Describe The Strategic Alternatives Given Business Essay

Describe The Strategic Alternatives Given Business Essay We are shivering in our paints, as we grope against new competition from firms from USA and Korea. A very senior LT executive to the author at a Management Development Programme at IIM (Ahmedabad) in 1993 The competition we have faced till now is nothing is compared to what lies in store for us. Till now, the period (post-liberalisotion) was one of learning and assessment for the big global competitors Sudhakar Divokar Kulkarni, CEO. to the case author in April 1997. In 1997 Larsen and Tubro (LT), one of the largest engineering companies in India (and one of the top five private sector companies) posted yet again a growth rate of over 20 per cent. This happened for the fourth consecutive year despite acute liquidity crisis in the market, political instability, and uncertainty about execution of power projects of foreign companies (e.g. Enron), and so no. Since last few years, LT was becoming a lesson for companies worldwide in managing explosive growth and developing internal capabilities on a continuous basis. Simultaneously, it was setting new challenges for the academics in defining core competencies and core capabilities. An independent survey named LT to be one of the best managed companies in Asia and another by Business Toda, showed that the company was one of the most transparent and a leader on the issue of corporate governance. During 1995-96 and 1996-97, the company achieved an incredible growth in sales of nearly Rs. 1,000 crore per a nnum over the previous years, crossing the landmark turnover of Rs. 5,000 crore in the process. The Evolution L T was set up in 1938 as a partnership trading firm by two Danish engineers, Henning Holck Larsen and Soren kristian Toubro, who had quit their jobs. In 1946, it became a private limited company and by 1950 reached the status of a public limited company. Table 1 gives the evolutionary picture in brief. LT presently has a shareholder base of nearly 1 million and employee strength of over 24,000 As a company, this multi-dimensional engineering giant is actually the nucleus of a group of companies involved in building complexes, worksheets, offices and service outlets at different locations all over India and abroad. Over the years, LT has acquired a commendable reputation for capabilities for executing engineering related projects. Table 1 LT Business History: The Milestones 1938 Incorporation as a partnership firm 1946 Incorporation as a Private Ltd Co. I950 LT goes public Powai Works set up 1961 Audco India incorporated for manufacturing valves 1962 Retirement of Soren Toubro; EWAC Ltd. set up for manufacture of welding alloys 1963 TENGL founded to manufacture crawler undercarriage parts for caterpillars 1969 Agency business abolished, formation of LT Bottle Closure division 1971 LT McNeil set up for manufacturing Presses for tyre industry 1974 Management Organization Structure and Management Planning and Control System introduced LT Bangalore Works commences production of hydraulic excavators 1978 Larsen retires. LT Faridabad commences production of switchgear 1982 ECC merged with L&T; LT enters shipping business with two ships 1983 LT enters cement manufacturing with Awarpur plant commencing production 1987 LT enters computer hardware with floppy discs and printers; LT Gould for electronic test and measured instruments 1988 Cement capacity enhanced to 2.2 m tons per annum 1989 90 LT under DH Ambani (as chairman) 1990 93 Repeated takeover attempts by RIL 1993 95 Series of strategic alliances and tie-ups resulting in formation of LT-Niro. LT-Chiyoda, LT Sargent Lund9, LT Finance, and so on. The Takeover Attempt During 1991 93, as the country progressed towards liberalisation, the company just emerged from a not-so-welcome takeover threat from the powerful Ambanis of Reliance. The Ambanis were themselves embarking upon massive expansion in chemicals and petrochemicals business, and LT would have provided a real and logical synergy in terms of executing turnkey projects for construction, engineering, supplying machinery and of course, offering suppliers credit (to the tune of Rs. 1.000 crore). Through protracted investigation and litigation (in which the Reliance Industries Ltd. was found to have collected forged proxies), the company somehow remained in the hands of professionals. The big question mark as posed by an article in the Economic and Political weekly was Where does LT go from where it has reached now? However, it was obvious that a total new mindset and working culture would be required if LT was to grow and remain competitive. In 1993 94, the company started adopting the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) by becoming customer focused, reducing the costs and wastage, and adding value at all stages for maximising customer satisfaction. In 1994, Mr. S.D. Kulkarni took over as the CEO of LT and confidently promised that the company would reach its mission of being a Rs. 10,000 crore ($3 bn.) company by the end of the century. He also declared that the company would strive to maintain and develop leadership positions in all its businesses or else it will quit. Simultaneously, zero retrenchment was promised. The philosophy of TQM was embraced with added emphasis on customer delight, that is, delivering more value than expected by the customer. Vision, Core Values, and TQM Infrastructure being a key bottleneck for Indian industry was identified as the engine of Growth for the companys ambitious plans. But before that, the company needed an ambition statement, which every employee could own and share. A massive companywide exercise for finding out what the company stood for and what its core values were was embarked upon. The emergent statement though not sounding much different from several other organisations vision, however, came to be owned and understood by almost every employee because of the process of identifying the mission and peoples involvement. The key elements of LTs vision f focussed towards a world class company dedicated to: excellence and professionalism customer delight through service entrepreneurial leadership and creation of an organisation that is on the path of continuously learning by fostering teamwork, trust, and care Community service and environmental protection. Core Competencies According to a senior executive, today the core competence of LT lies in its ability to synthesise, integrate and harmonise its diverse world-class engineering, manufacturing, procurement, construction and fabrication skills around turnkey projects (in core economic sectors) and people. This is made possible through a world class vendor base and quality technological alliances, excellent IT infrastructure (CAD,/CAM systems, PMIS etc.) sophisticated fabrication facilities for plant and machinery in the core sector. Business Leadership LT holds a leadership position in India in most of the areas in which it operates. The first company to introduce hydraulic excavators in the country, it still maintains its leadership status in this and in the vibratory compactor segments. LTs switchgear products enjoy a dominant position in Indian as well as the international markets. It continues to be a leader in the manufacture of Z-Line petrol pumps and its cement is considered to be of high quality. LT has pioneered the manufacture and supply of critical nuclear reactors and space vehicles hardware in the country. It has to its credit many firsts in the Indian industry from the indigenously manufactured hydrocracker reactor, naptha run power plants, the worlds largest curing press, to the first vertical dairy in the country and so on. With the Project and Construction business in the country growing at a fast pace and expected to continue to do so with the country s emphasis on infrastructure, both LT ECC (Construction Group) and LT s Projects (EPC) businesses are being treated as thrust areas. The ECC construction group has been responsible for construction landmarks both in India and abroad, for instance, the Bahai house of worship in Delhi, an international airport terminal in Abu Dhabi, bridges in Malaysia, hotels in Uzbekistan, and so on. Its major projects have been building of cement plants for Grasim Industries, Gujarat Ambuja Cements, and ACC Ltd., construction of bridges and railway tunnels for the Konkan Railway project. In projects business, LT EPC group successfully executed orders from ONCC (for piping and oil platforms), Tata Chemicals {for captive co generation power plant) and Gandhinagar Dairy. In shipping and international business too, the company has made significant progress to become one of the leading players in their line of business. LT has a long and enviable record of high-tech fabrication. The workshops in Powai with CNC precision machines house large-size precision fabrication facilities. Its major heavy engineering complex at Hazira also caters to such needs. LTs units and its links with globally reputed organisations have contributed much in developing manufacturing excellence. Decision-making at LT Over the years, the company has implemented its vision through various approaches. Foremost is the emphasis on empowerment, teamwork, and continuous training of employees. In terms of structure, the company has decentralised decision-making, and according to Mr. Kulkarni, CEO, the concept of Strategic Business Units (SBUs) is being actively encouraged. The company is decentralised for all practical purposes. Budgets and allocations are made at the beginning of the year and SBUs undertake the responsibility for achieving the targets. Only in major decisions involving capacity augmentation, business divestment, diversification, and so on does the CEO personally involve himself. According to Mr. Kulkarni, only through empowerment and decentralised decision making can a highly diversified company like LT be managed. For example, though the decision to divest the Dot Matrix Printers (DMPs) business was first proposed by the concerned department, yet the decision was taken ai the MD/Board level as it agreed that product and technological obsolescence and synergy of DMPs with other businesses was indeed low. The Culture of TQM The TQM journey, initiated in 1993, has now taken firm roots in LT. The efforts put in training a large number of employees has resulted in the launch of many quality improvement initiatives. A large number of employees have participated in continuous improvement (Kaizen) and small group activities. Several cross-functional teams regularly function in the areas of manufacturing, design, marketing and services. LT has created an environment for increased empowerment to further improve customer services. The TQM Awareness Programmes have also been extended to the stockists and vendors to achieve improvement in the operations and customer service. LT strongly believe in the concept of internal customers. With TQM knowledge spreading widely inside the company, employees have realised that everybody in every department is a supplier to somebody in the organisation if not directly to an outside customer. One employee says, even though it is difficult to oblige everybody, I believe that we should go a step forward to understand the real requirements of the customer, which he himself may not be fully aware of, and delight the customer through total quality and service. Such an attitude should be our guiding force. A value strongly sought to be inculcated in the employees is that people can confront competition better by moving from a product-oriented philosophy to a customer-oriented philosophy. For this, employees are being trained in multi skills, including quality transactions and market engineering, besides product engineering. With people being regarded as the prime movers, a strong HRD culture pervades the organisations personnel policies, and HRD systems are designed to sustain motivation, encourage learning, and achieve higher levels of quality and productivity through job involvement. The embracing of TQM philosophy.and implementation of ISO 9000 systems by almost all divisions has led people to work towards common goals with a customer oriented approach. Social Commitments Corporate Citizenship The Mumbai Chamber presented the Good Corporate Citizen Award for the year 1994 -95 to Larsen and Toubro Limited for its contribution to Larsen and Toubro Limited for its contribution to the corporate world, but more importantly for its conspicuous achievements in improving the quality of life in the community. Award for most Outstanding Concrete Structure The ECC Division of LT received the ICI-Mc-Bauchemie Award presented by The Indian Concrete Institute for the most outstanding concrete structure for the year 1995 96 for Sree Kanteerava Indoor Sports Complex is Bangalore. The structure is considered to be an engineering marvel. The citation for the award reads Sree Lanteerava Indoor Sports Complex is designed in the shape of an ellipse using 120 V shaped precast folded plate elements. Each element is 43 m long and weighs 55. t. The thickness of the plate is just 40 mm, but strengthened by ribs throughout its length. Since the folded plate springs from the ring beam along the outer periphery and connected by the compression ring at the crown, the entire roof is self supporting, providing an unobstructed column-fee space of 119 m x 91 m with a playing arena of 65 m x 45 min the centre. Environment Upgradation LT has been showing its commitment towards corporate citizenship. As one goes around the works and offices of LT. one experiences a soothing and refreshing ambience because of the rich foliage and delightful floral blooms around these structures. LT has undertaken extensive tree plantation programme. Over three lakh trees were planted in and around the factory in 1993-94 under the programme Trees for Life. The villagers have been given grafted saplings of fruit-bearing trees and encouraged to plant them. The success of this ongoing effort led to LT being selected by the Government of Maharashtra for the prestigious Vanashree Award in 1990. Contribution to Academics LT set up LT Institute of Technology, a polytechnic in Mumbai. In a short period, it has come to be widely regarded as one of the best training institutions of its kind in the country, particularly for the full-fledged workshops and laboratories that provide a strong practical orientation to theoretical inputs. There is a good demand in engineering companies for the students passing out from this Institute. LT also contribute financially towards Upgradation of facilities in several polytechnics. It regularly interfaces with academic institutions to promote quality education and has established research chairs for faculty in several institutions including ai IIM, Ahmedabad. Within the company, one of the most invaluable and lasting investments made by LT is the establishment of a Management Development Programme Centre at Lonavala (near Mumbai). According to Mr. CM Srivastava, Joint General Manager (JGM) (HRD), the management development centre has been visua lized as a temple of learning where people would come with the sole purpose of enhancing knowledge, learning through experience, self-study, and introspection. The emphasis, therefore, is on providing an ambience for learning rather than training. The centre has modern learning facilities like computer-added packages, a library, and outdoor training facilities. Manufacturing Facilities Some important manufacturing facilities of LT are shown in Table 2. Table 2 Important Manufacturing Facilities of LT Location Product/Plants Powai, Madh (Maharashtra) Plant and heavy equipment switchgears, Petrol pumps, Bothell closures, control and automation, welding alloys, undercarriage components Thane (Maharashtra) Electronics and Inputs for undercarriage components Awarpur (Maharashtra) Cement Nashik (Maharashtra) Light-weight glass containers Faridabad (Haryana) switchgears Ankleshwar (Orissa) Welding Alloys Kansbajal (Orissa) Plant and equipment for steel paper and pulp, material handling and mineral processing industry Mysore (karnataka) Medical electronic equipment computer peripherals, telecommunications, test and measuring instruments Bangalore (Karnataka) Earth-moving and construction equipment, hydraulic equipment and diesel engines, Gen. Sets Hazira (MP) Heavy equipments Hirmi (MP) Cement manufacturing unit Chennai (TN) Valves, rubber and plastic processing machinery Kandla (Gujarat) Export oriented fabrication Pondicherry Transmission towers Kalol (Gujarat) Export footwear Jharsuguda (Orissa) Cement grinding unit The Future The financial results of LT far the year 1996 97 are not too encouraging as far as profits are concerned. The company has reported profits of Rs. 410 crore against the previous years profit of Rs. 390 crore, thereby achieving a slim growth of five percent. However, the turnover has recorded a sharp jump from Rs. 4249 dare to Rs. 5304 crore. From another perspective, the performance has been commendable considering the slump and intense competition in the cement industry and performance of other competitors during the period. LT is firmly consolidating itself in four major business areas engineering, construction cement, and equipment manufacture, Presently, cement accounts for 15 per cent of the total revenue. lt has embarked on a major expansion programme that will double the capacity to 12 m tons per annum, which will make it the largest cement manufacturer in India. A Euro-issue of $135 million has been planned to fund this expansion. Having defined EPC as a thrust business for t he future, it will be relevant to take a look into the competitive structure of the EPC business. In the domestic business, LT has a handful of competitors among whom BHEL. Punj and Lloyd, and RITES are the major ones. The peculiar nature of EPC business is that it is not a sector specific industry. The core infrastructure activities such as power, telecom, and roads will become key focus areas for the country. Most players in this industry have specific competencies which cater to specialised areas, LT is perhaps the only company which competes in almost every sector by virtue of its diversified technical competence and expertise. LTs EPC business takes the form of competitive bidding for executing projects from start to finish for third parties, part execution of projects as sub contractors to other bidders, and autonomous bidding for setting up its own projects in the core sectors. In the global EPC business, however the company faces stiff competition from the global construction and engineering giants like Hyundai, Saipern, Mcdermoft, Caterpiller, to name a few. In such a highly competitive environment with technology being a handicap (that most Indian companies suffer from), the logical step is to enter into strategic and technological alliances. Most Indian EPC players follow this route and LT is no exception. Some of its alliances are with its competitors, for instance, Caterpillar, Marubeni. Like most Indian EPC players going global, LT s overseas EPC operations are concentrated in the developing and developed countries of South-and Middle-East Asia such as Thailand and Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Gulf countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia. Bahrain, Oman, and so on. Though LT has attained impressive achievements, the productivity of several businesses are alarmingly low on the international benchmark level. In an environment of high interest rates and tight liquidity position, the efficient management of working capital will form the key to future LT successes. Some of the areas of concern for LT in the short-term would be: the need to attain faster delivery standards, customer satisfaction, continuous cost reduction, productivity improvement and operating with low working capital, and aiming at least to be a regional player of repute and recognition. Questions: (a) Carry out a SWOT Analysis of LT. (b) Explain the Decision-making process at LT and how does it contribute to performance of the company. (c) What are the various strategies that you recommend for LTs EPC division in domestic and foreign markets? Paper-2 Section-A 1. Strategy includes the determination and evaluation of alternative paths to an already established mission or objective and eventually, choice of the alternatives to be adopted. Explain the statement underlining the process of strategy formulation. 2. Technological factors represent major opportunities and threats, which must be taken into account while formulating strategies. Discuss. How can a firm build a sustainable technology based competitive advantage? 3. The low-cost leadership strategy at times enables the firm to defend itself against each of five competitive forces. Explain. 4. Briefly explain the factors which contribute towards the success of a strategic alliance. Illustrate with a recent example of strategic alliance. 5. Explain any three methods/techniques used in strategic control systems, giving examples. SECTION B 6. Read the case carefully and answer the questions at the end. Rupbani Beverage Limited Rupbani Beverage Limited entered the Indian wine industry in 1975 by acquiring the Mastana Wine Company of Shimla and two other smaller wine companies at Kalka for Rs. 50 lakh. Despite hostility expressed by other wine makers and predictions that Rupbani would very soon fail as other outsiders such as Parminder Wine Company had, the entry succeeded. Rupbani Limited performed the unheard of feat of establishing a volume of 30 lakh cases within two years and taking the market share away from premium brands such as the National Wine Company of Bombay, Pearl Drink Limited of Pune and Syndicate Cola Limited of Madras. Rupbani advertised heavily and incurred Rs. 10 lakh in one year and standardised the taste of its wines with considerable success. It also invested Rs. 48 lakh in a large, new winery at Ahmedabad. A Rupbani Executive said, By 1995, consumption of wine in India will be a liter per capita, compared with half a liter today. The industry reacted to Rupbanis presence by doubling and tripling advertising expenditure. ABC and Company began a costly campaign to market premium and varied wines while reducing marketing emphasis on its cheap wines such as Nahan Drinks and the Gola Beverage. ABC maintained its 25 percent market share but had to resort to some heavy price discounting to do so. In 1982 Pearl Drinks formed a special wine unit to combine efforts for all its brands. Mr. Sailesh Kumar former Vice President of the National Wine Company had directed a project to coordinate Pearls world-wide wine business and develop a world wide strategy. The new unit was, in fact, a result of his work. In1983, wine consumption changed from growth at a rate of 5 per cent to no growth. The government also lifted the ban on imports of wine. This presented an even greater challenge because imported wines were cheaper as well as superior in quality. In1984 Mr. Ranganathan took over as Managing Director of Rupbani. He reviewed the recent performance of the company and its competitive position. He noted that the company was losing its hold over the market and it was not getting the return as expected. He also found that the companys performance in the syrup business was excellent. He, therefore, thought of selling out the wine business to Pearl Drinks, He convened an executive meeting and apprised the executives of his proposal. He also informed them that Pearl Drinks had offered the company to recapture its investment in the wine business which was about Rs. one crore. Mr. Arun Mehta, General Manager, observed that Rupbani was in and out in the past six years and has joined different organisations in trying the wine business. The finance Manager, M. Subhash Ghai said, The return on assets in the wine business is not the 30 to 35 per cent, which Rupbani is used to getting in the syrup business. Gaining share and trying to compete with ABC and Company left Rupbani with, eventually, the number two position in the wine industry with profits of Rs. 60 lakh on Rs. 220 lakh in sales. The stockholders wanted immediate return and hence, the company could not afford to make long-term investments necessary to popularise the brands. Had they stayed for five more years, they would have been a key leader in a large and profitable industry. Pearl Drinks immediately went from the sixth position in the industry to a strong second place with an 11 per cent market share. The Chairman of Pearl Drinks stated: We believe you can make money in this business in two ways remain a small boutique winery or become large and achieve economies of scale. Mr. Harish, Marketing Manager of Rupbani said, It is no use selling out our business to Pearl Drink and get back what we have invested. We can compete with our competitors successfully and improve our market share if we manufacture wines of varying qualities to suit the varied preferences and pockets of diverse sections of society. We should also offer price discounts to attract the consumers. There should be wide publicity of our brands throughout the country. Questions: (a) Perform SWOT analysis of Rupbani. (b) In the light of opportunities and threats of Rupbani Beverage and its strengths and weaknesses, what strategy should it formulate to improve its performance and strengthen its competitive position? (c) Should Rupbani spend on advertising in line with its competitors? Discuss. (d) What other strategies would you suggest for Rupbani for increasing their share of the market? Paper-3 Section-A 1. Explain the various steps involved in Strategic Management process in a single business firm. 2. Explain the following: (a) Types of resources (b) Strategic importance of resources 3. Discuss the importance of differentiation strategy in the present competitive environment. Explain taking into consideration its advantages and disadvantages. 4. Every strategic alliance incurs certain costs and comes with a set of risks. Explain any five costs/risks of entering into a strategic alliance. 5. Corporate culture plays an important role in the success of an organization. Explain giving suitable example. SECTION B NEECO LIMITED At the end of the recent five-year plan, it was estimated that there would be a considerable demand in the manufacturing capacity of power transformers in the country. It was further projected that the gap between demand and the manufacturing capacity would be even larger in the subsequent plans. Thus, anticipating the countrys demand in future, Neeco Limited decided to set up a new unit for manufacturing transformers. This was in addition to the manufacturing capacity already built up at one of the existing factories. Formal Planning Process Formal planning was introduced in the very first year of the commencement of activities at the new unit. The planning process at Neeco Limited included the setting up of broad objectives and the preparation of the three-year forecast. In a letter addressed to departmental heads, the General Manager, Mr. S.K. Patel said, The time has come to put down on paper the objectives and goals of our organisation and to develop a proper framework whereby we can take a more systematic look at the future we are heading for. This, I believe, can be achieved by involvement and cooperation of all the departmental heads in putting into practice a culture of planning. The responsibility for developing a three-year plan was entrusted to the planning cell, which reported directly to the General Manager. There was a separate controllers office, which looked after budget preparation and the subsequent monitoring of actual performance. Goal Setting Process Planning began each year in the month of April with the establishment of goals by the top management. The top management group consisted of the General Manager and his various functional heads. The goals were set both in qualitative as well as quantitative terms. The quantitative goals were in terms of growth in sales and profits. Commenting on the quantitative goals, Mr. Patel observed that: Profit is the primary goal. The planning cell, after collecting dl the information, consolidated and integrated the data and prepared operating results and cash flow projections for the three-year period. Exhibit-I NEECO LIMITED Date Steps in planning 1st Week of April Planning call sends relevant formats to departmental heads, with detailed explanations. 4th Week of April By the fourth week, the various departmental send the formats back to the planning cell, duly filled. 1st Week of May Planning officer compiles all the data and puts it in an integrated form. 2nd Week of May The first draft of the plan is discussed in a management group meeting, wherein several suggestions emerge and the draft is thoroughly revised by resolving the conflicting objectives of various departments. 1st Week of June The final draft of the plan is ready and is sent to corporate headquarters. (b) Responsibility for Plan Preparation Segment of the Plan Responsibility Sale Plan (Order Book Position) Manager Marketing Production Plan Manager (Production) Materials Plan Materials Manager Manpower Plan Personnel Manager Township Development Plan Manager (Projects) Plan and Final Plan Document Planning Officer Before finalising the plans as prepared by the various functional/department heads, a detailed discussion was held. During these discussion was held. During these discussions various departmental heads explained the basis of their respective plans. The final plan was arrived after resolving the conflicting objectives of various departments. The Planning-Budgeting Linkage Immediately after the plan was approved b9 the Management Group, the process of preparing a detailed budget for the next year was initiated. The three-year plan set out the broad objectives for the first year and projections for the next two years. A detailed exercise had already been conducted in preparing the broad objectives, which served as a basis for the preparation of a detailed budget for the ensuing year. Thus the first year of the plan document, with necessary modifications, became the budget for the next year. The three year plan document and the budget were, therefore, closely inter-related. It was said that the preparation of a three year plan was, in a way, a process of creating an organisational climate for a rigorous and time consuming process of budgeting. Reactions of Executives

Essay on Voltaire’s Candide: Visualizing Perfection -- Candide essays

Visualizing Perfection in Candide   "All is for the best...in the best of all possible worlds."   To picture greatness, perfection and brilliance all intertwined into one splendid world -- a utopia, infers visualizing absolute beauty, harmony, and a universal tolerance amongst mankind. Would not such "perfection" designate the "best of all possible worlds?" How could we possibly conceive the sinister world portrayed in Candide to be conveyed as "utopia?" Since the best of all possible worlds indicates that "all is for the best" is it not safe to derive at the conclusion that since our world is clearly not "perfect" it is therefore implied that "all" is not for the best? Who determines the "right" from the "wrong," the "beautiful" from the "hideous," the "strong" from the weak?" How does one know if they are right? How does one ever know if they chose "correctly?" How does one allow th emself to be infatuated with an idea as to blindly (correctly or incorrectly) follow it and believe? When do you question yourself? Doubt and "double-guess" yourself? Such correlating topics of an ambiguous solution are sought to be explained in Candide. Voltaire's masterpiece Candide recounts the journey of a young man as he ventures the world and faces reality, deals with it, is guided, transformed, and eventually defined by it. Voltaire's story tells the tale of Candide as his character matures from the naivete of a child to the extensive temperament of a distinguished man. Born and raised in the castle of the Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh, in the land of Westphalia, Germany, Candide is firs... ...n the best of possible worlds; for short, had you not been kicked out of a fine castle by the backside for the love of Miss Cunegund, had you not been put into the Inquisition, had you not traveled over America on foot, had you not run the Baron through the body, and had you not lost all your sheep which you brought from the good country of El Dorado, you would not have been here to eat preserved citrons and pistachio nuts." Voltaire therefore exhibits both sides of the spectrum, Pangloss, the unchanging, and Candide the "developed." These adventures broadened the horizons of Candide, and with him, the reader also undergoes many thought provoking dilemmas, cultivating himself in many of the same ways. This tale doesn't flounder all hope of "perfection," but it does present, in laymen's terms the ideas behind Murphy's Law.

Free Speech on College Campuses

College is a time when most individuals are experiencing major changes and begin to explore new perspectives. The transition in becoming more independent, creating new insights and peer influence are key factors in changing the perspective of an individual. Students are faced with new ideas from their professors, family and fellow peers. Through that acquired knowledge many students decide that they either agree or disagree with the perspectives that they are taught. Allowing the right of ‘Free Speech’ on public college campuses has become an important issue that many public colleges are starting to address. In college students are capable of informing their peers about issues that are important and controversial. It is important that students are able to maintain this right so they can and inform the student body to promote positive change. Free speech should be allowed on public college campuses because it liberates students to actively engage in controversial issues. ‘Free Speech’ is necessary on college campuses because it allows students to determine their own beliefs and promote positive change. Free speech’ can be interpreted as, â€Å"The ability for students to explore controversial topics and express popular opinions without fear or reprisal† (Schmidt 1). College is an important transition in life because it is an age where students are forced to make their own independent decisions. Students are leaving home for the first time and explore new ideas and establishing their own opinion on current issues that surround them. ‘Free Speech’ is essential because it provides awareness to college campuses and it a proactive way of educating students outside of the classroom. A perfect example of this took place on the campus of University of Oregon, it was a debate whether or not the Pacifica Forum should be allowed to hold meetings in University of Oregon’s classrooms on campus. Although this was not a popular group, the majority of people on campus believed that the Pacifica forum should not be allowed. Despite their opinions, free speech was a great way in this situation for students to rally together and publically inform the rest of campus of their beliefs. In he school newspaper, The Daily Emerald, CJ Ciaramelle wrote â€Å"About 300 students from across the campus community — student unions, Greek Life, the ASUO, the Survival Center, the Women’s Center — showed up at the meeting to protest the Forum† (1). Although the majority of people protested against the forum the right to free speech, it is important because it allows students to make decisions on their own and invite students to do the same. â€Å"Free speech† often has negative connotations because the negative outcomes are publicized more than the positive outcomes. Free Speech’ is a time for individuals to express their beliefs and topic on an important issue. People chose to present themselves in a vast majority of ways such as, holding signs, making t-shirts, shouting, etc. People who chose to present themselves in disrupting ways such as, foul language, inappropriate attire are more likely to be noticed than another student that is holding a simple and respectful sign. Schmidt states, â€Å"Universities cannot censor or suppress speech, no matter how obnoxious in content, without violating their justification of existence† (2). There is no definition of what type of ‘free speech’ should be censored and not allowed. With that said, there should not be a limit on ‘free speech’ because people should be allowed to express themselves despite other peoples thoughts on what is ‘acceptable’. The opposing view would state that ‘free speech’ should not be allowed on college campus because it provides an unsafe learning environment. This is a valid point but limiting students to voice their own opinions on campus forces the opinions of professors onto students. In the article, â€Å"The University and Freedom† written by Benno Schmit, he states, â€Å"The assumption seems to be that the purpose of education is to induce â€Å"correct† opinion rather than to search for wisdom and to liberate the mind† (2). This is a good point suggesting that if students are not allowed to project their opinion, in a sense, it is just another way for Universities to teach by their own views and opinions. The opposition also states that many people are paying for an education so therefore they should have the right to feel safe walking through campus. This is also a valid point, but ‘free speech’ is an opportunity for people to express themselves. If at any point a person expresses himself or herself in a fashion that is unacceptable it then becomes another issue such as harassment, trespassing, indecent exposure, etc. The issue would then be addressed as an independent and different case rather than an act of ‘free speech’. Many ‘free speech’ cases can be very sensitive, but that certainly does not mean that they should not be addressed. It is important that people are not limited to expressing their voice publically because people need to see multiple perspectives then just their own. ‘Free speech’ also provides an opportunity for students to gather together and promote positive change. Allowing a person to publically speak their minds often is seen to be disruptive. Many people do not think about the positive outcomes that ‘Free Speech’ provides. Allowing students to express their opinions often is for the better and creates positive change. It is a proactive way for students to become educated and inform their peers about issues that are happening on campus. This relates to the Pacifica Forum controversy because students were able to express their views using their right of ‘free speech’. A few students were able to educate a majority of students about the Pacifica Forum and were able to force them off of campus. The ASUO president, Emma Kallaway, stated in the Daily Emerald â€Å"This may seem like a small victory in the larger fight, but it’s still a tremendous testament to student power that we were able to force this group out of our student union† (1). This is an example of ‘Free Speech’ providing a positive outcome when students can rally together and use their rights to achieve what they set their minds to do. When students become passionate about a certain issue, many of them use freedom of speech as a productive way to inform their peers in hopes to gain positive change for the community. It is important that people understand that ‘Free Speech’ is an opportunity for students to project their voices to inform and invite more students to do the same. ‘Free Speech† is essential when educating and providing students with knowledge that can be sensitive and controversial. Students should not be limited on what they chose to express. It is important to consider that just because a issue is sensitive and controversial does not mean it should not be discussed. ‘Free speech’ allows students the right to engage and determine their own perspectives when faced with controversial issues in the ‘real life’. ‘Free Speech’ is also extremely important because it is a productive way of informing students to rally together to make a positive change that will contribute to better mankind.

Tom Jones Comic Epic - 2359 Words

Tom Jones as ‘Comic Epic-Poem in Prose’ Maruf Billah Enjoying the freedom of an artist, Fielding in his ‘Tom Jones’ bursts on the literary scene giving thousands of hours for a kind of writing, which is in his own words, â€Å"I do not remember to have seen hitherto attempted in our language†. His immediate inspiration was the Spanish Classic, ‘Don Quixote’. However in discussing his work Fielding refers to Homer and Aristotle, the former for practice and the later for theory. This kind of appeal to authority was extremely important during the Neo-Classical Age. The classification is most apt for this is the period of literary history in which writers and critics based their views of literature on classical figures, most important of who†¦show more content†¦He is less violent and brutal than his contemporaries such as Smollett and Sterne. He does not employ caricature to anything like the extent that Smollett does, and he has none of the other man’s undercurrent of hatred and anger. An d his humour is quite different from that of the other eighteenth century comic novelist, Sterne, who is by comparison introvert, off-beat and even surrealist. Sterne’s comedy is slow-moving and analytic; that of Fielding is swift and crisp, and it stays more on the surface of things. But one may speak of ‘Tom Jones’ as did Dryden of Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’, â€Å"Here is God’s Plenty.† The bulk of the novel is a challenge to an epic. We cannot possibly call ‘Pride and Prejudice’ or ‘Great Expectations’ an epic because of their concentrated action and small area of movement.’ an epic because of their concentrated action and small area of movement. Whereas ‘Tom Jones’ moves on rambling to any distance. An Epic is an honest narrative with a plain design wherein the characters assert their personality with a moral ardor. The writer of an epic is not much of an artist in the senseSho w MoreRelatedTom Jones Essay1637 Words   |  7 PagesJoy Thompson Mrs. Larson AP British Literature and Composition December 11, 2011 Refusal to Return: Finding Bliss at Upton Although Tom Jones by Henry Fielding is appropriately known as a comic novel written to no set of absolute rules, the work shows many characteristics similar to epics. In epic novels the main protagonist is normally known for following a set series of events called â€Å"the hero’s journey.† The hero’s journey is often a three part adventure consisting of a departure, anRead MoreHenry Fielding’s Tom Jones: Homeric Epithets and Personifications with a Satirical Twist511 Words   |  3 PagesHenry Fielding felt great concern towards the embellished stylization of epic novels, and in order to relay his critiques of this popularized genre, he constructed an epic parody to reveal the turgid grandiose nature of such works through a sarcastic spoof. Commenced with his mordant invocation of a muse, Henry Fielding’s epic parody, Tom Jones emphasizes droll concern with the classical epic style by christening Homeric epithets and personifications with a s atirical twist. Henry Fielding divesRead MoreJospeh Andrews as Comic Epic in Prose3335 Words   |  14 PagesAndrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams, was the first published full-length novel of the English author and magistrate Henry Fielding, and indeed among the first novels in the English language. Published in 1742 and defined by Fielding as a ‘comic epic poem in prose’, it is the story of a good-natured footmans adventures on the road home from London with his friend and mentor, the absent-minded parson Abraham Adams. The novel represents the coming together of the two competing aesthetics of eighteenth-centuryRead MoreLiterary Group in British Poetry5631 Words   |  23 Pages1 Satire 4.2 18th century classicism 4.3 Women poets in the 18th century 4.4 The late 18th century 5 The Romantic movement 6 Victorian poetry 6.1 High Victorian poetry 6.2 Pre-Raphaelites, arts and crafts, Aestheticism, and the Yellow 1890s 6.3 Comic verse 7 The 20th century 7.1 The first three decades 7.1.1 The Georgian poets and World War I 7.1.2 Modernism 7.2 The Thirties 7.3 The Forties 7.4 The Fifties 7.5 The 1960s and 1970s 8 English poetry now 9 Notes 10 See also 11 References 12 ExternalRead MoreCause and Impact Analysis on the Main Character’s Suffering in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Novel Eat, Pray, Love7348 Words   |  30 Pagesrelated literature such as; literature; fiction; novel; definition of novel; kinds of novel; the elements of novel; theme; setting; plot; characterization; conflict; subject matter and theme; the nature of suffering. 2.1. Literature According to Jones Jr. (1986) literature is simply another way people can experience the world around them through the imagination. It can be divided into two different groups’ namely informative literature and imaginative literature. Informative literature deals withRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagesmuch the hallmark of the standard Englishman as once was his roast beef. Bloomfi eld, after all, was talking about ‘realistic’ children’s books which could be made useful by being directed to the moral and social education of children. Towards the comic or fantastical others he harboured nothing but scorn, and directed parents to put them to the one use for which they were fitted, namely, lighting fires. Like the concept of childhood, childrens literature is very much a cultural construct that continuesRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 PagesEach episode logically and inevitably unfolds from the one that preceded it, thereby generating a momentum that drives the plot forward its appointed resolution. Chronological plot structure can be loose, relaxed and episodic. In Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones and Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, the plots are composed of a series of separate and largely self-contained episodes, resembling so many beads on a string. The unifying element is the protagonist, as he wanders into and out of a series of adventuresRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesComprehension: Questions for Review 128 Key Terms 129 130 HRM Workshop Linking Concepts to Practice: Discussion Questions 107 Developing Diagnostic and Analytical Skills 107 Case Application 4-A: Casino Has No Sense of Humor Regarding â€Å"Dilbert† Comic 107 Case Application 4-B: Off-the-Job Behaviors 107 Working with a Team: Dealing in Gray Areas 108 Learning an HRM Skill: Guidelines for Counseling Employees 108 Enhancing Your Communication Skills 109 Linking Concepts to Practice: Discussion Questions