Concepts of Strategic Management

Table of Contents Samsung situation before turn around Critical Analysis Conclusion Recommendations Reference List Global companies managers have been in a sleepless moments as they are bombarded by turbulent forces of increasing competition and market uncertainties. As they try to come up with strategies to solve their internal problems affecting their companies, such as logistical and high running cost of their business and at the same time outsmart their competitors in the world market, it is no hyperbole to state that radical re-examination of their mission to reflect the uncontrollable forces as to be done.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concepts of Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has forced the organizational managers to come up with innovative measures to deal with their internal problems and at the same time counter their competitor’s products in terms of high volume sales and customer satisfaction through offering quality products and services. Hence, to strategically plan well in this uncertain environment, Organizational business management leaders ought to be capable to foresee any impact on their organization any new decision made will have to affect them. In line with this, I am going to look at Samsung electronic company as a growing global company case study which is well represented globally. At the same time, I will look on what strategic measures and opportunities they applied in solving their internal problems and at the same time counter their competitors influence in the world market which has contributed to uncertainty of their products in the world market at while satisfying their customer increasing expectations. I choose Samsung Company because it is an up coming global company which operates under uncertain environment of information technology. The Samsung Company has greatly invested in information technology to manufacture information technology related devices and equipments. This being a volatile venture, and technology keep on changing very fast and its product having a short product life cycle, hence its is good to know which innovative planning strategy they have employed to remain as company of choice in the manufacturing of electronic products with this very uncertain environment for this kind of products it is manufacturing. Samsung is a Korean based electronics company with more than eight regional manufacturing branches in various parts of the world. It deals with the manufacture of telecommunication devises such as mobile phones, digital televisions, memory chips and the liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and now it is venturing into automobiles. Originally, it focused on producing low cost products as compared to his competitors and the moment they were able to produce efficiently and the production cost was manageable, it now changed its focus from low end products to more advanced products such as information technology equipments.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Its venture in manufacture of a variety of information technology products has made Samsung a superior company to its competitors in the production of not only information technology equipments but also home appliances such as fridges and gas stoves (LinkedIn, 2010, Para. 1-3). In the recent past, Samsung Company has had a tremendous growth having regional representation of about 90 offices in more than 50 counties and annual revenue of $100 billion dollars in the year ending 2008. At this moment of growth, Samsung started experiencing some problems related to its rapid expansion globally. It become under pressure to look for ways of minimizing its logistic cost such as the flow of their products from the manufacturing point to the consumer which required some means of handling, transportation and sto rage in the ware houses. Secondly they had to deal with market uncertainties due to higher customer expectations and increasing competition from the rival companies such as Sony and LG companies which produces same products as theirs (Young-ho, 2008, Para. 2- 12). Samsung situation before turn around By the time Samsung had established a net worth of $100 billion in revenue, it was incurring high cost in the flow of their products to the market and insecure supply of raw materials, and it had to be very mindful about inherent risks and a need for regular innovation and market predictability to avoid over purchase of raw materials or over production of its products in the market. In their quest to meet customer demand and check on their competitors, Samsung employed the use of information technology as an innovative business strategy to advancing its capabilities of increasing its efficiency and reduces its logistic cost, hence upgraded its existing supply chain management to match i ts products supply and respond to the customer demands. With the company implementation of the supply chain management, it was able to achieve high efficiency and in general, there was reduced business cost due to the implementation of this information technology supply chain management system. It also reduced its inventory and doubled its inventory material goods distribution rates as compared to the previous years before the implementation of this system. However, with the implementation of the supply chain management system, and the good result which came from it were able to be recognized, the Samsung Company still experienced a strong market competition from its rival companies and the consumer expectations were on an increase, resulting to market uncertainty.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concepts of Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hence, it needed to improve its strategy planning t o come up as a world leader in the manufacture of electronic goods so as to gain consumer confidence on its products. To achieve this, it established a scenario approach to come up with a management system which can recognize signs of market change and act accordingly to these changes (Microsoft Case Studies, 2009, Para. 1- 3). To hold up this new strategic transformation, it advanced its information technology system to solve and present insights into the already existing supply chain management system. This supply chain management had already worked well as it was able to integrate its competitors’ data within and even project the global demand for their electronics goods, but the problem was still that it was not able to detect quickly global market changes and adapt to the necessary changes as first as possible. The new system placed more emphasis on management as a survival approach to a manufacturing company with unpredictable future. So it adopted the market based supp ly chain management to respond rapidly to global market environment with the help of Microsoft Business intelligence (BI) solution that developed the soft ware part. However, its benefits have not yet fully seen as the company has only implemented this system in the video display business sector and it is expecting to increase its projection accuracy for its product demand in the market by about 25% (Microsoft: Case Studies, 2009, Para. 2-9). It can be seen that Samsung Company was experiencing market uncertainty and competition prompting it to look for ways to monitor and control these variables, hence, the implementation of the market based supply chain management. Critical Analysis I order to effectively deal with the market uncertainty and counter their competitors; Samsung Company had to plan in this uncertainty to accurately and continuously monitor its external environment changes. In his case, the Samsung Company was not more concerned with the future of their market share o r company’s future development plans that might occur, rather they were concerned with external environment which predict market forces and trends of the consumers and to evaluate internal factors to see in what situation they were in as compared to its competitors.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hence, in analysis of the strategy to come up with this market based supply chain management system to monitor the market trends, gain a competitive edge against its competitors and at the same time meet the customer demand; Samsung Company had to use a scenario strategy to make decision process and logic to come up with this new management system which was able to give the required information promptly (Byars, 1991, P. 65- 70). The scenario building concept must have been a suitable tool to use for decision making process given the external uncertainty environment they were facing and the need for long term perspectives that can identify the likely future they need and action in unknown period. Hence, it had to follow certain decision and logic process as part of their scenario strategy to solve the underlying issue of monitoring market trends and the uncertainty due to competition and demand. To start with, the Samsung Company started its scenario strategy development by identify its decision basing to its internal organizational objective of future growth of the company, hence to effectively lay a basis for scenario planning and make decisions a long term strategy was a means of identifying its decision focus and sustain its continuous growth. This was to ensure that it does not digress from their process focus of the company growth prospects in the uncertain future to aimless speculation (Myatt, 2010, Para. 2- 16). Having analyzed its decision focus, it had to explicitly spell out the key decision factors that affect or influence its successful growth or failure. The key factors it considered were both internal and external which included products cost, world economic status, the quality of their products, and marketing strategies put in place and the external factors were market demand and competition growth from its rivals in the future so that it can make any decision on which to base its growth strategies. After analyzing its decision focus of market d emand and completion growth, the next step was to single out the environmental forces that were to determine the course and value of their major decision factors to develop and implement market based supply chain management system. This was to help them make a good theoretical mock-up of the external environment forces and how they were to be incorporated in the system. These forces were first economic in nature such as the level of consumer spending on electronic equipment and the world economy since the Samsung Company was global. Secondly, these forces were associated to Samsung market change in demand trends of its products and competition by its rivals. And lastly, their capability to impact the market, industry and macro environment at the same time shape its future were influential forces (Nuefewld, 1985, P. 39- 52). The next step was to logically narrow down the environmental factors and establish the importance or success of their decision on customer demand and competition trend environmental factors and the extent of uncertainty, overall company strength, global economic and demand for its products. The Samsung Company must have narrowed them to uncertainty, demand for electronic products and the world economy which were more important and each explaining fundamentally different result. This market demand chain supply chain management system had to incorporate these factors in order to meet the company strategic mission (Wack, 1998, P. 139-150). Select alternatives scenarios and elaborate on the scenarios to reflect the future. In Samsung case, they had to weigh between high demands of electronics product against high global economic for it to expand its market globally. This happened to be a fine situation in which the increase in economy is interjioned with soaring demand for its products, hence enabling the company to really turn into global electronic manufacturing company. Competitive rivalry due to low demand and high economy scenario must hav e employed by the Samsung Company to out smart their competitors this is because more recent technology is more appealing to customers (Morrison, Ian., 2000, Para. 3- 6). To finally close the loop of scenario strategy, signpost indicators of various scenarios and implication which had to be identified so as to come to terms with the decision focus of the first step. The Samsung management used this scenarios and brain storming to identify implications and build a mutual vision and a flexible plan for the company to be a world leader in the production of electronic products (Wilson, 1994, P. 12- 24). Conclusion In conclusion, environmental examination is an important step to identify the underlying issues and develop a management plan in organizations learning from uncertain environment. Samsung being a global manufacturing company mostly in information technology electronics products that have low product life cycle, it was able to develop a strong business management plans as a ca use of its competitiveness. By establishing a management plan that reveals the customer demand and economic environment, Samsung Company was able to institute the best possible market scenario that was to eventually increase it revenue and promote its products distribution in the market. Scenario planning has enhanced its decision making process, as it was able to establish best market scenario to regulate itself in this uncertain environmental changes hence, having one step ahead its competitors. Recommendations Frequent evaluation of the external environment in an organization is necessary and for any case which deals with uncertainty I will recommend the use of scenario approach which considers a blend of uncertainties in each situation to try to expose the planners to key interactions of variables. Finally not only use of scenario planning as a decision making tool, but also other methods of planning such as PESTEL and SWOT analysis can be integrated in strategizing a company de cisions according to the circumstances facing it. Reference List Byars, L. (1991). Strategic Management, Formulation and Implementation – Concepts And Cases, New York: HarperCollins. LinkedIn. (2010). Samsung. Web. Microsoft: Case Studies. (2009). Business Management Quality Innovation with Market-Based Global SCM System Implementation. Web. Microsoft Case Studies. (2009). Samsung Electro Mechanics. Web. Myatt, M. (2010). Blogging Innovation. Six Steps of CEO Decision Making.  Web. Morrison, J. L., Ian, W. (2000). Analyzing Environments and Developing Scenarios in Uncertain Times. Web. Nuefewld, W. P. (1985). Environmental Scanning: It’s Use in Forecasting Emerging Trends and Issues in Organizations. Futures Research Quarterly, 1(3), 39-52. Porter, M. (1985). Competitive Advantage, New York: Free Press. Schwartz, P. (1991). The Art of the Long View. New York: Doubleday. Wack, P. (1998). Scenarios: Shooting the Rapids. Harvard Business Review, 1985b, 63(6), 139-150. Wilson, I. (1994). Strategic Planning Isn’t Dead–It Changed. Long Range Planning, 27(4), 12-24. Young-ho, C. (2008). Samsung’s Management Reform Plan. Web. This essay on Concepts of Strategic Management was written and submitted by user Miley Fleming to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How Culture Shapes Psychology

How Culture Shapes Psychology Free Online Research Papers In this paper I will be exploring the place where language and culture meet psychology and politics. It is my thesis that language biases communication in ways that are both determined by and influence culture and that the combined influence of language and culture shape the practice of psychology. Ultimately this plays an important role in working to support the accepted values that dominate our society and to discourage or discredit those values and perspectives that are not dominant. I begin by adopting the notion of language and communication developed by Jurgen Habermas, the German philosopher. 1 According to Habermas knowledge is always collected for some specific purpose. There is really no such thing as a â€Å"neutral† science or social science. Data collection and analysis always has as its driving force a certain set of interests. Likewise language use always has a purpose. This purpose goes beyond the simple communication of concepts, ideas or intent. The very structure of language itself is created in such a way as to bias the outcome of the communication. Habermas calls this bias of knowledge and communication â€Å"knowledge constitutive interest.†2 According to Habermas, knowledge and information is always collected for some specific purpose or intent. This purpose or intent is determined by the values, world view or ideology of the person collecting the information. Even the scientist in the laboratory collects data and information from the perspective of a belief system dominated by a scientific and technological set of values that legitimates the scientific endeavor itself. This set of values has no â€Å"objective† basis, but is in reality only one perspective about the way the world is and operates. This bias characterizes all language and the acquisition of knowledge and results in â€Å"systematically distorted communication.†3 One example of this structural bias of language, though a simple one, is the word â€Å"communism.† If one says this word to the average American, the emotional as well as the intellectual response to the word is likely to be negative. This negative emotional reaction is not the result of a balanced, reasoned assessment of communism as an economic system. Rather, it is the result of a systematic program of biasing certain words and concepts in the language in order to pre-dispose or pre-determine the outcome of thought or discourse. We have seen repeated applications of this use of language in political discourse. Most recently Rudolph Giuliani attempted to disparage certain approaches to solving the health care crisis in the United States by referring to calls for â€Å"socialized medicine.† Another obvious example of distorted communication and one that permeates our entire society is advertising. Advertising language is a form of communication devoted entirely to and shaped by a specific interest, namely: the pursuit of profits. This use of language does not seek to engage the rational faculties or result in a balanced assessment of the claims put forth about the product. Rather, it is intended to manipulate the consumer through appeals to emotion, obscuring the facts and outright misrepresentation of the true intentions of the entity who has initiated the communication. The implications of systematically distorted communication are enormous and go far beyond commercial speech. Language is the only medium by which we individually or collectively relate to one another and engage the world. It is the medium through which we seek the â€Å"truth,† in so far as â€Å"truth† is knowable to us. If the very language we use is not â€Å"value neutral† then the search for â€Å"truth† whether on the part of the scientist in the laboratory or on the part of citizens engaged in public discourse and debate is seriously compromised. This has the potential, as Habbermas and others have observed, to call the entire democratic process into question.4 The pervasiveness of advertising language or â€Å"hucksterism† has in my view contributed much to the cynicism, alienation and disaffection we see in citizens toward a whole range of social, cultural and political institutions. Like any other field of knowledge or endeavor, psychology is not immune from the influence of systematically distorted communication. During its early period the field of psychology had radical implications for and stood in opposition to much social and political orthodoxy. Freud, Jung and others drew out the implications of their new discipline in ways that were quite challenging to religion, politics and societal norms. In The Future of an Illusion, for example, Freud employed the insights of psychology, arguing that a belief in God had its source in human psychological need and the needs of ego maintenance. God itself was an illusion kept â€Å"alive† due to human weakness at best, or neurosis or psychosis at worst.5 At its outset, the purpose of the psychotherapeutic process as designed to illuminate the sources of unhappiness in the individual. Not surprisingly, much of this source of unhappiness could be found in the social, religious, cultural and political world in which the individual existed, a world that was at fundamental odds with what people needed to live â€Å"authentic† and happy lives.6 Building on the early insights of psychology, a whole genre of work evolved that brought into question the wisdom and utility of the structures that western societies had put in place, and which increasingly looked, when taken as a whole as a â€Å"toxic culture.† Over the course of time religious and secular authority attacked psychology, and especially those aspects of it that were challenging to their authority or power. Herbert Marcuse has discussed this attack on psychology in his Eros and Civilization. 7 According to Marcuse the radical aspects of psychology were destroyed or undermined by the same forces employed in our society to undermine any challenges to its authority. The use language, distorted through the association of certain terms and phrases with negative emotions is the primary way this was done. But it was also accomplished through attacks by conservative and religious interests who tried to undermine the legitimacy of questioning the way things are in our society. 8 Ultimately, psychology was brought into line with the prevailing economic, social and political orthodoxy. Psychology no longer served as a foil to the economic, cultural, social and political sources of human unhappiness. The stress was no longer on questioning whether the environment was one conducive to healthy psychological development. Now psychology and the therapeutic process became concerned with reconciling the individual to the society and its values as they existed. This process today increasingly relies on the use of drugs and medication designed to mitigate feelings of depression and unhappiness, with the stress placed on the individual as the source of the problem.9 The solution to the problem of distorted language, a toxic culture and a psychology that has been made to serve the powerful interests that benefit from the current state of things is complicated. Apart from revolutionary change the best hope for reform lies in a series of steps that would limit the power of wealthy interests to shape our language. One approach would be to remove first amendment protections from commercial speech and imposing strict controls on advertising and what can be said in it. Another approach would be to once again make psychology the radical discipline it once was. A third approach might be to follow what Habermas has proposed in trying to create â€Å"ideal speech situations.† This entails creating conditions in which genuine human interests can be discussed outside of attempts to distort the process of communication itself. 1 Sources for this section are: The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosohpy. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/habermas. And Jurgen Habbermas, Knowledge and Human Interests, Beacon Press, Boston, 1968. 2Knowledge and Human Interests, page 191. 3 Thomas McCarthy: The Critical Theory of Jurgen Habermas. MIT Press, Cambridge, 1982. pg. 4 Noam Chomsky has made this point as well in his Necessary Illusions, 1988, South End Press, Boston and other works. 5 Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion, Double Day, Anchor Garden City, New York. 1957 pgs. 47-53 6 Ibid. 7 Herbert Marcuse, Eros and Civilization, Beacon Press, 1955, 1966 8 Ibid. 9 I found materials for this section in the Radical Psychology Network. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Psychology_Network Research Papers on How Culture Shapes PsychologyAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThree Concepts of PsychodynamicRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenOpen Architechture a white paperQuebec and CanadaAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Disc leade Mod 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disc leade Mod 11 - Essay Example The assessment that has been an eye-opening of them all is the leadership trait questionnaire (LTQ). This is because it helped me determine my personal leadership traits, as I took the assessment and evaluated the score; I know have admirable leadership traits, even though previously, I was not certain on the same. In order to improve the organizations leadership and determine individuals that have leadership traits I can utilize the LTQ on my colleagues and followers in the firm (Rosch, 2007). Prior to introducing the assessment in the organization, I will conduct my personal research on the firm’s leadership structure and the traits of those in leadership. This research will give me an opportunity to determine the traits that need to be addressed, the strengths and weakness of my colleagues. I will then analyze these factors and start my assessment by asking my colleagues what they fill about varying leadership issues and the traits they believe a quality leader should have in order to help the firm attain its goals. In essence, I will be asking the questions contained in the LTQ and I will be ranking an individual’s response on the scale; at the long last I will evaluate my colleagues’ scores and thereby determine an individual that qualifies as a

Spirent Communications Plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Spirent Communications Plc - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the company is headquartered at Sussex, London and presently listed at the London Stock Exchange. The company primarily operates in communication testing and measurement sector but is significantly involved in development of various software and hardware solutions such as transmitter, cable management system and so on, for the global communication industry. Despite various ups and downs in the global telecommunication industry, the company continues to invest in product development and innovation.  This study declares that  the Spirent Group is considerably involved in acquisition and merger which further helps the company to grow its market share, offerings and consumer base. The company has current market capitalization of $427.61 million and about 30.9 percent of market share in the industry. Frost & Sullivan recognized that the company is market leader in segments such as 1GbE, 40/100GbE and 10GbE and appended that the company is way ah ead of its nearest competitors. The company observed a turnover of $413.5 million in 2013 and witnessed 17% growth in the second half of the year with respect to the first half.  The current ratio highlights relationship between the components of working capital, namely, current asset and current liability.  The gross profit and net profit margin reflect the level of profit a firm has earned over its revenue. It can be observed from the figures that gross profit and net profit of Spirent Communications has declined significantly in 2013.

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Marketing Research - Essay Example The data gathered and interpreted during marketing research significantly supports the organizations draw out future plans according to the changing trends and scenario of the market. It is considerably helpful in enhancing the organizations’ volume of production and sales. â€Å"Marketing research† Zaidi & Javed opine, â€Å"concentrates on data collection related to market product while interacting with the consumers, gathering information from them and interpreting results about various aspects of a market product.† (Zaidi and Javed, 2002:7). A marketing research is usually conducted either to prove the validity of the previous study, already conducted either by some other researcher or the same researcher in some other area or time period, or to gather latest information related to discover the various aspects of a market commodity. â€Å"All employees must practice the marketing concept in their everyday corporate behavior for a firm to be able to say that it is applying the marketing concept for consumer orientation, goal orientation, systems orientation and market exchange process.† (Dr. Langford, B. E.). The rapid transformations in business environment have made significant impacts on marketing research. Business environment is defined as the cultural and structural characteristics of an organization, an industry, a company or a market. In other words, the term refers to the managerial activities, departmental interactions, individual and group tasks, strategy formulation, implementation and analysis, and interaction between different branches and sections etc. The upper management and board of executives determine, review and regulate the cultural and strategic environment of an organization. The business culture is based on the management techniques devised for this purpose. â€Å"The business environment of an organization includes rituals and routines, control systems, organizational structure, power

Strategies to Counteract Online Radicalization

Strategies to Counteract Online Radicalization CHAPTER 2LITERATURE REVIEW The purpose of this study is to evaluate existing Bangladeshi efforts to counter radicalization through the internet, identify its weaknesses, and explore opportunities. This research will analyze the significant aspects of successful counter radicalization models of different countries, and suggest ways to incorporate those in Bangladesh to develop a coherent anti-radicalization strategy. Initially, this literature review will discuss the concept of radicalization through the cyberspace. It will allow the readers to follow the subsequent analysis and the suggestions to develop a mechanism in Bangladesh to counter this menace. The literature review is divided into three sections: understanding online radicalization, online radicalization from a Bangladeshi perspective, and significant aspects of successful international anti-radicalization programs. Understanding online radicalization will examine the potential power of the internet to influence people and the process of radicalization. The section on online radicalization from a Bangladeshi perspective will at first, briefly assess the relevant threats in Bangladesh and will then, identify and evaluate the existing programs of countering online radicalization. The final section will study the strategies adopted by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and the current programs undertaken by Malaysia and Indonesia. These two countries of Southeast Asia have been selected due to religious and cultural similarities, and geographic proximity. Their programs appear to be effective against online radicalization. Understanding Online Radicalization The internet appears to create more opportunities to become radicalized. Many scholarly articles ascribe a role to the internet in promoting radicalization[1]. Those studies suggest that the internet acts as an accelerant, and has broken the traditional barriers to radicalize individuals[2]. In this regard, Gabriel Weimanns Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, The New Challenges counts the number of websites of terrorist groups and reviews their contents[3]. In his article, Weimann points to the proliferation of extremists web sites. He founds, by the end of 1999, almost all terrorist groups established their online presence. Different empirical studies suggest, there is a correlation between extremists web sites and online propaganda, and rapid radicalization. The internet enables the terrorists to reach otherwise unreachable individuals. The reach of the internet has blurred the geographic barriers, and connected the distant individuals in the virtual world. Peter Neumann in his research points that the internet allows the terrorists to reach those individuals who would not have been accessible in any other way[4]. For example, Anwar al-Awlaki[5] successfully created online contents such as Inspire that advocates jihad from home. Ines von Behr asserts, these kind of online materials have broaden the scope to reach any people, and their appealing contents create more chance to implant radical ideas among the individuals[6]. The internet creates opportunities to radicalize a wider range of people from all societies. Rachel and Strugnell identify, beside removing the geographic barrier, the internet has erased the social and gender barriers as well to spread extremist ideologies. They highlight on the internet created scope to reach and radicalize the women[7]. In many societies, it may be difficult for women to meet personally with male extremists or work with them; it may also be difficult for the women to express certain thoughts in public. However, the internet allows them greater anonymity[8]. Some authors opine, the internet benefits the introvert individuals who are seeking the radical ideas by creating a scope to access any content privately[9]. Jerome Bjelopera says,ÂÂ   the characteristics of the internet allows a relative advantage to the terrorists in the present days than their previous generations by fading the lines between countries, societies, and genders[10]. The internet provides s upposed anonymity and a degree of protection and security from detection[11]. The internet accelerates the process of radicalization. Bjelopera terms the internet as an echo chamber[12]. It means, people who are searching any radical ideas to support their sketchy thoughts are likely to get some reinforcing contents on the internet due to its massive storage. The internet is a kind of one-stop shop for all the information that an individual may seek to underline his radical ideas that expedites his radicalization process. The virtual world reduces the timeframe of radicalization process as opposed to the actual world. Anthony Bergin in his study refers the internet as a conveyor belt that accelerates the radicalization process by providing instantaneous and continuous connection to any violent idea[13]. Raffaello Pantucci further highlights the internets role in incubating and accelerating radicalization[14]. Robert Schmidle points that, the chat rooms in particular are effective for the extremists since they can exchange ideas with like-minded individuals 24/ 7 regardless of borders[15]. Therefore, the internet expedites the radicalization process of any individual by offering varieties of contents and continuous interaction. The internet allows radicalization to occur without physical contact. Yeap and Park explain, the internet enables any individual to access radical contents from their personal space instead of attending a radical religious gathering[16]. Therefore, an individual need only the internet connection, physical travelling to other location is no more essential. Though the internet reduces hurdles to interaction, few scholars may argue that human interaction is necessary for radicalization. However, Behr says, in a digital era the online activities may be considered as an extension of the real lives, and physical connection is no more essential[17]. Beside the actual world, personal relationship may grow in the virtual world as well. Thus, Mitchell Silber and Arvin Bhatt asserts, radicalization on the internet is not necessarily any different to what would happen with other more private and less visible sources[18]. Besides, the internet increases opportunities for self-radicalization. It i s a process where an individual gradually become radicalized by himself [19]. Hence, the internet creates opportunities of radicalization without human interaction. An individual move through several phases as he becomes radicalized through the cyberspace. In a New York Police Department radicalization case study, Silber and Bhatt identify four phases of radicalization: pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination and jihadization[20]. The case study recognizes the impact of the internet on the radicalization process as an individual looking for an identity and a cause[21]. The internet facilitates in each of the stages to instruct, socialize, indoctrinate and recruit[22]. The FBI has also created a radicalization model similar to that of the NYPD. The FBI model has four stages: pre-radicalization, identification, indoctrination and action[23]. These categories are almost similar to NYPD. The diagram below illustrates the Moghaddams staircase to radicalization where the online contents play a complementary role: Moghaddam Staircase to Radicalization Source: Moghaddam, Fathali M. The Staircase to Terrorism, A Psychological Exploration, Vol. 60, No. 2, American Psychologist, 2005. Online Radicalization in Bangladeshi Perspective Terrorists Approach and their Target Audience In Bangladesh, few religion based terrorist organizations have gained capabilities to develop and spread their radical messages online. They have attracted public and media attention through their activities and propagation. Besides, few leftist political groups are also trying to develop their online capabilities. At present 13 terrorist organizations are operating actively and 29 others are operating covertly using fake credentials[24]. The Special Branch of Bangladesh Police has provided the names of eight terrorist organizations to Home Ministry who are very active on the internet: Ansarullah Bangla Team, Allahr Dal, Islamic Solidarity Front, Tamiruddin Bangladesh, Tawhidee Trust, Hizbut-Tawhid, Shahdat-e-Nabuwat and Jamat-as-Sadat. Five of these terrorist organizations have already been banned by the government, and eight more are yet to be banned[25]. These groups may have significant investment, both human and financial, to build their online capacities. The terrorist groups of Bangladesh appear to be active on the internet, particularly in Facebook and YouTube, to spread radical preaching. This is safer, and lower possibility of being tracked by the law enforcing agencies. Farooq opines, the online propaganda of the terrorists in Bangladesh have become more organized, and appealing to their targets[26]. Arman claims that the terrorists try to exploit the ethno-religious sentiment of the people while developing their messages, and appeal to their believes to embed their radical ideas[27]. Over the last few years, hate speeches and violent ideologies that spread through the internet triggered a number of terrorist attacks and communal violence in Bangladesh. This was evident in Ramu and Pabna incidents where mass attacks were carried out on religious minority people. In both cases, unidentified persons using pseudonyms posted doctored photos and messages on the Facebook defaming Islam that agitated people[28]. Social media have become the easiest means to spread radical ideas in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi youths are particularly vulnerable to online radicalization due to lack of cyber awareness. Farooq in his study opines, the terrorists seem to target the educated youths by spreading appealing messages on the Internet[29]. It is easier to radicalize the youths than the elders since they are more connected to the online world. Farooq also opines, many Bangladeshi youths at first just curiously run across radical contents, and gradually fall into the traps unconsciously. The concept of cyber awareness and related programs seem insufficient in Bangladesh. As a result, neither the youths nor their parents or guardians are aware about the online traps. Immediately after the terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant, RAB released a list of 261 missing youths across the country[30]. These missing youths are suspected to have joined various terrorist groups. The terrorists in Bangladesh attempt to build their radical narratives based on religious and socio-political contentious issues. Nirmal Ghosh opines, though Bangladesh is politically a secular country, the terrorist appeal to the Muslim majority population to make it an Islamic state under Sariah law[31]. They seem to exploit the religious sentiment of the people. These groups intentionally create fake photos with radical messages such as prosecution of Muslim Rohingyas and spread those on social media to instill communal violence in the country[32]. Furthermore, the extremists adeptly construct radical narratives on socio-economic disparity and political issues to create sympathizers. Bangladeshi Counter Radicalization Programs The Bangladesh government has implemented several plans and strategies to counter radicalization in the country. However, Abul Kalam argues that, the government has mostly implemented coercive approaches to minimize the terrorist threats[33]. Aynul Islam in his article, categorizes the government initiatives into two types: operational drives by the law and security forces, and legal initiatives[34]. The law enforcement agencies have achieved some success in disrupting few of the extremist groups. Many extremist leaders and activists have been arrested, put under trial. However, the terrorists online activities apparently remain undisrupted due to lack of government action. The National Monitoring Cell (NMC) monitors the suspicious online activities, but it has limited capacity and expert workforce. The government effort to shut down or censor few websites seem not very effective, because extremists innovate new ways to reach people. Moreover, it is difficult to identify and stop sec ret groups in social networking sites that contains radical ideas. Bangladesh government has enacted a few legislations to ensure the cyber security. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Act 2001, The ICT Act 2006, Digital Security Act 2016 (Draft) are at present the main legislations of Bangladesh to enforce cyber security. On 11 June 2008, the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2008 was approved by the government, and was amended in 2013[35]. The new counter terrorism legislation has kept maximum punishment a death sentence for terrorist activities. However, in most cases the laws have not been enforced against persons who carry out propaganda in the cyberspace. Bangladesh has number of agencies with counterterrorism cells. Islam opines, capabilities and activities of these agencies are not orchestrated[36]. Their roles are not specified, and efforts are fragmented. The Bangladesh Police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), armed forces and intelligence agencies are mainly responsible for fighting terrorism. All of these forces have counter terrorism cells, but they work separately. He further argues that, the police are not well equipped and trained to deal with the new trends of online terrorism. The intelligence agencies are essential apparatus in support of operational activities. The National Security Intelligence (NSI), the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Special Branch (SB) of Police and the RAB intelligence wing have been working in Bangladesh to identify the potential threat sources. There is no set mechanism through which the forces can share intelligence and coordinate their collection eff orts. In May 2004, NSI constituted a separate body called counter terrorism cell to identify specific risk population and areas, and threat groups. The counter terrorism bureau of DGFI, has been working to evaluate, analyze, and frame counter terrorism policy at strategic and operational level[37]. Nonetheless, there is no overarching organization to synchronize these wide varieties of organizations in the country[38]. Islam in his article, Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh, identifies few key deficiencies of Bangladeshi programs to prevent radicalization[39]. First, Bangladesh has no set mechanism to monitor the internet for preventing radical ideas. He opines that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the threats that can spread through online. Neither the country has sufficient technological and organizational expertise, nor it has workable international cooperation for capacity building. Second, the law enforcement agencies do not have close link with the other service sectors or private sectors to identify suspicious activities. Third, the Bangladesh government is not sufficiently addressing strategic issues like de-radicalization and counter ideology. Fourth, there is a very limited initiative to educate professional groups like academics, media community, service sector officials, and political leaders to create general awareness. There is almost no community based programs in the country for developing cyber awareness. Fifth, the government overemphasizes coercive approaches in dealing with terrorism issues. There is no dedicated research institution in the government to provide forum for understanding and research on critical issues of terrorism like online radicalization. Although the counter terrorism bureau of DGFI is responsible for policy related activities, it is barely possible to formulate a viable strategy by a body of armed forces alone. Finally, he mentions that, in Bangladesh, strategies and policies are highly bureaucratic, ambiguous, and unaccountable[40]. References [1] Precht, Tomas. Homegrown Terrorism and Islamist Radicalisation in Europe: From Conversion to Terrorism. An Assessment of the Factors Influencing Violent Islamist Extremism and Suggestions for Counter Radicalisation Measures, Copenhagen: Danish Ministry of Defence, 2008. [2] Pantucci, Raffaello. A Typology of Lone Wolves: Preliminary Analysis of Lone Islamist Terrorists. Developments in Radicalisation and Political Violence, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, 2011. [3] Weimann, Gabriel. Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, The New Challenges. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2006. [4] Neumann, Peter R. Options and Strategies for Countering Online Radicalization in the United States. Studies in Conflict Terrorism, 2013. [5] Anwar al-Awlaki was a spokesperson and recruiter for Al Qaida. [6] Ines von Behr, AnaÃÆ'Â ¯s Reding, Charlie Edwards, Luke Gribbon. Radicalisation in The Digital Era. RAND Corporation, 2103. 17. [7] Briggs, Rachel and Alex Strugnell. Radicalisation: The Role of the Internet. Policy Planners Network Working Paper, London: Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2011. [8] Schmidle, Robert E. Positioning Theory and Terrorist Networks. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2009, 65. [9] Torok, Robyn. Make a Bomb in Your Mums Kitchen: Cyber Recruiting and Socialisation of White Moors and Home Grown Jihadists. Edith Cowan University Research Online, 2010. [10] Bjelopera, Jerome P. American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, Washington, DC: Congress Research Service, 2011, 101-102. [11] Weimann. Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, The New Challenges. [12] Bjelopera. American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat. 101-102. [13] Bergin, Anthony. Countering Online Radicalisation in Australia. Australian Strategic Policy Institute Forum, 2009. [14] Pantucci, Raffaello. A Typology of Lone Wolves: Preliminary Analysis of Lone IslamistÂÂ   Terrorists. Developments in Radicalisation and Political Violence, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, 2011. [15] Schmidle, Robert E. Positioning Theory and Terrorist Networks. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2009, 65. [16] Yeap, Su Yin and Jenna Park, Countering Internet Radicalisation: A Holistic Approach. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 2010. 2. [17] Ines von Behr, AnaÃÆ'Â ¯s Reding, Charlie Edwards, Luke Gribbon. Radicalisation in the Digital Era. RAND Corporation 2013. P.20. [18] Silber, Mitchell D. and Arvin Bhatt. Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. New York: New York City Police Department, 2007. [19] Change Institute. Studies into Violent Radicalisation: Lot 2 The Beliefs Ideologies and Narratives. 2008. [20] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 6-7. [21] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 8. [22] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 8-9. [23] Silber and Bhatt, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. 30. [24] Farooq Sobhan. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. P. 8. [25] Farooq Sobhan. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. P. 8. [26] Sobhan, Farooq. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. 13. [27] Tanbir Uddin Arman. New Media, Digital Radicalization and Social Security. The Bangladesh Today, 2015. [28] Arman. New Media, Digital Radicalization and Social Security. The Bangladesh Today, 2015. [29] Farooq Sobhan. The Role of Civil Society in Countering Radicalization in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka 2014. 10. [30] Bdnews24.com. Web: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/07/20/rab-releases-list-of-261-persons-missing-from-across-bangladesh. http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/battle-for-bangladeshs-soul-as-islamic-radicals-push-for-power [32] Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary and Wasim Bin Habib, Fake photos trolling, http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/fake-photos-trolling-1320613 [33] Kalam, Abul. The Challenges of Terrorism: Bangladesh Responses. Moni, SD. (ed) Responding to Terrorism in South Asia, Monohar, New Delhi, 2006. [34] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 165. [35] The Daily Star, 18 June 2008. [36] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 165. [37] Hussain, Sakhawat M. Capacity Building of Law Enforcement and Intelligence Agencies. Farooq Sobhan, ed, Counter Terrorism in Bangladesh. University Press Limited, Dhaka, 2008, p. 70. [38] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 165. [39] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 167-168. [40] Islam, Aynul M. Mapping Terrorism Threats in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, April 2008. P. 167-168.

Music is the Only Universal Language Essay -- Exploratory Essays Resea

Music is the Only Universal Language When people think of the term literacy, they most commonly define it as the ability to read and write, in the verbal sense. But there is a wide range of literacy apart from that, which also requires mastering a set of crucial skills. One such example is musical literacy, which is the ability to read, write, or appreciate music. Musical literacy is not all that different from the verbal kind. Leonard G. Ratner, when speaking of 18th and 19th century music, writes "Both language and music had their vocabulary, syntax, and arrangement of formal structures, subsumed under the title Rhetoric" (xiv). In other words, music, like language, is based on its own set of learned rules, and both serve as a form of communication. But what exactly does it mean to be musically literate? One example is the ability to look at a piece of music and know how its components fit together, such as scales, key signatures, crescendos, and other parts. This is known as sight-reading, where people play an unfamiliar piece of music at first glance, because they understand counting and basic underlying principles. But musical literacy also has a wider definition. Listening to a symphony, playing a musical instrument, or even humming along to a song on the radio all show a general understanding of musical principles. Once an individual obtains this understanding, doors are opened. That person can appreciate music on a more complex level, and musical literacy adds to a well-rounded personality and view of the world. Once people actually understand what is going on behind music, they gain a newer appreciation of its sounds. On a personal note, I have played the piano for about 8 years, and it has opened doors for... ...s of ability. Music can be used to express everything from emotions to political opinions. It uniquely soothes us when we are unhappy, and echoes our highest spirits. Simply put, the world would be an emptier place without literacy to translate those feelings into a language that everyone understands. Overall, music is unique by its duality. Different forms are partial to a particular culture or time period, but every form can reach people all over the world and throughout time. To be literate musically is to spread thoughts and expression, and sometimes those musical ideas weigh more heavily than language can. Music serves as a bridge between generations, societies, and opinions, and without literacy, the world would be a much more restrictive place. WORKS CITED Ratner, Leonard G. Classic Music: Expression, form, and Style. London: Schirmer Books, 1980.

Little Rock Nine Essay

The picture I am painting is of Little Rock Nine. It was about nine black kids who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957 which was a very segregated time; it was an all white school. When white people found out black kids was going to be attending the school they was furious. They reacted poorly; there were mobs of white people waiting for the kids outside of the school. They yelled racist slurs at the black kids, threw food, and even attacked them. In the picture I’m drawing is Elizabeth Eckford, she was one of the nine students. She didn’t graduate from Little Rock Central High School though only Earnest Green, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls graduated. In the picture she is wearing glasses and walking through the crowd as they screamed in her face, she never lost her composure; she kept calm as if they weren’t even around. Little Rock Nine was important in the Civil Rights movement because they were the first black students to be allowed to attend an all white high school, after the use of segregation was deemed unconstitutional. The event is considered very important to the Civil Rights Movement, because it was supported by the president at the time Dwight D. Eisenhower and because it gave insight into the plight of the African American, and how poorly they were treated. What struck me about this moment in history is how the nine kids didn’t quit even though white people tormented them. That type of drive inspires me to never give up even when times get hard because there will always be a good outcome out of every bad situation, even if you don’t see it right away, because when your down you can only go up.

Bibliography

Bibliography As you put the finishing touches on your research paper or business report, youll want to begin compiling your bibliography. During the writing process, you will use the parenthetical citations as outlined in the APA style manual. For each source you cite, you will need to include it in your list of works cited at the end of the paper. Click Here For Our Recommended Site About Bibliographies! The Importance of Listing Sources Why are bibliographies so important, anyhow? Most of us throw them together hastily just before we print out our papers. However, they are often the most important part of your paperthe proof for each APA style citation, and the basis on which you built your paper. How to Compile Your Bibliography Creating your bibliography has never been easier than it is when using the APA writing style. You simply list the texts alphabetically, by authors last names. You include the title of the text, publication information, and page numbers used. Making Bibliographies Easier with Software You simply choose which type of publication you are entering, and the software provides the formatting. In fact, at the end of your paper, you can simply use the citations youve made to generate an instant, alphabetized bibliography! You wont believe how easy it has become to create a flawless bibliography in seconds.

The Commonly Confused Words Bathos and Pathos

The Commonly Confused Words Bathos and Pathos The words bathos and pathos are related in meaning as well as in sound, but theyre not interchangeable. Definitions The noun bathos refers to an abrupt and often ludicrous transition from the elevated to the ordinary (a form of anticlimax), or to an excessively sentimental demonstration of pathos. The word bathos  (adjective form, bathetic) almost always has a negative connotation. The noun pathos  (adjective form, pathetic) refers to a quality in something experienced or observed that evokes sympathy and a feeling of sorrow. Examples The director had clearly decided to confront us with the gruesome detail of the massacre, but the sight of artificial dismembered limbs, human torsos dangling in  trees, and blood-stained cavalry men riding about brandishing human legs and heads,  that all clearly had the weight of polystyrene, made his intentions ridiculous.  The entire cinema burst out laughing as the film  descended into bathos. We expected the gruesome and got the bizarre instead.(John Wright, Why Is That So Funny? Limelight, 2007)The  pathos  of the  Frankenstein  legend is that the monster has some traits of humanity remaining within him.Mr. Moretti has a habit of crossing the line from pathos to bathos, but he imbues this  movie [Mia Madre] with such honest sentiment  that he can evoke a lifetime of feeling with just the shot of an empty chair.(Manohla  Dargis, New York Film Festival Walks the Tightrope Between Art and Commerce. The New York Times, September 24, 2015) Usage Notes Dont confuse bathos with pathos. Bathos, the Greek word for depth, is a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. You commit bathos if, for example, you ruin a stately speech by ending it with some tasteless anecdote. The adjective is bathetic, like pathetic, the adjective for pathos, the Greek word for suffering. Bathos is commonly misused as the equivalent of sloppy sentimentality.(John B. Bremner, Words on Words: A Dictionary for Writers and Others Who Care About Words. Columbia University Press, 1980)Pathos is the quality of something, such as speech or music, that evokes a feeling of pity or sorrow: The mother told her tale with such pathos that tears came to the eyes of many present. Bathos is either insincere pathos or a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous: The play was rather moving in places, but the episode where the two take a shower together was pure bathos.(Adrian Room, Dictionary of Confusable Words. Fitzroy Dearborn, 2000)Pathos occurs when a feeling of pity, compassion or tenderness towards a character or situation is evoked in the reader. Pathos will be usually felt towards a hero, an admired character or a victim. The group victims of a disaster will also frequently engender pathos. The undeserved or early death of a character is a subject for pathos. If we have cried over some incident in a book we have experienced pathos. Think of the death of Ophelia in Hamlet and notice how it is Gertrudes speech about a young girls death which is the means by which Shakespeare induces pathos...The writer must always strike a careful balance with such scenes if pathos is to be achieved. Even good writers can sometimes go over the top into bathos, when an incident or character that should have aroused compassion veers toward the absurd or ludicrous. Dickens in The Old Curiosity Shop clearly meant the death of Little Nell to arouse pathos and for the most part it did with his contemporary readers. Many modern readers though find the overblown descri ption almost laughable.(Colin Bulman, Creative Writing: A Guide and Glossary to Fiction Writing. Polity Press, 2007) Practice (a) The pat ending of Beauty and the Beast disregards the dark undercurrent of genuine _____ and suffering that had made the Beast so endearing.(b) Don Gibsons . . . specialty  became the tearjerkin country ballad, although many of his recordings were so drenched in self-pity that they crossed the line into pure _____.(Richard Carlin,  Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge, 2003) Scroll down for answers below: Answers to Practice Exercises: (a) The pat ending of  Beauty and the Beast  disregards the dark undercurrent of genuine  pathos  and suffering that had made the Beast so endearing.(b) Don Gibsons . . . specialty  became the tearjerkin country ballad, although many of his recordings were so drenched in self-pity that they crossed the line into pure  bathos.(Richard Carlin,  Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge, 2003)

Leadership of Richard Branson Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership of Richard Branson - Assignment Example Actually, most likely, the Virgin Group may be the only brand globally that transcends such a big range of services and products. The important feature to note is that the Virgin brand with its assorted businesses has grown to be stronger on embracing diversification instead of being diluted. In fact, Virgin is referred to as the inexpensive, innovative, cool option to the rest of the key players. At present, more than just a businessperson who is a successful, Branson is the symbolic leader especially for startup entrepreneurs. Branson’s cheeky attitude, innovative methods as well as multi-colored advertising concepts aimed at attracting the masses, makes him stand out like a corporate champion with popularity akin to that of a super star. Although, Branson has experienced failures numerous times, his endeavors, to overcome them have grabbed the attention of people at all times. From such events as those pertaining his pitfalls and success while establishing his brand, a lot can be learnt about his leadership style. Although other entrepreneurs might get entangled in corporate wrangles, Branson takes his challenges in business as a campaign. Branson takes pride in himself by challenging big companies to provide his customers better value for their money. For example, the moment Virgin ventured the market, people already were feeling that they were not being treated fairly and his offerings of better value placed Virgin steadfastly on the side of customers. Thus, whereas some entrepreneurs may look at the strength of market players and think otherwise, Branson is a firm believer in taking on the main players and succeeding. In addition, the unconventional attitude and informal style of Branson has made him famous with his attraction to the hippie movement, especially of the 60s, basically shows his affinity for being in sync with the mood of the times. In fact, this is amongst

Injustice in Iran Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Injustice in Iran - Research Paper Example An interesting and unique case of this phenomenon is Iran. Today it is public knowledge that the American CIA helped to overthrow in 1953 the democratically-elected government of Mohammed Mossadegh in order to establish a regime more sympathetic to Western oil interests. The fact that the US has played such a significant role in modern Iranian history is hardly something worth boasting about. One word that would well describe the history of events in Iran of the last 50-60 years would be tragedy. A despotic government, through the insidious intervention of a foreign power, was installed and which went on to commit many crimes against the people of Iran. The reaction to that regime, the regime of Shah Pahlavi, helped to fuel to the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Today the similarities between the oppression and abuse of power by the Shah’s regime and that of the current Islamist one are quite alarming. It was Karl Marx who famously said that â€Å"History repeats itself, first as tr agedy, second as farce† (Marx 2010). His comments can be applied to Iran where a revolution took place which wanted to overthrow what was seen as a tyrannical and unjust government so as to implement a traditionally Islamist and â€Å"uncorrupt† government. Sadly, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown itself to be just as unjust and oppressive as that of its predecessor. The Iranian Shah, after seizing full autocratic power in Iran following the overthrow of the Mossadegh government, instituted a repressive government in order to take and maintain power. A key part of this power structure was the â€Å"Sazeman-I Ettela-at Va Amniyat-I Kishvar† or as it was commonly known, SAVAK, the Iranian National and Intelligence Organization. Founded in 1957, SAVAK kept eyes on domestic opponents of the Shah’s regime and â€Å"staged several operations to influence political events†¦[for] the late 1950’s were a time of great political