Innovation Strategy for Tata Nano

Innovation Strategy for Tata Nano 1. INTRODUCTION: Seldom do we see cars that rewrite the history books even before they are seen running around on the roads. And hardly ever do we see cars that vow to put the nation on four wheels. The Tata Nano is one such car that has been in the news for quite a few years, for reasons good and evil. Nano is a car which has breathed into life due to one man. Give credit to Mr. Ratan Tata for his determination to build a low cost family car that has come true, finally. Took long it did, but the Nano came in a beautiful form. Touted as worlds cheapest car by a far cry, Nano has been the talk of the town around the globe. Head honchos of big organizations have been pouring in by numbers to have a look at this engineering master piece. Nano as a part of a new breed of 21st-century cars that embody a contrarian  philosophy of smaller, lighter, cheaper and portend a new era in inexpensive personal transportation and potentially, global gridlock. The Wall Street Journal confirms a global trend toward s mall cars, led by the Nano. The prefix Nano derives from the Greek root Nanos, meaning dwarf as with nanometer. Nano also means small in Gujarati, the native language of the Tata family, founders of the Tata Group. The project to create a 1 lakh rupees (3000SGD) car began in 2003, under the Chairman of Tata Motors, Ratan Tata. The strategy behind the project was the awareness of the number of Indian families who had two wheeled transport, but couldnt afford a four wheel car, and was based on the companys success in producing the low cost 4 wheeled Ace truck in May 2005. To discuss the innovation strategy for Tata Nano, we first discuss the constraints as per which the company had to operate. In pursuit of excellence and to keep up to the initial promise made to people that Tata will come out with a compact, quality car within a price tag of Rs. 1 lakhs(3000 SGD), Tata Motors came up with a design, marketing and operational strategy keeping in my mind the constraints of: Price Market Scalability Customer aspiration Resource efficiency 2. COMPANY PROFILE: Tata Motors Limited is Indias largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of USD 14 billion in 2008-09. It is the leader in commercial vehicles in each segment, and among the top three in passenger vehicles with winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments. The company is the worlds fourth largest truck manufacturer, and the worlds second largest bus manufacturer. The companys 24,000 employees are guided by the vision to be best in the manner in which we operate best in the products we deliver and best in our value system and ethics. Established in 1945, Tata Motors presence indeed cuts across the length and breadth of India. Over 4 million Tata vehicles ply on Indian roads, since the first rolled out in 1954. The companys manufacturing base in India is spread across Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Pune (Maharashtra), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and Dharwad (Karnataka). Following a strategic alliance with Fiat in 2005, it has set up an industrial joint venture with Fiat Group Automobiles at Ranjangaon (Maharashtra) to produce both Fiat and Tata cars and Fiat powertrains. The company is establishing a new plant at Sanand (Gujarat). The companys dealership, sales, services and spare parts network comprises over 3500 touch points. Tata Motors also distributes and markets Fiat branded cars in India. Tata Motors, the first company from Indias engineering sector to be listed in the New York Stock Exchange (September 2004), has also emerged as an international automobile company. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, a business comprising the two iconic British brands that was acquired in 2008. In 2004, it acquired the Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company, South Koreas second largest truck maker. The rechristened Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company has launched several new products in the Korean market, while also exporting these products to several international markets. Today two-thirds of heavy commercial vehicle exports out of South Korea are from Tata Daewoo. In 2005, Tata Motors acquired a 21% stake in Hispano Carrocera, a reputed Spanish bus and coach manufacturer, and subsequently the remaining stake in 2009. Hispanos presence is being expanded in other markets. In 2006, Tata Motors formed a joint venture with the Brazil-based Marcopolo, a global leader in body-building for buses and coaches to manufacture fully-built buses and coaches for India and select international markets. In 2006, Tata Motors entered into joint venture with Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Company of Thailand to manufacture and market the companys pickup vehicles in Thailand. The new plant of Tata Motors (Thailand) has begun production of the Xenon pickup truck, with the Xenon having been launched in Thailand in 2008. Tata Motors is also expanding its international footprint, established through exports since 1961. The companys commercial and passenger vehicles are already being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, South Asia and South America. It has franchisee/joint venture assembly operations in Kenya, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Russia, Senegal and South Africa. The foundation of the companys growth over the last 50 years is a deep understanding of economic stimuli and customer needs, and the ability to translate them into customer-desired offerings through leading edge RD. With over 3,000 engineers and scientists, the companys Engineering Research Centre, established in 1966, has enabled pioneering technologies and products. The company today has RD centers in Pune, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Dharwad in India, and in South Korea, Spain, and the UK. It was Tata Motors, which developed the first indigenously developed Light Commercial Vehicle, Indias first Sports Utility Vehicle and, in 1998, the Tata Indica, Indias first fully indigenous passenger car. Within two years of launch, Tata Indica became Indias largest selling car in its segment. In 2005, Tata Motors created a new segment by launching the Tata Ace, Indias first indigenously developed mini-truck. In January 2008, Tata Motors unveiled its Peoples Car, the Tata Nano, which India and the world have been looking forward to. The Tata Nano has been subsequently launched, as planned, in India in March 2009. A development, which signifies a first for the global automobile industry, the Nano brings the comfort and safety of a car within the reach of thousands of families. The standard version has been priced at USD 2500 (excluding VAT and transportation cost). Designed with a family in mind, it has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. It can comfortably seat four persons. Its mono-volume design will set a new benchmark among small cars. Its safety performance exceeds regulatory requirements in India. Its tailpipe emission performance too exceeds regulatory requirements. In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today. The lean design strategy has helped minimize weight, which helps maximize performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint. In May 2009, Tata Motors introduced ushered in a new era in the Indian automobile industry, in keeping with its pioneering tradition, by unveiling its new range of world standard trucks called Prima. In their power, speed, carrying capacity, operating economy and trims, they will introduce new benchmarks in India and match the best in the world in performance at a lower life-cycle cost. Tata Motors is equally focused on environment-friendly technologies in emissions and alternative fuels. . It has developed electric and hybrid vehicles both for personal and public transportation. It has also been implementing several environment-friendly technologies in manufacturing processes, significantly enhancing resource conservation Through its subsidiaries, the company is engaged in engineering and automotive solutions, construction equipment manufacturing, automotive vehicle components manufacturing and supply chain activities, machine tools and factory automation solutions, high-precision tooling and plastic and electronic components for automotive and computer applications, and automotive retailing and service operations. Tata Motors is committed to improving the quality of life of communities by working on four thrust areas employability, education, health and environment. The activities touch the lives of more than a million citizens. The companys support on education and employability is focused on youth and women. They range from schools to technical education institutes to actual facilitation of income generation. In health, our intervention is in both preventive and curative health care. The goal of environment protection is achieved through tree plantation, conserving water and creating new water bodies and, last but not the least, by introducing appropriate technologies in our vehicles and operations for constantly enhancing environment care. With the foundation of its rich heritage, Tata Motors today is etching a refulgent future. 2.1 TATA GROUP AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES TATA groups portfolio includes wide range of businesses which are leading in their fields. Its total revenue in 2006-07 is $ 28.8 billion which is 3.2 % of Indias GDP. TATAs business empire extends to over 80 countries across 6 continents. Similar to Jack Welchs opinion that the business should either be first or second else it is better to sell the business, TATA groups companies excel it the fields wherever they started the business. TATA group has ninety eight companies that are basically operating in seven sectors. 3. ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATIONS SYSTEM Innovation in Tata Motors is not a recent phenomenon, but is a part of its legacy. The Companys culture of perpetual search for excellence is highly attributed to the Tatas ethos and incessant efforts of its employees in the past several decades to serve the customers by bringing continuous innovation in its products and processes. The three major areas to illustrate how Tata Motors has effected innovation in the past few years. Products Processes People 3.1. PRODUCTS: Tata Motors created several breakthrough products in the past which changed the market dynamics and helped in providing a new customer experience. 407 platform in 1980s Japanese LCV players had made inroads into the Indian automobile market inthe 1980s. Tata Motors came out with its innovative 407 platform which was designed to suit the Indian conditions. It quickly became the bestseller in LCVs and the platform still continues control 2/3rd of the market even in the third decade of its existence. Indica in the late 90s- This was the first indigenously designed passenger car in India and it was innovative in the sense that it provided more value for money in terms of internal space (comparable to the Ambassador which was the benchmark in the country for internal space), contemporary features (comparable to Maruti Zen) and all that at a very competitive price. ACE Ace was Indias first mini-truck launched in 2005. While heavy trucks ply on the Highways, research showed the need for a small sub one-ton truck for intercity and truck terminal-to-nearby locations connectivity. The vehicle offered 4 wheeler functionality at 3 Wheelers price. The unconventional design features used in the vehicle were: Innovative 2 cylinder Indica engine Semi-monocoque body to withstand abuse Rigid front axle and rear wheel drive for low cost Flat face vs. semi-forward face to enhance the loading space. NANO The target price itself became the source of innovation, as you all must have read that the big names in the industry just rubbished it as false claims and commented that it was impossible to make a â€Å"CAR† at that price. However, you all know that the promise was kept. This was made possible through series of innovative ideas which led to acquisition of 37 patents by Tata Motors. Engine was packaged on the rear side. 2 cylinder engine (conventionally there are 3-4 cylinder engines) Identical handles and mechanisms for left and right side doors Instrument cluster in the middle of the dashboard Unconventional seats Interior space was maximized by pushing wheels to the corners and power train below the rear seat. Product created was very contemporary and It has sufficient Space inside to accommodate 4 persons comfortably. Highly fuel efficient Exceeds the current Safety requirements Complies with the current emission requirements. WORLD TRUCK The new generation range of trucks which would match with the best in the world in performance at a lower life-cycle cost is being unveiled in just a few hours from now. It will create a new benchmark in India in terms of power, speed, carrying capacity, operating economy and trims and a new experience for the drivers in terms of drivability and comfort. 3.2. PROCESS: Sustainability of innovation in products needed to be complemented with innovative changes in the organizational processes too. Some examples are: Adoption of the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM) It is based on Malcolm Baldridge Award for business excellence and Balance Score Card. This has created a culture of exploring various innovative ways to achieve excellence in all the organizational processes. Use of IT systems: It has been a benchmark and highly leveraged in the organization throughout the VALUE CHAIN. Supply Side Free-Markets for e-Sourcing, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM). Product Development Process. Institutionalized Stage Gate process in the organization is a benchmark in itself and ensures development of right product for the market and also an effective and efficient program management. Transition from in-house product development to a collaborative product development, utilizing the capabilities of suppliers, design houses, subsidiaries and associate companies specializing in different verticals. Internalization philosophyofTata Motors made some major global acquisitions like TDCV, JLR, Hispano, etc. Unlike many other Japanese / US players, they followed an innovative approach to be seen as a local company in the country of operation, i.e, as a South Korean player in South Korea and as a Spanish Player in Spain. This has helped them to appreciate the need and importance of all the stakeholders and they achieved this in four stages. This involves â€Å"Initiating†, by understanding the language and basic facts of the country, â€Å"Familiarization† with their c ulture, â€Å"Harmonization† and finally â€Å"Synergizing† by sharing the best practices and work ethics. 3.3. PEOPLE: The changing business environment and increasing complexity of business posed a huge challenge in achievement of business plans. Tata Group, of which Tata Motors is a part of, is well known for identifying and nurturing leaders. Tata Motors in the past has adopted several innovative means to leverage its human resource capabilities for achieving extremely challenging goals. Identifying leaders through assessment centers This process has been effectively utilized by Tata Motors to identify young managers with very high potential. This process was started some 20 years back and has progressively created a pool of very strong and effective leaders who have proven their capabilities in some very challenging assignments given to them. This process has now been replicated by many other organizations too. Putting them into challenging assignments and giving them International exposure Key projects like ACE and NANO are examples of some challenging projects which constituted of young leaders and engineers. Breaking the functional silos by shifting from a hierarchical organization to a more CFT approach All these experiences have helped us to redefine the way we have looked at innovation. And while innovation is normally understood as introduction of new and radical ideas in the area of products and services, our experience says there are several other areas that also require innovation in tandem, so as to effect an innovation in a company. Three of them I have already mentioned, that is, product, process and people. Four other areas of innovation Source of inspiration/ Purposefrom which the concept emanated, which stresses upon the fact that agility and understanding the unstated/ unfulfilled need of customers is the most important source of innovation. Tata Nano: In this case the idea struck in the mind of our Chairman when he saw a family of four (a man, his wife and two kids) riding on a scooter on a rainy day. He felt that there was an unfulfilled need of safe, affordable and an all weather alternative. Price: The price of Nano got fixed at Rs 1 lakh (2500USD). The achievement of price target was definite to create a major disruption in the car market as it fell midway between the price of a scooter and the cheapest car available which was priced at Rs 2(5000USD) lakh. Product design was choked for options because of the price target. Hence the setting the price as target triggered a series of innovation which involved: Target Cost approach which involved breaking down the cost targets to sub-system and then to component level. Suppliers were challenged with the stringent cost target given to them, but they accepted the same and the result is in front of you. Promotion: Innovation lies in reaching the right customers always and communicating in a simple and effective manner. Tata Motors in case of Nano developed a portal, which got as high 30 million hits even before the launch of the car. After the launch there were another 30 million hits in less than a month. This helped the customers in becoming more aware of the product features. They received around 2 lakh(.2 million) applications, which is a good response by all standards. Place/Reach: Conscious of the fact that demand for such cars would be substantial from the remotest corner of the country, the sale of form for booking were facilitated through several banks. New insurance schemes were co-designed with the insurance companies, and now we are in the process of enhancing the sales and service network for better reach and service to the customers. To summarize the experience, path breaking ideas, conceived and implemented in one or more of the 7 Ps, leads to INNOVATION. Purpose Product Price Place Promotion People Process 4. INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: Before the introduction of a product into the market, it goes through several stages of development. The stages of the product development includes the following idea Generation Idea Screening Concept Testing and Development Market Strategy Business Analysis Total Sales Estimation Estimation Costs and Profits Product Development Test Marketing As far as Nano is concerned, it falls new to the world products in the context that it has made a history for the cheapest car ever made without compromising on quality. i.e. best way value analysis. Category Players 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 A Maruti 800 28 24 21 14 10 7 B Alto,WagnorR,Santro,Indica 33 41 47 57 64 75 C Esteem, Swift, Indigo, Ikon, Ascent 12 15 18 22 26 33 D Mercedes-C, Skoda Superb 1 2 3 4 P/L Mercedes-E, BMw 1 1 1 1 1 1 74 81 88 96 104 120 Average Monthly Category Sales 4.1. idea generation The main idea behind TATA NANO was perceived by the chairman of TATA group himself who saw a family of four going on a scooter in rain he wanted to develop a transport which was affordable, safe and could face all types of weathers. This turned out to be the most ambitious project of Tata motors till date when Mr Ratan Tata told this to one of his managing directors Mr. Ravi Kant he was also interested about the idea. Mr. Ravi Kant had learned from his experience that â€Å"People want to move from two-wheelers to four-wheelers but they cannot afford it†. More and more can, but Indian car buyers today represent a tiny slice of a potentially giant market India has just seven cars per 1,000 people. Indias auto industry has grown an average of 12% for the past decade, but just 1.3 million passenger vehicles were sold in India in the fiscal year ending March 2006. That means a billion Indians buy about the same number of cars in a year as 300 million Americans buy in a month. If f our wheels cost as little as two wheels, that could change fast. About 7 million scooters and motorcycles were sold in India last year, typically for prices between 30,000 rupees and 70,000 rupees, about $675 to $1,600. Tata is targeting a price of 100,000 rupees one lakh, in Indian 19 terms of measurement or about $2,500 at current exchange rates, for its small car. That sounds impossibly cheap in the West but remains three times higher than Indias annual per capita income. The average pay for factory workers at Tata Motors is just $5,500 a year. 4.2. IDEA SCREENING The next step was screening of ideas. There were many ideas like to make a scooter with two extra wheels at the back for better stability, A three wheeled car like a closed auto- rickshaw but the market requirement was a car, the car should be such that it doesnt convey a message that its just an extension of a scooter it should be a proper car and likewise should also give the feel of a actual car. Trying to build a car cheap enough for motorcycle buyers seems to make sense now but seemed unachievable several years ago when Mr. Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors had first mentioned his dream of building a one-lakh car in 2003 at that time the whole world thought that this gamble will never work out but ironically the whole world is now talking of small cars as $5,000 or $7,000 after TATA NANO was launched in 2009. 4.3. CONCEPT TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT After surveying customers the end result was that people wanted a four wheeler which was cheap, dependable and strong enough to carry a load of 1 ton additionally four wheelers also increased the social status of the person who owns it .Four wheels not only practical appeal but also had a emotional appeal. Thus the new product was now to be developed but the following considerations would have to kept in mind when developing it- The car should be built on a different platform than conventional ones. It must be meeting all the safety and regulatory requirements. It has to be built on a scale which shall be more than double the earlier launches of similar products and the ramp up must be smooth. The car has to be designed so that it can be exported to other countries as the domestic demand may not materialize as per projections. There were three main requirement of the new vehicle: it should be low cost, adhere to the regulatory requirements, and achieve performance targets such as fuel efficiency and acceleration capacity. Nearly 500 engineers were involved in the development of the vehicle and everyday they had meeting so that the decision taking and the problem solving process could be accelerated. Each engineer represented a different part of the car: engine and transmission, body, vehicle integration, safety and regulation, and industrial design. The body of the vehicle had to go under a number of iterations because the Mr.Ratan Tata wanted that a person whose height is over six feet can also fit into the car without any discomfort and finally the length of the car had to be increased by 100mm but eventually. The hard work of designing the car paid off and the designers were successful in their attempt to design an actual car which did not look shabby and inexpensive but looked sleek and sophisticated. 4.4. BUSINESS ANALYSIS: COST: Since the car had to be built within a cost of Rs. 1 Lac, no conventional design would work as the costs shall be higher and so the entire car has to be redesigned. The design has to question the need of each and every component from the point of view of its necessity of existence and also the minimum requirements of its functionality. Value Engineering concepts have to be deployed to finalize the minimum requirements. DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY: Its a technology which brings radical change by introducing new ways of doing things. Technology that is Significantly cheaper than existing Technology. Much higher performing? Has greater functionality and Is more convenient to Use. Brings to market a totally different Value proposition than the one available and can change the Paradigm about a product. The Guiding factor was that the cost has to be minimized for each component yet maintaining its basic functionality. The Alternatives are: Reduce Consumption of Material being used. Alternate Suppliers to get same material at fewer prices. Use alternate materials. Eliminate use of Material. Eliminate a process Or a Combination of the above. COST REDUCTION PARADIGM: Value Engineering Alternatives: The target was very clearly defined that, within the given cost structure all the components have to be allocated and the same had to be achieved using the available alternatives. The Guiding factor was that the tax structure on materials and manufacturing must support the final cost. Decisions were Establish factory in a tax free zone. Get the tax advantages on infrastructure development. Get the suppliers to establish base near the factory. Get special concessions from State Govt. In short select a manufacturing location where all the advantages could be achieved. 4.5. TOTAL SALES ESTIMATION: The total sales had been estimated based on the following decisions It was estimated that the demand for the peoples car shall be at least twice the demand for Maruti 800, the lowest end car. Initial projections were at about 500,000 cars per year. The basic reason was the conviction that the target price shall redefine the 4 wheeler segment. The price decision of Rs 1 lakh is definitely going to make a lot many people transit to 4-wheeler fold and that shall explode the demand. Only 10% customers of 9 Million two wheeler market transit to 4-wheelers it shall amount to 50% of the passenger car market share. It was decided to set up plants with 5 lakhs cars per annum capacity and ramp the same up in stages, in line with increase in market demand. 4.6. MARKETING: Product: Tata has a very wide range of products it has passenger cars, utility vehicles, Trucks, Commercial passenger Carriers and Defense Vehicles. Nano received media attention due to its targeted low price. The Tata Nano is a rear-engine, four passenger ,city car built by Tata Motors, It was first presented at the 9th annual Auto Expo on 10 January 2008, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India. Aimed primarily at the Indian market. Price: The prices of Tata motors are generally affordable acceptable by the general public at large. Tata always have something for the lower class people with Nano being their trump card. Giving discount every month and special promotion for certain type of vehicle also one of the strong strategy use by Tata Motors. Discount can be made from Companys profit or from dealers profit at certain range. Pricing strategies: Penetration pricing Low pricing policy with minimum profit margin. Though the one lakh price tag is not fixed by TATA group, it was the word of mouth of people which fixed that range. This expectation of people creates a big challenge for the company. Place: Tata Motors has an extensive dealer network covering Indian and International markets. Wherever you are, there is a Tata Motors Sales and Service dealership close to you. The channel of distribution, physical location, and dealership method of distribution and sales is generally adopted. The distribution of vehicle must be in a very systematic way, from the plant to dealership and to end user. This is not only in India itself but also to the world-wide dealership. Promotion: Tata motors promote their products via Advertising and after sales services. Enough use of one of the most important element of promotion mix, publicity reduces the necessity of other promotional devices for Nano. Publicity as â€Å"One lakh car† by mouth to mouth. Auto expo 2008,New Delhi Geneva Publicity through print electronic media For other type of promotional activities, cost factor that is 1 lakh price tag is to be keep in mind, nano watches, nano T-shirts available in retail clothing stores. Advertising: TV other mass media will be less effective, thus too much money will not be invested in this regard. Mainly word of mouth advertising will get more emphasis. Internet will be a major media for advertising.

Olympian Destiny vs. Personal Choice Essay

An Analytical Essay on the Tragedy of Oedipus in Sophocles’ â€Å"Oedipus the King† Debates on whether men control their fates or whether their fates are already dictated by another force are not new and has definitely not ended. Still, even if arguments on the subject has been exhaustingly discussed, there is still no conclusion formed of whether humanity really make their own choices or if there is a greater or heavenly force which deprives humanity of that choice. Such circumstance is depicted in Oedipus the King, one of the trilogies in a famous Greek tragedian’s plays. Sophocles, who is known to be one of the pioneers of tragedies (as a drama) in the world, writes of the sad and terrible fate of Oedipus who is the ruler of Thebes after he saves the people of Thebes from a â€Å"monster†. The play revolves around a prophecy that Oedipus wants to kill his own father and make his own mother as a wife. This leads to this essay’s purpose which is to discuss on whether Oedipus was destined to have such end or whether he was the one who actually made his own fate. In Oedipus the King, trouble brews in Thebes as the people are in pandemonium over a sickness that spreads over the city. Oedipus who is the present ruler of the city after defeating the Sphinx asks help from an oracle to decipher why Thebes if suffering such fate. The oracle reveals that Olympus is angry over the murder of Thebes’ past King and the city can only be restored to its proper order when the King’s murderer has been caught. This rather ominous scene sets the play in motion as the court of Thebes starts to investigate and prod on who is the possible murderer of the dead King. Through much explanation, interrogation and prodding, it is found out that it is Oedipus himself who has killed the King, making the prophecy of Apollo true—that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his own mother. Because Thebes needs to be saved and because Creon cries out for Oedipus to respect the desires of Olympus, Oedipus willingly exiles himself from Thebes and eventually (in the next and last part of the trilogy, Oedipus at Colonus) dies alone. The trilogy that Sophocles has written is known to be the Oedipus plays even if one of the plays played out with the King already dead. However, it is quite evident that in all the plays, Oedipus plays an important part because his fate serves as background of all the plays and his fate becomes a catalyst for all the other scenes in the plot. This fate that brings down such grief to Oedipus and his family is connected to Apollo’s prophecy that was predicted by an oracle in Delphi. Oedipus recounts this prophecy when he talks to Jocasta, his queen and wife (and unbeknownst to him, his mother) over the reason why he self-exiled himself from Corinth: And so I went in secret off to Delphi. / I didn’t tell my mother or my father. Apollo sent me back without an answer, / so I didn’t learn what I had come to find. But when he spoke he uttered monstrous things, / strange terrors and horrific miseries— it was my fate to defile my mother’s bed, / to bring forth to men a human family that people could not bear to look upon, / to murder the father who engendered me. (Sophocles 945-954) This excerpt points to the fact that it is Apollo who passed the knowledge of the prophecy and Oedipus is well aware of the said prophecy. Thus, it would seem that the fate of Oedipus is already determined but there is a possibility that although he made unconscious and innocent choices and decisions, Oedipus is still well aware that all the things that he will do leads to something greater and sadder. This something greater and sadder is his tragic fate that would result in the death of his own father and would result in an immoral relationship with his own mother. This premise neither proves nor negates whether Oedipus’s life was created out of the decisions, actions and choices he made or whether his life was already created by another force for him. Both arguments may be correct but the other holds more weight based on the text itself. With regards to the tragedy of Oedipus’ fate created by his own choice, it can be shown in how the Chorus of the play described Oedipus that he was a man who had his own power from his mental strength which resulted in his ability to be very cunning: You residents of Thebes, our native land, / look on this man, this Oedipus, the one who understood that celebrated riddle. / He was the most powerful of men. All citizens who witnessed this man’s wealth / were envious. Now what a surging tide of terrible disaster sweeps around him. (Sophocles 1805–1811) The Chorus described Oedipus as having feats that he alone did without the help of any other force or power—this would of course show that Oedipus’ total worth as a character and individual was not just created by the Olympian gods alone. Oedipus also had a hand in the making of his own totality as a person. Thus, his characteristics which lead to his â€Å"crimes† were the culmination of all these characteristics. For example, he is cunning and that is why he was able to defeat his father in battle and he was able to solve the Sphinx’s riddle. Because of these two circumstances, he killed his father and he won the queen of the city who is his mother. Apollo merely prophesised Oedipus’ fate—the sun god did not provide the weapon which would kill Oedipus nor did he provide the answer to the riddle. Thus, Oedipus was able to the things he has done based on his own judgement and discernment as a person. On the other hand, the premise that Oedipus is the victim of the tragedy of fate manufactured by the Olympian gods still holds more weight compared to whether he is a victim of his own misplaced judgements and actions. This can be proven by the following lines delivered by the Chorus of the play: In everything / our loftiest traditions consecrate, those laws engendered in the heavenly skies, / whose only father is Olympus. They were not born from mortal men, / nor will they sleep and be forgotten. In them lives an ageless mighty god. (Sophocles 1034-1040) The lines explain that men’s laws and the traditions that they exalt, whether good or bad and advantageous or remiss, is created by the heavens. Therefore, men are but putty in the hands of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Whatever human beings do, it is determined already by the hands of the gods. If this supposition is correct, it just means that Oedipus’ entire life was created by the gods and it is up to the gods on how his life will end; even if the Queen Jocasta believes otherwise: â€Å"Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark. Better to live at random, best we can† (Sophocles 1068–1078). When the queen declared such judgement, she was not able to consider that even if chance rules humanity’s lives; chance is also something which the heavens also control. Though men make decisions in certain circumstances, those circumstances were also created by pre-determined fate: Oedipus had to be there at the exact same time his father was at the crossroads; Oedipus had to take the path going to Thebes; Oedipus had to solve the riddle by the Sphinx, etc. Thus, although Oedipus can make his own decisions which lead to his tragic fate, his tragic fate was already determined by his hands not his own. It was determined, based on the Greek mythologies, by the Fates. Works Cited Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Ontario: General Publishing, Ltd. , 1991.

Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp) and Supply Chain...

ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (SCM) -APPLICATION IN RETAIL INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAIN (MARKS AND SPENCER) ABSTRACT: This report examines Supply Chain Management (SCM) and how it enhances the supply chains in the Retail Industry. Also the report examines how the supply chain is a link of suppliers and buyers and customers in turn becoming supplier. The report examines the problems associated with the supply chain a major one which is bullwhip effect. This study focuses on how ERP and SCM work together to help in solving supply chain problems and making the supply chain management of the retail industry efficient. The aim of this report is to explore various Information technology applications/solutions†¦show more content†¦Viswanddham et al. He also emphasises how the growth of internet has changed the nature of business operations especially the way they compete. For instance is of a manufacturer who is aware of the inventory level of the retailer via e-supply chain platform. When inventory falls to a certain criteria level the manufacturer can immediately know and automate the replenishment [pic] http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/11/1067/apparel-supply-chain-and-its-variants1.asp This rapid growth in the market and supply chain has necessitated e-supply chains which enables visibility of all supply chain participants. Information pertaining to supply chain is easily seen by all the supply chain partners and they can share the information in real-time through direct integration. PROBLEMS OF SUPPLY CHAIN: Uncertainty in demand forecast is a major concern in the supply chain and this is because a lot of unpredictable factors influence demand of supply chain. Some of these factors include competition, prices, weather conditions technology development and customer’s general confidence. Poor customer service is a problem faced by the supply chain and this hinders business and people from getting products or services when needed. (Turban M.U, n.d.) The supply chain also faces problems of high inventory cost, loss of revenue and more. One nagging problem of the supply chain related to uncertainly is bullwhip effect. TheShow MoreRelatedOperational Strategy in Nestle24176 Words   |  97 PagesUniversity of Nottingham The School Business Studies OPERATIONAL STRATEGY OF NESTLE BEVERAGES IN PAKISTAN Submitted by: Saad Ahmad Khan The dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the completion of MSc Operations Management July 2007 2 Table of Contents Topic 1) Introduction What is strategy? Rationale Research objectives Research questions Company background and products of focus Structure of the Report 2) 3) Methodology Literature review ManufacturingRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesManufacturing Company CASE STUDY III-3 ERP Purchase Decision at Benton Manufacturing Company, Inc. CASE STUDY III-4 The Kuali Financial System: An Open-Source Project CASE STUDY III-5 NIBCO’s â€Å"Big Bang†: An SAP Implementation CASE STUDY III-6 BAT Taiwan: Implementing SAP for a Strategic Transition CASE STUDY III-7 A Troubled Project at Modern Materials, Inc. CASE STUDY III-8 Purchasing and Implementing a Student Management System at Jefferson County School System Read MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 PagesContemporary Issues in Management Accounting This page intentionally left blank Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting Edited by ALNOOR BHIMANI 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico

The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1187 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/06/26 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Edgar Allan Poe Essay Did you like this example? Edgar Allan Poe was an oddity. His life was odd, his legacy and literature were also bizarre (Ocker 1). He was an author of unique vision, expression, and ability. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe" essay for you Create order His dream was to evolve or invent the entire variety of literature as a way of expression. One of his exceptional works The Murder in the Rue Morgue, resulted to the creation of modern detective story. Poes work establish the production of 80% of contemporary televisions and literature programming (Ocker 1). Unfortunately, Edgar Allans life was mysteriously cut short 1849 at the age forty (Hopkins 41). Known as an originator of the detective story, Poes own death remains mysterious (Cheuse 63). This paper seeks to conduct a literature review concerning the mysterious death of Edgar Poe. The inexplicable death of Edgar Allan Poe continues to attract huge attention. The incident is worthy to be associated with a mysterious imagination or story by Poe himself (Beidler, 252). Hopkins reveal that Edgar Allan Poe took a business trip during the fall of 1849. The journey to New York and Philadelphia resulted in his strange disappearance (41). He was later discovered in Baltimore streets on 7th October 1849 in a state of alcoholic stupor and exhaustion. He was admitted at Baltimore hospital where he lost his life (Hopkins, 41). A big question that ponders in the minds of many is whether Poe purely met his death as a result of alcohol, underlying health causes such as brain fever or epilepsy or a premeditated or unplanned murder (Beidler, 252). According to Hopkins (42), a popular opinion that exists in contemporary cycles is that alcohol abuse was the main reason for Poes demise. Most people were aware that Poe had a long history of excessive drinking, essentially within the depressing five years between 1842 and 1847 after the death of his young wife Virginia who succumbed to tuberculosis (Hopkins 42). Nevertheless, medical tests did not detect the cause of demise to be associated with the alleged alcoholism. The autopsy failed to confirm the existence symptoms of liver sclerosis in his body. It is of note that the finest source that affirms that Poe succumbed to a death that was alcohol related was propagated by Kennedy. J. P who wrote a publication concerning Poes death three days after his passing (Hopkins 43). The writer stated On Sunday Edgar A. Poe died from the effects of debauch. He further unraveled that Poe was tricked by a companion who attract him to excessive drinking. Although Poe had made an oath earlier t hat he will never get close to a drop of liquor to the extent of signing a document. Kennedy, however, believed that Poe did not keep his promise. The implications of that event were madness, delirium, and fever (Hopkins 43). According to Kennedy (533) in his publication The violent Melancholy: Poe against Himself reveal that from the onset, the poet had coined his professional identity using a strategy that would result in making hostile relations. In an edge of his relatively short magazinist career, he did offend a number of American writers, either through sodden incoherencies, sober threats, insulting letters, biting journalistic profiles, and lashing reviews (Kennedy, 533). In most cases, when presenting his views, Poe would assassinate other authors, he also criticized the publishing practices of stakeholders in the publishing world and ridiculed literary coteries. For instance, in one of his critique escapades, he made a remark concerning Fredrick. W. Thomas by saying Let no man accuse me of leniency. The statement offended Mr. Thomas. According to Kennedy (533), Poe did not compromise his sentiments. He had many associates and scores of foes and detractors. At the time of his demise, Rufus Wilmot Griswold wrote an acidic memoir that taunted the poets image for years to come. He was perceived as moral lunatic, a lonely man, and derision (Kennedy, 533). An existing dilemma is whether his poor relations with others may have influenced his untimely death. A theory that seeks to explain Edgar Poes murder is the cooping theory (Walsh). The theory is emphasized in many Poe biographies, however, the premise of the notion cannot be proven as factual. According to the Cooping theory, electoral malpractices often result in murder and violence (Edgar Allan Poe Society). Poe may have been caught up in the mayhem that is electoral related. A twist of fate or not, on the very day that the poet was discovered on the boulevards it was an election time in Baltimore. In addition, the location where he was identified was a polling station and a bar. During this period, most elections in the area were mired by malpractices, violence, and corruption. Baltimore had groups of political mobs that were prepared to go to any length to ensure that their candidate won the elections (Edgar Allan Poe Society). The votes were often stolen, the voters in the opposing factions intimidated, and judges were enticed with bribes. The cliques would also kidnap blam eless bystanders and order them to vote several times for their preferred candidate. The victims were also beaten and forced to take alcohol. The theory was propagated by Thompson John in the initial years of 1870 to clarify the mysterious death of Edgar Poe. A fact that supports the perspective is that he was wearing clothes that did not belong to him. This means that he might have been forced to change his clothes in order to go for another round of voting (Edgar Allan Poe Society). The theory was, however, contended by various scholars. The first analogy that opposes the theory Poe was a well-recognized individual in Baltimore (Edgar Allan Poe Society). Smith (154) unveils another conspiracy theory that explains the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe. In her 1867 writing on The Facts of Poes Death, the writer discloses that Poes death was due to his relations with a woman. According to Smith, Poe had injured a lady and in order to revenge the grievances, he was beaten cruelly an incident that resulted in brain injuries. Peltak introduces another conspiracy theory that explains the death of Edgar Allan Poe (2). According to Peltak one of the biographies purported to uncover proof that Elmira Sheltons brother had, in fact, killed Poe (2). His impending marriage to Elmira Shelton a wealthy widow may have instigated a motive to assassinate the poet (Didier 119). Elmiras family was unhappy about the marriage, and her three brothers may have wanted to protect the family money and name from an alcoholic poet with a scandalous reputation as a womanizer. In this version concerning Poes last days, the poet took the train to Philadelphia. The three siblings then had followed him. The men then trapped him in his hotel room and insisted he continues on to New York, threatening his life if he went back to Richmond. Poe exchanged his usual clothes and followed the instructions. The three brothers later followed him to Baltimore and killed him (Peltak (2). In conclusion, the above review has examined various intrigues that surround the death of Edgar Poe. Based on the facts presented by various authors, it can be stated that the murder of the poet is still very controversial. The paper, however, acknowledges that he was a talented writer whose life was cut short.