Knowledge Management Strategy

Knowledge Management Strategy Free Online Research Papers Abstract: Companies’ management, organization and corporate strategy have changed considerably in recent years. These changes have manifested the transition from the industrial society to an era indicated by the concepts such as knowledge society. Hence, knowledge has become a critical resource of the economy. In order to transform an organization into a learning organization and ensure an effective knowledge management (KM) strategy, a knowledge audit should be conducted, which will provide a current state of knowledge capability of the organization and a direction of where and how to improve that capability in order to be competitive in this fast changing knowledge era. This paper assesses the adoption of the knowledge management concepts, using a systematic knowledge audit approach. A study on the Malaysian company Tekmark will contribute in conceptualizing the importance of KM audit. Meanwhile, serious consideration on the KM drivers, enablers and blockages is needed for an effective KM strategy. This paper extended the recommendation on the KM strategy in the organizations. 1. Introduction Many organizations are recognizing that to sustain in complex and dynamic environment, they should be efficient in managing knowledge. As far as knowledge society is concern, organizations nowadays engage in knowledge management in order to leverage knowledge both internally and externally to their stakeholders (Rubenstein-Montano et al., 2001). These stakeholders are not only the employees but also include the shareholders and customers. Organisational theorists such as Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) also highlighted the necessity to view knowledge as embedded in, and constructed from and through social relationships and interactions in a community or network of people. As a result of these exposure and perceived value-creating processes, there has been a popular development of the notion of knowledge management as a key to competitive advantage. Knowledge Management (KM) can be defined as the collection of processes that govern the creation, dissemination and leveraging of knowledge to achieve organizational objectives (Lee Yang, 2000). It includes the strategies and processes for identifying, capturing, sharing, and leveraging the knowledge required to sustain and compete effectively in the business environment (Gautschi, 1999). However, a majority of managers are facing several challenges in understanding the practical characteristic of knowledge management (Davenport et al., 1998). Christensen (2000) pointed out that KM might be considered a rational instrument implemented into the company and which has been institutionalized as a rational myth. Leveraging on organizational knowledge and learning to create new knowledge have become the critical strategic issue for organizations that capitalize on innovation. However, many KM programs failed because the organizations are lack of understanding of their knowledge needs (Guptara, 2000). A KM audit will provides sound investigation into an organization’s core information and knowledge needs and uses in an organization (Dalkir, 2005). The audit should also include an examination of organization’s strategy, leadership, collaborative, learning culture and technology infrastructure in its various knowledge processes. Hence, a knowledge audit should be conducted, which will provide a current state of knowledge capability of the organization and a direction of where and how to improve that capability in order to be competitive in this fast changing knowledge era. The aims of this paper are to assess the adoption of the knowledge management concepts, using a systematic knowledge audit approach. Firstly, a study on the Malaysian company Tekmark Sendirian (Sdn.) Berhad (Bhd.) will contribute in conceptualizing the importance of KM audit. The objectives are to study and develop a deeper understanding of organization existing knowledge communities and content. Second section explained the rational of the research process used. Subsequently, serious consideration on the KM drivers, enablers and blockages is needed for an effective KM strategy. This paper extended the recommendation on the KM strategy in the organizations and proposed the knowledge metric for effective KM. 2. Company Background Tekmark Sdn. Bhd. was formed as a trading company in Malaysia on the 22nd February 1994. Tekmark specializes in the test and measurement business. It provides measurement solution to the telecommunications, broadcast and semiconductor industries nationwide. Tekmark also provides comprehensive services such as pre-sale consultancy, full commissioning, testing, training and after-sales support. With the head office located in Kuala Lumpur, Tekmark has operations in Penang, Johor and Sarawak Internationally, Tekmark has been expanding to: Australia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. TekMark vision is to be a reputable global company in measurement business and its mission carries the tagline of â€Å"total customer satisfaction†. Tekmark are dedicated to increase and enhance its competitiveness by delivering excellent quality products and excellent services. Meanwhile, Tekmark is to strive for continuous improvement and differentiating itself with continuous value innovation in ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. The test and measurement business segment provides standard test and customized solutions that were used in the design, development, manufacture, installation, deployment and operation of electronic equipment, systems and communications networks and services. These solutions included test and measurement instruments and systems, automated test equipment; communications network monitoring, management and optimization tools, software design tools and associated services. Tekmark existing major clients are Panasonic, Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM), TM, and Astro. Few of the main suppliers are Tektronix and PCTEL, Inc., both from United States of America (USA), and Topward from Taiwan. As a global player, Tekmark’s business environment has also been transformed by contemporary shifts in the global economy. With the intensifying of competition and market becoming more uncertain and complex, Tekmark has attempted to evolve their business structure through the use of KM. 3. Research Process The research utilized an exploratory methodology, which is well suited to assess Tekmark current state of KM activities. Exploratory research is characterized by flexibility and versatility, with respect to the methods, because formal research protocols and procedures are not employed (Malhotra, 1999). Casual interviews were conducted with Group Managing Director, Mr. Ralph Khor, and staffs from different regional offices. Interviews with Mr. Ralph Khor are extremely important in order to understand the commitment of KM at top management level. Staffs and researcher have undergone a series of analytic and feedback loops prior to the interviews. Despite of internal staffs, the research also utilized the interviews with industry experts (Winett, 1995). This includes interview with individual knowledgeable about the KM practices in Malaysia. Chief Information Officer of Senstech Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., En. Shamsul Azmal was invited for the interview . The purpose of interviewing expert is to assist in assessing key KM activities. Therefore, expert information is obtained by unstructured personal interview, without administering a formal questionnaire. 4. Findings The KM audit of Tekmark was conducted basing on the Wiig KM Cycle (Wiig, 1998). Factors concerning the use of knowledge, such as the blockages, enablers and drivers for KM initiatives were analyzed . 4.1 Tekmark KM Initiatives Drivers Tekmark considers knowledge, especially KM, to be a core capability for achieving competitive. Tekmark have spent more than 0.5 million Ringgit Malaysia (RM) on Information Technology (IT) to facilitate the KM system. Knowledge and intelligence that is drawn from the experiences of particular client projects, is one of the most crucial forms of knowledge for the company. Whereas previously this kind of knowledge may simply have been collected and added to a relatively static database, Tekmark now concentrates on more highly skilled and operationally experienced KM professionals interpreting, assessing and classifying this kind of knowledge. During the early days, KM had been sponsored and managed by service lines or geographic regions that resulted in a somewhat segregated approach (Smith, 1998). This meant that project teams might be contacted by a number of different KM groups from different regions, often seeking similar or related information. After a number of years of growth, the company soon realized that it had a large but relatively unwieldy set of databases and the next phase involved a long process of editing, refining and reclassifying the knowledge onto the knowledge exchange, such as the Tekmark E-Portal. The E-Portal is the heart of Tekmark KM program, covering more than 5,000 individual databases that are subdivided into various topics. The objective of the E-Portal was to help managers reduce planning time, minimize risk, and improve the quality of the client deliverable products. Harnessing and adding value to knowledge is one of the key areas where Tekmark’s KM initiative has attempted to develop new capabilities. According to the managers surveyed from Tekmark, the key to understanding the contemporary role of knowledge in businesses is to understand that it is relevant information that can be used to quickly act upon, in contrast to the more traditional methods of handling business information as a guarded secret that is stored and protected by regional system administrators. This also implies that the key KM is the rapid accessibility and timely availability of knowledge. The current KM model relies on everybody within the company, especially key project management individuals and corporate support manager, being prepared to make time to discuss their findings, experiences and insights and commit to contributing to knowledge databases. In order for this to work successfully, Tekmark needed to create a ‘knowledge sharing culture’ within the organization. In order to achieve a more developed utilization of knowledge, Tekmark continues to spend over RM 250,000 on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) while employing experience professionals who increasingly come from a consulting and industry background. Tekmark has been able to use fewer staff in these roles partly because technological improvements have meant that there is less need for manual intervention. Nevertheless, it was conceded that staffing this analytical KM function with experienced and relatively senior staff represented a major resource commitment by the company to KM. 4.2 Tekmark KM Blockages Despite Tekmark’s significant efforts and vast resources, the company was unable to effectively harness and transfer knowledge across its global business units. From the KM audit, it can be concur that the heart of the organization’s problem had little to do with the technology being used or the professionals involved, but rather can be traced to a few very critical elements that appeared to have been overlooked in the company’s global KM strategy. The company’s â€Å"one global firm† vision did not adequately address the cultural and motivational complexities associated with KM in a global context and failed to create the ‘knowledge sharing culture’ that would gave insured global participation required for this initiative to be completely successful. The exploratory research identified that the major shortcomings in Tekmark’s global KM practices can be broken down into three areas: Lack of appreciation for regional knowledge; Inadequate support for challenges at the local office; Insufficient allowances for local control. The most critical shortcoming in Tekmark’s managing of intellectual capital and knowledge is that the regional subsidiaries were never successfully integrated into the KM application, thus not becoming a part of the larger whole. One of the managers in Malaysia expressed this view when he wrote â€Å"knowledge management is a symbol of being one global firm†¦If Tekmark is one global firm, it would be represented in how we share knowledge across offices and regions†¦Otherwise, we are not a global company†. Tekmark had failed to effectively transcend global boundaries and created a unilateral flow of information from Australia and Singapore into Malaysia and Thailand. Malaysian managers frequently used the E-Portal but were hesitant to post submission and those that did never receive any feedback that their knowledge information was being utilized. Organizational culture plays a critical role in creating a learning atmosphere, which eventually proves to be highly instrumental in creating and disseminating knowledge (Senge, 1990). Tekmark’s global culture appeared to represent an assumption that all good management knowledge is generated only in certain countries, thus effectively alienating the company’s Malaysian counterparts. The Malaysian offices and subsequently Malaysian personnel operating in the region felt isolated due to a limited interaction with the company’s headquarter in Kuala Lumpur. The company did not monitor employee’s perceptions of equity and make sure that the employees believed that fairness was being delivered by the management on a global level. While the exact means employees may have intentionally used to restore equity may be difficult to determine, assuredly almost all are harmful to organization. Tekmark failed to establish effective cross global communication and faced cultural challenges at various local offices that were not adequately addressed. For example, in Singapore submissions to the E-Portal were frowned upon by employees as some sort of self-promotion and went against their concept of a team effort. While in Thailand many engineers felt knowledge sharing did not serve to benefit them personally and wondered why Australians contributed so openly. â€Å"Perhaps engineers in the Australia are more interested in contributing†¦others are in general not so interested in doing something that does not have a direct benefit for themselves†. Another blockage that hindered effective cross global communication was the language barrier because all submissions by the engineers into the E-Portal had to be translated into English, the official language of the company. Although most Asian engineers could converse in English, they were not proficient at translating lengthy documents nor did they have sufficient time during or between projects to submit the standardized forms. When the company urged an Asian colleague to submit a KM report on a project, a common response was, â€Å"Sorry, but my English is not very good†. The lack of available translational resources, to include sufficient time, made available to the Asian subsidiaries greatly hampered their contribution into the E-Portal. Tekmark’s focus on using technology to provide opportunities for person-to-person knowledge transfer relies heavily on open dialogue between all employees. Despite corporate-wide communication that required post-project contribution of all projects, there was some ambiguity among East Malaysia and Thailand employees and staff member over which projects required mandatory KM contribution. Without clear guidance within various regional offices, cooperate KM purpose was never made clear, allowing for a breakdown in responsibilities and regional disagreements in how the organization would function in regards to use and input of the company’s KM program. 5. Recommendation on KM Strategy Tacit and explicit knowledge is a vital item in any company (Kidwell, Karen, Linde Johnson 2000), and more in the companies like Tekmark; they should not rely just in the capacity and ability of their people to spread knowledge within the organization. Tekmark should focus primarily on both the codification and personalization of KM strategies (Hansen et al., 1999). Tekmark needs to implement strategies, processes and systems to keep that knowledge in the organization, ready to be distributed to all the members of the company. The SECI process given by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) depicts four modes of knowledge conversion with the underlying understanding that Tekmark could creates knowledge through the interactions between explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge . 5.1 Processes The increasingly competitive environment and the imperative of many of the company’s clients and employees to be able to adapt and capitalize on ideas and innovations quickly, has made efficient and effective KM central to Tekmark continuing success as a knowledge organization. However, in the pursuit to create a â€Å"one global firm,† Tekmark must recognize the need to decentralize control as the KM program expands globally and by allowing for a natural development of workplace diversity. This would allow local managers leeway to address regional differences, such as motivational behavior and language, and build programs that provide incentives based on the cultural differences, thus adequately meeting the varying employee’s needs. 5.2 People The performance appraisal criteria for management should include ‘developing others’ and ‘knowledge contribution’ as key measures. These criteria’s can also used when assessing promotion candidates. For example, a Manager seeking promotion would have to demonstrate his or her own knowledge sharing behaviors as well as illustrating how he or she had encouraged or enabled others to develop knowledge sharing skills. Under these circumstances then, managers have a vested interest in contributing to knowledge sharing. Evidently this ensures significant support for the KM processes, knowledge sharing and associated training and development activities. Operational knowledge transfer between subsidiaries in international and intra-firm network is crucial (Ferdows, 1999). Tekmark should embark on the contingency relationship between the rate of change of operational knowledge, the extent to which it is codifiable, and the roles of facilities within Tekmark intra-firm network. 5.3 Culture In order for KM to successfully work, Tekmark has to develop a knowledge sharing culture within their organization. Davenport et al. (1998) hypothesized that one of the most important factors influencing KM were culture. The organizations that will truly excel in the future will be the organizations that discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels in an organization (Senge, 1990). One of the ways in which the company can build and reinforce this culture is to create a capability development plan. Capability development would include identifying the skills required in KM, what training is needed, how the knowledge base and expertise of staff should be built, how to provide feedback to employee’s that submit, and which subject matter experts can be brought in to advise on methods and tools to meet these goals. According to one Tekmark Australian engineer: â€Å"It is human nature to want to share what we know with those around us, howev er, it is important that the knowledge be applied with context and understanding†. 5.4 Technology The need to share information must be expanded throughout the company with full global participation in knowledge based vision. One way of encouraging participation would be through the advent of a positive feedback mechanism to track how submitted knowledge is being used by members within the organization, thus allowing submitters to observe how their knowledge input is being utilized. Staffs can embark on the existing E-Portal as the centralized KM system. By citing and promoting work from all regions with the organization, Tekmark will help influence a wider participation from engineers throughout the company. â€Å"If organizations are to be viewed from a holistic perspective, all their parts have to be considered as part of a system, rather than separate entities and factions† (Smith, 1998). In order to successfully implement these KM strategy, Tekmark should embark on a holistic framework such as the KM gap (Lin et al., 2005) to fully illustrate the management gaps that might occur during the implementation of KM activities. The KM gap would analyze the corporate knowledge needs, evaluate the implementation activities of KM and identify any inhibitors to success. 6. KM Metric Tekmark should embark on a clear action for where and how knowledge will be employed to generate business value. What is needed is a KM strategy and execution review that will reenergize the knowledge sharing process and use the right balanced scorecard metric. A balanced scorecard is generally used to clarify and update the business strategy, link the objectives of the organization to the annual budgets, allow organizational change, and increase the understanding of the company vision and mission statements across the organization. It is a methodology that translates the objectives of the organizations into measures, goals and initiatives in four different perspectives, namely financial, customer, internal business process and learning and growth (Kaplan and Norton, 1996). A balanced scorecard can be used to translate an organizations mission and vision statements into a broad set of objectives and performance measures that can be quantified and appraised, and measures whether management is achieving desired results. The model can contribute to the dynamic alignment issue. The scorecard can also aid the effective deployment of KM strategy and aligned performance measures through teams at lower levels developing scorecards consistent with the strategic scorecard. Thus, consistency of deployment, identified by Neely et al. (1994) as a key issue in alignment, can be preserved. 7. Conclusion As companies continue to transition from managing data to managing knowledge, it is important to keep abreast of the level of implementation. This study sought to discover what level of knowledge growth a selection of typical Tekmark managers believe their organization has and can attain. Many managers were very positive in their responses about the status and probably future of improving organizational knowledge processes that in turn will impact company performance. If the results of this study are a true indicator of understanding about the importance of knowledge management today, then there is hope that companies will continue to leverage their true assets. Knowledge is indeed power, and companies are now leveraging the power of what they know. It is no longer just the physical assets, financial accounts, and other traditional assets that organizations depend on. The knowledge in the minds of employees, knowledge system, and organizational culture are the most valuable assets. F uture studies should track the level of knowledge growth over time, to better measure the true level of KM awareness and usage. Therefore, this study is hopefully only a first step in an ongoing evaluation of the stages of knowledge growth in organizations today. 8. REFERENCES Christensen, K.S., Bang, H.K., (2003). â€Å"Knowledge management in a project-oriented organization: three perspectives†. Journal of Knowledge Management, 7 (3), pp. 116-128. Coleman, D. (1999), ‘‘Groupware: collaboration and knowledge sharing’’, in Liebowitz, J. (Ed.), Knowledge Management Handbook, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Dalkir, K. (2005), â€Å"Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice†. United States of America, Elsevier Butterwirth-Heinemann Davenport, T.H., De Long, D.W. and Beers, M.C. (1998), ‘‘Successful knowledge management projects’’, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 39 No. 2, pp. 43-57. Davenport, T.H. and Prusak. L. (1998), â€Å"Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know†, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA. Ferdows, K. (1999), ‘‘Generating and sharing knowledge in global operations networks’’, Keynote address to VI EurOMA Conference, Venice, June. Guptara, P. (2000), â€Å"Why Knowledge Management Fails: How to Avoid the Common Pitfalls†, Knowledge Management Review, Issue 9, July/August; p. 26-29 Hansen, M.T., Nohria, N. and Tierney, T. (1999) â€Å"What’s your strategy for managing knowledge?† Harvard Business Review, Vol. 77, No. 2, pp.106–116. Lee, C. C. and Yang, J., (2000). â€Å"Knowledge Value Chain†. The Journal of Management Development, 19 (9), pp. 783-794. Malhotra, N.K, (1999), â€Å"Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation†, 2nd Ed., Prentice-Hall International, London Neely, A., Mills, J., Platts, K., Gregory, M., Richards, H. (1994), Realising strategy through measurement, International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 14 No.3, pp.140-52. Kaplan, R.S and Norton, D.P (1996) â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action (Hardcover†). United States of America, President and Fellows of Harvard College Kidwell, J, J, Karen, M, Linde, V Johnson, S, L 2000, Applying Corporate Knowledge Management Practices in Higher education, Educause Quarterly, no. 4. Nonaka, I. and Takeuchi, H. (1995) â€Å"The Knowledge Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation†. Oxford University Press, New York. Senge, P.M. (1990). â€Å"The Fifth Discipline – The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation†. (pp. 83, 91-95). Random House Business Books, London. Smith, P.A.C. (1998), â€Å"Systemic Knowledge management: Managing Organisational Assets for Competitive Advantage†. Journal of Knowledge Management Practice 4, pp. 13-19. Wiig, K. (1998), The role of knowledge-based systems in knowledge management, Workshop on Knowledge Management and AI, Washington, DC. Tekmark Sdn. Bhd. (2006). Annual Report. Tekmark Sdn. Bhd. (2006). Tekmark: Business Plan 2007. Research Papers on Knowledge Management StrategyThe Project Managment Office SystemMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaStandardized TestingRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

Intervie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intervie - Essay Example The main misconception about the Arabic culture is concerned with the Arabic women, and I sought to understand their behaviors both in their homes and in public life. From the interview, I understood that the ideas that I had about Arabic women are mostly wrong, for example, the idea that all Arabic women are always veiled, or that all women are oppressed by their male counterparts are false, in fact, the women are accorded all they respect that they deserve. My interview with Amina revealed that not all Arabic women have to wear veils, for example, in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, the habit of wearing veils is not imposed on the women, on the contrary, it is a choice that is taken out of respect for the culture. However, in some countries, it is a law that all women are supposed to cover their hair and faces from the prying eyes of men. This is done so that the woman remains mysterious and has no chance of infidelity. The Arabic woman is also surprisingly industrious, contrary from the misconception that they are always lazy and uneducated. From my interview, I learnt that the average Arabic woman would always take care of her family, ensuring that the family is well fed and taken care of. I understood this after asking Amina whether all women are stay-at-home moms who wait for their husbands to provide for their families. Amina informed me that, even though some women are in big families, where the husband has up to four wives, all women strive to ensure that their families are well taken care of. The average woman will always be found in the market place looking for fresh food products for their families, and in the case of peasants, they look for food for their children in the best ways possible. The women will usually spend their days chatting with their neighbors, cleaning up, looking for food, and ensuring that their children get the education that they deserve. However, Amina also

Discussion Summary-Assignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Summary- - Assignment Example Fellow classmates have provided a raft of examples and the corresponding lists of examples supporting each of the four proximity levels. Bishop Pearce provided the example of the Waterbrooke Assisted facility, located in Elizabeth City, NC. The facility provides personalized care including three meals and snacks a day, physician and psychiatric services. On environmental proximity, he identified each of the four levels drawing the work by (Sigh, 2010) to be the foundation on which he drew the four levels on proximity. The work drew a number of replies, most notably Kathleen, who wanted to know if the facility were next to hospital, would it have been a source of hindrance or help. Yvette De Leon, on the other hand cited the Arbors of Port Warwick Facility that is in Newport News, VA. The hospital provides 24 hours services to the residents, though only a meal day is provided. Just like the first contributor, Yvette cited (Singh, 2010), when updating the four Environmental Proximity Model. Kathleen Almeda, on the other hand, gave Dominion Village at Williamsburg that is owned by Five Star Senior Living. Â  Dominion Village offers assisted living, memory care, outpatient rehab services, and respite/short-term stays. Felisa Artis provided the example of the Consulate Health Care as the facility of choice, which specializes in post-acute care, operating 200 centers in 21 states. However, her focus is the one that is at Norfolk, VA. She explicitly provides the examples to match the four levels of proximity and a discussion ensues between the classmates and her. Jennifer Supples provides an example of a facility located 15 minutes from his place of residence, Willows at Meadow Branch which is part of the Consulate facilities. However, he does provide examples on the environmental proximity models. The level of services provided in the facilities were also different, for example, Paola Williams mentioned that Hopkins center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare,

Revelation Essay Essay Example for Free

Revelation Essay Essay The opening lines of the poem initiate the main themes; â€Å"Black bull† introduces one of the themes which are gender stereotyping. This suggests the bull is powerful, strong and very angry. Females are then introduced in the poem, â€Å"eggs and milk†. This suggests females are pale, delicate and easily broken. The poet highlights the theme of stereotypes by placing â€Å"black bull† above â€Å"eggs and milk†. This is to effectively state that the black bull is on top of eggs and milk which emphasises on the importance of gender stereotyping. The second theme is introduced which is innocence and experience, â€Å"They call him Bob – as though perhaps you could reduce a monster with the charm of a friendly name†. Tone her is cynical. The bull has been given a cheery, friendly name which is a irrelevant name for the harsh animal. The key words of the quote are â€Å"monster† and â€Å"friendly†. This is a very striking contrast between the idea of the name Bob being friendly, cheery and approachable, but in actual fact behind the cheery name lays a monster. The quote, â€Å"at the threshold of his outhouse†, is the turning point in the story. Look more:  first poem for you essay This is a symbolic quote that states you must go over a line before starting a new life. In the poem a young girl is standing in the area between safety and danger. The line is significant as the pause creates a series of tension building up to a sense of danger. The girl’s initial perceptions of the creature are conveyed in, â€Å"At first only black, and the hot reek of him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The girl’s sensory impressions of the bull are that the word â€Å"black† represents danger. The words â€Å"hot reek† represents the smell and stench of the bull. Her over all sensory impression is the smell of the bulls pungent aroma that is its natural smell and the limited sight gives her a sense of the unknown danger. The poet continues to reference the main theme of gender stereotyping by developing it, â€Å"We was immense†, This quote highlights masculinity and power. It shows that males are bigger, more powerful and the dominate gender. The theme of innocence and experience is also developed, and the bull and the girl are compared to each other. The girl is full of fear and innocence. She is extremely intimidated by the bulls presence. The poet powerfully, reinforces the contrasting thematic dichotomies suggested in verse one. In the first instance this is done by including details in verse two which contract with details from the first verse. The poet has reinforced the theme of innocence and experience as he shows that the bull knows he is restrained. Also reinforces the theme of gender stereotyping – girl and boy. This is done as it is dark and the girl cannot see what the bull is doing, whilst the girl is unaware of this, the bull is trying to break free from where he is chained up too. The poet condenses the contrast by highlighting them in a few lines of verse two. â€Å" I had always half known he existed† Here, the poet points out that the girl had always knew the bull was there, just she had never seen the bull and didn’t want to come to terms with the reality. Verse three is effective as it shows that the girl is fearful of her encounter with the bull. The girl is terrified by the bulls presence and runs away from the farm. She runs past a group of boys. Here the writer links the bull and the boys together by the use of harsh sound effects. It is important that this link is made as it makes a direct comparison between the bulls aggression and the boys cruelty. It highlights that they both share the same characteristics. Finally, the girls attention is redirected to the parlous state of the eggs and milk, due to the flight, â€Å"scared of the eggs shattering† While she’s too busy protecting the eggs it shows the reader that females are protective towards anything precious. In the girls eyes the eggs and milk are precious, and she wants to protect them from any harm. â€Å"in case the milk should spill† The precarious position of the milk is highlighted in the small hands of a weak girl, who has been charged with the responsibility of looking after the eggs and milk. She is protecting what is important to her. The poet seems to be suggesting that her experience shows that females are scared of males and have to protect themselves from any harm. Females protect all forms of life, they are caring and sensible creatures.

Essay on Gertrude and Ophelia’s Death in Shakespeares Hamlet

Gertrude and Ophelia’s Death in Hamlet  Ã‚   The Queen gives a remarkably detailed account of Ophelia’s death leaving one to believe that she may have witnessed the event. We know that she emphasized with Ophelia’s suffering to such an extent that perhaps she realized that the kindest action to take would be to let Ophelia decide her own fate, although she clearly was not in a fit state of mind to do this and was barely aware of her surroundings â€Å"incapable of her own distress.† Ophelia’s death is â€Å"beautified† as she dies in a romantic and beautiful scene befitting her character where she was surrounded by her garland of flowers. (Ophelia herself was â€Å"beautified† in a letter from Hamlet which Polonius found to be a â€Å"vile phrase.†) There is much detail, leading me to believe that Gertrude is trying to soften the blow for Laertes who is already enraged over his father’s death and his sister’s madness; the King says, â€Å"How much I had to do to cl am his rage.† This is a typically selfish reaction of Claudius which serves to emphasize the need for Laertes to control his grief, as he is an extremely fiery character. Ophelia died after collecting flowers from over a brook. I think that she was collecting them to distribute to the court, as she did after her father’s death. Flowers are a symbol of innocence, pure and easily destroyed. The tree she was crawling along whilst collecting these garlands was a willow, which is usually associated with weeping and grief, something we have assigned to the â€Å"watery† (perhaps with tears) character of Ophelia. The branches of a willow hang down towards the ground in a downcast fashion, indicating grief. The personification even extends to her garments that were â€Å"too heavy with heir drink.† The ... ...h his actions do not reflect this thought now, he had previously written her a note saying, â€Å"But that I love thee best, O most best, believe it.† Apart from the ambiguity surrounding her death and her love for Hamlet, Ophelia is described by all as an innocent child, grappling with situations her youth is unprepared for. Even if she had consummated her love for Hamlet, I can still picture Ophelia as a vulnerable and innocent child who has to cope with situations beyond her control in a world where the role of the female is passive. It is this helplessness which Gertrude wants to look after as she â€Å"hoped thou should’st have been my Hamlet’s wife† and her madness which Gertrude wants to save her form by allowing Ophelia to make the decision over life and death. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. 1600? Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Signet Classic, 1998

The Directive for the American Dream

Robert Frost is one of the most popular poets in America. He was known as the favorite poet of the country’s citizens (Hollander). In â€Å"Directive†, one of his popular works, Frost became controversial as the interpretation of the poem actually suggested that in order to find one’s self; one has to get lost first. This may be true as there is no necessity to find something which is not lost. However, by claiming this in his poem, it has been said that Frost has presented to his audience the modern version of the American dream. The American DreamThe concept, American Dream, began from the writer James Truslow Adams. He used it in his book, â€Å"Epic of America†, which was published in 1931. The concept referred to that dream or vision of a land in which life is better, richer, and fuller for all people. The opportunities in this land are according to each person’s ability and accomplishments. It is not merely a dream of people to have high-end p roperties and earn high salaries; instead it is a vision of a social order in which all men and women may be able to achieve the fullest stature that their innate capability may bring them.This is regardless of concepts that are relative to fate or destiny, like circumstances of birth or position (â€Å"What is the American Dream†). During the 30’s, the century in which this work was published, the American dream actually started to become vague. Although there were people who believed strongly in the American dream, there were also those who slowly lost faith. America was then under the great depression and its economy was at a very low status; thus, the vision of the American dream seemed rather obscure (Sutton). However, as the time passed, the cloudiness of the vision started to clear up.America slowly got to its feet again and the dreamers, who woke up during the great depression, began to dream again. Today the dream is still on-going and the dreamers have now gr own to multitudes. From Americans who believed their founding fathers, the dream has already spread to other countries (Sutton). Foreigners who continued to enter America were said to have been armed with their American dream. They come into the country, with the desire to earn for themselves and their families and to achieve greater. This is then current generation’s view of the American dream (Bohan).This may be what Frost was referring to in his poem. It may be remembered that the poem, â€Å"Directive† was about a speaker telling someone that he can accompany him around, direct him somewhere. But there is a huge probability that he may only take the person to the wrong destination as indicated by this line, â€Å"if you'll let a guide direct you/ Who only has at heart your getting lost† (Frost). This may point that Frost was trying to tell his audience that in order for a person to find his true destination, he must first get lost.In the earlier part of the poem the speaker described the places that the person he will be accompanying may go through. It is an old town, where everything is dilapidated and destroyed. The roads were once walked on yet no longer visited and patronized. It is a place that people has deserted (Frost). This may be comparable to the fact that when foreign migrants start to envision something great for themselves and decides to transfer to America, he leaves behind the home he once knew. The deserted place may refer to the life the migrants once had. It was tattered, of not the best quality, and very poor.Now the journey that the poem is referring to may be the travel in order to achieve the American dream. This may refer to the part of the migrant’s life where he enacts the dream and tries to fulfill it. In the poem, this is the line that says, ‘Make yourself up a/cheering song of how /Someone's road home from work this once was, /Who may be just ahead of you on foot† (Frost). It indicates th at many have done the same things and many have dreamed the same dream and have embarked on the journey. They left their home, their old lives, and even their identities.The way that the migrants left their identities behind is the notion of ‘lost’ that was being referred to by Frost in his work. Paralleling this to the American dream, it should be noted that foreign people enter the country to work and the citizens have the tendency to discriminate. These immigrants are not only viewed unequally by the citizens; they are also treated unequally by those who employ them. One common instance is the case of the Mexican laborers who are paid with lower wages but given bigger and more difficult jobs than American laborers.People seem to have this notion that when the work is done by Mexicans, it can be as good and efficient but not as costly. This notion is directly related to their racial affiliations (La Botz). The fact that when they are seen this way denotes that they ha ve already lost their dignity and themselves. There seems to be no hope if this kind of situation is examined, however, as the poem indicates, â€Å"And if you're lost enough to find yourself/ By now, pull in your ladder road behind you/ And put a sign up CLOSED to all but me./Then make yourself at home† (Frost), the drawback is not without a price. After being lost, the person finally finds his destination. Relative to the immigrant workers, the destination is the fulfillment of their American dream. Given this, it may then be concluded that using various symbolic words such as destinations, lost, and home in the poem â€Å"Directive†, Robert Frost was able to present to the public his idea on modern American Dream. He was able to expose to his readers that the modern American dream involves getting lost and finding one’s self again as narrated in his poem.He was also able to pinpoint that this generation’s American dream is no longer limited to the citi zens of the country but also to foreigners who are willing to get lost in order to find themselves finally. Works Cited Bohan, RT. 2008. â€Å"Immigrants and the American Dream†. Liberty in America. 30 April 2009 . Frost, Robert. 2009. â€Å"Directive†. Poets. org. 30 April 2009 < http://www. poets. org/viewmedia. php/prmMID/20521 >. Hollander, John. 2009. â€Å"A Close Look at Robert Frost†.Poets. org. 30 April 2009 < http://www. poets. org/viewmedia. php/prmMID/15894 >. La Botz, Dan. 1992. â€Å"Labor in Mexico†. multinationalmonitor. org. 30 April 2009 < http://multinationalmonitor. org/hyper/issues/1992/11/mm1192_13. html >. Sutton, Bettye. 2008. â€Å"American Cultural History†. Lonestar College Kingwood. 30 April 2009 < http://kclibrary. lonestar. edu/decade30. html >. â€Å"What is the American Dream. † 2002 The Library of Congress. 30 April 2009 < http://lcweb2. loc. gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream. html >.

The Communist Manifesto And The Revolution - 1384 Words

Part B #2: The Communist Manifesto and the Revolution A revolution generally thought of as a change from the norm. According to Christopher Hill the definition of a revolution is â€Å"a complete over throw of the established government in any country or state by those who have been previously subjected to it†. Another way to think about a revolution is as an uprising caused by a group of individuals towards another group due to unfair conditions or treatment. The Communism Manifesto, written by Karl Marx, was a document written for the general public that described communism and promoted the oppressed individuals to change societal social class. I will argue that the Communism Manifesto was a document that was meant to start a revolution. In society the oppressors, the bourgeoisie, had complete control over the government, working condition, as well as the lives of the oppressed middle and lower class, the proletariats. If the proletariats wanted to see a change in the inequality caused by the class system and regain power then it is the essential that the proletariats overthrow the existing power. According to the Manifesto â€Å"the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle, in other words class conflict has occurred throughout history, and will continue to occur. A revolution will lead history towards its final destination. The proletariats are the group of people, according to the Communist Manifesto, that will eventually over throw theShow MoreRelated The Revolution of 1848 and Karl Marxs The Communist Manifesto1430 Words   |  6 PagesThe Revolution of 1848 and Karl Marxs The Communist Manifesto There were two major things that happened in Europe in 1848. One of those things was the Revolution of 1848. The other was the publication of the Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx. The Revolution of 1848, and the Communist Manifesto tie into each other very well. 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