The Godfather and the Meaning of Family

The Godfather A family is a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, and is considered a group, whether they reside together or not; the traditional family, which usually consists of family values and beliefs. In American literature family serves as a base in our society which can be shaped and molded into many different forms. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather demonstrates family as a successful business, with strict and traditional Italian roots. The story is focuses on the Corleone family, a very close knit traditional Italian-American family, who all live on the same cul de sac and are neighbors to each other.Their business is based on the family’s mafia operations. They live their lives in the midst of crime. Some takes the law into their own hands, by avenging a crime to protect the weak while others use it to rise into a position of wealth and power. The executive or head of the Corleone family is the decision maker or â€Å"shot caller;† he is like the â€Å"Robin Hood† of the Sicilians people. To all those who have proven their loyalties to him are entitled to help from their â€Å"Godfather. † He is willing to help anyone who calls them his friend; because he believes that â€Å"Friendship is everything.Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family† (Puzo 38). The executive or head of the Corleone family is Don Vito and after his death, Michael; his youngest son, who later takes the role. In a sense, both in the novel and film begin and ends with â€Å"the Godfather† and some may call him â€Å"the Don. † Through they both have very different experiences, they are believed to be â€Å"infinitely more intelligent and less obviously corrupt than any of the other characters† developed in the story (Williams 77).Both are willing to accommodate their competitors, take a step back, and not get involved unless necessary, for they beli eve to never hate your enemies because it affects your judgment and to keep their friends close and their enemies closer However, they are considered to be the most powerful organized crime family in the United States. â€Å"Great men are not born great, they grow great, and so it was with Vito Corleone. †¦ Vito Corleone made the final step from a quite ordinary, somewhat ruthless businessman to a great Don in the world of criminal enterprise.It did not happen in a day, it did not happen in a year, but by the end of the Prohibition period and the start of the Great Depression, Vito Corleone had become the Godfather, the Don, Don Corleone† (Puzo 213). A family of organized crime that is sometimes portrayed as so caring and helpful, that we don’t always think of them as bad guys per say. They have respect and are behaved in a way that is very elegant. But of course there are times when they must take action upon themselves even if it is against the law.It is a known that the main focus of a stereotypical Mafia family is centered around the use of violence. For instance, in both the novel and film, Connie Corleone; the daughter of the Don Vito gets married to an abusive and gets beaten down while pregnant, which later becomes one of the reasons for his death. Aside from that we also see many deaths cause by the vengeance and business. Another example is the opening of the movie, when Bonasera states â€Å"I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion.I gave her freedom, but — I taught her never to dishonor her family† as he tells Don Vito, his grief about what had happen to his daughter (The Godfather). The family is cruel yet respectable, violent yet sophisticated and heartless, but not without rules. We as a viewer or a reader can overlook the evil and come to sympathize with the Corleone family. The Godfather permits an audience to support the mafia lifestyle and the sins th ey’ve commit. We overlook what is supposed to be right and sympathize with the lifestyle of these mobsters.We side with Corleone’s crime because of such quotes like â€Å"A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man,† when Don Vito Corleone says this, we as the audience find ourselves liking a character they might not otherwise like. In America we tend to sympathize with people who are compassionate and are family oriented. Those who make their family priority number one, who shows and express true respect and defines a man by the amount of time he spends with those he loves. The Godfather narrative was able to supply the idea of a â€Å"strong and benevolent father to take care of both family and an unimpeded business life,† as stated in the MELUS Article, â€Å"The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became ‘Our Gang’† by Mary Ann Mannino. This simple image of a genuine family value allows for anyone to relate and understand the character even though at times the character may be immoral. Towards the end, Michael states â€Å"if I can die saying, â€Å"Life is so beautiful,† then nothing else is important.If I can believe in myself that much, nothing else matters. He would follow his father. He would care for his children, his family, his world. But his children would grow in a different world. They would be doctors, artists, scientists. Governors. Presidents. Anything at all. He would see to it that they joined the general family of humanity, but he, as a powerful and prudent parent would most certainly keep a wary eye on that general family† when family again is reconfirmed (Puzo 411). Works Cited Mannino, Mary Ann. The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became ‘Our Gang. ‘. † MELUS 28. 3 (2003): 218-232. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. Puzo, Mario. â€Å"The Godfather. † Greenwich: Fawecett, 1969 . Print. Simon, William. â€Å"Analysis of the Structure of The Godfather, Part One. † Studies in the Literary Imagination 16. 1 (1983): 75-90. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. The Godfather. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Paramount Pictures. 1972. DVD.

External and Internal Environmental Analysis Paper Essay

The purpose of the paper is to scan, â€Å"the internal and external environmental factors of AT&T internet access technologies for the consumer market. It further identifies and discusses the AT&T’s core competencies and sources of competitive advantage. Lastly, AT&T’s business model and its impact on the organizational performance† (UOP, 2013). AT&T uses the most common tool (i.e. SWOT analysis) to analyze its progress in the market and identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and, threat. External environment analysis is important in determining the strategy that should be adopted by a business and internal environment analysis is critical to identify the core competencies of the business. External environment AT&T very well understands their competitors and external factors and hence, to better meet its customer needs, it formed the Broadband & Internet subsidiary. â€Å"The external environment consisting of all the conditions and forces that affect its strategic options and define its competitive situation† (Pearce & Robinson, 2013, p. 12). External environment can be broadly classified into three types: Remote, Industry and, Operating. 1. Remote environment consists of the forces like â€Å"economic, social, political, technological and ecological factors that originate beyond, and usually irrespective of, any single firm’s operating situation† (Pearce & Robinson, 2013, pg. 87). 2. Industry environment; â€Å"The general conditions for competition that influence all businesses that provide similar products and services† (Pearce, 2013, pg. 97). â€Å"Operating environment also called the competitive or task environment comprises factors in the competitive situation that affect a firm’s success in acquiring needed resources or in profitably marketing its goods and services† (Pearce, 2013). They also control a major portion of the Tier 1 backbone of the internet. Remote  Environment (RE): See more: how to write an analysis of a research paper With each environmental factor exerting its effect individually, the analysis in these three different kinds can be done separately. Some of the main remote environmental factor that affects AT&T are economic, political and technological factors. Economic factors affect because more and more consumers can afford excellent internet service in a good economy and, the number declines as the economy slows down. Political factors do affect the day to day functioning of the service and, regulation in the internet/ cable industry is very stringent. Any changes in the government policies/ regulations will directly or indirectly impact AT&T’s business and, consumers inflow. Technological factors also affect the company because there is always a need to adapt the latest technology in the industry. The ever changing technologies, apps, products and, services will alter consumer’s attitude and buying behavior. Industry Environment (IE): The IE factors that impact AT&T are buyer power, substitute availability and competitive rivalry. The internet users have increased dramatically in the recent years. Providing great service and technology requires a large investment, but when customer switches their internet carrier, it result in high loss (bad debt expense from this trend). While Time Warner and AT&T have attempted to combat, these losses by charging one month bill in advance. Though a huge amount was recovered before the customers were gone but didn’t guarantee, customer loyalty. New entries are always a threat, mainly if they provide services in rural areas, where AT&T is still trying to make a mark. Operating Environment (OE): The OE factors affecting AT&T are customers and creditors. With the slowed economy in the country, the â€Å"assessment of suppliers and creditors is critical to an accurate evaluation of a firm’s operating environment. Question like: Does the creditors fairly value and willingly accept the firm’s pricing strategy for the service AT&T provides? Do the creditors perceive the firm as having an acceptable record of past payment?† (Pearce, 2013, pg. 114). â€Å"Operational indicators, which measure performance in planning and implementing organizational strategies, are internal, and  external customer satisfaction, quality metrics, internal processes, internal innovation, and continuous improvement efforts tend to drive future financial performance† (Curtright, 2000). Internal analysis To analyze the internal environmental (IE) factors for AT&T, one will have to first identify the strength and weakness of the organization. AT&T is amongst the largest cable companies, serving every Fortune 1000 company, as well as neighborhood businesses around the country. â€Å"AT&T serves 17.8 million broadband customers, including wireline (DSL, U-verse High-Speed Internet and, Satellite) and wireless mobile broadband LaptopConnect subscribers† (att.com, 2015). AT&T’s services and competencies are well matched with their strength to meet the market needs. â€Å"The major internal environmental changes, or areas for change, that could be expected to impact AT&T include: Marketing: new product offerings, new technology and, market trends. Financial: ability to acquire other firms and, corporate resources, capital expenditure. Operations: network management and partner relationships. Personnel: key executive management positions.   Quality: integration of controls on projects, monitoring of quality, system modernization and, operational support systems. General Management: performance and strategic planning† (Delahunty.com, n.d.) The external environment factors that are being discussed cover most of the strengths of AT&T versus weaknesses. But addressing the ethical obligations and exceptions of the consumers will always help (Team’s feedback). Core Competencies and Resources â€Å"Core competence is a capability or skill that a firm emphasizes and excels in doing while in pursuit of its overall mission. Core competencies that differ from those found in competing firms would be considered distinctive competencies† (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). The basic resources include; tangible assets, intangible assets and,  organizational capabilities. Some of the tangible assets of AT&T are inventory, cash reserves. The financial resources and physical resources; property, plant and, equipment net. The assessed intangible assets at AT&T are its brand name, (Goodwill) reputation, trademarks, licenses, trade secrets and, copyright. All the resources available at AT&T are valuables, and they provide the customer needs better than other alternatives. The resources are scarce and drive a key portion of overall profit. This makes the service provided by AT&T sustainable over a long period, which help in making better strategic plan for the organization. Competitive position and possibilities â€Å"Distinctive competencies that are identified and nurtured throughout the firm, allowing it to execute effectively so as to provide products or services to customers that are superior to competitor’s offerings, become the basis for a lasting competitive advantage† (Pearce, 2013, pg. 164). AT&T stands strong and gives very tough competition in its current competitive position. â€Å"AT&T Government Solutions provides professional services so agencies can better serve their customers and meet mission object† (Pragmatics, 2007). AT&T’s pending acquisition of DIRECTV will give more customers more opportunities to enjoy their favorite movies, TV shows, music and, sports. â€Å"Final regulatory approval of the merger will enable the combined companies to deliver more content to customers across multiple screens – mobile devices, TVs, laptops, and the backseat displays of connected cars. It’s commitment to expand and enhance its deployment of high-speed Internet service to cover at least 15 million customer locations across 48 states – most of them in underserved rural areas† (att.com, 2015). Structure of the organization and how it affects organizational performance AT&T has departmentalization structure as seen â€Å"in the division of labor as well as the decentralized decision-making assigned to teams, it shows that the existing policies, rules and regulations are directory in nature.  Apparently, the chain of command in the business unit is rather limited to the team leaders and the Chief Operations Officer. Since the organizational structure is rather flat, the business faces the adverse attitude of the employees with reference to the change in the organization. This indicates that the informal structures of the organization tend to have a great influence on the actual behavior of the employees† (Management Paradise, 2011). Conclusion By focusing on the SWOT analysis (external and internal environmental factors), AT&T can identify its strengths, weaknesses, threats and, opportunities. This can help the company to improve its competitive position in the internet market that will in turn generate additional revenues. References AT&T. (2015). AT&T Company Information. Retrieved from http://www.att.com/gen/investor-relations?pid=5711 Coppola, J., Delahunty, S., & Keune, G. (n.d.). The Internet Connection War-AT&T Internet Services for Consumers, a Strategic Evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.delahunty.com/cv/paper_att.doc Curtright, J. W., Stolp-Smith, Steven. C., & Edell, E.S. (2000, January). Strategic performance management: Development of a performance measurement system at the Mayo Clinic. Journal of Healthcare Management, 45(1), 58. Management Paradise. (2011, February 2). Organizational Structure of AT&T. Retrieved from http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/human-resources-management-h-r/214644-organisational-structure-t.html Pearce, J.A. & Robinson, R. B. (2013). Strategic Management: Planning for Domestic and Global Competition (13th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Pragmatics, Inc. (2007). AT&T Government Solutions. Retrieved from https://ites-2s.pragmatics.com/metadot/index.pl?op=show&iid=223 1 UOP. (2013). External and Internal Environmental Analysis Instructions. Retrieved from https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:48364100/context/co/view/activityDetails/activity/df4da69c-3472-494d-952c-e99cc3619b2d/expanded/False/tab/Instructions

Repair you credit yourself Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Repair you credit yourself - Article Example For repairing credit, it is important that one has credit cards which shall take care of the same. Also this will ensure that the credit rating is repaired for the long term and the credit becomes repaired itself as and when there is a problem with the credit worthiness issues (Kempson, 2005). The aspect of credit repair is all the more important because it touches upon significant areas of credit worthiness which are discussed at length by the people who write credit repair reviews in newspapers and magazines (Devaney, 2001). I believe my credit repair needs to be done in such a way that there is success only and nothing else because credit worthiness means a great deal to me. Works Cited Calder, Lendol. Financing the American Dream: A Cultural History of Consumer Credit. Princeton University Press, 1999 Devaney, Sharon A. The Effects of Credit Attitude and Socioeconomic Factors on Credit Card and Installment Debt. Journal of Consumer Affairs, Vol. 35, 2001 Kempson, Elaine. Affordab le Credit: The Way Forward. Policy Press, 2005 Staten, Michael E. The Impact of Credit Counseling on Subsequent Borrower Behavior. Journal of Consumer Affairs, Vol. 41, 2007

Debate Critiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Debate Critiques - Essay Example For instance, the advantages of ethical obligations such as rise in market share, increase in market value, higher sales improved sales, lower employee turnover, and cost control are all explained with sufficient data obtained from previous researches. Furthermore, this presentation entices sufficient thought in the reader’s mind about possible negative impact of multinational corporations, which is also explained in this presentation. Another scoring point in Team A’s presentation is that it explains the potential negative impact of absence of ethical obligations by explaining what kind of impact multinational companies can have on the economy, country, and environment if they did not have any ethical obligations towards these entities. The main strengths of presentation by Team B include its succinctness and reader-friendly approach. This presentation highlights the most important points related to the kind of ethical obligations that multinational corporations have. Further, it highlights the ethical considerations multinational companies have kinds of impact ethical obligations can have such as employment practices, workplace conditions, environmental impact, local customs, and ethics. However, this presentation does not provide any information related to experimental evidences. Another weakness in Team B’s presentation is in its flow and presentation of information, which could have been better as it covered almost same information as Team A, but without any experimental evidence. Although information here is not irrelevant, the relevance of information presented is not established. Lack of support from experimental evidence presents this as a weaker presentation. The main strengths of Team A’s presentation include its presentation style, logic, and flow, and link to experimental evidence. Every point made in this presentation has been clearly explained and

Can Franchising as a strategy help organization gain market share Essay

Can Franchising as a strategy help organization gain market share globally case study as Starbucks - Essay Example 'The Word franchise is sometimes (particularly in the United States) is used in a wide sense more or less synonymous with distributorship. It is not a technical legal expression but in Europe the word generally connotes something along the lines of the setup described below. It is a distribution method described by a manufacturer or supplier who has developed a well known name and appearance for its product (usually including intellectual property rights). It may manufacture the goods itself or it may simply select goods produced by a third party. In the latter case the franchise maybe described as the business format franchise, since it is essentially a business format that is being exploited. In either case it will probably have established an 'image' for its existing sales outlets, connected with the physical appearance of the outlets and the business methods applied. These names 'trademarks' and image, will be known by the public and attract customers who recognize these familiar signs. Service franchises such as photocopy shops and hair dressing salons are also a type of business format franchise'2. 'The story of the Starbucks Corporation tells of one of the most successful business endeavors in recent memory. Unfortunately, if you dream of someday opening your very own Starbucks coffee shop, you should know that the Starbucks Corporation famously does not franchise its business operations. However, there are other ways to pursue a Starbucks franchise opportunity.The Starbucks Corporation is based in Seattle, where the first Starbucks stores were opened in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971. Howard Schultz, the director of retail and marketing for Starbucks, was inspired by the coffee culture of Southern Europe. Clearly, the Starbucks business model has attracted much success and attention. While many potential investors would relish the idea pursuing a Starbucks franchise opportunity, the company does not franchise their stores. There does exist another Starbucks franchise opportunity. The Starbucks Corporation does participate in the sales of license agreements to qualified businesses or individuals. The Starbucks license agreement allows a smaller company to sell Starbucks products and conduct its own operations. However, this smaller operation remains solely owned by the Starbucks Corporation. Another way to pursue a Starbucks franchise opportunity is through the route of a joint venture scheme. A joint venture scheme allows a company to align itself with the Starbucks Corporation in a hopefully mutually beneficial business relationship. The joint venture scheme is akin to the relationship forged between Barnes and Noble and Starbucks'3. "Advantages & Disadvantages of Franchising" 'Just like any other business structure, a franchise is no exception to the rule of having both advantages and disadvantages associated with owning such a business. While our list will actually make the distinction

Consanguineous Marriages among Arabs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consanguineous Marriages among Arabs - Essay Example Thus beginning should focus on the significant of this research to our largest society since the marriage as it definition stated above is mainly adapt by blood relations. To this end, readers are expected to gain a lots from the digging that would made of the merit and demerit of the said marriage, so that they would either practicing it if any, or else reduce, based on the lessons they grab from the writing. It should be noted however that consanguineous marriage is not only practicing by Arab in this world, it is a general phenomenon among humanity. Since it is a marriage that exists among biological relations, for example, first cousins, uncle's son marries auntie's daughter and others. It is a union between male and female among al, races irrespective of where they came from. For example, "around the globe consanguineous marriages have been practiced by many societies from time immemorial. It is widely practiced in Asia, North Africa, Switzerland, Middle East, some parts of China, Japan and fishermen communities in Europe and America. One in two rural marriages in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are consanguineous". (Problem with consanguineous marriage) Since the said marriage is a general phenomenon among all races, as long as they contracted marriage based on blood relations. Thus this research would explore all channels towards knowing much about the marriage, and what are the positive and negative implications that would befall on any society that remain only on contracting consanguineous marriage. By doing so, societies would be able to taker a stand on what they should do if it happens they are very much deep in it. While academically, this research would add lots to knowledge seekers especially in the field under discussion, to know much about consanguineous marriage, how it is practicing and it positive and negative impact to the societies. To this end, after the research, they would use what they might have learn toward inculcating to their societies, especially who are practicing the type of that marriage in shading more light to them, so they can adjust where necessary. Since the research on the above mention marriage is primarily focusing on its practices among Arabs, there is the need to make an assessment on the rate of it practices in the Arab countries to further clarify the issue. CAUSES OF CONSANGENEOUS MARRIEGE AND ITS EFFECT At this point there is the need to research on what are the causes of consanguineous marriage Why some societies continue to remain firm on practicing this marriage despite the fact even if it has positive, it also has it negative effect One of the researches conducted has shows that one of the causes of practicing consanguineous is said to enhance cordial relationship among families, it is said to also increase the nature of political relationship, being religious or cultural.In Middle East for example, it is found that one of the vigor reasons of engaging in consanguineous marriage is for enhancing political development among Arabs people. The ties of relations in marriage affairs in that part of the world is very significant in continue being under one umbrella. A writer name Kurtz, write about why Arab people of the Middle East prefer consanguineous ma

Developing Staffing Plan for an Organization Research Paper

Developing Staffing Plan for an Organization - Research Paper Example An organization may prompt to promote staff from within rather than critically analyzing the needs and consequences to the organization. This strategy might not be effective towards the success of the organization (Bhat & Simon, 2008). Staffing plan enables organizations plan appropriately for the future through identification of current and future staffing requirements. This ensures compliance to the federal and state requirements, as well as assisting organizations in developing and communicating the staffing strategies to the stakeholders. Furthermore, staffing plan is critical in identification of contingency plans, and this addresses the staffing needs based on availability of resources. As a result, an organization can defend and explain the decisions taken when hiring or retrenching the personnel based on objective analysis and proper reasoning complimented by the staffing plan (Budahl, 1970). A staffing plan necessitates transformation of the staffing function to ensure alignment of the human capital to the strategic goals of a company. This enhances utilization of employee, competitive positioning and overall effectiveness.This report presents a website development staffing plan. It covers the literature review, the staff resource; staff assigned roles, resource loading and organizational structure. 2.0. Literature Review From the business point of view, not all staffing positions require full time commitment. Some key functions can be bundled up together to enable a single position cover more than one function. Furthermore, some major functions may be under board committee member or volunteer. Ideally, the staffing plan entails all the staffing needs within a period of 2-3 years. Whenever an opportunity of adding staff arises, the organization response can be quick and assured. The current staff, stakeholders and board members enhances collection of input through which a draft plan can be pulled together within a short duration. Mostly, the drafting process starts by establishing goals and mission of the organization and identification of customer requirements. Identification of customer requirements enhances determination of the kind of staff required as well as determining key functions to keep the organization afloat (Bhat & Simon, 2008). Staffing plan outlines the responsibilities and assignment of various staff to different duties to enhance accountability. This must address the need for any financing or fundraiser. The people enhancing funding should be among the staff. The staffing plan should clearly outline the business objectives. This state the measurable targets on how the business aims must be achieved and sets out the values of the business. This enhances comprehensive understanding of the underlying basis the business actions. Normally, the business objectives reflect the desired financial outcomes. These include the desired profit levels and sales, the growth rates, the amount of generated cash, and the dividends or business value paid to the stakeholders. The objectives can be corporate, functional or unit. Corporate objectives express the relationship of the entire business, and the top management takes