our worth can change with what we learn through our existence, much like the characters in the play King Lear by William Shakespeare. Adversity and hardship are inevitable when characters are unable to connect themselves within their own identity or find a loss of self at some point in their role. The self-awareness, an essential a spect of their role, of many ofRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1320 Words   |  6 Pagesothers. Having strong communication skills allows one to better understand the situation at hand. Proper communication is essential to working out problems because of this reason. In the play King Lear by William Shakespeare, Lear communicating with his daughters, Gloucester communicating with his sons, and Lear communicating with Kent are all examples of failure of communication, which later lead to consequences and hardships that the characters must face. Without proper communication, people willRead MoreBlindness By William Shakespeare s King Lear2212 Words   |  9 PagesMaysoun Deeb Mr. A. T. Lebar EN4UN-04 13 July 2015 King Lear Blindness by definition, according to dictionaries, is â€Å"unable to see and lacking the sense of sight† by which King Lear, the classic tragic play written by William Shakespeare, illustrated the concept of blindness amongst his characters as the leading theme. King Lear and Gloucester were the characters that have been conflicted by this â€Å"blindness† that may or may not change their personalities in the very end of the play. Gloucester becomesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1546 Words   |  7 PagesTwo Sides to Every Person There are two sides to every story; that of the protagonist and that of the antagonist. As shown in the Shakespearean play King Lear, there is very little difference between the two. Edmund, who appears to be a villain, is more than meets the eye. His evil is a rebellion against the social order that denies him legitimacy. His villainy does not come from innate cruelty but from misdirected desire for familial love. His remorse in the end displays his humanity and blindnessRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1510 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare’s King Lear deals with tragic human relationship like the other tragedies of the author, but this story was written in social aspect and raises the doubtful point on legitimacy of some political systems. In this play, various characters form multi-layered kconflict relations. Thus, the story is being propelled towards tragedy due to numerous inner and outer conflicts of each character. However, as it is brought into being a charact er, Edgar in the end of the story, it implies new beginningRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear1470 Words   |  6 Pagesduring the Elizabethan era, making it relatable to all audiences, especially the modern audience, leaving room for multiple perspectives and understanding of the play. Shakespeare’s play ‘King Lear’, depicts the main protagonist’s ‘gradual descent into madness’ as a result of the forces of evil acting in the play for Lear has, to an extent, have sinned though it can’t outweigh that he has been sinned against. This is confirmed through Lear’s injudiciousness to see through his two eldest daughter’s internalRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear 1306 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"All...shall taste the wages of their virtue...the cup of their deservings. (5.3.317-320)† King Lear is frequently regarded as one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, and its tragic scope touches almost all facets of the human condition: from the familial tensions between parents and children to the immoral desires of power, from the follies of pride to the false projections of glory. However, one theme rings true throughout the play, and that very theme is boundless suffering, accentuated by the gruesome

External Environment Analysis - 1774 Words

CHAPTER TWO EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS At the end of this chapter, the student should be able to: 1. Understand the processes for an environmentally conscious organization. 2. Know the importance of SWOT analysis in analyzing both external and internal environment. 3. Understand the different segments of the external environment known as the general environment. 4. To find out how the strength of the company’s competitive forces are congruent with the industry’s through the five-forces model of industry competition. 5. To understand the relevance of benchmarking in evaluating company’s performance as against competitors. INTRODUCTION: Companies must be responsive to the external business environment. Knowledge about the†¦show more content†¦5. Technological. Information technology, robotics, microelectronics, ergonomics, genetic engineering, computer-aided design, pollution, global warning, invention of smart gadgets are some of issues under this segment. 6. Global segment. This segment includes political events, peace agreements or negotiations, critical global markets, newly industrialized countries, trade agreements, and different cultural and institutional attributes. THE STRENGTH OF AN INDUSTRY’S COMPETITIVE FORCES Industry and competitive analysis should focus on the competitive dynamics of the industry. The five-forces model of competition is the most powerful and widely used tool for assessing the strength of the industry’s competitive forces. The Five Basic Competitive Forces 1. The threat of new entrants. Several factors determine whether the threat of new companies entering the marketplace presents a significant competitive pressure. As a rule, the bigger pool of entry candidates, the stronger the threat of potential entry. Dess, et.al. enumerated the six major sources of entry barriers. a. Economies of scale. Economies of scale refers to spreading the costs of production over the number of units produced. The cost of a product per unit declines as the absolute volume per period increases. b. Product differentiation. When existing competitors have strong brandShow MoreRelatedExternal Environment Analysis2283 Words   |  10 PagesExternal Environment Analysis JetBlue Airways Corporation (JetBlue) is a company that has focused on low-cost airline transportation service. It is also one of the top major airlines dominating the Domestic Airlines industry. To develop a better strategic business plan the company’s external business market and the effect it has on the business continuity plan must be analysis as well as the general, industry, and competitor environments. Another issue affecting companies is the role businessRead MoreExternal Environment Analysis1926 Words   |  8 PagesExternal Environment Analysis MGT/488 October 21, 2010 Patti Berlin External Environment Analysis Sam Walton began Wal-Mart in 1962 and opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas (History, 2010, p. 1). Walton was not new to the retail industry and had traveled the United States to learn as much as possible about the industry. Walton knew that customer needs were important to success and he wanted to know as much as possible about the industry to meet those demands. Sam Walton experienced strongRead MoreExternal Environment Analysis6715 Words   |  27 Pagesdefined the playing arena of Foster. Secondly, identify Foster’s missions, sales and revenues in the past. Thirdly, evaluate the external sales environment, including customer and competition analysis. Fourthly, forecasting the future external scenario. Fifth, analysing the existing sales operations, and evaluating it through gaps, key successful factors, and SWOT analysis. Finally, we gave Foster the recommendation on sales operation strategy for the next three years, and also evaluated the pros andRead MoreExternal a nd Internal Environment Analysis1565 Words   |  7 PagesExternal and Internal Environmental Analysis This environmental analysis will provide a complete external environmental scan designed to provide RoyalBlu Invites with the tools needed to identify the organizations strength and weaknesses. Furthermore, including an assessment of the company resources. This analysis will assess the organization competitive position and possibilities of growth. An explanation of how the external environment affects RoyalBlu Invites structure and organizational performanceRead MoreExternal and Internal Environment Analysis1429 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONEMNT External and Internal Environment Analysis Bharti Gupta University of Phoenix External and Internal Environment Analysis: Mayo Clinic The purpose of this paper is to analyze the External and Internal environmental factors of Mayo Clinic (MC). Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life (Mayo Clinic,  2011). Various types of external and internal factors affect theRead MoreInternal And External Environment Analysis Essay1260 Words   |  6 Pagesstrategies, organizations must thoroughly analyze both the internal and external environments in which they operate (Hill, Jones, Schilling, 2014, p. 11). This analysis will enable them to pinpoint those elements that threaten their current and future profitability as well as those elements that offer the potential to increase current and future profitability (Hill, et al., 2014, pp. 44-45). The external environment analysis specifically looks at the industry within which a business functions asRead MoreExternal And Internal Environment Analysis835 Words   |  4 Pagesextensive external and int ernal environment analysis. When conducting external environmental analysis, a company must consider six factors. These factors include competition, economic growth, political trends, legal issues, advances in technology, and sociocultural trends (Ferrell Hartline, 2014). I have a strong interest in technology and gadgets. With that being the case, I chose the iPhone as the product and will analyze the six external environmental factors using that. The first external factorRead MoreAnalysis of the External Environment of Business1608 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of the External Environment of Business The Technological Environment The external business environment consists of four elements, they are as follows: Political, Economic, Social and technological. It would be impossible to analyse the whole environment in one essay, I have therefore decided to focus my essay on the technological environment. I have chosen this area to focus on because as Palmer and Hartley point out, it is one area that is forcing immense change in the external businessRead MoreLufthansa External Environment Analysis893 Words   |  4 Pageswould be able to sustain the growth that it has achieved in the past and manage any such Crisis in future.? GENERAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS The general environment analysis will focus on trends in the four segments of General Environment. The following table shows the changes in the general environment that are affecting airline Business on an ongoing basis. B. Industry Analysis PORTER’S FORCES Threat of new Entrants and Barriers to Entry: Following are some of the threats to enter into aRead MoreExternal Analysis : Macro Environment999 Words   |  4 PagesExternal Analysis: Macro Environment Economic: Developed markets pose a risk to the luxury industry, however emerging markets such as China and India present opportunity for Coach as their middle class’s continue to grow. Socio-Cultural: Ever evolving views on sociocultural trends provide both opportunities and risks to this industry. Within developed markets, consumer preferences have shifted toward luxury accessories for both men and women. Criticism of companies that have outsourced much of

The Functional to Matrix Transition Free Essays

The Functional to Matrix Transition Karen R. J. White, PMP RECENTLY PARTICIPATED IN A CONSULTING ASSIGNMENT WHICH INVOLVED MOVING A LARGE ITS ORGANIZATION from an old-style functional-department organization structure towards one more friendly to proj- Common Pitfalls ects. We will write a custom essay sample on The Functional to Matrix Transition or any similar topic only for you Order Now The project faced the sorts of challenges that are common when trying to realign organizational structure with the new realities of managing by projects. In addition, there were added cultural barriers because the company was in the financial services sector-a very traditional industry, known for conservatism in management approaches. Project management consultants were called in because, for the first time, the organization was undertaking a multi-year enterprise-wide development program that cut across multiple functional departments, instead of following their old pattern of doing projects within departments. Within the program, several major related projects were being carried out. Clearly, business as usual would not suffice. BASELINE: A FUNCTIONAL/WEAK MATRIX STRUCTURE A Functional/ (Weak) Matrix organizational structure, such as our client company had in place, works well when the focus is on quality and technical expertise. Under this structure, functional managers are responsible for products created within their areas of expertise. The downside: In the company on which this case study was based, it just wasn’t working. And their experience was not uncommon. The functional-based organization structure tends to undermine the authority and decision-making capability of project managers, making project success more difficult. The functional or weak matrix form of organization does have some advantages. In this case, first of all, it was the currently existing state in the client organization. Change is always traumatic in organizations and, to the extent that we could preserve existing processes and systems, the upheaval-and resistance to it-would be minimized. Functional â€Å"stovepipe† organizations take a beating in discussions of optimal organizational structure, but the fact is that they are familiar to people, and thus comfortable for them. In addition, within this structure, IT and IS departments are fully empowered to complete isolated projects within their own â€Å"stovepipes. The client organization already possessed well-established communications processes and authorities within the functional areas. From a purely logistical point of view, the staff work locations were already centralized around functional department assignments, making information sharing among team members more straightforward. There are also serious drawbacks to this organizational structure, however. For instance, communications and decision-making processes existed outside the p rogram structure, contributing to schedule and budget issues. For the same reason, true accountability rested outside the programs, somewhere in the traditional hierarchy of the corporation. For example, executive functional management, who were in fact somewhat removed from the actual conditions of the programs, made all the important decisions. Budget and contracting authority was reserved for the CIO level. Under this very traditional structure, only formal authority-something the project managers did not have-was recognized as a source of power. The client organization had made some strides in moving past a purely functional hierarchy, towards a matrix organization. A Project Management Office (PMO) had been implemented the year before my involvement began-a year after the program was launched. Unfortunately, this meant that proper attention had not been paid to project management issues during the initial planning stages of the program. Phone: 610. 853. 3679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 EXPERT SERIES The Functional to Matrix Transition Page 2 of 4 Instead of creating a PMO to manage the program, the existing program was inserted into a PMO. However, since the PMO lacked authority for decisions and communications, accountability was problematic. As an example, program budgets and staffing decisions were made within functional organizations, not within the programs themselves and resources were not accountable to programs for deliverables. Programs were initiated by functional departments, making any kind of strategic alignment or project prioritization (portfolio management) problematic. And because project teams ithin programs were organized by functional department, not by deliverable, the physical and organizational barriers between project teams impeded communications. THE OTHER EXTREME The Project (Strong) Matrix organization, at the other end of the organization-structure spectrum, works well for crash efforts, where the focus is on cost and, especially, schedule. These types of project-based organizations are sometimes n icknamed â€Å"Skunkworks† after the Lockheed-Martin aerospace project that made this approach famous. The Strong Matrix is an organizational form beloved of project managers and organizational design theorists. To be sure, this model offers many advantages from the project management standpoint:  · It concentrates complete authority for decisions affecting a project or program within the project or program itself, which simplifies decision-making.  · Program budgets and staffing decisions are made within the programs.  · Staff members have a single manager to please and answer to.  · Resources are accountable to program for deliverables and performance.  · Clear communications paths exist. However, in the real world of our client organization, the Project/Strong Matrix model carried several disadvantages. Limited resources in certain key technical and business areas meant that there simply were not enough people to create dedicated program or project teams, and it was deemed too time-consuming to recruit and/or train additional staff. The existing staff was in dispersed geographical locations with staff not able to relocate. All in all, moving to this form was just too drastic a change for the organization. THE MIDDLE GROUND Thus, our choice in establishing a more project-friendly environment was the â€Å"Balanced Matrix† structure . This structure strives to hit all the bases. Cost, schedule and quality are considered of equal importance. The balance between these considerations is achieved through continuous negotiations and tradeoffs. Given the resource limitations existing within the client organization, we deemed it the best model as well as the most practicable, despite certain inherent disadvantages, such as the need for increased communications and resource negotiations between project managers and functional managers, the added complexity in status reporting and staff management activities, and the need for modified roles and responsibilities in IT and business functional departments. The most significant impact of the new model was the extent to which we revised Roles and Responsibilities. IT functional management now shared joint staff management with program management and had to coordinate with program management in the areas of standards and process implementation. Business functional management also shared joint staff management with program management. Phone: 610. 853. 3679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 EXPERT SERIES The Functional to Matrix Transition Page 3 of 4 Program management staff had far more â€Å"hands-on† involvement in program activities, as well as increased accountability for staff performance and coordination of related issues with functional man agement. Program Team Members now had multiple managers with whom to coordinate absences. TRANSITION STEPS 1. Assign Project Managers. We introduced project managers from the PMO to replace functional man agers with project management responsibilities, except in those cases where we retained functional leads as part of matrix. We did this when the department managers or supervisors were the ideal choice for supervision project activities because they were the strongest technical person in that area. Once the project leaders were assigned we identified deliverables and associated accountabilities for each project team. 2. Re-define Roles and Responsibilities. We established a policy statement and matrix document that clearly identified the project manager and functional manager roles and responsibilities. 3. Revise Resource Staffing Processes. By involving functional management in project initiation activities-recognizing that functional managers often have the best insight into the skills and limitations of staff members-we made the process of assigning resources to roles more collaborative. We also instituted a formal requisition process for internal resources. 4. Revise Performance Management Processes. We implemented revised performance management processes. Project managers were added to the performance development process training classes and required to provide periodic performance-related information to functional managers. At the same time, functional managers now shared individual goals and objectives with project managers, seeking to align project assignments with objectives. Functional managers continued to administer performance development processes. 5. Establish a Communications Plan. We developed a comprehensive program communications plan identifying who reports what to whom, and when. We acknowledged the information needs of the functional management team by including them in the communications plan. Project websites were established to facilitate communications. 6. Obtain Senior Executive Support. Senior executive support for changes was secured. We instituted an active steering committee. In addition, we established clear support at the CIO level for the Program and Project Manager roles and their authorities. These steps ensured alignment of functional and program goals: functional managers support the programs, which in turn implement the business goals. LESSONS LEARNED The matrix organization will meet resistance; plan for it. Lesson #1 – Program Organization. Make deliberate decisions about program and project organization when chartering the program. Determine the important constraints for the program, know the different organizational structures available and deliberately select the one that best fits your situation. Consider geographical locations when forming teams; try to maintain team integrity within a single location. Lesson #2 – Roles Responsibilities. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all vested parties, including functional managers providing resources to projects. Obtain agreement and sign-off on individual roles and responsibilities as part of each project chartering activity. Phone: 610. 853. 679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 EXPERT SERIES The Functional to Matrix Transition Page 4 of 4 Lesson #3 – Communications Plan. Develop a comprehensive plan that considers communication needs both inside and outside the program. Consider horizontal communication flows in addition to vertical communication flows. Do not ignore the information needs of the organization as a whole. Les son #4 – Continuous assessment. Reinforce the transition by continually monitoring the processes and climate of the organization. This is an ongoing challenge, not a one-time event. When a crisis arises, the organization will tend to lapse back into functional management accountability, as opposed to staying within program structure. Pay close attention to the communications and collaboration aspects of the program; reinforce use of the agreed upon communications plan. Remain sensitive to the communication needs of multiple geographic sites, if any. You will need to provide continuous learning and reinforcement, since functional managers are still learning to include project managers in staffing decisions, while project managers are still learning to include functional managers in problem resolution activities. Don’t be afraid to change! Question how you are organized; make sure the status quo fits with the work that needs to be done. Maybe you won’t change everything, but little regular tweak at organizational structure will keep it vital. Every six months or so, ask â€Å"Does it make sense today? † Prepared for presentation at ProjectWorld, October 2001 Phone: 610. 853. 3679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 How to cite The Functional to Matrix Transition, Papers