Performance Management At Emaar

Performance Management At Emaar The report features altogether are in six major sections. Section one is about Performance management and performance appraisal at Emaar. Section two is about Reward Management that Emaar uses. Section three is about Addressing Underperformnce. Section four is about measures of staff satisfaction. Section five is about methods to improvements. Section six which the last one is the conclusion. More over, there are some appendixes I have attached in my report, Appendix 1 is the Aprriasal form and appendix 2 the exit interview. Finally, Most of the information in the report was from my own experience at Emaar and some particulars from Emaar website and interviewing employees as well. Performance Management at Emaar At Emaar, Performance Management is considered as a cyclical process encompassing many aspects. Their model begins with the process of hiring, continues with daily performance management, and extends to yearly performance appraisals specially when making hiring decisions, managers, individuals and committees are involved in the process should consider the seven core competencies established by Emaar which are: Adaptability Motivation Professional and Self Development Work Quality and Job knowledge Teamwork Service Orientation Communication From there, Emaar supervisors should manage employees daily performance through an efficient and effective performance management system. As a result of a efficient and effective and useful performance management system, supervisors should be able to provide accurate and relevant performance assessments that helps further growth and improvement among employees at Emaar. By institute a successful performance management based upon the seven core competencies, Emaar is able to hire, lead and evaluate individuals based on the same set of the competencies which offers consistency and continued growth. Appraisal Performance Appraisal performance is considered one of the powerful tools and an important process at all levels of the organization starting from the top management and ending with employees. It helps supervisors to meet the objectives and goals of the department and the firm as well. In addition, companies must keep pace with process to accommodate the changes of the business level contents and performance methods, and the change of the staff skills and knowledge. Appraisal helps to create confidence between employees and raise their loyalty to the firm.(See Appendix 1) Appraisal performance from some authors view performance appraisal as any procedure that involves setting work standards, assessing the employees actual performance relative to these standards, and providing feedback to the employees with the aim of motivating that person to eliminate performance deficiencies or to continue to perform above par Dessler Another definition for performance appraisal is the evaluation, often in writing an employees work and job performance according to specific criteria. Performance appraisal can also be defined as a system of periodic review and evaluation of an individuals or teams job performance Schuller Appraisal performance at Emaar Emaar conduct appraisal quarterly and annually to evaluate employees performance, promote communication and their personality to examine their strengths and weakness. Besides, Emaar ensures all the employees who conducted the evaluation that their information are confidential and secured for making right decisions for them. Appraisal performance is important for such a company because it provides them with employees feedback of employees performance and progress. Performance appraisal aims at facilitate employees development and it has the major purposes. These major purposes is to provide feedback and guidance, to set performance goals, to identify training needs, and to provide inputs for management of pay administration, rewards, and promotion. Also there are some steps which are involved in effective performance appraisal are: Identification of key performance areas and setting yearly objectives. Identification of critical attributes for effective performance Periodic review of performance Discussion of performance with employees, Identification of training and developmental needs. Emaar uses many methods for performance evaluation of their employees, some of them are traditional and some are modern methods. Incident Indicator Method It is done by collecting the largest possible number of incidents that causes the success or the failure of the work. Supervisors monitor their group and decide if any of those collected incidents happened to them in their work. Their performance will be evaluated based on the incidents that happened in their workplace and how they behaved during those incidents and how serious they are in terms of success or failure of the job. 360 degree Performance The 360 process almost always includes a survey that has questions related to leadership and organizational success, along with a corresponding scale rate each item for example, Agree, Slightly Agree, Neutral, Slightly Disagree, and Disagree. Self-ratings and ratings from employees manager, direct reports, peers and customers are typically compiled into a report. The results are combined and presented by rater category, which allows for insightful comparisons while ensuring that individual direct report, peer and customer raters remain anonymous. Ratings by the employees manager are also presented for comparison but not anonymous. The 360 process may also include a gaol setting or development planning component, which requires that managers translate there results into a meaningful plan for future development. Some 360s are linked to administrative processes such as performance appraisal, promotion, compensation and succession planning 360 Feedback offers many potential benefits to both staff and the organization. Because the technique is capitalizes on multiple perspectives. The results are considered highly credible and useful performance feedback. For employees, the 360 experience can help to confirm hunches about strengths and identify areas that need improvement. Being able to compare feedback from multiple sources helps participants contrast their self-perceptions with others perceptions of them. But the benefit from this kind of reality check comes with a challenge: As from Fortune article 360 Feedback Can Change Your Life. Receiving the results of the feedback can be surprising, powerful and uncomfortable. To help managers appreciate their strengths and not just concentrate on negative results, Emaar provides in one-on-one or group settings with trained coaches, facilitator or psychologists. Such sessions can also help managers link 360 results to previous performance feedback discover performance themes and issues and understand how to use results to be more successful. For Emaar, a successful 360 implementation can improve communication among employees and help disseminate the organizations expectations with regard to managers. The benefits can begin even before the 360 is implemented. A decision to implement the process signals that the organization desires and is committed on some level to improve its feedback mechanisms. Even the wording of the survey itself is instructive. 360 surveys are typically group behaviours into bread success factors such as strategic direction, analytical skills, interpersonal effectiveness and developing others. The very act of identifying these categories and then defining them by their associated behaviours, for instance, consider future implications when making decisions gives Emaar a common language with which to discuss performance. Forced Distribution In this method, employees are evaluates on the basis of their overall performance of the work. Paired comparison approach That this method is derived from the ranking method, the fundamental difference between them is that the ingredient rather than an individual compares with the rest of the individuals at once, as under the method of comparison by comparing the individual double with every one of them This method is characterized by the following: Easily explained to others. Facilitate the task of who conduct the appraisal, as it is easy for him to compare between two employees and choose only the best of them. Can be used this way by the heads of divisions and departments in the organizations when asked to nominate some of the subordinates for the purpose of promotion or bonuses and so on. The criticism of this method are as follows: That individuals are being compared with each other as if they were one unit, so it lacks behavioural specialization and taking focuses on personal aspects rather than behaviour. The evaluation might be susceptible to bias and favouritism. Individuals are evaluated by descending order (I, II, III, IV, .) does not indicate the relative degree of difference among them. Does not show the weaknesses in the performance of individuals to act and find solutions them. As Emaar got a large number of employees its hard for them to conduct this evaluation but this method is often used at small organizations where there are small number of employees such as small properties companies like Al Shams. Reward Management Reward Management is concerned with the formulation and implementation of strategies and policies that aim to reward employees fairly, equitably and consistently in accordance with their value to the organisation (Armstrong, 2003). Emaar has set a reward strategy to support their business goals, to recruit and retrain employees with his performance and to reward high performance employees. They have fincial rewards and non-financial rewards. Financial rewards Definition Employees get a fixed rate in monthly basis which is called base pay. Emaar determine the base pay according to the experience, degree and interview. Another, kind of financial rewards is the contingent pay, which is related the employees performance, competence or service. Moreover, employees benefits such as pension holidays and sick pay. Non-financial rewards It is not direct payments and usually occur from the work it self like achievements, recognition, training, opportunities to develop career and high quality leadership. Al-Noor Islamic bank has an attractive reward system which is for the part time employees who have worked at least twenty hours a week for two years, receive AED 3,500 scholarship to college of their choice. Four year scholarships for AED 35,000 are also given. The company has awarded more than AED 8 million since the program begins. Unlike Emaar that doesnt have flexible time for students who are welling to complete their higher education besides they are not encouraging students to join them. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() Addressing underperformance It is one of the elements of the performance management framework of Emaars Performance Management policy. It illustrates the need to take action to identify and resolve situations where the performance level is not achieving the identified outcome of performance of a specified position. Emaar follows some procedures to address underperformance Intensive Performance Support Solving a problem and supporting the process, generally developed between employees and the executive manager, to elucidate performance concerns and take early steps towards their resolution the process is begin when a patterns of performance concerns has been identified and considerable efforts should be made to resolve the concerns during this phase. Where employees are able to demonstrate that they are able to achieve Emaars identified performance outcomes during Intensive Performance Support, ongoing performance management can be resumed. Nevertheless, if employees underperforming consistently and the performance outcomes achieved through the IPS period are not improved sufficiently the Formal Underperformance procedure should be originated. This can be done only after IPS completion which is a pre-requisite to undertake the Formal Underperformance procedure. Formal Underperformance procedure Managers start this procedure for employees whose performance did not meet the identified performance outcome for Emaar and whose performance has not improved satisfactorily through IPS. Emaar makes sure that the used procedure is appropriate to employees employment conditions. Formal Underperformance is undertaken in consultation with departmental performance management consultant and involves supporting and assessing the performance of the employees. When outcomes of performance are achieved during the Formal Underperformance procedure are still unsatisfactory, another procedure is conducted which is called Evaluation Procedure to appraise and verify the procedure and how it is been implemented. The Evolution Procedure considers whether all reasonable options for support have been exhausted and ensures that principles of natural justice and procedural fairness have been observed. Based on the Evaluation Procedure report, recommendations are made for further action for approval of the departmental executive with the appropriate delegated authority. This may include Ongoing performance management return. Continuing with an identified stage of Managing Underperformance procedures. Sanctions imposition, including dismissal possibility when evident shows that an employee is not able to demonstrate the identified competence level and efficiency. ANOC is one of the biggest companies for producing oils so it is important for them to hire and retain the best employees to keep the company reputation safe so they use the same procedures as Emaar if they addressed any underperformance among employees specially the best employees. http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/ManagingUnderperformanc-4.pdf Measures of staff satisfaction Turnover Rates Emaar calculates the annual staff turnover rate by using a mathematical formula (Total number of leavers over periodÂÂ  / Average total number employed over period) x 100 Exit interviews Emaar conduct an internal interview which is the exit interview to establish the reasons why an employee wishes to leave the organization. Exit interviews are not intended to dissuade the employee from leaving. Rather, they are intended to establish resignation causes, and whether there is an underlying problem need to be addressed or is there a particular manager or a colleague who contributed towards this resignation and so on. When Emaar decides to conduct exit interviews they follow some points: The interview should be conducted by a personnel or a human resources expert. The interview should not be conducted by the employees line manager under any circumstances. The interview is often productive if they are held away from employees workplace. The best time to held exit interview is as soon after the employee resigns as possible. Emaar always treat their employees with good grace and wished them luck and thank them for the work they have done for the organization. (See Appendix 2) Absenteeism It is very vital to measure absenteeism, to identify and trace the patterns of employees attendance. High rate of absenteeism can be a symptom of stress in the work place which can contribute to higher rates of turnover. There are two methods to calculate absenteeism: lost time rate and individual frequency Lost Time Rate = (Number of Working Days Lost/Total Number of Working Days)*100ÂÂ   Individual Frequency = (Number of Absent Employees/Average Number of Employees)*100 Emaar has designed a comprehensive leave policy that is in alignment with the organizations values and objectives. Besides. there is a communication in the workplace, while dealing with sensitive issues such as absenteeism should be transparent and clear. Employees must be aware of the unpleasant effects of unauthorized time off. Moreover, Emaar introduces employee engagement programs to make employees involve and participate actively in the organization welfare. Also, they introduces counseling sessions that could prove beneficial in limiting absenteeism due to stress. Likewise, Emaar always keep their staff motivated by creating a favorable environment for them. There are also another methods to measure the staff satisfaction such as competitor comparison and benchmarking. Methods of improvements Emaar always try to make working more challenging and rewarding for their employees which will make it easier to keep them. In other words they use job enrichment which means they add additions to job tasks that increases the amount of employees and make them more motivated and increases their responsibility. Job enrichment helps employees to have more planning control their jobs and decide the way that they should achieve it. http://www.citehr.com/28657-job-enrichment.html http://www.enotes.com/business-finance-encyclopedia/job-enrichment

Dressed All in Pink Essay

Literary Ballad A literary ballad is a poem written by a specific author. These ballads are not set to music. An example of a literary ballad would be Dudley Randall’s ballad â€Å"Dressed All In Pink† Dressed All In Pink by Dudley Randall It was a wet and cloudy day when the prince took his last ride. The prince rode with the gonernor, and his princess rode beside. â€Å"And would you like to ride inside for shelter from the rain? † â€Å"No I’ll ride outside, where I can wave and speak to my friends again. † They ride among the cheering crowds, he young prince and his mate. The governor says, â€Å"See how they smile and cheer you where they wait. † The prince rides with the governor, his princess rides beside, dressed all in pink as delicate as roses of a bride. Pink as a rose the princess rides, but bullets from a gun turn that pink to as deep a red as red, red blood can run, for she bends to where the prince lies still and cradles his shattered head, and there that pink so delicate is stained a deep, deep red. the princess rides beside, and her dress of pink so delicate deep, deep red is dyed. Jackie Kennedy is the princess -iambic tetrameter -rhyming scheme: abcb -the dress symbolizes the country itself falling from grace -colour imagery of pink as roses and red as blood -princess is described in colour -â€Å"dyed† at the end has a double meaning -dress is said to be as pink as roses but roses are also a deep shade of red, but the dress is not referred to a rose when it is covered in blood -Pink is the colour of innocence and it turni ng red is significant in displaying the loss of innocence

Brokeback Mountain

Although the story of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† has been classified as â€Å"the gay cowboy story†, it contrarily is the tale two young men who strive to come to acceptance of who they are in a society which demands something so different from the taboo nature of this union. Originally written as a short story by Annie Proulx, this story that started off as one of the most real tales of her fictitious stories took up almost 30 pages that covered a relationship that lasted 20 years and was adapted into film with a delicate yet balanced symposium of cinematic screenplay and cinematography.The elements of the story and its adaptation go to reinforce different aspects and beliefs that have been developed and poeticize the relationship of Ennis and Jack paralleling the beauty of the surrounding landscapes and mountain ranges. In the process of adapting this short story to the silver screen, screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana added to Annie Proulx’s story ce rtain details and elements to enhance the development of the plot and characters.The most obvious of these additions that take place for both Ennis and Jack with the expansion of different relationships with some of the minor characters, some of which were not in the original story. Jack’s relationship with his father-in-law was always a tense one. L. D. felt as though Jack was not only completely inadequate for Lureen but also for the greater community.This resentment brewed inside Jack until one Thanksgiving Day where he established his competence and authority by threatening his father-in-law into submission. L. D. fell silent to Jack after he commands â€Å"Sit down, you old son of a bitch†¦ This is my house†¦ or I’ll knock your ignorant ass into next week† (66. ). Jack’s unsteady grasp of who he was and what his role in life as a closet homosexual was further expanded with the introduction of a couple who just moved to Texas.While at some s ocial function, the two husbands, Jack and Randall, were out having a cigarette and Randall suggested to go up fishing at a cabin nearby with some whiskey to just â€Å"get away† (76. ) thus introducing a new relationship and chapter in Jack’s homosexuality that supposedly brought his demise at the end. In comparison, Ennis’ added element in the film was a bit more drawn out and expanded on to further develop his sense of solidarity and relationship he maintained with his daughter Alma Jr. A new character not originally from he short story was introduced as a waitress named Cassie who he develops something of a relationship with for a short period of time. This relationship would develop so much so that time spent with his daughter would be at the same bar Ennis and Cassie met. despite the resentment Junior felt for sharing what little time she had with her father. In the end, his distance in the relationship, caused by his feelings for Jack, drove her away thus being twice â€Å"burned† (16) and further sinking into solidarity.In Proulx’s supplementary essay â€Å"Getting Movied†, she describes herself to be â€Å"something of a geographic determinist, believing that regional landscapes, climate and topography dictate local cultural traditions and kinds of work† (129). Director Ang Lee must use numerous visual elements that enhance Proulx’s belief and portray it to the audience. Producer and screenwriter Larry McMurtry had a vision in mind based off of Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Meixco. This became the foundation for the locations that were to portray Riverton and the other towns and establishments in Wyoming.The vastness of space that filled the background with nature’s beauty of the Big Horn Mountains would contain the foreground of a somewhat desolate ranching society scarcely filled and obviously behind in the times to comment on the simplicity of the culture where most of it s inhabitants lived paycheck to paycheck and ranch to ranch. The cinematography of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† would not only play a crucial part with Proulx being a â€Å"geographic determinist† but also with Larry McMurtry’s classification â€Å"lyrical pastoralism†.In his essay â€Å"Adapting Brokeback Mountain†, McMurtry describes director Ang Lee as â€Å"a reluctant, even an unwilling, pastoralist†¦ [getting] as much of the grit of the towns as he can† (141). Having the foundation set with the Ansel Adams photograph mentioned earlier, this would set the dichotomy between the two lives both Ennis and Jack choose to lead poeticizing their relationship with the majestic mountains and landscapes of the Big Horn Mountains be the symbol and meeting place for their unadulterated love to flourish and the grit of the poverty stricken towns be a symbol of their daily torment of leading a double life.Annie Proulx’s â€Å"Brokeback Moun tain† started as fictitious story inspired by some random lonesome bar patron who was staring at a group cowboys shooting pool and grew to be a Pulitzer Prize finalist entry and an Oscar-winning feature for best director and, most importantly, best screenplay adaptation.From the imagination of the writer to the technical skills of a film crew, â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† became a testament to the times and trials of the American West and its inhabitants who struggle throughout their lives to either sustain their way of life or find who they truly are. With the realistic foundation, drive of the creative team, unique cinematography and superb acting, the story of Ennis and Jack came to life not only as a struggling love story but one of sorrow and joy, suffering and bliss, serenity and violence, simply love and hate.Their tale lasted through the troubling times of the homophobic conservative American West and unfortunately succumbed to intolerance and hatred unfortunately much like the characters’ neighbor in Laramie, Matthew Shepard. Struggling each step of the way throughout this relationship, the main characters would finally come to grips with the hinderance of their relationship and even their own mortality only to say at the end of all things â€Å"if you can’t fix it, you’ve got to stand it† (28). Brokeback Mountain Brokeback Mountain was a much talked about movie due to its theme. Some labelled the movie as a ‘gay cowboy movie’, which does not do the movie justice. Yes, the movie is about two cowboys who fall in love with each other but to categorize it as just a ‘gay cowboy movie’ simplifies a love story of a group of people that have often been denied of real representation in the media, especially the mainstream media. The movie opens in 1963 in Wyoming when two young cowboys are looking for work as sheep herder.The two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), are sent to Brokeback mountain to herd sheep’s and it is there that both fall in love with each other. After this realization, both go their separate ways; Ennis back home to his sweetheart, Alma (Michelle Williams) and Jack to Texas to be a rodeo rider. Four years later, the two are reunited when Jack visits Ennis. At this point both men are married with kids; Ennis to Al ma and Jack to Lureen (Anne Hathaway).The two meet together once a year in Brokeback Mountain, the one place both men feel safe and comfortable to express their love for each other, over a 20-year period. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal masterfully portrayed their characters to a tee. Ennis Del Mar is a very simple and quite man who just wants to find a place for himself in the world while Jack Twist is outgoing, full of dreams which, due to the blatant homophobia of the time and location, cannot come true. Jack’s dream is to live with Ennis in their own ranch, a dream that Ennis knows is unrealistic.Ennis is tormented by his love for Jack because as a child he witnessed what happened to a man who lived in a union others deemed not right while Jack is tormented by Ennis’s refusal to accept and acknowledge their relationship beyond Brokeback Mountain. Some in the mainstream media, which took some people by surprise, positively received Brokeback Mountain. The movie was critically praised and received many awards for the actors and director. Heath Ledger was nominated for the best actor category in a drama, Michelle Williams for best supporting actress in a drama and Ang Lee for director, which he won at the Oscar’s.Since Brokeback Mountain came out, there have been several shows and movies that have gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and transsexual (tblg) characters featured. Ang Lee said it best when he accepted his award for director for Brokeback Mountain â€Å"the power of movies to change the way we’re thinking† (Globes goes to ‘Brokeback’, ‘Walk the lines’; International Herald Tribute, January 17, 2006). Only time will tell if this will led to society being more open-minded of people from the tblg community. A good indication of acceptance is when such movies are classified as a romantic movie instead of a ‘gay cowboy movie’ Brokeback Mountain Although the story of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† has been classified as â€Å"the gay cowboy story†, it contrarily is the tale two young men who strive to come to acceptance of who they are in a society which demands something so different from the taboo nature of this union. Originally written as a short story by Annie Proulx, this story that started off as one of the most real tales of her fictitious stories took up almost 30 pages that covered a relationship that lasted 20 years and was adapted into film with a delicate yet balanced symposium of cinematic screenplay and cinematography.The elements of the story and its adaptation go to reinforce different aspects and beliefs that have been developed and poeticize the relationship of Ennis and Jack paralleling the beauty of the surrounding landscapes and mountain ranges. In the process of adapting this short story to the silver screen, screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana added to Annie Proulx’s story ce rtain details and elements to enhance the development of the plot and characters.The most obvious of these additions that take place for both Ennis and Jack with the expansion of different relationships with some of the minor characters, some of which were not in the original story. Jack’s relationship with his father-in-law was always a tense one. L. D. felt as though Jack was not only completely inadequate for Lureen but also for the greater community.This resentment brewed inside Jack until one Thanksgiving Day where he established his competence and authority by threatening his father-in-law into submission. L. D. fell silent to Jack after he commands â€Å"Sit down, you old son of a bitch†¦ This is my house†¦ or I’ll knock your ignorant ass into next week† (66. ). Jack’s unsteady grasp of who he was and what his role in life as a closet homosexual was further expanded with the introduction of a couple who just moved to Texas.While at some s ocial function, the two husbands, Jack and Randall, were out having a cigarette and Randall suggested to go up fishing at a cabin nearby with some whiskey to just â€Å"get away† (76. ) thus introducing a new relationship and chapter in Jack’s homosexuality that supposedly brought his demise at the end. In comparison, Ennis’ added element in the film was a bit more drawn out and expanded on to further develop his sense of solidarity and relationship he maintained with his daughter Alma Jr. A new character not originally from he short story was introduced as a waitress named Cassie who he develops something of a relationship with for a short period of time. This relationship would develop so much so that time spent with his daughter would be at the same bar Ennis and Cassie met. despite the resentment Junior felt for sharing what little time she had with her father. In the end, his distance in the relationship, caused by his feelings for Jack, drove her away thus being twice â€Å"burned† (16) and further sinking into solidarity.In Proulx’s supplementary essay â€Å"Getting Movied†, she describes herself to be â€Å"something of a geographic determinist, believing that regional landscapes, climate and topography dictate local cultural traditions and kinds of work† (129). Director Ang Lee must use numerous visual elements that enhance Proulx’s belief and portray it to the audience. Producer and screenwriter Larry McMurtry had a vision in mind based off of Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Meixco. This became the foundation for the locations that were to portray Riverton and the other towns and establishments in Wyoming.The vastness of space that filled the background with nature’s beauty of the Big Horn Mountains would contain the foreground of a somewhat desolate ranching society scarcely filled and obviously behind in the times to comment on the simplicity of the culture where most of it s inhabitants lived paycheck to paycheck and ranch to ranch. The cinematography of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† would not only play a crucial part with Proulx being a â€Å"geographic determinist† but also with Larry McMurtry’s classification â€Å"lyrical pastoralism†.In his essay â€Å"Adapting Brokeback Mountain†, McMurtry describes director Ang Lee as â€Å"a reluctant, even an unwilling, pastoralist†¦ [getting] as much of the grit of the towns as he can† (141). Having the foundation set with the Ansel Adams photograph mentioned earlier, this would set the dichotomy between the two lives both Ennis and Jack choose to lead poeticizing their relationship with the majestic mountains and landscapes of the Big Horn Mountains be the symbol and meeting place for their unadulterated love to flourish and the grit of the poverty stricken towns be a symbol of their daily torment of leading a double life.Annie Proulx’s â€Å"Brokeback Moun tain† started as fictitious story inspired by some random lonesome bar patron who was staring at a group cowboys shooting pool and grew to be a Pulitzer Prize finalist entry and an Oscar-winning feature for best director and, most importantly, best screenplay adaptation.From the imagination of the writer to the technical skills of a film crew, â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† became a testament to the times and trials of the American West and its inhabitants who struggle throughout their lives to either sustain their way of life or find who they truly are. With the realistic foundation, drive of the creative team, unique cinematography and superb acting, the story of Ennis and Jack came to life not only as a struggling love story but one of sorrow and joy, suffering and bliss, serenity and violence, simply love and hate.Their tale lasted through the troubling times of the homophobic conservative American West and unfortunately succumbed to intolerance and hatred unfortunately much like the characters’ neighbor in Laramie, Matthew Shepard. Struggling each step of the way throughout this relationship, the main characters would finally come to grips with the hinderance of their relationship and even their own mortality only to say at the end of all things â€Å"if you can’t fix it, you’ve got to stand it† (28). Brokeback Mountain Although the story of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† has been classified as â€Å"the gay cowboy story†, it contrarily is the tale two young men who strive to come to acceptance of who they are in a society which demands something so different from the taboo nature of this union. Originally written as a short story by Annie Proulx, this story that started off as one of the most real tales of her fictitious stories took up almost 30 pages that covered a relationship that lasted 20 years and was adapted into film with a delicate yet balanced symposium of cinematic screenplay and cinematography.The elements of the story and its adaptation go to reinforce different aspects and beliefs that have been developed and poeticize the relationship of Ennis and Jack paralleling the beauty of the surrounding landscapes and mountain ranges. In the process of adapting this short story to the silver screen, screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana added to Annie Proulx’s story ce rtain details and elements to enhance the development of the plot and characters.The most obvious of these additions that take place for both Ennis and Jack with the expansion of different relationships with some of the minor characters, some of which were not in the original story. Jack’s relationship with his father-in-law was always a tense one. L. D. felt as though Jack was not only completely inadequate for Lureen but also for the greater community.This resentment brewed inside Jack until one Thanksgiving Day where he established his competence and authority by threatening his father-in-law into submission. L. D. fell silent to Jack after he commands â€Å"Sit down, you old son of a bitch†¦ This is my house†¦ or I’ll knock your ignorant ass into next week† (66. ). Jack’s unsteady grasp of who he was and what his role in life as a closet homosexual was further expanded with the introduction of a couple who just moved to Texas.While at some s ocial function, the two husbands, Jack and Randall, were out having a cigarette and Randall suggested to go up fishing at a cabin nearby with some whiskey to just â€Å"get away† (76. ) thus introducing a new relationship and chapter in Jack’s homosexuality that supposedly brought his demise at the end. In comparison, Ennis’ added element in the film was a bit more drawn out and expanded on to further develop his sense of solidarity and relationship he maintained with his daughter Alma Jr. A new character not originally from he short story was introduced as a waitress named Cassie who he develops something of a relationship with for a short period of time. This relationship would develop so much so that time spent with his daughter would be at the same bar Ennis and Cassie met. despite the resentment Junior felt for sharing what little time she had with her father. In the end, his distance in the relationship, caused by his feelings for Jack, drove her away thus being twice â€Å"burned† (16) and further sinking into solidarity.In Proulx’s supplementary essay â€Å"Getting Movied†, she describes herself to be â€Å"something of a geographic determinist, believing that regional landscapes, climate and topography dictate local cultural traditions and kinds of work† (129). Director Ang Lee must use numerous visual elements that enhance Proulx’s belief and portray it to the audience. Producer and screenwriter Larry McMurtry had a vision in mind based off of Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Meixco. This became the foundation for the locations that were to portray Riverton and the other towns and establishments in Wyoming.The vastness of space that filled the background with nature’s beauty of the Big Horn Mountains would contain the foreground of a somewhat desolate ranching society scarcely filled and obviously behind in the times to comment on the simplicity of the culture where most of it s inhabitants lived paycheck to paycheck and ranch to ranch. The cinematography of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† would not only play a crucial part with Proulx being a â€Å"geographic determinist† but also with Larry McMurtry’s classification â€Å"lyrical pastoralism†.In his essay â€Å"Adapting Brokeback Mountain†, McMurtry describes director Ang Lee as â€Å"a reluctant, even an unwilling, pastoralist†¦ [getting] as much of the grit of the towns as he can† (141). Having the foundation set with the Ansel Adams photograph mentioned earlier, this would set the dichotomy between the two lives both Ennis and Jack choose to lead poeticizing their relationship with the majestic mountains and landscapes of the Big Horn Mountains be the symbol and meeting place for their unadulterated love to flourish and the grit of the poverty stricken towns be a symbol of their daily torment of leading a double life.Annie Proulx’s â€Å"Brokeback Moun tain† started as fictitious story inspired by some random lonesome bar patron who was staring at a group cowboys shooting pool and grew to be a Pulitzer Prize finalist entry and an Oscar-winning feature for best director and, most importantly, best screenplay adaptation.From the imagination of the writer to the technical skills of a film crew, â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† became a testament to the times and trials of the American West and its inhabitants who struggle throughout their lives to either sustain their way of life or find who they truly are. With the realistic foundation, drive of the creative team, unique cinematography and superb acting, the story of Ennis and Jack came to life not only as a struggling love story but one of sorrow and joy, suffering and bliss, serenity and violence, simply love and hate.Their tale lasted through the troubling times of the homophobic conservative American West and unfortunately succumbed to intolerance and hatred unfortunately much like the characters’ neighbor in Laramie, Matthew Shepard. Struggling each step of the way throughout this relationship, the main characters would finally come to grips with the hinderance of their relationship and even their own mortality only to say at the end of all things â€Å"if you can’t fix it, you’ve got to stand it† (28).

Argumentative Essay On Conspiracy Theory - 815 Words

Throughout history, people have attempted to come up with explanations to make sense of events which could not be comprehend, such explanations are commonly known as conspiracy theories. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the official definition of conspiracy theory is â€Å"a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.† These theories can range from minor events, to large scale terrorist attacks. A few well known theories include, Bill Clinton caused 9/11, the Earth is flat, and a reptilian race is planning to take over the Earth. Conspiracy theories can inflict various amount of damage, but it dependent on the conspiracy theory context. (Mckay). In an†¦show more content†¦These reasons are â€Å"it breeds a lack of curiosity,† â€Å"gives the misleading impression that we don’t have explanations for many phenomena for which we do have explanations†, and †Å"makes one vulnerable to demagogues and highly dubious claims.† As a result of people feeling shout out by others, people can become less curious. When a person is introduced to a conspiracy theory, it has the potential to severely affect the way they view the world, as well as the way their brain processes information. With numerous theories surfacing in the world, and more than 50 percent of Americans believing in at least one conspiracy; it is hard to determine which are real, and which are fiction. As a result of conspiracy theories people stop trusting each other and become less social. An experiment instructed by Sander van der Linden,a Dutch social psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge, show that the belief in conspiracy theories can cause a person to be less pre-social. In his experiment Dr. Linden separated his participants into three groups, the first group watched a video about conspiracy theories of global warming, the second group watched a video about taking action on global warming, and the third group was a control group which did dont watch any video. Studies conducted by Willem Prooijen,a social and organizationalShow MoreRelated My Friend Hamilton -Who I shot Essay6642 Words   |  27 Pagesuse reputable evidence in his citations and bibliography to solidify his suppositions. Similar to the aforementioned psycho-historical studies, Roger G. Kennedy’s Burr, Hamilton, and Jefferson: A Study in Character tended to be somewhat argumentative, reflecting the psycho-analyses of the Schneidmans and Rogow. Kennedy advocated what he called the â€Å"assisted suicide† and â€Å"evil twin argument,† writing that â€Å"Hamilton saw in Burr everything he feared most in himself. When he fired, he wasRead MoreHonour Killing in Pakistan19346 Words   |  78 Pagesputting an end to the abuse of killing women in the name of honour. The first part is mainly theoretical and analytical. In this part a set of concepts is theorized as the notion of patriarchy, public/private division and cultural globalization. These theories test the empirical data of â€Å"honour killing† in the last decade and try to find their role in the society of Pakistan. This study also analyzes the â€Å"honour killing† cases in a different way by telling stories. Second part contributes to the researchRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages91 4 Emotions and Moods 97 What Are Emotions and Moods? 98 The Basic Emotions 100 †¢ The Basic Moods: Positive and Negative Affect 100 †¢ The Function of Emotions 102 †¢ Sources of Emotions and Moods 103 Emotional Labor 108 Affective Events Theory 110 Emotional Intelligence 112 The Case for EI 113 †¢ The Case Against EI 114 †¢ Emotion Regulation 115 OB Applications of Emotions and Moods 115 Selection 116 †¢ Decision Making 116 †¢ Creativity 116 †¢ Motivation 117 †¢ Leadership 117 †¢ Negotiation 117Read MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesâ€Å"do. † In an influential article, Henry Mintzberg (1975) argued that management education had almost nothing to say about what managers actually do from day to day. He further faulted management textbooks for introducing students to the leading theories about management while ignoring what is known about effective management practice. Sympathetic to Mintzberg’s critique, we set out to identify the defining competencies of effective managers. Although no two management positions are exactly the same