Social Media Academic Essay

English 1020 October 31 2011 Menial Media: Employees Waste Hours of Time on the Internet Many people agree that social networking in the workplace is just asking for disaster and loss of productivity. Having different types of social networks in the workplace could also lead to uncomfortable situations between coworkers that could be bad for business. However, some disagree and believe that these sites can bring coworkers closer together. Not only do they believe it would bring coworkers together, they also say that this could increase business due to the ‘family-like' style that the given office has.Although this may be true in some cases, studies show that the majority of the time, social networking is one of the downfalls of a company because of websites such as Wiki Links, Facebook and Twitter that cause disturbances in the workplace and may even cause some of the company's private information to be leaked. Because social networking sites are such a distraction and cause ti me to be taken away from productivity, they should be banned from the workplace for employees. Bringing social networking into the workplace is sometimes risky for one who is applying to get a job.Employers can research future prospects and see what their online life is like. Although a person may not be able to be completely understood solely by their social networking site, an employer might judge them based off of it. For example, had someone had a picture of themselves tagged online for the public to see, an employer might deem that bad publicity for the company and decide not to hire this person. However, those who apply for jobs have options to set their accounts on private and social networking companies are not held responsible for the material posted. When joining either MySpace or Facebook [or Twitter], the user must agree to the terms of service and to the Web sites privacy policies† (Elzweig and Peeples â€Å"Using Social†). If anything negative happens in t he line of a person not being hired for a job due to a social networking site, that site will not be held accountable. In a few cases this does work out to the benefit of the applier. â€Å"A CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,500 employers, released in August of this year, indicated 35 percent of respondents use social media to promote their companies†(Hunt â€Å"Finders Keepers†).This means that there are endless opportunities for people to find jobs on advertisements of social networking sites. However, a company can also use these sites to see past jobs and responsibilities and check up on their background. Again, this is good for some people, but for others it is a nightmare having to go through their networking site and clear up their information. It is absurd for businesses to meddle in affairs that do not concern them. As long as an employee is doing his job right, then employers should mind their own.Employers who use social networking sites to ‘check u p' or ‘review' their employees are not being considerate to the personal lives of their workers. If, perhaps, an applier has made it past the stage of being handpicked and selected through the unfair means of social networking, he should not be allowed to access his personal networking site during work hours. This is a major distraction that could cause hours of work and productivity to be put off so that employees can update statuses, tweet, and check personal emails. Most business workers admit to spending at least one hour of their work time on a social networking site.Should companies be responsible for paying employees for this hour of free time? Only 10% of business allow their workers to be on social networking sites whenever they please (Schiller â€Å"Employers Crack†). Some argue that these sites are simply ‘mind refreshers' for employees. However, many others make an even more valid point that if a worker really needed a ‘mind refresher', then he should go on a ten minute walk outside: less productivity lost, and much more healthy. Social networking sites cause too much distraction in the workplace and should not be allowed.If the distraction of checking the website a few times a day is not enough, then consider the possibility of cyberfights. Employees upsetting each other over these sites is begging for disaster. Disgruntled employees lead to an unhappy workplace, so why allow the possibility of that to happen? Yes, it could be said that these social networks could lead to a ‘family-like environment', however the possibility for the latter is much more probable. Coworkers disagreeing with each others' personal lives is a major hazard to the stability of the workplace and could potentially lead to an employee being fired or suspended.Embarrassing, childish, and shameful arguments happen over the internet every day. One lawyer speaks,†I don't need the world knowing every time I make a comment [. . . ] there's a l ot that you can do to tweak your settings† (Schaffer â€Å"Online Networking†). What would stop these arguments from happening between coworkers in a workplace? Even ‘friending' coworkers is a potential problem, especially if the operator of the account does not like work or does not like the people at work and forgets the fact that they have been ‘friends'.This occupational hazard could easily be avoided by not allowing social networking sites in the workplace. Social networks are meant for ones personal life; work is not ones personal life, so one shouldn't mix the two. It is a bit of a gray area for most people because they do not know whether they should add coworkers onto their sites or not. Workers should work during work time and play during play time. The two should never be mixed. It is simply unprofessional to have a Facebook page up while at a work desk.There is a right time for everything, and the right time for social networking and communicatin g is for spare time , not working. Social Networking sites waste time and resources for the company. â€Å"If one employee spends one hour of company time on Facebook everyday, it potentially costs his or her employer more than $6,200 per year† (â€Å"Facebook Costs†). This time spent playing on social networking sites is losing businesses money, companies are better off just letting employees go home an hour early without pay while banning social networking sites, than allowing workers to waste this money.Another hazard of allowing personal lives to clash with work lives, is the material that is posted. It is almost too much energy to make sure that the boss cannot see when, â€Å"Called in sick to work- Fishing Day! † is posted as a status. This could end a current career. Once, I worked in a clothing store where a girl called in sick, only to post on twitter a few hours later that she and her friends were having a sleepover. This seems pretty harmless, and al though I did not care, my boss was very upset.She left a memo on the board the next day saying that if people were not going to be smart about what they posted on their social networking sites, then they would be fired. It is also quite a hassle to make sure that no unflattering pictures that shouldn't be seen by a boss, are not seen. â€Å"If an applicant or employee demonstrates a lack of discretion and judgment by posting spring break photos showing himself or herself apparently intoxicated on a [social networking] page, an employer who finds these photos online may consider the photos when deciding [. . . ] to retain the employee† (Baker â€Å"How Far†).Some say that people who are this careless should be fired anyway, but most people are completely forgetful of who they have accepted as their Facebook friend and sometimes just don't think before they post. This scenario could be completely avoided if work and social media were not mixed. The ‘Basic Informati on' section on social networking sites is a factor that could ruin many relationships at work. At work, coworkers probably do not know the entire background detail of many of their colleagues. Easy research could lead to uncalled for prejudices against others.Social networking sites are taken out of context when they are brought to the work place. That is not what they were meant for. Judgmental coworkers may read a fellow workers information and automatically decide not to like them because of the information put. The hasty generalization that is caused by these types of sites are negative because it is hard to get to know someone unless time has been spent with them. Social networking sites allow for the ‘time spent' factor to be taken away and hasty generalization on character to be in place. Even though the benefits of networking are obvious, the process of meeting new people, establishing regular contact and building meaningful relationships, is consistently challengingâ €  (Crappell â€Å"Preparing for Professional†). These sites make it easier to avoid face to face conversation with a person, and just assume that a person is exactly like their online profile. Accidentally talking bad about a ‘friended' colleague on a social networking site might be one of the most horrifying things a worker could do, unless this worker was talking bad about his boss.This isn't considered cyber-fights or cyber-bullying because it was purely an accident, and the gossiped about colleague knows that. For example, posting on Facebook that the man in the cubicle to the right smells bad is not a good idea; especially due to the face that he is bored and on Facebook as well. He sees this and does not want confrontation, so he picks the alternative: The Silent Treatment. Social networking sites cause grown adults to act like children. People argue that this can be prevented by simply paying attention.That, however, doesn't factor in the fact that people for get names every day and could very easily forget the name of the person that sits in the cubicle to the right. Social networking sites are not the places for colleagues to mingle and these sites should definitely not be brought in the workplace if they have the potential to cause this many problems. The viruses that these networks could bring in are often overlooked. Many focus on the loss of productivity, the arguments and the mixture of the office and the home. However, not many workers realize the threats that they could be causing their companies. A recent FBI report indicates that phishing scams are becoming more common on social networking sites through a combination of viruses, hacked accounts, and decoy messages† (Schiller â€Å"Phishing Scams†). Personal information and company information may be accessed through these sights and that is a major hazard for these companies. At a local restaurant, one of the employees got on Facebook and was sharing information w ith a friend. Little did this employee know that the computer was being hacked. She let out way too much personal information about herself and ended up having to get a new credit card and change her Facebook password.The dangers of these sites are unbelievable and the risk factors should be left outside of the workplace. Social networking is a distraction in the workplace that hinders work and can cause dangerous viruses to come through the computer. It causes workers to lose sight of their work while allowing them access to look at other coworkers online. It also allows room for dangers such as company secrets and personal information to be leaked. Social networking is not a good thing for the work place because of the extreme loss of productivity and money that is caused primarily by these sites.It may appear beneficial to the bonding of the company, but socializing time for coworkers should be set up at breaks from work and by voice only, not by a social networking site. Ones wo rk and ones personal life should not be intermingled by these sites. By banning these sites from the workplace, offices will be more efficient, and businesses will be better protected from hackers and spammers. Works Cited Baker, Natasha J. â€Å"How Far is Too Far? Employers and the Use of Online Searches. † Young Lawyer. Feb. – Mar. 2008: 4+. Academic OneFile. Web. 9 Oct. 2011. Crappell, Courtney. Preparing For Professional Relationship Building. † American Music Teacher. June-July 2011: 10+. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. Elzweig, Brian, and Donna K. Peeples. â€Å"Using Social Networking Web Sites in Hiring and Retention. Decisions. † SAM Advanced Management Journal Autumn 2009: 27+. Academic OneFile. Web. 22 Oct. 2011. â€Å"Facebook Costs Employers More Than $5 Billion A Year; Security firms warn that Facebook use on the job could be putting a company's network at risk. † InformationWeek 20 Aug. 2007. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. Hunt, Kristin Gunderson. Finders keepers: Social Media Strategies Help Find Top Talent. † Journal of Property Management Nov. -Dec. 2010: 36+. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. Schaffer, Noah. â€Å"Online Networking: Some Lawyers Sing Praises of Twitter and Facebook, WhileOthers Warn of Perils. † Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 27 Apr. 2009. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. Schiller, Kurt. â€Å"Employers Crack Down on Social Networking. † Information Today Nov. 2009: 21. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. Schiller, Kurt. â€Å"Phishing Scams Edge into Social Networks. † Information Today Nov. 2009: 46. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Organizational Commitment and Communication

The American Red Cross is an organization that helps prevent human suffering during events that leads the human society while in emergency crisis. The American Red Cross has the ability to mobilize the power of volunteers as well as the generosity of donors. The reader will be given a brief description on how different leadership styles affects the group communication within the American Red Cross. The reader will also be given an analysis of the different sources of power found in the organization and how will these affect the organization communication. It is imperative that the reader also understands how the American Red Cross identifies the motivational theories that will be most effective in different cultures. Finally, a description of the commitment of the workforce to the organization and their relationship to the organizations communication will be provided. Leadership Styles and Effects At the American Red Cross there are several leadership styles that are being used. â€Å"Leader's establish direction by developing a vision of the future; then they align people by communicating this vision and inspiring them to overcome hurdles† (Robbins & Judge, 2011. Some of the main leadership styles that affects the American Red Cross are the transactional, charismatic, and transformational. The transformational leadership is the most common style for The American Red Cross. â€Å"Transformational leaders inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests for the good of the organization and are capable of having a profoun d and extraordinary effect on their followers† (Robbins & Judge, 2011. ) Transformational leaders tend to have more passion in everything that they do. The first step as a leader is to have a mission and a vision. Transformational leaders motivate the performance of the followers as well as understanding their strengths and weaknesses so that the leader may align the followers with tasks that will boost their performance. It is important to be a role model to the followers as this action will inspire them and make them more interested while challenging them to take a greater ownership for their work. A charismatic leader will ensure to pay attention to every person making that person feel important. At this time they are scanning the individuals to pick up their moods and their concerns. At this time the charismatic leader will be able to improve their actions and words to suit the situation. Finally, the transactional leadership plays the role in The American Red Cross as the supervisor of the organization. Every organization has to have a chain of command as well as motivation through rewards and punishments. The transactional leader is the leader that holds the followers to rules, procedures, and standards. Sources of Power There are different types of power within The American Red Cross organization. Power is seen as the ability to implementing control over an individual or a group. While everyone has power, each individual possess and utilize power in a way that it will benefit their organization’s needs. Coercive power is the power that is able to punish those who do not follow orders as requested by the leader. On the other hand using coercive power may also be used to influence the decision of that is being made by taking something away as a punishment if he or she does not follow a request that has been made. The American Red Cross uses the coercive power to ensure that their followers follow their rules and guidelines that they have in place. Expert power is the power that shows the person’s knowledge or specialized skills. Individuals will gain more power by showing a greater knowledge of the task that will be performed. The expertise power is a power that should be taken care of to make sure that the leader maintains its credibility. Also it is important to avoid any threatening of the self-esteem of subordinates to ensure any dislikes from team members against the leader creating unhappy team members. Legitimate power is the power that the leader will have when the employees believe that any orders coming from the leader is because of the leader’s position within the organization and they should be followed as requested. This power is developed through time. Communication in Relation to Motivational Theory At the American Red Cross, there are two types of motivational theories which are applied to the organization. The motivational theories are the expectancy theory and the cognitive evaluation theory. The expectancy is the proposal to a person to behave in a certain way by persuading them to select a specific behavior over others to ensure the expected results. On the other hand cognitive evaluation theory is a theory that is designed to clarify the effects of consequences. These are ways that are used to persuade individuals through awards to control desirable behavior. Workforce Commitment The American Red Cross and commitment goes hand in hand. As commitment to the individuals that they help is one of the most powerful ways that they can use to motivate the volunteer helpers to accomplish their tasks and reach the designated goal. It is imperative to at least give a pat on the back to let the individuals know that they are doing a good job and motivating them to continue to work. Being positive and providing the employees or volunteers with positive feedback can help the organization go along ways? As the mission statement of the American Red Cross states, â€Å"The American Red Cross empowers ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts of service. † (American National Red Cross, 2013) The American Red Cross has been a successful organization that will use the power of volunteers to help those that are in need. The transactional, charismatic, and transformational leadership’s styles have an effect on the group communication of the American Red Cross. The leadership styles and the sources of power work hand in hand to ensure that the organization is meeting all of their goals as well as ensuring that the volunteers are on tasks and in a good working environment. The motivational theories are just a way to ensure that the volunteers and employees are committed to the workforce. The American Red Cross is a well-established organization and as long as they follow all of the above this organization will continue to be very successful in anything that they set their minds to do.

Gap Within the Organization: a Case Study in Administrative Building

Communication Gap within the Organization: A case study in administrative building of SUST, Sylhet By Sato Barua Masters Student Department of Public Administration SUST, Sylhet Introduction Organizational communication as a discipline grew tremendously over the 20th century, but accompanying that growth was a struggle to establish a clear identity of the field. Today scholars still continue to define and redefine the focus, boundaries and future of the field (Thompkin & Wanka-Thibault, 2001).Why it is that organizational communication is such an interesting concept for researchers to study? Apparently, a great deal of the answer to this question can be found in the importance communication has been re-vealed having for the success of organizations. Open communication has for example been found to be positively correlated with employees’ satisfaction with the organization (Koike, Gudykunst, William, Lea & Ting-Toomey, 1989). Communication is the glue that holds a society toget her. The ability to communicate enables people to form and maintain personal relationships.And the quality of such relationships depends on the caliber of communication between the parties. Communication is the process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others in a particular time and place. Communication includes writing and talking, as well as nonverbal communication (such as facial expressions, body language, or gestures), visual communication (the use of images or pictures, such as painting, photography, video or film) and electronic communication (telephone calls, electronic mail, cable television, or satellite broadcasts).Communication is a vital part of personal life and is also important in business, education, and any other situations where people encounter each other (Encarta, 1998). A study was completed within the organization to determine if there was an internal communication gap that existed between the supervisors and representatives. When there 1 is an internal communication gap within an organization there is usually a breakdown in the way information is been sent from the sender to the receiver. This is precedent in organizations that have a top down hierarchy.In this type of hierarchy it can be difficult for bottom level employees to obtain information regarding changes within the organization. Significance of the study Communication is described as one of the crucial fouls of management. It helps in handling the major managerial tasks of planning direction coordination motivating and controlling. We live in a world filled with other people. We live together, work together, and play together. In our personal lives, we need each other for security, comfort, friendship, and love.In our working environment, we need each other in order to achieve our goals and objectives. None of these goals can be achieved without communication. Communication is the basic thread that ties us together. Through communication we make known our needs , our wants, our ideas, and our feelings. The better we are at communication, the more effective we are at achieving our hopes and dreams (Alessandra, Hunsaker, 1993). Based upon conversations among the representatives, this study is important because there appears to be a lack of communication within the organization.Some of the representatives feel as though the supervisors have daily meetings, but no information is shared regarding the company changes and/or procedures. When there is an internal communication gap it becomes difficult for anyone to effectively achieve goals. Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not there's an internal communication gap that exist between the representatives and the supervisors. The three objectives of this study were to: 2 1. Discover whether or not there is an internal communication gap between supervisors and representatives within the organization. . Determine the subject's perception of their immediate supe rvisor’s level of communication. 3. Identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. Definition of terms Sender Someone or something that sends or transmits something. To establish yourself as an effective communicator, you must first establish credibility. You must also know your audience (individuals or groups to which you are delivering your message). Failure to understand who you are communicating to will result in delivering messages that are misunderstood (Fowler, 2005).Message A communication in speech, writing, or signals. Written, oral and nonverbal communications are effected by the sender's tone, method of organization, validity of the argument, what is communicated and what is left out, as well as your individual style of communicating. Messages also have intellectual and emotional components, with intellect allowing us the ability to reason and emotion allowing us to present motivational appeals, ultimately changing minds and action s (Fowler, 2005). Channel A course or a means of communication or expression.Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal including face-to-face meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written including letters, emails, memos and reports (Fowler, 2005). 3 Receiver These messages are delivered to an audience. No doubt, you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope our message prompts from this audience. Keep in mind, your audience also enters into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtly influence their understanding. Your audience will provide you with feedback, verbal and nonverbal reactions to your communicated message.Pay close attention to this feedback as it is crucial to ensuring the audience understood your message (Fowler, 2005). Context The words or phrases or passages that come before and after a particular word or passage in a speech or piece of writing and help to explain it's full meaning (Encarta, 2005). Feedback Comments in the form of opinions about the reactions to something intended to provide useful information for future decisions and development (Fowler, 2005). A literature review was completed to determine the importance of internal communication within the work environment. Review of literatureIn every society, humans have developed spoken and written language as a means of sharing messages and meanings. The most common form of daily communication is interpersonal- that is, face-to-face, at the same time and in the same place (Encarta, 2005). Communication barriers can pop-up at every stage of the communication process (which consists of sender, message, channel, receiver, feedback and context) and have the potential to create misunderstanding and confusion. To be an effective communicator and to get your point across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to 4 essen the frequency of these barriers at each stage of this process with clear, concise, accurate, well planne d communications (Fowler & Manktelow, 2005). Communication, the heart of business, is the most important of all entrepreneurial skills. The destiny of the business depends on the quality of your relationships. Your ability to transmit information helps both clients and employees feel they can communicate with and ultimately trust you (Black Enterprise, Charles, 1998, pg 116). Internal communication is more important today than in previous years partly because the business and market conditions are more complex.There is a lot of information in the marketplace and it's crucial that employees understand it. The development of a strategic internal communication strategy and its implementation can provide a number of benefits to organizations, such as keeping employees motivated and engaged, and sharing clear, consistent messages with employees in a timely manner. Personal relationship is what organizations are all about -or should be. An organization, whatever its size, mission, or moti ve is merely a collection of people assembled to pursue a common objective.An organization functions through its people, who in turn function through communication (Brennan, 1974). Employees have their own sources, their own information system, separate from the management channels. These usually carry the news ahead of communications from management. Not that the employee network is flawless. That system transmits information indiscriminately- Fragments, Rumors, Gossip. It may not always operate in the best interests of the organization, but it does provide a check-point when management fantasies are disguised as information.Furthermore, it enables employees to participate in the communication process, and it fills their need for information which at least seems to come from a credible source: another employee (Brennan, 1974). Employees, like all people, require outlets for their thoughts and feelings. And they find them. So don't arbitrarily assume that the relative absence of emp loyee complaints is a positive sign. Employees may be expressing themselves through other channels: meetings with fellow employees, union representatives, government agents; or through passiveaggressive behavior such as work slowdowns, carelessness, tardiness, absenteeism, and apathy.These can be symptoms that employees feel other means of participation are unavailable to them (Brennan, 1974). 5 The skill of listening becomes extremely important when we talk about â€Å"upward communication. † There are many avenues through which management can send messages downward through a business organization, but there are few avenues for movement of information in the upward direction (Nichols & Stevens, 1999). Many popular theories on workplace communication focus on the differences between men and women, suggesting that the sexual divide causes communication to break down. Women are seen as being more empathetic and oblique than men.Other variables that cause people to mix their mes sages include differences in age, culture, and socioeconomic background. Some tips to help managers bridge any communication gap were (Fortune 1994): 1. Listen actively for the subtext of people's words. 2. Persuade rather than command. 3. Target your words to your audience. 4. React to content, not to people's manner of expressing themselves. 5. Let people know that criticism is welcome. 6. Make your intentions clear before acting. 7. Assume that people take responsibility for what they say. By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively.When not successful, the thoughts and ideas that you convey do not necessarily reflect your own, causing a communications breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals-both personally and professionally (Fowler & Mankelow, 2005). In the workplace, supervisors and their employees have opportunities to develop nonthreatening, mutually rewarding relationships. These can be quite cond ucive to individual and corporate health. They are akin to what in our personal life we call meaningful relationships. Supervisors who attain such relationships with employees are said to practice â€Å"positive human relations. True. But it's done through communication. (Brennan, 1974). 6 Methodology of procedures Methodology can properly refer to the theoretical analysis of the methods appropriate to a field of study or to the body of methods and principles particular to a branch of knowledge. Methodology has been increasingly used as a pretentious substitute for method in scientific and technical contexts. â€Å"Methodology† is a system of precise rules and procedures on which research is based and against which claims for knowledge and evaluation. Research and DesignA quantitative research methodology was used for the research to determine if there was a communication gap within the organization. A multiple choice single answered survey was distributed to the lower-level employees. A survey can be a powerful tool to improve communication between different parts of an organization. Surveys are especially useful for establishing upward communication links from lower-level employees to management. Population The survey was distributed to lower-level employees who are within the organization. The participant's involved included males and females with 6 weeks to 20 years of experience within the organization.A total of 20 surveys were completed. The participants were informed per instructions on the survey and through face-to-face conversation that their participation was voluntary and the answers in which they chose would remain confidential, with the exception of the final results from all the participants. Sample The research was conducted within Administrative Buildings of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The organization has an 7 estimated 300 staff which are located in three separate buildings. The adm inistration is divided into some units and each unit has one supervisor.The subordinates report to the supervisors. Instrumentation The survey consisted of ten multiple choices single answer questions and one open ended question. The participants were asked single answer questions to discover whether or not there was an internal communication gap between supervisors and the subordinates within the organization, to determine the subject's perception of their immediate supervisors level of communication and to identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. The survey was distributed to the employees by the researcher via face-to-face contact.The researcher chose face- to-face contact because it gave the participants the opportunity to ask questions and to have a visual picture of whom and where to return the surveys. Data collecting and recording A Microsoft program, Excel was used to determine the percentage rate of each answer given by the participan ts. Limitations of the study The limitations of this study were that the researcher could not distribute the surveys to forty-three employees. Some employees were not available to complete the survey due to absenteeism (vacation, personal time, sick, etc). The employees are so much busy so they cannot provide me to give information.Time is not sufficient to gain practical knowledge and prepare a report. I have no proper experience to do this kind of report. So, inexperience creates obstacle to follow the systematic and logical research methodology. 8 Analysis Findings The present study was designed to determine whether or not there were an internal communication gap that existed between the subordinates and the supervisors. The three objectives of this study were to: 4. Discover whether or not there is an internal communication gap between supervisors and representatives within the organization. . Determine the subject's perception of their immediate supervisor’s level of com munication. 6. Identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. The representatives responded to questions regarding the communication within their organization. To the contrary, the result suggests that 5% of the representatives were neutral regarding the overall satisfaction of communication within this organization, 80% were very satisfied, 15% were satisfied and no one indicated that they were dissatisfied.Although majority of the representatives were very satisfied so 60% thought the organization kept them fully informed and no one indicated that the organization gave them a limited amount of information, 35% thought that they were fairly well informed, 5% answer was unclear. When asked how would you rate your supervisor's communication skills, 80% indicated excellent and 20% marked that their supervisor communicated very good. Also, 35% indicated that whenever there was change within the organization their supervisors inform them most of the time . A 60% response was given to the supervisors informing them all the time.Like many organizations, the majority (90%) of the representatives indicated that they received most of their information through their supervisor. The overall result of the survey indicates that there does not appear to be a lack of communication between the subordinates and the superiors. 9 Results Table 1: Which best describes your impression of communications within this organization? Item Response Frequency % Keeps us fully informed 14 70 Keeps us fairly well informed 3 15 Keeps us adequately informed 2 10 Gives us only a limited amount of Information 0 0 Doesn't tell us much at all about what is going on 0 Answer was unclear 1 5 N=20 0% Figure 1: impression of communications within this organization. 10 5% Answer were unclear 0% Doesn't tell us what is going on 10% Adequately informed Fairly well informed 15% Limited amount of information 70% Fully informed 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Table 2: How do you feel about the information you receive? Item Response Frequency % I can almost always believe it 14 70 I can usually believe it 3 15 I can believe it about half the time 2 10 I usually can't believe it 1 5 Frequency % Strongly Agree 16 80 Agree 3 15 Neutral 1 5 Strongly Disagree 0 0 N=20Table 3: I have the information I need to do my job. Item Response N=20 11 Table 4: How would you rate your supervisor's communication skills? Item Response Frequency % Excellent 16 80 Very good 4 20 Good 0 0 Fair 0 0 Poor 0 0 Unclear answer 0 0 N=20 20% Excellent Very Good 80% Figure 2: Supervisor's communication skills. 12 Table 5: Overall, how satisfied are you with the communications within this organization? Item Response Frequency % Very satisfied 16 80 Satisfied 3 15 Neutral 1 5 Very dissatisfied 0 0 Unable to identify answer 0 0 N=20 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 80% 15% 5% Very Satisfied Satisfied NeutralFigure 3: Overall satisfaction of communications within the organizatio n. 13 Table 6: From which of the following sources do you usually receive most of your information? Item Response Frequency % Grapevine 0 0 Bulletin Board 0 0 My supervisor 18 90 Group meetings 0 0 Organizational Programs 0 0 Organizational emails 0 0 Multiple answers 2 10 N=20 Table 7: I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns. Item Response Frequency % All the time 8 40 Some of the time 12 60 Undecided 0 0 Almost never 0 0 Never 0 0 N=20 14 Table 8: Whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor Item Response Frequency Always inform me 12 60 Inform me most of the time 7 35 Almost never informs me 0 0 Never informs me 0 0 Unable to identify answer 1 5 N=20 Table 9: The information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information received from other supervisors. Item Response Frequency % Strongly Agree 15 75 Agree 5 25 Neutral 0 0 Disagree 0 0 Strongly Disagree 0 0 N=20 15 What topics do you feel are important for you to know more about and would like the organization to inform you during future communications? Answer: ? Policy and/or procedural changes ? Future and/or general changes that are coming and how to prepare for it ?Correct procedures for completing work correctly ? Adequate training for job changes ? Training and/or how to use new programs ? Overtime and/or for special projects ? All information that can help improve goals and job skills ? New updates within the system ? Legitimate reasons why things cannot be updated or corrected ? More feedback on the quality and quantity of work completed. ? Information regarding promotions ? Information regarding other departments. 16 Conclusions Communication is very important in every aspect of our lives. In order for any relationship to work properly we have to learn to communicate effectively with each other.The fact still remains that in order for any business whether entrepreneur, partnerships or corporate offices to succeed we have to commu nicate with someone to voice our ideas and/or concerns. The literature review addressed the importance of internal communication. It provided the researcher with background information on the different ways and the different styles of communication. Needless to say, face-to-face communication seemed to remain the number one style of communicating within organizations. Based upon the answers given on the survey, most people were thought that the communication was satisfactory within the organization.Majority of the participants also felt that their supervisor communication skills were excellent. 17 Recommendations The researcher would recommend for future research that the survey exclude any neutral options. Although by eliminating this option it forces the participants to answer one way or the other. The researcher believes that you will get more precise answers. The supervisors can also following communication techniques can be used to increase the level of internal communication i n the organization and therefore the level of the organizational efficiency (Fishman, 2000). 1. Share information with employees whenever possible.One of the most sensitive areas in management involves how much company information should be shared with employees. Many feel that information should be given on a need-to-know basis. 2. Find out if those listening to you hear what you say and interpret it correctly. One way of doing this is to ask questions that will show the understanding level of those with whom you are speaking. 18 References 1. Alessandra, T & Hunsaker, P. (1993). Communication at Work. Fireside, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. 2. Brennan, J. (1 974). The Conscious Communicator; making communication work in the workplace. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. Reading, MA. . MSN Encarta Premium (2005). Retrieved May 2005 from http:// www. msn. com. , accessed on 15. 12. 2011. 4. Retrieved from, http://www. communicationintheworkplace. net/, accessed on 15. 12. 2011. 5. Retri eved from, http://www. buzzle. com/articles/importance-of-communication-inthe-workplace. html, accessed on 18. 12. 2011. 6. Retrieved from, http://www4. ncsu. edu/~crmiller/Publications/ATTW03. pdf, accessed on 18. 12. 2011. 7. Retrieved from, http://www2. uwstout. edu/content/lib/thesis/2005/2005mallett hamerb. pdf, accessed on 20. 12. 2011. 8. Retrieved from,http://www. lisc. org/docs/resources/experts/2007/eo_2007_03_07. df, accessed on 22. 12. 2011. 9. Retrieved from, http://www. google. com/#sclient=psyab&hl=en&source=hp&q=communication+in+t he+workplace+ppt&oq=communicaton+in+the+workplace+&aq=3&aqi=g10&aql=& gs_sm=c&gs_upl=7599l8963l0l11145l8l6l0l0l0l5l766l3816l55. 1l6l0&bav=on. 2,or. r_ gc. r_pw. ,cf. osb&fp=55dcc7523cfd78c6&biw=1024&bih=577, accessed on 23. 12. 2011. 10. Retrieved from, http://www. managementskillsadvisor. com/effective-communicationin-the-workplace. html, accessed on 23. 12. 2011. 19 Appendix Survey Questions Please fill in the answer that best fit your ex perience when dealing with communication within this organization. . Which best describes your impression of communications within this organization? ? Keeps us fully informed ? Keeps us fairly well informed ? Keeps us adequately informed ? Gives us only a limited amount of Information ? Doesn't tell us much at all about what is going on ? Answer was unclear 2. How do you feel about the information you receive? ? I can almost always believe it. ? I can usually believe it. ? I can believe it about half the time. ? I usually can't believe it. 3. I have the information I need to do my job. ? Strongly Agree ? Agree ? Neutral ? Strongly Disagree 20 4.How would you rate your supervisor's communication skills? ? Excellent ? Very good ? Good ? Fair ? Poor ? Unclear answer 5. Overall, how satisfied are you with the communications within this organization? ? Very satisfied ? Satisfied ? Neutral ? Very dissatisfied ? Unable to identify answer 6. From which of the following sources do you usual ly receive most of your information? ? Grapevine ? Bulletin Board ? Company Newsletter (Intranet) ? My supervisor ? Unit leader ? Group meetings ? Company Programs ? Company emails ? Multiple answers 21 7. I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns. All the time ? Some of the time ? Undecided ? Almost never ? Never 8. Whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor ? Always inform me ? Inform me most of the time ? Almost never informs me ? Never informs me ? Unable to identify answer 9. The information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information received from other supervisors. ? Strongly Agree ? Agree ? Neutral ? Disagree ? Strongly Disagree 10. What topics do you feel are important for you to know more about and would like the organization to inform you during future communications? 22

ECO202 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ECO202 CA - Essay Example It is during periods of recession, however, that terms fiscal and monetary policies can best be appreciated. Fiscal policy is the policy advocated by John Maynard Keynes while monetary policy, on the other hand, is advocated by Milton Friedman. According to basic economics, the obvious traceable cause of a recession is a poor level in aggregate demand. When we say aggregate demand, it is the total demand for all goods and services produced in a particular period. Of course needless to say, when no one is buying anything, who would want to produce more? What reason there is for an employer to hire working men to manufacture his product when no one after all is demanding for it? It will only bring him a loss instead of income. According to Keynes, during periods of recession, the government must enter the game and play a very critical role --- to stimulate overall aggregate demand (which is a deemed solution to the problem). The government must cut taxes and spend more on worthy projec ts to support the public needs and the business sector. When taxes are low and more government projects are in harmony with business’ goals and visions, more investors are being lured to invest, thereby solving unemployment problem. Now assuming the opposite is happening as in the case of an overheated expansion, the government still has a role to play. It has to tighten taxes and spend less to counter balance the effects of economic boom. Whether the government cut or tighten taxes, spend more or less, these actions simply refer to the government’s fiscal policy. Monetary policy on the other hand is another perceived solution to the problem of recession. As the word suggests, monetary policy has to do with interest rates and money --- production, supply and circulation of money. According to Milton Friedman, the proponent of monetary policy, the supply and circulation of money in the market has a greater impact on the economy more than anything else. During a period o f high unemployment the government must reduce the interest rate and increase the money supply. Likewise, when unemployment is low, the government has to raise interest rates and decrease the money in circulation. As compared to fiscal policy which is more of a function of the legislative branch of the government, take note that the implementation of monetary policies is vested in the hands of the Central Bank. They are independently implemented apart from fiscal policies of the government. 2. Compare and contrast the way Keynes and Friedman approach the economy. What are their key differences and similarities? John Maynard Keynes is a British economist who believes that the key to achieving a balanced economy, especially during a period of recession and economic downturn, is an effective government intervention that will cut on taxes and implement an expansionary fiscal policy (meaning, more government spending on worthy projects) or contractionary fiscal policy (increase in taxes and lesser government spending) as the case may be. Keynes’ economic framework focuses more on demand and spending. Absurd as it may sound but Keynes believed that spending, and not hoarding, helps the economy at large. The reason is that the spending of one person forms part of the income of another person, and when that person further spends his income, it forms part of the

Securing our Borders Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Securing our Borders - Thesis Example borders with Mexico and Canada. Several sources indicated the need for greater border security through a wide range of technological, legislative, and military interventions (Meyers, 2003; Military Technology, 2010), as well as global agreements (Taylor, 2005). Despite the need of securing the borders, however, there are also calls for the consideration of ethical and human rights dimensions of border security (Arreolo, 2010). The U.S. government is also pressed to consider the rights of poor workers and people searching for an asylum to migrate to the U.S., where they can find shelter, freedom, and livelihood. In addition, some sources argued for the importance of understanding cultural geography, when finding and evaluating solutions to border issues (Arreolo, 2010). The borders are not seen as boundaries by illegal immigrants, but as opportunities for a new and better life (Hemphill, 2009; Huemer, 2010). This paper will explore the literature on the U.S. borders and border securit y. The research questions are: What are some of the strategies that the U.S. government should pursue to enhance border security? Should the government ensure that these interventions are humane and ethical? This paper will discuss existing border patrol strategies. It will also discuss recommended strategies that aim to enhance border security. ... Finally, it examines the ethical implications of border security measures and the need for international efforts for managing borders. The Honey of Illegal and Legal Immigrant Bees One of the primary goals of border security is to control immigration, particularly illegal immigration (Marek, 2007). The U.S. continues to symbolize the land of milk and honey for many people around the world, especially those from the Third World. An estimated 500 million people cross the U.S. borders every year, and this consists of people seeking for employment or business opportunities and refugees, as well as unfavorable border crossers, such as criminals and terrorists (Antal, 2010, p.54). The U.S. prides itself as a democratic front for human rights that include the rights to travel and immigrate to other countries. The U.S., despite immigration controls, accepts more legal immigrants as permanent residents than all other countries combined (Antal, 2010, p.54). In 2008, more than a million immigra nts became natural U.S. citizens (Antal, 2010, p.54). In 2009, the U.S. granted legal immigrant status to 1.1 million immigrants (Antal, 2010, p.54). The U.S. however, also controls the number of legal immigrants, which push some people to resort to illegal immigration methods. Illegal immigration remains as significant concern, since the U.S. cannot realistically put enough people to monitor wide borders. The U.S.-Canada border extends 5,525 miles; while the border with Mexico covers 1,989 miles long (Antal, 2010, p.54). Furthermore, the U.S. also envelops more than 95,000 miles of shoreline, thousands of airports, and 360 naval ports of entry (Antal, 2010, p.54). It is projected that almost 22,000 containers cross these naval

Literature review-------the reason of the talent flows from a state Essay

Literature review-------the reason of the talent flows from a state owned bank to a private bank - Essay Example Harnessing and understanding the knowledge of the employees, helps in improving the ability of the organization by getting the right knowledge to the right people. This leads to the concept of talent management that advocates certain important positions, which are seen to make significant contribution towards the proactive development of the talent pool in order to fill up position and helps the organization to sustain the competitive strategy. In context to the Chinese enterprises talent definition and talent management recognition are quite unclear. After the economic reform in China that started in 1979, the management and structure of Chinese enterprises has undergone dramatic changes and a new type of enterprise namely private-owned enterprises have emerged. The private owned enterprises have become a significant contributor towards the growth of the economy. Presently there are two types of enterprises that are operating in China; the private-owned enterprises and the state-own ed enterprises (Chow, 2004). This literature review focuses on the state owned and private enterprises, the state-owned and private banks in China and the selection and reward system that they follow. 2.1 State-Owned enterprise The State-owned enterprise refers to a business entity that is established by the local or state government and the supervisory officials working in this enterprise are all from the government. Here the state-owned enterprises are signified as the firm that runs wholly through the funding of the state. This definition signifies the ownership status of the state-owned enterprises prior to the reform, where the privatization and corporatization has not been implemented fully. Since mid of 1990s the term â€Å"state-owned and state-holding enterprises† has been used (HDwiki, 2013). The state holding enterprises and state-owned enterprise refers to two different categories. The state holding enterprises are those firms, whose maximum shares are held by the government. On the other hand the sate-owned enterprises are those that are wholly funded by the state. 2.1.1 Performance of State-owned Enterprises The productivity of the state-owned enterprises of China provides a mixed picture. In order to measure the performance of the state-owned enterprises, their productivity and financial performance was compared with the non-state owned enterprises. This evaluation revealed that the state-owned enterprises outperformed as compared to the non-state owned enterprises till 1992. Deterioration in the productivity was noticed in the state sectors after 1992 and the non-state owned enterprises were seen to outperform. A study conducted in 1992 on the consumer electronics, cotton textiles and garment industry to find the efficiency or the absolute level of total productivity of the state-owned enterprise found that the technical efficiency of the non-state owned enterprises were same as that of the state owned (Li, 2008). A study conducted by Je fferson et al., (2000) found that the efficiency of the state-owned enterprise reduced as compared to the collectively owned enterprise and the foreign invested enterprise. On the other hand when the financial performance was evaluated through various types of ratios related to tax on assets and profit, it was seen that until 1990 the performance of

Aviation Security and its Impact on Airports Essay

Aviation Security and its Impact on Airports - Essay Example A database that links all airline reservation systems in the country to many private and government databases would allow security officials to sort through the travel histories of each flier and allow airport officials to see the backgrounds of all passengers before they board the flight. This will allow officials to prevent passengers suspected of terrorist activities from boarding the aircraft when they are believed to be a threat to the health of other passengers and the aircraft. All passengers will have threat data related to them, with the most threatening passengers to be fully checked before boarding all aircraft. During this process, when a passenger with a high threat rating books a ticket on a commercial airline, aviation officials will be able to screen these individuals prior to terrorist events occurring. A pre-screened traveler is not necessarily a good idea because identities can be concealed and changed to portray the picture of another individual that may not be co nsidered a threat. The approach we chose will gather intelligence information as well as pre-screen individuals at the time of ticket purchase confirming they are who they claim to be and then will screen a threat risk assessment to detect those people that may pose a terrorist threat to others. This approach will identify each passenger, with all privately, government, and airline held information and check that with information of the lists of threatened suspects and terrorists in order to weed out those individuals that pose a flight risk. Once the system has calculated a threat score, it will be secretly printed on the boarding pass or ticket for each passenger, without the passenger knowing what his or her risk is. The database, once fully

Bubbles on the South Sea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bubbles on the South Sea - Essay Example According to a website "The bubble is usually followed by a sudden drop in prices known as crash". This is a significant drop in the total value of a market, almost undoubtedly to the popping of a bubble, creating a situation wherein the majority of investors are trying to flee the market at the same time and consequently incurring massive losses. And terribly affects everyone. The inevitable crash came and the strain proved to much to many joint stock companies. The immediate cause was the activities of the South Sea Company. It had been formed to engage in trading in the South Seas, but it also has engaged in the funding of the national debt in return for monopolistic privileges. The bad repute of this joint stock companies had led to the passage of the Bubble Act for the regulation of companies in the main attempt to prevent panic. Bubble Act declared that only companies formed by charter or by a private act of parliament were legal. The South Sea Company was reasonably successful. It was chartered by the government for trade in South America and South Sea. The relationship between the government and the company created confidence and high expectations. In the history, they were given the monopoly of trading in the Pacific Ocean and along the coast of South America, made an offer to the government to pay off the whole National Debt and to buy up the irredeemable annuities, according to Melville amounting of "800,000 a year, provided the different public securities were consolidated into one fund in their hands and the government gave the company certain exclusive commercial privileges". In spite of the limited privileges conceded to it in the Asiento by Spain, been highly successful in the slave trade. This means according to (Colliers Encyclopedia) "that they have the right for 30 years to supply Spanish-America colonies with 4,800 slaves annually and to send to Porto Bello and Vera Cruz a trading ship of 500 t ons a year". A negotiation being settled with the South Sea Company. This right was handed over the company which underwrote the English national debt, on a promise of 5% from the government. The most question was whether the fund-holders would convert their stock for shares in the company, for they could not compelled to do so. According to (Caleb W.)" The brilliant prospects held out by the directors of the gold and silver lands awaiting exploitation in South America, crowded into the rush for shares." Its shares immediately rose to 10x their value from 110 rose to 1000, speculation ran wild and all sorts of joint stock companies, fraudulent or merely optimistic were formed. Its price soared within a few weeks, people realized that it was greatly overpriced and prices fell. Thousands were financially ruined. The South Sea Prosecution of some of those concern served to open the eyes of the public to the recklessness of its own scheme, and its shares dropped with the result that few sold out enormous profits, the majority of those who hold on were ruined and result of financial disaster. The Bubble had burst, ruining thousands of families. The disaster happened in South Sea Bubble almost wealthy persons in the kingdom had become members of the government to involved in manipulating of the company. Robert Walpole un his time did much to restore national credit. According to (Caleb, W) " he makes arrangement and assign 9 million which

The Great Inflation of the 1970s in the United States Term Paper

The Great Inflation of the 1970s in the United States - Term Paper Example From this research it is clear that the Great Inflation of the 1970s was a period that epitomized the United States’ struggle with double-digit inflation rates beginning early in the 1970s until early 1980s. As asserted by many authors and in many literatures, post World War II economists and politicians toyed with certain ideas proposed by Keynesian economics. According to this type of economics, it is possible to trade off inflation and employment to achieve some economic stability and growth, albeit for a short-term objective. According to this school of thought, small amounts of inflation could be allowed to help lower unemployment rates, thereby, attaining higher overall economic output. The main weakness of the Keynesian economics was that despite the fact that inflation may lead to increased employment; such a strategy only has short-term effects. For example, a lot of cash in circulation results in boosted demand for goods and services and a corresponding drop in inter est rates. Interestingly, people always mistake this influx in money supply with wealth, thus, increase their spending and demand for goods and services. Unfortunately, it would later require a higher rate of inflation to achieve the same economic effects. In the case of the Great Inflation of the 1970s, the United States was experiencing both high unemployment and inflation, a situation that the Keynesian economists would somehow consider impossible. ... ore, although a central bank may tirelessly try to formulate and implement monetary policies that would curb inflation, the immediate negative economic effects of these policies and political pressures force most central banks relenting and inflation returning (Bulkley, p135). Simply put, inflation refers to a general increase in the prices of goods and services and/or cost of living over a given period. Accompanying this increase in prices is the weakening of a currency, implying that such a currency buys fewer items than before the inflation. In other words, the purchasing power of a currency is reduced day by day, which is measured by the rate of inflation. The rate of inflation is the percentage change in the general price index, calculated as an annual figure. Although a high inflation rate is bad for an economy, a zero or a negative one is equally bad unlike a low inflation rate, which is beneficial to a country. For instance, a high inflation is found to interfere with the beh aviors of consumers who may want to buy their requirements in advance, fearing further increases in commodity prices (White, p10). This consumer behavior has an effect of stabilizing the market by way of creating preventable shortages. This paper explores the Great Inflation of 1970s in the United States concerning its background, effects, causes, and the monetary policies in the preceding and succeeding years. The Great Depression Most scholars, economists and historians have described the Great Inflation of the 1970s as one of the biggest economic gaps in the history of not only the United States but also of other countries around the world. Also described as the biggest domestic blunder ever for the United States, the Great Inflation of the 1970s played a rather central role in the

Tall nettles by Edward Thomas Essay Example for Free

Tall nettles by Edward Thomas Essay The narrator of this poem, which is written in two quatrains, describes a corner of the farmyard in which tall nettles cover old farm implements and suggests that he likes it because it is a reminder of mutability (liability to change) and the transience of life. The first stanza tells us that the nettles tower over the implements, except for the roller handle, as if they want to assert the supremacy of life and hide the fact that even things made from the most obdurate materials are subject to change and will eventually disappear. Yet, it is implied, the nettles grow in spring and will die in due course and what is now hidden will be revealed once again. The words cover up mean the nettles grow over but also imply attempt to conceal. The stanza also poses the paradox that truth can be revealed through illusion. The illusion here is that life is triumphant, as we know that the implements are lying under the nettles and will be revealed once again when the nettles themselves die and the illusion will be revealed for what it is also. The painting assonance of the short -u- vowels in cover, done, rusty and butt, together with the frequent pauses between the items in the list, convey an impression of exhaustion and reinforces the notion of something that is moribund or very near death. In the second stanza, the narrator explains why he likes this corner of the farmyard most. He tells us that he likes the dust on the nettles a reminder of mortality which is never finally removed although temporarily washed off by the showers that may briefly refresh but otherwise make no difference at all (it is an illusion that they do). He makes it clear that he has no unnatural liking for death by saying that he also likes the bloom (covering of fine powder, here representing the fullness of life) on flowers. However, the yoking of bloom and dust, and  dismissive tone of the word any, suggests that he knows the bloom will disappear also, and the flowers become dust, just as will the nettles when they die. The longer, more euphonious vowels (I, bloom-prove, flower-shower, sweetness), the inversion of the usual word order in the first line, the mellifluous flow of words, and the repeated admission that he likes certain things, convey an impression of sincerity and warmth, which in turn suggests how much he values the lesson he has learnt from this otherwise neglected and insignificant part of the farmyard. In this context, then, it becomes clear that the word nettles in the title (nettles are a stinging plant) is ambiguous and refers not only to the plants that are covering the implements but also to the principles of mutability and transience which are hidden be the nettles, and which people find hard to contemplate because it is not easy to accept the inevitability of death.

The global economy where aviation industry was severely hit

The global economy where aviation industry was severely hit The year 2007 saw a downturn in the global economy where aviation industry was severely hit by fall in air traffic. While airlines were struggling with declining profits, the complicacy of the operations in the aviation continued to bother airlines throughout the world with Cathay pacific being no exception. The crisis challenged the efficient business model of Cathay pacific which was ranked as the best airline of year in 2006. Robert Taylor was dealing with inventory operations and following are the issues that have to be taken into account: Inventory holding cost: Minimizing the holding cost was one of the most critical issues faced by the Cathay Pacific. Because of the convoluted nature of spare parts, it was not feasible to meet the demands of all the aircrafts. Given the fact that Cathay pacific has over 120 wide body jets  [1]  comprising of airbus and Boeing planes, it was very difficult to fulfill the requirements of all the aircraft at the right time. As a result the airlines could lose its significant business and in order to avoid those situations, Robert can work on the timely routine checks of the aircrafts. This will enable the firm to come up with a more detailed data on requirement of the spare parts (repairable, rotable etc.) Buffer stock Just in time: Initially the airlines incorporated the buffer stock management to meet the demand in the optimal time. But they still encountered several situations where a certain part was not available. It accounted for additional cost for Cathay pacific to set the buffer stock and also the spare parts in the distribution center was occupying a lot of space. Later the firm also tried to implement the Japanese model called just in time which works well in sectors like retail and manufacturing. But the airline industry is all together a different scenario where an airline canà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t afford to wait for the spare part during the last minute check when the flight is scheduled to depart. This will eventually cause the further delay of flight and degrade the passengers experience of flying with an airline. Reduce lead time: The rationalization of supply chain in the airline industry allowed the OEMs to monopolize the entire market. Irrespective of the demands, it is very difficult for the airlines to reduce their supplier lead time. Any reduction in lead time like suppliers or the transportation can help an airline to fix the problem in the stipulated time frame. Decreasing lead time of different supply chain components can increase supply reliability and help the firm to work in an efficient manner. On the other hand there are certain issues that have to be taken into account for the procurement (Paul Barwell): Switching costs: The spare parts can be classified in two criteria i.e. critical and non-critical parts. The complicity of the critical parts restricted Cathay pacific to switch suppliers because of the costs associated with switching. Also relying on the new supplier for the complicated parts was very difficult for Cathay pacific. On the other hand it had over 200 suppliers for the non-critical parts which required much of resources (time and money) to maintain the relationship. Forecasting: Although Cathay pacific collaborated with other airlines to enhance exchange of information with respect to suppliers list and parts availability, it wasnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t able to reduce its obsolete inventory by 100%. With the implementation of one platform that will help the airline to develop a supply management cycle to optimize supplier selection and collaboration improvement, the forecasting can be much accurate to meet the demands in time. At the same time, the platform should be able to generate real time data with its collaborators and suppliers through online communication. What is Cathay Pacific purchasing power in aviation spare parts procurement? What are the possible alternatives for improvements in the procurement process? Ans: Being ranked as the best airline in 2006, Cathay pacific was able to gain certain purchasing power in aviation spare parts procurement which is: Strategic sourcing: Cross functional teams at Cathay pacific helped in gaining leverage on purchasing by applying a systematic process of reducing the cost of spare parts purchased from different vendors. This process is evident from exhibit 5 where it simplified the complicated process of sourcing and procurement. This process gave an edge to Cathay pacific in monitoring, evaluating and managing relationships with suppliers to ensure operational effectiveness. With its implementation, the airline was able to leverage purchasing power across different divisions and negotiate favorable prices with the suppliers. Strategic sourcing also focused to consolidate the suppliers database and chose the preferred ones. Aeroxchange system: Development of a collaborated supply chain system to expand the sharing and exchange of information (Spare parts availability and suppliers list) with different airlines gave an advantage to Cathay Pacific to select a supplier from the huge database. After its launch in 2000, technological advancement in Aeroxhange made this system capable of doing numerous tasks which helped the airlines to be more effective in their procurement. E.g.: In 2001, Aeroxchange launched its e-procurement platform to integrate the partners for quote management and also it incorporated the service order management in 2005  [2]  . Although Cathay pacific invested a lot of time and money to improve their procurement, there are still many rooms for the advancement in their processes. The history of Cathay pacific (obtained from case study) says that they have always tried to lock the deals with the airlines and individual suppliers to enhance their procurement process. On the other hand, one point that should have been taken into account was establishing strategic alliances with the manufacturers (Boeing and Airbus) for the procurement activities. An alliance where manufacturers should focus on the materials management and help Cathay pacific to focus on core business activities. The integrated alliance with Boeing and airbus services will help to achieve greater transparency and efficiency in the resource operations. These services are acquired by most of the big players in the market like Delta airlines and Singapore airlines where they succeeded in generating good revenues by focusing on their core activities   [3]  . The other alternative for improvement is to reward the suppliers to suggest the cost saving ideas. This will help the airline to develop a sense of competition among suppliers for developing a sustainable and cost effective model for procurement which will eventually result in increasing the productivity of the fleet. What are the advantages disadvantages for Cathay Pacific to use third party logistics (3PL) partners for their repair management and logistics management? What are the criteria for Cathay Pacific to choose her 3PL partners for repair management logistics management? Ans: Advantages: Economy of scale and economy of scope: The major outcome for firms to switch to 3PL is the value they will generate from economy of scale which means Cathay pacific will have the advantage of large truck fleets and warehouses. At the same time, it can enjoy the benefit of economy of scope by reducing costs and boosting the net value of airline. The benefits of these economies are attained depending on the type of 3PL partner (e.g. IT based or component based). Secondly these benefits can help the logistics to work effectively and efficiently which will also enhance the repair management by providing access to right spare part at the right time. Capital investment: Outsourcing logistics and repair activities can help Cathay pacific to save cost and hence reduce financial risks. Assets required in establishing distribution centers and networks normally need a huge sum of money that encompasses financial risks and hence by outsourcing, these risks can be spread to 3PL partners. Once the hedging of risk in complicated processes is done, airlines can focus more on their core activities. Cost effectiveness: To perform the activities of repair and logistics managers, Cathay pacific pays millions of dollars to labors. However outsourcing these activities will result in saving the capital which can be spent on further expansion of the airline. Disadvantages: Loss of control: Outsourcing 3PL partners will lead to loss of hold and control over their logistics and repair activities. The transparency in these networks would diminish to great extent and may lead to underperformance. Discontinuity of services: There could be some sort of reasons on the 3PL partner side which could lead in discontinuity in their services. At the end of the day, the contract and law forces the 3PL to pay the compensation of loss but that wouldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t help an airline to continue the service efficiently during the specific time. Difference of opinion: The opinion differences between client and 3PL partners can hinder the service of an airline whose fortune is derived from the time where every minute delay incurs a cost. On the other hand, it will certainly be a roadblock for the further expansion of the airline. Criteria for choosing 3PL partner: Formation of a team: While choosing a 3PL for logistic and repair management, cross functional team should be made from different divisions of an airline such as inventory management, control, quality testing etc. Forming a cross functional team will help Cathay pacific to choose the 3PL provider that meets their requirements. Objective setting: The objective setting will depend on the requirement of an airline such as cost cutting and focusing on core competencies. Once the firm has set its objectives, it is easy to select a 3PL provider that will best suit the needs Service availability: Based on the needs and objectives of an airline, the next and most important step is to shortlist the 3PL providers who provide those services. Given the fact that logistic and repair management are the core activities that defines the performance of an airlines carrier, the cross functional team should consider all minor and major aspects to close the deal.

Comparison of Magical Realism and Surrealism

Comparison of Magical Realism and Surrealism The comparison between the magical realism and the surrealism The research provides the comparison between the magical realism of South America and the surrealism of Europe, with a particular reference to One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Anos de Soledad) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung) by Franz Kafka. Applying to the comparative and historical theoretical approaches, the paper reveals both similarities and differences of two literary movements of the twentieth century. The received findings demonstrate that the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez is based on the unity of reality and fantasy, while the surrealism of Kafka deals with the harmony between dreams and rationality, or, applying to Freudian psychoanalysis, between the conscious and the unconscious. In this regard, some results of the research reflect the previous analyses of Kafka and Marquez, while other findings provide some new interpretations of Kafka’s surrealism and Marquez’s magical realism.   1 Statement of the problem Although the magical realism and the surrealism are two literary movements that were formed in different parts of the world, they have more similarities than differences. This is especially obvious on the examples of One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Anos de Soledad) written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung) written by Franz Kafka. Despite the fact that The Metamorphosis belongs to the genre of the surrealism, it is sometimes attributed to the genre of the magical realism; the same regards Marquez’s masterpiece. However, while the surrealism is aimed at the depiction of superior reality with the help of such tools as automatism, fantasy and mesmerism, the magical realism describes the real world in a combination with a fantastic realm. Overall, both the surrealism and the magical realism appeared as the revolutionary movements that challenged the civilised reality and the crucial role of rationality, considerably influencing the formation of new consciousness in South America and Europe in the twentieth century. 2 Introduction Literature of the twentieth century is characterised by the formation of various movements that reflected the essence of a rather contradictory and complex era, when different social, political, cultural and individual aspects emerged on a scene. Unquestionably, every literary movement made an attempt to implement its own ways of expression, forms, symbols and the treatment of certain crucial issues. However, after the era of rationality and in the threshold of Two World Wars, many writers and poets began to challenge pure reason, searching for the ways to combine reality with fantasy. In this regard, the magical realism and the surrealism are literary movements of that period, which oppose the conventional portrayal of reality and produce their own understanding of human existence. Thus, two movements reveal many common features and characteristics, especially the similar ways of presenting and interpreting reality; however, the magical realism and the surrealism are not identical genres. The magical realism overcomes the depressive and gloomy nature of the realism, trying to evoke the belief in supernatural things and simultaneously revealing the essence of reality. Applying to different perspectives and new ways of expression, the magical realism demonstrates the unusual world of Latin America torn between civilisation and primitive state, modernity and antiquity, social conflicts and cultural unity. The magical realism challenges rationality, puts questions and leads readers to fantastic realms. The surrealism is a more formal genre than the magical realism; the surrealism bases its ideas on a certain ideology, while the magical realism forms its concepts on the logic of imagination, presenting a unique universe. However, similar to the magical realism, the surrealism is in search of combining contradictory juxtapositions, producing profound implications and complex ideas of reality. On the other hand, the surrealism strives for freedom, but this struggle is rather delicate; it does not maintain the idea of political or social changes, but rather claims for psychological changes.   Thus, the purpose of this research is to compare the magical realism of South America and the surrealism of Europe on the examples of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Evaluating the similarities and differences of these literary trends, the analysis is divided into several parts. Starting with a statement of the problem, which points at the major idea of the conducted research, the paper goes on with some social, political and cultural aspects of the magical realism and the surrealism. Chapter 3 presents a general overview of certain critical sources, which provide their interpretations of Marquez’s and Kafka’s literary works. The theoretical methods applied for the analysis are discussed in the further section. Chapter 5 provides a detailed comparison between the defined works of Marquez and Kafka, paying a particular attention to the principal elements of the magical realism and the surrealism. The summarisation of the received findings is conducted in the Conclusions Chapter, while the final chapter reveals the limitations of the research and gives certain suggestions for further analyses of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Franz Kafka.   3 Review of the literature As the literary works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Franz Kafka belong to rather complex genres of the surrealism and the magical realism, which are characterised by the unity of contradictory elements, critics provide different interpretations of these authors. Kafka’s The Metamorphosis has been analysed by feminists, psychoanalysts, postmodernists, structuralists, Marxists and other scholars who utilised various approaches in the process of their research. Gavriel Ben-Ephraim points at the fact that â€Å"Kafka’s The Metamorphosis validates contradictory reading that cancels coherent interpretation†1, while Harold Bloom maintains the similar viewpoint. As the researcher claims, â€Å"my working principle in reading Kafka is to evade interpretation, which only means that what most needs and demands interpretation in Kafka’s writing is its perversely deliberate evasion of interpretation†2. William Madden draws a parallel between Kafka and the principal character of The Metamorphosis, revealing many autobiographical elements in the narration and stating that â€Å"it is literally a true account of a man, life, and the cosmos†3. Ralph Friedman expresses the viewpoint that â€Å"it is best to approach Kafka as a writer of realistic fiction†¦ [and that] symbolism must be taken into account, but it is not the master key of Kafka’s work†4. Evaluating the role of Kafka in worldwide literature, Friedman states that â€Å"Kafka went his own way†¦ No great artist can be caught in the categories set up by literary historians†5.  Despite various interpretations of Marquez’s work One H undred Years of Solitude, many critics agree in opinion that Marquez’s magical realism demonstrates profound social, historical, cultural and political contexts. According to Stephen Minta, Marquez is â€Å"inevitably concerned with the whole history of his country and continent, and, both as a writer of novels and as a journalist, he has constantly laid stress on the importance of developing alternative sources of history†6. Marquez’s researcher Regina Janes points out that â€Å"his [Marquez’s] fellow novelists recognised in the novel a brilliant evocation of many of their own concerns: a ‘total novel’ that treated Latin America socially, historically, politically, mythically, and epically†7. In fact, totality of One Hundred Years of Solitude is achieved through the unity of history and society; although Marquez seems to uncover the history of his region, he simultaneously reveals the history of Latin America, starting with the primordial times and ending with the establishment of Western imperialism. Anne Marie Taylor points at the fact that Gabriel Garcia Marquez treats history from two different perspectives; on the one hand, it is presented as a crucial tool for the explanation of the past, while, on the other hand, it is an integral part of the protagonists’ experience. According to Taylor, the characters of Marquez’s narration â€Å"see the past in general as part of the circular pattern of recurring events and in particular, as filled with negative personal experiences which they do everything possible to repress†8. Despite the variety of interpretations of Marquez’s and Kafka’s works, the further analysis makes an attempt to overcome the existing contradictions and compare One Hundred Years of Solitude with The Metamorphosis, presenting a profound research of the magical realism and the surrealism.   4 Research methodology The research utilises two theoretical methods – a comparative approach and a historical approach, which provide an opportunity to compare the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the surrealism of Franz Kafka. The aim of the comparative approach is to define both similarities and differences of the discussed literary movements, revealing unique features of each trend and of each literary work. Simultaneously, this approach uncovers a close connection between a literary work and such sciences as psychology or philosophy. However, due to some limitations of the comparative approach, the paper also applies to the historical approach to overcome a simple analysis of differences and similarities and demonstrate interpretations of Marquez’s and Kafka’s works through the historical perspective, as every literary source is inseparably connected with history. The historical approach takes into account historical periods when certain literary texts are written; the received results are further applied to the analysed works that reflect some common features of a particular epoch. Applying to an interpretative perspective, this approach evaluates social, cultural, and political changes that influenced certain aspects of literature9. In addition, the historical approach analyses forms, styles and literary tools of specific literary works, producing various valid interpretations of fiction. According to such historians as Raymond Williams, Steven Zwicker, Kevin Sharpe, and Geoffrey Hughes, the historical analysis of language in a literary work is crucial for the research of political, cultural and social changes10. 5 Discussion 5.1. The definitions of the magical realism and the surrealism The ‘magical realism’ as a notion belongs to a famous German critic Franz Roh who applied this particular term to the reality created by artists; according to Roh, the magical realism â€Å"employs various techniques that endow all things with a deeper meaning and reveal mysteries that always threaten the secure tranquillity of simple and ingenuous things†11. Although the magical realism is a comparatively novel literary movement, some elements of this genre can be found in the works of such famous writers as Honorà © de Balzac, Nikolay Gogol, Mikhail Bulgakov, Guy de Maupassant, Italo Calvino, Charles Dickens and Fyodor Dostoevsky. However, in South America the concept of â€Å"magical realism† was successfully utilised in literature since 1940s to reveal the realistic outlook of American nation. As a challenge to post-colonialism and the prevalence of European cultural values in various countries of South America, some writers created literary works that began to reflect a definitely new vision of reality that was later regarded as the ‘magical realism’. Due to the fact that South America was exposed to various cultural, social and political conflicts in the nineteenth-twentieth centuries, the magical realism successfully demonstrated the existing complexities of that particular period. In this regard, the magical realism is based on the harmony of contradictory aspects, such as past and present, reason and emotions, reality and unreality. Thus, on the one hand, this literary trend accepts reality, while, on the other hand, it also accepts supernatural elements as an integral part of this reality12. Unlike the fantastic literary genre, where the created world differs from the real world, the setting in the magical realism is created within the real contemporary world, depicting modern people and social realm, although through the fantastic perspective. According to the historical approach, this combination of reality and fantasy can be explained by the survival of Indian culture within European civilisation. In view of this combination, the magical realism of South America is characterised by such features as irony, hybridity, restraint and the balance between natural and supernatural. As for irony, authors of the magical realism utilise irony to preserve realism within their fantastic contexts; however, their fantasy is so real that is almost impossible to separate the realm of fantasy from the realm of reality. As the narrators or the characters turn to fantasy, their reality is changed, and these protagonists no longer belong to a particular social class; rather they belong to the realm of magical reality, which constitutes their own lives. Hybridity is one of the most important features of the magical realism, as it challenges the traditional realistic portrayal, demonstrating that reality is usually more complex than it is presented in the majority of literary works. In other words, reality is exposed to constant changes and mixtures, revealing the equilibrium between two extremes. Restraint and the balance between natural and supernatural are closely connected with the previous features; writers of the magical realism apply to these literary techniques to prove that any supernatural elements are normal for the protagonists who live within the magical reality. In addition, the magical realism demonstrates various fantastic components that seem rather logical, although this logic is not clarified within the narration. The best representative of the Southern American magical realism is Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a famous Colombian writer, although there are other writers of the magical realism, such as Isabel Allende, Toni Morrison, Ernst Junger, Ben Okri, Mario Vargas Llosa, Jorge Luis Borges, Juan Rulfo and Alejo Carpentier. For instance, The Famished Road by Ben Okri reflects such features of the magical realism as hybridity and restraint, which are demonstrated through the principal characters and the portrayal of social reality. Alejo Carpentier is a South American writer who is known for the creation of the notion ‘marvellous reality’ that defines the literature of new writers after the Second World War. Similar to the magical realism, the surrealism also deals with two realms, but these realms are of different nature. In particular, the surrealism is aimed at observing exterior reality and interior reality in their unity; in fact, it is difficult to achieve the unity of two realms, as one reality is social, while another reality is individual. The surrealism as a literary movement was created in the twentieth century and became spread in Europe after the First World War. Originating from the Dada movement, the surrealism in literature is based on positivism, rather than on negativism, although it challenges the traditional understanding of art. In the period of immense disappointment caused by the war, the surrealists made attempts to renew the lost culture and art, adhering to realism and truthfulness of expression. For Andre Breton, the author of The Surrealist Manifesto and the founder of the movement in 1924, the surrealism is expressed in the balance between the unconscious and conscious spheres; in this regard, dreams and rationality constitute a perfect reality in surrealistic literary works. Thus, the surrealism reflects Freud’s psychological theories on the conscious and the unconscious, especially the psychoanalyst’s ideas of the id and the ego; it also rejects the dominance of traditions and reason over imagination. In this context, both the surrealism and the magical realism stress the importance of dreams, treating fantasy as a crucial and serious aspect of reality. However, writers and poets of the surrealism pay much attention to intricate combinations of words, but not to the meanings of these words, complicating their literary pieces and adhering to mysticism of primitive societies. Some famous European surrealist authors and poets are Robert Desnos, Louis Aragon, Paul Eluard, Philippe Soupault, Tristan Tzara, Hugo Ball and Jean Cocteau who considerably maintain the ideas of pure primitivism, but one of the most outstanding writers of the surrealism is certainly Franz Kafka, whose major short stories and novels were published only after his death. Overall, both the magical realism and the surrealism make attempts to find supernatural in normal things and present reality through a new vision. As a result, literary pieces of the surrealism and the magical realism are characterised by the implementation of new experimental forms, styles, themes and ways of expression, changing the traditional interpretation of fantastic and real, ironic and dramatic. In addition to these common features, the surrealism points at the fact that reality can be understood only through the unconscious. According to such psychologists as Freud and Carl Jung, myths and legends reveal the common unconscious of a particular community; that is why many surrealist writers utilise myths for better portrayal of their characters. Simultaneously, myths in the surrealism appear as an implicit opposition to Western cultural traditions and way of thinking. For Freud, civilisation deprives people of their primordial nature, while myths return societies to their cultural roots and their true identity. In this regard, writers of the surrealism usually apply to the key feature of the movement – automatism, with the help of which they try to reveal the unconscious. Automatism provides the surrealists with an opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas in a freely manner.   5.2. The comparison between the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the surrealism of Franz Kafka Various elements of the magical realism are utilised in the work One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Anos de Soledad) written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, where the writer mixes reality and fancy, overcoming profound differences between two realms. Above all, this mixing of spheres is expressed through the narrative tone of Marquez’s literary masterpiece. Applying to a serious and untouched tone, Gabriel Garcia Marquez manages to implicitly transform mystical and unreal events into real occurrences. The tone of his portrayal is so genuine that the whole narration seems natural, while combining the most controversial things. As the writer acknowledges, â€Å"the key to writing One Hundred Years of Solitude was the idea of saying incredible things with a completely unperturbed face†13. Marquez masterfully treats mystical elements, presenting them as an uncompromising truth. For instance, the priest, one of the novel’s characters, demonstrates the phenomenon of levitation that he performs with the help of chocolate; however, the protagonist regards this phenomenon as a normal act of God, claiming that â€Å"now we shall witness an undeniable proof of the infinite power of God†14. Thus, Marquez introduces the bizarre elements into his fantastic realm so unnoticeably that the readers accept them as natural things of their world. Introducing such supernatural elements as flying objects, carnivalesque and levitation, Marquez also applies to irony, symbolism and narrative distance. But the atmosphere of domesticity provides Marquez with an opportunity to gradually turn from fantasy to reality; in this regard, the introduction of Ursula into the narration serves this particular purpose. As Ricardo Gullon points out, â€Å"Ursula’s function is to impregnate the fictional space with everybody realities so that the marvellous may enter it smoothly†15. Other episodes of Marquez narration also demonstrate the writer’s skilful ability to switch from the supernatural to the real portrayal. This is especially vivid in the episode that describes Jose Arcadio’s death: â€Å"A trickle of blood came out under the door, crossed the living room, went out into the street, continued on in a straight line across the uneven terraces†¦ and went through the pantry and came out in the kitchen, where Ursula was getting ready to crack thirty-six eggs to make bread†16. Despite its unusual and mystical portrayal, the death of Arcadio is perceived as real due to the precise style of expression and the description of daily life. As in the real world, some people in Marquez’s novel die, while other characters continue to lead their usual existence. Maintaining the similar tone for the portrayal of real and unreal things, Marquez â€Å"never allows it to become evident, by interjection or amazement, that there may be a substantial difference between the extraordinary and the commonplace†17. The writer makes no attempt to question any supernatural elements or events; instead Marquez treats mysterious and real things in the similar way, revealing their mutual coexistence. For instance, a flying carpet is a normal phenomenon for the citizens of Macondo, it is the reality that evokes no doubts. As Marquez claims, â€Å"this time, along with many other artifices, they [the gypsies] brought a flying carpet. But they did not offer it as a fundamental contribution to the development of transport, rather as an object of recreation†18. Applying to such exaggerated portrayals of people and things, Marquez creates an atmosphere of reality that seems logical and natural. On the other hand, such portrayals allow Marquez to introduce the comic elements into the narration; utilising certain hyperboles, the writer at the same time presents them as reasonable. In his portrayal of Melquiades, Marquez states that â€Å"He was a fugitive from all the plagues and catastrophes that had ever lashed mankind†¦ But in spite of his immense wisdom and his mysterious breadth, he had a human burden, an earthly condition that kept him involved in the small problems of daily life†19. Although this exaggeration seems unreal for the modern world, it is absolutely normal for the fictitious world created by Marquez. The same regards other hyperboles, such as â€Å"it rained for four years, eleven months, and two days†20. Despite the fact that this hyperbole contradicts the existing reality, its accurate definition reveals the rigour of the catastrophe and implicitly points at the probable consequences of the occurred incident. Thus, Marquez’s principal narrative tool is the mixture of fantasy and exaggeration presented through the fictitious reality, as is especially obvious in the following utterance: â€Å"The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point†21. However, despite its fantastic elements and its fictional setting in the place of Macondo, One Hundred Years of Solitude reveals the true historical past of Columbia and the ironical social reality. As history is inseparably connected with culture, Marquez’s work demonstrates a profound historico-cultural context. Simultaneously, One Hundred Years of Solitude reflects a considerable impact of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis on the creative work of Marquez. While Kafka renovates the fable, adjusting it to the contemporary daily life, Marquez puts the fable within the strange, but familiar modern environment. In The Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung) Franz Kafka portrays a person who leads a life created by his family and society, finally transforming into an insect. In his surrealistic portrayal Kafka applies to symbolism, similar to Marquez, to demonstrate person’s alienation in the cruel reality and reveal that this reality is not exposed to any logic. Suffering from the constant domination of his father, Kafka turns to an implicit way of expression to oppose this terrifying control. In this regard, Kafka’s surrealism is expressed in the portrayal of mysterious and spiritual things through the bureaucratic perspective; while Marquez’s magical realism is revealed through the fictitious romanticism that uncovers real social and historical events of South America. Like Marquez, Kafka bases The Metamorphosis on contradictions and absurdity, on the extremes of reality and fantasy; however, his manner of expression is gentle and inconsequent. At the same time, Kafka, similar to the author of One Hundred Years of Solitude, pay much attention to the details, intensifying the narration. On the other hand, while Marquez combines seriousness with irony in his interpretation of the occurred events, Kafka uncovers his story through a philosophical perspective. Every thought or dream in Kafka’s narration evokes certain reflections and emotions in readers; for instance, the following expressions reveal father’s attitude towards his son, as Gregor changes into a vermin: â€Å"His father knotted his fist with a fierce expression on his face as if he meant to knock Gregor back into his room†22 or â€Å"at any moment the stick in his father’s hand might hit him a fatal blow on the back or on the head†23. However, despite the fact that Kafka’s critics overlook subtle irony in The Metamorphosis, the whole narration demonstrates profound irony, as the writer makes an attempt to reveal that person’s life is a temporary existence that is under the control of fate. In this regard, the real meaning of life is to preserve his/her own identity under the pressure of society and family, but not to attain wealth or high social position. Maintaining a rather objective viewpoint, the writer creates a sole protagonist Gregor Samsa who embodies Kafka’s own self and his own existence; thus Kafka’s story is autobiographic. For instance, at the beginning of the story Kafka provides the following description: â€Å"He [Gregor] was lying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his dome-like belly divided into stiff arched segments†24. The writer applies to such portrayals throughout the narration, implicitly revealing his own suffering and intensifying realism of his descriptions. As Kafka once claims to Felice Bauer, â€Å"I was simply too miserable to get out of bed†¦ I’ll write you again today, even though I still have to run around a lot and shall write down a short story that occurred to me during my misery in bed and oppressed me with inmost intensity†25. When Gregor ponders over his job of a travelling seller, he thinks that he has chosen this work, while in reality Gregor does not have a choice in this particular matter, as he works without salary to return the debt of his family. Kafka also worked as a travelling seller, and he embodied his wish to change his job and his life in the short story. Thus, The Metamorphosis deals with a sudden change; as Gregor transforms into a vermin, his life and his inner self become completely different. Gregor’s change is â€Å"the first occurrence in his life over which no one (including he) had any control†26. Despite the negative consequences of this transformation, it â€Å"allows [Gregor’s] hidden self to emerge, the self that had been stifled for so many years†27. In this regard, Kafka’s surrealism stresses the importance of finding one’s self; Gregor’s transformation provides him with an opportunity to receive freedom, thus â€Å"in his death likewise he is both extinguished and set free†28. In fact, according to Martin Greenberg, â€Å"the first sentence of The Metamorphosis announces Gregor Samsa’s death and the rest of the story is his slow dying†29. In the first instances of his conversion, Gregor is overwhelmed with the questions of daily routine; however, as the protagonist adjusts to his new image, he starts to ponder over the vital issues of existence. Simultaneously, Gregor is no longer afraid of death, as â€Å"his death is a †¦ liberating realisation. Gregor says, â€Å"Yes†, to his own death and dies reconciled with himself and with the New World†30. Therefore, Kafka’s symbolism demonstrates his own opposition to society, in which he lives, his opposition to the existing social stereotypes and biases. Gregor’s physical and psychological transformation occurs, because the character is no longer able to withstand his routine life and the pressure of his family. According to Thorlby, in The Metamorphosis the writer reveals that â€Å"man is hopelessly and inappropriately situated in the world as a beetle would be in a human family†31. As a result, Gregor looses his human features, implicitly revealing his reluctance to belong to the human race. As William Madden points out, â€Å"In his story, Kafka has undoubtedly exorcised some personal devils, notably his ambivalent feelings towards his father Hermann†32. In view of such interpretation, Kafka’s philosophy is closely connected with psychoanalysis of Freud; similar to other surrealist writers, Kafka, on the example of Gregor, demonstrates a struggle between the unconscious animal instincts and the conscious human reason. The unconscious receives victory in this struggle, as Gregor completely looses any human features, thus revealing the importance of the unconscious for a human being. On the other hand, Kafka points at the fact that Gregor’s loss of human features occurs only when society and family reject him. As Gregor realises that his own parents are cruel to him, he looses any wish to be a human and dies. According to Corngold, â€Å"Gregor’s metamorphosis into a disgusting insect seems to confirm the father’s opinion of his son†33. The Metamorphosis reveals the destroying impact of father’s behaviour on Kafka’s mentality; throughout the narration Kafka applies to the descriptions of such attitude, like in the following portrayal: â€Å"from behind his father gave him a strong push which was literally a deliverance and he flew far into the room, bleeding freely†34. Kafka’s surrealistic way of expression is rather shocking, as in the following portrayal, â€Å"if he [Gregor] tried to bend a leg, it first straightened out; and he finally succeeded in taking charge of it, the other legs meanwhile all kept carrying on, as if emancipated, in extreme and painful agitation†35. But the writer raises crucial issues of existence, revealing that modern society conforms to certain stereotypes, which may destroy a person’s identity and life. The issue of death is also implicitly shown throughout Kafka’s narration, in fact, it is the major theme of The Metamorphosis. Similar to the balance between the realms of the conscious and the unconscious, surrealist writers draw a parallel between life and death. Kafka’s treatment of death reflects his obsession with death under complex life conditions.  As Gregor transforms into a vermin, he starts to realise that all his life is a simple illusion and that all his beliefs are false. The protagonist experiences loneliness and loss, rejection and lack of understanding. As a result, Gregor isolates himself from the rest of the world, and this isolation causes the character’s destruction. In this regard, Gregor Samsa resembles Jose Arcadio Buendia, the character of Marquez’s work One Hundred Years of Solitude, as both Gregor and Jose are destroyed by their isolation. However, Marquez and Kafka treat the theme of isolation differently; in The Metamorphosis Gregor’s isolation destroys only him, positively influencing all members of his family and uniting them. Before Gregor’s transformation, the Samsas family morally degrades, but Gregor saves them. As Rudolph Binion rightfully points out, â€Å"It is beneficent to his family – [Gregor’s] decline revitalizes them – and so by way of his morbid choice, a free and deliberate one in the end, [Gregor] acquires tragic dignity†36. In view of this fact, Gregor is usually compared with Jesus Christ; this allegoric parallel reveals that Kafka’s surreali