Thursday, January 30, 2020

An Education Film Essay Essay Example for Free

An Education Film Essay Essay Analyse how conflict (either internal or external) was used in a film you have studied to help us better understand a main character. â€Å"Often, it’s not about becoming a new person, but becoming the person you were meant to be, and already are, but don’t know how to be.† An Education directed by Lone Scherfig is a film about coming of age and discovering whom we are. The film is set in the early 1960’s a time ruled by moral code and strong feminist rules. Jenny is the main character who is 16 and aspiring to read English at Oxford. She soon meets playboy David, who seduces her and they fall in love. This relationship lets Jenny see into a whole new world of thrilling and current things. This creates a big internal conflict for Jenny who now must decide what she wants to do with her life. She has three pathways she can choose from, and the characters of Helen, Mrs. Stubbs and Jenny’s mother Marjorie model all of these paths. She must decide if she wants to live an exciting life but is filled with fraud and larceny. She can also living a boring life of teacher marking ‘pony essays’ but also one that has had the purpose of an education and is fulfilling in numerous ways. Jenny can also become a housewife though like her mother Marjorie, this is the most common paths for women in the 1960’s and is a tedious and unfulfilling lifestyle. Jenny is internally conflicted between all three of these paths, because whic hever one she picks will determine the rest of her life. Very early on in the film we are introduced to the character of Helen, she is an affluent person and lives an abundant life style of which many people in the 1960’s would be jealous. She has the privilege of lavish clothes, attending fabulous concerts, going to art auctions, eating in Michelin star restaurants and traveling the world. This is the life Jenny wants to live. Jenny is able to access this life style through David; he opens her up to all sorts of new possibilities. When we first meet Helen at the concert in Saint James Square we can tell the Jenny is in awe of Helen. Jenny strokes Helens velvety fur cape, admiring the fine piece of clothing. Jenny asks Helen â€Å"it is beautiful, where did it come from?† Helen being very wealthy probably has many coats and beautiful clothes like this and so simply replies â€Å"oh South Ken somewhere.† The area Helen is talking about is South Kensington and is one of the wealthiest areas of London. This is the kind of area that Jenny wouldn’t have been able to afford anything from so when Helen suggests to her that they should go shopping together there and that David can pay, Jenny is a little taken back because something so luxurious and exorbitant shouldn’t come so easily. Jenny realises that this life can become possible if she sticks with David. There is no need for her to attend Oxford to have a fun and fulfilling life. With David she can live Helen’s life, where she can go to France; her escape in life â€Å" I want to be French. She wouldn’t have to deal with her parents, school and Oxford. With David she is not confined in her life, she can do whatever she wants. Jenny must make a decision as to whether she wants to stay with David and to continue living this exciting lifestyle or to continue on the path of life she had originally planned out for her life in Oxford and one of an Education. Jenny must remember that â€Å"when life’s path is steep to keep your mind open† Jenny is focused on David in the movie because she thinks it is what she wants. We must all keep be level minded when we are making decisions, Lone Scherfig has alerted this too the audience that these choices we make are important and they will leave a mark on us forever. Mrs. Stubbs is a very influential person in Jenny’s life. Mrs. Stubbs life could foreshadow one that Jenny might live if she gets an education at Oxford. Mrs. Stubbs is Jenny’s English teacher, and she studied at Cambridge. Cambridge is a very prestigious school, which is very similar to Oxford. Both schools hold high reputation and only the elite and highly respected can attend these two schools. Judging from the lifestyles of the female role models around her, Jenny’s future can be narrowed down to two options; housewife or a secretary if she doesn’t get an education. In order to avoid those to paths in life, Jenny’s caring but overly concerned parents Jack and Marjorie and Mrs. Stubbs forcefully suggest an education at Oxford. In order to market herself as a valuable candidate, Jenny must ace English, Latin, French (hence the title), and show cultural breadth (her â€Å"hobby† is the cello). Yet, if all goes according to plan, Jenny will meet a similarly cultured wealthy man and will no longer need to do any of those things. The irony, of course, is that an Oxford education is simply a means of making the bait more alluring. Jenny comes to this realisation early into Scherfig’s film and asks the question â€Å"Why must I attend Oxford when I could easily take a shortcut and reach the same inevitable conclusion by attending the school of life? I’d have a lot more fun.† David is a shortcut past Oxford and is also a lot more entertaining and fun. Jenny must open her mind up to the possibilities that Oxford and an education can grant her. She must again keep her mind open; sometimes the path that is not as clear is often the better choice. As the viewer we want Jenny to go to Oxford and we can see how her decision will make a last imprint on her. We want her to attend and it makes us reflect on all those important decisions we have all had to make in our lives. In order to market herself as a valuable candidate, Jenny must ace English, Latin, French (hence the title), and show cultural breadth (her â€Å"hobby† is the cello). Yet, if all goes according to plan, Jenny will meet a similarly cultured wealthy man and will no longer need to do any of those things. The irony, of course, is that an Oxford education is simply a means of making the bait more alluring. Jenny comes to this realisation early into Scherfig’s film and asks the question â€Å"Why must I attend Oxford when I could easily take a shortcut and reach the same inevitable conclusion by attending the school of life? I’d have a lot more fun.† David is a shortcut past Oxford and is also a lot more entertaining and fun. Jenny must open her mind up to the possibilities that Oxford and an education can grant her. She must again keep her mind open; sometimes the path that is not as clear is often the better choice. As the viewer we want Jenny to go to Oxford and we can see how her decision will make a last imprint on her. We want her to attend and it makes us reflect on all those important decisions we have all had to make in our lives. In order to market herself as a valuable candidate, Jenny must ace English, Latin, French (hence the title), and show cultural breadth (her â€Å"hobby† is the cello). Yet, if all goes according to plan, Jenny will meet a similarly cultured wealthy man and will no longer need to do any of those things. The irony, of course, is that an Oxford education is simply a means of making the bait more alluring. Jenny comes to this realisation early into Scherfig’s film and asks the question â€Å"Why must I attend Oxford when I could easily take a shortcut and reach the same inevitable conclusion by attending the school of life? I’d have a lot more fun.† David is a shortcut past Oxford and is also a lot more entertaining and fun. Jenny must open her mind up to the possibilities that Oxford and an education can grant her. She must again keep her mind open; sometimes the path that is not as clear is often the better choice. As the viewer we want Jenny to go to Oxford and we can see how her decision will make a last imprint on her. We want her to attend and it makes us reflect on all those important decisions we have all had to make in our lives. The final route Jenny can take is one of the most common paths young women in the 1960’s take and that is to become a housewife and mother. This path requires no education apart from how to cook, clean and sew. These three things are all taught at school along with dancing and posture. These are all qualities a good housewife needs to make their husband look first class and not themselves. In the very opening scenes of the movie we see a montage of shots that exhibit the young girls in the 1960’s learning these qualities. This opening scene illustrates to the audience the traditional expectations of young women. This kind of education the women are getting is to set them up to be wives, to be like Marjorie. Jenny however is different to the other girls. Her education will not stop her hopefully but instead it will continue on at Oxford. One of the most important scenes shown in the movie is when Jenny comes home after being out for the night with David for the first tim e. When we see Marjorie in this shot we can see her through the kitchen door trying to clean a casserole dish. Marjorie is completely framed inside her world. By marrying Jack it has trapped inside this world, there is no fun parties or lavish concerts, instead she is a housewife, â€Å"and I cant get this casserole dish clean. We had hot-pot tonight, and its all burnt round† Jenny is confused though as â€Å"its twenty-five to twelve. We finish tea at seven.† Jenny soon realises that this is a life you get trapped in, and once you enter into it there isn’t any escape. Jenny is different from the other girls at school she is smart. She will not become a housewife and we can see how fantastic it is to stand out and be different. With this comes choice though resulting in hard decisions. Jenny is forced to make one and as the viewer Lone Scherfig has positioned us to see how all the choices we make in our lives will and can affect us. Jenny is forced to make a difficult decision, and she is conflicted between what she wants to do in life. At this stage in her life she can has to choose between becoming her mother, Helen or Mrs. Stubbs. With decisions comes conflict and Jenny is internally conflicted with all of these options. Lone Scherfig has effectively made the audience look back on all of the decisions we have had to make in our lives and how they have shaped us into who we are today. Our paths should lead us all to a goal and desire. We can only know this when â€Å"if youre walking down the right path and youre willing to keep walking, eventually youll make progress.†

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Bram Stokers Dracula :: Dracula Essays

Bram Stoker's Dracula         Ã‚  Ã‚   The setting of the story begins in 19th century Europe, in the eerie country of Transylvania.   A solicitor from England named Jonathan Harker is sent by a business man to meet with an old Count named Dracula at his castle located far from civilization.   Residents of Transylvania who become aware of his destination begin crossing themselves and giving him garlic and blessings.   As a result of these gestures, Mr. Harker soon develops an uneasy feeling about visiting the mysterious Count.   He arrives at Castle Dracula regardless, and makes his acquaintances with Dracula.   He soon realizes that the count is no normal human, but an evil, blood-sucking vampire, who can command animals and elements with the wave of his hand. Harker escapes but the Count has devised an intricate plan to move to London and exercise his evil forces on innocent people there.   However, a group of friends, including an open-minded but ingenious professor, a psychologist, an American, a rich man, as well as Jon an Harker and his wife Mina, learn of the Count's sinister plan and pledge to destroy him before he can create an army of un-dead vampires.   They systematically destroy his coffins with holy wafers and chase him out of England back to Castle Dracula.   There they carry out an ultimate plan to destroy Dracula.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Author uses suspense as a storytelling device rather effectively throughout the story.   There are a fair number of parts in which the reader is left suspended on the edge of   seat, eager to find out what is to happen next.   However, there were parts where suspense could be used in a manner that would enhance the gravity of the plot.   Nonetheless, The book is written in a unique way that allows suspense to be used easily and effectively built up.   Dracula is written in first person like many other novels but then it differs slightly.   The book starts off as a first person Journal of the first character describing his experiences.   But then it switches to someone else's journal, and then to letters between two characters, and later to a newspaper article.   It follows this pattern

Monday, January 13, 2020

Premarital Sex Essay

Premarital  sex  is  something  which  almost  everyone  knows  about. Some  proudly  proclaims that they engage in  while others do it  secretly. However, there are  still some who do it but are unaware of such term. Different people view it differently: for some it’s acceptable  while  for  some  it’s  a  big  sin. At  present,  there  is  n  increasing  amount  of  discussions in newspaper and magazines in which various things attributed to premarital sex are discussed. It is said that the  Philippines is facing this persistent challenge about premarital intercourse. Since sex is involved, this is certain to produce a number of strong reactions. Nevertheless, it is important to be careful in making such reactions. Sex is an intimate act between individuals which includes genital contact ( Baumer  and South, 2001). Accordingly, it was designed for married couples to enjoy, hence the famous quote: â€Å"True love waits until marriage. † The norms of Philippine society say that it is not normal or it is immoral to engage in premarital sex, but despite this, people just cannot wait until they get wedded. This accounts for the prevalence of premarital sex in the country. At present, one can say that it’s normal to know people who had sex already. But what’s alarming is the rapid growth of the number of people who had sex before marriage . Different researches show the rise of this number. In the last century, only a few, if not zero, gave themselves to premarital sex. This information if compared to present data would give an  overwhelming  difference. Statistics  in 2008  showed that  premarital sex  was prevalent in30% of  the Filipinos. This figured is  actually small  when compared to  western countries. In the USA, 75% of the women would say that they already experienced premarital sex when they  reached  the  age  of  nineteen. However,  it  would  not  seem  right  to  compare  a  less developed country like the Philippines to far way more urbanized and liberal countries in the west. The figure 30% is, in fact, a very high number, taking to account the nature of Filipinos. Nevertheless, these data only show that attitudes towards sex have changed dramatically over  the past years

Saturday, December 28, 2019

The American Political System Essay - 661 Words

The American Political System The American political system is a federal system, which consists of division of a national government and state governments. However, it was not always a federal system, it was not based on the Constitution, but on the Articles of Confederation. This system divides authority between sovereign national and state government. Under the Articles of the Confederation, each state retained its ultimate governing authority. .[1]â€Å"The power of government must be equal to its responsibilities.†¦show more content†¦The state government was protected under the Articles of Confederation and had the ultimate governing authority. 2â€Å"The government of the Articles was a union of states rather than also of people. The result was a weak national governm ent, since its strength depended entirely of the states’ willingness to cooperate (p 61).† If the states refused to pay the national government could not do anything to get the money. The final result of non-payment from the states was a weaker national defense. The states wanted to retain their sovereignty and argued that the national government would not be able serve the people as well as the union of states. Under the new governing system known as federalism the state government would have the responsibilities of the chartering of local governments, education, public safety, registration and voting, intrastate commerce. In 1787 a new form of government was introduced at the Philadelphia convention, which changed the power between national and state governments. 3â€Å"The Philadelphia convention thereby devised a governing system that came to be known as federalism. Federalism is the division of sovereignty, or ultimate governing authority between a national government and regional (that is, state) governments. Each directly governs the people and derives it powersShow MoreRelatedThe American Political System3334 Words   |  14 PagesAMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM Contents The Constitution The Presidency Presidential Primaries The House Of Representatives The Senate The Supreme Court Political Parties Elections The Federal System Recent Trends A Divided Democracy American Exceptionalism THE CONSTITUTION Unlike Britain but like most nation states, the American political system is clearly defined by basic documents. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the Constitution of 1789 form the foundations of the UnitedRead MorePolitical Parties And The American Political System1657 Words   |  7 Pagesthe rift in the American political system marked by the ongoing clash between our political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. These parties’ dissenting ideas seem to create non-stop conflict as each party relentlessly competes for the support and votes of the American people. However, over two hundred years ago in the early days of our country’s government, political parties did not even exist. Early leaders, such as the revered George Washington, feared that political parties would splitRead MoreThe Evolution Of The American Political System1284 Words   |  6 Pages1.Analyze the evolution of the American political system. Be sure to include one individual or d ocument that influenced the Constitution and one change in the federal system. John Locke was been one of Americas most significant figures who influence how the country’s political system works today. Locke redefined the whole nature of the government, his views were similar to Thomas Hobbes’ ideas (Hobbes concluded that people are incapable of ruling themselves because it’s in our nature to self-centeredRead MoreRussian And American Political Systems1572 Words   |  7 PagesMikaylia A. Dudley Dr. Anna Gregg POLS 3190 - Research Paper for Group Presentation 3/3/2015 Russian and American Political Systems in Comparative Perspective Russian and American political systems are alike in the perspective of comparison. Both governments provide a framework for three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and judicial. Both countries also have a bicameral legislature as well as separate elections of the legislature and the executive branch. Both countries areRead MoreThe Politics Of The American Political System Essay1647 Words   |  7 PagesThe American political system is always susceptible to change. In recent decades, the United States has experienced an increase in political polarization between the two parties. These extreme views resonate with the Americans that sit at the tips of the ideological spectrum, but the majority of people have more moderate ideologies. Most fall in between the two extremes, holding different combinations of social and economic values that make it difficult to place each person on the traditional linearRead MoreThe Current American Political System1214 Words   |  5 PagesThe current American political system has many flaws, and problems that affect our everyday life as American citizens. Our government is quite possibly the biggest problem in our country. In my honest opinion, I feel as if the government does not completely satisfy the wants and needs of the citizens in this country, or protect the citizens. We have seen many executive decisions that the American people do not accept, or follow. One of the biggest mistakes in our recent history was elected PresidentRead MoreThe American Political System Changes2757 Words   |  12 Pages The American political system changes regularly. Any small political change like increasing or decreasing tariffs on imported goods might keep customers from buying Walmart’s products which it could adversely affect its accounting and financial profits. Walmart is currently operates globally. So, they need to follow certain regulations and rules of host countries in their operations. Most of these factors are beyond their control and they could negatively affect their operations internationallyRead MoreThe Bristish Versus the American Political System775 Words   |  3 Pagesdemocracy? I would simply label it as equality; however is everyone in the world politically equal? Nor America or Britain are fully democratic, nevertheless to my disappointment I firmly believe that the British political system is massively more open to corruption than the Americans and we should be taking advice from our foreign cousins. Democracy has become a war on modern day society and previous civilisations; it is still a hot topic and is still causing issues within our lives and othersRead MoreThe Extreme Dichotomy Of The American Political System1805 Words   |  8 Pagesmodern day America for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is the extreme dichotomy of the American political system. Another reason is how our criminal justice system is set up to function: there are two sides to every story, and it is only natural that there are supporters of crime control more so than due process, and vice versa, simply because these two ‘sides’ exist. The American political system is an extremely diverse beast, ranging from radical liberals to radical conservatives and everythingRead MoreEssay Disillusionment With the American Political System3929 Words   |  16 Pagesrisen. Overall, Americans are feeling less connected to one another than ever before. One casualty of this national disillusionment is the American political system. The average citizen no longer trusts the government to do what is in the nation’s best interest. A rapidly growing number of Americans do not bother to vote. Many feel that their participation in the system will have little or no effect in the long run. Some believe that the answer to such widespread political apathy is the internet

Friday, December 20, 2019

Edgar Allan Poe and Insanity Essay - 3421 Words

Edgar Allan Poe and Insanity Edgar Allan Poe shows how subconscious fears and guilt can lead to insanity through the irrational behaviors shown by the narrators in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Black Cat†. Both narrators have committed a crime due to their insanity in an attempt to relieve themselves from their fear and guilt, but instead ultimately cause their further decline of mental stability. Edgar Allan Poe was orphaned at an early age, later being adopted by John Allan. In his early adulthood, he developed malignant habits of alcoholism and debt. During his time, activists in the temperance movement blamed alcohol for corruptions such as violence and the destruction of family life. People during this time also had a†¦show more content†¦The narrator has a fear of the old man in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, which also causes his murder. Poe shows a sense of panic in the narrator’s voice by switching between calm, logical statements and quick irrational outbursts. By using first person narrative, not only does it heighten the tension and fear running through the mind of the narrator, but it also allows us to experience and feel his fear (â€Å"Tell Tale†). The narrator makes clear that he is â€Å"very, very dreadfully nervous† (Poe, â€Å"Tell-Tale† 445) when he says, â€Å"I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror† (Poe, â€Å"Tell-Tale† 447). According to James Gargano, he makes us understand that the voluble murderer has been tortured by the nightmarish terrors he attributes to his victim: he was sitting up in bed listening; just as I have done night after night, harkening to the death watches in the wall’; further, the narrator interprets the old man’s groan in terms of his own persistent anguish: many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. (Gargano) The narrator seems to live in â€Å"a haunted and eerie world of his own demented making† (â€Å"Tell Tale†). He fears the old man’sShow MoreRelatedEssay on Insanity: The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe1165 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Allan Poe is a first-person narrative short story that showcases an enigmatic and veiled narrator. The storyteller makes us believe that he is in full control of his mind yet he is experiencing a disease that causes him over sensitivity of the senses. As we go through the story, we can find his fascination in proving his sanity. The narrator lives with an old man, who has a clouded, pale blue, vulture-like eye that makes him so helpless that he kills the old man. HeRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe Influences709 Words   |  3 Pagesof the most influential American writers ever. He is Edgar Allen Poe. Poe was an expert writer in the dark Gothic style. He once said, â€Å"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. Edgar Allan Poe’s Life influenced his life because of people claiming he was insane, due to many of his dark and scary stories, loss of his wife, foster mother, and mother, and also his st rong addiction to alcohol. Insanity is a common theme in Poe’s work, this includes, Fall ofRead MoreEdgar Allan Poes Fear of Self1286 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar A. Poe s Fear of Self Edgar Allan Poe was a unique man that most people could not understand. Many recognize that he is a talented writer with a very strange and dark style. One of his most well known short stories is The Fall Of The House Of Usher. Many argue the different meanings of this story and how it is symbolic to his life. Poe was a very confused individual who needed to express him self, he accomplished this through the short story of The Fall Of The House Of Usher. ThroughRead More Edgar Allan Poe Exposed in The Fall Of The House Of Usher Essay1283 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Exposed in â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher† Edgar Allan Poe was a unique man that most people could not understand. Many recognize that he is a talented writer with a very strange and dark style. One of his most well known short stories is â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher.† Many argue the different meanings of this story and how it is symbolic to his life. Poe was a very confused individual who needed to express himself, he accomplished this through the short story of â€Å"The FallRead MoreAn Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart 1015 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Insane in the Membrane† Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most acclaimed short story writers of all time and is considered the father of the psychological thriller. He has achieved ever-lasting fame for his work in various fields of literature, from prose to verse. However, it is his Gothic narrative, in the short story realm he is greatest known for and is regarded as one of the foremost masters of horror that the United States has ever fashioned. The crucial component to these horror stories isRead MoreThe Fall of the House of Usher1239 Words   |  5 Pageshouse collapsed in the middle of a forest, and no one was around to hear it, did it make a sound? With such wonders, death, and darkness also come the work of Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe is known as a literature legend. He wrote many complicated horror and detective fiction stories, which also represents the artsy twentieth century (â€Å"Poe† 1316). Many of his works are poems and short stories. As for his life, it started out pretty gloomi ly. Both of Poe’s parents had died and he was then sent toRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1581 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe wrote many gothic stories with twisted themes and ideas. An example in his works is the conception of overthinking something that is not there. Many of these tales end with someone being killed due to the fascination of an unrealistic problem trying to be solved. Imagination is a main factor that drives the narrators to become worried. The obsessing narrators in Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, â€Å"The Black Cat†, and â€Å"The Imp of the Perverse† demonstrate the idea that guiltRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s Life1092 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Allan Poe lived in a constant state of struggle and misfortune. Poe was raised with no father, while his mother suffered from tuberculosis for the first three years of his life. Following the death of his mother, a young Poe moved into the house of J ohn and Frances Allan. In his lifetime, Poe attended the University of Virginia for one semester, The United States Military Academy at West Point and enlisted in the military under an alias of â€Å"Edgar A. Perry.† (Ober, 1960) After constantly beingRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe : The Father Of Gothic Literature1393 Words   |  6 PagesNovember 3, 2017 Edgar Allan Poe Studies say that Edgar Allan Poe was the father of gothic literature. As an American writer and critic, he went through the struggles of living in poverty, having a drinking and gambling problem, and being judge based on his decisions. He was best known as an author of gothic fiction. He had a life of misfortune and indigence. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19,1809 in Boston, Massachusetts to two striving actors, David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Poe. Some studiesRead MoreCritical Theory : The Raven1394 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Theory: Post-Structuralism (Deconstructionism) Author: Edgar Allan Poe Work: The Raven Literature has been one of the main sources of inspiration and possibly the most influential of modern media. There have been many authors that have had their works studied and transferred to to the big screen, including Charles Dickens, Herman Mellville, Jane Eyre, Nathanial Hawthorne, and many many more. Amoungst those authors is Edgar Allan Poe, one of America s most well-known 19th century writters. There

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Discussion about building great teams

Question: Discuss about theBuilding Great Teams. Answer: Introduction Google has been working on ways that can improve employee productivity and make them more efficient. This led to the need for developing project Aristotle which was mainly focussed on understanding the dynamics that exist between teams that can foster or hinder success. This thus led to the hiring of Julia a research consultant to be able to advise the company on issues of group dynamics and utilising the power of team work and group work. Managers face the challenge of accomplishing tasks within the organization through creating solutions that address the problems (Lord Brown 2004, p. 9). This means that the manager has to overcome group dynamics and create a team that is able to meet the requirements and the objectives of the organization. Background Google has been having different team projects that require employees to work in groups. This means that the company has been faced with the challenge of group dynamics which has hindered the productivity of employees. Different teams have existed within the organizations and have been managed by team leaders or unit managers like Matt. However there has been a challenge since the groups do not have clear set norms that govern the groups and determine how the groups operate. This led to the design of project Aristotle that aimed at determining factors that can improve team productivity and efficiency. This was being done by an independent researcher whose aim is analysing the organizational dynamics and how teams have operated and the way they are managed. Positive Management Approaches From the case study, Google has based its management on working in teams and group work. This entails that tasks are not assigned to individuals but rather to teams with a team leader in charge of each team. The teams are formed based on specific tasks and later disbanded after the task. Employees within the organization are specialized with each employee concentrating on the area that they are good at. This is seen during group sessions where each member speaks specifically when the discussion touches the area of specialization. Negative Management Approaches One negative management approach within the organization is lack of clear set norms that govern teams within the organization. Teams are based on particular norms that govern the team and rules of engagement. Manoj . Shilpa (2013, p. 311) suggest that mixing formal and informal norms within teams helps create the best teams. Low motivation patterns within the organization have lowered the effectiveness and efficiency of employees. Donelson (2006, p. 15) argues that employee productivity can be increased through motivation and managing the work place properly. Motivated employees give their best to the organization increasing profitability and efficiency within the organization. Identification of Issues and Problems One of the major problems being faced by Google is the management of teams within the organization. Different teams exist but lack clear set norms that determine how employees need to relate in a team. Some teams have existed in a more formal way while others have overlapped both formal and informal characteristics that shape their interaction. Group norms form accepted standard behaviour within the group and limit the action of members in a group. There is a growing interest on group norms and their role in management (Dianna 2006, p. 12). The social norms approach suggests that group influences have a greater role in shaping the behaviour of an individual. Group dynamics theorists argue that dynamics and norms within a team help the team to accomplish tasks that are beyond the capability of an individual. Tuckmans five stage theories explain the stages that teams go through before they can be able to work independently. However the Asch effect threatens group effectiveness that makes the group to choose defective decisions. This arises when the group lacks clear set norms that determine how the group operates (Manoj . Shilpa 2013, p. 311). The organization lacks ways that make employees productive within the organization. This is due to a hierarchical structure that is full of bureaucracy. System theorists argue that groups are complex systems that have inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. This means that the management has failed to integrate the different parts of the organization and teams that exist into a system that has a role component for each team and employee. Possible Solutions Developing clear roles that define groups forms the basis of improving the performance of groups. Clear norms within the group equalise participation of each member within the group. This is because group roles are determined by a combination personality and individual experience. This help to equalise the dominant and silent participants within the group (Schein 2011, p. 23). Fapohunda (2013, P. 5) argues that training in group dynamics and how to work as a team can be a factor that can help improve employee participation. This can be through team building programmes that enable employees to interact with each other outside the work environment. This helps to foster a culture team work that reduces chaos and enables employees to discuss how they can foster their work place, strategize for success and make better teams. Team building helps members to understand how to overturn group dynamics into advantage to achieve sustainable result. Intagliata, Ulrich Smallwood (2000, p. 13) argue that restructuring the organizational structure may help in increasing efficiency and decision making. Less structured or flat organizational structures increases communication lines and delegates responsibilities and authority. This is due increased involvement of employees in decision making and increases coordination of tasks. Proposed Solution People always assume to know each other in groups when they actually dont. Team building is an upcoming trend in management used to stimulate team performance and productivity. This is used to explore ways that can improve team performance. Due to the involvement of a wide variety of activities that help to improve team performance and self development, team building makes the employees united towards a common goal of efficiency and increased productivity (Bonday Bruce 2003, p. 17). This will help the organization set goals with employees and determine errors and gaps in management that hinder productivity. Organizing a team building session for the staff will unearth the potential of the team and help the team to develop norms that guide team work and group work. Team building sessions can be organized by the organization depending on the availability of resources. Most organization carry out team building after the end of the business year to evaluate success and set new targets ( Carter, Ulrich, Goldsmith 2005, p20). Recommendations From the solution the organization needs to hold annual team building forums that will help assess the state of the organization. It will be used to measure success by assessing the set targets and further setting new ones. Through the services of a lead consultant, the effectiveness of the team will be assessed and proposed team building strategies suggested that will help improve the organization. Through team building superiority and hierarchical structures are reduced to informal patterns that make employees bond on a common ground. Management should therefore organize for the team building function by ensuring all the resources and information regarding the organization is availed to the lead consultant for analysis and developing an action plan that will fit the organizational dynamics (Donelson 2006, p. 9; Thompson et al 2005, p. 21). Case Interactive Tutorial The case study interactive tutorial is an online tool by the university that allows the student to understand the requirements for the case study. This interactive site is interactive with different resources on how to write a case study and how to present it. It gives the format and how the report should be presented showing the tone and language. Smart Thinking Tutors This provides feedback to students writing by giving tutors comments on the areas that a student may have missed. Smart thinking allows students to find mistakes within their writing and improve their work. How to apply the Harvard referencing style This guides students on how to write academic papers using the Harvard style. It guides students how to quote sources using the Harvard style to avoid plagiarism. References Bonday, M Bruce, S, 2003, Small Group Norms Interventions with Greeks at the University of Virginia. The Report on Social Norms, Volume 3, #3 Carter, L., Ulrich, D., Goldsmith, M. (Eds.), 2005, Best practices in leadership development and organization change. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley Sons. Dianna Jane, 2006. Teams: Teamwork and Team building. Prentice Hall,New York. Donelson R. Forsyth, 2006. Group dynamics. London, Thomson Learning Academic Resource Center. Fapohunda, Tinuke. M, April 2013. Towards Effective Team Building in the Workplace. International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 1 No. 4 April 2013. Intagliata, J., Ulrich, D. Smallwood, N., 2000. Leveraging Leadership Competencies to Produce Leadership Brand: Creating Distinctiveness by Focusing on Strategy and Results. Human Resource Planning, 23(12-19). Lord, R.G., Brown, D.J., 2004, Leadership processes and follower self-identity. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Manoj Kumar Sharma . Shilpa, 2013. Leadership Management: Principles, Models and Theories. Global Journal of Management and Business Studies. Volume 3, Number 3, pp. 309-318. Schein, E. H., 2011. Leadership and organizational culture. New York, NY: Wiley. Thompson, A. A., Strickland, A. J., Gamble, J. E., 2005. Crafting and executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases (4thed.). McGraw Hill, Irwin