Quality Management Worldwide Total Quality Management in India - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4323 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/09/16 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Quality management worldwide Total quality management in India  ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh Introduction For more than four decades after independence the companies in India enjoyed a protected market with virtually no competition, and some of them even monopolised the market, with customers having little or no choice. As a result complacency set in, and no pressure existed for improvement or change. However, the policy of globalization and liberalization adopted by the Indian Government five years ago, has thrown open new avenues and challenges to companies in India. The new policy has resulted in open doors through which global corporate players have entered the Indian markets, and are threatening the domestic manufacturers and suppliers, using quality as a weapon. This has compelled the managers of local companies to look for those tools and techniques, proven and tested, which would help them to maintain and improve their strategies and positions in the market. One such policy or philosophy that has captured the attention of industry and the business community is TQM. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Quality Management Worldwide Total Quality Management in India" essay for you Create order Particularly, in the recent years TQM is even regarded as absolutely essential for growth, stability, and prosperity. This paper has the main intention of presenting an overview of TQMs progress in the country, starting from its initiation to its current status. Besides, the paper also describes how the organizational attempts by various agencies enabled the establishment of a TQM culture. Further, these attempts are presented in a chronological order, to appreciate the role played by various agencies, which resulted in growth and propagation of TQM in India. Towards the end, the gaps that still exist and hence the efforts that need to be channeled are pointed out, so as to result in appropriate guidelines about the work to be done. The author R. Jagadeesh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, S. J. College of Engineering, Mysore, India. Keywords TQM, India, Quality Abstract Total quality management (TQM) has spread its wings in every sphere of the global corporate world and Indian companies are no exception. In this paper, first the growth and spread of TQM in India is traced from its initiation to current status. Further, the paper has tried o identify the causes for poor quality of products and service, and the gaps that exist between the expectations and the outcome after adopting the TQM practices. Later a critical view of the quality scene in India is presented, and finally, based on these observations suitable guidelines and recommendations are made to bridge this gap. It is concluded that there is still a long way to go for Indian companies to receive the stamp of acceptance for their products at international level. Electronic access The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at https://www. emerald-library. com TQM  ± the strategic choice Total quality management (TQM) has become a part of the corporate management The author expresses his sincere thanks to Professor Mark Gershon, Department of Management Science Operations Management, School of Business Management, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6083, for reviewing the first draft of this paper and offering suggestions and comments, which helped the author to improve the quality of the paper and bring it to its current form. The TQM Magazine Volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . pp. 321 ±327 # MCB University Press . ISSN 0954-478X 321 Total quality management in India  ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh The TQM Magazine Volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . 321 ±327 parlance on a global scale. While it was earlier regarded as buzz word, hype and fad, it is now considered a must for survival and success. The ever-increasing number of publications is good evidence of the growing interest about TQM. Ahire et al. (1995) have carried out a literature review on TQM, based on a total of 226 articles published in 44 referenced management journals, spanning a period from 1970 to 1993. Many success stories are already well documented in papers, for example by Longenecker and Scazzera (1993), and recently by Sterman et al. 1997) Inspired by these success stories, companies in India too have embarked on TQM programmes in a big way. Particularly, the ISO 9000 certification, that is currently a corporate priority for a good number of companies, has given a new thrust and foundation for effectively launching TQM. But more compelling reasons to adopt TQM are: pressure set in due to decreased profits, ina bility to penetrate into new markets, intensifying competition, and above all quality conscious customers demanding better and improved products and services from the companies. Status of quality  ± earlier scene India has a long tradition of achieving high standards in several fields. Architectural wonders like the Taj Mahal and the Konark temple are testimony to the rich cultural heritage that imbibed quality in its output. Similarly many other products like jewelry, textiles, artistic and ornamental articles exhibited high quality and as a result were the highly traded merchandise with other countries of the world. For several centuries Indian trade flourished on these products. Engineering industries that were set up and run under the colonial rule quickly established a name for quality. As reported by Piramal (1997) business families like Tata, Birla, Godrej, and Sarabhai, to name a few, started and operated several industries which have now become conglomerates and household names in India. In fact some of these names are synonymous with high quality products and trust worthiness. However, the post-independent era did not witness any spectacular improvement regarding the quality of goods and services produced in the country. According to Agrawal (1993) due to protected business environment many positive attributes of the Indian industry have been lost and weaknesses have surfaced. These weaknesses based on the study are: lack of trust and credibility in the working system, lack of clarity/seriousness for achieving target, lack of precise observance of rules and norms, low quality of supplies and components, lack of consciousness of time as money, viewing only short term benefits ahead of long term goals, politicalization of labor unions, lack of accountability for actions, lack of management commitment, lack of national quality policy, inadequate economic resources, lack of indigenous technology, inadequate infrastructure, preferring quantity to quality, lack of team spirit, cartel formation, and sellers market. Besides, lack of consumerism, Government control on everything, bureaucratic delays, quick profit making attitudes by the companies, all resulted in quality getting a low priority and consequently Indian products were constrained to serve only the domestic market being not able to compete in the international markets. Further, the factors mentioned before, clearly proved to be obstacles in the path to progress, and India in spite of possessing good resources and rich scientific and technical manpower, could not produce world-class products acceptable in the international markets. The TQM movement in India The TQM initiatives were first set by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in the early 1980s, in its pioneering effort in promoting awareness about quality among Indian industries. The work done by CII in this direction is well documented in Deccan Herald Advertising Feature (1993) and also in The Standards Engineer (1996). In 1982, quality circles took birth in India, and some of the companies to launch quality circles first were Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore, and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Trichy. In 1986 the CII then known as CEI (Confederation of Engineering Industries), invited Professor Ishikawa to India, to address industry people about quality. Later in 1987, a TQM division was set up by the CII. This division owes its foundation to 21 companies who agreed to support the cause by pooling resources and pledging to start the journey to TQM. Chief executives of these companies formed the National Committee on Quality, 322 Total quality management in India  ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh The TQM Magazine Volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . 21 ±327 and quality month was declared to be an annual event. CII also launched the first newsletter on quality. In 1987 and 1988, the CII invited the Juran Institute to India to conduct three training workshops, and then in 1989 a team from India attended the Deming Seminar in London. Study teams organized by the CII were taken to Japan and the USA to study quality practices. During 1990, the CII consolidated and focused on trainin g, and in February 1991, an Indian company with the assistance of the CII, obtained the first ISO 9000 certification in India. The CII organized the launch of the National Quality Campaign led by the Prime Minister of India in May 1992. It is around this time, the process of globalization and liberalization was started in the country, bringing a new dimension to the business and industrial sectors. From then on, a new line of thinking in terms of quality, productivity, and competitiveness has begun. Since 1993, the CII has been organizing The Quality Summit every year. This provides an opportunity for all business leaders, and higher level managers of member and non-member organizations of the CII to network, learn, and contribute through experience sharing, and listening to the experts who gather there. The National Productivity Council (NPC) has set up a TQM and Benchmarking Division in New Delhi, and offers TQM implementation services, which include modular training programs and consultancy services. In 1996, the Government of India announced the setting up of the Quality Council of India, (QCI) with the Industry Ministry bringing in half the seed capital of Rs. . 5 crores. The rest of the seed capital will be contributed by the corporate sector. The setting up of a national agency for quality certification is part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, under which member countries will not trade in non-certified products two years down the line. The corporate sector too was demanding the setting up of an internationally recognized qu ality council as it found the certification process from foreign agencies too expensive. Besides, it would save vital foreign exchange for the country. The QCI will be entrusted with monitoring and administering of the National Quality Campaign and will also oversee the effective functioning of the National Information and Enquiry Services. Post-liberalization scene  ± improvement in quality The economic reforms that started in 1992 have ushered in a new era of progress and prosperity in the country. According to a report published in Yojana (1997), the real gross domestic product (GDP) recorded a growth rate of 6. 8 per cent in agriculture and allied sectors, 7. 0 per cent in industry, and 7. per cent in services. The Eighth Five Year Plan (EFYP) (1992-97) which ended with an average growth rate of 6. 5 per cent per annum, compares well with the target rate of 5. 6 per cent for the EFYP, and actual achievement of 6. 00 per cent in the Seventh Five Year Plan. In fact this is the highest average growth rate achieved in the planning period since 1951. The sectoral average growth rates for the period 1992-97 are: Agriculture and alli ed sectors  ± 4. 0 per cent, Industry  ± 7. 8 per cent and, Services  ± 9. 2 per cent. Further, exports during 1996-97 registered a growth rate of 4. 1 per cent. Foreign direct investment amounted to US $2,696 million during 1996-97. These facts clearly indicate that the economic reforms brought through globalization and liberalization have yielded rich dividends, and hold a lot of promise for the coming years. While all these developments are seen at the gross level, companies in India have been trying individually to improve their product quality, besides overall performance through TQM practices. For example, Gupta and Sagar (1993) describe a case of total quality control in an engineering company through the extensive use of personal computers, and state that the Indian company was able to overcome many quality related problems which included: high rejection levels, slow inspection rates, frequent errors in measurement, inconsistency in interpreting inspection data, time consuming data storage and retrieval, rigid inspection schedules, not responding to changing environment, and quality plans not adjusted to varying batch sizes. The company improved the problem solving capacity through quality circles, and quality database at each stage. Comprehensive information systems enabled the personnel to obtain better guidance leading to improved decision making. Thus the success is attributed to systematic application of TQM. 323 Total quality management in India  ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh The TQM Magazine Volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . 321 ±327 . Business Today (1995) in an exclusive coverage on status of quality of India, presents a detailed report on companies which are market leaders and corporate giants. The cases covered include reports on leading Indian companies like Mukand, BPL, Arvind, IFB, ABB, HDFC, Amex, Hidustan Lever, Ranbaxy, Indal, Gujarat Ambuja, Vysya Bank, Oberoi Hotels, and Thermax. It is emphasized that these companies carved a niche for themselves by focusing on quality in their planning, operations, and marketing strategies. Awareness of quality  ± a positive change Pati and Reis (1996) state that India is emerging as a leading economy in the new world economic order. The phenomenal increase in Indias export earnings, which rose to US$ 26. billion in the 1994-95 fiscal year showed an increase of 18. 27 per cent over its 1993-94 export earnings of US$22. 17 billion. This is said to be an indicator of how its products and services are perceived by its global customers. It is further stated that the thrust has been shifted from import substitution to development of an export-oriented economy. Other pertinent observations made are: . Indian businesses are pursuing pa ths of superior quality and high productivity; . quality conscious consumerism; . increasing competition; . industries expanding their domestic share and venturing into global markets; . ignificant rise in the ISO 9000 certified companies. The survey conducted by Pati and Reis (1996) has further revealed many interesting aspects about quality practices in India. The survey questionnaire has used a five-point Likert interval to capture the strength of perception, where points 1 (very high), 2 (high), 3 (medium), 4 (low), and 5 (very low) indicate the degree of current practice related to quality. The critical success factors contributing to quality and overall average scores based on the survey are given below. . role of top management and quality policy (3. 3); . role of quality department/personnel (3. 14); . training (3. 69); . product/service design (2. 91); . supplier quality management (2. 86); . . process management and operating procedures (2. 74); quality data reporting (2. 72); employee relations (2. 92). It is concluded from the survey that the manufacturing sector in India is well aware of importance of quality, and efforts have been channeled to improve product quality. However, the service sector mostly Government owned and operated, lags behind the manufacturing sector in all aspects that imply quality. TQM  ± success stories of Indian companies Many Indian companies are beginning to realize that customer focus is an absolute requirement of TQM. Jain (1996), while writing on TQM in India, states that companies are paying closer attention to consumer feedback in order to tailor products to meet customer needs and are using a wide variety of methods that include benchmarking with rival products, regular customer meetings, and even engaging market research companies to collect consumer feedback on their product range and after sales service. Two specific cases are worth mentioning. Escorts Limited, an automobile manufacturing company, based on the feedback from customers and dealers, changed the delivery route to ensure safe and quick delivery. Similarly, J. K. Synthetics, based on feed back from customer meetings, focused on standardization of quality parameters, and started after-sales service. This resulted in the sales rise from 220 tonnes in first quarter of 1995 to 632 tonnes in the last quarter of the same year, an impressive growth in the sales by three times the previous value. According to a report published in Business Today (1998), some Indian companies are being guided by Yoshikazu Tsuda, a counselor at JUSE (Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers) in their quest for total quality. Some of these companies are Sona Steering, Jai Bharat Maruti, GKN Invel, Asahi Float Glass, Brakes India, Lucas TVS, India Pistons, and India Piston Rings. Further, as stated in The Economic Times (1998), sixsigma technique, which is considered to be a classic TQM technique, is being practiced by several Indian companies notable among 324 Total quality management in India  ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh The TQM Magazine Volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . 321 ±327 . . them being Wipro, a well recognized name in the field of information technology. A significant achievement by an Indian company due to its practicing TQM principles is reported by Sridharan (1998a). The Indian company Sundaram Fasteners located near Chennai, India, has received the Best of Best Vendors Award consecutively for two years during 1996 and 1997, for its supply of metal radiator caps to General Motors, USA. The award was given to the company for its consistent zero defects rate, 100 percent reliability in delivery schedules, and lowest price. The company is the only supplier to General Motors, USA from India out of its 3,000 supplier companies scattered all over the globe. In an exclusive interview covered by Premchander (1996), the managing director of Asea Brown Boveri Ltd (a partly owned subsidiary of Asea Brown Boveri Limited, Zurich) one of the very successfully operating multi-national companies in India, has stated that the managers have to spend time and resources on TQM. A historical achievement by an Indian company winning the coveted Deming Prize for Overseas Companies, for successful implementation of TQM, is reported by Sridharan (1998b). The Indian company Sundaram Clayton, has successfully turned its people into quality practitioners by the actual deployment of TQM tools, techniques, and systems. 38  ± time to market; 22  ± corporate credibility. Indian quality scene  ± a critical view The developments related to Indian companies, concerning quality of products and services, need to be examined on a comparative global scale. This would enable judgement of the progress made in improving quality. A survey made in 1994 in which products and services from 41 countries were ranked by World Competitiveness Report indicates that the quality of Indian products and services is disappointing. According to the summary of results given in Skaria (1995), Indias rank based on different quality parameters is as follows (the rank out of 41 is given followed by the parameter): . 39  ± price to quality; . 38  ± practice of TQM; . 40  ± customer orientation; . 28  ± product liability; . 39  ± time to innovate; The report clearly suggested that on a global scale, Indian products and services are far from satisfactory, and have a poor image. This is a major cause of worry for the corporate managers particularly for those looking for new markets, and ventures with foreign collaborators. One commonly quoted reason for getting away with low quality in India, is lack of pressure from consumers. Many managers are of the opinion that unless the customers are aware of their right to demand high quality, and insist on companies to invest in quality, they continue to receive poor quality products. While the growth and spread of quality practices are slow in India, TQM has firmly seated itself in other Asiatic countries. In a cover feature on Quality in Asia reported in World Executive Digest (1996), it is stated that as Asia grapples with the challenge of globalization, more and more companies seek ISO 9000 certification and adopt TQM. Companies in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and China are overtly involved in embracing practices of total quality to march ahead in global markets. According to The Economic Intelligence Unit (1996), which surveyed companies in Hong Kong on quality practices, many TQM issues identified in other parts of the world are also issues in the region. The growth of TQM across Asia however means that new approaches are being developed in the region. These observations clearly suggest that India has to carefully watch the developments in the Asiatic region, as TQM principles have been successfully applied by several countries improving their output quality, attracting more foreign investment, and hence capable of restricting Indias share in the global market. What the quality experts say In spite of the hype created by the ISO 9000 bandwagon, which today has more than 1,500 companies certified as such, quality is yet to emerge as a major strength of Indian products. Managers of Indian companies have still a lot to learn and implement in the image building process based on quality. This is perhaps aptly summarized by a statement made by Philip Crosby as reported in The Times of India (1997). While addressing a 325 Total quality management in India  ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh The TQM Magazine Volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . 321 ±327 news conference at the end of his weeklong visit to India, Crosby has said that complacency is a major problem with the Indian management system. The managers of Indian industries should take this seriously. In an interview published in Business India (1997-98) James Harrington, a leading authority in the field of quality, has stated that India still has four types of companies: those with poor performance, with good performance, with better performance, and with outstanding performance. Harrington remarks that companies with poor performance went bankrupt in other parts of the world, while those with good performance would follow them. But those with better performance will survive and those with outstanding performance would explode into the twentyfirst century. This indicates that India still has scope for bad products, and bad performance, which need to be immediately curbed. It is pointed out by Sukumar (1998) that TQM continues to baffle corporate India, as evident by the different interpretations made by each person in the industry about what is TQM. It was observed during the Sixth Quality Summit organized by the CII in New Delhi, that TQM means anything and everything depending on the individuals perspective, politics, and paradigms. During the summit as many as nine different definitions were presented by the speakers about what constitutes TQM. This means people in the corporate sector have no consensus about the concept of TQM and it could be a deterrent in its implementation. In another survey conducted by Arun et al. (1998) with regard to ISO certified companies interesting observations were made about implementing TQM in a company. Out of 17 companies that were surveyed, managers in seven companies said that though they believe in TQM they do not know how to implement it. The survey further revealed that the long term supplier relationship, an essential ingredient for successful implementation of TQM, has not yet been recognized as important for achieving total quality. Other barriers impeding the implementation of TQM were found to be: continued dependence on traditional incentive schemes, numerical targets, performance rating, slogans for improving productivity, and not identifying and providing the right type of training for each and everyone as demanded for every job. The survey concludes that if all these factors are not mitigated a company may continue as ISO certified but not be recognized as a TQM company. Comments and conclusion The various surveys independently conducted by researchers and business publications have revealed that awareness on quality of products and services has picked up in India. With quality based competition intensifying, Indian industries and business people are showing keen interest in improving the quality of products through TQM. A number of organizations, private and Government are actively propagating TQM through a variety of training and educational programs. TQM has proved to be a vital ingredient for success, and now has its permanent roots in the mission and vision of the Indian corporate sector. However, based on common observations the requirements for quality to succeed in India can be summarized as follows: . a strong consumer movement; . sincere and committed drive by the corporate sector to keep quality as the main focus; . strict enforcement of standards by the regulatory bodies and authorities; . avoidance of multiple grading of quality in products, like export quality, first grade, seconds, import rejects, etc. ; . setting an example in adhering to high quality performance and output, before pointing to others. While TQM no doubt has enab led the Indian companies to improve the quality of products and services, the international market demands still higher quality levels to give due recognition and acceptance. This means continuing the work with more focused efforts by Indian companies in their quest for quality. This paper is expected to motivate in that direction. References Agrawal, S. K. (1993), ISO 9000 implementation in Indian industry, Proceedings of the Eighth ISME Conference in Mechanical Engineering, New Delhi, India, March, pp. 638-44. Ahire, S. L. , Landeros, L. and Golhar, D. Y. (1995), Total quality management: a literature review and an agenda for future research, Journal of Production and Operations Management, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 277306. 326 Total quality management in India  ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh The TQM Magazine Volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . 321 ±327 Arun, N. S. , Prabhu, S. R. , Aruna Kumar and Lokesh Sharma (1998), Identification of barriers to achieve TQM after getting ISO 9000 certification and development of a causal model for TQM, unpublished dissertation, Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, SJ College of Engineering, Mysore, India. Business India (1998), Change is painful but vital, 29 December 1997-11 January, p. 152. Business Today (1995), State of quality, January 7-21, pp. 146-241. Business Today (1998), The quest for quality, 22 June 1998, p. 98. Deccan Herald Advertising Feature (1993), Total quality management  ± the Indian scene, Monday, 1 November, 1993, p. 8. Gupta, V. K. and Sagar, R. (1993), Total quality control using PCs in an engineering company, International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 161-73. Jain, S. (1996), TQM  ± the leading edge, India Today, 31 March pp. 90-1. Longnecker, C. O. and Scazerra, J. A. (1993), Total quality management from theory to practice: a case study, International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, Vol. 0 No. 5, pp. 24-31. Pati, N. and Reis, D. A. (1996), Proliferation of TQM in India  ± a survey, Proceedings of the Global Conference on Small Medium Industry and Business, Bangalore, India, January 1996, pp. 209-14. Piramal, G. (1997), Legends of the Maharajas, Business Today, 22 August-6 September, pp. 10-15. Premchander (1996), Succeeding in business, Management Review, Vol. 8 No. 2, p p. 109-21. Skaria, G. (1995), The total quality imperative, Business Today, 7-21 January, pp. 19-27. Sridharan, R. 1998a), Total quality limited, Business Today, 2 November, pp. 69-79. Sridharan, R. (1998b), The drive to Detroit, Business Today, 7 August, pp. 84-9. Sterman, J. D. , Repenning, N. P. and Kofman, F. (1997), Unanticipated side effects of successful quality programs: exploring a paradox of organizational improvement, Management Science, Vol. 43 No. 4, pp. 503-21. Sukumar, R. (1998), Total quality confusion, Business Today, 7 December, p. 27. The Economic Intelligence Unit (1996), How Asia practices TQM, World Executive Digest, November, p. 4. The Economic Times (1998), From six-sigma to strategy, 23 March, p. 3. The Standards Engineer (1996), News and views, Vol. 31 Nos. 1 and 2, April-September, pp. 20-6. The Times of India (1997), Complacency, a major problem with Indian management: Crosby, Monday, 10 November p. 12. World Executive Digest (1996), Quality In Asia: the state of the quality art, October pp. 25-36. Yojana, (1997), Current state of the Indian economy, December, pp. 24-7. Commentary A fascinating discussion on one of the worlds emerging powerhouse economies. 327

Iraq Backlash Free Essays

The main argument in this article is that the continued involvement of the United States in the war in Iraq will lead to unforeseen and even disastrous consequences such as a civil war or even global war given the fact that the United States is ill equipped at dealing with the insurgents and in properly identifying its role in the conflict and the impact of its continued involvement in the war. The writer presents his views by first defining what backlash is and proceeding to show the escalating death toll and skirmishes that have happened in Iraq since the United States has gotten involved. The writer then paints a grim picture of future that lies ahead if the United States continues its policies and involvement in the conflicts in the Middle East and the war in Iraq. We will write a custom essay sample on Iraq Backlash or any similar topic only for you Order Now The view presented by the writer is correct to the extent that the continued involvement of the United States could indeed make them the victim of unforeseen and disastrous consequences such a rising casualties of the armed forces currently stationed there and of the civilians. The continued involvement in Iraq could also be detrimental to the United States economy as any conflict in the Middle East causes the price of oil to rise and directly affects the economic output of any country. A prolonged war, as in this case, caused by continued United States involvement will definitely affect its economy in the long run. The writer however is too quick to point out that global war will be the direct effect of such actions. There is no substantial evidence to show that this will indeed result to a world war III or a world war IV. The other world leaders have been quick to show that the United States is acting on its own accord and have refused to lend any aid in the war in Iraq. How to cite Iraq Backlash, Papers

Edouard Manet Example For Students

Edouard Manet Biography Outline1 Biography2 Key Ideas in painting3 Famous paintings made by Edouard Manet3.1 Breakfast on the Grass3.2 Olympia3.3 A Bar at the Folies-Bergere3.4 Portrait of Suzanne Manet3.5 Bouquet of flowers Biography Édouard Manet (1832-1883), French painter and graphic artist, with his art anticipated the emergence of impressionism and became one of its founders. Practically during all his biography, Manets creativity is faced with opposition and difficulties. His father was the head of the department of the Ministry of Justice and was preparing his son for a career as a lawyer. He was an ardent opponent of art education for his son. And the young artist has to constantly struggle with the demands of an influential father, which forces him to leave the house. Innovative artwork of Edouard Manet was subjected to violent attacks of criticism, who considered the artist a rebel in art. Using and rethinking the subjects and motifs of the famous paintings of the old masters, Manet sought to fill them with a sharp modern sound, polemically introducing into the famous classical compositions of modern man (Breakfast on the Grass, 1863). Under the influence of parents, the young Manet attempts to enter one of the Maritime schools. Examination Manet does not stand. After that, he goes on a journey to the shores of South America. The journey takes place on the ship Le Havre and Guadeloupe, where the young Manet was boating and served as a cabin boy. Key Ideas in painting During this long journey, the young man made a lot of drawings. Basically, these are portraits and sketches of the crew members of the ship. After returning from the trip, he again tries to enter the Naval School, where he again fails. After a second failure, with the consent of the parents, Manet begins painting. The training, which lasted more than six years, takes place in the workshop of Tom Couture, a fairly well-known academic artist. While studying, he undertakes trips to Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic, where he gets acquainted with the largest museums and monuments of European art. The training lasted until 1856. Since the end of the period of study and until 1870, Manet continues his work as an artist. The main device, in his work, is figurative compositions and portraits. During the German siege of Paris, in 1870, the artist becomes an artilleryman and is among the defenders of the city. He tries to capture the city during his blockade and hunger. In the same years, there is an acquaintance, and the artists communication with the famous impressionists of the time, such as Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, and others. In the 1880s, while already seriously ill, Manet wrote a still life that was unusual for his portraitist style. Famous paintings made by Edouard Manet The work of this artist was not particularly recognized until the 1890s when his painting was imposed on the Louvre Museum, his friends. After that, paintings by Manet began to acquire and other museums and private collectors. Since 1881 he is sick with ataxia a violation of coordination of movements. Further life of the artist is associated with the constant development of the disease. April 19, 1883, he was amputated to his left leg, and 11 days later he died in terrible agony. Edouard Manet was the idol of those who believed that painting in France ceased to develop and needs to be updated. He did not intend to rebel and wanted his paintings to be appreciated. On May 15, 1863, the famous Salon of Outcasts opened, where artists who were denied the right to participate in the official exhibition could show their paintings. Since the number of candidates rejected by the official jury was great, Emperor Napoleon III, wishing to gain a reputation as a defender of freedoms, suggested organizing a separate exposition for them. Breakfast on the Grass It was Manet who exhibited his Breakfast on the Grass (1863) in the Salon of the Outcasts, which the critics and the public deemed absolutely inedible. Especially they were sarcastic about the fact that the gentlemen on Manets canvas, hung out in the exhibition of the so-called painting , are given in full parade, and the ladies for some reason - nude.  «In this canvas, they saw the artists challenge to common sense. Giotto di BondoneA Bar at the Folies-Bergere Folies-Berjar was one of the most famous institutions in Paris, not only because of its variety and cabaret but also because it was not rare to gather artistic bohemians. The shine of nightlife, and loneliness together with estrangement against the background of fuss and festivities these are the main leitmotifs of the last picture of Eduard Manet. As a model, Manet asked to pose for the familiar barmaid Syuzon and his friend Henri Dupre in a bar at follies. And the sketch the artist did right in the bar, to the right of the scene. Critics have raised many questions with the definition of the genre of this outstanding work of Manet. If you look closely, you can find features and genre scenes, and portrait, and still life a complete eclectic. In addition, the work is distinguished by the elegance of performance and subtle sadness. Behind the marble counter is a young barmaid, the mirror behind her back reflects a large number of visitors in the hall. It is her self-portrait. It seems, it is worth to listen, and you can clearly feel the roar and laughter of the walking crowd, interspersed with the cries of especially noisy guests. Opposite the girl is a young gentleman in a cylinder, but she does not look at the visitor her gaze is directed inward. The figure of a thoughtful girl is as if sandwiched between two spaces separated from each other by a stance: a real world and a surreal world. Hardly had they come to the Salon of 1882, the painting attracted everyones attention it was scrutinized, discussed, expressed opinions in interpretation, but unanimously recognized that the world was a real masterpiece, which should be reckoned with. Edward Manet is a painter from the capital of France, who created in the XIX century and became in those years the acknowledged founder of the new trend in art impressionism. In the period of mature creativity in 1870, the artist paints a portrait of his wife Suzanne. In general, for her whole life, she was given several canvases. But this portrait stands out with a special skill of brush, close-up and innovation of style. Portrait of Suzanne Manet â€Å"The portrait of Suzanne is executed surprisingly thinly. All attention and all light are given to the person of the heroine. The background is devoid of objectivity; it is a dark grayish background. The outlines of the upper torso of the model are written in the spirit of pencil sketches; they are also gray and plain. Only the white collar gently frames the face of his wife. Her look is calm, thoughtful, and in the eyes themselves the seal of the mysterious womans living soul. The name Monet is well-known within the art community and even in many households where art is not necessarily their main focus. He was a French painter born in Paris in 1840. He painted a variety of different subject, but one of the most dominant was flowers. In most cases, the flowers he painted were set in vases much like those you would order from your local florist, and they are all extremely pleasing to the eye. Bouquet of flowers Throughout his years as an artist, Monet produced several floral paintings. At the time it was quite a popular subject for artists to focus on. Today we still enjoy decorating our homes with floral pieces of art like pictures, photographs, and paintings. One of the most famous works by Monet is â€Å"Bouquet of flowers.† Not only do these paintings focus on the flowers but also the stunning vases in which they are arranged and the finely polished wood tables on which they have been placed.

Socrates On Politics Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato

Socrates On Politics Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who was accused of impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens. His sentence was death, byway of drinking poison. However, prior to his execution day, a friend, Crito, offered Socrates an opportunity to flee Athens, and evade his death sentence. Socrates refused to run away, and he justified his reasons to Crito. I agree with Socrates' justifications for not escaping, he accepted his death justly and faced the sentence the Athenian court declared. Throughout the Crito, Socrates explains his reasoning for not evading the government. Socrates introduces several pivotal ideas in the dialogue, which led me to agree with his decision. The first idea requires a person to contemplate whether or not the society in which he lives has a just reasoning behind its' own standards of right and wrong. The second idea requires a person to have pride in the life that he leads. In establishing basic questions of these two concepts, Socrates has precluded his own circumstance and continues to prove that the choice he has made is just. "...I am the kind of man who listens only to the argument that on reflection seems best to me. I cannot, not that this fate has come upon me, discard the arguments used; they seem to me much the same." Socrates states that making a conscious choice to remain under the influence of a society is an unconscious agreement with that society to live your life by its' standards and virtues. It is by this notion that people live by today as well. For example, a person chooses to live in a country with a certain type of government. By making the choice to live in this country, the person silently agrees to abide by the laws of that country, or else suffer the consequences. It is to this principle that Socrates adheres to. After establishing the previous point, Socrates reinforces his decision by the fact that the laws and governing agents of the society must command a certain degree of respect. Any person who would disobey these laws creates a deliberate attempt to destroy them and implicitly the society that has imposed them. If the decisions of the city's governing agents are not thoroughly respected as just and cohesive parts of society, the very structure by which the society stands is subject to collapse. If a person is found to be in violation of what his society stands for and does not accept the consequences of his actions, then there cannot be a system of law in place to create order. "You must either persuade it or obey its orders, and endure in silence whatever it instructs you to endure, whether blows or bond, and if it leads you into to war or be wounded or killed you must obey." The society in which a person lives, creates a mutual relationship in which every person in that society is indebted to if he willingly accepts that society for his own. Socrates concludes that if he were to follow Crito's advice he would be committing several wrong actions against a society which he calls his own. In the time of the ancient Greeks, to disobey your won society, is the to betray what was taught to be right by parents. They pass on to their children what they hold to be true; for they brought a person into a society that they believed to be profound and just. In modern society we have similar beliefs. Parents raise and teach their children beliefs and morals that they also hold to be correct. Socrates states that by remaining a member of a society, one must in fact accept the society as their own. The agreement he made within his city to obey the laws, and to live as a good citizen makes the thought of exile shameful and therefore unacceptable. Running away from the decision that his own society has made would be an affirmation of his own guilt in the eyes of his family and peers. Although he may have been wrongly imprisoned and sentenced to death, he holds very little value in the belief that two wrongs can achieve a right. In this case the wrongs being his wrongful imprisonment, and his escape. Neither of these wrongs can achieve a justifiable pardon in society. He firmly stood before his own value system and only wished to preserve the society around him, the society that at one time accepted him. He indignantly renounced the idea of self-preservation and

Essay on American Government Part 2

Essay on American Government Part 2 Essay on American Government Part 2 Essay on American Government Part 2Essay on American Government Part 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clarence Thomas’ Grandfather’s Son is the story of his professional and personal development and experience of his rising to the Supreme Court juror, although the author focuses rather on interracial and personal issues than on his career achievements and work in the Supreme Court, which he almost omits to describe in his book.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chapter 6 A Question of Will  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author describes his departure from Monsanto and move to Maryland and his first impressions of his life in the State of Washington. The author describes his early experience of that life and reveals differences, which has experienced between his life before and after he moved to Washington.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the same time, the author focuses on his work with Senator Danforth. Thomas was responsible for energy, environment and public work, but the work with the Senator helped him to acquire a valuable experience of working in the US government system.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, the author has finally got time to reflect on racial issues and interracial relations.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chapter 7 â€Å"Son, Stand Up†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author reveals the first major publicity after his appointment to the position to lead EEOC. Thomas reveals concerns of Hispanics about his indifference to their interests that shows that minority groups did not stand on the common ground and they were concerned with advancement of their representatives to power.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, he describes his experience of working in the EEOC and challenges the agency faced. For example, he reveals financial difficulties, which affected the performance of the EEOC substantially and how he dealt w ith those issues.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, the author reveals that he confronted rather hostile environment within the EEOC and top management of the agency, where the position of the Republicans was strong and where he, as a representative of a minority group, confronted biased and prejudiced attitude, which he had to change to lead the agency.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chapter 8 Approaching the Bench  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas focuses his attention on the change of media coverage of his performance as the leader of the EEOC and positive feedback the Washington Post and other media have given him. In addition, he stresses the importance of such positive publicity, which allowed him to ‘approach the bench’ or, at least, helped him consistently in this regard.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, the author reveals the fact that the positive feedback of media was not only due to his work and achievements but also and mainly because of the intention of the media to criticize his opponent and rival.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, Thomas reveals his progress and close cooperation with Reid Detchon, who was writing speeches for the Vice President. Such cooperation gave Thomas an opportunity to communicate to the public problems African Americans face and key issues affecting interracial relations in the US.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the same time, he started to consider options to continue his career and came across Mike Uhlmann. This encounter has opened the way for him to ‘approach the bench’ and the author reveals his concerns about such an opportunity and doubts whether he will be good in that position or not. Remarkably, the author uncovers the important role of Virginia in the decision making process concerning his further career because she gave him advices that helped him to take the final decision.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chapter 9 Invitation to Lynching  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this chapter, Thomas discusses false allegations compiled by Anita Hill concerning his sexual harassment attempts. The author describes his disturbance and shock, when he has learned from FBI agents the reason, why they called on him. The author describes in details his cooperation with FBI agents concerning the case and the detailed story of Anita’s employment as well as their relations, which were sheer professional ones. The chapter reveals the deep sense of frustration, which the author has experienced that made him to give such a metaphorical title of the chapter since the FBI investigation and allegations he has faced were similar to lynching for him. In addition, the case was apparently a threat for his further career development.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chapter 10 Going to Meet the Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas reveals his appeal to Senator Danforth as an opportunity to keep him from attacks of his opponents and rivals. The author is already aware of schemes and false allegations used by his opponents to weaken his position and simply to get rid of him. This is why he appeals to the Senator looking for support and protection from unfair methods of struggle against him. The author describes in details his speech, which he prepared to communicate to the public to reject all allegations and explain his position as well as the attack of his opponents. Remarkably, Virginia and Senator Danforth were the first ones, who has got acquainted with the speech.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, these chapters reveal the formative period in the career of Thomas from the moment he moved to Washington and started his career in the EEOC to his further promotion and approaching the bench that resulted into unfair meth ods of struggle against him.Quotes:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The Washington Post was taking favorable notice of the changes I was making at EEOC – an unexpected switch after so many years of being raked over the coals in the media† – this quote shows the negative media coverage of his work in the past, which was probably determined by his racial background and his position of an outsider, and the change which was unexpected for him.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"A Hispanic critic claimed that I’d been â€Å"insensitive† to Hispanics during my time at the Department of Education† – this quote shows concerns of racial minorities about their representation in government agencies and public offices.

Sino-American relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sino-American relations - Essay Example Given the importance of Sino-American relations, this paper examines important issues in the bilateral relations between the United States and China. To understand Sino-American relations, it is important to comprehend the parties' perception of each other. China has for long viewed the United States as its biggest foreign policy problem because, as the only global power in the post-Cold War and post-9/11 world, the latter more than any other country, has the ability to faciliate or hinder the fulfillment of vital Chinese foreign power objectives. These objectives range from coopting Taiwan into its territory, expanding economic prosperity and securing international recognition of China's status as a great power (Levine 91). While China's policy towards the United States is an area that engages the country's leaders and many of its citizens, the reverse is not true. Since the United States currently enjoys unipolarity, and will possibly continue to do so in the next few decades, the challenge for America is: how to preserve and promote American unipolarity (Zhang 686). Thus, while the United States is aware of the rising clout of the PRC, China is not on the top of Washington's foreign policy agenda (Levine 92-93), and probably only captures American attention insofar as it affects American hegemony. Taiwan and Japan In the shadow of this asymmetry in levels of interest, major conflicts of interest or real cooperation between the two giants unfold. Generally, such issues are connected with developments in Asia because it is in this region where the United States is most likely to come into contact with China (Wang [2]). A major worrisome security problem for China in Asia is the Republic of China ("ROC") on Taiwan. American interest in Taiwan is both historical and multi-faceted. For the first 30 years of the PRC's founding, the United States did not formally recognize the PRC. Rather, it recognized the ROC as the sole legitimate government of all China and maintained diplomatic relations with it. Although the United States transferred its recognition from Taipei to Beijing in the 1979's Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations ("Joint Communique") (Wikipedia, Sino-American relations), Taiwan's claims on American sympathies, which originated in Cold War anticommunism, have co ntinued to be reinvigorated by the transformation of the island into a vibrant plural democracy (Levine 101). Besides, American commercial, cultural and other unofficial contacts with Taiwan have continued since 1979 and indeed were acknowledged by Beijing in the Joint Communique. The United States is also a larger exporter of weaponry to Taiwan (Sino-American relations). In short, American interest in Taiwan is very much alive. To complicate matters, this interest is tied in with the United States' relations with Japan - one of its important allies in Asia. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S.-Japanese securities alliances have strengthened instead of weakened. The relationship between the United States and Japan has grown stronger after 9/11 with Tokyo's dispatch of troops to support the occupation of Iraq and provision of substantial reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan and Iraq

Literature Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature Review - Assignment Example Although change is a never ending process, many organizations are faced with the challenge of developing a management style that will enable them to cope with the changes. This leads to us asking so many questions such as whether there is one best way of making changes in an organization to improve its production. And to answer such a question, we can say that there is no one best way of making changes in an organization that can lead to its sustainability. This is evident from the complexity of an organization. Many people of an organization are affected with this change and so we must consider them. Most scholars argue that there are various ways of making changes in any organization and also other area. There is one argument that change effort must focus on cultural change for sustainability. By first understanding, the nature of an organization and its cultures, change can be easily implemented. This is because nature of cultures tends to be rooted deeply in an organization and is not easy to discern them. Organizations here are considered as social system as the performance of the organization is considered to be made up by the way people, and structures interact. The article on this also says that by simply improving management systems or changing technologies are not the way to go about because culture of organization will not change. By transforming the norms and values related to the socioeconomic welfare and environment, successful change towards sustainability will be achieved. Managers and employees should change their perspective and begin to value new things an example is that of caring for the environment, the community and the employees. True change according to this argument is responsible for producing changed values and norms that result in choices about organizational aspects that are different from the previous status quo. It discourages the change of