A Glorious Defeat Essay Example for Free

A Glorious Defeat Essay In this book, Timothy J. Henderson examines the origins, outcomes, and modern-day consequences of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). A Glorious Defeat is organized around two central questions: why did Mexico go to war with the United States in 1846 and why did the war go so badly for Mexico? Henderson does provide the answers to these questions, based on the reader having some knowledge of the expansionist history that the US partook in with its southern neighbors, but who are â€Å"far less certain why Mexico went to war with the United States† (xviii). Henderson provides this book to as a means to correct the current Anglo-centric literature that circulates America, in which blames Mexico for its own losses â€Å"because they were proud to the point of delusion, arrogantly overestimating their own strength† (xviii). He states that it is fair and adequate to state that neither side of the battle is to blame, when in fact stemmed from the weakness of the Mexican nation, not by the aggressive nature of the US. The fact is Mexico was not the thriving and well established US; it was a meek and frail nation. The US, after the annexation of Texas, saw Mexico with the government’s bonds to the northern states and own political standings, as a challenge that can be devoured by the victorious nation. There was also Mexico’s own acknowledgement of its nations weakness that drove the political leaders to engage in a war with an obvious superior nation, in attempts to gain power and defend its honor. War with the United States gave Mexican leaders the opportunity to â€Å"indulge in the illusion† that the nation was not rent by economic, ethnic, and geographic divisions, but was insteadâ€Å" resolute and united against a foreign foe† (191). Henderson attempts to â€Å"understand Mexico’s weakness and how that weakness helped land it in a war with the United States,† relying heavily on evidence of Mexico’s disadvantages in comparison to the vitality and abundance of the United States (xix). In order to demonstrate the historical, demographic, and geographic weaknesses that hindered the Mexican nation from the beginning, Henderson contrasts the Mexican and US colonial legacies, ethnic compositions, routes to independence, and geographic landscapes. This methodology allows Henderson to move through complex histories at a fast, easy clip, while staying faithful to his organizing principles of Mexico’s inherent weaknesses and the United States’ inescapable victory. His explanation on the geographic landscape demonstrates the complications that Mexico faced with chasms and volcanic mountains and lack of natural features, such as rivers, to provide an easy transit. He also brings the similarities of the colonial connections between Mexico and the US. Yet due to Spain’s â€Å"medieval† influence empowered a Mexican elite who â€Å"clung† to the traditional rights, inherited privileges, and material inequalities that they believed were established by God and the church (4-5). The US, in contrast, was formed and led by men steeped in the theories of the Enlightenment and who favored reason, progress, change, individualism, merit, equality, and a just social contract. While literacy in the US grew and advanced improved the nation and brought them together, Mexico fought the boundaries of both class and race. â€Å"In Mexico there is not, nor is there a possibility of developing, a national spirit, because there is no nation† (12). The Indians in the United States, however, were â€Å"too scattered, weak, and unorganized to put up successful resistance, leaving them vulnerable to ruthlessly efficient extermination or relocation at the hands of whites† (5). With the Mexican mind set being the most present figure within this book, Henderson makes a psychological impact by describing the founders of the US republic as being â€Å"enlightened,† â€Å"liberal,’ and vigorous† and their politics â€Å"assertive† and â€Å"robust† (5, 12) with respect to the expansionist ideals. Where as Mexico and Mexicans are described in another light with references to a holocaust and â€Å"violent and traumatic.† Spaniards were â€Å"brutal and callous,† and Spanish law a â€Å"chaotic jumble† (7, 10, 13). As Henderson weaves the imagery of a very defenseless nation and the precognition of defeat and lose for Mexico, the political spectrum is placed into sight as he examines the encounter with Hidalgo and states the indigenous people were â€Å"indulg[ing] themselves in an orgy of looting, pillaging, murder and mutilation,’ forcing he stance towards independent Creoles like Hidalgo to â€Å"gaze into the maw of barbarism† (20). The images placed forth are very descriptive to create a savage stance, one based on no type of foundation to rely on and lack of morals to guide in the past events. It is no surprise to know how the Mexican nation was to be viewed in response to the Texas Revolution and the US invasion, but then again if there is any type of conflict even within the US, there is always going to be an altercation and one side that is left to feel threated, provoked, and aggression towards that entity. Flowing through the history, with Santa Anna leading Mexican troops against the Texas disaffiliation, the battle was fought with â€Å"vagabonds, Indians and criminals† to turn the tide in favor of Mexico, and again against the US roughly a decade later could be categorized as â€Å"ragged† (93, 106). Where is the difference in these categorizations and the gorilla tactics that the US has employed, I think the only difference is the US was more eager for battle and defense, where the Mexican nation was still in its finest hour of rejoice in figuring out the new nations formation. Many have stated Santa Anna as being a â€Å"tyrant† who you could say founded the gorilla ideology by demonstrating â€Å"brutality† and â€Å"cruelty† as he â€Å"slaughtered prisoners at the Alamo and engaged in other â€Å"butcheries† in response to the Anglo-American soldiers and settlers (92, 96, 97, 99, 101). But on the contrary, General Scott was â€Å"gifted in both the military arts and those of diplomacy† and â€Å"carefully cultivated the good will of the people† (168). Is this choice in words to further the animosity towards the US historical figures? In reading Henderson’s A Glorious Defeat, the views are as apparent as the title. You know you are expecting to encounter a novel that is from the Mexican standpoint. To sum up the entire book, Henderson himself put it exceptionally well. â€Å"Certainly it’s not hard to find examples of Mexican bluster and bellicosity, but the great irony and tragedy of the war is the fact that nearly all Mexicans in a position to make decisions realized full well that entering a war with the United States was folly and that Mexico’s loss was a foregone conclusion† (188). Doubtless to say, any novel with respect to one perspective, is going to have that bias projected upon the audience. I will mention, among this analysis of his work, I enjoyed the novel, due to usually hearing the typical US version of encounters; however, I believe this novel would have been made superior to the norm, by inviting the opposing council and having a mixed novel, kind of bringing the view o f a slave and the slave owner within the same realm. This would invite the ultimate view between both sides.

An overview of marketing

An overview of marketing Marketing according to Kotler and Keller (2006) is everywhere. We as human beings tend to portray a sense of belief that we make decisions out of our own will. However, in reality we receive hundreds of inputs consciously and unconsciously from brands and businesses marketing themselves, that tends to form the very basis of everyday decisions. It is done formally or informally in a number of ways by people and organisations, and businesses need to implement good marketing strategies in order to have beneficial success. Hence as Armstrong and Kotler (2009) state that marketing has a twofold goal of trying to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow present customers by delivering satisfaction. We are surrounded by companies marketing on every possible platform that they can possibly market on. But this is no accident that marketing takes place this way. Kotler and Keller (2006) state that it is done after careful planning and efficient execution. Excellence in marketing and its strategies are continually refined and reformed to meet the way consumers react to brands. But marketing to a wide range of people either locally or globally is tricky and has to be the Achilles Heel of many prosperous companies (Kotler and Keller, 2006). It needs to include what products need to meet customer demands, the product category, what price ranges they need to fall in, brand image of the business and brand loyalty of the customer. The brands and businesses that fail to carefully understand and monitor their customers and competition but try to keep a step ahead are at the greatest risk of failing to increase their value to the end customers. 1.1 Marketing! What is it? What really is marketing? How does it benefit to implement a marketing strategy? Does marketing really work? This is explained simply by Kotler and Keller (2006) as the identification and meeting of human wants and social needs, profitably. And to this the American Marketing Association introduced a formal definition help understand marketing which states that Marketing is an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to the customers; and for managing customer relationships in ways that are beneficial to the organisation as well as the stakeholders (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Armstrong and Kotler (2009), state that marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. Marketing has enabled exchanges of goods, services, events, experiences, information and ideas easily through various modes of communication from businesses to customers. Exchange according to Kotler and Keller (2006) is a core concept of marketing and to make any successful exchanges, marketers seek to elicit a behavioural response from the other party of consumer through analysis. But companies, businesses and brands have to understand that marketing needs to be radical and that the advantages of direct marketing are far greater. Using surgical strike advertising which as explained by Kotler and Keller (2006) are short, targeted ad campaigns helps create a emergent sense of belonging and part of a community, while making the brand or the brand image as the unifier of that community. This enables bringing about increased competition by introducing fresh, different marketing ideas and est ablishing loyalty and commitment among customers. 1.2 Do Brands really exist? Guzman cites Kapferer (1997) who states that before the 1980s the approach towards brands was different. Companies wished to buy a producer of chocolate or pasta: after 1980, they wanted to buy KitKat or Buitoni. This distinction is very important; in the first case firms wish to buy production capacity and in the second they want to buy a place in the mind of the consumer (p. 23). Guzman states that the shift in focus towards brands began when it was understood that there was something more than just mere identifiers. Also Kapferer (1997) stated that brands help perform an economic function in the minds of consumers, the value of the brand comes from its ability to gain an exclusive, positive and prominent meaning in the minds of a large number of consumers (p. 25). Thus Guzman assertens that business need to build a brand and focus on developing brand value (Guzman, A Brand Building Literature). A brand as explained by Simoes and Dibb (2001), is the combination of features (what the product or service is), the benefits for the customer (what wants and needs the product meets) and the values (which the customer associates with the product or service). If marketing adds value to a product while differentiating it from the other products in the market which may have similar features and benefits, then we are able to create a brand that customers can relate to.Brands are thus intangible assets that are residing in the minds of customers. Though they are impetus to brand creation by marketing, Kotler and Keller (2006) state that brands end up as a perceptual entity that are deep rooted in reality but reflects the perceptions and perhaps even the idiosyncrasies of customers. As explained by Armstrong and Kotler (2009), many business owners and brands tend to make the mistake of paying more attention to the product rather than to the benefits and experiences produced by the product s and coined this as marketing myopia. Therefore companies and organisations have long tried to differentiate themselves from their competitors in many ways to be able to be top of mind for customers. These differences maybe functional, rational or tangible, i.e. related to the performance of the brand; however they could also be symbolic, emotional or intangible, which helps potential customers and repeat customers relate to what the brand intends to represent (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Perceptions from customers according to Chevalier and Mazzalovo (2004) are embodied in a name. However, the American Marketing Association defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors (Kotler and Keller, 2006). It is thus an important visible part of a more complex reality and provides the mediation of the core values of the organisation and how consumers perceive its brand image. But what needs to be understood more importantly is that consumers are looking at a particular brand because they believe it has a guarantee of a specific quality, usually superior and this tends to help form a long-term strategy assurance for any relationship between the brand and customer (Chevalier and Mazzalovo, 2004). Brands thereby focus on keeping to their core-values and delivering the benefits consumers truly want. As seen from the HBR (2003), the Brand Report Card shows us that strong brands attributes such as staying relevant or pricing strategies are based on value that the consumer perceives, positioning the brand to make it desirable and deliverable, while constantly ensuring brand consistency and monitoring brand equity  [1]  . Any value that a brand carries along with it adds or minuses its overall brand awareness which Kotler and Keller (2006) state as the power of that brand which lies in the minds of existing or potential customers on what they have seen, read, heard and experience directly or indirectly about the brand. As stated by Coulson-Thomas (1983), the appeal of a brand may remain relatively constant even as product physical attributes may change, hence companies and organisations need to constantly resonate their core values and position themselves correctly in their tar get audiences minds, in order to increase brand awareness and higher brand recall. 1.3 Gaining an Identity for the Business through Branding Urde M. (1999), Brand Orientation: A Mindset for Building Brands into Strategic Resources, Joumal of Marketing Management, 15. 117-133 There has been research from previous case studies carried out on companies such as Nestle, DuPont, Tetra Pak, Volvo, and Phamiacia Upiohn Nicorette, to see how an organisations approach is affected when its operations and marketing and strategies revolve around the companies brand or particular products of the company (Urde, 1999). The organisation acquires an identity and increased awareness when it expresses its overall goals, values and positions through its brand and brand statement. But Urde questions whether we need to rethink the market and marketing concept while challenging the ever known assumption of whether the customer is always right? He also goes on to ask whether development of the organisation or brand should be based on satisfying the customers need and wants, even if the price is not right? (Urde, 1999). But through the case studies researched by him on the companies stated above, it shows that integrity and brand competence are required to create, develop and pro tect the brands while sending out the right message through the right channels to be able to establish a trust brand identity while customers can relate to and not just an image. Also Ewing and Napoli (2005) state that while doing this organisations need to monitor consumers brand perceptions, identify whether their attitudes confer with their own brand vision and thereby instigate strategies to reinforce positive brand beliefs or change any negative perceptions because as Haynes et. al (1999) state, from a brand management perspective, brands are likely to be more successful when an audiences perception of a brand mirrors the firms view of the brand concept and both are identical to the consumers original specifications since the products or services produced by a business need to meet the customers desires and not just their demands. 1.4 Brand Orientation: Brand-orientation has been a term that has been coined by Frans Mellin and Urde and through Urdes dissertation carried out in 1997 he states that it is an process where brands and companies revolve around the development, protection and creation of the brand through an ongoing interaction with targeted customers with an aim of achieving long lasting relationships which in turn ensures competitive advantage for the brand. Brands have always been seen as only resources and expressions of the company identity to establish themselves in the minds of customers. And they have thus been treated in a very superficial or general fashion. Urde cites Macrae who states that certain companies go the extra distance to not only satisfy customers wants and needs but to lend a strategic significance to brands, which enables them to acquire an emotional and symbolic value for the brand and organisation, thereby helping them ensure that they are living the brand through their marketing strategies (Urde , 1999). Urde states that though being industry and customer centric for the last half century, there are always questions arising with regard to product related questions. Is the product good enough? Is it what the customer really wants? These questions tend to dominate when we deal with brands and this is mainly because the functional advantages of any product can be easily imitated by competitors at a lower cost hence removing the competitive advantage entirely (Urde, 1999). Thus as stated by Kotler and Levy (1969) that The marketing concept holds that the problem of all business in an age of abundance is to develop customer loyalties and satisfaction, and the key to this problem is to focus on the customers needs (Urde, 1999). Thus when Drucker (1954) first articulated this idea being called the marketing concept, he made note that marketing was never a separate function of the management but on the contrary, the whole business needs to be seen from the customers point of view (Deshpande and Webster, 1989). The marketing concept often called the market concept which is considered a corner stone by Kohli and Jaworski (1990) and Drucker (1954) who were among the first people to argue that the marketing concept needs to be adopted as a fundamental basis for any brand or company to ensure a competitive advantage. Armstrong and Kotler (2009) also state that customer focus and value are the paths to higher sales and profits for any business. Thus it goes to say that by placing the customer in focus by the firm and revolving the companys strategies to satisfy customer wants and needs is key in any marketing concept. Many authors such as; McKittrick 1957; Felton 1959: Kotler 1977; Day. Shocker, and Srivastava 1979; Webster 1992; Day 1994; Hunt and Morgan 1995, have previously in their literature contrasted this concept of marketing with market orientation and hence customer orientation. And Urde describes market orientation as the organization wide generation of market intelligence pertaining t o current and future customer needs, dissemination of the intelligence across departments, and organization wide responsiveness to it (Urde, 1999). Businesses need to be able to maintain a healthy competitive advantage by differentiating their product or service through constant sensing of their market through regular interactions with customers and potential customers helping them cater to the end customers needs and wants, and thus as Melin (1997) points out enables them to form a barrier to entry. Thus brands are forced to become the unconditional response of the firm because following the strategy to tend to the wants and needs of customers can be ensured only through the right brand communication channels and thereby right segmentation and positioning. And this is possible as seen by Urde citing Day (1994) who argues that market sensing (the ability to continually sense, interpret foresee, and react to changes in the market) and customer linking (the ability to develop relationships with customers) are two particularly important aspects of the development of a market-oriented organization (Urde, 1999). Satisfaction of customers needs and wants Æ’Â   The brand as an unconditional response to customer needs and wants But Urde (1999) also goes on to state that if brand awareness and brand loyalty of customers is intended to increase the competitive advantage, then market orientation tends to come into conflict with any long-term brand development. If marketing the business as a brand is the true question then we need to see whether the customers and their changeable preferences provide sufficiently stable grounds for the brand as a resource. If brands tend to change just because of opinions and comments of consumers based on whatever position they think is popular at the time, then the business and its brand image loses credibility. This on the contrary shows that the business has not got a strong sense of identity and forms and opportunism for signs of weak integrity to the business and the organisations core values and goals (Urde, 1999). Establishing a brand as explained by Urde (1999) should be a starting point for businesses as an expression of a mindset. If all businesses relate to their products or services as brands and work on strategies to create, develop and protect these brands as strategic resources, it will help them achieve a competitive advantage which in turn increases brand identity for customers to relate to. Research done earlier has shown that identity of a brand for a customer is enhanced through value creation and meaning creation which enables customers to experience products or services as attributes that are valuable and unique, and this makes it difficult for competitors to imitate. Urde (1999) states that companies need to consciously and actively strive to give their brand a competitive advantage through an expression of intent by constantly managing the process through which they give the brand value and meaning. This helps the brand become a symbol of an ongoing interaction between the com pany and its customers. Hence Urde points out that by doing this, it has positive consequences on the company which helps it position, prioritizes, organizes, develops, and protects its brand resource base while increasing the companys knowledge of market intelligence for its product or service (Urde, 1999). 1.5 Businesses establishing themselves as Brands A conceptual framework Former head at Nestle, Camillo Pagano, was questioned by Urde on whether it was possible to create brand passion within an organisation. To this Camillo answers, As you get new consumers all the time, by changing consumer groups, habits, and trends, you have to keep the brands continuously refreshed. Thats a job that takes a tremendous amount of attention and passion! (Urde, 1999). A passion for a brand whether it is a business, organisation or even a product or service, it needs to come from within, and this can be seen not only from the way the employees of the brand work in the organisation but also by the way customers perceive the brand through their loyalty. Businesses thus need to be brand oriented in order to generate any sort of customer loyalty towards their brand, increase brand awareness and thus be able to communicate the right message to their potential end users. This ability to be able to transform a product or service by an organisation into a brand needs to constitute as a fundamental process for organisations. As stated by Urde (1999), a product fulfils a function, while a brand symbolizes values and a meaning in a social context. A brand with emotional and symbolic values is experienced and interpreted while carrying a personality and identity of its own provides a basis for a unique relationship. It symbolizes values and a meaning in a social context and brings about experience through its reality. The understanding of a company being brand-oriented can be summarised through a number of concepts and relationships. However, Urde (1999) integrated a companys reasoning about its strategy and direction with brand equity, brand awareness and brand identity, to obtain a conceptual framework called the Brand Hexagon. Any company that needs to portray its business or its brand out into the market need to answer basic fundamental questions such as: Why does the business or brand exist? What does the brand stand for? Who is the brand? How is the goal of the brand to be achieved? As stated by Urde (1999), if these questions are answered then it helps relate to the reasons for the existence of the business or brand as well as enabling identification of the core values, identity, personality, and strategy of the brand. Also if the vision of the brand is to be projected out to the end customer on a long term basis then the business needs to be able to communicate the right information of what they want to achieve for the brand and how they will go about realising this vision. 1.6 Communicating the Brand Functional and Emotional Values As stated by Urde (1999), brand awareness for any business is concerned both with its position in the market as well as the specific products or services that is made available for the consumer. From the Brand Hexagon model, the right side reflects the reference function (product or service category and product), while the emotional function that reflects the brand name or the business name is on the left side. Urde goes on to explain that distinguishing between intellectually explaining as well as emotionally communicating are the principle ways brands need to communicate to their target audience. We as individuals use our brain (i.e. reference function) and our heart (i.e. emotional function) to interpret a brand thus enabling us to experience the brand in its entirety. The task of communication is necessary to explain the product or service that a brand or business represent, however it is not to explain brands in terms of objective relationships. We need to emotionally and symbol ically experience a brand and hence the identity of the brand cannot be explained. And Urde firmly states that insight into the limitations of the intellect in understanding, and into the limitations of the emotions in explaining, is fundamental when a company communicates about its brands (Urde, 1999). The mission and vision are at lower part of the model and relates to the brand or businesses intentions, while the upper part shows the interpretation of the brand by the target audience. Through symbolic interaction a continual reinterpretation is created by the dynamics of brand development. Thus this has lead to the process of meaning creation which puts the core values and positioning at the centre of the model, thereby forming the complete brand hexagon showing how all the elements are linked and interlinked for the development of a brand. 1.7 Awareness. Associations and Loyalty Reflections of Brand Strength As we look at Urdes Brand Hexagon, we can see that the relationships between a brand, product or service and the target audience can only be established when there is awareness, right associations and brand loyalty. 1.7.1 Awareness: As cited by Macdonald and Sharp, Baker et.al (1986) state that if a brand is not recalled due to lack of awareness then it would obviously not be chose during the decision making stage. Awareness of a product or service, produced by a business, thus needs to be conveyed to the target audience and this helps to increase the brand building process. Farquhar (1989) states awareness is a important dimension of brand equity and Aaker (Emerald Backfiles 2007) strengthens this point to say that brand awareness is pivotal since it underlies the strength of successful brands. As Aaker (1991) states, the brand should be conceptualised as a node in memory which thereby allows other information about the brand to be anchored to it and this can only be done by creating awareness of the brand (Macdonald and Sharp, 1996). 1.7.2 Associations: The brand is able to differentiate their product or service, create favourability, attitudes and bring about congruity in the brand through unique associations (Keller, 1993). Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000, p.17) describe associations as anything that makes the consumer connect with the brand, including user imagery, product attributes, organizational associations, brand personality, and symbols. But as stated by Cochran (2002), associations will only result if all of the components of the brand make sense and are perceived by the target as an entity with which they would want to interact. Hence these associations will only be possible if there is a good communication channel between the brands and the end customer, since good associations would lead to better relationships and this would result in higher brand recall. 1.7.3 Loyalty: Loyalty as stated by Shocker (1994), marketers for brands need to understand and be able to leverage consumer-bonds which has become especially necessary in every marketplace since it is characterised by increasing unpredictability, diminishing product differentiation, and heightened competitive pressures and as cited by Fournier and Lao (1997), brand building activities have been placed back into the heart of business plans to develop consumer brand loyalties, partnerships and friendships. In addition, Aaker (Emerald Backfiles 2007) also states that by focussing on brand loyalty, this often is an effective way to manage brand equity since repeat buying patters of consumers as well as customer satisfaction are the indicators of a healthy brand and thus programs to enhance this will build brand strength. 1.8 The Core Values Centre of Gravity At the centre of the Brand Hexagon are placed the core values which enable to position a branded product and a branded company because Urde (1999) states that it is via positioning that the company expresses and interprets the core values. Positioning of the brand however but take place in relation to its competitors and always assert on attributes and benefits that complement the brand. This is usually achieved as Urde (1999) explains through using of metaphors that explicitly communicate the core values. As cited by Urde (1999), Phannacia Upjohn used the linguistic picture of Nicorette a helping hand to communicate its products for quitting smoking. Hence in principle, positioning ensures three dimensions of quality, personality and communication of the brand. 1.8.1 Quality: Quality as stated by Urde (1999) relates mainly to the product or service offered and as cited by Phillips et. al (1983), Porter (1980) cites that using quality as a differentiator helps insulate a business from competitive rivalry by reducing customer sensitivity to price, increasing customer loyalty and thus protect the business and brand. Personality: The personality of a brand are simply the human traits that consumers associate with the brand. As stated by Aaker (1997), research has been done to focus on how consumers express his or her own self, an ideal self or specific dimensions of ones self through the use of a brand. These personality traits thus are able to provide the brand with an emotional side and enables to position it in relation to other brands for the customer (Urde, 1999). Thereby Biel (1993) goes on to say that personality can be used as a central driver for consumer preference and usage. Communication: Communication is the basic human activity that helps link people and businesses together to create relationships. As stated by Duncan and Moriarty (1998), communication is at the centre of meaning-making activities which corresponds not only to marketing but also in political, social and economic areas to serve as a way to develop, organise and disseminate knowledge. Mohr and Nevin (1990) state it should be like the glue that holds the brands communication together in order to transmit information, receive feedback from the customer, and thereby help participative decision making. Thus through communication, businesses are able to chose the media channels through which they want to target their audience, use particular tones and styles in their marketing, and be able to reflect customers aspirations (cf. Kapferers (1997) reflections) (Cochran, 2002). Through this combination of quality of product or service, its brand personality and the right channels of communication, it makes it possible to position the brand clearly (Urde, 1999). There are certain values such as brand essence and brand soul that helps sum up a brand. As Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000, p.45) states that brand essence helps become a part of brand identity as it is viewed as the glue holding the core identity of the brand together and as explained by Urde (2003), is to define and describe the innermost core of a brand. Randazzo (1993) also states that the brands soul is in its spiritual centre, the core values that defines the business and brand and permeates through all other aspects of the brand (Randazzo 1993, p.17). But as stated by Urde (2003), if core values are to fulfil their function and role they need to be built into the product, expressed in behaviour and reflects the feel of communication; thereby giving the end customer an added value which the consumer associates as an advantage to be able to differentiate a brand from a commodity. Hence McCracken (1993) states that: Brands have value, it turns out, because they add value and Urde (2003) justifies by saying that the added value maybe either functional, emotional or symbolic but they need to be closely related to the core and organisational values. Through this act of interpreting and reinterpreting the core values of the brand to the customer, helps affect the image and identity of the brand (Christiansen and Askegaard, 2001). Thereby brands and business need to be very careful while communicating the right message to their customers because the most important task of core values according to Urde (2003) is to be the guiding light of the brand building process. Thus from the Brand Hexagon we see that consumer awareness of the product needs to be established through brand associations which will help bring out conditions that help relationships exist between the target customers and the brand. But as Urde (1999) states, the main significance of the brand is reflected by the positioning of brand and reflecting the core values of the business and brand. However, he goes on to say that the loyalty of a customer towards a brand or the relationship shared is established only through brand identity and recall. Any business or brand needs to see itself as a brand-oriented company by being an associative network that communicates to the target audience (Urde, 1999). As stated by Fiske (1990, p.42) Decoding is as active as coding, therefore the brand and end consumers need to be the co-creators of this whole process. Hence communication should not take place as a one-way network but rather as an interaction with the target audience (Urde, 1999). 1.9 Communication: Communication is thus a very vital aspect of the whole concept of marketing and brands. Whether to communication is not the question anymore but asking what needs to be said, how it needs to be said, through what channels, where is your target audience located, how easy is it to access your target audience and how often can this be done financially and logically are the more pertinent questions. Over the years, there has been an increase in products available locally and globally, the competitors have increased and the overall prices of products have reduced considerably. These factors have affected the ways brands communicate to the customer in order to gain higher market share as well as undivided attention (Kotler and Keller, 2006). This has however been overcome to a large extent due to the efforts of holistic marketers  [2]  who are creatively employing multiple different types of communication. 1.9.1 Traditional vs New media: According to Lutze, companies spend millions every year on marketing their companies as brands in order to gain more market share and reach more prospects. But how often are these same companies realising the brand that is already created by their loyal, current customers? (Lutze, Reinvent Relationships With your Customers Online). As stated by Duncan and Moriarty (1998), this increasing importance of communication in marketing is easily demonstrated by the ability to use new marketing approaches as compared to traditional media (television, radio, and print media). Also marketing through traditional media could not be directly tracked unless large organisations paid huge amounts of money to market research companies to learn what their end customer feels about their product but with the introduction of the internet and social networking media platforms, all this has been changed drastically (Lutze H., Reinvent Relationships With Your Customers Online). The new approach emphasises tw o-way communication between brands and businesses and their target audience which has enabled listening to customers and interactivity with the end users. This kind of engaged marketing involving both sides of the chain can build or destroy important brand relationships and brand loyalty. 1.9.2 The Internet: With the evolution of the internet, this has sparked a whole new digital revolution in the way communication exists and the way we use communication among each other. It has impacted lives of people as well as business to a large extent and according to Harris and Rae (2010), everything around us seems

Voter Habits Based on Demographics Essay example -- Voting Voters Demo

Voter Habits Based on Demographics Abstract In this paper I intend to evaluate the voting habits of the American public. I will look at how race, sex, education level, marital status, income level, current employment status, and age affects whether or not people vote. I am also going to examine which political parties these groups have historically voted for, why they vote for them, how this has changed over the years if it has changed at all, and why it has changed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that from previous voting information you could fairly well predict the voters’ choices. I’m not saying you could foretell the outcome of upcoming elections, but you could figure out what to expect given the state of current affairs. I find this interesting because I didn’t know there were so many statistics out there on this. Many that I have looked at already are pretty surprising. It would give me a better foundation of understanding of how our country and society works. Understanding the world around me better will assist me for the rest of my life. Academically I think this is very important and relates to the future elections. For a true democracy people need to get out and vote. With this information we can see what groups aren’t being represented through a lack of voting and we can take action about this. They can be educated on the importance of voting and what a difference they can make.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my research I will need to find out a lot of statistics. Also I will need to know where they came from. Then I will need to find some information on how to evaluate all this information and what conclusions can be made about it. I will most likely find this information in studies and information included with the statistics. Body There are many differences that separate the American population. I am going to examine some of these differences in relation to voting and make some assumptions as to why these differences occur. These conjectures will be based on statistical numbers obtained from the 2002 congressional elections and previous years. I have chosen to exclude the presidential elections because I feel that they would be too complicated to analyze in a paper of this length. Also I believe the congressional elections provide more consistent and traceable trends in our society. First I will have to take into account the number of people that a... ...he polls. About thirty percent of registered voters did not vote in the 2002 congressional election. Twenty-seven percent of these people said they were too busy or had conflicting work or school schedules. This group was mostly made up of younger males, Hispanics, and people with higher education levels. Going back to education levels, people with lower levels of education were more likely to report that that chose not to vote because they were just not interested or they felt that their vote wouldn’t make a difference. In congressional elections each persons vote carries more weight, because it is only the voters in your state that decide who is going to be your representation on the federal level. There needs to be more information given to people when they register to vote to decrease these numbers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I found many more aspects to the evaluation of voting while doing my research for this paper than I had thought existed. It brought to light many difficulties that our country needs to overcome to try and achieve a situation where everyone’s voice is heard. There are programs and services in place to help try and achieve this goal, but there is still much work to be done.

Celies Pain in Alice Walkers Color Purple Essay -- Color Purple Essa

Celie's Pain in The Color Purple Molestation is a topic that is painful to think about, and even more difficult to write about. Yet Alice Walker chose this as the central theme of her novel The Color Purple. Walker's work centers around a poor African American girl Celie. Celie keeps a diary, and the first section of the novel is an excerpt from her diary. After reading the excerpt, the reader comes to realize that Celie is a fourteen-year-old girl who has been molested by her father. Through this, she has lost her innocence as well as her self-worth, evident when the reader sees that the diary's words have been altered to say "I have always been a good girl" as opposed to "I am a good girl." From the moment her father molested her, Celie ceased to see herself as a good person. The events following the molestation only serve to lower Celie's confidence and hurt her relationship with her father. Her sister Nettie attempts to protect her, Nettie being the closest thing to a best friend that Celie has at this point. Nettie is the only person in Celie's life who cares enough about her to stand up to their father. "The first time I got big Pa took me out of school. He never care that I love it. He say 'You too dumb to keep going to school'. But Pa, Nettie say, crying, Celie smart too. Even Miss Beasley say so." Nettie gets Miss Beasley to go to the house to convince 'Pa' "She see how tight my dress is, she stop talking and go" The way Celie writes in her Diary reflects her lack of education and class status. She writes in the most basic and colloquial language that she would use when speaking. She spells many words incorrectly such as "git" and "Naw". She also uses her words in the wrong tense saying " I say" instea... ...Purple." PMLA 106 (1991): 1106-15. Berlant, Lauren. "Race, Gender, and Nation in The Color Purple." Critical Inquiry 14 (1988): 831-59. Bobo, Jacqueline. "Sifting through the Controversy: Reading The Color Purple." Callaloo 12 (1989): 332-42. Butler-Evans, Elliott. Race, Gender, and Desire: Narrative Strategies in the Fiction of Toni Cade Bambara, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1989. Froula, Christine, "The Daughter's Seduction: Sexual Violence and Feminist Theory." Signs 2 (1986): 621-44. Hooks, bell. "Writing the Subject: Reading The Color Purple." Reading Black, Reading Feminist. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Meridian, 1990. 454-70. Shelton, Frank W. "Alienation and Integration in Alice Walker's The Color Purple." CLA Journal 28 (1985): 382-92. Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Harcourt, 1982.

Friedman’s Discussion of Globalization and Flattening Essay

Globalization is regarded by its critics as a force which is extending the gap between the world’s rich and poor. In some ways, this has been true, especially throughout the first decade of the post-Cold War Era. The opening of gateways to the East created a relationship between the corporate partners throughout the globe that concentrated the spoils of free-trade into the hands of the wealthy. But in Thomas Friedman’s 2005 meditation on the topic, The World is Flat, there is evidence that in fact, the intended products of globalization such as a greater distribution of knowledge resources and a leveling of the technological playing field are beginning to surface. This latter product of free trade, the ‘leveling’ effect is that which informs Friedman’s title theme. The world has become flat by its increasing smallness. The economic, political, cultural and tele-communicative interconnectivity of nations is gradually eroding many of the geographic obstacles to popular progress. The strands of globalization, the New York Times journalist observes, have contributed to a broadening of access to independent entrepreneurialship and opportunity. Though many of the subjects of the author’s analysis are large American multi-national corporations, there is an evident transition in which knowledge-based internet startup enterprises from across the globe are undermining the more monopolistic proclivities of the American market. In nations such as India and China, American exploitation of lower operational, environmental and labor-oriented costs in the technological sector has caused a proliferation of such resources to the general public. This, in turn, is becoming a hotbed of alternative market action which will ultimately dismantle the superiority of the American economy. According to Friedman’s analysis, a core detriment to the U. S. economy, but a boon to independent operations overseas, has been a disregard for American private conceptions of property rights. From counterfeiting of American name brand consumer goods to pirate telecommunication infrastructural apparatuses, the bureaucratic vulnerabilities to effective globalization are numerous. Both partners in a free-trade circumstance stand to lose economic opportunity in the presence of such market subversions. Thomas Friedman’s text is eye-opening insofar as so many of the matters which he discusses may be directly implicated in the experiences of our everyday lives. In fact, this is the ‘flattening’ principle of which the author speaks, dictating that the public experience rather than simply large institutional abstractions are shaping the context in which we live our lives. Such is to suggest that the technological, educational, informational and recreational freedoms which have traditionally be reserved for those on the upper echelon of both their domestic setting and international geography are increasingly becoming democratic. However, in contrast to Friedman’s general tenor of optimism, his sarcasm only hints at the current consequences of globalization for so many individuals. This discussion is a reflection on Friedman’s text as informed by my own conception of globalization which brings future opportunity at the expense of current human dignity, personal satisfaction and even American prosperity. Therefore, the discussion will be oriented toward elucidating globalization’s internally contradictory nature. Just as it enriches one demographic in a developing nation, it facilitates the targeted abuse of another. Just as it endows us with a heretofore unseen capacity for self-sufficiency, it likewise robs us of the capacity to control the level of satisfaction which we achieve when relating to the commercial world. In the flattening of the global horizon that Friedman lauds as the eventual path to a shared standard of living and prosperity, there is the need for a greater analytical emphasis on the negative forces that are driving individuals to increasingly attempt to find their own pathways to social and commercial interaction. Friedman’s discussion, as we will see, is focused on demonstrating the permeation of benefits to the collective world community in free trade. This is quite supportable from a macrolevel standpoint. Indeed, nations engaged in free trade would do well to support one another in a mutuality of benefit. Certainly, as was illustrated by the economic phenomena of the 1990s’, the expansion of a single large market through a boom of technological progress will have the effect of disseminating to the rest of the free world. This was certainly proved to be true by the dynamic of that decade, when â€Å"there was a massive investment in technology, especially in the bubble era, when hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in putting broadband connectivity around the world. † (Friedman, 6) The result is what is seen as surfacing today. More than the United States, it is the world community which is producing the knowledge workforce of the future. And though Friedman is forthcoming in making that foreboding case, it is important that we expound upon this subject further in this discussion by acknowledging that globalization and the ‘flattening’ effect are not of a uniform pattern. Even as the proliferation which the author discusses is taking place, it has done so with a multitude of consequences that can neither said to have been desire nor can be said to have stimulated greater equality. Friedman, whom by his text we may suggest is a supporter of the ultimate purpose of globalization, makes the technological attribution that â€Å"it was actually the coincidence of the dot-com boom and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that launched the fiber-optic bubble. † (67) Friedman observes that the collective telecom industry invested roughly 1 trillion dollars in half a decade on ‘wiring the world. ’ (67) The deregulation in the 1996 American domestic legislation, which allowed so many larger companies to enforce hostile consolidation measures in a vast array of theretofore legally unapproachable markets, would coincide with the unfettered capital investment in global internet penetration that has ultimately elevated private sector rights over public rights while simultaneously helping to bring other nations to an eventually greater infrastructural promotion of internet access than would be found in the United States. In some manner, this is borne out by a pattern with incredibly broad-based implications for American consumer and job markets. Today, we have seen and experienced the wholesale transfer of our Customer Service industry to fledgling globalizing economies such as that in India. Here, major computer retailers, cable company operators, wireless communication device providers, bank/credit cards merchants and virtually every other monopolistic corporate industry in America is forced to maintain its competitive advantages by commissioning outsourced Customer Service agents located in India. It is their charge to replicate the experience of an American calling a support technician with an intimate relationship with the product in question. This is accomplished with, as Friedman reveals, intensive training in the adoption of linguistic, dialectic and etiquette-related behaviors designed to facilitate comfort for the American caller. â€Å"The Indian call center operators adopt Western names of their own choosing. The idea, of course, is to make their American or European customers feel more comfortable. † (22) Amongst the many indicators that cultural flattening would play a part in this transition of labor, the concept of taking on an Americanized name in the interests of facilitating the core consumer target is not only remarkable but intensely objectionable from the outside perspective, particularly when this outside perspective is informed by the sense of autonomy and individuality typically affiliated with western philosophy. However, for the subjects described in Friedman’s book, an aspect of the western philosophy perhaps more indicative of its cultural interest is the economic opportunity afforded to the hundreds of thousands of young Indian post-graduates competing for the chance to answer phone calls from Americans concerned with all manner of technical support or target marketing. This relatively low-level and typically micro-managed field in America has become amongst the most competitive entry-level positions in India. And in one sense that Friedman captures in the theoretical framing of his text, this is an opportunity for personal economic mobility which for the young student in India might have been seen as extraordinary and rarified just a decade ago. This may hardly be said to be true today, where â€Å"245,000 Indians are answering phones† 24 hours a day and charged with responsibility of representing themselves as being located somewhere in the United States. (24) From a personal perspective, this has produced an incredible dearth of quality service in the United States, where the usability of our products has become increasingly distant from the quality of the Customer Support which we have received. One of the qualities of our technology which Friedman believes has helped to diminish the relevance of geographical distance to serviceability has been the institution of automated Customer Service. For those of us who have been transferred and given insufficient options for contending with specific categories of problem, this has hardly been an added convenience. And the infallibly polite computerized operator is equally as unflappable or emotionally unresponsive as is the outsourced Customer Service representative. In a particularly telling passage where Friedman observes a woman in an Indian call center as caller after caller hangs up the phone in rage, we can see that there is something about this experience that can be excruciating and even unfair. It may be noted that Friedman does a very effective job at distinguishing between the economic, the sociological and the technological factors which have rendered our current level of global flatness. He acknowledges that there were world events which would make the type of collaboration now essential between the United States and India a natural matter of happenstance. Friedman describes the so-called Y2K crisis in which it was feared that a lack of programming foresight would result in the incorrect resetting of the world’s computer-based internal clocking mechanisms, creating the likelihood of widespread technical failure throughout the world. Thus, â€Å"with Y2K bearing down on us, America and India started dating, and that relationship became a huge flattener, because it demonstrated to so many different businesses that the combination of the PC, the Internet, and fiber-optic cables had created the possibility of a whole new for of collaboration horizontal value creation: outsourcing. † (108) So we must yield to the fact that, truly, globalization can hardly be avoided. The scope of consumer need does truly require a greater scope of consumer service, and the Indian economy does have the correct workforce makeup to address this need. But when combined with the expansion of private rights, courtesy of such legislation as the 1996 Act, this has created a frustrating sense for the consumer that ‘flattening’ requires a considerable decline from the experiences to which Americans have grown accustomed. Perhaps the overarching presence in Friedman’s text is the intimation that these factors which are impacting our lives and the affecting the shift of world order are of an inevitable nature. The ten factors which are identified as the flattening mechanisms of the changing globe are largely technological and economic forces with broad social and cultural implications. However, these latter qualities are merely the secondary consequence of a circumstance committed to by former. Such is to say that the proliferation of western culture, though certainly not accidental, is merely incidental. Referring once again to the problematic case of outsourcing Customer Support services, we can see that the imposition of American culture is only due to the need to cater to the American consumer. In reality, though Indian culture is threatened by subversion, it is American culture which is being co-opted for reasons having little to do with cultural expression. As a result, the American identity has been trivialized and largely represented as being tantamount to the conveyance of commercial interest. One of the core revelations offered by this text, at least when placed in the context of the general American’s everyday experience, is that the flattening which has occurred must necessarily come at the expense of the American’s staunch sense of individuality and belief in personal entitlement. Works Cited: Friedman, T. (2005). The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Organization and Management Analysis Essay

Organizational and management analysis are an essential part of organizational environment. In the modern world, working environment characteristics are team work, delegation, information technology interfaces, which have an impact on the effectiveness of organization and management. This helps in cost reduction, decrease in environmental waste, improved employee satisfaction and an increase in overall productivity. To have an organizational and management analysis review of organizational charts, meeting with department managers, executives or board members, and an organizational survey is necessary (Jones, 2006). A multi-dimensional examination of organizational and management analysis gives a complete picture of the actual situation which can be a starting point. This paper is to describe various organizational theories, compares management theories and styles, and explains which organizational theory and management style resembles our organization. Also, this paper explains what could be changed to make our organization better. Organizational Theories Organizational theory is to identify how they solve problems and how they maximize efficiency and productivity. These theories mostly derived from the activities of successful organizations. All of these theories contributes to the overall understanding of management. As in any other theories organizational theories provide the basis for ongoing research and application of human behavior in organizational settings. Classical Organizational Theory Focus on the theories of efficiency. The components include scientific management, bureaucratic theory, and administrative theory. Scientific management focus on getting the best from the people, equipment, and business. So that productivity can be increased. In this, the workers got scientifically selected, trained and taught for the work. On the other hand, bureaucratic theory focus on establishing a hierarchy, division of labor, rules, and regulations. In the current world, many of the managers think that bureaucratic theory is a hindrance to employees’ creativity. Administrative theory establishes a set of management principles and functions that applied to the organizations. This serves as a centralized  decision making approach (Coulter & Robbins, 2012). Neoclassical Organization Theory This theory emphasizes effective and sociopsychological aspects of human behaviors in an organization. As we see in many of the current organizations many of the managers motivate, lead, build trust, work with the team, manage conflicts is all based on the organizational performance approach. The way manager design jobs, work with the employees, the method of communication is general in the behavioral approach. Productivity increases in an environment with coherence of values and purpose. The key is to maintain equilibrium where subordinates respect and believe managerial authority (Chron, 2014). Contingency Theory This is a management approach that recognizes each organization as different, which means that each organization faces different situations and requires different ways of managing. This helps the management to understand that there are no universal rules for managers to follow. Instead of looking into the universal rules, the manager must look on to the individual situation and determine the best and efficient way to manage the situation ideally. Different changing circumstances require managers to use different approaches and techniques. There are no simple or complex rules to follow. Managers are able to take decisions based on the conditions (Coulter & Robbins, 2012). Systems Theory The system theory approach explains that organizations take information form the environment and transforms these resources into outputs into the environment. This theory explains the interrelatedness of all parts of an organization and how one change in one area can affect multiple other parts. In this, all the units work together to achieve the organizational goals. Organization depends upon inputs form capital, government regulations, suppliers, information technology, human resources, to receive the output of financial results, products, services and information (Liebler & McConnel, 2012). Organizational theory suits our Organization The organizational theory that closely resembles our organization is the  Contingency Theory. Adapting to the new changes in the environment is the basis for Contingency theory. This theory is important for managerial and organizational success. We have recently adopted Electronic Medical Records, and we are in the adaptation stage of information technology. Manager takes decision based on the current circumstances, which is logical because the units within our organization differ in size, structure, capacity, work activities, and goals. So a universally acceptable theory will not work in all situations. Different situations require different theories of management. Some situation the division of labor and bureaucracy is desirable which supports the classic theory. Other situations structural design becomes effective. Depends on the situation the manager takes the stand. Contingency theory claims that there is no best way to design an organization. There is no written rule on what is the best or the universal solution for the problems in our organization. There is no best way to organize a corporation or to lead a company. Also, the theory that works in our organization may not work for other organizations (Coulter & Robbins, 2012). Compares Management Theories and Styles Managers communication with the subordinates reflects a cluster of styles which the management styles. Managers use different style in different situations. Generally, we can see one style generally emerges as the predominant mode of interaction. Autocratic manager makes independent decisions without much input from subordinates. The manager clearly dictates what, how, when and where things for the employees there is no room for employee initiatives. An autocratic style is least effective and desirable for motivating employees. Another management style is the bureaucratic management style in which the manager follows the rule and ensures that the employees follow the rules â€Å"as well â€Å". They go by the book and the rules and enforced strictly. In this, the employees enjoy less freedom. No exceptions permitted. Participative management is which the manager makes the final decisions, but the employees are involved in this process. Both the manager and the employees involved in the decision making process. Decision made as a cohesive group interaction. Everyone might not accept managers decision. Another type is the Laissez-faire style in which the manager allows employees to manage their own work. No supervision provided. In this, the  individuals should be self-motivated. This can result in disorganization, chaos and lack of direction. Finally, in Paternalistic style the manager makes the decision to benefit the employees. Manager treats employees like children. In this style, the employees become dependent on their manager (Liebler & McConnell, 2012). Management Theory and Style suits our Organization In our organization, there is no one management style that fits to all situations. In my observation, the manager’s shifts form one style to another when they face different groups and situations. When it comes to the policies and procedures, in my observation it is bureaucratic style, top level managers are following autocratic management style, and my immediate manager has a participative style who consults with the employees for decision making. So far I have not encountered any Laissez-faire management style in our place. In the new hire orientation managers follow paternalistic style. For a successful manager, the management style depends on the given situation. If a work environment does not require any close supervision, the managers may select any styles. When employees are unskilled, autocratic style is most efficient. In the current world, changes impacts the manager’s task. It includes economic and political uncertainty, ethical issues, security threats, and changing technology. All these call for different management styles depends on the manager’s involvement. Changes towards Organizational Advancement Organizations deal with challenges in this worldwide economic climate, changing technology and increased globalization. A manager should understand the critical issues and use skills and abilities during challenging times in an organization. A great manager can change your life, encourage employees professionally and personally, energize people to overcome challenges and instill team spirit. Such a manager can make job enjoyable and productive. Manager should create an environment in which the organization members can work to the best of their abilities and think creatively. In order to make the organization better people should support, coach, and find meaning and fulfilment in work. Also have up-to-date information about the new innovative ideas. It is important to be competitive and sustain in the  business world. Develop the networking ability, communicate effectively and be sincere and genuine with others (Coutler & Robbins, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion as we have seen in any organizational performance, managerial ability is very important in creating organizational values. Different management theories and styles range from prohibiting staff from making any decisions to fully delegating the decision-making power. No management style is consistently effective. Situational factors should be taken into consideration in the selection of an effective and efficient management style. The study of organizational theories and management styles is essential in this modern organizational, working environment. References: Chron. (2014). Organizational Theory. Retrieved from http://http:www.smallbusiness.chron/organizational-theory. Coulter, M. & Robbins, S.P. (2012). Management. (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Jones, J. (2006). How to Analyze an Organizational Structure. Retrieved from http://www.smallbusiness.chron.com/analyze-organizational-structure-11818.html. Liebler, J.G. & McConnell C.R. (2012). Management Principles for Health Professionals. (6th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Love: An Inexpressible and Indescribable Feeling

Love is an indescribable and inexpressible feeling. It can affect a person to the point of recklessness. Once a soul has realized its counterpart in another, the effects can cause one to surrender themselves completely. Judgment becomes clouded and rationality no longer exists. In the end, all that remains is pure, indefinable emotion. This emotion is what fuels the person. Love is why almost everybody on Earth looks forward to tomorrow. Those who lack it will try to look for it. Those who have it, will work themselves to the bone Just for the ones they love.It is the best possible feeling Christopher Final Essay Love is an inexpressible and indescribable feeling. It can affect a person to the point of recklessness. Once a soul has recognized its counterpart in another, the effects can cause one to surrender themselves completely. Judgment becomes clouded and rationality no longer exists. In the end, all that remains is pure, indefinable emotion. This indefinable emotion is what fuel s the person. Love is the reason why almost everybody on Earth looks forward to tomorrow. Those who do not have it, tries to look for it.Those who have it, will work themselves to the bone Just for the ones they love. It is the best possible feeling one could ever feel. While love seems like a splendid thing, it also has its flaws. The most well-known negative thing that comes along with love is Jealousy. Jealousy is a special form of emotive Kim k unemotional anxiety, which occurs due to the lack of a sense of security in relation to the one who is loved. The Jealousy directed to a third party, I. E. , the competitor who is perceived as the rival for the affection of the person who is loved.Jealousy is n emotion having components of both anger and fear commonly found in children. It originates from the lack of a sense of security for the affections of one who is loved and more attended to. The play, A Midnight Summer's Dream is about several couples in love and the problems that ca use relationships to crumble like dominoes, one after another. Shakespeare is mainly focusing on the crazy things that people do when they are in love. People tend to break the shackles of normalcy and common sense and do things for their own madness.In the play, A Midnight Summer's Dream, Shakespeare uses the shifting of the peoples' personalities to emphasize what love could do to people. As a person falls deeper in love, he or she becomes blind to things that happen around them and could care less about anything else except their own love affairs. Shakespeare portrays this in A Midsummer Night's Dream when Helena accuses Demerits of killing Lessened and asks him if he has killed Lessened. The shift in her personality reveals the interference of love since she starts blaming others groundlessly.Shakespeare uses this to show how people react to problems hat involve love and how foolish their actions are. Another major problem caused by love is rivalry and how easily friendship can be crumbled when it comes to the issue of love. When Hermit enters the scene while Demerits and Lessened are with Helena, Hermit blindly enters and is questioned by Helena because Demerits and Lessened both originally liked Hermit. Therefore, she thinks it is a trick and they are when her close friend is involved. Thus, Helena starts the argument which causes her friendship with Hermit to crumble.Shakespeare is clearly showing the message of owe the common nature of people causes them to make rash decisions and change personalities because of love. People in love will see the world in a different perspective, they become so obsessed with their love to the extent that their world revolves around the person they love. This type of love can cause trouble, especially when deep and intense. This is seen almost every day in real life. For example, heartbroken girlfriends throwing pots down the window and locking their boyfriends out is the first image that comes to mind when thinking of J ealousy.