History Of Piet Mondrian History Essay

History Of Piet Mondrian History Essay Pieter Cornelis Mondrian was born March 7, 1872 in the small Dutch village of Aamersvoort. He was the second oldest of 2 brothers and one sister. His father made a living as a teacher but had talent as an amateur artist and was gifted in drafting. His father noticed at an early age that his son Piet had a gift for drawing and was able to give him drawing lessons. Credit must be given to his Uncle Fritz Mondrian, an artist as well that was self taught and made a living within the commercial art world. He taught the young Mondrian the basics of painting and his father took him to the countryside to sketch landscapes. Mondrian senior had hopes that his son would follow in his footsteps into the more stable profession of teaching. After winning his licenses he was allowed to teach at primary and secondary schools. Piet met his fathers demands by teaching but was not satisfied personally and in 1892 decided he was after all, going to become an artist. (Mondrian Biography) He studied at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam, from 1892 to 1897 with an allowance provided by his Uncle Fritz. There he studied either full time or attended evening classes and while there he joined several artist societies. He exhibited his work, for the first time in 1893 (he was 21). Traveling back and forth between Amsterdam and various parts of rural Holland he devoted practically all of his time to painting landscapes, first in the style of the The Hague School then gradually more and more abstract, omitting details he felt irrelevant. His work started to take on a more abstract style as the details of form started to get omitted, as he felt they were irrelevant. As his work got more abstract the more recognition he received and criticism from the art community. (Mondrian Biography) In 1909 Mondrian joined a theosophical society that cast him away from his religious up-bringing as a Calvanist, but took him on a trip far from his foundation of thinking and influenced his art by his intellectual transformation. His style became a quasi-random and had disorderly qualities of nature, which started to transform his better known works of horizontal and vertical lines. The horizontal lines represent femininity and the worldly, the vertical defining masculinity and the spiritual. He coined the term neo-plasticism where he aimed to create a balance between the horizontal and the vertical, keeping in tune with the universe and his theosophical beliefs. In 1911 he saw for the first time the Cubist styles of Braque and Picasso at an art exhibition in Amsterdam. Soon after this he moved to Paris, the hub for French art and cubism, and it is believed by many, their works influenced this move. (Mondrian Biography) Mondrians style went through a transformation. He painted a series of trees, the earliest the Red tree, it has realistic form and the texture is soft. In less than a year in 1911, the painting of the Gray tree still can be considered representational but can be seen for the more abstract style. A year later his painting of an apple tree is composed of short, straight lines and slight curves, symbols of a trees elements rather than actual details. Mondrians style got simpler with implied lines and geometric shapes and their relationships to each other on the canvas. Mondrian was taken by the cubist movement, he was already advancing to a more abstract style, rejecting mixed colors and curving or diagonal lines in order to make paintings of squares and rectangles. (Baker. 297) Mondrians evolution as an artist represents the origin and essence of De Stijl. Working to free painting completely from both the depiction of real objects and the expression of personal feelings, he developed an austere style based on the expressive potential of fundamental visual elements and their relationships. (Frank. 408) He labored to achieve balance and harmony, modifying shapes and lines in limitless variations. He never received much payment for his work and not until after his death was his work internationally acknowledged as one of the most important developments in twentieth-century abstract art. He felt he had found, as he put it, A new way to express the beauty of nature, to gain pure reality. After moving to Paris he was internationally recognized for his exhibitions. He loved the night-life, parties and especially the dancing in Paris. He was said to have enjoyed the company of young women. His sales of art were few in Paris but he survived by painting copies of famous paintings from the Louvre. Piet returned to Holland in 1914 to visit his ill father. (Mondrian Biography) The Great War as it was called erupted in 1914 most people felt it would not be a long fought war, with Prussias rapid spankings in the 1860s and 1870. The unthinkable happened and it became a full-scale war of nearly all societies. This was the first time the world was at war making for the moniker of World War I. Germany craved a larger empire to be had by packaging Russia into parcels and incorporating parts of Belgium, France, and Luxemburg. The French were interested in getting back Alsace and Lorraine which was ceded to Germany following the Franco-Prussian War. The British craved to harden their footings in Egypt and the Suez Canal. This World War was wide-spread and involved more than the large European powers and Japan: their colonies were involved as well. Over one million Africans, one million from India, and over one million members of the British common-wealth fought in the battle fields. (Hunt. 394-401) The Netherlands were able to remain neutral during the Great War. It did so, in large part to the fact that both aggressive powers had too much at stake to let their enemy invade the country. The War, transformed the feasibility of the Dutch remaining neutral. So much so, that the hopes and desires attached to neutrality in 1914 had disappeared in 1918 and the force of non-involvement had also been threatened. The war years and all the dealings the Dutch had involved themselves in with trade and picking friends on both sides failed to live up as a valuable foreign affairs policy. They were a tiny industrially challenged country that could not protect its very independence and nation state identity, without needing assistance from elsewhere. In another war situation neutrality could not sustain. (Abbenhauis) Mondrian was trapped in Holland for 4 years. His father died in 1915 and after his death he moved to an artists community where he conversed with artists such as Van Der Leck and Van Doesburg. Van Doesburg founded a magazine called De Stijl Mondrian wrote some articles for the magazine. This group felt that architects and sculptors should work together to build a new society more in tune with the Laws of the Universe. This De Stijl art movement is most synonymous with the red, yellow, and blue neo-plasticism paintings of Piet Mondrian. He moved back to Paris in 1919, in Paris he had some more exhibitions, joined an art group and met American artist Harry Holtzman in 1934. (Mondrian Biography) Hitler came to power in 1933 Mondrians work was put on the list of Entartete Kunst (degenerate art). After his experience during World War I when all his paintings were left behind in Paris, he decided to leave before the dawning of the German invasion. He was in London for two years and September1940, during the German bombardment he left for America. He arrived with borrowed money in New York City, Harry Holtzman found and paid for his apartment and introduced him to many friends. His life in New York influenced his career with internationally important works like Broadway Boogie-Woogie and his unfinished Victory Boogie-Woogie. He succumbed to pneumonia in a New York hospital in 1944, he was 71. (Mondrian Biography) Tableau 2 with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray This work completed in 1922, is oil on canvas measuring 21 7/8 X 21 1/8 and is located at the Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City. ( Frank.409) The paints used in this are derived from pigment mixed with oil as a base to carry the color in a liquid from. Artists such as Michelangelo and DaVinci were concocting and milling their own paints by hand and added it to oils available. In modern times linseed oil is used for pre-mixed paints and they store well, sometimes for years. Special oils and mediums are required to thin these kinds of oil paints. Linseed oil is one of the most common mediums for modern oil painters. Canvas comes in two materials: cotton and linen. Unprimed cotton is a natural off-white color, and is the least expensive. It comes in several grades of thickness and quality. (MacIntosh) The work is in the abstract style which Mondrian was best known for. The vertical and horizontal lines and blue, red, and yellow, are the primary style of his earlier mentioned self named neo-plasticism. The visual element of color is utilized in a bold way. The use of the three primary colors along with black and gray is almost shocking to the visual senses. The use of line as a visual element is clearly a bold separation for all the color elements. The design principles of unity and variety are used but there is no repeating in this design element, only single usage of each color. The black and yellow are the only two colors that are actually touching. This gives me an emotional fear of caution when I see them together. I really wish I knew what this means. The directional forces of the bold black lines carry your sight line outward toward the geometrical shapes. I dont feel there is repetition to Tableau 2 but I can feel a rhythm with the strong emotions from each primary color. I feel the content of this work has the appearance of being incomplete in some ways. My eyes want to travel along the incomplete black lines that stop short of the edges. It has a very grid-like quality, as if these colored sections hold meaning to something more important. I think the content of the work is to make the viewer want to see more.

The Role of Humor in Kurt Vonneguts Cats Cradle :: Cats Cradle Essays

The Role of Humor in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle "I've narrowed comedy down to two words: clown and farts. Because first it makes you laugh, and then it makes you think." Dave Attell's joke comes remarkably close to describing exactly what it is that Kurt Vonnegut is able to do with his writing. First, he makes his readers laugh, and then he forces them to think. By employing such humorous devices as irony and satire, Vonnegut is able to bring humor to a less-than-humorous subject. Cat's Cradle is Vonnegut's novel about the day the world ended. Why, then, is it so full of jokes? By making it so, Vonnegut makes it easier for himself to get his point across. Rather than making the book a crusade against science or religion, he instead creates a light-hearted look at people themselves. By seeing the characters in the book and laughing at them, he is forcing us also to laugh at ourselves. By openly criticizing one religion or another, Vonnegut feared he would have alienated a potential audience or created some discomfort. Rather than offend anyone, then - or perhaps rather to offend everyone equally - he instead created Bokononism, using aspects of all religions, and exaggerating them to the point of absurdity. Though we may laugh at the Bokononists, at the same time we realize that there are certain truths in the creed. In this manner, Vonnegut gets his audience to think about themselves and the follies of their own religions. Another important part of the book is the constant "tirade" against science. Jonah's writing makes it evident that he finds all scientists to be cruel, cold, and unfeeling. At the same time, Vonnegut paints the scientists in a humorous light by employing such techniques as Dr. Breed's scolding of Miss Faust, in which he proudly proclaims how long it's been since a fatal accident. The Role of Humor in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle :: Cat's Cradle Essays The Role of Humor in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle "I've narrowed comedy down to two words: clown and farts. Because first it makes you laugh, and then it makes you think." Dave Attell's joke comes remarkably close to describing exactly what it is that Kurt Vonnegut is able to do with his writing. First, he makes his readers laugh, and then he forces them to think. By employing such humorous devices as irony and satire, Vonnegut is able to bring humor to a less-than-humorous subject. Cat's Cradle is Vonnegut's novel about the day the world ended. Why, then, is it so full of jokes? By making it so, Vonnegut makes it easier for himself to get his point across. Rather than making the book a crusade against science or religion, he instead creates a light-hearted look at people themselves. By seeing the characters in the book and laughing at them, he is forcing us also to laugh at ourselves. By openly criticizing one religion or another, Vonnegut feared he would have alienated a potential audience or created some discomfort. Rather than offend anyone, then - or perhaps rather to offend everyone equally - he instead created Bokononism, using aspects of all religions, and exaggerating them to the point of absurdity. Though we may laugh at the Bokononists, at the same time we realize that there are certain truths in the creed. In this manner, Vonnegut gets his audience to think about themselves and the follies of their own religions. Another important part of the book is the constant "tirade" against science. Jonah's writing makes it evident that he finds all scientists to be cruel, cold, and unfeeling. At the same time, Vonnegut paints the scientists in a humorous light by employing such techniques as Dr. Breed's scolding of Miss Faust, in which he proudly proclaims how long it's been since a fatal accident.

A Memorable Experience In Photography :: essays research papers fc

A Memorable Experience in Photography To experience photography, one must have a certain style of photographs to really appreciate or admire. Photographs are picturesque images and views that really catch the interest of the photographer. For me to experience and admire photography, it took me only one photographer to really appreciate the power it has his name is Robert Capa. Robert grew up in Hungary he experienced the political unrest and turmoil. He lived under the oppression of Horthy and knew the kind of anarchy that constitutes war(Images of War 8). Robert's work represented 3 categories: 1. Images of battle. 2. Images of the effects of war. 3. Images of calamity(Photographs,Introduction). His work also had a swift understanding and sympathy for the people who suffer from being caught in war. This type of suffering made it impossible for him to ignore the events which affected their lives(Images of War 9). Robert's belief on photography is "If your pictures are not good enough, your not close enough"(Photographs Foreword). Robert's breakthrough in the field of photography came during the Spanish Civil War. His most famous picture was a snapshot of a courageous man in the act of falling(Capa18). His own special talents and course of world happenings, led him into a role as a professional photographer of war(Images of War20). To really admire and understand Capa, you must have a fascination for dramatic and emotional pictures of war. There probably has been thousands who admire the work he does. Well you can include me in that group of thousands. Capa puts into perspective in just one photograph, something my grandfather will never forget. The Bombing of Pearl Harbor. The photograph that brings back these memories is taken somewhere in Europe during World War II. It's a photograph that has the air full of scores of Japanese warplanes. They are flying over war stricken farmland. As an American citizen, this photograph brings a lot of emotions through me and would have brought greater emotions to my grandfather. I used this photograph because it brings back the memory of my grandfather telling me the story of how he survived that tragic day. On December 7, 1941, my grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor as a airplane mechanic. It was still early in the morning and he was still sleeping. Then out of nowhere he heard numerous explosions and then the sirens went off._ _He rushed out of bed and ran upstairs to see what was happening. In the sky he saw scores of Japanese airplanes flying and bombing the area. Some of the airplanes would risk their own lives to do more damage to the ships and the

Hunger Games Character Paper

The Hunger Games- Character Paper I read the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The book is about the future and how the central government overrules all of districts, Panem. The main character of the book is Katniss Everdeen. She is a teenage girl who lives in â€Å"District 12†. Her district is known for all the coal mining; she had lost her father when she was younger in mine explosion.After this she had to step up and be the adult. She is very brave and she is very smart. Katniss, the story's narrator and heroine, is 16 years old and has straight black hair, gray eyes, and olive skin. Her father died in a mine explosion when she is 11. Since then, to keep her family from starving in the Seam, she has had to provide for her mother and sister, using the hunting and gathering knowledge that her father taught her.Her best friend and hunting partner is Gale, and, while they spend a great deal of time together, Katniss is sure that she doesn't see him in a romantic light, something that comes into deep question when she is District 12's Hunger Games tribute and must work hard to maintain a star-crossed-lovers facade with Peeta Mellark. Throughout the novel, she remains a hunter and a survivor, â€Å"the girl on fire,† but she is also a girl who is very confused about her emotions concerning Peeta and Gale.Katniss must also remember to hide her true emotions about the Capitol: She loathes the Capitol and its tyrannical rule, but to rebel openly is to ask for punishment, oftentimes death. She is brave and daring and returns home from the Games a beloved star to her district but a menace to the Capitol dictators in charge of Panem. Katniss is very relatable to young girls because of her confusion with boys. This makes Katniss a great main character for the book because who doesn’t love a science fiction book with a relatable main character?

Placement report Essay

N.V. Elmar (Naamloze Vennootschap Electriciteit-Maatschappij Aruba) is in charge of providing electricity in Aruba. Formerly, the company’s name is N.V. ELECTRA founded by Mr. John G. Eman in 1950. After his death, his wife Mrs. F. van der Biest-Eman took over his place and continued the company’s operation. In November 9, 1950, N.V. ELECTRA discusses with Parliament the dealings of providing electricity in Aruba at the public’s interest. Under this discourse, the company had experienced several issues. ELECTRA then becomes a government property after the approving the proposal. Within the proposal, the company specifies itself to be under the control of OGEM N.V. located at the city of Rotterdam, Holland. Its first operation in November 15, 1950, N.V. Elmar has the capacity of 3000 KW with three diesel engines and eventually increased in 1958 buying a power station with a capacity of 15,000 KW. However, in 1982, OGEM experienced bankruptcy and decided to sell its shares of N.V. Elmar to Utilities Aruba N.V. owned by the government. Now, the company proudly states of its financial stability and management under the limits of concession (elmar.aw, 2004). Now, Elmar has a number of 163 employees and approximately 33,000 consumers on the island of Aruba. Island of Aruba   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Serviced by the N.V. Elmar, Aruba is a Carribean island 24 km west coast of Venezuela. Of the three Dutch Islands, Aruba is the smallest having an area of 194 km2 with eight regions, namely, Noord / Tanki Leendert, Oranjestad (West), Oranjestad (East), Paradera, Santa Cruz, Savaneta, Sint Nicolas (North) and Sint Nicolas (South). The official language used is Dutch, particularly in education, mass media and civil service. Another language, is Papiamento, second to English as the main language in the island. The population also speaks of Spanish, a prevalent language in upper grades of primary schools (Elmar, 2006). Role in the Company   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because I hold a position in the Human Resources Department, most of my concerns are on employee benefits, recruitment and other employee related issue. Six months in N.V. Elmar has undoubtedly reached my capacity as an employee in the Human Resources Department. Two of their projects for employees, health and wellness program and monetary rewards will be discussed as the main concept of this report. Methodology Research Design   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elmar, like any other company, has major concerns on their employees. To address, this, the company initiated a corporate Health and Wellness program. In this program, the awareness of employees on health related issues and quality of life are substantially relayed. The company has outlined the procedures by giving employees education and promotion on health programs, and orientation and coordination of health assistance. Primarily, it is important to know what the general health status in the island is. Some of the researches made convey of obesity as the primary contributor to life-limiting illnesses in Aruba. The reasons for a high rate in the island are the decreased deprivation of food and a sedentary lifestyle. Aruba is a developed country and in most studies, countries in this state have high incidences of obesity especially on families with lower household income. Often, the quality of food is overlooked wherein buying foods high in calorie and fat is rampant. In a survey conducted in 1991-1992, 67% of the Aruba population is overweight. Moreover, this finding affects both sexes. Next study was conducted in 1995 to 1996 showing the nutritional state of first up to fifth grade overweight. Approximately, 13.4 to 14% of the first graders are overweight and 26.1 to 29.4% of the fifth graders experience obesity. A more recent study in 2004 by Dr. Richard Visser stated that of the 367 children studied, 133 were obese, the number of underweight children is 18, and the remaining 216 were healthy. Significantly, Visser found out that one factor of the growing population concerning obesity in oner population is the unawareness and disregard as a public concern. Hence, attention such treatment and proper education about being obese is insufficient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Monetary and Non-Monetary rewards are essential for performance improvement of employees. Though we may see that vision, mission, and goals would be enough motivating entities in employee performance, still, these direct costs will provide a meaningful and prosperous stay in the company. In the monetary rewards, as the name implies, more of salary additions are being worked upon while the non-monetary rewards focus on recognizing the employee capability on work and other areas. Elmar Company has an incentives and rewards system, wherein it compensates, reinforces, and encourage enhancement of employee duties. In these types, providing incentives and rewards may focus on team or individual distribution. Moreover, the essentiality of these programs for employee performance, will direct work efforts in advantage to the mission, vision and goals of the company. Incentives and rewards are given to teams, organizations, or individuals in the company that exceed the company’s expectations. Procedures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elmar company has outlined its goals and objectives in preparing the health and wellness programs. In this way, the company will properly monitor how the program is advancing towards the organization’s benefits. The company’s concern for its employees marks the unity of the two in a system of social relations. Upon noting the principles held by the company in this program, the statement now implies that there is the importance for maintenance, prevention, and promotion of health status of employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vision of the company in pursuing this project is to develop an advanced and efficient program for the health and wellness of the company. Conceptual perceptions about this vision are: Corporate health and wellness means work with the employees of Elmar. Corporate health and wellness underlines the positive dimensions of health. Corporate health and wellness has to involve different groups, organizations and institutions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subsequently, the company has marked the strategic and operational objectives for this program. Strategic objectives cover the expected results upon reinforcement of the program while the operational objective sees how the actual procedure must perform on the employees. The following are the strategic objectives: To reduce medical costs and disability costs: many companies have found that they can significantly reduce the cost of employee health care benefits by proactively promoting health, safety and wellness. To reduce absenteeism: numerous studies have found that employee wellness programs can significantly reduce employee absenteeism. To enhance productivity: many studies have linked health risks with reduced employee productivity and have found that healthier workers are more productive. To improve general health and well being. (Corporate Health and Wellness Program, 2006: 12) While these are the operational objectives: Structure and develop corporate health and wellness programs and activities according to priorities established. These programs c.q. activities are directed to the individual employee, Elmar as an organization and the community of Aruba. Establish and reinforce collaborative relations with organizations in the community, government, and NGO’s, related to the development of specific projects in corporate health and wellness. Generate an employee data bank related to the risk factors in health and wellness that can be used to generate assistance, prevention and education programs. Develop educational activities for the employees that can reinforce the actions of promotion in corporate health and wellness. (Corporate Health and Wellness Program, 2006: 12).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To start the program, first, the company must identify which are the employee needs prior to implementing operational objectives. In order to have an appropriate amount of data, the company will have to conduct as survey amongst its employees, invite an organization that will manage the physical examination among employees and facilitate education about eating healthy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The monetary and non-monetary programs will take effect on employee’s performance level. Generally, it enhances the performance to satisfy or exceed the objectives. Examples of Monetary incentives are: Performance awards – monetary incentives that reward employees upon performance that exceeds the expectation of the company. Observation of giving this award is through formal performance ratings of record on the appraisal period. Special act or service awards – one-time awards like lump sum for employees that had done a specific task from performance. Judgment in this kind of award comes from the first line supervisors. Quality Step increases – gives employees faster than normal progression by facilitating stepped rates and a permanent increase in basic pay. Time Off awards – granting employees leave without charging their annual leave. Gain Sharing – a system, wherein both the company and the employee gain improved productivity. In this system, the company measures the productivity of employees, which in turn gives additional income to the company, then, the employees and involved organization will benefit through associated earnings of the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Non-monetary incentives may be tangible or incentives that have more bases on rewards like trophies, medals, certificates, and plaques. Moreover, this kind of incentive may take an intangible position, for example, if an employee has exceeded the expectation of the company, the organization may include training opportunities and assignment of employees to a more meaningful, challenging, and prestigious kind of work. Even though these incentives may not have much value directly on budget, some studies have shown that this becomes more important as motivating factors for employee performance. The Report SWOT Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SWOT (which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is a type of management observation on the overall performance of an organization. This method is often used on businesses because results can be easily transformed in other business philosophy like Porter’s five forces. Generally, the SWOT analysis has effect on overall evaluation when one factor has a cited defect or disadvantage. The strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors while the external factors are the opportunities and threats (marketingteacher.com, 2007). Strengths The strengths of the health and wellness program are in aspects of giving educational awareness to employees considering health problems, disease prevention, and health status. Hence, employee performance may increase. Moreover, productivity may increase because of reduced absenteeism, medical insurance policies, and cost effective strategies. The strengths of monetary and non-monetary incentives take effect on employee and company relationship. Employees regard much of their work because of these rewards, which in turn will not only increase productivity but also enhance the quality of products and services as well. In addition, if properly examined, is the preservation and maintenance of employees with exceptional skills and abilities. Weaknesses Apparently, the weaknesses of health and wellness programs are the appropriate participation of employees particularly in health awareness programs. The individual may listen to these lectures but do not apply them in real life. One weakness of incentives is on the monetary rewards. Generally, monetary rewards have the â€Å"amounts† in order to make employee performance more successful and productive. However, some employees may look at incentive as the central mark of their performance rather than cling on the vision and mission of the organization. In addition, not all employees may non-monetary rewards as a moral perspective, because some employees may develop envy among their co-workers if abundantly present in most of the incentive policies. Opportunities A big opportunity for health and wellness program is to widen the controlled areas in health provisions such as insurance policies and discounts on medical services. The company may also generate proper motivation of these programs when medical specialists are very much involved with the program. There should always be continuity with this kind of program because health is a very essential to an individual. In monetary incentives and non-monetary incentives, monitoring units for choosing which of the employees will gain the award should have a regard. In this way, proper evaluation of the programs will provide trust to employees that the awardees deserve. Hence, envy will not have its place in the organization. Threats The health and wellness program should look unto costs prevalently diverse in most health programs like medicines, fees of professionals and other related issues on economic changes in effect to medical facilities. One threat in monetary programs is that there may be possibilities of lost on the best employees if monitoring is not properly achieved. Hence, the probability of giving good services and products may have hindrances. Reflection   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As part of this project, I have noticed the essentiality of the company and employee relationship. Seeing how Elmar valued this social interaction, the severity to serve the company is overwhelming yet incomparable to what I have seen on other organizations. Both the company and its employees are very much interested on the productivity and quality of service. Furthermore, I have seen the social impact of the health and wellness project, as it projects how the society has evolved from a simple unit to a larger unit of the company because it affects the employee performance. Monetary and non-monetary incentives are appropriate sources of motivating employees on the vision and mission of the company but proper attention on the monitoring and evaluation of awardees should be considered, as this could affect trust amongst employees. I think these are apparent objectives after the actual placement: Enhance productivity due to reduced absenteeism and proper well-being. Reduced medical costs because of subsequent education of employees on health related issues. Educational activities for employees in areas like Roll in â€Å"Wit Gele Kruis† for yearly check ups and mini health fair. Monetary Rewards has succeeded in increasing productivity. Non-monetary rewards have increased company commitment among employees. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Questionnaire results were positive, looking at the overall performance of corporate health and wellness programs. This survey will generally help the family to be aware in eating the right food and proper diet to reduce the medical costs. The mini survey has given positive results and future benefits to most employees. On the other hand, monetary and non-monetary incentives will help in motivating employees of their performance level and commitment to the company. There is also a great probability of preserving and acquiring employees with exceptional talents and skills. Bibliography N.V. Elmar. â€Å"About Us.† 2004 29 January 2008 SWOT Analysis. 29 January 2008

BP SWOT Analysis and future action plan

The business was started in 1909 by one of the mega merger of Anglo-Persian Oil Company. It was renamed as British Petroleum in 1954. The head office is located in the city of Westminster, United Kingdom. It operates throughout the globe and owns approximately 93,000 employees. Today there are BP 2go, BP Castrol, BP Express, BP Shop, BP Connect and BP Travel Center. The business has diversified intensively across its core business.BP (British Petroleum) is one of the prevalent vertically integrated conglomerates in oil and gas sector. It explores and produces crude oil and different gases. The colossal business also participates in trading and marketing of power resources, liquid and natural gases. Research and Markets (2010) conducted the SWOT Analysis of British Petroleum as follows: Strength: †¢ Prior to the oil spill catastrophe, the business owned leadership position in oil and gas sector and performed vertically integrated business operations †¢ The business has well established plants which are widened geographically†¢ It performs business worldwide and has collaborated with retail brands and subsidiaries like AMPM, AMOCO, Burmah Castrol, ARCO, BP travel center, Express, Connect and many more †¢ In 2007 the net profit improved by 83% due to the increase in oil and petroleum prices †¢ It owns loyal and committed customers Weakness: †¢ Over the past years the production of natural gas and crude oil has been reduced †¢ Other than the oil spill disaster the business is faced with lots of internal criticism and controversies †¢ The launch of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline resulted into large numbers of controversies†¢ In 2005 BP refinery explosion in Texas resulted into 15 deaths and 100 injuries †¢ The 2006 oil spill of 250 gallons in Alaskan Tundra has imposed different criminal charges †¢ BP faced immense crisis of poor management due to toxic spill of about 2000 gallon of methanol in Prudhoe bay †¢ The Alaskan oil well operations got seized †¢ The business formulated unsound policies related to environment †¢ Brand image might get worsened due to the recent oil spill crisis †¢ The business lacks contingency plan in order to overcome major issues Opportunity: †¢ Natural gas stipulation in North America has amplified†¢ Recently petrochemicals and refined product requirements has increased in China †¢ Due to prevailing environmental issues more and more businesses are investing in alternative sources of energy †¢ To a greater extent gas and oil exploration plants are being established specifically in developed countries †¢ The business has decided to invest USD 8 billion in alternative energy comprising of hydrogen gas, solar power, wind energy and natural gas †¢ It has decided to further expand in Post Soviet areas and acquire plants in North Sea †¢ Flexible pricing policy will enable the business to compete with major rivalsThr eat: †¢ Environmental regulations have imposed one of the chief threat on diverse business operations †¢ In North sea alone resource has reduced to a major extent †¢ Majority of the oil exploration and production areas have been faced with ups and downs †¢ Major competitors like Chevron and Shell might adversely affect the business †¢ USA government has filed major lawsuit against one of the recent BP oil spill crisis Action Plan for British Petroleum: A novel route: The business presentation reveals that it has adapted to changing environment and opted for sustainable future strategy.The top most priority highlighted includes reliability and safety and the business aims that the future business operations will specifically focus on personal safety. The 2015 forecast reveals immense opportunities in deepwater operations, gigantic fields and producing alternative energy sources. In contrary to this, although BP is not the only player responsible for the probl em, even then numerous issues have been surfaced and political influence has further threatened the operation by imposing strict regulations and control.It has incurred increase in cost due to political influence from USA and Brazil and safety measures criteria. It can be said that business itself destabilized, demoralized and weakened its future directions. Prior to this it was a world class corporation with premium brands and strong customer base and everything changed in three weeks (Rowell, 2010). Future growth strategy: Macalister (2010) states that the business has to recompense USD 20 billion as a liability for the oil spill issue.Nevertheless the business opted for the betterment and claimed that it will be establishing exploration and production plants in Libya, Egypt and Azerbaijan in the imminent years. The business came up with a comprehensive DRP (disaster recovery plan) which involves investigation, bringing changes at management level, looking into group performance a nd opting for future strategy formulation. The business introduced Bob Dudley as new face to clear up the business image. The strategy focuses on rehabilitation and compensation plan and improving the global image of BP and transforming into a good corporate citizenship across all over the globe.In order to gain confidence of stakeholders, the business particularly participated with communities in order to rebuild those areas which have been adversely affected by the crisis. The business stated that the crisis will have an impact on the future strategy in terms of liabilities but it aims in protecting and growth expansion of the business. The corporation collaborated with US agencies in order to pay off all the legitimate claims and deploy massive systems for the purpose of environmental restitution. About more than 15, 000 volunteers participated and committed to the appropriate strategy.Lesson learned as a future contingency plan: Winston (2010) analyzed philosophical, geopolitica l and corporate level strategy of BP and highlighted key learning points: †¢ The conventional fossil fuel technology is disastrous for species, business and overall society. Rather than investing in carbon emitting fossil fuels the business must look into safety and minimizing risk. †¢ Everything never goes right and there exist an element of uncertainty. The spreadsheet models being used in businesses only resemble positive numbers and they cannot forecast and formulate proactive measures.Oil companies found future success in deepwater oil exploration and they went for it and forget to look into clean up technologies and oil spill shielding measures. †¢ One of the prominent examples was reflected by Johnson & Johnson who called back all the Tylenol medicines and established one of the prominent corporate behavior paradigms. In contrast to this, BP CEO Mr. Hayward always said that it was an insignificant issue in comparison to massive sea and it resulted into awful re sponse in the form of slow actions and took them three months to impede the leakage. Nonetheless Mr. Hayward has learnt a lot for future debacles.†¢ Conventionally risk management was the primary concern however abiding to green provision will result into sustainability and decrease in risk. The poor risk management by BP reveals that it lost USD 70 billion market value within one week of the disaster. However the impact of its products on the overall ocean was massive and unquantifiable which killed precious species. Therefore BP will transform into green leader and further improve its supply chain so that it can perform socially and environmentally in an outclass manner. †¢ Businesses spend decades to build brand equity and it takes small fraction of time for everything to be lost.BP invested in businesses beyond petroleum but major diminution can be highlighted in the case of renewable energy just because of slight decrease in current profits therefore the business must invest in renewable sources in future sustainability. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the business opted for a holistic approach. The demeanor remains with adapting to environmental changes and performing as a good corporate citizen. The business gained vast experience from the disaster and opted for finest outcome. It formulated an aggressive marketing strategy with business expansion in Azerbaijan, Egypt and Libya.Although there are political influences even then the business looked into personal safety and reliability measures. The future remains with deep water exploration and alternative energy resources. The corporation formulated a disaster management plan and worked in order to gain confidence from diverse stakeholders. Some of the lesson engrossed includes investing in renewable resources, including risk management in financial modules, opting for swiftness and responsiveness and taking proactive measures for different business processes and operations. References: Re search and Markets. (2010). British Petroleum Company: Company Analysis.Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/354859/ Rowell, A. (2010). BP’s Long Term Business Strategy in Chaos†¦ Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://priceofoil. org/2010/06/29/bp%E2%80%99s-long-term-business-strategy-in-chaos/ Macalister, T. (2010). BP chief Tony Hayward to outline strategy that restores firm's fortunes. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2010/jul/21/bp-oil-spill-tony-hayward Winston, A. (2010). Five Lessons from the BP Oil Spill. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://blogs. hbr. org/winston/2010/06/the-bp-oil-spill-top-5-lessons. html

The Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge Case Study

The Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge - Case Study Example The design also integrated piers along the bridge’s span for support. Additionally, incorporated in the design were several checking cables, as well as, devices proposed to be installed along the bridge’s spans to hold the deck down, preventing it from turning in the wind. Evident from the planning phase, the Authority and suspension bridge specialist, Moisseiff had the sole intention of constructing an affordable and safe bridge to benefit residents of Kitsap and Tacoma. However, the phase was not without flaws and ethical missteps. First, the authority turned down a bridge design previously proven safe, for a narrow suspension bridge design, never constructed before just because it was cheaper. The other design flaw was failure to take into account the actual wind force to which the bridge would be exposed. Additionally, during the planning phase, emphasis was placed on the structural components of the bridge. Of particular interest were the recommended open girders, which were later replaced with solid ones by the local building engineer during design execution. The plan was also flawed in regard to location selection for the bridge construction. The Tacoma Narrows; topography is highly susceptible to winds of high intensity, making it an unsuitable location to put up a suspension bridge (Pinto 221). Question #2 Qualitative risk matrix Likelihood Insignificant 1 Minor 2 Moderate 3 Major 4 Catastrophic 5 A(Almost Certain) M H H E E B(Likely) M M H H E C(Possible) L M M H E D(Unlikely) L M M M H E(Rare) L L M M M Level of Risk: (E)-Extreme Risk (H)-High Risk (m)-Moderate Risk (L)-Low Risk According to the chart above, the level of risk, rather obvious for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, was high. This is because, the level of risk posed by the bridge necessitated formulation of a detailed action of plan on the way forward, in dealing with the issues arising when the bridge was still under construction. For instance, during construction the attaching t ie-down cables snapped and proved to be ineffective. The bridge was also swayed by the wind presenting critical danger, an aspect attributable to its light weight and its narrow nature. Therefore, the level of risk was undoubtedly high, even though it could not be termed as catastrophic at this early stage. However as time progressed there were indications that the bridge would collapse. This notion rose from the increased number of risk factors that were identifiable on the bridge. For instance, slight winds would make the bridge sway to great levels and even cause wave like oscillations, posing great danger to motorists. This was because; instead of the bridge allowing wind to pass, it was acting like a kite, trapping moving air with its flat sides. Another risk factor warranting the classification of TNB as a high risk structure was, the topography of the Tacoma Narrows which made the bridge weaker, since it lay directly across the path of the wind, thus exposing it to maximum im pact. The engineers also changed some of the recommended design elements thus increasing the structure’s probability of collapsing. All these were major factors that heightened the TNB’s risk level. Even though it was hard for individuals to notice all the risk aspects when the bridge was being built, the engineers should have identified the risk in the design, sighting of the bridge or