Discuss the Different Components of Michael Porters Essay Example for Free

Discuss the Different Components of Michael Porters Essay National prosperity is created not inherited. It does not grow out of a country’s natural endowments, its labor pool, its inters rates or its currency’s value. A nations competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. They benefit from having strong domestic rivals, aggressive home based suppliers and demanding local customers. Innovation is what drives and sustains competitiveness. A firm must avail itself to all dimension of competition, which he categorized into four major components of the â€Å"diamond of national advantage† 1. Factor Conditions: The appropriateness of the nations factors of production to compete successfully in a specific industry. Porters notes that although these factor conditions are very important in the determination of trade, they are not the only source of competitiveness as suggested by the classical, or factor portions, theories trade. Most importantly for Porter, it is the ability of a nation to continually create, upgrade, and deploy its factors ( such as skilled labors) that is important, not the initial endowment. 2. Demand conditions: The degree of health and competition the firm must face in its original home market. Firms that can survive and flourish in highly competitive and demanding local markets are much more likely to gain the competitive edge. Porter notes that if the character of the market, not its size, that is paramount in promoting the continual competitiveness of the firm. And Porter translates Characters as demanding costumers. 3. Related and supporting industries: The competitiveness of all related industries and suppliers to the firm. A firm that is operating within a mass of related firms and industries gains and maintains advantages through close working relationship, proximity to suppliers, and timeliness of product and information flows. The constant and close interaction is successful if it occurs not only in terms of physical proximity but also through the willingness of firms to work at it. 4. Firms strategy, structure and rivalry: The conditions of the home- nation that either hinder or aid in the firms creation and sustaining of international strategy is universally appropriate. It depends on the fit and flexibility of what works for that country at that time. These four points constiture what nations and firms must strive to â€Å"create and sustain through a highly localized process† to ensure their success.

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Patriarchy The literal translation of the word â€Å"Patriarchy† from is the rule of the man. A patriarchal system is one of â€Å"social relations among males which creates and maintains the domination of women†(Anderson, 1988, p.8 Meta.pdf). In a patriarchal society this ideology is found in most spheres, including religion, politics and economy (Moghadam, 1992 IPV2012.pdf). It’s continuity is further guaranteed by raising children according to gender role stereotypes (Dobash & Dobash, 1979 IPV2012). These stereotypes include toughness and assertiveness for men and modesty and concern with the quality of life for women[14] Men are also raised to cherish instrumental goals such as task accomplishment, domination and acquisition of power (Meta.pdf) women are socialized toward interdependence or nurtural goals, such as cooperation or caregiving According to Talcott Parsons’ (Parsons, 1955) model of total role segregation, women are supposed to be occupied with hous ework and raising children, while being away from the workplace and leaving career advancement to men [source]. Many developing countries also have low level of female participation in government and the work force [Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ¼] Wife abuse Spouse abuse, otherwise known as domestic violence or intimate partner violence (IPV) has various forms such as, battering, rape, economic deprivation, using weapons etc. [Shipway, ]. Violence against women is serious issue in many countries. A recent survey by WHO found that more than 50 percent of women in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Peru and Tanzania reported having been subjected to physical or sexual violence by intimate partners, with figures going up to 71 percent in rural Ethiopia. [WHO] Wife abuse is associated with urban residence, poverty a... ...other words, patriarchy is by far the most important factor that contributes to the justification of IPV. It is also worth noting that a similar survey which interviewed 450 women in the West Bank found that 59% of women believed wife abuse was justified in certain situations, particularly in cases when a wife abused the husband. Therefore, it can be concluded, that in Palestinian society both women are men are deeply affected by patriarchal ideology and both are prone to justify wife abuse. Palestine is a complex society with a multitude of problems. The apparent and pressing issue of wife abuse has various factors for it, such as Israeli occupation and political violence. However, the main reason for the justification and proliferation of wife abuse is patriarchal ideology, ingrained in both spouses and in society as well as the legal system as a whole. Religion

The Isis-Aphrodite

This figure of Isis-Aphrodite is currently on exhibit in the Johns Hopkins University Archaeological Museum. It is displayed alongside several other artworks of deities from the ancient Mediterranean, each individual object incorporating aspects from a myriad of religious systems and cults. The Isis-Aphrodite figure dates back to the Roman Empire sometime between 150-200 CE. It is made from a copper alloy and would once have been a burnished orange, but now appears a dark green-gray. It is 29.9 cm tall and 15.3 cm wide. The figure stands with her weight on her right leg and her left leg slightly bent, in a relaxed contrapposto, her right foot slightly forward. Her arms are outstretched but bent at the elbows. In her left hand she holds a small pedestal upon which a miniature figure sits; in her right hand she grasps a handle, though the body of the object has come unattached. She is naked, but wears an array of jewelry: two armbands, round earrings, a necklace, and a crown. Her hair is parted down the middle and pulled back into a knot at the nape of her neck, with a coil of hair across each shoulder. She looks directly toward the viewer, her expression neutral. Her eyes sockets are large and round but empty, and might once have contained inlays. The figure embodies the goddesses Isis and Aphrodite, two foreign deities that were adopted by syncretic religious cults of the Roman Empire. Isis was one of the primary deities of the Egyptian pantheon, fulfilling a myriad of roles and responsibilities. As a wife and mother, magical healer, and protector of the dead, she was one of the most diverse deities of ancient Egypt. She was the wife and sister of Osiris, god of the dead and the afterlife, and the mother of Horus, god of the sky and the pharaohs; thus, Isis was closely associated with the afterlife, resurrection, fertility, and kingship (1). Even before the Romans conquered Egypt and adopted its gods, the Egyptians themselves had blurred the lines between their individual deities. Isis, notably, was closely associated with several deities, and dabbled in many domains. Most pertinent here is her association with the goddess Hathor, who was the personification of love and sexuality. It may have been the close tie between Isis and Hathor that allowed Isis to be so easily associated with the goddess Aphrodite during the Hellenistic and Roman eras, as Hathor served as a parallel to Aphrodite (4). As Hathor was the Egyptian goddess of love and sexuality, Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was the daughter of Uranus, the primeval god of the sky, and wife to Hephaestus, god of the forge and fire. As the goddess of sexuality, Aphrodite was often depicted nude – more so in later eras. She was also often portrayed with her sacred animal, the dove, or one of her many symbols, such as a mirror, apple, or shell. When Alexander the Great, and later the Romans, conquered Egypt, they adopted the Egyptian Pantheon into the Greek one; some cults merged Isis with Aphrodite, and worshipped Isis-Aphrodite as a goddess of their combined realms. They also combined the two goddesses' iconography, as in the figure from the Archeological Museum. It would be difficult to identify the figure by its physiognomy alone, but it is made recognizable by its adornments and their symbolism. Several details help to identify the figure as some version of Aphrodite. The figure is unclothed, as Aphrodite was commonly depicted by this era. As the goddess of love and sexuality, she was often portrayed naked, and represented an ideal of beauty. She was also believed to have risen from the sea fully naked, born from seafoam when Uranus's genitalia were cut off by his son Kronos and thrown into the ocean. Her very origin reinforces the notion of her sexuality and lends credence to later depictions of her in the nude. The figure of Isis-Aphrodite is, however, adorned with lavish jewelry, as images of Aphrodite sometimes are. Of special note is the crown she wears – a Greek stephane, a metal headband that rose in the center and tapered down toward the temples. Greek female deities were often shown wearing a stephane, and sometimes a veil, which marked their divinity. The figure also holds two objects in her hands. In her right, she grasps a handle, although the upper part of the object is no longer attached; it is thought, however, to have once been a mirror. Mirrors were one of Aphrodite's many symbols, and represented her unmatched beauty. Nonetheless, this is only a postulate, and one cannot be sure what the missing element actually was. In her other hand, though, she still holds a small pedestal surmounted by a sitting figure. This component is what identifies the figure as Isis-Aphrodite. The pedestal resembles a lotus blossom, a sacred flower of the Egyptians that represented renewal. The flower would close at night and reopen at the dawn, and thus represented the daily cycle of the sun; it also represented rebirth, and was thus closely related to Osiris – Isis's husband – and the realm of the dead (3). Accordingly, the lotus was also associated with Isis herself. Sitting on the lotus is an image of the infant Harpocrates, who was a manifestation of Horus and the young sun (2). Harpocrates has a finger in his mouth and wears a disk on his head, a symbol of the sun. The details limn a very comprehensive image of Harpocrates, identifying the miniature figure as a canonical depiction of the young Horus, Isis's son. One of Isis's roles was that of a mother, and she was a fierce protectress. She is sometimes depicted with him, as in the Isis-Aphrodite figure.https://www.britannica.com/topic/Isis-Egyptian-goddesshttp://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/glossary.aspx?id=169http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/glossary.aspx?id=225http://www.academia.edu/5011152/The_Hellenistic-Roman_cult_of_Isis

Attitudes Towards Mental Illness in the Play Cosi by Louis...

The play â€Å"Cosi† by Louis Nowra is the story of a university student who is set the task of producing a play in a mental institute. The play uses many dramatic techniques including, but not limited to; the setting of the play, humour, and tension as well as role, to help draw the audience into the world of the play, the world of these ‘mental patients.’ The play also helps to bring forward people’s feelings and attitudes towards the mentally ill and people’s attitudes towards love and cheating, to further draw the audience into the world of the play, and the world of the 1970’s, when people with any kind of mental illness where treated as ‘outcasts’ and were not accepted as socially acceptable. Lewis (the main character) is in relationship†¦show more content†¦The term â€Å"Let’s hope it doesn’t rain† is used to show how damaged the theatre is. This setting is very important as it provides the audience with an understanding of exactly how the theatre would have looked. The characters in Cosi highlight the way the theatre looks, so the audience can fully understand the setting, entirely allowing the audience to become engaged throughout the entire play. Stage directions are used during the play to reveal even more of the personality of each of the characters. The extremely-confident personality of Nick is made clear in the first scene, when Nick, Lucy and Lewis first enter the darkened theatre, and Nick starts to toy with Lucy in the dark, pretending to be a ghost. Stage directions can also be used to reveal the feelings of characters. When Lucy and Nick leave, and Lewis is left with Roy, you can tell just by watching the way Lewis holds his body, and moves about the stage, he feels betrayed by Lucy, and by Nick. Stage directions are also used to reveal the humour and action on the stage during the entire performance. At the end of act one, scene two, the audience is and the rest of the patients are told by Doug that there is a fire in the bathroom, where Doug himself, had just exited. Stage directions are used to capture the madness as the characters run off of the stage trying to stop the fire, and as Cherry attacks Doug, and starts to strangle him.Show MoreRelatedCosi Essay Dale Tilley1643 Words   |  7 PagesHow Successful Has Lois Nowra Been in Challenging the Significant Ideas of Love, Fidelity, Sanity and Insanity in Cosi? In the play Cosi Louis Nowra challenges the important themes of love, fidelity, sanity and insanity within a range of dramatic techniques. Cosi is set in Melbourne, during the early 1970’s. Numerous political and radical events were occurring. The Vietnam War protest was raging, the sexual revolution was rolling, and mental illness was still misunderstood and mistreated. DueRead MoreCosi876 Words   |  4 PagesNowra’s play is set in a ‘burnt out theatre’. Discuss the importance of setting and imagery in conveying Nowra’s idea on Cosi. The setting and imagery used in Louis Nowra’s play ‘Cosi’ explore the turbulent time that took part in Australia. The play is set in a mental institution in Melbourne, in the 1970’s. Using the ominous presence of the Vietnam War, Nowra explores the insanity of the war; and the need to condemn war and to protest against Australia’s involvement in Vietnam. The main presenceRead MoreCosi Madness5345 Words   |  22 PagesMadness, love transformation Everyone goes mad in their own particular way.  Nowra thinks madness is too generalised, and it is based on each individuals past and experiences etc. At the end of the play,  Lewis is no longer afraid of madness. Lewis is thoroughly transformed by the patients. Nowra uses a mixture of laughter and madness, which is a volatile mixture. We usually see madness as dark and scary, so we can keep it in a corner and ignore it. When he adds humour to it, then we begin to