Applied Research Case Study Essay

Global Innovation’s Challenges On June 5, 2006, Peter Vyas paced his office as he grappled with a request for $2 million to relaunch a mini water-oxidation product. Despite two failures to bring this product to market over the past three years, his team was confident this latest iteration was a winner. For Vyas, general manager of the Filtration Unit of Applied Research Technologies (ART), the request presented a major challenge. He recognized that his team had worked tirelessly to make this project a reality and strongly believed they were now headed in the right direction. But he also understood that the Filtration Unit’s track record of failure during this product’s development had hurt its credibility. If he supported the proposal, he knew he would be putting on the line not only his own personal credibility but also that of the entire unit. Due to the project’s size, final approval would be made by Vyas’s boss, Cynthia Jackson—the newly appointed vice president of ARTâ€℠¢s Water Management Division. Jackson was acutely aware of the mounting losses in the Filtration Unit, and she had already devoted a significant amount of time trying to get them back on track. She had confided to one of her colleagues: When I took on this assignment, I was told my first task was to â€Å"fix† the Filtration Unit. The unit only had one revenue-generating product line and had failed to bring a profitable new product to market in five years. It was clear that I was expected to either turn it around or shut it down. I’m trying to protect them and ensure they get support, but my initial feeling is if they are to survive, they must become much more disciplined. They seem to be making progress on that front, but in all honesty, I sometimes wonder if it is time to cut our losses and initiate a harvest strategy for the unit. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HBS Professor Christopher A. Bartlett and Heather Beckham prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. This case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration. Copyright  © 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business Publishing. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. ART was one of the technology world’s emerging giants. The company had grown through the merger and acquisition of numerous technology-based industrial companies, acquired in the LBO buyout waves of the 1980s and 1990s. By 2006, ART consisted of a portfolio of about 60 business units, each of which operated as a profit center. Total corporate revenue was $11 billion in 2006.1 Major divisions in the corporation included Healthcare (medical diagnostic equipment), Industrial Automation (robotics), Energy (extraction, conversion, and transportation solutions for the oil and gas industry—–including the Water Management Division), and HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, including climate control solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial markets). Exhibit 1 shows the organization structure of the company. The company’s success had been built on its innovative and entrepreneurial culture, coupled with a decentralized management philosophy. ART’s vision statement, proudly displayed in almost every office and cubicle, stated: ‘‘We aim to change the world through innovation, and to grow our place in it through entrepreneurship.† Culture and Practices ART was dedicated to supporting innovation not only with funding (the company’s R&D spending was double the rate for U.S. industrial companies), but also in its practices, several of which were deeply embedded in the company’s culture. ART encouraged employees to spend a half day each week ‘‘experimenting, brainstorming, and thinking outside the box.’’ It was a practice that the company’s visionary founder and current CEO, David Hall, referred to as ‘‘tinker time.’’ He explained the concept: Innovation and entrepreneurship are the twin engines driving this company. It’s the reason we’ve ingrained â€Å"tinker time† in our culture†¦I expect all our managers, and particularly those on the front line, to create, promote, and back promising ideas. But we understand that when you go for the big leap, you won’t always clear the bar. So there is no shame in failure when you are stretching for big objectives. Around here we routinely celebrate what we call â€Å"worthy attempts†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ even when they are unsuccessful. Knowledge sharing and dissemination was another key part of ART’s business philosophy, and despite the high level of decentralization and profit accountability, technology and human capital were both widely shared among divisions. For example, experts in one division routinely served as advisors on project committees for other divisions, and it was not uncommon for employees to go ‘‘on loan’’ to help another unit with a promising product idea or technology. The company also moved quickly to bring products to market. If an idea showed promise, funding was usually available for small ‘‘beta batch’’ productions, which often allowed market testing to achieve what was called ‘‘proof of concept’’ within ART. Once an innovation was proven, significant investment was quickly put behind it. Objectives and Priorities To infuse discipline into its decentralized organization, ART’s top management set highly aggressive performance objectives and tied executive compensation tightly to them. In 2006, as in 1 Of that total, Water Management Division sales were $560 million and Filtration Unit sales were $38 million  any other year, each division was expected to deliver sales growth of 10%, pretax margins of 15%, and return on invested capital of 20%, referred to as the ‘‘10/15/20 Target.’’ The belief that innovative products were the source of the company’s ongoing competitive advantage was reflected in a companywide metric requiring 30% of each division’s total sales come from products developed in the last four years.2 Hall also continually emphasized that to be competitive, ART had to shorten the life cycle between a new technology’s conception and its commercialization. In response, the company had introduced the ‘‘Fast Track Pipeline,’’ a program that focused on the highest priority projects by providing them with additional resources and management attention. ART currently had 67 such projects in the pipeline, six in the Water Division, but none in the Filtration Unit. (The mini oxidation unit had not been identified as a ‘‘Fast Track’’ project). In the late 1990s, Hall began pushing to grow ART’s global presence. â€Å"It’s important not just to expand our market access, but also to broaden our talent access,† he insisted. ‘‘Innovation and entrepreneurship know no national boundaries.† In the quest to meet this challenge ‘‘to attract the best and the brightest wherever they live,â€⠄¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ in 2000, the corporate R&D group opened the India Technical Center (ITC)—–a substantial operation that Hall hoped would become a model for  other R&D centers he planned to open up around the globe. The Filtration Business Unit The Filtration Unit was part of a business ART acquired from an oil and gas services company in 1996. Its core product line was in mobile water treatment that allowed oil and gas exploration companies to meet government water recycling requirements at well heads and drilling sites. These products were still the unit’s core line, but in the late 1990s, new competition from Chinese manufacturers had led to a commoditization of the business and an erosion of margins. ART’s newly acquired filtration business had tried to develop the next generation of products and technologies, but after two high-profile new product failures, the unit had lost confidence. By 2006, it was losing about $6 million annually. New Management, New Energy In a promotion from his role as a lab manager in the HVAC Division, the 32-year-old Vyas had assumed the role of business manager for the Filtration Unit in June 2001. He immediately confronted the unit’s twin organizational problems of low morale and growing turnover, and in his first year, rebuilt the team by carefully selecting entrepreneurial-minded individuals to fill the vacancies left by turnover in the unit. One of his key recruits was Janice Wagner, whom he knew from her five years as a marketing manager in the HVAC Division. She was excited to join a unit that had an opportunity to develop a new business from scratch. Convinced that survival depended on innovative growth, Vyas appointed a technology evaluation team early in his tenure, charging them with the responsibility to focus on technologies with the potential to turn the unit around. In one of his first reviews with that team, Vyas learned that for almost a year, the filtration unit had been working with ITC technicians on an exciting new technology the young Indian team had developed based on a license obtained from a Delhi-based start-up company. Developed as a potential solution to the widespread Third World problem of obtaining clean water in remote regions, this small-scale oxidation system was thought to have 2 Hall had recently increased this target from 25% of each unit’s sales from products developed in the last five years.  application in many less-developed markets. But in an effort to cut costs, the filtration unit’s previous management had decided to abandon the collaboration a year earlier. After reviewing the technology, Vyas became convinced that this had been a mistake and encouraged his evaluation team to pursue the project. Working closely with the ITC technologists, the team concluded that the oxidation technology was the most promising opportunity in their portfolio, and recommended developing a small-scale oxidation system that enabled waste-water disinfection in small batches. ‘‘We were so excited by that decision,† said Div Verma, the ITC technologist in charge of the project. ‘‘We believe this project can make a huge difference to the lives of millions.† Motivated by the support they received, the ITC technicians devel oped a promising initial design. Without bulky equipment (the equipment was a 26-inch cube) or an electrical power source (it utilized battery power), this small system could transform waste water into potable water without chemicals in minutes. A single unit had the capacity to process approximately 2,000 liters of contaminated water per day. With pride, they took their design to Vyas. But Vyas wanted to understand the business opportunity and asked Wagner to prepare a brief overview. Wagner learned that only about 2.5% of the world’s water was fresh, and most of that was frozen. Population growth, industrial development, and agricultural expansion were all putting pressure on fresh-water supplies in both developed and developing countries. Indeed, the World Resources Institute found that demand for water was growing at twice the rate of the population. As a result, the World Health Organization estimated that over 1.1 billion people lacked access to clean water, and that 2. 4 billion lacked access to  basic sanitation. The research also revealed that waterborne diseases accounted for 80% of infections in the developing world, and in 2002, 3.1 million deaths occurred (90% children) as a result of diarrheal diseases and malaria. As countries such as India and China industrialized, they used more fresh water and added more pollution to existing water sources. Wagner concluded that the scarcity of clean water was reaching crisis levels in developing nations, and that the mini-oxidation system could help avert some of the catastrophic effects. But she also reported comparable R&D efforts also underway in the government and private sectors in China and Europe, and that several companies in the United States and Canada were researching the technology. Nevertheless, her analysis suggested the ITC team’s product was further along and probably superior to anything else in the space. New Opportunities, New Initiatives Vyas decided to pursue the project and convinced the VP of Corporate R&D who had ITC oversight to allow the three ITC technologists working on it to become members of his technical team—–a move that would allow them to focus on developing commercial designs for the oxidation technology. Simultaneously, he asked Wagner to do a first-cut market assessment to identify potential opportunities for the technology. Over the next few weeks, through focus groups and interviews with potential customers, she uncovered several promising applications. (See Exhibit 2). But while the market research was exciting, progress in bringing a product to market proved to be slow and difficult. From January 2003 to February 2006, the technology team coordinated with separate manufacturing and marketing teams located in the United States to work through two complete cycles of product development, beta batch productions, and test marketing of two different versions of the mini-oxidation system. Both failed due to what were subsequently revealed to be defects in the design and lack of interest in the marketplace. The first-generation product was aimed at the application for which the technology was originally developed—–to provide developing nations with safe drinking water. Largely supported by foreign aid, the mini-oxidation system was field-tested by representatives from funding agencies. Unfortunately, the output water had a detectable odor which the funders found unacceptable. Despite assurances that ITC technicians could fix the problem, the trials failed to convert into orders. The team decided to refocus a second-generation product on specialized applications in Western countries where funding was more available. The plan was to develop a slightly modified version of the product and aim it at a potential market for military use and NGO disaster relief activities that Wagner had identified in her initial analysis. This decision was enormously disappointing to the Indian technologists who had developed the initial prototypes, and Vyas had to work hard to keep them on board . The second-generation product fixed the odor problem, but field trials showed that the solution caused the unit to consume too much power, requiring frequent battery replacement. Once again, no orders were forthcoming. While these trials were occurring, the filtration unit’s small R&D team in the United States persuaded Vyas to allow them to work with corporate R&D on an entirely new version of the product that would utilize ultrasound waves for water disinfection. High frequency vibrations were shown to control the growth of algae, organic waste, and bacteria such as E. coli. Market applications for this technology included treatment for clean water storage receptacles, public/private ponds, fish tanks, and ballast water. However, in 2006 this technology was still in the earliest stages of research and testing. New Oversight, New Discipline In January 2006, just as Vyas and the rest of the mini-oxidation team were launching their secondgeneration system, Cynthia Jackson was appointed vice president of the Water Management Division. Jackson’s attention was soon drawn to the troubled Filtration Unit which she felt needed to put much more rigor into the planning and analysis that supported their product development activities. According to Jackson: Peter Vyas seems to be an excellent talent manager. He was able to recruit and retain good people to his unit, and then build them into highly motivated teams on two different continents. He’s also shown himself to be an outstanding advocate for the group’s ideas -skilled at managing upward, gaining support, and running interference so his team can concentrate on the task at hand. And I’m aware that the company has high hopes for the Filtration Unit, but the results just are not there. In my view, the unit lacks discipline. They had a promising technology that was in search of a market, but had not done the work to nail down either. In the first meeting I had with them I explained that they would be developing any future proposals using a rigorous three-phase process linking market analysis and technological development to business planning. In her first meeting with Vyas, Jackson also made it clear that the unit’s continued existence was in jeopardy if they did not turn things around. Mini-Oxidation’s Third Launch Attempt To coordinate the third launch of the mini-oxidation system, Vyas assembled a single six-person development team with representatives from various functions located in the United States and India. Because Janice Wagner had demonstrated strong project management skills, Vyas named her  as the team leader. (Exhibit 3 details committee membership.) From the outset, the team was highly committed to the product and worked tirelessly  to complete Jackson’s three-phase process. Phase 1: General Product Concept and Market Analysis Wagner took the lead in preparing the Phase 1 requirement ‘‘to develop a general product concept supported by market research.’’ Having learned that the unit lacked the expertise to sell to developing markets, governments, and NGOs, she decided to focus additional research on U.S. data that seemed to indicate strong potential for a residential water purification system. She also decided to see if opportunities might exist in domestic agricultural applications. According to the Palmer Drought Index from April of 2006, 26% of the United States was considered in moderate to extreme drought conditions, and Wagner’s research showed that low rainfall, high wind, and rapid population growth in the Western and Southeastern regions of the country caused a major water scarcity problem for these areas. The resulting government-imposed water restrictions often led to severe limitations or outright bans of water used in residential landscape irrigation. Because re-use of waste water would serve conservation efforts while preserving residential landscaping, Wagner felt that the mini-oxidation system offered a perfect solution for the needs of homeowners in these drought-stricken areas. In addition, since the product would be used for irrigation and not for drinking water, the disinfection quality could be lowered and energy consumption would therefore be reduced compared to past product iterations. Wagner’s research on the U.S. water industry indicated that the domestic water-treatment equipment market generated sales of over $9 billion. (Exhibit 4 provides selected data from the research.) Residential water treatment products ranged from water filters that reduced sediment, rust, and chlorine odor (average retail price $50) to systems that provided more comprehensive household water purification (retail price $1,500 to $3,000). The research also showed that in-ground sprinkler systems cost between $1,800 and $4,000, and after conducting some industry interviews and focus groups, Wagner felt this was a good barometer of what a homeowner was willing to pay for a lush, green lawn. After discussing the product concept with the development committee members, the team decided to recommend a retail price of $2,000 ($1,000 wholesale price) for a residential irrigation mini-oxidation system (RIMOS) capable of supporting a 10,000 square-foot lawn. Pricing for an agricultural irrigation large oxidation system (AILOS) would be significantly less on a per-acre basis, with details to be developed only after further research had been done. Wagner and Vyas compiled the data and product concept information in a formal proposal for Jackson to approve. Jackson responded to the team’s Phase 1 proposal with a flurry of questions and challenges. She highlighted the sparseness of concrete market numbers and their lack of data on target markets. And when the team floated the idea of designing a larger-scale agricultural version of the system, she asked them to think about whether that would stretch resources too thin. With the whole company under pressure to trim budgets, J ackson asked the team to consider reducing the project’s costs by eliminating either the RIMOS or AILOS product. After some discussion, Vyas and his team agreed to focus future product development and marketing efforts on the RIMOS product for the U.S. market. Phase 2: Technical Specifications and Prototype Having won the approval of Phase 1, the team was now ready to begin the second phase of Jackson’s product development process. This involved designing actual product specifications and determining how to do this within the $1,000 wholesale price point that the group had determined was appropriate. A working prototype was also to be created as part of this phase. The team relied heavily on ITC expertise to adapt the existing product originally designed to provide potable water in remote locations, to one capable of processing wastewater for lawn irrigation. During this phase, several misunderstandings surfaced between team members in the United States and India. For example, Wagner became concerned when the Indian team  repeatedly missed design deadlines she had requested. When she confronted Div Verma, the lab leader responsible for the project, he responded tersely: Peter told us he wanted the new design to be flawless. I take that as my number one priority. We can’t meet this deliverable without proper testing. Why is everything so rushed with you? If we don’t have a perfect design, then we run the risk of failing a third time and that is not acceptable. My team will not provide designs for a prototype until we are sure that all the bugs have been worked out. We don’t want to be involved in another failure. Emphasizing the mandate to move quickly while ensuring product quality, Vyas mediated the disagreement by crafting a compromise that gave the Indian technical team a formal schedule allowing them two weeks of extra testing time. ‘‘I felt there was a mix of disappointment and pride that had to be dealt with,† said Vias. ‘‘I also told Div that this third generation product would give us the credibility to return to the developing world project.† Once the prototype was finished, the final designs and specs were again submitted for review. Jackson was impressed by the attention to detail in this latest iteration, but wanted to ensure that the team was fully utilizing the internal expertise available at ART. With Jackson’s help, Vyas tapped engineers and manufacturing managers from the HVAC and Healthcare Divisions who had expertise his team was lacking. He invited them to join his development team, and they quickly became deeply engaged in the project. They identified several design changes and production specifications that increased efficiency and lowered manufacturing costs. Phase 3: Business Plan The development of the business plan was the most difficult phase for Vyas and his team. They were unaccustomed to creating complex sales forecast models and cost estimates. But eventually they developed a detailed product concept, marketing approach, and manufacturing strategy for RIMOS, as well as sales forecasts, cost projections, and expense estimates. They also acknowledged that they still believed there was a significant market in water treatment for the developing world and in emergency relief work, but  these future options had not been included in the current forecasts or business plan. They hoped to explore these with the help of the Oil and Gas Division which had excellent international contacts. Jackson challenged the team’s pro forma financials which she felt lacked the data to support their assumptions. She asked the team to perform additional due diligence and to justify their assumptions. She also pushed back on the projected sales assumptions and suggested that the pro forma financials needed to be stress-tested. But after testing the analysis, Wagner felt her research was sound and was adamant about the size of the opportunity and their ability to capture the market. Vyas stood by Wagner and also defended the financial data which he felt had been carefully developed by the manufacturing and technology experts. Exhibit 5 summarizes the team’s sales and operating margin forecasts. The team acknowledged that its assumptions relied on the ability to gain access to the HVAC Group’s Residential Market Division. As Wagner pointed out, ART’s norms encouraged them to take advantage of these types of synergies, and they had good contacts in the division. However, the HVAC Residential Market Division’s senior executives had full discretion regarding the products distributed through its channels, and they had not yet made a formal decision about  Jackson also expressed her concerns with the $2,000 retail price point and pushed Vyas to clearly identify the risks associated with the plan. After further consideration, the team developed a risk assessment and response matrix, which they included in the business plan (Exhibit 6). The business plan revealed the need for $2 million in funding for beta batch production of RIMOS and the marketing budget to support its distribution and promotion. Toward a Decision: Go or No Go? An hour after receiving the investment proposal from his team, Vyas was still pacing back and forth trying to decide whether to support or reject their request for the $2 million in funding for RIMOS. He knew his development team was absolutely convinced it could succeed, but he also realized that the unit’s existence and even his own career were being openly questioned. Two floors above Vyas’s office, Jackson was also contemplating the RIMOS project. Having heard through the company grapevine that a funding request had been submitted to Vyas, she began to think about how she would handle the request if it was sent up to her. She had heard rumblings from other managers in her division that the Filtration Unit was a drain on division resources and that it was time to pull the plug on any additional funding. As a newly promoted division VP, Jackson understood that her actions would be closely watched. She wanted to make sure she did not drop the ball. Exhibit 1 ART Organization with Filtration Unit Detail Finance Engineering Legal R&D HR David Hall CEO Healthcare Executive VP Energy 3 divisions 17 business units 2 divisions 13 business units Power Generation Oil/Gas Extraction 4 business units 2 direct reports T. Smith Administration Cynthia Jackson VP Water Management Division 5 business units 3 other business units B. Brady R&D USA Industrial Automation W. Steilow Plant Superintendent 5 direct reports 40 plant personnel HVAC 3 divisions 14 business units Power Distribution 3 business units Peter Vyas Manager Filtration Unit J. Wagner Sales and Marketing 2 direct reports B. Wang Production Control P. Gupta Indian Technical Center Team 2 direct reports 3 direct reports Exhibit 2 Wagner’s List of Potential Markets Developing Nations †¢ Provide potable water solutions for areas with unsafe drinking water U.S. Residential †¢ Landscape irrigation †¢ Pools †¢ In-house water recirculation for non-drinking purposes (e.g., laundry, dishwashers, etc.) U.S. Commercial †¢ Restaurants †¢ Grocery stores †¢ Laundromats †¢ Linen/Uniform companies †¢ Farms †¢ Landscape irrigation U.S. and Overseas Emergency Units †¢ Disaster relief †¢ Military Exhibit 3 ART Mini Water Oxidation System—–Development Committee Team Structure New Product Introduction Team Members D. Verma R. Patel B. Wang H. Lewis J. Wagner T. Smith C. Corteza G. Steinberga Laboratory Leader—–Indian Technical Center Product Development—–Indian Technical Center Manufacturing Quality Assurance Marketing (TEAM LEADER) Project Administration HVAC Division Representative Healthcare Division Representative a Member from another unit of ART added in Phase 2 Exhibit 4 Market Research: Summary Data The U.S. Water Industry (Revenues in millions)a Water Treatment Equipment Delivery Equipment Chemicals Contract Operations Consulting/Engineering Maintenance Services Instruments and Testing Wastewater Utilities Drinking Water Utilities Total U.S. Water Industry $9,110 $11,660 $4,020 $2,350 $7,460 $1,780 $1,400 $34,130 $35,070 $106,980 s U.S. Residences (2000 Census) Total Housing Units Single-Family Detached Homes 116 million 70 million Drought Indicators (Palmer Drought Index 4/10/2006) % of the continuous U.S. in severe to extreme drought % of the continuous U.S. in moderate to extreme drought 13% 26% NOTE: Mini-Oxidation Systems are a â€Å"new-to-the-world† product with unknown market potential. a Source: Adapted from the Environmental Business Journal, 2006 Exhibit 5 Summary Sales and Profit Forecast for RIMOS 2007 Forecast Sales ( $ millions) Forecast Operating Income (%) Exhibit 6 2008 2009 2010 2011 $ 5.45 10% $ 7.08 15% $ 8.86 20% $ 10.89 20% $ 13.07 20% Summary Risk Analysis and Risk Mitigation for RIMOS Risk Level Plan May not gain market acceptance High – Ensure HVAC distribution support Highlight ART name Supplement marketing budget for product launch Product design flaws Medium – Monitor beta batch closely Price point too high Medium – Quantify customer savings from increased water efficiency Provide sales training to distributors Emerging competition Low – Get to market first Leverage ART global presence, technical support, supplier relationships, and distribution network

The Dutch Oven

The Dutch Oven is a old version of a frying pan or roasting pan. The dutch Ovens started production in the 1700's. Dutch ovens are still used for many things, like cobblers and roasts. Dutch ovens were made of brass in the first couple of years that they were made. Then a man by the name of Abraham Darby visited the Netherlands and wanted to watch the the production of the Dutch Oven. When he figured out how to make the oven he traveled back to England. When he returned home he was trying to find a way to make a cheaper version of the oven. His creation was made of a more economical metal of cast iron. The Americans found out about these dutch ovens and they brought them into their colonies. The famous patriot Paul Revere was credited with adding the peg legs on the pots and the flat top lid with a rack that would hold the coals. All of the settlers and the colonists that have moved to america used these pot because of their durability and there versatility. When Lewis and Clark set out on there expositions they took a Dutch Oven with them all the way through the american west. The Dutch oven was one of the many things that Lewis and Clark brought home with them at the end of there exposition. In the year of 1896 a man by the name of Joseph Lodge founded a company that would make and sell Dutch ovens. This company was located in the state of Tennessee. The name of this company is called Lodge the owner named it after himself. Today the company is sells more dutch ovens than any of the other company's in the world. There was also another company that was founded it was called Le Creuset. Le Creuset was built and constructed in the French town of Fresnoy-le-Grand. This company made Dutch Ovens and cooking supplies like Lodge did. Le Creuset is famous for the really good quality of its iron and for the really good quality of their enamel coatings. Even though the Dutch oven is a older style of pot it is still used today to cook food.

Analysis of the Paint Industry

Analysis of the Paint Industry Color has captivated everyone throughout the history, be it myriad cultures, age-groups, occasions, etc. Color has become a significant part of every family. Every age and every region has produced dyes and pigments based on the availability of the resources. The history proves the existence of colors from past thousands of years, discovered in the caves of Southern Europe. Paint is defined as the group of emulsions, consisting of pigments suspended in a liquid medium, for use as decorative or protective coatings. Today, contemporary paints and coating consist of countless of hundreds of thousands to fulfill the varied requirements of hundreds of thousands of applications.†Paint† ranges from the broad group of environmentally sound latex paints that many consumers use to decorate and protect their homes and the translucent coating that line the interior of food homes and the translucent coating that line the interior of food containers, to the chemically complex, multi-c omponent finishes that automobile manufacturers apply on the assembly line. Paint made its earliest appearance about 30,000 years ago .Cave dwellers used crude paints to leave behind the graphic representations of their lives that even today decorate the walls of their ancient rock dwellings. The utility of paints has evolved from a decorative use to a surface protection use. Also, know as surface coatings, paints can be classified on the basis of end use, solvent system and solid content. Paint is comprised of three separate things working together. A pigment is used for the color. A binder is used to hold the pigment to the wall. And lastly, a carrier is used to apply the pigment and binder to whatever. There are many types of paint but they all have these components. For white latex paint, the carrier is de-ionized water, the pigment is very finely ground Titanium dioxide, and the binder is a synthetic polymer that resembles liquid rubber. The pigment and binder are put together with force (grinding) and then the two are slowly dispersed into the water. Titanium dioxide is the single largest input used in the manufacture of paints. It is a pigment (non-petro-based) that accounts for about 30% of material costs. Phthalic anhydride (PAN) and pentaerythritol (Penta) are the other two important petro-based inputs used in the manufacture of resins. Organic pigments, solvents, oils and a range of chemical additives are also used in the manufacture of paints. INDIAN PAINT INDUSTRY The Indian paint industry has come a long way from the days when paints were considered a luxury item. Today the awareness level on preventing corrosion through paints is relatively high, a development that should be a huge boost to the paint industry. The Indian paints industry offers lucrative scope for stable revenue streams to manufacturers of both decorative and industrial paints. The Indian Paints sector is valued at Rs 66 bn in value terms and is very fragmented. The current deman d is estimated to be around 650,000 tonnes per annum and is seasonal in nature. The per capita consumption of paints in India stands at 0.5-kg p.a. as compared to 1.6 kg in China and 22 kg in the developed economies. India’s share in the world paint market is just 0.6%.

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - Essay Example The townspeople all stone the â€Å"winner† to death at the end. The story, in effect, goes to prove the mindlessness of ritual. I agree that all around us people cling to rituals despite evidence that proves their futility and the detrimental effect thereof. It has always been ordinary people, and not especially vile or depraved ones, who have held strongly to rituals, and it is always these people who have carried out and condoned acts of savagery in the name of ritual. This theme is present in the story as well. It seems that Shirley Jackson has shown common townsfolk in the story to emphasize this very point. Jackson has, for instance, portrayed Mrs. Hutchinson as a common housewife, busy with her household works and taking care of her family. Upon being late at the event, she comments nonchalantly how she was busy washing the dishes (Jackson). Common people cling on to ritual and this is their way of defying the changing times. People do not take well to change. There is something within us, I feel, that makes us want to yearn for days gone by and for things we are accustomed to. This comfort is given to them through rituals as well. There is a certain nostalgia, as well as comfort, in performing rituals that makes them so hard to give up. When there is talk among the townsfolk about people in other villages giving up the lottery, an old man (Old Man Warner, to be exact) retorts how there is â€Å"nothing but trouble in that† (Jackson). His way of defending the lottery is not only that it is good for them, but also that â€Å"there’s always been a lottery† (Jackson). This is an interesting take, because it illustrates how the archaic nature of the ritual lottery is what gives it credence in the eyes of the old man. However, all in all it seems , there is not enough thought given about the ritual itself, and merely the fact that it has always been done is enough for it to continue. The very essence of a ritual is normally lost upon those who practice it. I

Analysis of Financial Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Financial Statement - Essay Example The cost of sales/sales ratio have increased from 0.48 to 0.55, which shows that company's cost of sales have increased which resulted in gross profit to decline and as a result net profit also declined. Similarly, Research and Development/sales ratio also increased for 0.10 to 0.11 which resulted in increase in expenses and declined profits which ultimately caused net profit margin to fall. Below is the computation table for net profit margin: Based on the above figure, we can see a declining net profit margin trend for the company. Threatened by this we would like to advice the company to diversify their product range so that the effect of decline in net profit is minimized. In other words the declining trend in one industry will be offset by a booming trend in another industry. We from experience can suggest that return on shareholder's equity can be an effective in assessing the return on your investment. Return on equity actually tells you how much profit your investment is yielding. From the year 2000 to 2001 there has been a downward trend for the company. This is because the profits between these two year decline whereas investment or shareholder equity in the business decreased. The major reason why shareholder equity has seen a trend is because of decline in profits. These profits declined because expenses increase. Both Research and Development and Cost of Sales increase causing the profits to decline and shareholders equity to fall. Here is our computation for Return on Shareholder's equity. (Investopedia, 20 June) Return on Shareholder Equity= Net Income/ Shareholder Equity For the year 2000 = 1854/7309 = 0.253 or 25.3% For the year 2001 = 927/10586 = 0.087 or 8.7 % The reason behind change in this ratio is changes in prices of the stock and change in price net income per share ratio. This ratio is suggesting that investors are expecting higher profits and growth in earning per share ratio. This has resulted in market demand for stock to rise and prices of stock to inflate and thus resulting in higher P/E ratio. 2) P/E Ratio = Stock Price/Earning per share Diluted 1998= (111/4)/0.24 = 115.625 1999 = (163/4)/0.31 = 131.45 2000 = (281/2)/0.55 = 255.45 2001 = (91/2)/0.27 = 168.51 There was first drastic increase in Price to Book Value Ratio in 2000. This can be due to because the investors value your company highly and despite having low book value they are willing to pay high price for your shares. This is a good sign and show that company has good name in the market and investors value your company highly. However, in 2001, this ratio declined. This shows that company is no more the investor's heaven or investors have shifted away from investing in your company. This can be due to the fact that investors think that your company will be profitable and demand for the share of company decline and your share market value fell, so as this ratio as investors are turning away from investing in your company which is a bad sign. (Frank Wood) Ratio of price to

Reasons for Low GPA Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reasons for Low GPA - Personal Statement Example I started my university education in the USA and have struggled in making sure my aggregate points remain above average. My wish to transfer to Korea is based on the fact that I have faced several challenges in the United States that have had a negative impact on my education. I experienced nostalgia in America since I was in a new culture, new language and with no friends. The situation affected my education and social life. The loneliness caused depression, and I had to seek medical help. In my urge to excel in education, I sought help from my professor who gave me moral and academic support. The depression cost me dearly academically such that I registered a GPA of 2.34, which is the lowest in my university education. However, after medication and counseling, I improved notably to attain the current GPA of 2.72. The circumstances surrounding my studies in the United States are responsible for my poor performance. However, I demonstrated that I can perform better in a friendly environment. Transferring to Korea will eliminate the language problem and thus improve my understanding. Moreover, I prefer a Korean college life to the American life. My low GPA for last semester should not scatter my chance of transferring to Korea. Based on the above reasons, I implore you to consider the current GPA.

HSA 535 WK2 App of Epidemiology and Childhood Obesity and Smoking Assignment

HSA 535 WK2 App of Epidemiology and Childhood Obesity and Smoking - Assignment Example In the fight of obesity and smoking, there are various plans that have developed by various state to mitigate the effects and their preferences. To optimise the effects of the measures put in place, there is need to utilise the following five steps. First there is need to put in place stringent laws on people smoking in public areas, the laws should be explicit and all inclusive to ensure that there is no loophole whatsoever in its implementation. At the same time there is need to ensure that, healthy foods are available at much cheaper prices and accessibility more than the unhealthy foods. There is need also to ensure that, there are guidelines put in places where the affected people interact. These areas include schools and at home for parents use. Furthermore, there is need to ensure that there is a conducive environment that provide social amenities that ensure healthy physical practices. Lastly, there is need to incorporate the study of health lifestyle in the education system which is important in nurturing the habits of the young ones. I agree that in determining epidemiology of a disease, there is need to be specific and through while tracking the history and lifestyle of the patients. The following interventions will be very important, they include, isolating, and classifying affected people, then get the demographics of the affected people, study similarities of the cohort in terms of the disease effect, then study the genetic predisposition after that there is need to put in place preventive measures and disease control measures. (Haidar & Cosman, 2011). Georgia being the tenth state in the United States in terms of obesity is heart breaking and needs a swift action to deal with the problem. It is true that, funding the schools to check on nutrition programs and physical actives alone, will not be able to meet the need. The

Our Survival in the Desert Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Our Survival in the Desert - Coursework Example My father, Harris, is an experience truck driver, who has been delivering goods, in the remote areas, as per the instructions of his transport company. On arrival of our father, we all discussed with him about our plan to go on an adventure trip, in his truck. He readily agreed, as he had accumulated number of off-days, which he could utilize for going on vacation. The next point was to decide on the area, which we could explore as part of our travel plan. As he was familiar with high deserts of Northern Nevada, we all decided to explore that region. My father had no hesitation in doing so, as he was confident of finding his way in this desert. Fortunately, his vehicle had white color paint on the outside, as same could not absorb much heat, in the hot and dry areas, where temperatures ran high. This also saved engine from getting overheated. As part of our preparations, my father carried his fully loaded gun and the ham radio equipment, while he informed us that cell phones do not w ork in most of these places and amateur radio is dependable, comparatively. Water was the most precious commodity which we had to carry for survival in the desert. My father loaded the truck with necessary supplies and a pistol, apart from the gun. We all sat in the truck and it rolled out in the eastern direction, going away from the civilization. We could smell the freshness of air, as we kept heading towards the desert. The hot wind was blowing at high speed and the scorching sun stood over our heads. We could not afford to get out of the truck, in such condition. However, the track on which my father was driving seemed to have vanished with sand and dust, seen everywhere. This made me to rush out and look in all directions for any clue to find the right track. My father had specifically asked me to carry the map of this desert, so that we could understand area topography. Holding the map in my hands, I tried to unfold it and read the same. At this time, a strong gush of hot wind took away my precious possession and I stood horrified for a moment. My father tried to look around for the map, but it could not be seen anywhere. Perhaps, it got buried under the sand tunes, which kept on forming in different shapes, at fast speed, with the help of strong desert winds. The anxiety and fear of getting lost made us thirstier and we decided to consume some of the water, which we had with us. We could not help to have full water intake as thirst overcame us, at that moment. Looking around, the desert was same in all directions. Therefore, my father decided to walk around in search of a track, which can lead us to anywhere. We all followed him. Although we wanted to go on an adventure that involved excitement, I had never thought of any such expedition, which could make us really fearful. My mother started praying to god. Walking aimlessly, we could feel the arrival of evening and night, as sun started setting. This helped us in knowing the eastern and western directi on. But having no paper with me, I could not make a map, with reference to that point where we saw the sun setting. A little later, we could not afford to walk further, as darkness covered whole desert. We had the hot sand as our bedding, which became cooler with the passage of night. Fear and anxiety could not let us sleep, while we waited for the morning light to appear. Meanwhile, my father tried to send message through the radio equipment, but he did not find any signal and this hope also seemed getting lost. The worst thing to happen was not anticipated by any of us. However, we did experience the real shock, as a cobra snake crawled towards me and was

Children of Heaven Film Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Children of Heaven Film Analysis - Essay Example In doing so the film also shows that the children look out for each other. Although Zahra could have gone to her parents and reported the entire incident but she chooses to defend her brother by cooperating with him. The familial coherence depicted in the film represents a culture defined by a strong family institution. Alternatively it may also be argued that poverty stricken circumstances force people to look out for each other in small groups such as families. However either way a strong family institution cannot be denied in Iranian culture. Other than the issues of frugality and a closely knit family, the film’s settings warrant a lot of attention. The film contrasts the dwellings and neighborhoods of the poor and the affluent in modern Tehran where the film has been shot. The inner city where the family resides dates back to medieval times and is a hallmark of congestion and urban sprawl. Generations after generations have grown up in the same houses that are placed toge ther in thin streets. As families expand, there is demand for more and more living space. However the closely knit family structure demands that a consanguine family arrangement must persist even in terms of living. Given the shortage of space these old houses cannot be expanded vertically so to deal with a larger family’s accommodation problems, the only real solution is to build upwards. There is of course a limit to how high these buildings can be constructed - not due to regulatory requirements but rather due to flimsy construction techniques in use. These houses are built by placing walls that are then covered using roofs using largely bricks and cement only. This mandates that these buildings cannot be expanded more than a few storeys’ high (generally two to three storey’s high only). When the inner city depicted in the film is analyzed it is immediately apparent that the buildings are not more than two to three storey’s high and are placed together one after the other. The high demand for housing space in an already constrained area means that there is no concept of gardens or small green patches to make the environment a little better. Instead any small spaces that could have been used for vegetation are also occupied or merged into housing spaces. Furthermore the high demand for housing means that any open spaces that would have been reserved for civic purposes such as parks have also been occupied to build houses. Throughout the entire film there are no parks or other civic facilities shown in the inner city which in turn indicates that the people living in the inner city have little chances for recreation. Socially this would also lead to other problems such as the use of drugs but this has not been depicted by the film because its intended audience is mainly children. The hap hazardous placement of houses together in such a fashion means that markets are not planned features of such settlements. However there is little d enying that markets would still be required so alternative make shift arrangements can be expected. When Ali goes to the cobbler, the film provides a glimpse into the market based arrangement in the inner city in Tehran. The cobbler can be seen sitting in the middle of a street crossing (popularly known as a â€Å"chowk† in South East Asia) while other vendors and peddlers are also available nearby. The cobbler is depicted occupying a part of the street to secure his work area. Other than the cobbler there are a number

Encouraging Career Exploration among Adolescents Essay

Encouraging Career Exploration among Adolescents - Essay Example Adolescent age varies depending on gender, with girls experiencing it at an earlier age than boys. It is the age where risk behaviors appear through experimentation among the youths. During the experience, both sexes get a ray of decisions and pressure from all the sides interfering with their choices. Based on this regards, various factors affect career exploration among the adolescent. To start, career choices remain guided by the nature of jobs in the later life. When young, children tend to make decisions on future jobs depending on inspiration from their surroundings. This, however, changes during the adolescent stage where people often look for ideal jobs. This gets influenced by economic and social contextual factors forcing them to occupy new occupational paths (Nilsson, Schmidt, & Meek, 2002). The remarked transition according to psychological expert Doctor Bandura is because of new perceptions brought by ranging choices caused by many factors. This is the stage where many p eople feel they want to do more than expected hence engaging in things which go against societal expectations. They filter jobs to come up with the ideal jobs; they want to shape their careers based on job appropriateness (Hobbs & Stoops, 2002). Career decision making is a process that should be completed right from high school; however, the adolescent stage calls for a revision showing career immaturity. Consequently, the inability to make decisions also contributes to poor career choice during the adolescent stage. This is because many people in the adolescent stage feel they have the whole world in front of them. Settling on careers, therefore, remains a difficult activity which requires guidance (Gardner & Steinberg, 2005). Subsequently, migration plays an influential factor in adolescent career decision making. For instance, out-migration of rural adults creates a function of ruralist hence creating a feeling of limited job opportunities. Students in the adolescent stage found in rural areas, therefore, have problems making career choices for fear of job insecurity. The conflicting dilemma experienced by the rural youths is faced by adolescent youths, with many youths unable to judge the difference between urban employment and rural places. In this regard, youths tend to make career decisions which see urban employment guided by high income and more opportunities (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2002). Adolescent youths, for instance, argue rural jobs pay peanuts, and so they make the wrong decision of moving to towns while, in the real sense, urban employment pays high but is accompanied with many expenses. Apart from decisions based on rural or urban locations, career choice among the adolescent also faces other barriers. This includes qualification as well as financial obstacles. For instance, many adolescent youths hope for grandiose dreams with some wishing to be doctors while some hoe to be engineers (Gardner & Steinberg, 2005). In as much as these are poss ible, many youths in the adolescent ages fail to acquire the qualification for such careers.

Online Requisition Essay Example for Free

Online Requisition Essay Introduction In the world of business, Information system is such where data are collected, classified and put into process interpreting the result thereon in order to provide an integrated series of information for further communicating and analyzing. In a progressively more spirited worldwide atmosphere, Information System plays the role as enabler and facilitator, which endows with tactical values to the officialdom and considerable step up to the excellence of administration. An Information System is a particular type of work system that uses information technology to detain, put on the air, store, retrieve, manipulate or display information. Information system enables companies to react, respond, cater, store, retrieve, disseminate, and control their new valuable asset that is information. In the years to come, a good information system within a company will be no longer an option; it will become a compulsory in determining success. Upgrading the computer information system is not an option in this technology-driven era; it is a requirement. Companies that use an up-to-date information system to gather, assimilate, and evaluate internal as well as external information are gaining competitive advantage over other firms. Management is quicker to cater to customer’s needs and complaints. With the growth of communication networks, there are almost no barriers between the firm’s management, employees, customers and suppliers. Networked computing systems have made new modes of work possible. Conceptual Framework of the Study Products and information Xammp MySQL The customers will input their information and serarch for products Xammp is the software used in this study. MySQL is the database used in this study. Online requisition material for gilmore computer solutions cabanatuan campus INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT Figure 1.1 shows the customers will be able to search for products and services faster and easier. Figure 1.1 the Proposed Systemfor the Company Verification Statement of the Problem The proponents aim to present the general problem and specific problems 1. What are the advantages of the website in a business? 2. Does the website give accurate information about the company? 3. What are the possible problems that the website will encounter in the future in terms of: 4.1 record duplication 4.2 accessibility of the information 4.3 transaction Objective of the Study The reasons for this company to have a website are pretty obvious. Whether they sell products that appeal to a large audience or products that are hard to find, if those products can be delivered quickly to homes or other businesses, online availability is a great way to increase sales. These websites may either maintain their own shopping cart software or use a third party e-commerce service. If a business provides a service or products confined to a small, local market, they can advertise on the web very economically. At the same time, they can offer a great deal of helpful information about their company, products, services that might not be possible with more conventional types of advertising due to higher costs. Significance of the Study To the Customers: it will give the customers an idea where to buy computer parts and where to repair their computer. To the researchers: it will benefit us through applying what we have learned in this project. To the company: it will benefit the company in the way that the company will e introduced to other places, be more popular and it will ring them more customers. Scope and Delimitation The study focuses on the advantage of using Operational information system in a company. The study will be conducted in Gilmore Computer solutions, Cabanatuan City * Survey on the customers * Interviews on the employee and the manager Definition of Terms Information System – Information System is a combination of people, hardware, software, communication devices, network and data resources that processes (can be storing, retrieving, transforming information) data and information for a specific purpose. System – A system is a procedure, process, method or course of action designed to achieve a specific result. Data Factual information, especially information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions. Officialdom one who holds an office or position or an administrator, especially one who acts in a subordinate capacity for an institution such as a business. Retrieve – The act of bringing back a data. Disseminate – scatter or to spread. Its main usage is probably to disseminate information. Website – A set of interconnected webpage, usually including a homepage, generally located on the same server, and prepared and maintained as a collection of information by a person, group, or organization. Internet – a vast computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide Workforce multiplier – make the work faster and more efficient. Shopping cart software – Typically, a shopping cart is the interface between a companys web site and its deeper infrastructure, allowing consumers to select merchandise, review what they have selected; make necessary modifications or additions; and purchase the merchandise. Maintain – To keep the system working properly. Advertising is the nonperson communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, devices or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. The Proposal Gilmore computer solutions Cabanatuan City offers different kinds of services on computers. The store also sells high quality computers and parts of computers. Making a website for the store will make it more popular in many different areas. A website where customers can look and order for the store’s available products that they need for their computer.

A Review Of Pixar Animation Studios Commerce Essay

A Review Of Pixar Animation Studios Commerce Essay Pixar(2010) Pixar is an American animation production company based in California, United States. The company was started in the year 1979 as the part of the computer division of Lucasfilm and was bought by The Walt Disney Company in the year 2006. The company during its 17 years of existence has delivered several movies that has redefined the world of visual technology and animation. Pixar is known for its some of the basic values that form the foundation of its unbeatable success. People at Pixar are extremely talented and there exists an open collaboration among people coming from multiple disciplines. However, a formal structure is followed at the company where it is necessary for every member to ensure enhancement of three inter-related facets of the business, namely, leadership, process and accountability. Leadership is taken very seriously at Pixar and it is ensured that leaders are able to tune their communications, and value the vision of the organization and come up with the ability to provide lots of ideas (Jeremy, 2010) Managers as well as workers of the enterprise have the freedom of expression so that their vision and ideas can be communicated freely that helps the organization to come up with innovative ideas ensuring a sustainable position in the market (Morris, Jeremy, 2010). Another important element of Pixars environment refers to its collaborative approach towards work. It is fine to have talented people hired in the company, but it is equally important to make these people work in a motivated manner towards achievement of organizational goals (Milter and Matveev, 2004). At Pixar, everyone is made to understand that his/her success lies in the success of all other members. This helps in moving in a collaborative manner to ensure that everyone working in the company succee ds. The team spirit at Pixar helps in development o fold hires and new hands in a similar fashion with a healthy respect for each other resulting in an environment of credibility and trust prevailing throughout the organization. Apart, from these two elements, accountability forms the foundation of the working environment at Pixar. Leaders and managers at Pixar follow a clear line of accountability that helps them in seeking ways to improve themselves. Every project is headed by a Director/Producer duo, to whom all members of the project are accountable. These directors and producers are in turn accountable to leaders of the company and have the opportunity to utilize the experience and knowledge of senior filmmakers who are the part of top management of the company. In short, Pixar follows a highly structured process aims at fostering a meaningful collaboration resulting in a culture that comprise of value for ability and contribution of others. Cultural Analysis Before going for a discussion on cultural analysis, we need to understand the meaning of culture in a proper manner. Various scholars and academicians have given several definitions for culture. Formally, culture has been defined as a pattern of shared beliefs that were developed by a group during the process of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. Martin (2002) explained that everyone knows about the groups, organizations, and societies in which certain beliefs and values prevail at cross purposes with the beliefs of others, resulting in a condition where conflicts and ambiguity prevails in a high degree. This is often the result of insufficient stability prevailing among members, insufficient shared history of experience, or the presence of several subgroups with difference in their personal experience s (Thorngate, 2004). Many a times conflicts and ambiguity also results because of the fact that an individual is not a part of a single groups but belongs to several different groups and this has an impact on the assumptions and beliefs that one brings to a particular group and is influences by the assumptions that re appropriate to some other groups to which an individual belong. Khan (2005) argued that it is necessary that people are matched with the organization in order to ensure success of the company. There is a set of collective rules through which a company operates, which is termed as the culture of the organization. (Conolly, 2008) explained that employees of the enterprise should be well aware of their workplace that will clearly define appropriate and inappropriate behavior. In the present paper, an analysis of cross-cultural issues arising out of the merger of The Walt Disney and Pixar will be undertaken. It makes it necessary to understand the meaning of cross-cultural analysis. Under a cross-cultural analysis, an investigation is made into the ways through which people coming from different backgrounds communicate with each other. Whenever any merger takes place there is an amalgamation of the culture of the two organizations participating in the merger (Stening, 2002). Here several cross-cultural issues may arise because of the interaction of people coming from two different groups with different background, beliefs, values and functions. Cross-cultural analysis thrives to harness the utilitarian function of culture in order to use it as a mode of increasing the adaptation of people and bringing an improvement in patterns of communication (Nigel, 2001). It is one of the discipline of international management that focus on cultural encounters, aiming at discovery of methods that can be adopted to handle cultural differences that often give rise to conflicts, ambiguity and miscommunication. There are several different models that can be used to conduct a cross-cultural analysis. Various models includes those suggested by Hawkins (1992), Terpstra and Sarathy (2000), Hofstede (1994), and Wills (1991). The framework suggested by Hawkins and Terpstra are similar in nature and explains some of the common elements such as values, education and learning, social status and organization. Hawkins has tried to approach culture from the perspective of a consumer lifestyle, while Terpstra approaches culture in somewhat wider contexts. Thus, it is much more easy to use the model suggested by Terpstra and Sarathy. In addition, Hofstedes model will be used to understand the various dimensions of culture that are based upon individualism, power distance, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. Wills (1991) considered learning as the key element of their model of culture. This will explain the basic idea of culture at Pixar as after the merger with The Walt Disney, the major aim of the co mpany was to establish Pixar as a learning organization. The dimensions of learning are used to consider a model of cross-cultural analysis suggesting a relationship between high/low context of a culture and the rate at which new products are adapted. In addition, it is to be noted that culture and leadership are interconnected. These are viewed as the two sides of the same coin, in that leaders first create cultures when they create groups and organizations (Edgar, 2004). Once cultures exists they determine the criteria for leadership and thus determine who will or will not be a leader. The unique function of leadership helps in managing the existing culture in case the elements of a culture becomes dysfunctional. Leadership also manages evolution of culture and change in such a way that the group is able to thrive in a changed environment also (Bal, 1999). Thus, it is right to say that it is necessary to understand the culture both for group members as well as for their leaders. The cultural analysis in relation to leadership roles will also be discussed and analyzed for Pixar. Cross Cultural Issues at Pixar The Walt Disney acquired Pixar with the view that Pixar would be able to bring some creativity to Disney, which had lost the luster in its animation. However, various major factors of the success of a merger were recognized by both the parties and they emphasized on The concept of transformational leadership and the importance of its existence for the success of the merger Creating a new strategic vision and mission for the new organization that is shared by both the parties to the merger Developing and maintaining learning teams resulting in fostering a learning environment throughout the organization. Creating and maintain a learning culture throughout the merged organization. Pixar is well known for its culture of collective creativity. Management think in a way to build capability to recover when some failures occur and not in the direction of preventing the risk. It is believed that smart people are more important as compared to good ideas (Catmull, 2008). The company aims at enhancing the power of creative people and builds a creative culture on the foundation of active feedback among peers. An open culture and communication prevails in the organization where people at all levels support each other and help each other to turn out their best (Catmull, 2008). All members of the organization respect each other and there are very rare cases of any unhealthy conflicts with groups having considerable problem-solving powers that act as an inspiration to be creative and innovative. However, with the merger of Pixar with The Walt Disney, the culture of the two organizations also merged and then arouse several cross-cultural issues that could have resulted in a failure of the merger if not managed properly (Haspeslagh, 2006). The Walt Disney is characterized with a highly regimented culture while Pixar is known for its unique, free-spirited, independent work dynamic culture (Lam; Chi and Lee, 2007). The successful combination of these two totally different cultures was the hallmark for the success of the merger. In case Disney would have made any attempt to get the people of Pixar work under pressure to generate efficiencies, even though the way of increasing its productivity or bringing about an elimination of the overlapping support positions, would have resulted in high rates of turnover with skilled employees leaving the Disney Pixar (Lam and Lee). It is to be noted that many a time sin such highly skilled industries such as animation and communication, people are allowed to let go because of skill gap. However, it is the issue of cultural gap that makes most of the skilled people switch companies frequently in animation and communicat ion industry (Keating, 2006). It is the clear understanding of magnitude of synergies that makes the mergers successful. Analysis of the cross-cultural issues at Disney Pixar As discussed in the previous section, to manage cross-cultural issues at Disney Pixar, management concentrated on four important elements of transformational leadership, shared vision, learning team and learning culture. These elements and Disney Pixars approach to these are discussed as follows: Transformational Leadership at Disney Pixar It is necessary that an organization have transformational leaders in order to develop creative thinking and problem solving to foster organizational growth. Transformational leaders are those who lead through social exchange. They help their followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group and the larger organization (Riggo and Bernard, 2008). It is the elements that can encourage organizations to develop and change more rapidly so as to be able to meet challenges of dynamic and competitive environments. Disney Pixar followed the approach of defining and developing the transformational leadership. The company decided to follow the approach in order to make employees easily adapt the new culture, which is a mix of the cultures of two organizations. It is believed that creative powers come from creative leadership (Riggo, 2008). It is so because effective leadership helps in effective development of support structures, the necessary resources and access to the experience and knowledge of the top management of the organization. At Pixar, access to the brain trust of the organization was easy for all individuals because of its independent and free-spirit culture. However, it was for Disneys culture to adopt this key feature in order to be successful in the competitive environment. Transformational leadership was chosen as a route to achieve this objective and make Disney Pixar a learning organization. Shared Strategic Vision Another key element ensuring the success of a merger is the sharing of a shared vision of goals and objectives by the merging organization. This helps in providing proper guidance and reducing the anxieties and uncertainties associated with the process of merger. It is necessary in case of a merger to develop an environment of learning throughout the organization. This is possible only if there is an availability of diverse learning teams that are led by leaders who are sharing a common strategic vision. An organization is able to create a sustainable competitive advantage through such a process (Jemison, 2006). This further makes it easy to manage the increasing complexities associated with economies of scale and then competitors find it more difficult to copy a companys operational methods (Janik, 2006). As explained by Gill (2010), managing through a shared vision proves to be much more productive as compared to the management done through coercion or control. Creation of a shared vision refers to the process where a consensus has to be achieved on the direction of the group and on the desired results. The basic aim is to make the members of a team approach their work with aim of achieving same goals for the future and being guided by same principles. A shared vision is also necessary for developing and fostering learning and change in an organization. In the case of Disney Pixar, a formal team of leaders was created in order to integrate the two companies. Among these steps, the Vice President of Pixar was appointed as the chief creative officer of Disneys and Pixars animation studios. Despite of his having the authority to green light films for both the studios, the ultimate authority to approve rested in the hands of Disneys CEO. The main aim was to maintain the Pixars culture. However, it is not enough to develop teams of leaders. It is necessary that leading teams emerge throughout the organization and leaders try to develop learning of each and every individual about the new cultural values, mission and vision of the organization and the objectives for which the various operations are being carried out in the organization (Gancel and Rodgers, 2002). Every individual is required to have a commitment towards the strategic vision of the merger. There is a need of combining the best skills as two organizations to enhance the shar ing of the strategic vision and avoid any cultural issues. Developing Team Learning At Pixar, it is believed that providing freedom to take decisions helps in development of teams. People are given full chance to be creative and use their ideas in order to learn from their success or failures. The cofounder of Pixar and his executives gives tremendous authority to their directors. All decision-making authority rests in the hands of teams and no single individual is considered as a decisions making authority. The rule is that the opinions and advice received from the brain trusts of directors will be used only as an advice and directors have full authority to refuse their suggestions if it does not fit their plans. However, Disney having a tight control culture, followed an approach where corporate executives micromanage by keeping tight control over budgets and entering in the departments to take final creative decisions. These two different approaches resulted in several cultural issues after the merger. Many of the key employees left the company because of Disneys dominating cultural values. Ed Catmull, the cofounder of Pixar had recently changed his vision to build the organization where everyone work in the direction of creating a magic even when the directors and cofounders are gone (Prokesh, 2008). This called for a strong transition in the culture of the organization where executives were expected to do something of themselves even when people carrying out the organization were not there. Same was expected out of Disney, and unfortunately Disneys staff lacked the spirit and failed to develop a strong learning approach towards their work. Creating a Learning Culture Traditionally, organizations used to follow a top to down bureaucratic, controlled and narrow approach to management. This approach used to limit the learning process in the organization. In case of a learning organization, new directions of growth and development can be identified and recognized that makes it possible to handle challenges and problems. In todays competitive global era, diversity and cross-cultural complexities have become the synonymous to the challenges that a business organization face while improving their operational efficiency. Disney Pixar failed to recognize the method through which an organization can turn into a learning organization (Keating, 2006). The process is being undertaken successfully at Pixar through developing relationships and recognizing the fact that talent is rare and thus its retention is essential. Ed Catmull believes that the assumptions of the organization must be constantly challenged and the search for flaws that can destroy the culture of the organization should not stop throughout the operations of the organization. However, the process could not be undertaken successfully at Disney Pixar and resulted in several cultural issues. The new company was unable to keep Pixars talent together as there were vast differences between the cultural values and working styles of the two companies (Haspeslagh, 2006). Management was not successful in creating a learning culture throughout the organization and the unionized culture of Disney may not successfully coexist with non-unionized culture of Pixar. Recommendations Disney Pixar has failed at many levels while making the merger successful. The company has taken strong steps to initiate learning in the organization but it is doubtful whether such learning will be institutionalized throughout the organization. Some recommendations to foster learning and avoid any cultural clashes are discussed as follows: A utilization of differences can be made through the use of matrix strategy. This will help in finding a perfect balance between the competencies of managers of both the companies. In addition communication plays an important role in managing cultural differences (Lodorfos, 2006). Leaders should allow open communication and integration between team members as well as between teams to ensure smooth flow of knowledge and information. This will help in people from both the organization understand each others values, beliefs and working style resulting in more respect for each others culture (Harding and Rouse, 2006). Treating the partner company members with respect is the key to the success of a merger. Additionally, formal as well as informal training should be provided to the employees of Disney in order to adjust themselves with the open and free culture of Pixar. The decision making authority should not rest in the hands of few authorities and managers must be delegated more and mo re decision making power as in case of Pixar. Furthermore, Disney and Pixar studios are kept separate in order to reduce the complications. However, it is advised to design a single studio where a combined set of values coming from the combination of the ideas of both the companies should be fostered to ensure success of the merger. This is so because keeping the two parts of the Disney-Pixar merger as separate organizations can create the conditions for separation in future. Such a separation will result in more differences on account of cultural values and style of leading to more clashes and conflicts among the individuals of two companies. Disney-Pixar should aim at developing a learning organization through efficient flow of information and knowledge throughout the organization in order to be successful in future. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that proper management of cultural differences is one of the key factors in success of a merger. Todays business environment is characterized with an increasing number of organizations desiring to avail the advantage of globalization. Many of the companies take the route of mergers and acquisitions to achieve the objective. Many of such mergers fail due to cultural clashes among people of different organizations. Each of the merged company is required to integrate the corporate cultures of their organizations. It is the leadership style, management styles and communication lines that are necessary to be developed and managed in order to be successful in managing cross-cultural issues. It is evident that there is always a possibility of cross-cultural issues in case of a merger that cannot be avoided at any cost. However, it is possible to manage these issues through developing the organizations into a learning organization in order to fo ster knowledge sharing throughput the organization resulting a in a successful merger.

Chest Pain Case Study

Chest Pain Case Study Ebunoluwa Mikiie Chest Pain There are various Chest pains. Chest pain may be caused by gastrointestinal, respiratory, cardiac or musculoskeletal analysis. Chest pains may also be caused by anxiety, pericardium, myocardium, parietal pleural, aorta, esophagus, Chest wall, trachea and large bronchi, skin, and musculoskeletal system. As a nurse, I must carefully assess by asking questions, such as Location: where do you feel the pain in your chest? Onset: when did the pain begin? Duration: Does it happen with breathing? Is it nonstop or comes and goes? Associated manifestation: what else is experienced with the chest pain? Characteristics: describe your pain? Treatment: have you seen anyone or tried any medication? Relieving factors: does anything make it better (Nursing Guide)? Anxiety procedure is not clear. It is located below the left breast or across the anterior chest. The quality of pain is stabbing, sticking, dull or aching. Its severity is varying. It can be from hours to days. Symptoms are shallow breathing, anxiety, weakness and palpitations. Aggravating factor may be emotional stress. A relieving factor is unknown (Nursing Guide). Pulmonary: Tracheobronchitis is Inflammation of the trachea and bronchi, and is located at the on both sides of the sternum or at the sternal. The quality of pain is a burning sensation, severity, mild to moderate. The timing is variable. Aggravating factor is coughing, and relieving factor is lying on the affected side (Nursing guide). Pleuritis Pain: Inflammation of the parietal pleura as in pleurisy, pneumonia, pulmonary infarction or neoplasm, located at the chest wall. The quality of pain is sharp and can hurt like a knife with severe pain. Aggravating factors are inspiration, coughing and movements of the trunk, and relieving factors are medication and treatment. Its timing is persistent (Nursing Guide). Cardiovascular: Angina Pictoris: Temporary myocardial ischemia, usually secondary to coronary atherosclerosis, located at the anterior chest that sometimes radiates to the shoulder, arm, neck, lower jaw or upper abdomen. The quality of pain is pressing, squeezing, tight and heavy with occasional burning. The severity is mild to moderate; this is sometimes perceived as discomfort rather than pain. Its timing is usually 1-3 minutes but up to 10 minutes, prolonged episodes are up to 20 minutes. Association symptoms are dyspnea, nausea and sweating. Aggravating factors are exertion in the cold, meals, emotional stress, it sometimes occurs at rest. Relieving factors are rest and nitroglycerin (Nursing Guide) Myocardial Infarction: This is prolonged myocardial ischemia, and results in irreparable muscle damage and/or necrosis. It is located at the anterior chest that sometimes radiates to the shoulder, arm, lower jaw, neck or upper abdomen. The quality of pain is like angina. Myocardial Infarction is often but not always a severe pain, with a timing of 20 minutes to several hours. The relieving and aggravating factors are unknown (Nursing Guide). Pericarditis: Irritation of the parietal pleura, adjacent to the pericardium. It is located at the precordial space and could radiate to the tip of the shoulder and the neck. The quality of pain is also sharp and knife-like and also severe with persistent timing. Aggravating factors are breathing changing position, lying down, swallowing and coughing. A relieving factor is sitting forward (Nursing Guide). Gastrointestinal: Reflex Esophagitis: Inflammation of the esophageal mucosa by reflux of gastric acid. It is located retro sternal and may radiate to the back. Its severity is mild to severe with variable timing. The quality of pain is burning and squeezing sensation. Aggravating factors are eating large meals, lying down, and also bending over. Relieving factors are antacid and sometimes belching. Associated symptoms are regurgitation and dyspnea (Nursing Guide). Chest wall Pain: The progression is not always clear, it is frequently found along the costal cartilages or below the left breast. The quality of pain is aching, dull, stabbing, or sticking. Its timing can be from hours to days and has variable severity. An associated symptom is a local tenderness. An aggravating factor may be movement of arms, trunk and chest. Relieving factor is unknown (Nursing Guide). Assessment SOAP note on two individuals adults. The first individual has a history of high blood pressure; he is taking his blood pressure medication regularly. The second individual has a history of diabetes; he exercise regularly and eat healthily, but is concerned that his lifestyle change is not apparent in weight loss outcome. A general assessment was done on both patients, but focused area was done on the upper and lower extremities for skin turgor, color temperature and capillary refills. Patient one: Mr. J.M. is a 49-year-old white male, a car salesperson. He was born in Georgia. Subjective: Mr. J.M. has a history of High Blood Pressure. Mr. J.M. said that he has been taking atenolol 25mg once a day by mouth for one year, and has no negative effect from it. He rated his pain scale as 0/10 (0-10 pain scale). He said he was concern about having a heart failure form cardiac issues from stress due to the nature of his job. Objective: Vital Signs, temperature 98.4, pulse 77, respiration 18 and blood pressure 130/80. Head, eyes and nose appears normal no pallor noted. Skin turgor normal and elastic, no signs of dehydration or excessive dryness noted. Color fair, normal for race, no change or abnormal pigmentation observed. Skin is warm and dry to touch (using the back of my hands). Capillary refills in upper and lower extremities of nail beds less than 2 seconds. Respiration clear, no, wheezing or shortness of breath or noisy breathing noted. Lung sounds auscultated, clear bilaterally at anterior and posterior lower and upper lobes. Normal breath sounds, soft and low pitch over most of both lungs, equal expiratory and inspiratory sounds. Irregular breath sounds will necessitate instantaneous care. No adventitious breath sounds such as crackles, wheezes or rhonchi noted. Heart sounds auscultated, normal S1 and S2 noted. These areas were palpated, brachial pulse found at the inner aspect of the elbow; it i s also a regular site use to obtain blood pressure measurements. The radial pulse is located at the thumb site of the wrist, the popliteal pulse at the back of the knee, the femoral pulse is located in the groin region, the dorsalis pedis pulse at the top of the foot, the posterior tibial pulse at the lower side at the inner aspect of the ankle. It is to locating these sites are imperative because they are necessary pressure points in case of severe bleeding. The amplitude of the pulses compares equitably, when the pulses were palpated (www.nursing times.net). Abdomen is soft and non-tender, and the bowel sounds active in all four quadrants, with active range of motion (ROM) noted in bilateral upper and lower extremities. Diagnosis: Knowledge deficit related to signs and symptoms of heart failure as evidence by patient’s concern of stress and impending heart failure. Blood pressure within normal range. Plan: Encourage Patient to continue taking his medication, increase water intake to at least eight glasses per day, decrease additional salt intake to help maintain normal blood pressure. Patient to continue daily exercise. Encourage patient to keep physician appointment. Routine laboratory test include complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis, thyroid panel, chemistry panels, thyroid panel, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glucose check, and white blood count (WBC). Patient 2: Mr. J.J. is a 40-year-old African America male, businessperson. He was born in Georgia. Subjective: Patient came into the clinic with concern of not able to see the resulting exercise with his weight, change in diet. Patient associated his not being able to loose with his history of being a diabetic for over three years. He said that currently he takes metformin 1000mg twice a day by mouth. Patient denies any pain at this time. Objective: Vital Signs, temperature 98.6, pulse 84, respiration 20 and blood pressure 127/76. Blood sugar 115 mg/dl. Weight 200 pounds. Head, eyes and nose appears normal. Skin turgor normal and elastic, no signs of dehydration or excessive dryness noted. Color appropriates to ethnicity, no pallor noted, no change or abnormal pigmentation noted. Temperature of the skin is warm to touch. Capillary refills in upper and lower extremities nail beds less than 2 seconds. Respiration clear, no shortness of breath, wheezing or noisy breathing noted. Lung sounds auscultated, clear bilaterally at anterior and posterior upper and lower lobes. Normal breath sounds noted. No crackles or wheezes or rhonchi. Heart sounds auscultated and normal. These areas were palpated; brachial pulse establish at the inner part [tm1]of the elbow. Radial pulse found at the wrist. Femoral pulse found in the groin area. Popliteal pulse found at the back of the knee, the dorsalis pedis pulse found at the top of the f oot, the posterior tibial pulse found at the lower side at the inner aspect of the ankle. The amplitude of the pulses compares equitably, when the pulses were palpated (www.nursing times.net). Abdomen soft and non-tender, bowel sound noted in all four quadrants, active range of motion noted in bilateral upper and lower extremities. Diagnosis: Non-reassuring weight loss related history of diabetes. GLucose 115mg/dl before food. Plan: The patient should be congratulated on taking steps to live a healthy life. I would encourage the patient to continue his exercise and include exercises to target specific areas he wants to loose. I would encourage him to continue with his medication regimen and continue with his healthy lifestyle change to help with his medication. Routine laboratory test: Glucose (hemoglobin A1C); thyroid panel; white blood count (WBC); blood urea nitrogen (BUN); complete blood count (CBC). [tm1]

Arrogance of Greek Heroes Essay -- Epic Conceit Aeneid Odysseus Essays

Arrogance of Greek Heroes Often readers will criticize the champions of classical and medieval epics for egotism. Critics cite examples from the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Beowulf of conceit and egocentric behavior. Odysseus, Aeneas, and Beowulf display a well-known arrogance befitting their accomplishments. The motivation for this arrogance, to complete these tasks, to perform these feats, is often over-generalized to the point of inaccuracy and confusion. One must not let such misinterpretations interrupt the humanization of these characters. Through the examination of the desires and behavior of these epic heroes, we can discover an underlying need for recognition or honor. In classical and medieval western epics, the hero’s desire to complete a given quest is fueled by their desire to gain or maintain honor or fame. The first hero to be considered is one of the original Greek champions. Odysseus, often characterized as a braggart and self-centered, displays all the traits of a man doing his best to leave his mark. He will never take the simplest of routes to solve a problem; he would much rather use his cunning and inventiveness to contrive a plan that exploits the weaknesses of his foe and uses all the resources at his disposal: â€Å"‘God help me!’ the man of intrigue broke out†¦ ‘Come weave us a scheme so I can pay them back! Stand beside me, Athena, fire me with daring, fierce as the day we ripped Troy’s glittering crown of towers down. Stand by me—furious now as then, my bright-eyed one— and I would fight three hundred men, great goddess, with you to brace me, comrade-in-arms in battle!’†(l.437-47, VIII) Odysseus would rather orchestrate a plan that ensures a total elimination of the suit... ... wife and home as well as his place in Carthage in the name of the gods, in the name of a quest that does not directly benefit him. From this pursuit, he does not stand to gain spoils, and the most that could be said of his fame would be drawn from his descendents. It is this moral stance, this understanding of universal placement, of purpose, that sets Aeneas apart from other heroes. Not every hero is a perfect model of character, but these well-known heroes of epic poetry do have powerful senses of honor and endeavor. Perhaps the authors meant these characters to exhibit flaws, or to relate to an idealized hero image that modern readers cannot understand. Regardless, it cannot be assumed that these characters are driven by a simple egotism, but rather by the same desire of many other men to be remembered, especially to be remembered for great things.

Use of Symbolism in Hawthornes The House of the Seven Gables Essay

Use of Symbolism in Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables In the novel The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne portrays Alice Pyncheon as a unique and compelling character, placing her in contrast with a story full of greed, lies and betrayal. Hawthorne reveals her fantastic character to us in numerous uses of symbolism throughout the novel. By painting a picture of a gentle yet proud woman, Hawthorne chooses to represent Alice's impressive characteristics using images that come up repeatedly in his novel such as the nature and flowers in the garden as well as Alice's Posies. Hawthorne also makes reference to the Maule "mastery" and its power over Alice and the playing of the harpsichord during a Pyncheon death. All the symbols culminated above, lead to an in depth analysis of Alice Pyncheon's character, her innocence, pride, beauty and mournful sorrow. According to Hawthorne, Alice had an uncanny resemblance to the flowers of the Pyncheon garden represented by her beauty and presence. Just as flowers hold a purity and freedom in their appearance, Alice was described as a "lady that was born and set apart from the world's vulgar mass by a certain gentle and cold stateliness" (178). Her strong appearance, as Hawthorne states, was "combined of beauty, high, unsullied purity, and the preservative force of womanhood" (180). Hawthorne shows that Alice represents the beauty of a flower as well as its scent when he says "the fragrance of her rich and delightful character still lingered . . . as a dried rosebud scents the drawer where it has withered and perished" (79). Even after her death, the "scent" of Alice's character still haunts the House of the Seven Gables with its beauty and tenderness like that of the flo... ... on a note from Alice's harpsichord off a new sheet of music for the Pyncheon family. By using the nature of the garden to prolong the tenderness and purity of Alice's character and spirit even after death, Hawthorne entices the reader to dig deeper into the character of Alice Pyncheon and search for the symbols present that shape her undying character. With her loss of pride to the Maule "mastery" and the sorrow expressed through her untimely and unnecessary death, there is no question as to why Alice's harpsichord plays such a mournful tune throughout the novel. It is only in the end that her life and her happiness are rewarded and her long awaiting spirit is drawn towards the heavens to have her spirit rest in peace. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The House of the Seven Gables. New York: The New American Library of World Literature, Inc, 1961. Use of Symbolism in Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables Essay Use of Symbolism in Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables In the novel The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne portrays Alice Pyncheon as a unique and compelling character, placing her in contrast with a story full of greed, lies and betrayal. Hawthorne reveals her fantastic character to us in numerous uses of symbolism throughout the novel. By painting a picture of a gentle yet proud woman, Hawthorne chooses to represent Alice's impressive characteristics using images that come up repeatedly in his novel such as the nature and flowers in the garden as well as Alice's Posies. Hawthorne also makes reference to the Maule "mastery" and its power over Alice and the playing of the harpsichord during a Pyncheon death. All the symbols culminated above, lead to an in depth analysis of Alice Pyncheon's character, her innocence, pride, beauty and mournful sorrow. According to Hawthorne, Alice had an uncanny resemblance to the flowers of the Pyncheon garden represented by her beauty and presence. Just as flowers hold a purity and freedom in their appearance, Alice was described as a "lady that was born and set apart from the world's vulgar mass by a certain gentle and cold stateliness" (178). Her strong appearance, as Hawthorne states, was "combined of beauty, high, unsullied purity, and the preservative force of womanhood" (180). Hawthorne shows that Alice represents the beauty of a flower as well as its scent when he says "the fragrance of her rich and delightful character still lingered . . . as a dried rosebud scents the drawer where it has withered and perished" (79). Even after her death, the "scent" of Alice's character still haunts the House of the Seven Gables with its beauty and tenderness like that of the flo... ... on a note from Alice's harpsichord off a new sheet of music for the Pyncheon family. By using the nature of the garden to prolong the tenderness and purity of Alice's character and spirit even after death, Hawthorne entices the reader to dig deeper into the character of Alice Pyncheon and search for the symbols present that shape her undying character. With her loss of pride to the Maule "mastery" and the sorrow expressed through her untimely and unnecessary death, there is no question as to why Alice's harpsichord plays such a mournful tune throughout the novel. It is only in the end that her life and her happiness are rewarded and her long awaiting spirit is drawn towards the heavens to have her spirit rest in peace. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The House of the Seven Gables. New York: The New American Library of World Literature, Inc, 1961.