Battle of Fort Sumter in the American Civil War

Battle of Fort Sumter in the American Civil War The Battle of Fort Sumter was fought April 12-14, 1861, and was the opening engagement of the American Civil War. In the wake of President Abraham Lincolns election in November 1860, the state of South Carolina began debating secession. On December 20, a vote was taken in which the state decided to leave the Union. Over the next several weeks, South Carolinas lead was followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. As each state left, local forces began seizing federal installations and property. Among those military installations to hold out were Forts Sumter and Pickens in Charleston, SC and Pensacola, FL. Concerned that aggressive action could lead the remaining slave states to secede, President James Buchanan elected not to resist the seizures.   Situation in Charleston In Charleston, the Union garrison was led by Major Robert Anderson. A capable officer, Anderson was a protà ©gà © of General Winfield Scott, the noted Mexican-American War commander. Placed in command of the Charleston defenses on November 15,1860, Anderson was a native of Kentucky who had formerly owned slaves. In addition to his even temperament and skills as an officer, the administration hoped his appointment would be viewed as a diplomatic gesture. Arriving as his new post, Anderson immediately faced heavy pressure from the local community as he attempted to improve the Charleston fortifications. Based at Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island, Anderson was dissatisfied with its landward defenses which had been compromised by sand dunes.   Nearly as tall as the forts walls, the dunes could have facilitated any potential attack on the post. Moving to have the dunes cleared away, Anderson quickly came under fire from the Charleston newspapers and was criticized by city leaders. Forces and Commanders Union Major Robert Anderson85 men Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T. BeauregardAbout 500 men A Near Siege As the final weeks of the fall progressed, tensions in Charleston continued to rise and the garrison of the harbor forts was increasingly isolated. Additionally, the South Carolina authorities placed picket boats in the harbor to observe the activities of the soldiers. With the secession of South Carolina on December 20, the situation facing Anderson grew more grave. On December 26, feeling that his men would not be safe if they remained at Fort Moultrie, Anderson ordered them to spike its guns and burn the carriages. This done, he embarked his men in boats and directed them to sail out to Fort Sumter. Located on a sand bar at the mouth of the harbor, Fort Sumter was believed to be one of the strongest fortresses in the world. Designed to house 650 men and 135 guns, construction of Fort Sumter had begun 1827 and was still not complete. Andersons actions enraged Governor Francis W. Pickens who believed that Buchanan had promised that Fort Sumter would not be occupied. In actuality, Buchanan had made no such promise and had always carefully crafted his correspondence with Pickens to allow maximum flexibility of action in regard to the Charleston harbor forts. From Andersons standpoint, he was simply following orders from Secretary of War John B. Floyd which instructed him to shift his garrison to whichever fort you may deem most proper to increase its power of resistance should fighting commence. Despite this, the leadership of South Carolina viewed Andersons actions to be a breach of faith and demanded that he turn over the fort. Refusing, Anderson and his garrison settled in for what essentially became a siege. Resupply Attempts Fail In an effort to resupply Fort Sumter, Buchanan ordered the ship Star of the West to proceed to Charleston. On January 9, 1861, the ship was fired upon by Confederate batteries, manned by cadets from the Citadel, as it attempted to enter the harbor. Turning to depart, it was hit by two shells from Fort Moultrie before escaping. As Andersons men held the fort through February and March, the new Confederate government in Montgomery, AL debated how to handle the situation. In March, newly elected Confederate President Jefferson Davis placed Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard in charge of the siege. Working to improve his forces, Beauregard conducted drills and training to teach the South Carolina militia how to operate the guns in the other harbor forts. On April 4, having learned that Anderson only had food to last until the fifteenth, Lincoln ordered a relief expedition assembled with an escort provided by the US Navy. In an attempt to ease tensions, Lincoln contacted South Carolina Governor Francis W. Pickens two days later and informed him of the effort. Lincoln stressed that as long as the relief expedition was allowed to proceed, only food would be delivered, however, if attacked, efforts would be made to reinforce the fort. In response, the Confederate government decided to open fire on the fort with the goal of forcing its surrender before the Union fleet could arrive. Alerting Beauregard, he dispatched a delegation to the fort on April 11 to again demand its surrender. Refused, further discussions after midnight failed to resolve the situation. Around 3:20 a.m. on April 12, Confederate authorities alerted Anderson that they would open fire in one hour. The Civil War Begins At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, a single mortar round fired by Lieutenant Henry S. Farley burst over Fort Sumter signaling the other harbor forts to open fire. Anderson did not reply until 7:00 when Captain Abner Doubleday fired the first shot for the Union. Low on food and ammunition, Anderson endeavored to protect his men and minimize their exposure to danger. As a result, he restricted them to only using the forts lower, casemated guns which were not situated to effectively damage the other harbor forts. Bombarded for thirty-four hours, Fort Sumters officers quarters caught on fire and its main flag pole was felled. While Union troops were rigging a new pole, the Confederates dispatched a delegation to inquire if the fort was surrendering. With his ammunition almost exhausted, Anderson agreed to a truce at 2:00 PM on April 13. Prior to evacuating, Anderson was permitted to fire a 100-gun salute to the US flag. During this salute a pile of cartridges caught fire and exploded, killing Private Daniel Hough and mortally wounding Private Edward Galloway. The two men were the only fatalities to occur during the bombardment. Surrendering the fort at 2:30 p.m. on April 14, Andersons men were later transported to the relief squadron, then offshore, and placed aboard the steamer Baltic. Aftermath of the Battle Union losses in the battle numbered two killed and the loss of the fort while the Confederates reported four wounded. The bombardment of Fort Sumter was the opening battle of the Civil War and launched the nation into four years of bloody fighting. Anderson returned north and toured as a national hero. During the war, several attempts were made to recapture the fort with no success. Union forces finally took possession of the fort after Major General William T. Shermans troops captured Charleston in February 1865. On April 14, 1865, Anderson returned to the fort to re-hoist the flag he had been forced to lower four years earlier.

Impact of the introduction of sound and style in classical Hollywood cinema

Impact of the introduction of sound and style in classical Hollywood cinema A good number of inventions noted that a sequence of individual immobile pictures set into movement created the delusion of motion. This concept came to be known as the persistence of vision. A British physician named Peter Mark Roget in the early years of the 1800s first noted the phenomenon1.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of the introduction of sound and style in classical Hollywood cinema specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was the revolutionary step in the growth of the cinema. Before this, many innovations related to motion and vision had been developed. These were the precursors to the origin of the motion picture industry. This essay outlines the history of the film industry through the centuries. A lot of emphasis will be paid to the era when sound was incorporated in the film industry. The impact of the introduction of sound to the film industry will also be discussed with specific reference to two Hollywood classic movies. As mentioned above, the infancy of the film industry was preceded by a number of technologies. One of them was the magic lantern. Athanisius Kircher in Rome invented this device in the 17th century. It could project images using a simple light source. In 1824, the Thaumatrope was invented. It was the most basic adaptation of an optical illusion toy that used the notion of persistence of vision. An English doctor called John Ayrton Paris invented the device2. In 1831, Michael Faraday, a British scientist, discovered the law of electromagnetic induction. This principle was deployed in the generation of electricity to power motors and other equipment including film machines. In the following year, Joseph Blaeau, a Belgian, invented the Fantascope, also referred to as the Phenakistiscope or, simply put, the spindle viewer. The device was used to reproduce sound. A succession of distinct depicting pictures stages of an action was set around the peripheries of a slotted disk. The spectator would view the pictures through slots3. Two years after this discovery, another stroboscopic device called the Daedalum or Zoetrope (as it came to be named in 1967) was invented. This was courtesy of a British inventor called William George Horner. The device was a hollow, rotating cylinder or drum. It had a crank with a strip having a series of pictures, drawings and paintings in progression. The images were in the interior surface. A spectator would view the pictures in ‘motion’ through slim slits. Five years following this discovery saw of yet another milestone invention in the film industry. This was the invention of still photography4.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was followed by the development of the pioneering commercially viable daguerreotype. The latter was a way of capturing pictures on silvered, copper-metal p lates. As the name suggests, the invention was courtesy of Frenchman Louis –Jacqueds-Mande Daguerre. This innovation was followed by that of the British inventor William Henry Fox Talbot. The latter was calotype, a process by which negative photographs would be printed on high-quality paper. In 1861, Philadelphian Coleman Sellers invented the Kinematoscope. This was an enhanced rotating needle paddle machine. It was used for viewing a sequence of stereoscopic immobile pictures on glass plates. After this invention, the film industry experience six years of silence in terms of new inventions and innovations5. However, John Wesley Hyatt broke this silence in 1869 when he developed the celluloid. This provided a basis for photographic film. In the following year, Henry Renno Heyll, a Philadelphian came up with the first exhibition of the Phansmotrope. The device was used to show a quick series of immobile or posed photographs of dancers, giving the chimera of movement. Seven yea rs later, Frenchman Charles Emile Reynaud invented the Praxinoscope. This projector equipment had a mirrored drum, which created the delusion of motion with picture strips hence serving as an improved edition of the Zoetrope. By the onset of the1890s, Reynaud’s Parisian Theatre Optique was making public shows with screenings of 15-minute ’movies’. This precursor era also saw the invention of the incandescent light bulb that was used for film projectors. This occurred in 1879 courtesy of Thomas Alva Edison6. As the 19th century ended, Eadweard Muybridge, a pioneering British photographer and inventor became renowned for his photographic locomotion studies. This is because, in 1870, he had experimented with recordings of a galloping horse at a Californian racetrack. In 1878, he conducted a chronophotography experiment by use of many cameras recording horse’s gallops. This ascertained that all the horse’s feet are off the ground at the same time. In 1 879, Muybridge invented the Zoopraxiscope, also referred to as the wheel of life. This was a primitive motion picture projector machine, which also created the delusion of motion by projecting images onto a screen from photos on a revolving glass disc7. All the developments discussed above only succeeded in providing eye-fooling animations. Genuine motion pictures were a phenomenon only possible with the development of the film. This supple and clear celluloid could record pictures at a very high speed. The pioneer in this field was a Parisian innovator and psychologist called Etienne-Jules Marey in the 1880s. This Parisian came up with a camera capable of taking many photographs at a go. Contrary to Muybridge’s device, this new equipment could many images on the same camera plate. His experiment is also associated with the coined terminology of ‘shooting a video’8.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of the introduction of sound and style in classical Hollywood cinema specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The experiments of Muybridge and Marie laid the base for the development of the motion picture cameras, projectors and transparent celluloid film hence the cinema was born. In the last years of the 1880s, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison and his British assistant William Kennedy Laurie Dickson endeavored to create a device that could record movement on film and another for watching the film. In 1890, Dickson cake up with a primitive, camera able to take photographs of moving in motion. The device was named a Kinetograph. It captured motion with a harmonized shutter and sprocket system able to wind the film through the camera with the aid of an electric motor. This innovation led to the birth of the US cinema. The world’s first film production studio, the Black Maria was also developed from this invention9. Edison and Dickson innovations prompted a series of other inventions in the film industry. The most notably were from Charles Francis Jenkins. He endeavored to show pictures in motion to large groups of people. As such, he invented the first film projector called the Phantoscope10. Concurrently in France, two brothers, the Lumieres, invented the cinematograph. This was a portable camera, printer and projector. One striking characteristic of the films produced during this period was that they were very short. They were usually under a minute long and showed only a single scene. The scene was drawn from either authentic or staged representing every day life. Cinematique technique was less applied since there was even no editing11. Nevertheless, the progress was enough to catapult the industry to new heights for the century that followed. Before discussing the introduction of sound in film production, it is important to note that the first years into the 20th century were a silent era for the film industry. Nevertheless, a number of innovati ons in Cinematique techniques were developed during this silent era. These include animation, film continuity, crosscutting between parallel actions, and point of view shots. Others included reverse-angle cutting, intertitles and flashback12. Nevertheless, none of these developments could be paralleled to the impact that was brought in by the introduction of sound technology in the film industry.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although there were experiments on sound technology in the silent era, it was difficult to overcome the challenges of accurate synchronization and amplification at that time. The year 1926 saw the introduction of the Vitaphone system in Hollywood studio by Warner Brothers. This device added sound effects to film recordings. In the following year, Warner Bros released the first film, The Jazz Singer, having a synchronized dialogue and singing13. The Jazz Singer is one of the Hollywood classic films that will be used to show the impact brought about by the introduction of sound technology. Despite been a pioneer in the field, the idea of incorporating sound in film was not a new phenomenon. This is because Charles Taze Russell had attempted it in 1914 in his long film, The Photo-Drama of Creation. The film showed pictures in motion harmonized with sound14. Before embarking on the impact of sound technology, it would be paramount to note what had delayed the introduction of this much-n eeded innovation. The invention of the introduction of sound technology in film production was stalled by a number of factors. This led to motion pictures and sound recording parting ways for almost a generation. As hinted earlier, one of the major problems that delayed the introduction of sound technology was the synchronization challenge15. This was occasioned by the fact that pictures and sound were recorded and played back by two distinct devices. This made it difficult to start and sustain in cycle. Another challenge was the issue of adequate playback volume. This was stalled due to lack of amplification systems. The last barrier to the introduction of sound technology in the film industry was recording reliability. The primitive technologies produced low quality sound. This imposed boundaries on the kind of films that could be produced with live-recorded sound16. To counter the above challenges, and especially the synchronization huddle, cinematic innovators tried a number of ways. The prime one was the introduction of the sound-on-film technology to replace the sound-on-disc one that existed. The former was superior to the later in several ways. This is because sound-on-disc technology had a myriad of limitations. To begin with, due to the unreliability of their interlock system, sound would fall out of synch, a fact occasioned by disc skipping or small alterations in film speed. This, therefore, called for regular supervision and numerous manual adjustments. Another limitation of the sound-on-disc technology was the fact that discs could not be directly edited. This greatly limited the ability to make changes in the complementary films after the original release cut17. To add on, phonograph discs, increased expenses and complications in film production and, hence, were making the process dear and time consuming. Lastly, the discs needed replacement after a number of screenings due to tear and wear. Nevertheless, the first years of the introduction of s ound technology in films saw the sound-on-disc technology have an edge over its counterpart18. This was because it was relatively cheap to record music onto film. In addition, the central exhibition devices were easy to manufacture and acquire when compared to the sophisticated image-and-audio equipment, which was a prerequisite of the sound-on-film technology era. After the introduction of the sound-on-disc and sound-on-film technology, the innovation that followed was the fidelity electronic recording and amplification19. This was a blend of the two technologies. It was pioneered by AT T’S Western Electric manufacturing section. By 1925, the company rolled out a new sound system that had microphones and rubber-line recorders. There is no doubt that the introduction of sound technology had far-reaching implications to the art and production of films as well as to the industry at large. The impact was both short term and long term. In the short term, it led an increase in ea rnings for the movie houses. For instance, The Jazz Singer, Warner Bros released, on 6 October 1927, their premier talkie earning a total of $2.65 million in the US and elsewhere20. This was almost a million dollars higher than what the company had earned fro a preceding film in the silent era. Another film that shows that the sound technology brought good tidings to the industry was Lights of New York. The film, also produced by the same company, earned a gross of $ 1.2 million compared to a $23000 budget they spent in its production21. This kind of profits was occasioned by a surge in terms of sales as moviegoers. The introduction of sound technology in film production also affected other factors and in particular, labor. Those artists that did not have stage voices were dismissed as susceptible to the reception of the film. The contrary was also true. The latter case can be used to explain the success of The Jazz Trailer. Although the film was not sound synchronized, the few ins tances where Al Jason, who was already famous as one of the America’s biggest music stars, starred made the film a hit. As such, sound technology meant doom for those actors whose stage experience was not up to the Hollywood standards. This was the case to a number of stars like Norma Talmadge, Emil Jannings and John Gilbert22. In conclusion, though the introduction of sound technology may have seemed inevitable, it was not received warmheartedly from all corners. The innovation was perceived as a destruction of the initial purpose of art. In addition, the technology imposed a limitation to the deaf who felt separated fro the rest of the audience. Despite this criticism, there is more than meets the eye in the film industry today that has its origin in the silent era and the talkie’s era as well. If the number, of movie houses sprouting in every corner of the world is anything to go by, there is no doubt that the world owes much to the cinema innovators and especially those who came up with the incorporation of sound technology than blunt criticism. Bibliography Altman, R, Silent Film Sound, Columbia University Press, New York, 2005. Bordwell, D â€Å"The Introduction of Sound,† chap. in Bordwell, Janet Staiger, and Kristin T, The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style Mode of Production to 1960, Columbia University Press, New York, 1985, pp.298-308. Braun, M, Picturing Time: The Work of Etienne-Jules Marey (1830–1904) University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1992. Chapman, J, Cinemas of the World: Film and Society from 1895 to the Present. Reaktion Book, London, 2003. Cousins, M, The Story of Film: A Worldwide History, Thunders Mouth press, New York, 2006. Crafton, D, The Talkies: American Cinemas Transition to Sound, 1926–1931. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1997. Dirks, T. Filmsite. The history of Film.  https://www.filmsite.org/pre20sintro.html. Eyman, S The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926†“1930, Simon Schuster, New York, 1997. Finler, JW, The Hollywood Story, (3d ed) Wallflower, London and New York, 2003. Geduld, HM, The Birth of the Talkies: From Edison to Jolson. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1975. Gomery, D â€Å"The Coming of Sound: Technological Change in the American Film Industry, in Technology and Culture- The Film Reader (2005), ed. Andrew Utterson, pp. 53–67.: Routledge/Taylor Francis, Oxford and New York, 1985. Hirschhorn, C, The Warner Bros. Story. Crown, New York, 1979. King, G, New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction, Columbia University Press, New York, 2002. Morton, D, Sound Recording, The Life Story of a Technology, Baltimore, 2006. Robertson, Film Facts, Billboard Books, New York, 2001. Robinson, D, From Peepshow to Palace: The Birth of American Film. Columbia University Press, New York, 1997. Sponable, EI Historical Development of Sound Films,† Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, vol. 48, nos. 4–5, Ap ril/May, 1947. Footnotes 1 P Robertson, 2001. Film Facts. (New York: Billboard Books).p.6. 2 T Dirks, Filmsite. The history of Film. 3 J Chapman, 2003, Cinemas of the World: Film and Society from 1895 to the Present. (London: Reaktion Book). p. 12. 4 Dicks, p.1 5 HM, Geduld, 1975, The Birth of the Talkies: From Edison to Jolson. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press) pp. 12-17 6 Geduld, p. 7 7 D, Bordwell, 1985, The Introduction of Sound,† chap. in Bordwell, Janet Staiger, and Kristin Thompson, The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style Mode of Production to 1960, (Columbia University Press: New York) pp. 298-308 8 M, Braun (1992). Picturing Time: The Work of Etienne-Jules Marey (1830–1904) (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), p. 7 9 R, David ,1997, From Peepshow to Palace: The Birth of American Film.(New York: Columbia University Press) p. 23 10 David, p. 27 11 Ibid 12 R, Altman, 2005, Silent Film Sound, (New York: Columbia University Press) p.45 13 C, Hirschhorn, 1979, The Warner Bros. Story. (New York: Crown) p. 12 1414. EI, Sponable ,1947, Historical Development of Sound Films,† Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, vol. 48, nos.4–5, April/May 15 D, Morton, 2006, Sound Recording: The Life Story of a Technology. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press) pp. 32-35 16 D, Gomery, Douglas,1985, The Coming of Sound: Technological Change in the American Film Industry, in Technology and Culture- The Film Reader (2005), ed. Andrew Utterson, pp. 53–67.( Oxford and New York: Routledge/Taylor Francis) pp. 53-67 17 S, Eyman, 1997,The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926–1930.( New York: Simon Schuster) p. 67 18 Ibid 19 D, Bordwel,1985, The Introduction of Sound,† chap. in Bordwell, Janet Staiger, and Kristin Thompson, The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style Mode of Production to 1960, ( New York: Columbia University Press) pp. 298-308 20 G, King, 2002, New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction. (New York: Columbia University Press) p. 29 21 D, Crafton, 1997, The Talkies: American Cinemas Transition to Sound, 1926–1931. (New York: Charles Scribners Sons) p. 56 22 JW, Finler,2003, The Hollywood Story, 3d ed.(London and New York: Wallflower) p. 12

Week8 cal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week8 cal - Essay Example nts with regard to carrying out research internally or externally, and also how related matters or politics within the organisation could best be managed. Various types of organisational politics were discussed. I learnt about PAR i.e participatory action research, and about grounded research i.e. research where data is collected and then a theory developed, rather than the more usual creation of a hypothesis in the first instance. Research ethics was considered both from the reciprocity point of view i.e where researchers and those under consideration could both benefit, and also from a safety/informed consent/confidentiality view point. Bell and Bryman, (2007) stated that ethics should not just be a check list to be completed, but an aspirational part of research design. The members of my learning set helped me on the subject of research being emancipatory, that is free from imposed constraints, or not. The main features of PAR are diversity, case orientation, collaboration, the linking of social action to scientific knowledge, eclecticism, using local knowledge and the emergent process. In my particular situation it is collaboration between the various sectors within the company which needs to be improved and this will require the participation and intervention of top management. Zuber-Skerritt and Perry in 2002 made suggestions as to how to both connect, and at the same time differentiate, between the theories behind a piece of research and the pragmatic actions required. I will be able to follow their advice during the preparation for my thesis. My major concern is improving the motivation levels of employees as I stated earlier. The creation of knowledge and its dissemination are improving. There are employees who have come gradually to understand the importance of this, but others remain seemingly overly concerned about their job security, feeling that if lots of information is created and shared around this could place their further employment in

Pornography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pornography - Research Paper Example According to the research paper "Pornography" findings, it is important to understand that various groups in the community have considered pornography as an example of a substance that promotes sexual immorality. On this basis, there have been attempts to censor the production of pornographic materials, as well as providing legal restraints against their production, as well as publication. However, Johansson and Nils (60) explains that due to the different definitions of pornography, based on the national, historical, as well as cultural contexts, this aspect of pornography has thrived. Furthermore, in the 20th century, there was the development of social attitudes that are more tolerant to presentation and discussions of sex and its related factors. This increased the development of pornography, mainly because many countries started relaxing laws regarding the production and publication of pornographic materials. Furthermore, Johansson and Nils (61) explains that the development of the internet and the home video made it possible for a boom in the global pornographic industry, and this helps in generating billions of dollars in a year. McKee (36) denotes that in the mentioned movie, the female character has been used as a depiction of pornography. In this movie, Bettie, a female character is used to pose for nude pictures, and photographs, for pornographic magazines, and studios. McKee (38) explains that in most pornographic materials, women are always depicted as sex symbols and objects. This results in the destruction of the virtues of the women under consideration. This is clearly depicted in the movie, whereby Bettie Page is unable to find friends, because of a bad name.

Strategic Management at Mercedes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic Management at Mercedes - Assignment Example From this discussion it is clear that Mercedes has been a promising company, the occurrence of such an event was not a good thing to it. It was a very unfortunate event that if not properly handled, could become disastrous and dangerous for the success of the company. Rather than damaging the reputation of the flourishing company, it would bring financial losses that might be hard to bear. This is because a lot of resources will have to be used for compensation and reparations.   At the same time, the event would end up affecting the larger automobile industry which has been rocked with such recalls in the recent past. For this reason, it is incumbent upon the management to come up with practical and relevant strategies to deal with it.As the report highlights  Most importantly, the company, through its spokesman Donna Boland engaged in a serious strategic communication exercise. As a professional, Donna used his skills to appeal to the public to bear with the company because the problem was not intended, but had occurred as a result of unavoidable oversights in the technical department.  Just like Mercedes, all companies need to be cautious and be ready to know what happens to them failure to which, they might suffer a great deal.  Environmental analysis should always be considered as an important activity for all business organizations. These are important lessons that make these articles to be invaluable for anyone who wants to have an insight on strategic management.

The Sonoco Products Company Business Essay

The Sonoco Products Company Business Essay The analysis of this case study is about Sonoco Products Company, a leading manufacturer of industrial and consumer packaging. The company was adversely affected by the financial crisis in the mid 1990s. Due to the financial crisis companies sales came down by 6% during the period from 1995 to 1999. The company re designed its strategy towards industrial packaging industry which brought them the growth through large no of acquisitions. Companys strategies and the working systems changed drastically due to the impact had with the changes happened considering the needs of the consumers. Due to the notable outcomes of globalization Sonoco also felt the high competitiveness in the industry, uncertainty of jobs of employees and innovations in products which had them think of other avenues to improve on. Further the shareholders of the company also called for a new strategic HR approach in order to increase effectiveness, acquire new set of skills and competencies and HR has to be a more s trategic business partner. At the initial stage company made a hit back on to these external challenges by changing the paternalistic culture (which ensured jobs for life and allowed the underperformers to stay in the company ) and also through tightening the performance management system and transforming HR into a more proactive and strategic function changing many HR policies and processes. Due to the changes occurred in the company they had the privilege of making a more integrated marketing approach which reflected the demanding needs of the end consumer. Further, during tough economic conditions, organisations must continually improve their performance by reducing costs, innovating products, improving quality, productivity and speed to the market in order to enhance the organisational performance. (Becker Gerhart, 1996). Thereafter the Sonoco Company improved and they started reviewing their procedures and internal structures without being product oriented in order to gain maximum competitive advantage in the industry. The major changing point of Sonoco was the appointment of their Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Cindy Hartley. She changed the whole Human Resources system with some radical and significant changes which were studded into the firm as highly decentralized and which was not consistent at all. They believed the HR as a strictly back room operation (Sonoco Products case study). Traditionally Human resources function was viewed as a cost to be minimised (Becker and Gerhart, 1996). Initially Hartley discovered that most of the sections or the departments had their own way of doing things. The corporate human resources had very little work to do in the company as a whole, they were another mere department in the organisation which had little influencing power and authority. The main objective of taking Cindy Hartley was to streamline the Human resources function of Sonoco, in order to achieve the goals of creating competitive advantage, to promote best internal practices and reduc e the duplication of work. She was identified as the Change Maker of the firm (Sonoco Products case study). The change makers were interventionists with a strategic agenda focused on both the hard realities of business performance and the softer HR interventions designed to enhance employee commitment and motivation. It was this new role that perhaps most clearly differentiated HRM from traditional personnel management (Guest, 1987, pp. 505-9; Storey, 1992, p. 180). Under the leadership and guidance of Hartley, Sonoco had the luxury of changing its strategy focusing mainly on three areas such as performance management which will directly reflect the contributions made by the employees. She stressed the importance of this as performance management and compensation were HR fundamentals (Sonoco Case Study, p5). Thereafter Hartley focus was on Sonocos talent development and management system in order to refine employees skills and to identify and develop deficient skills. Final was the succession planning that needed to be integrated into business as usual in order to identify and prepare the next generation of leaders. (Sonoco Case Study, p4) Two business models were presented by Hartley to the Sonoco Companys executive committee. One was a centralised model which will target, in reducing the cost of administration and increase process improvements in order to gain a $3.1million worth of savings for the company. In this model most of the HR services will be handled by four centres of expertise. The main disadvantages of implementing this model was restricting opportunities to align directly with individual businesses needs and interests would make other objectives more complicated. (Sonoco Case Study, p6) Second option was the hybrid model where the divisions of the firm would retain some direct involvement in staffing, succession planning, personnel programmes, compensation and benefits. The main advantage of this model was that it would leave intact a divisional HR presence on which GMs could rely on, where by creating a strategic link between corporate HR functions and the businesses (Sonoco Case Study page 6). This model would generate savings of $2.7million for the Sonoco Company. The main question that arose in implementing this model was whether the changes could be effectively driven across the company. More changes were seen in Sonoco since the appointment of Harris DeLoach, Sonocos new Chief Executive Officer. His main ambition was to implement a new business model that would generate a significant growth in the company as well as it will reduce the functional cost which will keep the company more globally competitive among the other firms in the industry. The new model must also reduce the functions costs by 20% or by $ 2.8 Million (Sonoco Case Study page 1). Further, DeLoach gave the task to Hartley with devising two alternative organisational structures for HR that would cost less and support three ambitious objectives, Firstly to increase General Managers (GM) accountability for talent management, Secondly to distribute HR talent and support more evenly across the companys divisions and make HR systems and processes consistent and Finally to optimise HRs ability to provide customised , strategic support to the GMs business (Sonoco Case Study page 1). Also he made the objective s clear saying You can have the best strategy in the world but if you dont have effective execution by people, its going to fail. Thereafter Hartley focused on the two models described and Both of Hartleys alternatives are improvements in the structure of the firm which will change the traditional way of working at Sonoco. Due to these changes the most important change was the high involvement of human resouses personal in the areas which were handled mostly by the GMs. Therefore, the human resourses fulfilled their objective of controlling HR functions in the firms divisions. Further, its understanded that most of the advantages of the centralise solution are disadvantages of the hybrid one vice versa. Due to this one can argued that the centralized model is more suitable for short term progress, since it can help the firm to reduce more than the expected cost cut of 20% which was the wish of CEO, DeLoachs. However, it implies potential dangers for future operation in longer term. In the other hand this morel (centralize) is not that flexible in nature and also not suitable to implement as it will make a consi derable change in the structure of the difficult in a highly challenging market. In addition other disadvantage is that the restriction of opportunities to directly align individual businesses needs and demands, which would make other objectives of Sonoco more difficult. In terms of hybrid model, on the other hand looks like not attractive which is not meeting the requirement of expense deduction and may lead to redundancy mainly due to large set of HR personnel being involved, which will lead to an additional expense to the firm. However, if you take the two models the difference in budget is not that significant at all. Its Just $100,000 where less than 5% as a whole. But in the hybrid model, the potential for longer term is much better than the centralized model. Sonoco will also feel higher flexibility and can adjust to the change of market easier. Also Sonoco operates in 32 countries with different sets of cultural dimensions (Hofstede, 2010). Further, in the hybrid structure, with the feature of decentralization, which will help the company to be more flexible in terms of implementing HR activities which are suitable for each country or territory and by selecting hybrid model cultural conflicts will be minimised. Due to those reasons and also by compairing the advantages and disadvantages, the hybrid model seems to be a better option for Sonoco rather than the centralized structure. In implementing either of these models would have a bigger impact and risk involved to the firm but given CEOs main objective of making best use of employees, the most suitable choice seems to be the hybrid model. After the arrival of Hartley, Sonoco implemented a new performance management system and where individuals are accountable for their failures. Accordingly, Performance Management is a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance (Armstrong and Baron, 2004). Furthermore, performance management makes a culture in the firm where employees as individuals and also as teams take responsibilities for the continuous improvement of business processes and of their own skills, behaviours and contributions (CIPD, 2011). Therefore, Hartley changed the working culture of Sonoco by bringing in a new HR system. Sonoco made the Setting up the new system was mainly due to achieving of organisational objectives and targets, with individual performance metrics in line with the corporate targets. The targets set out by Sonoco can be measured using number of performance management tools such as, 360degree feedb ack, learning and development , performance appraisal, setting performance objectives and performance related pay like wise. Major changes were injected into the Sonoco company. After the introduction of the cyclical model to the firm, it ensured that individual performance objectives and the targets will reflect the organisational goals of the business. Further, in this senario Supervisors and the employees will agree on personal objectives and targets during the performance appraisals. Thereafter the targets will be measured considering their divisional targets. If you take as an example, in division one, each plant manager would have a set of metrics like quality, customer returns ,plant profit, machine downtime and safety. In division two, metrics might be on scrap reduction and to drive productivity (Sonoco Case Study Page 5). Sonoco case study stresses the importance in the foundations of performance management of motivation theory, especially goal setting and expectancy theory. The acceptance of goals by employees and the increasing of difficulty levels of such goals can lead to increased motivation and performance (Locke Latham, 1984). Further several HR tools were used by Sonoco to drive employee and organisational performance which was MBO. This is a goal orientated management tool in which managers and employees come together to agree upon a set of objectives to contribute to organisational performance, Drucker (1954). Additionally in this system individual employees development needs and personal training and development schedule will be agreed upon. (Sonoco Case Study Page 5). Further, Sonocos changed the previous eighteen salary grades and it was changed into a very simple and easy system of five salary bands in order to enhance managerial flexibility in differentiating among employees and awarding merit increases (Sonoco Case Study Page 5) These changes were implemented by Hartley in the new performance management system at Sonoco Products also stressed the importance of an universal compensation system within the firm. Also with the implementation of performance related pay system, it gave an incentive for the high performing individuals at Sonoco Products. The main objective of this was to benefit or reward to individual contributions while within the market guidelines (Sonoco Case Study Page 5). Further, apart from the individual financial benefits, they also permitted managers at Sonoco to think of the contributions that the employees are making in order achieve the desired business objectives (Sonoco Base Study Page 5). Nevertheless, in order to be successful, effective arrangements must be in place to define measure, appraise and manage performance (CIPD, 2011). As mentioned in the case study, reward or compensation strategies has to be divided into both intrinsic rewards and extrinsic rewards. It is very important for Sonoco to implement a variety of compensation strategies, not only focusing on performance related pay where it will help the firm in order meet employee and organisational performance objectives successfully. Due to the new performance management system, Sonoco Company is experiencing some radical changes in its firm currently. Its notable to say that the firm needs more changes or improvements in order to sustain in the competition with the others in the global market. In terms of improvements Sonoco needs attention in the areas of talent management and succession planning for them to get the best in terms of growth. More importantly hybrid model has to be developed and implemented successfully for the firm to get the intended growth and the reducing of cost. Therefore in order to gain the expected organisational performance, engagement with the GMs and line managers has to be strengthened. , Engaged employees have a sense of personal attachment to their work and organisation; they are motivated and able to give of their best to help it succeed and from that flows a series of tangible benefits for organisation and individual alike (MacLeod Clarke 2009). Further its important that Hartl ey interact with the entire workforce rather than engaged only with the managers to get the best out of the employees. Because, in reality without a motivated and engaged workforce, whatever the best HRM practices used you cant generate a high performing culture. Therefore the importance of employee engagement is a vital factor in a high performance culture within the workplace. It is important for organisations to implement a thorough and inclusive policy of employee engagement to create a high performance culture. Reflection and summary By learning The Managing Human Resources module has provided me a very strong foundation and useful insight into the key components and practices which are in the world of Human Resources. It gave me a total understanding of both the techniques and theory behind some of the critical themes within HR. Also it gave me a competitive advantage over some of my colleagues who do not possess a HR related qualification. I believe that it is very important for any future leader to obtain a comprehensive programme of study that relates to the field of HRM as it has demonstrated how important the HR function is in contributing to both organisational and employee performance. This module has certainly enhanced my performance as it has enhanced my knowledge on HR, improved my critical analysis skills, enriched my knowledge of both soft and hard HRM models and also improved my verbal dialogue by having some useful, interesting, stimulating, debating sessions during seminars. Further, it has also i nformed my judgement on how important employee participation is to the success of the organisation. Engaging with employees is a crucial component in generating a high performing culture. It is this concept that has influenced my analysis of the Sonoco case study, as HRM practices and models cannot be successfully implemented without a motivated and engaged workforce. In my personal view, the HRM module, at first, stresses the importance of managing people which I have to do when running a business of my own or working for a firm. Unlike financial management, inventory management etc., in HRM I should not rely on machine or outsourcing but to act flexibly on my own, especially when dealing with skilful and knowledgeable employees. However, thanks to HRM module, I will know how to choose and apply best HR models on their organizations.HRM will help me to identify potential strengths and weaknesses of staffs. A variety HR tools can provide a comprehensive understanding about peoples c apabilities and desires etc. in order to provide them with suitable environments, and through this, fully exploit their contributions. Moreover, to have best use of staffs, I will know how apply development methods to increase their productivity. An organization is more a community than a group of separated persons. Through researching organizational behaviour, I can be aware of relations and interactions among all staffs. Organizational behaviour is not only for providing necessary skills training, but also for allocating people in teams in order to achieve their synergy. Compensation and reward management, in connection with performance management, help me to comprehend the working motivation and know how to promote it for the benefit of both employees and organization. Finally, I believe that this module has provided me with the foundations of becoming a future leader in my organisation.

The Mystery :: Creative Writing Examples

The Mystery â€Å"Ring . . . Ring† screamed the phone. â€Å"Damn who could that be . . . its almost seven a.m. on a Saturday . . . . hold on Allison it will only take a minute . . . Hello?† detective Pat said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Hey sorry Sergeant McGurn but we need you to come down to the station as soon as possible . . . there's more trouble over at Gibbons. Meet me there.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hey sugar I have to go down to Gibbons there's more trouble, do you need a ride someplace?† said the exasperated homicide detective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It's always something with you Pat . . . every time I come over you either get called in or you're so drunk that you can't even remember who I am . . . It's over Pat!† and then she left.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Come on car . . . Please work . . . Just this once . . . There you go. No matter what anyone says your the best three tone Buick I've ever had.† See he was a real cheap skate, spent all his money on St. Ides and Old English 64oz.ers. He was always borrowing money too. He still owes me seven hundred ninety eight dollars and ninety five cents, plus tax. For a Harvard graduate he sure is a wash up. The only thing he could afford to drive was the car the police station gave him. It was a 1986 Buick with a green trunk, maroon body, and a navy blue hood. The thing took about three minutes to start and another five to warm up, and that was in the summer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ten minutes later he showed up at my desk. I could still smell her perfume on him. He looked terrible, like usual, man he was such a good guy, but he didn't have a lucky bone in his body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"So what's up now Steve? . . . another vending machine robbery . . . more scuff marks?† Pat looked like a detective, you know what I mean, the way the detectives looked in those old movies. He had a bad suit on, with a tie loosened and hanging down and his shirt opened up, and he usually was sleeping at his desk with the light dimmed and his feet up. The hat he had on looked like it had really been worn by a detective out of an old movie, it was all dirty and had a fold like somebody sat on it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"No not this time Pat . . . Its a little worse .