Masuji Ibuse and “Black Rain” Free Essays

Japan has a very rich history as well as a very rich culture. It was home to famous artists and poets, which gets their inspiration from whatever is happening in the country. One of these writers is Ibuse Masuji, who was the writer of the 1965 masterpiece, Kuroi Ame or â€Å"Black Rain. We will write a custom essay sample on Masuji Ibuse and â€Å"Black Rain† or any similar topic only for you Order Now † The inspiration of this is the previous bombing of Hiroshima, where black rain refers to the radioactive â€Å"rain† that spread out to the people in the area. Ibuse Masuji came from a family of independent farmers, born as the second of a landowner in Hiroshima, Japan. Ibuse spent his young years in the countryside, in a small village called Kamo in the east of Hiroshima Prefecture. When he became 19, started going to Waseda University in Tokyo, where he had his fill of the ideas from brilliant minds of history, most especially regarding surrealism and Marxism. The specialty which he took in college was on French literature, but his interests were more on the works of Russians like Tolstoy and Chekov (â€Å"Masuji Ibuse,† 2002). But because of an unwanted incident where Masuji Ibuse was sexually harassed by a gay professor, he was forced to quit school. His writings surfaced in the early 1920’s, but his works were not recognized until the late 1920s with the positive feedback given by an influential modern critic named Kobayashi Hideo. Because of this, people noticed Masuji Ibuse’s works, wherein he later gained a large following due to people’s admirations. Despite his emergence as one of the new modern writers, he chose to take the path of traditional techniques which is known to his place of origin. His techniques were more on the first person aspect where he used the subjective â€Å"I-novel† mode of Japan. This technique is characterized by having a narrator and author in one. Southern Japan’s countryside inspired him to come up with his short story, â€Å"Koi† which marked his traditional techniques. Ibuse’s pre-war works showed his wry humor as an artists, as well as having characters which are psychologically sharp yet sympathetic villagers, peasants, doctors, farmers and other unchanging people. This is the distinguishing trait of Ibuse’s style when he writes. When the World War II broke out, Masuji Ibuse led a different life. He served in the propaganda units, which has also inspired him to write about Japanese propagandists. He was able to look at life differently because of all the wars. War’s cruelty served as a new inspiration for his writings. One of his great creations which emerged from this aspect was â€Å"Black Rain,† which shows his take on the fateful events caused by the Hiroshima bombings, making it as one of the best Japanese novels known to the world. The novel Black Rain chronicled various stories of the hibakusha or the survivors of the Japanese atom bomb (The Hiroshima Project, 2007). It showed their struggles for acceptance, and their sufferings from discrimination and social isolation. This is all because of the radiation poisoning, when they were exposed to huge amounts of radiation during the bombings. These people may have survived the attacks, but the life they had afterwards showed how hard it is being in their place. This novel became famous to western readers even though the author was Japanese. This was partly because of how the novel depicts its contents, which is more on the human perspective. It ignores the political factors that existed around that time. It focused on the issue on the extent of devastation that these bombs can cause, nd that the suffering that is connected with it is not only on those who wee directly suffered from the bombings, but also with generations after generations from the victims. References: Masuji Ibuse. (2002).  Ã‚   Retrieved October 1, 2007, from http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ibuse.htm The Hiroshima Project. (2007). Masuji IBUSE: Black Rain.  Ã‚   Retrieved October 1, 2007, from http://rhizome.org/artbase/22194/HiroshimaProject/ResearchDatabase/Literature/BlackRain/index.html       How to cite Masuji Ibuse and â€Å"Black Rain†, Essay examples

Examine the character of lord Capulet Essay Example For Students

Examine the character of lord Capulet Essay Examine the character of lord Capulet. Is the audience prepared for the violent outburst towards Juliet in act 3 scene 5 or is it a surprise? First draft In this essay, I will be examining the character of Lord Capulet in the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet but first I shall give you some background information on the writer. Shakespeares birthday is a topic which has been argued about quite a bit, some sources say that his birthday was St. Georges day (23rd April) 1564, others however suggest that this is just an estimate based on the fact that he was baptised on April 26th1564. The play was set 150 200 years before it was written and the characters were dressed and the set made accordingly but all Shakespeares characters acted and talked like the people of Shakespeares time. The plot of the play is that Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers from families that have been enemies for years, fall in love Romeo is exiled for murdering Juliets cousin Tybalt, shortly after marrying Juliet. Lord Capulet, Juliets father, knows nothing of the marriage and in an effort to stop Juliet crying (for Romeo of course but he thinks for Tybalt) he promises to arrange for her to marry Paris, a young and wealthy man who finds himself in love with Juliet although she doesnt reciprocate. This makes her feel worse because she is already married to Romeo and she is shown to be very religious and so she is confused, should she go against the church, the law and her heart, marry Paris and commit bigamy or go against her father and tell him thanks but no thanks? When Juliet refuses to marry someone Lord Capulet has promised her to, she is met by a violent and angry father, this is how any Elizabethan father would react to his daughter defying him. In the opening scene lord Capulet is portrayed by Shakespeare as an old but hot-headed man who still thinks he is young enough to fight bring me my long sword ho but his wife soon tells him otherwise a crutch, a crutch, why call you for a sword?. This tells the audience that he is a violent man even with only the lightest provocation. In the second scene of the play Lord Capulet is shown to be more compassionate, he loves his daughter and says he will give her the choice of who to marry and not make the decision for her and that she should wait two years because he thinks early marriages dont work. He also says that he and Lord Montague can easily keep the peace, even though they were ready to fight, to kill, each other earlier in the play. This shows that he is not worried about not fighting Mountague because Mountague cant fight him either so Capulet hasnt shown weakness which is what Shakespeare shows to be his worst fear because he cares so much about his reputation he dreads being made to look weak. This shows a man who wants only the best for his daughter and cares about what people think this explains why he is angry in Act 3 Scene 5 because his daughter wont accept the best he can give her. Lord Capulet is portrayed as a man who likes to be in control of his family and loses his temper at Tybalt when he says he will kill Romeo at the Capulets party, many people in the audience in Shakespeares England would be shocked that a member of the family younger and less powerful than Capulet dare challenge his authority. This shows he is not restricted to being violent and aggressive towards the Mountagues his own family can receive his insults and threats. .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e , .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .postImageUrl , .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e , .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e:hover , .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e:visited , .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e:active { border:0!important; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e:active , .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc8b678752e1408b9dfa93b2f3f2e695e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Othello by William Shakespeare EssayJuliet is depressed in Act 3 scene 4 because she married Romeo then he was banished because he killed Tybalt, who in turn killed Mercutio (a friend of Romeos) but Lord Capulet thinks she is crying because She loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly and thinks that marrying Paris will cheer her up, which is why he reacts violently when she refuses, Which is something Elizabethan daughters would never do. To conclude; Shakespeare prepares the audience for what is to happen in some ways but they can mostly only be seen in hindsight, so the audience are probably not properly prepared for the outburst. Although audiences of the time would have expected to see Capulet discipline his daughter they may not have been prepared for it as he has shown love and compassion to her earlier.

Analysis of Challenges in International Management free essay sample

Analysis of Challenges in International Management† Abstract The following essay analysis the challenges in International Management with particular regard to the challenge of â€Å"culture† in international business as it is the must difficult to deal with and being essential for successful results in a wide range of global management tasks nowadays and in the future. Introduction Today successful international management requires more than a lot of frequent flyer miles or seasoned expatriate managers. But what are those exclusive challenges of international management in today’s world? The importance of international management is constantly increasing, as we exist in a world where globalisation is affecting the traditional borders in a broad range of areas. †¢Trade and investment, †¢Economic alliances, †¢The international stage players, and †¢The work environment are changing rapidly, being supported by the increasing sophistication and lower cost of information technology. World trade and investments are growing fast (the volume of world trade among countries has grown at an average rate over 8% since 2005 (WTO 2008)), linking the economies and creating opportunities and threats. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Challenges in International Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page New, strong and forced competitors are coming from developing nations in Asia and the transitioning economies of Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the constantly rising level of foreign direct investment also has a globalising effect (Thomas 2002). Moreover, the emergence of the free-trade areas drastically decreased traditional economic boundaries. So do the three largest groups, the EU, the NAFTA, and the APEC, account for nearly half of the world’s trade (Cullen 2002) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) now has 140 member-nations, aiming to reduce tariffs and liberalize trade. But globalization also affects the work environments within organizations. Changes involve cutbacks, team-based management movements and privatization. For instance, there can be factory closings, as Nokia closing their German plant in Bochum moving to Romania, because of cheaper labour. All in all, as one key consequence of globalisation, international managers nowadays have to face a more dynamic, complex, competitive and uncertain environment and need skills (as a global mindset or the ability to work with people from diverse background) not considered necessary for domestic-only managers. The environment of international management can be divided into †¢economic, †¢legal, †¢political, and †¢cultural factors (Thomas 2002). So for making decisions it is essential to understand the economic strategies of the countries in or with one wants to conduct business with, because level of economic development and quality of life differs extremely worldwide. Furthermore, there are various national sovereign laws and regulations existing in the world which have to be observed and made allowance for. And in addition, there are several varieties of political systems (e. g. , theocratic totalitarianism in Saudi Arabia), containing different levels of political risks which have to be managed. For instance, decision makers have to able to estimate the degree of risk associated with a government’s involvements in business affairs depending on characteristics of their company. All these factors present impressive challenges multinational management has to face. However, the management challenge of culture and its effects on business practices and organizations is one of the most difficult to deal with. As conducting business with people from other cultures will never be easy you have to understand how culture affects management and organizations. â€Å"Culture† is a concept borrowed from cultural anthropology and there are numerous and subtle different definitions. As each definition has limitations focussing on international management the following description of Geert Hofstede seems very helpful. He defines the culture of any society as comprising shared values, understandings, assumptions and goals learned from earlier generations, imposed by present members of a society and passed on to succeeding generations (Hofstede 2008). Culture is something shared by members of a particular group, differentiates humans from other groups, is transmitted through the process of learning and adapts to external and internal environments and relationships. The international businessperson needs to be aware of three levels of cultures that may influence multinational operations. These include national culture, business culture, and organisational cultures (Cullen 2002). National culture can be described as the dominant culture within the political borders of a nation-state. But one has to be aware that multiple cultures can exist within political boundaries and they do not necessarily reflect cultural borders. For instance, Canada being home to Anglophones and Francophones. Furthermore, even relatively homogenous cultures can have diverse subcultures, including cultural differences which are affecting the international business. Nevertheless, as most business is conducted within the political borders of a state and nations can be defined as political unities, varying in governmental, legal, educational, institutional and labour systems, influencing the way people interact with their environment (Thomas 2002), national culture has the greatest effect on international business being probably the most logic starting point trying to understand the cultural environment. Business culture, reflecting the national culture, influences all aspects of work and organizational life (e. g. , motivating staff, negotiating with business partners, etc. and knowing it’s basic requirements (e. g. , what to wear to business meetings, business etiquette is more formal in Germany than in the U. S. with conservative dark business suits, etc. ) is essential for the international manager. Moreover, especially in the last few years, people realized that the â€Å"culture†-concept also holds for individual organizations. So may differences in organizational culture may be one reason why the merger of two otherwise successful companies failed. It is important to evaluate the influence of organizational rules, norms and procedures to understand the causes of behaviour in organizations. With shared behaviours, conditional relationship, being socialized into and partly involved in it, etc. organizational culture differs in construction and elements of national culture. Even so understanding these cultural factors is fundamental for international managers conducting international business, they have to be aware that â€Å"cultures† can just offer wide guidelines for behaviour, as for instance organizational cultures differ within any national context and individuals vary in each culture level. One cannot predict exactly how each person acts, feels, thinks, etc. Nonetheless, broad generalization about a culture provides a level of analysis from which to begin to understand the cultural environment and the complexities of cultural differences, because management functions such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling in a global economy have to account for them. As international managers have to face various cultural challenges testing their management abilities they must be able to unpack the culture concept. Therefore the basic concepts of cultural dimensions can help them understand how two or more cultures might be different. An essential implication of these frameworks referring to international management and culture is that cultural interpretation and adaptation are a prerequisite to the comparative understanding of international management practice (Morden 1995). The following sections describe two popular models. Hofstede’s Culture Model This Framework, created by dutch scientist Geert Hofstede and based on a research over 11600 people in 50 countries (starting with 39 IBM subsiadiaries worldwide), tries to evaluate how basic values underlay organizational behaviour. National differences are investigated by five dimensions of basic cultural values: 1. Power distance 2. Uncertainty avoidance 3. Individualism 4. Masculinity and 5. Long-term orientation (Hofstede 2008). 1. This first value dimension refers to how cultures deal with inequality and tries to postion the inequality acceptance level by unequal power distribution society members. In countries with a high power distance acceptance (e. g. , such as Mexico), people respect and hardly ever bypass formal hierarchy positions (Elizabeth M. Christopher 2008). 2. The second value dimension concerns about the degree humans in a society are threatened by uncertain situations. The social system of a higher uncertainty avoidance society is dominated by regulations and rules, predictabilties and orders and people tend to be suspicious of change, whereas people from lower levels of uncertainty avoidance societies (for instance, countries such as Denmark). tend to be less formal, take higher business risks and plan and structure less 3. Individualism refers to the affinity to primarily take care of oneself and one’s direct family, and then to the rest of society (with the U. S. being a good example) (Elizabeth M. Christopher 2008). 4. The fourth dimension of â€Å"masculinity† concerns about the ranking of tradionally â€Å"masculine† values in a society, such as less concerning for others, materialism and assertiveness, whereas â€Å"feminity† on the other side emphasises the quality of life and relationships. 5. Long-term orientation cultures are insistent and saving (e. g. the culture of China) and short-term orientation is more self-centered, money-oriented and more social. All these factors are inter-reliant and interactive in their effects. So shows the Anglo-Dutch example Unilever the practicability of multinational enterprises where the power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism values are similar; and where the masculine achievement orientation of the British complements the people orientation of the Dutch (Morden 1995). All in all, so there is a lot of criticism (for instance, the time-dependence of the results, the non-exhaustive investigation of only one multinational US company, etc. to these findings and the model of Hofstede, it is still a very valuable and useful â€Å"gift† for understanding culture and culture-based behavior. Trompenaars’ Culture Model The model created by Fons Trompenaars its also based on the researched of value dimensions. He studied the behavoiur of 15000 managers, representing 47 national cultures (Hampden-Turner 2008). Five of the seven dimensions of his model deal with the challenges of h ow people relate to each other: 1. Universalism versus particularism 2. Neutral versus affective 3. Specific versus diffuse . Achievement versus ascription 5. Time as sequence versus synchronisation The two final dimensions deal with how a culture manages time and how it deals with nature. They include: 6. The society-orientation to the past, present, or future and 7. â€Å"Control of† versus â€Å"accommodation with† nature 1. The value of univerlism refers to the application to systems and rules objectively, without taking consideration to personal circumstances, whereas the particularism culture (e. g. in countries as Spain) is more subjective and focusses more on relationships. 2. The second, the neutral-versus-affective, value dimension refers on the emotional orientation of relationships (such as expressing your feelings and emotions more like, for example, the Portugese). 3. In Addition the specific-versus-diffus dimension investigates if people from a special culture tend to be more or less specific or diffuse in their relationships (for example, Germans try to separate work and personal issues). 4. In the achievement-versus-ascription dimension, it is asked: †What is the source of power and status in society? † (Elizabeth M. Christopher 2008) So is for instance, in an achievement refering culture, the â€Å"status† of a person mainly based on it’s individual achievement (such as job performance, etc. ). 5. â€Å"Time as sequence† orientated cultures separate events in time (â€Å"step-by-step†), whereas â€Å"time as synchronisation†-orientated indiviuals manage events in parallel. (For example, if their business partners are not sharp on time, Germans, coming from a â€Å"time-as-sequence† orientated culture, may consider it an insultation). 6. This value dimension is about past versus future orientations. 7. Moreover, this dimension refers to the extent to which individuals feel that they themselves are the primary influence on their lives. Using this framework trying to understand some culture-basics some interesting patterns may emerge. Altough, being recognised for their validity (the results of these both major studies have some significant parallels, even so they were carried out in different times using different methods and examples), these concepts of cultural value orientation proposed by Hofstede and Tropmenaar can only give a basic framework for the analysis of cultural differences. They are utensils to help understand a culture and adjusting business practices to diverse cultural environments. They are for instance, a prerequisite to the successful new-market country entry, whether by setting up licensing or new subsidiaries, joint ventures, mergers or for the establishment of efficient programmes of international HR development (Kay 1993). But international managers have to realise that the understanding of another culture is a inexhaustible learning process. They will have to practice for their international work with or in other countries by studiying all that they can about the country, including more than just the business etiquette. Understanding the national culture builds just the foundation. As you seldom can get behind the front stage of culture without speaking the national language onother basic instrument is learning the language. But the challenge of â€Å"culture† in international management takes such much more than this. International managers have to broaden their understanding of cultural differences and to learn to seek advantage in differences. Understanding the culture is just a basis for the diverse international management tasks, as appropriate cross-cultural communication (using appropiate communication styles), effective and positive motivating and leadership in international organisations and across cultures, successful negotiation with international business partners and making ethically and socially responsible decisions. Conclusion The environment of international management can be divided into economic, legal, political, and cultural factors, with â€Å"culture† being the most challenging and most difficult to deal with, influencing a broad range of management tasks. Providing oneself with the necessary knowlegde and understanding of the national culture of the country or the people one is conducting business with is essential and builds just the foundation for the successful complementation of global management tasks, such as for instance leadership in multinational organisations (where you have to have understanding of all three levels of culture; national, business and organisational culture, being different and influencing each other).

Less is More When it Comes to Unique

Less is More When it Comes to Unique Less is More When it Comes to Unique Less is More When it Comes to Unique By Maeve Maddox The word unique is related to a whole class of words derived from the Latin word for one, (unus) for example: uniform, unilateral, and unicorn. Soldiers tend to look alike when they are in uniform. Among allied states, a unilateral action is one taken by one member or side only. (Latin latus = side) A unicorn has one horn. (Latin cornus = horn of an animal) The word unique has the meaning one of a kind. It is a useful word and the widespread misuse of it tends to dissipate its usefulness. Listen to any talk show and you will hear people say that something or other is very unique, or rather unique, or somewhat unique. Such usage corresponds to saying that a woman is somewhat pregnant. With unique (as with pregnancy) there is no middle ground. If something is unique, thats it. To precede the word with an intensifier like very or a comparative like less or more, defeats the purpose. That is not to say that one mustnt ever use a word to modify unique. One CAN say that a thing is: nearly unique really unique perhaps unique in some respects unique but never ever very unique. TIP: Preserve the unique usefulness of the word unique by thinking twice before putting a modifier in front of it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Congratulations on or for?Latin Words and Expressions: All You Need to KnowWhen to Spell Out Numbers

Is the concept of global health useful as a way of conceptualizing Essay

Is the concept of global health useful as a way of conceptualizing contemporary health issues in world politics - Essay Example reats posed by anthrax, environmental damages, crime, human trafficking and terrorism, all come to mind when the term global health is used (Yoube, 2005). Governments and inter-governmental organizations have implemented global health policies and statements indicating that global health has emerged as an important foreign policy issue especially in relation to both national and international security (Labonte and Gagnon, 2010). It would therefore appear that the concept of global health is a useful way of conceptualizing contemporary health issues in world politics. However, Ruger (2008) argues that states have viewed contemporary global health issues as a threat to national security only insofar as it relates to the threat of biochemical weapons. Thus global health initiatives can be ramed in terms of orthodox international relations theory (Ruger, 2008). In this regard, global health is irrelevant as state rivalries take center stage. On the other hand, McInnes and Lee (2013) argue that applying a social constructivist analysis, the concept of global health is useful for conceptualizing contemporary health issues as these issues intricately tie the state to the market and forms an important part of the international political economy. It has also been argued that social constructivism more adequately reflects how states and international organizations view global health. From this perspective global heal th issues are viewed as intricately tied to other state interests that go beyond the potential of biochemical weapons (Forman, Cole, Ooms, and Zwarenstein, 2012). This research study analyses both sides of the argument. In particular this research study analyses whether or not the international relations theory of realism or social constructivism more adequately explain the concept of global health and as such whether or not these concepts of global health are useful for conceptualizing contemporary health issues. This paper is therefore divided into three

Photographic Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Photographic Industry - Assignment Example Previously a photograph taken in a camera could not be viewed unless developed through a process, but now in this world of digitization things have changed a lot. Now the screen within the digital cameras allows you to delete, edit and perform different operations on the spot. The result is that they need not be printed. They could easily be shown via camera, or uploaded through computer or sent through camera phones. The result is decline in prints. Prints was one of the major component in the success of photographic industry and hence its affecting the business. Though overall there has been increase in the number of overall pictures being taken but on the same side decrease in the printouts being taken out as there exist cheaper ways of showing those pictures to concerned people. Joh Larish (2006) in his article " The Analysts Speak Out: Is There a Future for the Photo Industry" states that PMA has been the largest photographic convention and trade show in the United States. This year's PMA was considerably smaller than last year because of the demise of major exhibitors such as Agfa, Konica Minolta, Bronica and others. In addition, many other companies greatly downsized their exhibits or didn't attend at all. The Kodak exhibit was less than half its normal size. There was vacant exhibit space all over the trade show floor. Nowadays people prefer... These advancements have surely made things easier but what about the photographic industry What measures do they take for their survival Most of the topped ranked companies have stopped producing the older versions of cameras, which required reels to catch the moments of life. Starting from Kodak, it is stated in Wikipedia Encyclopedia (2006), that on January 13, 2004, Kodak announced that they would stop producing traditional film cameras in the United States, Canada and Western Europe. By the end of 2004, Kodak ceased manufacturing cameras that used the Advanced Photo System and 35mm films. Production of film continued. These changes reflect Kodak's new focus on growth in digital markets. The Economist (2002) in one of its articles "Prints and the Revolution" states that 80% of digital camera owners still use film cameras more than half the time and fewer than 20% of the 30 billion digital photos taken each year are ever printed out. The industry is now trying to solve this problem since prints are what make money. From music and newspapers to travel and advertising, industries are trying desperately to forge a clear vision for themselves in a digital age that is still opaque. Amy Yee (2006) states in her article "Banishing the negative: how Kodak is developing its blueprint for a digital transformation" about Konica Minolta, which trails in third behind Fuji Photo in the film-making market, gave up the struggle, announcing that it was pulling out of its traditional camera and photo businesses to stem growing losses. This shows some companies just don't know what to do. Things were expected to improve, not change completely. She further writes that Nikon is also discontinuing single lens

Binding Contracts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Binding Contracts - Assignment Example In our case, Dave and Sam are friends from the same University, with Dave wanting to indulge Sam in a business deal, where they could purchase iPads from a supplier who is seeking to expand his business in Australia. In this case, Sam is worried because he does not have sufficient money and thus opts to say nothing. Dave concludes that both will contribute $500 each to purchase the iPads, which they will sell at a profit and share the profits equally. Considering the requirements of the laws of contract, for an offer to become legally binding, there must be a mutual consent between the two parties (Wilmot, 2009 p35). One party must make an offer and the other party must accept that offer. In this case, Dave is the party making an offer, which Sam is reluctant to accept. A binding agreement is established if the parties involved accept the offer as it is. In case one party gives a different term regarding the offer, then that becomes a counter offer, indicating the rejection of the or iginal offer (Black, 1979 p23). In our case, the original offer required both parties to contribute a Sum of $500 each. However, contrary to the requirement, Sam leaves Dave a message to the effect that he can only contribute $200 and get 20% of the profit share as opposed to the 50% he would have obtained by contributing $500. Therefore, Sam has offered a different term to the agreement, making a counter offer. At this point, the original contract becomes void and unenforceable (Peter, 1979 p45). Therefore, there is no binding agreement in existence between Dave and Sam. Further, under the laws of contract, two parties can be involved in negotiation or pre-emptive talks, where they discuss the terms of the contract just before committing to it. This is referred as an invitation to treat (Horwitz, 1974 p100). In our case, Dave and Sam are discussing about the business deal in a coffee shop, where Dave concludes by himself that they have to enter into the business and make equal cont ributions, without having Sam confirm. Therefore, the discussion they had in the coffee shop amounts to an invitation to treat, where Dave is inviting Sam to consider the iPad business deal (Ewan, 2005 p400). Thus, this is not a contract but a mere invitation to treat, meaning there is no binding agreement between Dave and Sam. More important to the creation of a binding contract is the fact that there has to be an intention to have the two parties legally bound by the agreement they establish (Barnett, 2008 p482). In this case, the two parties involved did not indicate any intention of being legally bound by the agreement. While Dave was developing the business deal that they shall indulge in, Sam was nonresponsive. As a matter of fact, Sam only agreed to contribute $200 to the deal, to avoid offending Dave since he is a friend. Thus, the agreement in this case was established based on friendship without any legal intention created by the parties involved. In this case, the contrac t is not legally binding and thus it is voidable (Gardner, 1992 p170). Therefore, there is no binding agreement that obliges Sam to pay Dave any money. Question 2 In this case, Dave approaches Jane to partner with her in securing the deal and have her contribute $500 to purchase the iPads for sale. In fact, Jane is excited about the whole idea and wants them to make it a full time business of importing 100